Freezing-thawing hysteresis phenomena of biological systems by the new method of proton magnetic resonance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suzuki, Eiichiro; Nagashima, Nobuya (Ajinomoto Co. Inc., Kawasaki, Kanagawa (Japan))

1982-09-01

an automatic recording system was developed for unfrozen water content and spin-spin relaxation time measurements as continuous functions of temperature, by using a broad-line pulsed NMR spectrometer and a minicomputer. The advantages of this system are that the exact quantitative measurements can be done by calibrating the nonlinearity of the NMR sensitivity, and that for high sensitivity temperature measurement the thermocouple with special device is directly immersed in a sample. Three types of freezing-thawing hysteresis phenomena, (1) recrystallization of solute (hydroxy-L-proline, D-mannitol) and refreezing of released hydrated water molecules in frozen aqueous solutions, and (2) hysteresis as the characteristic feature of gels (gelatin, alpha sub(sl)-casein), and (3) supercooling of capillary water in water-insoluble materials (zein, yeast RNA, cellulose) were analysed. The usefulness of this system as an analytical instrument of hydration properties of biological materials is emphasized.

Freezing-thawing hysteresis phenomena of biological systems by the new method of proton magnetic resonance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suzuki, E.; Nagashima, N.

1982-01-01

An automatic recording system was developed for unfrozen water content and spin-spin relaxation time measurements as continuous functions of temperature, by using a broad-line pulsed NMR spectrometer and a mini-computer. The advantages of this system are that the exact quantitative measurements can be done by calibrating the nonlinearity of the NMR sensitivity, and that for high sensitivity temperature measurement the thermocouple with special device is directly immersed in a sample. Three types of freezing-thawing hysteresis phenomena, (1) recrystallization of solute(hydroxy-L-proline, D-mannitol) and refreezing of released hydrated water molecules in frozen aqueous solutions, and (2) hysteresis as the characteristic feature of gels(gelatin, J/sub s1/-casein), and (3) supercooling of capillary water in water-insoluble materials(zein, yeast RNA, cellulose) were analysed. The usefulness of this system as an analytical instrument of hydration properties of biological materials is emphasized.

Freezing-thawing hysteresis phenomena of biological systems by the new method of proton magnetic resonance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Eiichiro; Nagashima, Nobuya

1982-01-01

an automatic recording system was developed for unfrozen water content and spin-spin relaxation time measurements as continuous functions of temperature, by using a broad-line pulsed NMR spectrometer and a minicomputer. The advantages of this system are that the exact quantitative measurements can be done by calibrating the nonlinearity of the NMR sensitivity, and that for high sensitivity temperature measurement the thermocouple with special device is directly immersed in a sample. Three types of freezing-thawing hysteresis phenomena, (1) recrystallization of solute (hydroxy-L-proline, D-mannitol) and refreezing of released hydrated water molecules in frozen aqueous solutions, and (2) hysteresis as the characteristic feature of gels(gelatin, alpha sub(sl)-casein), and (3) supercooling of capillary water in water-insoluble materials(zein, yeast RNA, cellulose) were analysed. The usefulness of this system as an analytical instrument of hydration properties of biological materials is emphasized. (author)

Correlated randomness and switching phenomena

Science.gov (United States)

Stanley, H. E.; Buldyrev, S. V.; Franzese, G.; Havlin, S.; Mallamace, F.; Kumar, P.; Plerou, V.; Preis, T.

2010-08-01

One challenge of biology, medicine, and economics is that the systems treated by these serious scientific disciplines have no perfect metronome in time and no perfect spatial architecture-crystalline or otherwise. Nonetheless, as if by magic, out of nothing but randomness one finds remarkably fine-tuned processes in time and remarkably fine-tuned structures in space. Further, many of these processes and structures have the remarkable feature of “switching” from one behavior to another as if by magic. The past century has, philosophically, been concerned with placing aside the human tendency to see the universe as a fine-tuned machine. Here we will address the challenge of uncovering how, through randomness (albeit, as we shall see, strongly correlated randomness), one can arrive at some of the many spatial and temporal patterns in biology, medicine, and economics and even begin to characterize the switching phenomena that enables a system to pass from one state to another. Inspired by principles developed by A. Nihat Berker and scores of other statistical physicists in recent years, we discuss some applications of correlated randomness to understand switching phenomena in various fields. Specifically, we present evidence from experiments and from computer simulations supporting the hypothesis that water’s anomalies are related to a switching point (which is not unlike the “tipping point” immortalized by Malcolm Gladwell), and that the bubbles in economic phenomena that occur on all scales are not “outliers” (another Gladwell immortalization). Though more speculative, we support the idea of disease as arising from some kind of yet-to-be-understood complex switching phenomenon, by discussing data on selected examples, including heart disease and Alzheimer disease.

Presentation and representation of biological phenomena from a vegetable garden

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Maria de Andrade Caldeira

2007-08-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a methodology for science education based on the triad perceive/associate/experience. The analysis performed relied upon Charles Sanders Peirce’s semiotics framework. The research was develop at elementary school (nine-yar old students showing that the described methodology enable them the students to percieve, to set up relationships and to experience the natural phenomena, built up from the experienced sequences.

Scaffolded biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Minelli, Alessandro

2016-09-01

Descriptions and interpretations of the natural world are dominated by dichotomies such as organism vs. environment, nature vs. nurture, genetic vs. epigenetic, but in the last couple of decades strong dissatisfaction with those partitions has been repeatedly voiced and a number of alternative perspectives have been suggested, from perspectives such as Dawkins' extended phenotype, Turner's extended organism, Oyama's Developmental Systems Theory and Odling-Smee's niche construction theory. Last in time is the description of biological phenomena in terms of hybrids between an organism (scaffolded system) and a living or non-living scaffold, forming unit systems to study processes such as reproduction and development. As scaffold, eventually, we can define any resource used by the biological system, especially in development and reproduction, without incorporating it as happens in the case of resources fueling metabolism. Addressing biological systems as functionally scaffolded systems may help pointing to functional relationships that can impart temporal marking to the developmental process and thus explain its irreversibility; revisiting the boundary between development and metabolism and also regeneration phenomena, by suggesting a conceptual framework within which to investigate phenomena of regular hypermorphic regeneration such as characteristic of deer antlers; fixing a periodization of development in terms of the times at which a scaffolding relationship begins or is terminated; and promoting plant galls to legitimate study objects of developmental biology.

Using synthetic biology to make cells tomorrow's test tubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia, Hernan G; Brewster, Robert C; Phillips, Rob

2016-04-18

The main tenet of physical biology is that biological phenomena can be subject to the same quantitative and predictive understanding that physics has afforded in the context of inanimate matter. However, the inherent complexity of many of these biological processes often leads to the derivation of complex theoretical descriptions containing a plethora of unknown parameters. Such complex descriptions pose a conceptual challenge to the establishment of a solid basis for predictive biology. In this article, we present various exciting examples of how synthetic biology can be used to simplify biological systems and distill these phenomena down to their essential features as a means to enable their theoretical description. Here, synthetic biology goes beyond previous efforts to engineer nature and becomes a tool to bend nature to understand it. We discuss various recent and classic experiments featuring applications of this synthetic approach to the elucidation of problems ranging from bacteriophage infection, to transcriptional regulation in bacteria and in developing embryos, to evolution. In all of these examples, synthetic biology provides the opportunity to turn cells into the equivalent of a test tube, where biological phenomena can be reconstituted and our theoretical understanding put to test with the same ease that these same phenomena can be studied in the in vitro setting.

Reduplication phenomena: body, mind and archetype.

Science.gov (United States)

Garner, J

2000-09-01

The many biological and few psychodynamic explanations of reduplicative syndromes tend to have paralleled the dualism of the phenomenon with organic theories concentrating on form and dynamic theories emphasising content. This paper extends the contribution of psychoanalytic thinking to an elucidation of the form of the delusion. Literature on clinical and aetiological aspects of reduplicative phenomena is reviewed alongside a brief examination of psychoanalytic models not overtly related to these phenomena. The human experience of doubles as universal archetype is considered. There is an obvious aetiological role for brain lesions in delusional misidentifications, but psychological symptoms in an individual can rarely be reduced to an organic disorder. The splitting and doubling which occurs in the phenomena have resonances in cultural mythology and in theories from different schools of psychodynamic thought. For the individual patient and doctor, it is a diverting but potentially empty debate to endeavour to draw strict divisions between what is physical and what is psychological although both need to be investigated. Nevertheless, in patients in whom there is clear evidence of an organic contribution to aetiology a psychodynamic understanding may serve to illuminate the patient's experience. Organic brain disease or serious functional illness predispose to regression to earlier modes of archetypical and primitive thinking with concretization of the metaphorical and mythological world. Psychoanalytic models have a contribution in describing the form as well as the content of reduplicative phenomena.

Diffusion phenomena of cells and biomolecules in microfluidic devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Yildiz-Ozturk, Ece; Yesil-Celiktas, Ozlem

2015-09-01

Biomicrofluidics is an emerging field at the cross roads of microfluidics and life sciences which requires intensive research efforts in terms of introducing appropriate designs, production techniques, and analysis. The ultimate goal is to deliver innovative and cost-effective microfluidic devices to biotech, biomedical, and pharmaceutical industries. Therefore, creating an in-depth understanding of the transport phenomena of cells and biomolecules becomes vital and concurrently poses significant challenges. The present article outlines the recent advancements in diffusion phenomena of cells and biomolecules by highlighting transport principles from an engineering perspective, cell responses in microfluidic devices with emphases on diffusion- and flow-based microfluidic gradient platforms, macroscopic and microscopic approaches for investigating the diffusion phenomena of biomolecules, microfluidic platforms for the delivery of these molecules, as well as the state of the art in biological applications of mammalian cell responses and diffusion of biomolecules.

Using LabVIEW for Applying Mathematical Models in Representing Phenomena

Science.gov (United States)

Faraco, G.; Gabriele, L.

2007-01-01

Simulations make it possible to explore physical and biological phenomena, where conducting the real experiment is impracticable or difficult. The implementation of a software program describing and simulating a given physical situation encourages the understanding of a phenomenon itself. Fifty-nine students, enrolled at the Mathematical Methods…

Paranormal phenomena

Science.gov (United States)

Gaina, Alex

1996-08-01

Critical analysis is given of some paranormal phenomena events (UFO, healers, psychokinesis (telekinesis))reported in Moldova. It is argued that correct analysis of paranormal phenomena should be made in the framework of electromagnetism.

Earth is speaking: listen her! On-line questionnaire about anomalous geological and biological phenomena

Science.gov (United States)

Sciarra, Alessandra; Quattrocchi, Fedora; Cantucci, Barbara; Mazzarini, Francesco

2014-05-01

Earthquakes can be associated with non-seismic phenomena which may manifest many weeks before and after the main shock. These phenomena are characterized by ground fractures and soil liquefactions at surface often coupled with degassing events, chemical alterations of water and soils, changes in temperature and/or waters level in the epicentral area. Further manifestations include radio disturbances and light emissions. On the other hand, anomalous behavior of animals has been reported to occur before environmental changes. The co-occurrence of several phenomena may be considered as a signal of subsurface changes, and their analysis may be used as possible forecast indicators for seismic events, landslides, damages in infrastructure (e.g., dam) and groundwaters contamination. In order to obtain an accurate statistical analysis of these factors, a pre-crisis large database over a prolonged period of time is a pre-requisite. To this end, we elaborated a questionnaire for the population to pick up signs about anomalous phenomena like as: animal behavior, geological manifestations, effect on vegetation, degassing, changes on aquifers, wells and springs. After the January 25, 2013, mainshock (ML 4.8) in the Garfagnana seismic district, the Bagni di Lucca Municipality was selected as pilot site for testing this questionnaire. The complexity, variety and extension of this territory (165 kmq) sound suitable for this project. Bagni di Lucca is located in the southern border of the Garfagnana seismogenic source, characterized by the carbonate Mesozoic sequences and the Tertiary terrigenous sedimentary deposits of the Tuscan Nappe. The questionnaire was published on Bagni di Lucca web site (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bzw3vOYX47XoTGltTVJRbkJuajA/edit) in collaboration with Municipal Commitee, Local Civil Protection and Local Red Cross, and sent by ordinary mail to the citizenry. It is possible to answer to the questionnaire, also anonymously, direct on line (https

Biological Clocks & Circadian Rhythms

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, Laura; Jones, M. Gail

2009-01-01

The study of biological clocks and circadian rhythms is an excellent way to address the inquiry strand in the National Science Education Standards (NSES) (NRC 1996). Students can study these everyday phenomena by designing experiments, gathering and analyzing data, and generating new experiments. As students explore biological clocks and circadian…

Biological couplings: Classification and characteristic rules

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2009-01-01

The phenomena that biological functions originate from biological coupling are the important biological foundation of multiple bionics and the significant discoveries in the bionic fields. In this paper, the basic concepts related to biological coupling are introduced from the bionic viewpoint. Constitution, classification and characteristic rules of biological coupling are illuminated, the general modes of biological coupling studies are analyzed, and the prospects of multi-coupling bionics are predicted.

Emergence of dynamical order synchronization phenomena in complex systems

CERN Document Server

Manrubia, Susanna C; Zanette, Damián H

2004-01-01

Synchronization processes bring about dynamical order and lead tospontaneous development of structural organization in complex systemsof various origins, from chemical oscillators and biological cells tohuman societies and the brain. This book provides a review and adetailed theoretical analysis of synchronization phenomena in complexsystems with different architectures, composed of elements withperiodic or chaotic individual dynamics. Special attention is paid tostatistical concepts, such as nonequilibrium phase transitions, orderparameters and dynamical glasses.

Mathematical biology

CERN Document Server

Murray, James D

1993-01-01

The book is a textbook (with many exercises) giving an in-depth account of the practical use of mathematical modelling in the biomedical sciences. The mathematical level required is generally not high and the emphasis is on what is required to solve the real biological problem. The subject matter is drawn, e.g. from population biology, reaction kinetics, biological oscillators and switches, Belousov-Zhabotinskii reaction, reaction-diffusion theory, biological wave phenomena, central pattern generators, neural models, spread of epidemics, mechanochemical theory of biological pattern formation and importance in evolution. Most of the models are based on real biological problems and the predictions and explanations offered as a direct result of mathematical analysis of the models are important aspects of the book. The aim is to provide a thorough training in practical mathematical biology and to show how exciting and novel mathematical challenges arise from a genuine interdisciplinary involvement with the biosci...

Diffusion Geometry Unravels the Emergence of Functional Clusters in Collective Phenomena

Science.gov (United States)

De Domenico, Manlio

2017-04-01

Collective phenomena emerge from the interaction of natural or artificial units with a complex organization. The interplay between structural patterns and dynamics might induce functional clusters that, in general, are different from topological ones. In biological systems, like the human brain, the overall functionality is often favored by the interplay between connectivity and synchronization dynamics, with functional clusters that do not coincide with anatomical modules in most cases. In social, sociotechnical, and engineering systems, the quest for consensus favors the emergence of clusters. Despite the unquestionable evidence for mesoscale organization of many complex systems and the heterogeneity of their interconnectivity, a way to predict and identify the emergence of functional modules in collective phenomena continues to elude us. Here, we propose an approach based on random walk dynamics to define the diffusion distance between any pair of units in a networked system. Such a metric allows us to exploit the underlying diffusion geometry to provide a unifying framework for the intimate relationship between metastable synchronization, consensus, and random search dynamics in complex networks, pinpointing the functional mesoscale organization of synthetic and biological systems.

Observations on the biological cold fusion or the biological transmutation of elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komaki, Hisatoki

1993-01-01

In previous paper, the author, with Prof. Dr. C. Louis KERVRAN, suggested the probable occurrence of the biological cold fusion or the biological transmutation of elements. In order to confirm the phenomena, under the more controlled condition, potassium, magnesium, iron and calcium were determined in cells of Aspergillus niger IFO 4066, Penicillium chrysogenum IFO 4689, Rhizopus nigricans IFO 5781, Mucor rouxii IFO 0396, Saccharomyces cerevisiae IFO 0308, Torulopsis utilis IFO 0396, Saccharomyces ellipsoideus IFO 0213 and Hansenula anomala IFO 0118 cultured in normal medium and media deficient in one of potassium, magnesium iron or calcium. Values of potassium 1890-2650 μg, magnesium 380-510 μg, iron 95-120 μg, and calcium 60-95 μg were obtained per g dried cells cultured in each deficient medium, while potassium 8650-11050 μg, magnesium 1920-2160 μg, iron 510-680 μg, and calcium 380-450 μg were found per g dried cells obtained by cultivation in the normal medium. The author would like to suggest the probable occurrence of the phenomena relevant to biological cold fusion. (author)

Extinction phenomena: A biologic perspective on how and why psychoanalysis works

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linda A.W. Brakel

2011-09-01

Full Text Available This article presents the view that much of the success of classical psychoanalysis is centrally predicated on its biological potency; focusing not on neuropsychology, but on the biology of conditioning. The argument suggests that features of classic psychoanalytic technique--the couch, meetings several times per week with both parties present, and free association--uniquely facilitate intense transferences of various sorts, and that these in turn constitute the multiple and diverse extinction trials necessary to best approximate extinction.

On Macroscopic Quantum Phenomena in Biomolecules and Cells: From Levinthal to Hopfield

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dejan Raković

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In the context of the macroscopic quantum phenomena of the second kind, we hereby seek for a solution-in-principle of the long standing problem of the polymer folding, which was considered by Levinthal as (semiclassically intractable. To illuminate it, we applied quantum-chemical and quantum decoherence approaches to conformational transitions. Our analyses imply the existence of novel macroscopic quantum biomolecular phenomena, with biomolecular chain folding in an open environment considered as a subtle interplay between energy and conformation eigenstates of this biomolecule, governed by quantum-chemical and quantum decoherence laws. On the other hand, within an open biological cell, a system of all identical (noninteracting and dynamically noncoupled biomolecular proteins might be considered as corresponding spatial quantum ensemble of these identical biomolecular processors, providing spatially distributed quantum solution to a single corresponding biomolecular chain folding, whose density of conformational states might be represented as Hopfield-like quantum-holographic associative neural network too (providing an equivalent global quantum-informational alternative to standard molecular-biology local biochemical approach in biomolecules and cells and higher hierarchical levels of organism, as well.

Frontiers in mathematical biology

CERN Document Server

1994-01-01

Volume 100, which is the final volume of the LNBM series serves to commemorate the acievements in two decades of this influential collection of books in mathematical biology. The contributions, by the leading mathematical biologists, survey the state of the art in the subject, and offer speculative, philosophical and critical analyses of the key issues confronting the field. The papers address fundamental issues in cell and molecular biology, organismal biology, evolutionary biology, population ecology, community and ecosystem ecology, and applied biology, plus the explicit and implicit mathematical challenges. Cross-cuttting issues involve the problem of variation among units in nonlinear systems, and the related problems of the interactions among phenomena across scales of space, time and organizational complexity.

The Unicellular State as a Point Source in a Quantum Biological System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John S. Torday

2016-05-01

Full Text Available A point source is the central and most important point or place for any group of cohering phenomena. Evolutionary development presumes that biological processes are sequentially linked, but neither directed from, nor centralized within, any specific biologic structure or stage. However, such an epigenomic entity exists and its transforming effects can be understood through the obligatory recapitulation of all eukaryotic lifeforms through a zygotic unicellular phase. This requisite biological conjunction can now be properly assessed as the focal point of reconciliation between biology and quantum phenomena, illustrated by deconvoluting complex physiologic traits back to their unicellular origins.

Network Reconstruction of Dynamic Biological Systems

OpenAIRE

Asadi, Behrang

2013-01-01

Inference of network topology from experimental data is a central endeavor in biology, since knowledge of the underlying signaling mechanisms a requirement for understanding biological phenomena. As one of the most important tools in bioinformatics area, development of methods to reconstruct biological networks has attracted remarkable attention in the current decade. Integration of different data types can lead to remarkable improvements in our ability to identify the connectivity of differe...

Dropout Phenomena at Universities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Michael Søgaard; Kornbeck, Kasper Pihl; Kristensen, Rune

Dropout from university studies comprises a number of complex phenomena with serious complex consequences and profound political attention. Further analysis of the field is, therefore, warranted. Such an analysis is offered here as a systematic review which gives answers based on the best possible...... such dropout phenomena occur at universities? What can be done by the universities to prevent or reduce such dropout phenomena?...

Phenomena Associated With EIT Waves

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, B. J.; Biesecker, D. A.; Gopalswamy, N.

2003-01-01

We discuss phenomena associated with "EIT Wave" transients. These phenomena include coronal mass ejections, flares, EUV/SXR dimmings, chromospheric waves, Moreton waves, solar energetic particle events, energetic electron events, and radio signatures. Although the occurrence of many phenomena correlate with the appearance of EIT waves, it is difficult to mfer which associations are causal. The presentation will include a discussion of correlation surveys of these phenomena.

Mathematics, structuralism and biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Saunders, P T

1988-01-01

A new approach is gaining ground in biology, one that has much in common with the structuralist tradition in other fields. It is very much in the spirit of an earlier view of biology and indeed of science in general. It is also, though this is not generally recognized, in the spirit of twentieth century physics. As in modern physics, however, it is not a question of ignoring all the progress that has been made within the former paradigm. On the contrary, the aim is to use it as a basis for setting out in a somewhat different direction. Complex phenomena do not generally lend themselves to reductionist analyses which seek explanation only in terms of detailed mechanisms, but a proper scientific discussion of structure must make full use of what we have already learned - by whatever means - about the processes that underly the phenomena we are trying to understand.

Paradigms for biologically inspired design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lenau, T. A.; Metzea, A.-L.; Hesselberg, T.

2018-01-01

engineering, medical engineering, nanotechnology, photonics,environmental protection and agriculture. However, a major obstacle for the wider use of biologically inspired design isthe knowledge barrier that exist between the application engineers that have insight into how to design suitable productsand......Biologically inspired design is attracting increasing interest since it offers access to a huge biological repository of wellproven design principles that can be used for developing new and innovative products. Biological phenomena can inspireproduct innovation in as diverse areas as mechanical...... the biologists with detailed knowledge and experience in understanding how biological organisms function in theirenvironment. The biologically inspired design process can therefore be approached using different design paradigmsdepending on the dominant opportunities, challenges and knowledge characteristics...

Nanophenomena at surfaces fundamentals of exotic condensed matter phenomena

CERN Document Server

Michailov, Michail

2011-01-01

This book presents the state of the art in nanoscale surface physics. It outlines contemporary trends in the field covering a wide range of topical areas: atomic structure of surfaces and interfaces, molecular films and polymer adsorption, biologically inspired nanophysics, surface design and pattern formation, and computer modeling of interfacial phenomena. Bridging 'classical' and 'nano' concepts, the present volume brings attention to the physical background of exotic condensed-matter properties. The book is devoted to Iwan Stranski and Rostislaw Kaischew, remarkable scientists, who played

Heavy-metal toxicity phenomena in laboratory-scale ANFLOW bioreactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rivera, A.L.

1982-04-01

An energy-conserving wastewater treatment system was developed based on an anaerobic, upflow (ANFLOW) bioreactor. Since many applications of the ANFLOW process could involve the treatment of wastewaters containing heavy metals, the potentially toxic effects of these metals on the biological processes occurring in ANFLOW columns (primarily acetogenesis and methanogenesis) were investigated. Both step and pulse inputs of zinc ranging from 100 to 1000 mg/L were added to synthetic wastewaters being treated in ANFLOW columns with 0.057-m/sup 3/ volumes. Column responses were used to develop descriptive models for toxicity phenomena in such systems. It was found that an inhibition function could be defined and used to modify a model based on plugflow with axial dispersion and first-order kinetics for soluble substrate removal. The inhibitory effects of zinc on soluble substrate removal were found to be predominantly associated with its sorption by biosolids. Sorption initially occurred in the lower regions of the column, but was gradually observed in higher regions as the sorption capacity of the lower regions was exhausted. Sorption phenomena could be described with the Freundlich equation. Sorption processes were accompanied by shifts of biological processes to regions higher in the columns. A regenerative process was observed when feeding of wastewaters without zinc was resumed. It was postulated that regeneration could be based on sloughing of layers of biofilms, or other biosolids involved in zinc sorption, followed by continued growth of lower layers of biofilms not involved in heavy-metal sorption.

Transport phenomena in environmental engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Sander, Aleksandra; Kardum, Jasna Prlić; Matijašić, Gordana; Žižek, Krunoslav

2018-01-01

A term transport phenomena arises as a second paradigm at the end of 1950s with high awareness that there was a strong need to improve the scoping of chemical engineering science. At that point, engineers became highly aware that it is extremely important to take step forward from pure empirical description and the concept of unit operations only to understand the specific process using phenomenological equations that rely on three elementary physical processes: momentum, energy and mass transport. This conceptual evolution of chemical engineering was first presented with a well-known book of R. Byron Bird, Warren E. Stewart and Edwin N. Lightfoot, Transport Phenomena, published in 1960 [1]. What transport phenomena are included in environmental engineering? It is hard to divide those phenomena through different engineering disciplines. The core is the same but the focus changes. Intention of the authors here is to present the transport phenomena that are omnipresent in treatment of various process streams. The focus in this chapter is made on the transport phenomena that permanently occur in mechanical macroprocesses of sedimentation and filtration for separation in solid-liquid particulate systems and on the phenomena of the flow through a fixed and a fluidized bed of particles that are immanent in separation processes in packed columns and in environmental catalysis. The fundamental phenomena for each thermal and equilibrium separation process technology are presented as well. Understanding and mathematical description of underlying transport phenomena result in scoping the separation processes in a way that ChEs should act worldwide.

When physics is not "just physics": complexity science invites new measurement frames for exploring the physics of cognitive and biological development.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelty-Stephen, Damian; Dixon, James A

2012-01-01

The neurobiological sciences have struggled to resolve the physical foundations for biological and cognitive phenomena with a suspicion that biological and cognitive systems, capable of exhibiting and contributing to structure within themselves and through their contexts, are fundamentally distinct or autonomous from purely physical systems. Complexity science offers new physics-based approaches to explaining biological and cognitive phenomena. In response to controversy over whether complexity science might seek to "explain away" biology and cognition as "just physics," we propose that complexity science serves as an application of recent advances in physics to phenomena in biology and cognition without reducing or undermining the integrity of the phenomena to be explained. We highlight that physics is, like the neurobiological sciences, an evolving field and that the threat of reduction is overstated. We propose that distinctions between biological and cognitive systems from physical systems are pretheoretical and thus optional. We review our own work applying insights from post-classical physics regarding turbulence and fractal fluctuations to the problems of developing cognitive structure. Far from hoping to reduce biology and cognition to "nothing but" physics, we present our view that complexity science offers new explanatory frameworks for considering physical foundations of biological and cognitive phenomena.

Biophysical mechanisms complementing "classical" cell biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Funk, Richard H W

2018-01-01

This overview addresses phenomena in cell- and molecular biology which are puzzling by their fast and highly coordinated way of organization. Generally, it appears that informative processes probably involved are more on the biophysical than on the classical biochemical side. The coordination problem is explained within the first part of the review by the topic of endogenous electrical phenomena. These are found e.g. in fast tissue organization and reorganization processes like development, wound healing and regeneration. Here, coupling into classical biochemical signaling and reactions can be shown by modern microscopy, electronics and bioinformatics. Further, one can follow the triggered reactions seamlessly via molecular biology till into genetics. Direct observation of intracellular electric processes is very difficult because of e.g. shielding through the cell membrane and damping by other structures. Therefore, we have to rely on photonic and photon - phonon coupling phenomena like molecular vibrations, which are addressed within the second part. Molecules normally possess different charge moieties and thus small electromagnetic (EMF) patterns arise during molecular vibration. These patterns can now be measured best within the optical part of the spectrum - much less in the lower terahertz till kHz and lower Hz part (third part of this review). Finally, EMFs facilitate quantum informative processes in coherent domains of molecular, charge and electron spin motion. This helps to coordinate such manifold and intertwined processes going on within cells, tissues and organs (part 4). Because the phenomena described in part 3 and 4 of the review still await really hard proofs we need concerted efforts and a combination of biophysics, molecular biology and informatics to unravel the described mysteries in "physics of life".

Quantum physics meets biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Arndt, Markus; Juffmann, Thomas; Vedral, Vlatko

2009-12-01

Quantum physics and biology have long been regarded as unrelated disciplines, describing nature at the inanimate microlevel on the one hand and living species on the other hand. Over the past decades the life sciences have succeeded in providing ever more and refined explanations of macroscopic phenomena that were based on an improved understanding of molecular structures and mechanisms. Simultaneously, quantum physics, originally rooted in a world-view of quantum coherences, entanglement, and other nonclassical effects, has been heading toward systems of increasing complexity. The present perspective article shall serve as a "pedestrian guide" to the growing interconnections between the two fields. We recapitulate the generic and sometimes unintuitive characteristics of quantum physics and point to a number of applications in the life sciences. We discuss our criteria for a future "quantum biology," its current status, recent experimental progress, and also the restrictions that nature imposes on bold extrapolations of quantum theory to macroscopic phenomena.

Ultrashort Laser Pulse Phenomena

CERN Document Server

Diels, Jean-Claude

2006-01-01

Ultrashort Laser Pulse Phenomena, 2e serves as an introduction to the phenomena of ultra short laser pulses and describes how this technology can be used to examine problems in areas such as electromagnetism, optics, and quantum mechanics. Ultrashort Laser Pulse Phenomena combines theoretical backgrounds and experimental techniques and will serve as a manual on designing and constructing femtosecond (""faster than electronics"") systems or experiments from scratch. Beyond the simple optical system, the various sources of ultrashort pulses are presented, again with emphasis on the basic

Living matter: the "lunar eclipse" phenomena.

Science.gov (United States)

Korpan, Nikolai N

2010-01-01

The present investigations describe a unique phenomenon, namely the phenomenon of the "lunar eclipse", which has been observed and discovered by the author in living substance during the freeze-thawing processes in vivo using temperatures of various intensities and its cryosurgical response in animal experiment. Similar phenomena author has observed in nature, namely the total lunar eclipse and total solar eclipse. In this experimental study 76 animals (mongrel dogs) were investigated. A disc cryogenic probe was placed on the pancreas after the laparotomy. For cryosurgical exposure a temperature range of -40 degrees C, -80 degrees C, -120 degrees C and -180 degrees C was selected in contact with pancreas parenchyma. The freeze-thaw cycle was monitored by intraoperative ultrasound before, during and after cryosurgery. Each cryolesion was observed for one hour after thawing intraoperatively. Immediately after freezing, during the thawing process, the snow-white pancreas parenchyma, frozen hard to an ice block and resembling a full moon with a sharp demarcation line, gradually assumed a ruby-red shade and a hemispherical shape as it grew in size depend on reconstruction vascular circulation from the periphery to the center. This snow-white cryogenic lesion dissolved in the same manner in all animal tissues. The "lunar eclipse" phenomenon contributes to a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of biological tissue damage during low temperature exposure in cryoscience and cryomedicine. Properties of the pancreas parenchyma response during the phenomenon of the "lunar eclipse" provide important insights into the mechanisms of damage and the formation of cryogenic lesion immediately after thawing in cryosurgery. Vascular changes and circulatory stagnation are commonly considered to be the main mechanism of biological tissue injury during low temperature exposure. The phenomenon of the "lunar eclipse" suggests that cryosurgery is the first surgical technique to use

Solutes and cells - aspects of advection-diffusion-reaction phenomena in biochips

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vedel, Søren

2012-01-01

the dependencies on density. This shows that the varied single-cell behavior including the overall modulations imposed by density arise as a natural consequence of pseudopod-driven motility in a social context. The final subproject concerns the combined effects of advection, diffusion and reaction of several......Cell’), and the overall title of the project is Solutes and cells — aspects of advection-diffusion-reaction phenomena in biochips. The work has consisted of several projects focusing on theory, and to some extend analysis of experimental data, with advection-diffusion-reaction phenomena of solutes as the recurring theme...... quantitatively interpret the proximal concentration of specific solutes, and integrate this to achieve biological functions. In three specific examples, the author and co-workers have investigated different aspects of the influence of advection, diffusion and reaction on solute distributions, as well...

Consciousness and biological evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindahl, B I

1997-08-21

It has been suggested that if the preservation and development of consciousness in the biological evolution is a result of natural selection, it is plausible that consciousness not only has been influenced by neural processes, but has had a survival value itself; and it could only have had this, if it had also been efficacious. This argument for mind-brain interaction is examined, both as the argument has been developed by William James and Karl Popper and as it has been discussed by C.D. Broad. The problem of identifying mental phenomena with certain neural phenomena is also addressed. The main conclusion of the analysis is that an explanation of the evolution of consciousness in Darwinian terms of natural selection does not rule out that consciousness may have evolved as a mere causally inert effect of the evolution of the nervous system, or that mental phenomena are identical with certain neural phenomena. However, the interactionistic theory still seems, more plausible and more fruitful for other reasons brought up in the discussion.

Nonlinear surface electromagnetic phenomena

CERN Document Server

Ponath, H-E

1991-01-01

In recent years the physics of electromagnetic surface phenomena has developed rapidly, evolving into technologies for communications and industry, such as fiber and integrated optics. The variety of phenomena based on electromagnetism at surfaces is rich and this book was written with the aim of summarizing the available knowledge in selected areas of the field. The book contains reviews written by solid state and optical physicists on the nonlinear interaction of electromagnetic waves at and with surfaces and films. Both the physical phenomena and some potential applications are

Fundamentals of Fire Phenomena

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Quintiere, James

analyses. Fire phenomena encompass everything about the scientific principles behind fire behaviour. Combining the principles of chemistry, physics, heat and mass transfer, and fluid dynamics necessary to understand the fundamentals of fire phenomena, this book integrates the subject into a clear...

Critical Phenomena in Natural Sciences Chaos, Fractals, Selforganization and Disorder: Concepts and Tools

CERN Document Server

Sornette, Didier

2006-01-01

Concepts, methods and techniques of statistical physics in the study of correlated, as well as uncorrelated, phenomena are being applied ever increasingly in the natural sciences, biology and economics in an attempt to understand and model the large variability and risks of phenomena. This is the first textbook written by a well-known expert that provides a modern up-to-date introduction for workers outside statistical physics. The emphasis of the book is on a clear understanding of concepts and methods, while it also provides the tools that can be of immediate use in applications. Although this book evolved out of a course for graduate students, it will be of great interest to researchers and engineers, as well as to post-docs in geophysics and meteorology.

Hysteresis phenomena in hydraulic measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ran, H J; Farhat, M; Luo, X W; Chen, Y L; Xu, H Y

2012-01-01

Hysteresis phenomena demonstrate the lag between the generation and the removal of some physical phenomena. This paper studies the hysteresis phenomena of the head-drop in a scaled model pump turbine using experiment test and CFD methods. These lag is induced by complicated flow patterns, which influenced the reliability of rotating machine. Keeping the same measurement procedure is concluded for the hydraulic machine measurement.

Severe accident phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jokiniemi, J.; Kilpi, K.; Lindholm, I.; Maekynen, J.; Pekkarinen, E.; Sairanen, R.; Silde, A.

1995-02-01

Severe accidents are nuclear reactor accidents in which the reactor core is substantially damaged. The report describes severe reactor accident phenomena and their significance for the safety of nuclear power plants. A comprehensive set of phenomena ranging from accident initiation to containment behaviour and containment integrity questions are covered. The report is based on expertise gained in the severe accident assessment projects conducted at the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). (49 refs., 32 figs., 12 tabs.)

Ion exchange phenomena

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bourg, I.C.; Sposito, G.

2011-05-01

Ion exchange phenomena involve the population of readily exchangeable ions, the subset of adsorbed solutes that balance the intrinsic surface charge and can be readily replaced by major background electrolyte ions (Sposito, 2008). These phenomena have occupied a central place in soil chemistry research since Way (1850) first showed that potassium uptake by soils resulted in the release of an equal quantity of moles of charge of calcium and magnesium. Ion exchange phenomena are now routinely modeled in studies of soil formation (White et al., 2005), soil reclamation (Kopittke et al., 2006), soil fertilitization (Agbenin and Yakubu, 2006), colloidal dispersion/flocculation (Charlet and Tournassat, 2005), the mechanics of argillaceous media (Gajo and Loret, 2007), aquitard pore water chemistry (Tournassat et al., 2008), and groundwater (Timms and Hendry, 2007; McNab et al., 2009) and contaminant hydrology (Chatterjee et al., 2008; van Oploo et al., 2008; Serrano et al., 2009).

Evidence of dark matter from biological observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zioutas, K.

1990-01-01

In accordance with the generally accepted properties of dark matter (DM) candidates, the probability of their interaction with living matter must be equal to that for inorganic matter, and the expected effects might be unique and provide the etiology related to the appearance of several biological phenomena having sometimes fatal late effects. Although collisions with DM are rare, the charged secondaries (recoiling atoms) are expected to be high linear energy transfer particles favouring the highest relative biological effectiveness values for this, as yet invisible, part of the natural background radiation. A few cases are given, where a correlation between DM interaction and phenomena in living matter might already exist, or can show up in existing data: biorhythms with periodicities identical to known cosmic frequencies are explainable with gravitationally clustered DM around the sun, the moon, the earth, etc. The observed arrhythmia, when biological probes are moved (in airplanes, satellites, etc.) support this idea strongly. It is also proposed to implement some of the biological properties and processes (such as element composition and chemical reactions) in future DM detectors in order to improve their sensitivity. The interdisciplinary feedback is bidirectional: huge DM detectors could be used in attempt to understand enigmatic biological behaviour. (orig.)

Nonequilibrium Phenomena in Plasmas

CERN Document Server

Sharma, A Surjalal

2005-01-01

The complexity of plasmas arises mainly from their inherent nonlinearity and far from equilibrium nature. The nonequilibrium behavior of plasmas is evident in the natural settings, for example, in the Earth's magnetosphere. Similarly, laboratory plasmas such as fusion bottles also have their fair share of complex behavior. Nonequilibrium phenomena are intimately connected with statistical dynamics and form one of the growing research areas in modern nonlinear physics. These studies encompass the ideas of self-organization, phase transition, critical phenomena, self-organized criticality and turbulence. This book presents studies of complexity in the context of nonequilibrium phenomena using theory, modeling, simulations, and experiments, both in the laboratory and in nature.

Haters Phenomena in Social Media

OpenAIRE

Pradipta, Angga; Lailiyah, S.Sos, M.I.Kom, Nuriyatul

2016-01-01

Social media is internet-basic media, functioned as interaction media room based on multimedia technology. And social media created some effects. One of the negative effects of social media is haters phenomena. Haters are a person who easily said dirty words, harass, and humiliate to others. This phenomena causes anxiety—especially in Indonesia, even the Government issued public policy and letter of regulation about this phenomena, through Paragraph 27 verse (3) IT Constitution, Paragraph 45 ...

Microgravity Fluids for Biology, Workshop

Science.gov (United States)

Griffin, DeVon; Kohl, Fred; Massa, Gioia D.; Motil, Brian; Parsons-Wingerter, Patricia; Quincy, Charles; Sato, Kevin; Singh, Bhim; Smith, Jeffrey D.; Wheeler, Raymond M.

2013-01-01

Microgravity Fluids for Biology represents an intersection of biology and fluid physics that present exciting research challenges to the Space Life and Physical Sciences Division. Solving and managing the transport processes and fluid mechanics in physiological and biological systems and processes are essential for future space exploration and colonization of space by humans. Adequate understanding of the underlying fluid physics and transport mechanisms will provide new, necessary insights and technologies for analyzing and designing biological systems critical to NASAs mission. To enable this mission, the fluid physics discipline needs to work to enhance the understanding of the influence of gravity on the scales and types of fluids (i.e., non-Newtonian) important to biology and life sciences. In turn, biomimetic, bio-inspired and synthetic biology applications based on physiology and biology can enrich the fluid mechanics and transport phenomena capabilities of the microgravity fluid physics community.

Behavioral Economics and the Public Acceptance of Synthetic Biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliver, Adam

2018-01-01

Different applications of synthetic biology are alike in that their possible negative consequences are highly uncertain, potentially catastrophic, and perhaps irreversible; therefore, they are also alike in that public attitudes about them are fertile ground for behavioral economic phenomena. Findings from behavioral economics suggest that people may not respond to such applications according to the normal rules of economic evaluation, by which the value of an outcome is multiplied by the mathematical probability that the outcome will occur. Possibly, then, synthetic biology applications challenge the normative postulates of the standard approach, too. I want to first consider how some of the phenomena described by behavioral economists-and behavioral scientists more broadly-might affect people's perceptions of the uncertainties associated with synthetic biology. My analysis will be far from complete, however, because behavioral economics is essentially the study of human behavior, and thus its reach is potentially vast and its development longstanding and ongoing. Nonetheless, I hope to give an indicative perspective on how some aspects of behavioral economics might affect the assessment and perceived acceptability of synthetic biology. I will then consider the issue of agency. Should policy-makers respect people's reactions to synthetic biology when those reactions are known to be driven by behavioral economic phenomena rather than following the normative postulates of rational choice theory? Or should policy-makers dismiss these reactions as inherently biased? I will argue that the normative force of these human reactions (probably) depends on phenomenon and context. © 2018 The Hastings Center.

Application of E-infinity theory to biology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Jihuan

2006-01-01

Albert Einstein combined continuous space and time into his special relativity, El-Naschie discovered the transfinite discontinuity of space-time in his E-infinity theory where infinity of dimensions was created. We find a partner of both space-time and E-infinity in biology. In our theory, the number of cells in an organism endows an additional dimension in biology, leading to explanation of many complex phenomena

Ultrafast phenomena in molecular sciences femtosecond physics and chemistry

CERN Document Server

Bañares, Luis

2014-01-01

This book presents the latest developments in Femtosecond Chemistry and Physics for the study of ultrafast photo-induced molecular processes. Molecular systems, from the simplest H2 molecule to polymers or biological macromolecules, constitute central objects of interest for Physics, Chemistry and Biology, and despite the broad range of phenomena that they exhibit, they share some common behaviors. One of the most significant of those is that many of the processes involving chemical transformation (nuclear reorganization, bond breaking, bond making) take place in an extraordinarily short time, in or around the femtosecond temporal scale (1 fs = 10-15 s). A number of experimental approaches - very particularly the developments in the generation and manipulation of ultrashort laser pulses - coupled with theoretical progress, provide the ultrafast scientist with powerful tools to understand matter and its interaction with light, at this spatial and temporal scale. This book is an attempt to reunite some of the ...

Multiscale Modeling of Mesoscale and Interfacial Phenomena

Science.gov (United States)

Petsev, Nikolai Dimitrov

With rapidly emerging technologies that feature interfaces modified at the nanoscale, traditional macroscopic models are pushed to their limits to explain phenomena where molecular processes can play a key role. Often, such problems appear to defy explanation when treated with coarse-grained continuum models alone, yet remain prohibitively expensive from a molecular simulation perspective. A prominent example is surface nanobubbles: nanoscopic gaseous domains typically found on hydrophobic surfaces that have puzzled researchers for over two decades due to their unusually long lifetimes. We show how an entirely macroscopic, non-equilibrium model explains many of their anomalous properties, including their stability and abnormally small gas-side contact angles. From this purely transport perspective, we investigate how factors such as temperature and saturation affect nanobubbles, providing numerous experimentally testable predictions. However, recent work also emphasizes the relevance of molecular-scale phenomena that cannot be described in terms of bulk phases or pristine interfaces. This is true for nanobubbles as well, whose nanoscale heights may require molecular detail to capture the relevant physics, in particular near the bubble three-phase contact line. Therefore, there is a clear need for general ways to link molecular granularity and behavior with large-scale continuum models in the treatment of many interfacial problems. In light of this, we have developed a general set of simulation strategies that couple mesoscale particle-based continuum models to molecular regions simulated through conventional molecular dynamics (MD). In addition, we derived a transport model for binary mixtures that opens the possibility for a wide range of applications in biological and drug delivery problems, and is readily reconciled with our hybrid MD-continuum techniques. Approaches that couple multiple length scales for fluid mixtures are largely absent in the literature, and

Teaching optical phenomena with Tracker

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues, M.; Simeão Carvalho, P.

2014-11-01

Since the invention and dissemination of domestic laser pointers, observing optical phenomena is a relatively easy task. Any student can buy a laser and experience at home, in a qualitative way, the reflection, refraction and even diffraction phenomena of light. However, quantitative experiments need instruments of high precision that have a relatively complex setup. Fortunately, nowadays it is possible to analyse optical phenomena in a simple and quantitative way using the freeware video analysis software ‘Tracker’. In this paper, we show the advantages of video-based experimental activities for teaching concepts in optics. We intend to show: (a) how easy the study of such phenomena can be, even at home, because only simple materials are needed, and Tracker provides the necessary measuring instruments; and (b) how we can use Tracker to improve students’ understanding of some optical concepts. We give examples using video modelling to study the laws of reflection, Snell’s laws, focal distances in lenses and mirrors, and diffraction phenomena, which we hope will motivate teachers to implement it in their own classes and schools.

Direct channel problems and phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cutkosky, R.E.

1975-01-01

Direct channel problems and phenomena are considered covering the need for precision hadron spectroscopy, the data base for precision hadron spectroscopy, some relations between direct-channel and cross-channel effects, and spin rotation phenomena

Turing patterns and biological explanation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Serban, Maria

2017-01-01

, promoting theory exploration, and acting as constitutive parts of empirically adequate explanations of naturally occurring phenomena, such as biological pattern formation. Focusing on the roles that minimal model explanations play in science motivates the adoption of a broader diachronic view of scientific......Turing patterns are a class of minimal mathematical models that have been used to discover and conceptualize certain abstract features of early biological development. This paper examines a range of these minimal models in order to articulate and elaborate a philosophical analysis...

Physics and biology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frauenfelder, H.

1988-01-01

The author points out that the coupling between physics and biology is becoming closer as time goes on. He tries to show that physical studies on biological systems not only yield insight into biology but also provide results of interest to physics. Biological systems are extremly complex system. Ideally one would like to understand the behavior of such systems in terms of the behavior of its constituent atoms. Since in small organisms this may be 10 20 atoms, it is clear these are not simple many-body systems. He reviews the basic elements of cells and then considers the broader questions of structure, complexity, and function, which must be looked at on levels from the cell to the organism. Despite the vast amount of observational material already in existence, biophysics and biological physics are only at a beginning. We can expect that physics will continue to interact strongly with biology. Actually, the connection also includes chemistry and mathematics. New tools that become available in physics will continue to be applied to biological problems. We can expect that the flow of information will not be one way; biological systems will provide new information on many old and new parts of physics, from reaction theory and transport phenomena to complexity, cooperativity, and nonlinear processes

Quantum Effects in Biological Systems

CERN Document Server

2016-01-01

Since the last decade the study of quantum mechanical phenomena in biological systems has become a vibrant field of research. Initially sparked by evidence of quantum effects in energy transport that is instrumental for photosynthesis, quantum biology asks the question of how methods and models from quantum theory can help us to understand fundamental mechanisms in living organisms. This approach entails a paradigm change challenging the related disciplines: The successful framework of quantum theory is taken out of its low-temperature, microscopic regimes and applied to hot and dense macroscopic environments, thereby extending the toolbox of biology and biochemistry at the same time. The Quantum Effects in Biological Systems conference is a platform for researchers from biology, chemistry and physics to present and discuss the latest developments in the field of quantum biology. After meetings in Lisbon (2009), Harvard (2010), Ulm (2011), Berkeley (2012), Vienna (2013), Singapore (2014) and Florence (2015),...

Advanced diffusion processes and phenomena

CERN Document Server

Öchsner, Andreas; Belova, Irina

2014-01-01

This topical volume on Advanced Diffusion Processes and Phenomena addresses diffusion in a wider sense of not only mass diffusion but also heat diffusion in fluids and solids. Both diffusion phenomena play an important role in the characterization of engineering materials and corresponding structures. Understanding these different transport phenomena at many levels, from atomistic to macro, has therefore long attracted the attention of many researchers in materials science and engineering and related disciplines. The present topical volume captures a representative cross-section of some of the

The quest for a new modelling framework in mathematical biology. Comment on "On the interplay between mathematics and biology: Hallmarks towards a new systems biology" by N. Bellomo et al.

Science.gov (United States)

Eftimie, Raluca

2015-03-01

One of the main unsolved problems of modern physics is finding a "theory of everything" - a theory that can explain, with the help of mathematics, all physical aspects of the universe. While the laws of physics could explain some aspects of the biology of living systems (e.g., the phenomenological interpretation of movement of cells and animals), there are other aspects specific to biology that cannot be captured by physics models. For example, it is generally accepted that the evolution of a cell-based system is influenced by the activation state of cells (e.g., only activated and functional immune cells can fight diseases); on the other hand, the evolution of an animal-based system can be influenced by the psychological state (e.g., distress) of animals. Therefore, the last 10-20 years have seen also a quest for a "theory of everything"-approach extended to biology, with researchers trying to propose mathematical modelling frameworks that can explain various biological phenomena ranging from ecology to developmental biology and medicine [1,2,6]. The basic idea behind this approach can be found in a few reviews on ecology and cell biology [6,7,9-11], where researchers suggested that due to the parallel between the micro-scale dynamics and the emerging macro-scale phenomena in both cell biology and in ecology, many mathematical methods used for ecological processes could be adapted to cancer modelling [7,9] or to modelling in immunology [11]. However, this approach generally involved the use of different models to describe different biological aspects (e.g., models for cell and animal movement, models for competition between cells or animals, etc.).

Natural phenomena hazards, Hanford Site, Washington

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conrads, T.J.

1998-01-01

This document presents the natural phenomena hazard loads for use in implementing DOE Order 5480.28, Natural Phenomena Hazards Mitigation, and supports development of double-shell tank systems specifications at the Hanford Site in south-central Washington State. The natural phenomena covered are seismic, flood, wind, volcanic ash, lightning, snow, temperature, solar radiation, suspended sediment, and relative humidity

Introduction to wetting phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Indekeu, J.O.

1995-01-01

In these lectures the field of wetting phenomena is introduced from the point of view of statistical physics. The phase transition from partial to complete wetting is discussed and examples of relevant experiments in binary liquid mixtures are given. Cahn's concept of critical-point wetting is examined in detail. Finally, a connection is drawn between wetting near bulk criticality and the universality classes of surface critical phenomena. (author)

Kinetic effects on magnetohydrodynamic phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naito, Hiroshi; Matsumoto, Taro

2001-01-01

Resistive and ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) theories are insufficient to adequately explain MHD phenomena in the high-temperature plasma. Recent progress in numerical simulations concerning kinetic effects on magnetohydrodynamic phenomena is summarized. The following three topics are studied using various models treating extended-MHD phenomena. (1) Kinetic modifications of internal kink modes in tokamaks with normal and reversed magnetic shear configurations. (2) Temporal evolution of the toroidal Alfven eigenmode and fishbone mode in tokamaks with energetic ions. (3) Kinetic stabilization of a title mode in field-reversed configurations by means of anchoring ions and beam ions. (author)

Noise-driven phenomena in hysteretic systems

CERN Document Server

Dimian, Mihai

2014-01-01

Noise-Driven Phenomena in Hysteretic Systems provides a general approach to nonlinear systems with hysteresis driven by noisy inputs, which leads to a unitary framework for the analysis of various stochastic aspects of hysteresis. This book includes integral, differential and algebraic models that are used to describe scalar and vector hysteretic nonlinearities originating from various areas of science and engineering. The universality of the authors approach is also reflected by the diversity of the models used to portray the input noise, from the classical Gaussian white noise to its impulsive forms, often encountered in economics and biological systems, and pink noise, ubiquitous in multi-stable electronic systems. The book is accompanied by HysterSoft© - a robust simulation environment designed to perform complex hysteresis modeling – that can be used by the reader to reproduce many of the results presented in the book as well as to research both disruptive and constructive effects of noise in hysteret...

Molecular ferroelectrics: where electronics meet biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jiangyu; Liu, Yuanming; Zhang, Yanhang; Cai, Hong-Ling; Xiong, Ren-Gen

2013-12-28

In the last several years, we have witnessed significant advances in molecular ferroelectrics, with the ferroelectric properties of molecular crystals approaching those of barium titanate. In addition, ferroelectricity has been observed in biological systems, filling an important missing link in bioelectric phenomena. In this perspective, we will present short historical notes on ferroelectrics, followed by an overview of the fundamentals of ferroelectricity. The latest developments in molecular ferroelectrics and biological ferroelectricity will then be highlighted, and their implications and potential applications will be discussed. We close by noting molecular ferroelectric as an exciting frontier between electronics and biology, and a number of challenges ahead are also described.

Generative mechanistic explanation building in undergraduate molecular and cellular biology

Science.gov (United States)

Southard, Katelyn M.; Espindola, Melissa R.; Zaepfel, Samantha D.; Bolger, Molly S.

2017-09-01

When conducting scientific research, experts in molecular and cellular biology (MCB) use specific reasoning strategies to construct mechanistic explanations for the underlying causal features of molecular phenomena. We explored how undergraduate students applied this scientific practice in MCB. Drawing from studies of explanation building among scientists, we created and applied a theoretical framework to explore the strategies students use to construct explanations for 'novel' biological phenomena. Specifically, we explored how students navigated the multi-level nature of complex biological systems using generative mechanistic reasoning. Interviews were conducted with introductory and upper-division biology students at a large public university in the United States. Results of qualitative coding revealed key features of students' explanation building. Students used modular thinking to consider the functional subdivisions of the system, which they 'filled in' to varying degrees with mechanistic elements. They also hypothesised the involvement of mechanistic entities and instantiated abstract schema to adapt their explanations to unfamiliar biological contexts. Finally, we explored the flexible thinking that students used to hypothesise the impact of mutations on multi-leveled biological systems. Results revealed a number of ways that students drew mechanistic connections between molecules, functional modules (sets of molecules with an emergent function), cells, tissues, organisms and populations.

Physical models of biological information and adaptation.

Science.gov (United States)

Stuart, C I

1985-04-07

The bio-informational equivalence asserts that biological processes reduce to processes of information transfer. In this paper, that equivalence is treated as a metaphor with deeply anthropomorphic content of a sort that resists constitutive-analytical definition, including formulation within mathematical theories of information. It is argued that continuance of the metaphor, as a quasi-theoretical perspective in biology, must entail a methodological dislocation between biological and physical science. It is proposed that a general class of functions, drawn from classical physics, can serve to eliminate the anthropomorphism. Further considerations indicate that the concept of biological adaptation is central to the general applicability of the informational idea in biology; a non-anthropomorphic treatment of adaptive phenomena is suggested in terms of variational principles.

Geochemical modelling: what phenomena are missing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacquier, P.

1989-12-01

In the framework of safety assessment of radioactive waste disposal, retention phenomena are usually taken into account by the Kd concept. It is well recognized that this concept is not enough for safety assessment models, because of the several and strong assumptions which are involved in this kind of representation. One way to have a better representation of the retention phenomena, is to substitute for this Kd concept an explicit description of geochemical phenomena and then couple transport codes with geochemical codes in a fully or a two-step procedure. We use currently such codes, but the scope of this paper is to display the limits today of the geochemical modelling in connection with sites analysis for deep disposal. In this paper, we intend to give an overview of phenomena which are missing in the geochemical models, or which are not completely introduced in the models. We can distinguish, on one hand phenomena for which modelling concepts exist such as adsorption/desorption and, on the other hand, phenomena for which modelling concepts do not exist for the moment such as colloids, and complexation by polyelectrolyte solutions (organics). Moreover we have to take care of very low concentrations of radionuclides, which can be expected from the leaching processes in the repository. Under those conditions, some reactions may not occur. After a critical review of the involved phenomena, we intend to stress the main directions of the wishful evolution of the geochemical modelling. This evolution should improve substantially the quality of the above-mentioned site assessments

Interfacial polarization phenomena in organic molecular films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwamoto, Mitsumasa; Manaka, Takaaki

2006-01-01

Electrostatic phenomena occurring at the interface between metal/organic and organic/organic materials are discussed from the viewpoint of dielectrics physics. Focusing on two important origins of surface polarization phenomena, orientational ordering of polar molecules and displacement of excess charges at the interface, surface polarization phenomena of organic thin films are discussed. To define the orientational order of polar molecules, orientational order parameters are introduced, and surface polarization due to the alignment of dipoles is expressed. The generation of Maxwell displacement current (MDC) and optical second harmonic generation (SHG) that are specific for surface organic monomolecular films are discussed, and some experimental evidence are shown. As an extension of the concept of surface Fermi level introduced to discuss the electrostatic phenomena due to electron transfer at the interface between metal-organic insulators, the surface Fermi level is extended to the discussion on the electrostatic phenomena of organic semiconductor materials on metals. In this paper, some experimental evidence of surface polarization originating from polar molecules and displacement of excess charges are shown. After that, with consideration of these surface phenomena, single electron tunneling of organic films are briefly discussed in association with surface polarization phenomena

Mathematical methods in biology and neurobiology

CERN Document Server

Jost, Jürgen

2014-01-01

Mathematical models can be used to meet many of the challenges and opportunities offered by modern biology. The description of biological phenomena requires a range of mathematical theories. This is the case particularly for the emerging field of systems biology. Mathematical Methods in Biology and Neurobiology introduces and develops these mathematical structures and methods in a systematic manner. It studies:   • discrete structures and graph theory • stochastic processes • dynamical systems and partial differential equations • optimization and the calculus of variations.   The biological applications range from molecular to evolutionary and ecological levels, for example:   • cellular reaction kinetics and gene regulation • biological pattern formation and chemotaxis • the biophysics and dynamics of neurons • the coding of information in neuronal systems • phylogenetic tree reconstruction • branching processes and population genetics • optimal resource allocation • sexual recombi...

Biometry: the principles and practice of statistics in biological research

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Sokal, R.R; Rohlf, F.J

1969-01-01

In this introductory textbook, with its companion volume of tables, the authors provide a balanced presentation of statistical methodology for the descriptive, experimental, and analytical study of biological phenomena...

Wolf-Rayet phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conti, P.S.

1982-01-01

The author reviews in broad terms the concept of Wolf-Rayet (W-R) phenomena, outlines what we currently know about the properties of stars showing such phenomena and indicates the directions in which future work is leading. He begins by listing the characteristics of W-R spectra and then considers the following specific problems: the absolute visual magnitudes; the heterogeneity of WN spectra; the existence of transition type spectra and compositions; the mass loss rates; the existence of very luminous and possibly very massive W-R stars. He discusses briefly our current understanding of the theoretical aspects of stellar evolution and stellar winds and the various scenarios that have been proposed to understand W-R stars. (Auth.)

Computational transport phenomena for engineering analyses

CERN Document Server

Farmer, Richard C; Cheng, Gary C; Chen, Yen-Sen

2009-01-01

Computational Transport PhenomenaOverviewTransport PhenomenaAnalyzing Transport PhenomenaA Computational Tool: The CTP CodeVerification, Validation, and GeneralizationSummaryNomenclatureReferencesThe Equations of ChangeIntroductionDerivation of The Continuity EquationDerivation of The Species Continuity EquationDerivation of The Equation Of MotionDerivation of The General Energy EquationNon-Newtonian FluidsGeneral Property BalanceAnalytical and Approximate Solutions for the Equations of ChangeSummaryNomenclatureReferencesPhysical PropertiesOverviewReal-Fluid ThermodynamicsChemical Equilibrium

Piecewise deterministic processes in biological models

CERN Document Server

Rudnicki, Ryszard

2017-01-01

This book presents a concise introduction to piecewise deterministic Markov processes (PDMPs), with particular emphasis on their applications to biological models. Further, it presents examples of biological phenomena, such as gene activity and population growth, where different types of PDMPs appear: continuous time Markov chains, deterministic processes with jumps, processes with switching dynamics, and point processes. Subsequent chapters present the necessary tools from the theory of stochastic processes and semigroups of linear operators, as well as theoretical results concerning the long-time behaviour of stochastic semigroups induced by PDMPs and their applications to biological models. As such, the book offers a valuable resource for mathematicians and biologists alike. The first group will find new biological models that lead to interesting and often new mathematical questions, while the second can observe how to include seemingly disparate biological processes into a unified mathematical theory, and...

Compartmental study of biological systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moretti, J.L.

1975-01-01

The compartmental analysis of biological system is dealt with on several chapters devoted successively to: terminology; a mathematical and symbolic account of a system at equilibrium; different compartment systems; analysis of the experimental results. For this it is pointed out that the application of compartmental systems to biological phenomena is not always without danger. Sometimes the compartmental system established in a reference subject fails to conform in the patient. The compartments can divide into two or join together, completely changing the aspect of the system so that parameters calculated with the old model become entirely false. The conclusion is that the setting up of a compartmental system to represent a biological phenomenon is a tricky undertaking and the results must be constantly criticized and questioned [fr

Introductory lectures on critical phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khajehpour, M.R.H.

1988-09-01

After a presentation of classical models for phase transitions and critical phenomena (Van der Waals theory, Weiss theory of ferromagnetism) and theoretical models (Ising model, XY model, Heisenberg model, spherical model) the Landau theory of critical and multicritical points and some single applications of renormalization group method in static critical phenomena are presented. 115 refs, figs and tabs

Morphogenesis and pattern formation in biological systems experiments and models

CERN Document Server

Noji, Sumihare; Ueno, Naoto; Maini, Philip

2003-01-01

A central goal of current biology is to decode the mechanisms that underlie the processes of morphogenesis and pattern formation. Concerned with the analysis of those phenomena, this book covers a broad range of research fields, including developmental biology, molecular biology, plant morphogenesis, ecology, epidemiology, medicine, paleontology, evolutionary biology, mathematical biology, and computational biology. In Morphogenesis and Pattern Formation in Biological Systems: Experiments and Models, experimental and theoretical aspects of biology are integrated for the construction and investigation of models of complex processes. This collection of articles on the latest advances by leading researchers not only brings together work from a wide spectrum of disciplines, but also provides a stepping-stone to the creation of new areas of discovery.

Observation of Celestial Phenomena in Ancient China

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Xiaochun

Because of the need for calendar-making and portent astrology, the Chinese were diligent and meticulous observers of celestial phenomena. China has maintained the longest continuous historical records of celestial phenomena in the world. Extraordinary or abnormal celestial events were particularly noted because of their astrological significance. The historical records cover various types of celestial phenomena, which include solar and lunar eclipses, sunspots, "guest stars" (novae or supernovae as we understand today), comets and meteors, and all kinds of planetary phenomena. These records provide valuable historical data for astronomical studies today.

Containment severe accident thermohydraulic phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frid, W.

1991-08-01

This report describes and discusses the containment accident progression and the important severe accident containment thermohydraulic phenomena. The overall objective of the report is to provide a rather detailed presentation of the present status of phenomenological knowledge, including an account of relevant experimental investigations and to discuss, to some extent, the modelling approach used in the MAAP 3.0 computer code. The MAAP code has been used in Sweden as the main tool in the analysis of severe accidents. The dependence of the containment accident progression and containment phenomena on the initial conditions, which in turn are heavily dependent on the in-vessel accident progression and phenomena as well as associated uncertainties, is emphasized. The report is in three parts dealing with: * Swedish reactor containments, the severe accident mitigation programme in Sweden and containment accident progression in Swedish PWRs and BWRs as predicted by the MAAP 3.0 code. * Key non-energetic ex-vessel phenomena (melt fragmentation in water, melt quenching and coolability, core-concrete interaction and high temperature in containment). * Early containment threats due to energetic events (hydrogen combustion, high pressure melt ejection and direct containment heating, and ex-vessel steam explosions). The report concludes that our understanding of the containment severe accident progression and phenomena has improved very significantly over the parts ten years and, thereby, our ability to assess containment threats, to quantify uncertainties, and to interpret the results of experiments and computer code calculations have also increased. (au)

Precedent Phenomena in Quebecois Linguistic World View

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ксения Эдуардовна Болотина

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This article is devoted to the linguocultural analysis of precedent phenomena as parts of Quebecois’ cognitive base. Precedent phenomena being cultural facts are one of the key issues in modern linguistic and cognitive studies. By precedent phenomena we mean, according to Y.E. Prohorov, such entities when verbalized in discourse that refer to a certain cultural fact behind them. In the article the precedent phenomena such as precedent text, precedent situation, precedent utterance, and precedent name are analyzed. The main theses of the precedence theory given in the article (Y.N. Karaulov, Y.E. Prohorov, V.V. Krasnyh, D.B. Gudkov are at the heart of precedence studies on the basis of different languages. However, a complex analysis of precedent phenomena in the Quebec national variant of French is new to Russian linguistics. The study of precedent phenomena enables us to elicit features of their functioning in ethnospecific discourse and determine cultural dominants existing in Quebecois’ linguistic world view. Given the fact that the size of the article is limited, we undertooke the analysis of eight phenomena precedent of the bearers of Quebec linguoculture. The choice of phenomena is determined by the frequency of their use in discourse. The facts analyzed are of national character, i.e. known to all members of the linguocultural community. A certain cultural fact is at the very core of each precedent phenomenon given in the article. To get the whole picture we analysed historic, political, and cultural context connected to the precedent phenomena in question. The study enables us to elicit distinctive features that are at the core of each phenomenon. The results are backed with the supportive material drawn from analysis of different types of discourse. The analysis of precedent phenomena undertaken in this article allows us to reconstruct, to a certain extent, Quebec cultural space and is a stepping stone to the reconstruction of the

Transient phenomena in electrical power systems

CERN Document Server

Venikov, V A; Higinbotham, W

1964-01-01

Electronics and Instrumentation, Volume 24: Transient Phenomena in Electrical Power Systems presents the methods for calculating the stability and the transient behavior of systems with forced excitation control. This book provides information pertinent to the analysis of transient phenomena in electro-mechanical systems.Organized into five chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the principal requirements in an excitation system. This text then explains the electromagnetic and electro-mechanical phenomena, taking into account the mutual action between the components of the system. Ot

Rheological phenomena in focus

CERN Document Server

Boger, DV

1993-01-01

More than possibly any other scientific discipline, rheology is easily visualized and the relevant literature contains many excellent photographs of unusual and often bizarre phenomena. The present book brings together these photographs for the first time. They are supported by a full explanatory text. Rheological Phenomena in Focus will be an indispensable support manual to all those who teach rheology or have to convince colleagues of the practical relevance of the subject within an industrial setting. For those who teach fluid mechanics, the book clearly illustrates the difference be

Nonlinear Photonics and Novel Optical Phenomena

CERN Document Server

Morandotti, Roberto

2012-01-01

Nonlinear Photonics and Novel Optical Phenomena contains contributed chapters from leading experts in nonlinear optics and photonics, and provides a comprehensive survey of fundamental concepts as well as hot topics in current research on nonlinear optical waves and related novel phenomena. The book covers self-accelerating airy beams, integrated photonics based on high index doped-silica glass, linear and nonlinear spatial beam dynamics in photonic lattices and waveguide arrays, polariton solitons and localized structures in semiconductor microcavities, terahertz waves, and other novel phenomena in different nanophotonic and optical systems.

Interfacial transport phenomena

CERN Document Server

Slattery, John C; Oh, Eun-Suok

2007-01-01

Revised and updated extensively from the previous editionDiscusses transport phenomena at common lines or three-phase lines of contactProvides a comprehensive summary about the extensions of continuum mechanics to the nanoscale.

Plant Systems Biology at the Single-Cell Level.

Science.gov (United States)

Libault, Marc; Pingault, Lise; Zogli, Prince; Schiefelbein, John

2017-11-01

Our understanding of plant biology is increasingly being built upon studies using 'omics and system biology approaches performed at the level of the entire plant, organ, or tissue. Although these approaches open new avenues to better understand plant biology, they suffer from the cellular complexity of the analyzed sample. Recent methodological advances now allow plant scientists to overcome this limitation and enable biological analyses of single-cells or single-cell-types. Coupled with the development of bioinformatics and functional genomics resources, these studies provide opportunities for high-resolution systems analyses of plant phenomena. In this review, we describe the recent advances, current challenges, and future directions in exploring the biology of single-cells and single-cell-types to enhance our understanding of plant biology as a system. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Natural phenomena hazards, Hanford Site, south central Washington

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tallman, A.M.

1996-01-01

This document presents the natural phenomena hazard (NPH) loads for use in implementing DOE Order 5480.28, Natural Phenomena Hazards Mitigation, at the Hanford Site in south-central Washington State. The purpose of this document is twofold: (1) summarize the NPH that are important to the design and evaluation of structures, systems, and components at the Hanford Site; (2) develop the appropriate natural phenomena loads for use in the implementation of DOE Order 5480.28. The supporting standards, DOE-STD-1020-94, Natural Phenomena Hazards Design and Evaluation Criteria for Department of Energy Facilities (DOE 1994a); DOE-STD-1022-94, Natural Phenomena Hazards Site Characteristics Criteria (DOE 1994b); and DOE-STD-1023-95, Natural Phenomena Hazards Assessment Criteria (DOE 1995) are the basis for developing the NPH loads

Self-organization phenomena in plasma physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanduloviciu, M.; Popescu, S.

2001-01-01

The self-assembling in nature and laboratory of structures in systems away from thermodynamic equilibrium is one of the problems that mostly fascinates the scientists working in all branches of science. In this context a substantial progress has been obtained by investigating the appearance of spatial and spatiotemporal patterns in plasma. These experiments revealed the presence of a scenario of self-organization able to suggest an answer to the central problem of the 'Science of Complexity', why matter transits spontaneously from a disordered into an ordered state? Based on this scenario of self-organization we present arguments proving the possibility to explain the challenging problems of nonequilibrium physics in general. These problems refer to: (i) genuine origin of phase transitions observed in gaseous conductors and semiconductors; (ii) the elucidation of the role played by self-organization in the simulation of oscillations; (iii) the physical basis of anomalous transport of matter and energy with special reference to the possibilities of improving the economical performance of fusion devices; (iv) the possibility to use self-confined gaseous space charged configurations as an alternative to the magnetically confined plasma used at present in fusion devices. In other branches of sciences, as for instance in Biology, the self-organization scenario reveals a new insight into a mechanism able to explain the appearance of the simplest possible space charge configuration able to evolve, under suitable conditions, into prebiotic structures. Referring to phenomena observed in nature, the same self-organization scenario suggests plausible answers to the appearance of ball lightening but also to the origin of the flickering phenomena observed in the light emission of the Sun and stars. For theory the described self-organization scenario offers a new physical basis for many problems of nonlinear science not solved yet and also a new model for the so-called 'self

Classifying prion and prion-like phenomena.

Science.gov (United States)

Harbi, Djamel; Harrison, Paul M

2014-01-01

The universe of prion and prion-like phenomena has expanded significantly in the past several years. Here, we overview the challenges in classifying this data informatically, given that terms such as "prion-like", "prion-related" or "prion-forming" do not have a stable meaning in the scientific literature. We examine the spectrum of proteins that have been described in the literature as forming prions, and discuss how "prion" can have a range of meaning, with a strict definition being for demonstration of infection with in vitro-derived recombinant prions. We suggest that although prion/prion-like phenomena can largely be apportioned into a small number of broad groups dependent on the type of transmissibility evidence for them, as new phenomena are discovered in the coming years, a detailed ontological approach might be necessary that allows for subtle definition of different "flavors" of prion / prion-like phenomena.

High Temperature Phenomena in Shock Waves

CERN Document Server

2012-01-01

The high temperatures generated in gases by shock waves give rise to physical and chemical phenomena such as molecular vibrational excitation, dissociation, ionization, chemical reactions and inherently related radiation. In continuum regime, these processes start from the wave front, so that generally the gaseous media behind shock waves may be in a thermodynamic and chemical non-equilibrium state. This book presents the state of knowledge of these phenomena. Thus, the thermodynamic properties of high temperature gases, including the plasma state are described, as well as the kinetics of the various chemical phenomena cited above. Numerous results of measurement and computation of vibrational relaxation times, dissociation and reaction rate constants are given, and various ionization and radiative mechanisms and processes are presented. The coupling between these different phenomena is taken into account as well as their interaction with the flow-field. Particular points such as the case of rarefied flows an...

ACCIDENT PHENOMENA OF RISK IMPORTANCE PROJECT - Continued RESEARCH CONCERNING SEVERE ACCIDENT PHENOMENA AND MANAGEMENT IN Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rolandson, S.; Mueller, F.; Loevenhielm, G.

1997-01-01

Since 1988 all reactors in Sweden have mitigating measures, such as filtered vents, implemented. In parallel with the work of implementing these measures, a cooperation effort (RAMA projects) between the Swedish utilities and the Nuclear Power Inspectorate was performed to acquire sufficient knowledge about severe accident research work. The on-going project has the name Accident Phenomena of Risk Importance 3. In this paper, we will give background information about severe accident management in Sweden. In the Accident Phenomena of Risk Importance 3 project we will focus on the work concerning coolability of melted core in lower plenum which is the main focus of the In-vessel Coolability Task Group within the Accident Phenomena of Risk Importance 3 project. The Accident Phenomena of Risk Importance 3 project has joined on international consortium and the in-vessel cooling experiments are performed by Fauske and Associates, Inc. in Burr Ridge, Illinois, United States America, Sweden also intends to do one separate experiment with one instrument penetration we have in Swedish/Finnish BWR's. Other parts of the Accident Phenomena of Risk Importance 3 project, such as support to level 2 studies, the research at Royal Institute of Technology and participation in international programs, such as Cooperative Severe Accident Research Program, Advanced Containment Experiments and PHEBUS will be briefly described in the paper

A statistical approach to strange diffusion phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milligen, B.Ph. van; Carreras, B.A.; Sanchez, R.

2005-01-01

The study of particle (and heat) transport in fusion plasmas has revealed the existence of what might be called 'unusual' transport phenomena. Such phenomena are: unexpected scaling of the confinement time with system size, power degradation (i.e. sub-linear scaling of energy content with power input), profile stiffness (also known as profile consistency), rapid transient transport phenomena such as cold and heat pulses (travelling much faster than the diffusive timescale would allow), non-local behaviour and central profile peaking during off-axis heating, associated with unexplained inward pinches. The standard modelling framework, essentially equal to Fick's Law plus extensions, has great difficulty in providing an all-encompassing and satisfactory explanation of all these phenomena. This difficulty has motivated us to reconsider the basics of the modelling of diffusive phenomena. Diffusion is based on the well-known random walk. The random walk is captured in all its generality in the Continuous Time Random Walk (CTRW) formalism. The CTRW formalism is directly related to the well-known Generalized Master Equation, which describes the behaviour of tracer particle diffusion on a very fundamental level, and from which the phenomenological Fick's Law can be derived under some specific assumptions. We show that these assumptions are not necessarily satisfied under fusion plasma conditions, in which case other equations (such as the Fokker-Planck diffusion law or the Master Equation itself) provide a better description of the phenomena. This fact may explain part of the observed 'strange' phenomena (namely, the inward pinch). To show how the remaining phenomena mentioned above may perhaps find an explanation in the proposed alternative modelling framework, we have designed a toy model that incorporates a critical gradient mechanism, switching between rapid (super-diffusive) and normal diffusive transport as a function of the local gradient. It is then demonstrated

"Lomonosov" Satellite—Space Observatory to Study Extreme Phenomena in Space

Science.gov (United States)

Sadovnichii, V. A.; Panasyuk, M. I.; Amelyushkin, A. M.; Bogomolov, V. V.; Benghin, V. V.; Garipov, G. K.; Kalegaev, V. V.; Klimov, P. A.; Khrenov, B. A.; Petrov, V. L.; Sharakin, S. A.; Shirokov, A. V.; Svertilov, S. I.; Zotov, M. Y.; Yashin, I. V.; Gorbovskoy, E. S.; Lipunov, V. M.; Park, I. H.; Lee, J.; Jeong, S.; Kim, M. B.; Jeong, H. M.; Shprits, Y. Y.; Angelopoulos, V.; Russell, C. T.; Runov, A.; Turner, D.; Strangeway, R. J.; Caron, R.; Biktemerova, S.; Grinyuk, A.; Lavrova, M.; Tkachev, L.; Tkachenko, A.; Martinez, O.; Salazar, H.; Ponce, E.

2017-11-01

The "Lomonosov" space project is lead by Lomonosov Moscow State University in collaboration with the following key partners: Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Russia, University of California, Los Angeles (USA), University of Pueblo (Mexico), Sungkyunkwan University (Republic of Korea) and with Russian space industry organizations to study some of extreme phenomena in space related to astrophysics, astroparticle physics, space physics, and space biology. The primary goals of this experiment are to study: Ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECR) in the energy range of the Greizen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin (GZK) cutoff; Ultraviolet (UV) transient luminous events in the upper atmosphere; Multi-wavelength study of gamma-ray bursts in visible, UV, gamma, and X-rays; Energetic trapped and precipitated radiation (electrons and protons) at low-Earth orbit (LEO) in connection with global geomagnetic disturbances; Multicomponent radiation doses along the orbit of spacecraft under different geomagnetic conditions and testing of space segments of optical observations of space-debris and other space objects; Instrumental vestibular-sensor conflict of zero-gravity phenomena during space flight. This paper is directed towards the general description of both scientific goals of the project and scientific equipment on board the satellite. The following papers of this issue are devoted to detailed descriptions of scientific instruments.

Critical Phenomena in Gravitational Collapse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gundlach Carsten

1999-01-01

Full Text Available As first discovered by Choptuik, the black hole threshold in the space of initial data for general relativity shows both surprising structure and surprising simplicity. Universality, power-law scaling of the black hole mass, and scale echoing have given rise to the term 'critical phenomena'. They are explained by the existence of exact solutions which are attractors within the black hole threshold, that is, attractors of codimension one in phase space, and which are typically self-similar. This review gives an introduction to the phenomena, tries to summarize the essential features of what is happening, and then presents extensions and applications of this basic scenario. Critical phenomena are of interest particularly for creating surprising structure from simple equations, and for the light they throw on cosmic censorship and the generic dynamics of general relativity.

Improved Statistical Fault Detection Technique and Application to Biological Phenomena Modeled by S-Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Mansouri, Majdi; Nounou, Mohamed N; Nounou, Hazem N

2017-09-01

In our previous work, we have demonstrated the effectiveness of the linear multiscale principal component analysis (PCA)-based moving window (MW)-generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) technique over the classical PCA and multiscale principal component analysis (MSPCA)-based GLRT methods. The developed fault detection algorithm provided optimal properties by maximizing the detection probability for a particular false alarm rate (FAR) with different values of windows, and however, most real systems are nonlinear, which make the linear PCA method not able to tackle the issue of non-linearity to a great extent. Thus, in this paper, first, we apply a nonlinear PCA to obtain an accurate principal component of a set of data and handle a wide range of nonlinearities using the kernel principal component analysis (KPCA) model. The KPCA is among the most popular nonlinear statistical methods. Second, we extend the MW-GLRT technique to one that utilizes exponential weights to residuals in the moving window (instead of equal weightage) as it might be able to further improve fault detection performance by reducing the FAR using exponentially weighed moving average (EWMA). The developed detection method, which is called EWMA-GLRT, provides improved properties, such as smaller missed detection and FARs and smaller average run length. The idea behind the developed EWMA-GLRT is to compute a new GLRT statistic that integrates current and previous data information in a decreasing exponential fashion giving more weight to the more recent data. This provides a more accurate estimation of the GLRT statistic and provides a stronger memory that will enable better decision making with respect to fault detection. Therefore, in this paper, a KPCA-based EWMA-GLRT method is developed and utilized in practice to improve fault detection in biological phenomena modeled by S-systems and to enhance monitoring process mean. The idea behind a KPCA-based EWMA-GLRT fault detection algorithm is to

Renormalization group and critical phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji Qing

2004-01-01

The basic clue and the main steps of renormalization group method used for the description of critical phenomena is introduced. It is pointed out that this method really reflects the most important physical features of critical phenomena, i.e. self-similarity, and set up a practical solving method from it. This way of setting up a theory according to the features of the physical system is really a good lesson for today's physicists. (author)

Engineering Design of an Adaptive Leg Prosthesis Using Biological Principles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lenau, Torben Anker; Dentel, Andy; Invarsdottir, Thorunn

2010-01-01

The biomimetic design process is explored through a design case: An adaptive leg prosthesis. The aim is to investigate if the biomimetic design process can be carried out with a minimum of biological knowledge and without using advanced design methods. In the design case biomimetic design was suc...... was successfully carried out using library search resulting in 14 biological analogies for the design problem 'shape adaption'. It is proposed that search results are handled using special cards describing the biological phenomena and the functional principles....

Biological Complexities in Radiation Carcinogenesis and Cancer Radiotherapy: Impact of New Biological Paradigms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hossein Mozdarani

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Although radiation carcinogenesis has been shown both experimentally and epidemiologically, the use of ionizing radiation is also one of the major modalities in cancer treatment. Various known cellular and molecular events are involved in carcinogenesis. Apart from the known phenomena, there could be implications for carcinogenesis and cancer prevention due to other biological processes such as the bystander effect, the abscopal effect, intrinsic radiosensitivity and radioadaptation. Bystander effects have consequences for mutation initiated cancer paradigms of radiation carcinogenesis, which provide the mechanistic justification for low-dose risk estimates. The abscopal effect is potentially important for tumor control and is mediated through cytokines and/or the immune system (mainly cell-mediated immunity. It results from loss of growth and stimulatory and/or immunosuppressive factors from the tumor. Intrinsic radiosensitivity is a feature of some cancer prone chromosomal breakage syndromes such as ataxia telangectiasia. Radiosensitivity is manifested as higher chromosomal aberrations and DNA repair impairment is now known as a good biomarker for breast cancer screening and prediction of prognosis. However, it is not yet known whether this effect is good or bad for those receiving radiation or radiomimetic agents for treatment. Radiation hormesis is another major concern for carcinogenesis. This process which protects cells from higher doses of radiation or radio mimic chemicals, may lead to the escape of cells from mitotic death or apoptosis and put cells with a lower amount of damage into the process of cancer induction. Therefore, any of these biological phenomena could have impact on another process giving rise to genome instability of cells which are not in the field of radiation but still receiving a lower amount of radiation. For prevention of radiation induced carcinogenesis or risk assessment as well as for successful radiation

Rethinking biology instruction: The application of DNR-based instruction to the learning and teaching of biology

Science.gov (United States)

Maskiewicz, April Lee

Educational studies report that secondary and college level students have developed only limited understandings of the most basic biological processes and their interrelationships from typical classroom experiences. Furthermore, students have developed undesirable reasoning schemes and beliefs that directly affect how they make sense of and account for biological phenomena. For these reasons, there exists a need to rethink instructional practices in biology. This dissertation discusses how the principles of Harel's (1998, 2001) DNR-based instruction in mathematics could be applied to the teaching and learning of biology. DNR is an acronym for the three foundational principles of the system: Duality, Necessity, and Repeated-reasoning. This study examines the application of these three principles to ecology instruction. Through clinical and teaching interviews, I developed models of students' existing ways of understanding in ecology and inferred their ways of thinking. From these models a hypothetical learning trajectory was developed for 16 college level freshmen enrolled in a 10-week ecology teaching experiment. Through cyclical, interpretive analysis I documented and analyzed the evolution of the participants' progress. The results provide empirical evidence to support the claim that the DNR principles are applicable to ecology instruction. With respect to the Duality Principle, helping students develop specific ways of understanding led to the development of model-based reasoning---a way of thinking and the cognitive objective guiding instruction. Through carefully structured problem solving tasks, the students developed a biological understanding of the relationship between matter cycling, energy flow, and cellular processes such as photosynthesis and respiration, and used this understanding to account for observable phenomena in nature. In the case of intellectual necessity, the results illuminate how problem situations can be developed for biology learners

SEPARATION PHENOMENA LOGISTIC REGRESSION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ikaro Daniel de Carvalho Barreto

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes an application of concepts about the maximum likelihood estimation of the binomial logistic regression model to the separation phenomena. It generates bias in the estimation and provides different interpretations of the estimates on the different statistical tests (Wald, Likelihood Ratio and Score and provides different estimates on the different iterative methods (Newton-Raphson and Fisher Score. It also presents an example that demonstrates the direct implications for the validation of the model and validation of variables, the implications for estimates of odds ratios and confidence intervals, generated from the Wald statistics. Furthermore, we present, briefly, the Firth correction to circumvent the phenomena of separation.

Self field electromagnetism and quantum phenomena

Science.gov (United States)

Schatten, Kenneth H.

1994-07-01

Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) has been extremely successful inits predictive capability for atomic phenomena. Thus the greatest hope for any alternative view is solely to mimic the predictive capability of quantum mechanics (QM), and perhaps its usefulness will lie in gaining a better understanding of microscopic phenomena. Many ?paradoxes? and problematic situations emerge in QED. To combat the QED problems, the field of Stochastics Electrodynamics (SE) emerged, wherein a random ?zero point radiation? is assumed to fill all of space in an attmept to explain quantum phenomena, without some of the paradoxical concerns. SE, however, has greater failings. One is that the electromagnetic field energy must be infinit eto work. We have examined a deterministic side branch of SE, ?self field? electrodynamics, which may overcome the probelms of SE. Self field electrodynamics (SFE) utilizes the chaotic nature of electromagnetic emissions, as charges lose energy near atomic dimensions, to try to understand and mimic quantum phenomena. These fields and charges can ?interact with themselves? in a non-linear fashion, and may thereby explain many quantum phenomena from a semi-classical viewpoint. Referred to as self fields, they have gone by other names in the literature: ?evanesccent radiation?, ?virtual photons?, and ?vacuum fluctuations?. Using self fields, we discuss the uncertainty principles, the Casimir effects, and the black-body radiation spectrum, diffraction and interference effects, Schrodinger's equation, Planck's constant, and the nature of the electron and how they might be understood in the present framework. No new theory could ever replace QED. The self field view (if correct) would, at best, only serve to provide some understanding of the processes by which strange quantum phenomena occur at the atomic level. We discuss possible areas where experiments might be employed to test SFE, and areas where future work may lie.

Learning through Creating Robotic Models of Biological Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Cuperman, Dan; Verner, Igor M.

2013-01-01

This paper considers an approach to studying issues in technology and science, which integrates design and inquiry activities towards creating and exploring technological models of scientific phenomena. We implemented this approach in a context where the learner inquires into a biological phenomenon and develops its representation in the form of a…

Luminous Phenomena - A Scientific Investigation of Anomalous Luminous Atmospheric Phenomena

Science.gov (United States)

Teodorani, M.

2003-12-01

Anomalous atmospheric luminous phenomena reoccur in several locations of Earth, in the form of multi-color light balls characterized by large dimensions, erratic motion, long duration and a correlated electromagnetic field. The author (an astrophysicist) of this book, which is organized as a selection of some of his technical and popularizing papers and seminars, describes and discusses all the efforts that have been done in 10 years, through several missions and a massive data analysis, in order to obtain some scientific explanation of this kind of anomalies, in particular the Hessdalen anomaly in Norway. The following topics are treated in the book: a) geographic archive of the areas of Earth where such phenomena are known to reoccur most often; b) observational techniques of astrophysical kind that have been used to acquire the data; c) main scientific results obtained so far; d) physical interpretation and natural hypothesis vs. ETV hypothesis; e) historical and chronological issues; f) the importance to brindle new energy sources; g) the importance to keep distance from any kind of "ufology". An unpublished chapter is entirely devoted to a detailed scientific investigation project of light phenomena reoccurring on the Ontario lake; the chosen new-generation multi-wavelength sensing instrumentation that is planned to be used in future missions in that specific area, is described together with scientific rationale and planned procedures. The main results, which were obtained in other areas of the world, such as the Arizona desert, USA and the Sibillini Mountains, Italy, are also briefly mentioned. One chapter is entirely dedicated to the presentation of extensive abstracts of technical papers by the author concerning this specific subject. The book is accompanied with a rich source of bibliographic references.

Polarization phenomena in heavy-ion reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugimoto, K.; Ishihara, M.; Takahashi, N.

1984-01-01

This chapter presents a few key experiments which provide direct evidence of the polarization phenomena in heavy-ion reactions. The theory of polarization observables and measurements is given with the necessary formulae. The polarization phenomena is described and studies of product nuclear polarization in heavy-ion reactions are discussed. Studies of heavy-ion reactions induced by polarized beams are examined

Low dose effects of ionizing radiations in in vitro and in vivo biological systems: a multi-scale approach study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antoccia, A.; Berardinelli, F.; Argazzi, E.; Balata, M.; Bedogni, R.

2011-01-01

Long-term biological effects of low-dose radiation are little known nowadays and its carcinogenic risk is estimated on the assumption that risk remains linearly proportional to the radiation dose down to low-dose levels. However in the last 20 years this hypothesis has gradually begun to seem in contrast with a huge collection of experimental evidences, which has shown the presence of plethora of non-linear phenomena (including hypersensitivity and induced radioresistance, adaptive response, and non-targeted phenomena like bystander effect and genomic instability) occurring after low-dose irradiation. These phenomena might imply a non-linear behaviour of cancer risk curves in the low-dose region and question the validity of the Linear No-Threshold (LNT) model currently used for cancer risk assessment through extrapolation from existing high-dose data. Moreover only few information is available regarding the effects induced on cryo preserved cells by multi-year background radiation exposure, which might induce a radiation-damage accumulation, due to the inhibition of cellular repair mechanisms. In this framework, the multi-year Excalibur (Exposure effects at low doses of ionizing radiation in biological culture) experiment, funded by INFN-CNS5, has undertaken a multi-scale approach investigation on the biological effects induced in in vitro and in vivo biological systems, in culture and cryo preserved conditions, as a function of radiation quality (X/γ-rays, protons, He-4 ions of various energies) and dose, with particular emphasis on the low-dose region and non-linear phenomena, in terms of different biological endpoints.

Study Of Severe Accident Phenomena In Nuclear Power Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugiyanto; Antariksawan; Anhar, R.; Arifal

2001-01-01

Several phenomena that occurred in the light water reactor type of nuclear power plant during severe accident were studied. The study was carried out based on the results of severe accident researches in various countries. In general, severe accident phenomena can be classified into in-vessel phenomena, retention in the reactor coolant system, and ex-vessel phenomena. In-vessel retention has been recommended as a severe accident management strategy

Heat transfer phenomena revelant to severe accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dallman, R.J.; Duffey, R.B.

1990-01-01

A number of aspects of severe accidents have been reviewed, particularly in relation to the heat transfer characteristics and the important phenomena. It is shown that natural circulation, forced convection, and entrainment phenomena are important for both the reactor system and ex-vessel events. It is also shown that the phenomena related to two component enhanced heat transfer is important in the pool of molten core debris, in relation to the potential for attack of the liner structure and the concrete. These mechanisms are discussed within the general context of severe accident progression

Heat transfer phenomena relevant to severe accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dallman, R.J.; Duffey, R.B.

1990-01-01

A number of aspects of severe accidents have been reviewed, particularly in relation to the heat transfer characteristics and the important phenomena. It is shown that natural circulation, forced convection, and entrainment phenomena are important for both the reactor system and ex-vessel events. It is also shown that the phenomena related to two component enhanced heat transfer is important in the pool of molten core debris, in relation to the potential for attack of the liner structure and the concrete. These mechanisms are discussed within the general context of severe accident progression. 26 refs

The essence of student visual-spatial literacy and higher order thinking skills in undergraduate biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Milner-Bolotin, Marina; Nashon, Samson Madera

2012-02-01

Science, engineering and mathematics-related disciplines have relied heavily on a researcher's ability to visualize phenomena under study and being able to link and superimpose various abstract and concrete representations including visual, spatial, and temporal. The spatial representations are especially important in all branches of biology (in developmental biology time becomes an important dimension), where 3D and often 4D representations are crucial for understanding the phenomena. By the time biology students get to undergraduate education, they are supposed to have acquired visual-spatial thinking skills, yet it has been documented that very few undergraduates and a small percentage of graduate students have had a chance to develop these skills to a sufficient degree. The current paper discusses the literature that highlights the essence of visual-spatial thinking and the development of visual-spatial literacy, considers the application of the visual-spatial thinking to biology education, and proposes how modern technology can help to promote visual-spatial literacy and higher order thinking among undergraduate students of biology.

Electron spin interactions in chemistry and biology fundamentals, methods, reactions mechanisms, magnetic phenomena, structure investigation

CERN Document Server

Likhtenshtein, Gertz

2016-01-01

This book presents the versatile and pivotal role of electron spin interactions in nature. It provides the background, methodologies and tools for basic areas related to spin interactions, such as spin chemistry and biology, electron transfer, light energy conversion, photochemistry, radical reactions, magneto-chemistry and magneto-biology. The book also includes an overview of designing advanced magnetic materials, optical and spintronic devices and photo catalysts. This monograph appeals to scientists and graduate students working in the areas related to spin interactions physics, biophysics, chemistry and chemical engineering.

Reproducibility in Psychological Science: When Do Psychological Phenomena Exist?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seppo E. Iso-Ahola

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Scientific evidence has recently been used to assert that certain psychological phenomena do not exist. Such claims, however, cannot be made because (1 scientific method itself is seriously limited (i.e., it can never prove a negative; (2 non-existence of phenomena would require a complete absence of both logical (theoretical and empirical support; even if empirical support is weak, logical and theoretical support can be strong; (3 statistical data are only one piece of evidence and cannot be used to reduce psychological phenomena to statistical phenomena; and (4 psychological phenomena vary across time, situations and persons. The human mind is unreproducible from one situation to another. Psychological phenomena are not particles that can decisively be tested and discovered. Therefore, a declaration that a phenomenon is not real is not only theoretically and empirically unjustified but runs counter to the propositional and provisional nature of scientific knowledge. There are only “temporary winners” and no “final truths” in scientific knowledge. Psychology is a science of subtleties in human affect, cognition and behavior. Its phenomena fluctuate with conditions and may sometimes be difficult to detect and reproduce empirically. When strictly applied, reproducibility is an overstated and even questionable concept in psychological science. Furthermore, statistical measures (e.g., effect size are poor indicators of the theoretical importance and relevance of phenomena (cf. “deliberate practice” vs. “talent” in expert performance, not to mention whether phenomena are real or unreal. To better understand psychological phenomena, their theoretical and empirical properties should be examined via multiple parameters and criteria. Ten such parameters are suggested.

Reproducibility in Psychological Science: When Do Psychological Phenomena Exist?

Science.gov (United States)

Iso-Ahola, Seppo E.

2017-01-01

Scientific evidence has recently been used to assert that certain psychological phenomena do not exist. Such claims, however, cannot be made because (1) scientific method itself is seriously limited (i.e., it can never prove a negative); (2) non-existence of phenomena would require a complete absence of both logical (theoretical) and empirical support; even if empirical support is weak, logical and theoretical support can be strong; (3) statistical data are only one piece of evidence and cannot be used to reduce psychological phenomena to statistical phenomena; and (4) psychological phenomena vary across time, situations and persons. The human mind is unreproducible from one situation to another. Psychological phenomena are not particles that can decisively be tested and discovered. Therefore, a declaration that a phenomenon is not real is not only theoretically and empirically unjustified but runs counter to the propositional and provisional nature of scientific knowledge. There are only “temporary winners” and no “final truths” in scientific knowledge. Psychology is a science of subtleties in human affect, cognition and behavior. Its phenomena fluctuate with conditions and may sometimes be difficult to detect and reproduce empirically. When strictly applied, reproducibility is an overstated and even questionable concept in psychological science. Furthermore, statistical measures (e.g., effect size) are poor indicators of the theoretical importance and relevance of phenomena (cf. “deliberate practice” vs. “talent” in expert performance), not to mention whether phenomena are real or unreal. To better understand psychological phenomena, their theoretical and empirical properties should be examined via multiple parameters and criteria. Ten such parameters are suggested. PMID:28626435

Phenomena-based Process Synthesis and Design to achieve Process Intensification

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lutze, Philip; Babi, Deenesh Kavi; Woodley, John

2012-01-01

at the lowest level of aggregation: phenomena. Therefore, in this paper, a phenomena-based synthesis/design methodology is presented. Using this methodology, a systematic identification of necessary and desirable (integrated) phenomena as well as generation and screening of phenomena-based flowsheet options...

Interface between Physics and Biology: Training a New Generation of Creative Bilingual Scientists.

Science.gov (United States)

Riveline, Daniel; Kruse, Karsten

2017-08-01

Whereas physics seeks for universal laws underlying natural phenomena, biology accounts for complexity and specificity of molecular details. Contemporary biological physics requires people capable of working at this interface. New programs prepare scientists who transform respective disciplinary views into innovative approaches for solving outstanding problems in the life sciences. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Parasitic phenomena in the dynamics of industrial devices

CERN Document Server

Borboni, Alberto

2011-01-01

In the real world the dynamic behavior of a real machine presents either unforeseen or limiting phenomena: both are undesired, and can be therefore be classified as parasitic phenomena - unwanted, unforeseen, or limiting behaviors. Parasitic Phenomena in the Dynamics of Industrial Devices describes the potential causes and effects of these behaviors and provides indications that could minimize their influence on the mechanical system in question. The authors introduce the phenomena and explore them through real cases, avoiding academic introductions, but inserting the entire academic and experimental knowledge that is useful to understand and solve real-world problems. They then examine these parasitic phenomena in the machine dynamics, using two cases that cover the classical cultural division between cam devices and mechanisms. They also present concrete cases with an amount of experimental data higher than the proposed ones and with a modern approach that can be applied to various mechanical devices, acqui...

Vector (two-dimensional) magnetic phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enokizono, Masato

2002-01-01

In this paper, some interesting phenomena were described from the viewpoint of two-dimensional magnetic property, which is reworded with the vector magnetic property. It shows imperfection of conventional magnetic property and some interested phenomena were discovered, too. We found magnetic materials had the strong nonlinearity both magnitude and spatial phase due to the relationship between the magnetic field strength H-vector and the magnetic flux density B-vector. Therefore, magnetic properties should be defined as the vector relationship. Furthermore, the new Barukhausen signal was observed under rotating flux. (Author)

Whistlers and related ionospheric phenomena

CERN Document Server

Helliwell, Robert A

2006-01-01

The investigation of whistlers and related phenomena is a key element in studies of very-low-frequency propagation, satellite communication, the outer ionosphere, and solar-terrestrial relationships. This comprehensive text presents a history of the study of the phenomena and includes all the elements necessary for the calculation of the characteristics of whistlers and whistler-mode signals.An introduction and brief history are followed by a summary of the theory of whistlers and a detailed explanation of the calculation of their characteristics. Succeeding chapters offer a complete atlas of

Solar Phenomena Associated with "EIT Waves"

Science.gov (United States)

Biesecker, D. A.; Myers, D. C.; Thompson, B. J.; Hammer, D. M.; Vourlidas, A.

2002-01-01

In an effort to understand what an 'EIT wave' is and what its causes are, we have looked for correlations between the initiation of EIT waves and the occurrence of other solar phenomena. An EIT wave is a coronal disturbance, typically appearing as a diffuse brightening propagating across the Sun. A catalog of EIT waves, covering the period from 1997 March through 1998 June, was used in this study. For each EIT wave, the catalog gives the heliographic location and a rating for each wave, where the rating is determined by the reliability of the observations. Since EIT waves are transient, coronal phenomena, we have looked for correlations with other transient, coronal phenomena: X-ray flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and metric type II radio bursts. An unambiguous correlation between EIT waves and CMEs has been found. The correlation of EIT waves with flares is significantly weaker, and EIT waves frequently are not accompanied by radio bursts. To search for trends in the data, proxies for each of these transient phenomena are examined. We also use the accumulated data to show the robustness of the catalog and to reveal biases that must be accounted for in this study.

Comprehending emergent systems phenomena through direct-manipulation animation

Science.gov (United States)

Aguirre, Priscilla Abel

This study seeks to understand the type of interaction mode that best supports learning and comprehension of emergent systems phenomena. Given that the literature has established that students hold robust misconceptions of such phenomena, this study investigates the influence of using three types of interaction; speed-manipulation animation (SMN), post-manipulation animation (PMA) and direct-manipulation animation (DMA) for increasing comprehension and testing transfer of the phenomena, by looking at the effect of simultaneous interaction of haptic and visual channels on long term and working memories when seeking to comprehend emergent phenomena. The questions asked were: (1) Does the teaching of emergent phenomena, with the aid of a dynamic interactive modeling tool (i.e., SMA, PMA or DMA), improve students' mental model construction of systems, thus increasing comprehension of this scientific concept? And (2) does the teaching of emergent phenomena, with the aid of a dynamic interactive modeling tool, give the students the necessary complex cognitive skill which can then be applied to similar (near transfer) and/or novel, but different, (far transfer) scenarios? In an empirical study undergraduate and graduate students were asked to participate in one of three experimental conditions: SMA, PMA, or DMA. The results of the study found that it was the participants of the SMA treatment condition that had the most improvement in post-test scores. Students' understanding of the phenomena increased most when they used a dynamic model with few interactive elements (i.e., start, stop, and speed) that allowed for real time visualization of one's interaction on the phenomena. Furthermore, no indication was found that the learning of emergent phenomena, with the aid of a dynamic interactive modeling tool, gave the students the necessary complex cognitive skill which could then be applied to similar (near transfer) and/or novel, but different, (far transfer) scenarios

Nanoplasmonic and Microfluidic Devices for Biological Sensing

KAUST Repository

Perozziello, G.; Giugni, Andrea; Allione, Marco; Torre, Bruno; Das, Gobind; Coluccio, M. L.; Marini, Monica; Tirinato, Luca; Moretti, Manola; Limongi, Tania; Candeloro, P.; Di Fabrizio, Enzo M.

2017-01-01

In this chapter we report about recent advances on the development and application of 2D and 3D plasmonic nanostructures used for sensing of biological samples by Raman spectroscopy at unprecedented resolution of analysis. Besides, we explain how the integration of these nanodevices in a microfluidic apparatus can simplify the analysis of biological samples. In the first part we introduce and motivate the convenience of using nanoplasmonic enhancers and Raman spectroscopy for biological sensing, describing the phenomena and the current approaches to fabricate nanoplasmonic structures. In the second part, we explain how specific multi-element devices produce the optimal enhancement of the Raman scattering. We report cases where biological sensing of DNA was performed at few molecules level with nanometer spatial resolutions. Finally, we show an example of microfluidic device integrating plasmonic nanodevices to sort and drive biological samples, like living cells, towards the optical probe in order to obtain optimal conditions of analysis.

Nanoplasmonic and Microfluidic Devices for Biological Sensing

KAUST Repository

Perozziello, G.

2017-02-16

In this chapter we report about recent advances on the development and application of 2D and 3D plasmonic nanostructures used for sensing of biological samples by Raman spectroscopy at unprecedented resolution of analysis. Besides, we explain how the integration of these nanodevices in a microfluidic apparatus can simplify the analysis of biological samples. In the first part we introduce and motivate the convenience of using nanoplasmonic enhancers and Raman spectroscopy for biological sensing, describing the phenomena and the current approaches to fabricate nanoplasmonic structures. In the second part, we explain how specific multi-element devices produce the optimal enhancement of the Raman scattering. We report cases where biological sensing of DNA was performed at few molecules level with nanometer spatial resolutions. Finally, we show an example of microfluidic device integrating plasmonic nanodevices to sort and drive biological samples, like living cells, towards the optical probe in order to obtain optimal conditions of analysis.

Spin-transfer phenomena in layered magnetic structures: Physical phenomena and materials aspects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gruenberg, P.; Buergler, D.E.; Dassow, H.; Rata, A.D.; Schneider, C.M.

2007-01-01

During the past 20 years, layered structures consisting of ferromagnetic layers and spacers of various material classes with a thickness of only a few nanometers have revealed a variety of exciting and potentially very useful phenomena not present in bulk material. Representing distinct manifestations of spin-transfer processes, these phenomena may be categorized into interlayer exchange coupling (IEC), giant magnetoresistance (GMR), tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR), and the more recently discovered spin-transfer torque effect leading to current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) and current-driven magnetization dynamics. These phenomena clearly confer novel material properties on magnetic layered structures with respect to the (magneto-)transport and the magnetostatic as well as magnetodynamic behavior. Here, we will first concentrate on the less well understood aspects of IEC across insulating and semiconducting interlayers and relate the observations to TMR in the corresponding structures. In this context, we will also discuss more recent advances in TMR due to the use of electrodes made from Heusler alloys and the realization of coherent tunneling in epitaxial magnetic tunneling junctions. Finally, we will review our results on CIMS in epitaxial magnetic nanostructures showing that normal and inverse CIMS can occur simultaneously in a single nanopillar device. In all cases discussed, material issues play a major role in the detailed understanding of the spin-transfer effects, in particular in those systems that yield the largest effects and are thus of utmost interest for applications

Second DOE natural phenomena hazards mitigation conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

This conference has been organized into ten presentation sessions which include an overview of the DOE Natural Phenomena Guidelines, Seismic Analysis, Seismic Design, Modifying Existing Facilities, DOE Orders, Codes, and Standards (2 sessions), Seismic Hazard (2 sessions), and Probabilistic Risk Assessment (2 sessions). Two poster sessions were also included in the program to provide a different forum for communication of ideas. Over the past fourteen years, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Nuclear Systems Safety Program, has been working with the US Department of Energy, Office of Safety Appraisals and their predecessors in the area of natural phenomena hazards. During this time we have developed seismic, extreme wind/tornado, and flood hazard models for DOE sites in the United States. Guidelines for designing and evaluating DOE facilities for natural phenomena have been developed and are in interim use throughout the DOE community. A series of state-of-the practice manuals have also been developed to aid the designers. All of this material is listed in the Natural Phenomena Hazards Bibliography included in these proceedings. This conference provides a mechanism to disseminate current information on natural phenomena hazards and their mitigation. It provides an opportunity to bring together members of the DOE community to discuss current projects, to share information, and to hear practicing members of the structural engineering community discuss their experiences from past natural phenomena, future trends, and any changes to building codes. Each paper or poster presented is included in these proceedings. We have also included material related to the luncheon and dinner talks

Large momentum transfer phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imachi, Masahiro; Otsuki, Shoichiro; Matsuoka, Takeo; Sawada, Shoji.

1978-01-01

The large momentum transfer phenomena in hadron reaction drastically differ from small momentum transfer phenomena, and are described in this paper. Brief review on the features of the large transverse momentum transfer reactions is described in relation with two-body reactions, single particle productions, particle ratios, two jet structure, two particle correlations, jet production cross section, and the component of momentum perpendicular to the plane defined by the incident protons and the triggered pions and transverse momentum relative to jet axis. In case of two-body process, the exponent N of the power law of the differential cross section is a value between 10 to 11.5 in the large momentum transfer region. The breaks of the exponential behaviors into the power ones are observed at the large momentum transfer region. The break would enable to estimate the order of a critical length. The large momentum transfer phenomena strongly suggest an important role of constituents of hadrons in the hard region. Hard rearrangement of constituents from different initial hadrons induces large momentum transfer reactions. Several rules to count constituents in the hard region have been proposed so far to explain the power behavior. Scale invariant quark interaction and hard reactions are explained, and a summary of the possible types of hard subprocess is presented. (Kato, T.)

Generative Mechanistic Explanation Building in Undergraduate Molecular and Cellular Biology

Science.gov (United States)

Southard, Katelyn M.; Espindola, Melissa R.; Zaepfel, Samantha D.; Bolger, Molly S.

2017-01-01

When conducting scientific research, experts in molecular and cellular biology (MCB) use specific reasoning strategies to construct mechanistic explanations for the underlying causal features of molecular phenomena. We explored how undergraduate students applied this scientific practice in MCB. Drawing from studies of explanation building among…

Polarization phenomena in two body systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, G.H.

1978-01-01

A review is given of strong interactions at very low, low, intermediate, and high energies over the range 6.14 MeV to 150 GeV/c with regard to polarization phenomena in two-body systems. From the one-pion-exchange model to the theory that can possibly relate to all the phenomena, namely, quantum electrodynamics the review pointed to a unified explanation for the interactions under study. 46 references

Fluctuating Thermodynamics for Biological Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Ham, Sihyun

Because biomolecular processes are largely under thermodynamic control, dynamic extension of thermodynamics is necessary to uncover the mechanisms and driving factors of fluctuating processes. The fluctuating thermodynamics technology presented in this talk offers a practical means for the thermodynamic characterization of conformational dynamics in biomolecules. The use of fluctuating thermodynamics has the potential to provide a comprehensive picture of fluctuating phenomena in diverse biological processes. Through the application of fluctuating thermodynamics, we provide a thermodynamic perspective on the misfolding and aggregation of the various proteins associated with human diseases. In this talk, I will present the detailed concepts and applications of the fluctuating thermodynamics technology for elucidating biological processes. This work was supported by Samsung Science and Technology Foundation under Project Number SSTF-BA1401-13.

Surface Phenomena at Silver Nanoparticles in the Context of Toxicology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Miclaus, Teodora

2015-01-01

Nanoparticle research and applications are rapidly expanding areas and large scale production and use of nanomaterials has prompted concern regarding their safety for humans and the environment. Nanotoxicology aims to offer answers to issues that may arise in regards to potential harmful effects...... associated with engineered nanomaterials. Among these materials, silver nanoparticles are some of the most widely employed and thus represent a major point of focus in nanotoxicology and the topic of this PhD thesis. While nanoparticles have, upon synthesis, well-defined characteristics, specific...... of nanotoxicology. The main aim of this PhD research is to investigate these phenomena at the surface of silver nanoparticles under conditions that are relevant for in vitro studies in order to understand their implications for nano-silver toxicity. Upon contact with biological fluids, particles get coated...

Nonequilibrium thermodynamics transport and rate processes in physical, chemical and biological systems

CERN Document Server

Demirel, Yasar

2014-01-01

Natural phenomena consist of simultaneously occurring transport processes and chemical reactions. These processes may interact with each other and may lead to self-organized structures, fluctuations, instabilities, and evolutionary systems. Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics, 3rd edition emphasizes the unifying role of thermodynamics in analyzing the natural phenomena. This third edition updates and expands on the first and second editions by focusing on the general balance equations for coupled processes of physical, chemical, and biological systems. The new edition contains a new chapte

Intermediate Physics for Medicine and Biology

CERN Document Server

Hobbie, Russell K

2007-01-01

Intended for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in biophysics, physiology, medical physics, cell biology, and biomedical engineering, this wide-ranging text bridges the gap between introductory physics and its application to the life and biomedical sciences. This extensively revised and updated fourth edition reflects new developments at the burgeoning interface between physics and biomedicine. Among the many topics treated are: forces in the skeletal system; fluid flow, with examples from the circulatory system; the logistic equation; scaling; transport of neutral particles by diffusion and by solvent drag; membranes and osmosis; equipartition of energy in statistical mechanics; the chemical potential and free energy; biological magnetic fields; membranes and gated channels in membranes; linear and nonlinear feedback systems; nonlinear phenomena, including biological clocks and chaotic behavior; signal analysis, noise and stochastic resonance detection of weak signals; image formation and...

Phenomena based Methodology for Process Synthesis incorporating Process Intensification

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lutze, Philip; Babi, Deenesh Kavi; Woodley, John

2013-01-01

at processes at the lowest level of aggregation which is the phenomena level. In this paper, a phenomena based synthesis/design methodology incorporating process intensification is presented. Using this methodology, a systematic identification of necessary and desirable (integrated) phenomena as well......Process intensification (PI) has the potential to improve existing as well as conceptual processes, in order to achieve a more sustainable production. PI can be achieved at different levels. That is, the unit operations, functional and/or phenomena level. The highest impact is expected by looking...... as generation and screening of phenomena based flowsheet options are presented using a decomposition based solution approach. The developed methodology as well as necessary tools and supporting methods are highlighted through a case study involving the production of isopropyl-acetate....

Integration of a Faculty's Ongoing Research into an Undergraduate Laboratory Teaching Class in Developmental Biology

Science.gov (United States)

Nam, Sang-Chul

2018-01-01

Traditional developmental biology laboratory classes have utilized a number of different model organisms to allow students to be exposed to diverse biological phenomena in developing organisms. This traditional approach has mainly focused on the diverse morphological and anatomical descriptions of the developing organisms. However, modern…

Why Traditional Expository Teaching-Learning Approaches May Founder? An Experimental Examination of Neural Networks in Biology Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jun-Ki; Kwon, Yong-Ju

2011-01-01

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), this study investigates and discusses neurological explanations for, and the educational implications of, the neural network activations involved in hypothesis-generating and hypothesis-understanding for biology education. Two sets of task paradigms about biological phenomena were designed:…

[Spiritual phenomena occurring in everybody and health].

Science.gov (United States)

Krsiak, M

2008-01-01

The past several years have seen an explosion of research in the area of spirituality and health. However, confusion and incomprehension of the conception of spirituality (e.g. confounding spirituality with various conventional views on religiousness) hampers better understanding in this area. The present paper proposes definition of spiritual phenomena in man based on natural epistemological and instrumental criteria (whether a certain phenomenon can be objectively known and evoked): spiritual phenomena in man are those, which cannot be objectively known nor evoked, but which act (e.g., love, idea). Spiritual phenomena can be really known only in the self ("in spirit"). Objectively known can be only manifestations of spiritual phenomena. Some attributes of love (e.g. its personal uniqueness) or ideas (e.g., sense of own life) whose satisfaction appears to be important for health are briefly outlined. A review of some frequently cited recent papers investigating the role of spirituality in health and discussion of frequent pitfalls in this area is given. Spirituality is a universal human phenomenon. All human beings, secular or religious, encounter with spiritual phenomena. Although the present conception of spirituality distances from some conventional views on religiousness, it is not atheistic. On the contrary, it accommodates the basic religious concept "God is love". Conceptual clarification is essential for further progress in the study of impact of spirituality on health.

Stress-associated synchronization and desynchronization in geologic and biologic systems

Science.gov (United States)

Kluchevsky, A. V.; Kluchevskaya, A. A.

2010-12-01

Variations in the annual numbers of representative earthquakes in three areas and six districts of the Baikal rift zone in 1964-2002 were subjected to correlation analysis. Episodes of significant correlations of shock flow rates were found against the background of chaotic seismic activity. They followed the rearrangements (catastrophes) of stresses in the lithosphere, which are also stressing factors for the whole rift geodynamic system. The episode of the late 1970s-early 1980s was particularly long and showed the maximum correlation. Therefore, it can be considered the principal event in seismic process synchronization in the Baikal Rift Zone. The same approach to data analysis revealed similar synchronization and desynchronization phenomena in the behavior of Baikalian turbellaria when they deviated from homeostasis as a result of illumination, which is a stress for this biologic system. Possible reasons for the behavior of biologic and geodynamic systems are discussed in terms of the synergetic concept of phenomena in living and nonliving nature.

A Connection between Transport Phenomena and Thermodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Swaney, Ross; Bird, R. Byron

2017-01-01

Although students take courses in transport phenomena and thermodynamics, they probably do not ask whether these two subjects are related. Here we give an answer to that question. Specifically we give relationships between the equations of change for total energy, internal energy, and entropy of transport phenomena and key equations of equilibrium…

From quantum measurement to biology via retrocausality.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuno, Koichiro

2017-12-01

A reaction cycle in general or a metabolic cycle in particular owes its evolutionary emergence to the covering reaction environment acting as a measurement apparatus of a natural origin. The quantum measurement of the environmental origin underlying the molecular processes observed in the biological realm is operative cohesively between the measuring and the measured. The measuring part comes to pull in a quantum as an indivisible lump available from an arbitrary material body to be measured. The inevitable difference between the impinging quantum upon the receiving end on the part of the environment and the actual quantum pulled into the receiving end comes to effectively be nullified through the retrocausative propagation of the corresponding wave function proceeding backwards in time. The retrocausal regulation applied to the interface between the measuring and the measured is to function as the organizational agency supporting biology, and is sought in the act for the present in the immediate future within the realm of quantum phenomena. Molecular dynamics in biology owes both the evolutionary buildup and maintenance of its organization to the retrocausal operation of the unitary transformation applied to quantum phenomena proceeding backwards in time. Quantum measurement provides the cohesive agency that is pivotal for implementing the retrocausal regulation. In particular, the physical origin of Darwinian natural selection can be seen in the retrocausal regulation applied to the unitary transformation of a quantum origin. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modelling of transport phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, Kimitaka; Itoh, Sanae; Fukuyama, Atsushi.

1993-09-01

In this review article, we discuss key features of the transport phenomena and theoretical modelling to understand them. Experimental observations have revealed the nature of anomalous transport, i.e., the enhancement of the transport coefficients by the gradients of the plasma profiles, the pinch phenomena, the radial profile of the anomalous transport coefficients, the variation of the transport among the Bohm diffusion, Pseudo-classical confinement, L-mode and variety of improved confinement modes, and the sudden jumps such as L-H transition. Starting from the formalism of the transport matrix, the modelling based on the low frequency instabilities are reviewed. Theoretical results in the range of drift wave frequency are examined. Problems in theories based on the quasilinear and mixing-length estimates lead to the renewal of the turbulence theory, and the physics picture of the self-sustained turbulence is discussed. The theory of transport using the fluid equation of plasma is developed, showing that the new approach is very promising in explaining abovementioned characteristics of anomalous transport in both L-mode and improved confinement plasmas. The interference of the fluxes is the key to construct the physics basis of the bifurcation theory for the L-H transition. The present status of theories on the mechanisms of improved confinement is discussed. Modelling on the nonlocal nature of transport is briefly discussed. Finally, the impact of the anomalous transport on disruptive phenomena is also described. (author) 95 refs

The making of extraordinary psychological phenomena.

Science.gov (United States)

Lamont, Peter

2012-01-01

This article considers the extraordinary phenomena that have been central to unorthodox areas of psychological knowledge. It shows how even the agreed facts relating to mesmerism, spiritualism, psychical research, and parapsychology have been framed as evidence both for and against the reality of the phenomena. It argues that these disputes can be seen as a means through which beliefs have been formulated and maintained in the face of potentially challenging evidence. It also shows how these disputes appealed to different forms of expertise, and that both sides appealed to belief in various ways as part of the ongoing dispute about both the facts and expertise. Finally, it shows how, when a formal Psychology of paranormal belief emerged in the twentieth century, it took two different forms, each reflecting one side of the ongoing dispute about the reality of the phenomena. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Theory of threshold phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hategan, Cornel

2002-01-01

Theory of Threshold Phenomena in Quantum Scattering is developed in terms of Reduced Scattering Matrix. Relationships of different types of threshold anomalies both to nuclear reaction mechanisms and to nuclear reaction models are established. Magnitude of threshold effect is related to spectroscopic factor of zero-energy neutron state. The Theory of Threshold Phenomena, based on Reduced Scattering Matrix, does establish relationships between different types of threshold effects and nuclear reaction mechanisms: the cusp and non-resonant potential scattering, s-wave threshold anomaly and compound nucleus resonant scattering, p-wave anomaly and quasi-resonant scattering. A threshold anomaly related to resonant or quasi resonant scattering is enhanced provided the neutron threshold state has large spectroscopic amplitude. The Theory contains, as limit cases, Cusp Theories and also results of different nuclear reactions models as Charge Exchange, Weak Coupling, Bohr and Hauser-Feshbach models. (author)

Nonlinear structural mechanics theory, dynamical phenomena and modeling

CERN Document Server

Lacarbonara, Walter

2013-01-01

Nonlinear Structural Mechanics: Theory, Dynamical Phenomena and Modeling offers a concise, coherent presentation of the theoretical framework of nonlinear structural mechanics, computational methods, applications, parametric investigations of nonlinear phenomena and their mechanical interpretation towards design. The theoretical and computational tools that enable the formulation, solution, and interpretation of nonlinear structures are presented in a systematic fashion so as to gradually attain an increasing level of complexity of structural behaviors, under the prevailing assumptions on the geometry of deformation, the constitutive aspects and the loading scenarios. Readers will find a treatment of the foundations of nonlinear structural mechanics towards advanced reduced models, unified with modern computational tools in the framework of the prominent nonlinear structural dynamic phenomena while tackling both the mathematical and applied sciences. Nonlinear Structural Mechanics: Theory, Dynamical Phenomena...

Abnormal pressures as hydrodynamic phenomena

Science.gov (United States)

Neuzil, C.E.

1995-01-01

So-called abnormal pressures, subsurface fluid pressures significantly higher or lower than hydrostatic, have excited speculation about their origin since subsurface exploration first encountered them. Two distinct conceptual models for abnormal pressures have gained currency among earth scientists. The static model sees abnormal pressures generally as relict features preserved by a virtual absence of fluid flow over geologic time. The hydrodynamic model instead envisions abnormal pressures as phenomena in which flow usually plays an important role. This paper develops the theoretical framework for abnormal pressures as hydrodynamic phenomena, shows that it explains the manifold occurrences of abnormal pressures, and examines the implications of this approach. -from Author

StochPy: A Comprehensive, User-Friendly Tool for Simulating Stochastic Biological Processes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

T.R. Maarleveld (Timo); B.G. Olivier (Brett); F.J. Bruggeman (Frank)

2013-01-01

htmlabstractSingle-cell and single-molecule measurements indicate the importance of stochastic phenomena in cell biology. Stochasticity creates spontaneous differences in the copy numbers of key macromolecules and the timing of reaction events between genetically-identical cells. Mathematical models

Chemistry and the worm: Caenorhabditis elegans as a platform for integrating chemical and biological research.

Science.gov (United States)

Hulme, S Elizabeth; Whitesides, George M

2011-05-16

This Review discusses the potential usefulness of the worm Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism for chemists interested in studying living systems. C. elegans, a 1 mm long roundworm, is a popular model organism in almost all areas of modern biology. The worm has several features that make it attractive for biology: it is small (1000 cells), transparent, and genetically tractable. Despite its simplicity, the worm exhibits complex phenotypes associated with multicellularity: the worm has differentiated cells and organs, it ages and has a well-defined lifespan, and it is capable of learning and remembering. This Review argues that the balance between simplicity and complexity in the worm will make it a useful tool in determining the relationship between molecular-scale phenomena and organism-level phenomena, such as aging, behavior, cognition, and disease. Following an introduction to worm biology, the Review provides examples of current research with C. elegans that is chemically relevant. It also describes tools-biological, chemical, and physical-that are available to researchers studying the worm. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

PREFACE: Transport phenomena in proton conducting media Transport phenomena in proton conducting media

Science.gov (United States)

Eikerling, Michael

2011-06-01

Proton transport phenomena are of paramount importance for acid-base chemistry, energy transduction in biological organisms, corrosion processes, and energy conversion in electrochemical systems such as polymer electrolyte fuel cells. The relevance for such a plethora of materials and systems, and the ever-lasting fascination with the highly concerted nature of underlying processes drive research across disciplines in chemistry, biology, physics and chemical engineering. A proton never travels alone. Proton motion is strongly correlated with its environment, usually comprised of an electrolyte and a solid or soft host material. For the transport in nature's most benign proton solvent and shuttle, water that is, insights from ab initio simulations, matured over the last 15 years, have furnished molecular details of the structural diffusion mechanism of protons. Excess proton movement in water consists of sequences of Eigen-Zundel-Eigen transitions, triggered by hydrogen bond breaking and making in the surrounding water network. Nowadays, there is little debate about the validity of this mechanism in water, which bears a stunning resemblance to the basic mechanistic picture put forward by de Grotthuss in 1806. While strong coupling of an excess proton with degrees of freedom of solvent and host materials facilitates proton motion, this coupling also creates negative synergies. In general, proton mobility in biomaterials and electrochemical proton conducting media is highly sensitive to the abundance and structure of the proton solvent. In polymer electrolyte membranes, in which protons are bound to move in nano-sized water-channels, evaporation of water or local membrane dehydration due to electro-osmotic coupling are well-known phenomena that could dramatically diminish proton conductivity. Contributions in this special issue address various vital aspects of the concerted nature of proton motion and they elucidate important structural and dynamic effects of solvent

Sawtooth phenomena in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuvshinov, B.N.; Savrukhin, P.V.

1989-01-01

A review of experimental and theoretical investigaions of sawtooth phenomena in tokamaks is presented. Different types of sawtooth oscillations, scaling laws and methods of interanl disruption stabilization are described. Theoretical models of the sawtooth instability are discussed. 122 refs.; 4 tabs

APRI - Accident Phenomena of Risk Importance. Final Report; APRI - Accident Phenomena of Risk Importance. Slutrapport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frid, W. [Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, Stockholm (Sweden); Hammar, L.; Soederman, E. [ES-konsult, Stockholm (Sweden)

1996-12-01

The APRI-project started in 1992 with participation of the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate (SKI) and the Swedish utilities. The Finnish utility TVO joined the project in 1993. The aim of the project has been to work with phenomenological questions in severe accidents, concentrating on the risk-dominating issues. The work is reported in separate sub-project reports, the present is the final report of the methodological studies as well as a final report for the total project. The research has led to clarifications of the risk complex, and ameliorated the basis for advanced probabilistic safety analyses, specially for the emission risks (PSA level 2) which are being studied at the Swedish plants. A new method has been tried for analysis of complicated accident courses, giving a possibility for systematic evaluation of the impact of different important phenomena (e.g. melt-through, high pressure melt-through with direct heating of the containment atmosphere, steam explosions). In this method, the phenomena are looked upon as top events of a `phenomena-tree`, illustrating how various conditions must be met before the top-event can happen. This method has been useful, in particular for applying `expert estimates`. 47 refs.

Ultrafast electron microscopy in materials science, biology, and chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, Wayne E.; Campbell, Geoffrey H.; Frank, Alan; Reed, Bryan; Schmerge, John F.; Siwick, Bradley J.; Stuart, Brent C.; Weber, Peter M.

2005-01-01

The use of pump-probe experiments to study complex transient events has been an area of significant interest in materials science, biology, and chemistry. While the emphasis has been on laser pump with laser probe and laser pump with x-ray probe experiments, there is a significant and growing interest in using electrons as probes. Early experiments used electrons for gas-phase diffraction of photostimulated chemical reactions. More recently, scientists are beginning to explore phenomena in the solid state such as phase transformations, twinning, solid-state chemical reactions, radiation damage, and shock propagation. This review focuses on the emerging area of ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM), which comprises ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) and dynamic transmission electron microscopy (DTEM). The topics that are treated include the following: (1) The physics of electrons as an ultrafast probe. This encompasses the propagation dynamics of the electrons (space-charge effect, Child's law, Boersch effect) and extends to relativistic effects. (2) The anatomy of UED and DTEM instruments. This includes discussions of the photoactivated electron gun (also known as photogun or photoelectron gun) at conventional energies (60-200 keV) and extends to MeV beams generated by rf guns. Another critical aspect of the systems is the electron detector. Charge-coupled device cameras and microchannel-plate-based cameras are compared and contrasted. The effect of various physical phenomena on detective quantum efficiency is discussed. (3) Practical aspects of operation. This includes determination of time zero, measurement of pulse-length, and strategies for pulse compression. (4) Current and potential applications in materials science, biology, and chemistry. UEM has the potential to make a significant impact in future science and technology. Understanding of reaction pathways of complex transient phenomena in materials science, biology, and chemistry will provide fundamental

Evidence on Dropout Phenomena at Universities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Malene Rode; Sommersel, Hanna Bjørnøy; Larsen, Michael Søgaard

This publication is an excerpt from the full technical report ‘Dropout Phenomena at Universities: What is Dropout? Why does Dropout Occur? What Can be Done by the Universities to Prevent or Reduce it? A systematic review’, which was completed in April 2013. The purpose of this excerpt is to present...... the knowledge we have on dropout phenomena at European universities in a short, precise and comprehensible form to allow readers to orient themselves on the subject in a more readable manner....

Transport phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirczenow, G.; Marro, J.

1974-01-01

Some simple remarks on the basis of transport theory. - Entropy, dynamics and scattering theory. - Response, relaxation and fluctuation. - Fluctuating hydrodynamics and renormalization of susceptibilities and transport coefficients. - Irreversibility of the transport equations. - Ergodic theory and statistical mechanics. - Correlation functions in Heisenberg magnets. - On the Enskog hard-sphere kinetic eqquation and the transport phenomena of dense simple gases. - What can one learn from Lorentz models. - Conductivity in a magnetic field. - Transport properties in gases in presence of external fields. - Transport properties of dilute gases with internal structure. (orig.) [de

Classification of debris flow phenomena in the Faroe Islands

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dahl, Mads-Peter Jakob; E. Mortensen, Lis; Jensen, Niels H.

2012-01-01

Landslides and debris flow phenomena in particular constitute a threat to human activities in the Faroe Islands. As a contribution to ongoing landslide risk management research, this paper proposes a classification scheme for debris flow phenomena in the Faroe Islands. The scheme, produced through...... a multidisciplinary study involving geomorphological fieldwork and qualitative collection of indigenous landslide knowledge, presents physical characteristics to classify debris flow phenomena into groups named with Faroese terms. The following landslide definitions are proposed. Brekku-skriðulop (English translation...... with international landslide classification systems, significantly increases the knowledge of debris flow phenomena and promotes a consistent terminology of these within the Faroe Islands....

Mixed Fluid Conditions: Capillary Phenomena

KAUST Repository

Santamarina, Carlos; Sun, Zhonghao

2017-01-01

Mixed fluid phenomena in porous media have profound implications on soil-atmosphere interaction, energy geotechnology, environmental engineering and infrastructure design. Surface tension varies with pressure, temperature, solute concentration

Incorporating interfacial phenomena in solidification models

Science.gov (United States)

Beckermann, Christoph; Wang, Chao Yang

1994-01-01

A general methodology is available for the incorporation of microscopic interfacial phenomena in macroscopic solidification models that include diffusion and convection. The method is derived from a formal averaging procedure and a multiphase approach, and relies on the presence of interfacial integrals in the macroscopic transport equations. In a wider engineering context, these techniques are not new, but their application in the analysis and modeling of solidification processes has largely been overlooked. This article describes the techniques and demonstrates their utility in two examples in which microscopic interfacial phenomena are of great importance.

Positive muscle phenomena-diagnosis, pathogenesis and associated disorders

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kortman, Hans G.; Veldink, Jan H.; Drost, Gea

Positive muscle phenomena arise owing to various forms of spontaneous muscle hyperactivity originating in motor neurons or in the muscle itself. Although they are common in a wide range of neurological and non-neurological diseases, clinical and scientific data on these phenomena are limited, and

Chaotic phenomena in plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawai, Y.

1991-08-01

It has recently been recognized that the research on various aspects of chaotic dynamics grows rapidly as one of some areas in nonlinear science. On the other hands, the plasma has long been called a treasure-house of nonlinear phenomena, so it is easy to imagine that the plasma is abundant in chaotic phenomena. In fact, the research on plasma chaos is going on, such as the research on the stochastic magnetic field and the chaotic orbit in the toroidal helical system, as well as the research in other experiments. To review the present status of the research on plasma chaos and to make clear the basic common physics, a working group was organized in 1990 as a collaboration research of National Institute for Fusion Science. This is the report on its activity in 1990, with a stress on experimental data obtained in basic plasma experiments and RFP, and on the relaxed theories and computer simulations. (author)

Phase Plane Analysis Method of Nonlinear Traffic Phenomena

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenhuan Ai

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A new phase plane analysis method for analyzing the complex nonlinear traffic phenomena is presented in this paper. This method makes use of variable substitution to transform a traditional traffic flow model into a new model which is suitable for the analysis in phase plane. According to the new model, various traffic phenomena, such as the well-known shock waves, rarefaction waves, and stop-and-go waves, are analyzed in the phase plane. From the phase plane diagrams, we can see the relationship between traffic jams and system instability. So the problem of traffic flow could be converted into that of system stability. The results show that the traffic phenomena described by the new method is consistent with that described by traditional methods. Moreover, the phase plane analysis highlights the unstable traffic phenomena we are chiefly concerned about and describes the variation of density or velocity with time or sections more clearly.

Fundamentals of wave phenomena

CERN Document Server

Hirose, Akira

2010-01-01

This textbook provides a unified treatment of waves that either occur naturally or can be excited and propagated in various media. This includes both longitudinal and transverse waves. The book covers both mechanical and electrical waves, which are normally covered separately due to their differences in physical phenomena.

Loss experience from natural phenomena hazards in the Department of Energy (50 years of natural phenomena hazard losses)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, J.R.

1993-01-01

This paper presents a historical prespective on losses due to natural hazard incidents (1943-1993) at Department of Energy (DOE) and predecessor agencies including the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and the Energy Research and Development Agency (ERDA). This paper also demonstrates how an existing DOE resource can be used to gain valuable insight into injury or property damage incidents. That resource is the Computerized Accident/Incident Reporting System (CAIRS) module of DOE's Safety Performance Measurement System. CAIRS data selected the 1981-1991 DOE injury/illness reports, from all the accident reports of the AEC that cited a natural phenomena hazard as either the direct or indirect cause of the injury/property damage. Specifically, injury or property damage reports were selected for analysis if they had a causal factor link to severe weather or natural phenomena hazard categories. Natural phenomena hazard categories are injury/property damage caused by hurricane/tornado, earthquake, lightning, or flood. Severe weather categories are injury/property damage associated with other than normal weather conditions. The lessons learned, as a result of reviewing case histories, are presented, as are suggestions on how to reduce the likelihood of future injuries/property damage as a result of similar events. A significant finding, is that most injuries and property damage were the result of an indirect causal link to a natural phenomena hazard and thus, may be more preventable than previously thought possible. The primary message, however, is that CAIRS and other incident data bases are valuable resources and should be considered for use by those interested in identifying new ways of protecting the health and safety of the worker and for reducing building losses due to the effects of natural phenomena hazards

2nd Colombian Congress on Computational Biology and Bioinformatics

CERN Document Server

Cristancho, Marco; Isaza, Gustavo; Pinzón, Andrés; Rodríguez, Juan

2014-01-01

This volume compiles accepted contributions for the 2nd Edition of the Colombian Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Congress CCBCOL, after a rigorous review process in which 54 papers were accepted for publication from 119 submitted contributions. Bioinformatics and Computational Biology are areas of knowledge that have emerged due to advances that have taken place in the Biological Sciences and its integration with Information Sciences. The expansion of projects involving the study of genomes has led the way in the production of vast amounts of sequence data which needs to be organized, analyzed and stored to understand phenomena associated with living organisms related to their evolution, behavior in different ecosystems, and the development of applications that can be derived from this analysis.  .

Not just a theory--the utility of mathematical models in evolutionary biology.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria R Servedio

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Progress in science often begins with verbal hypotheses meant to explain why certain biological phenomena exist. An important purpose of mathematical models in evolutionary research, as in many other fields, is to act as “proof-of-concept” tests of the logic in verbal explanations, paralleling the way in which empirical data are used to test hypotheses. Because not all subfields of biology use mathematics for this purpose, misunderstandings of the function of proof-of-concept modeling are common. In the hope of facilitating communication, we discuss the role of proof-of-concept modeling in evolutionary biology.

Electrocapillary Phenomena at Edible Oil/Saline Interfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishimura, Satoshi; Ohzono, Takuya; Shoji, Kohei; Yagihara, Shin; Hayashi, Masafumi; Tanaka, Hisao

2017-03-01

Interfacial tension between edible oil and saline was measured under applied electric fields to understand the electrocapillary phenomena at the edible oil/saline interfaces. The electric responses of saline droplets in edible oil were also observed microscopically to examine the relationship between the electrocapillary phenomena and interfacial polarization. When sodium oleate (SO) was added to edible oil (SO-oil), the interfacial tension between SO-oil and saline decreased. However, no decrease was observed for additive-free oil or oleic acid (OA)-added oil (OA-oil). Microscopic observations suggested that the magnitude of interfacial polarization increased in the order of additive-free oil oil oil. The difference in electrocapillary phenomena between OA- and SO-oils was closely related to the polarization magnitude. In the case of SO-oil, the decrease in interfacial tension was remarkably larger for saline (pH 5.4~5.6) than that for phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, pH 7.2~7.4). However, no difference was observed between the electric responses of PBS and saline droplets in SO-oil. The difference in electrocapillary phenomena for PBS and saline could not be simply explained in terms of polarization magnitude. The ratio of ionized and non-ionized OA at the interfaces changed with the saline pH, possibly leading to the above difference.

Biology meets Physics: Reductionism and Multi-scale Modeling of Morphogenesis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Green, Sara; Batterman, Robert

2017-01-01

A common reductionist assumption is that macro-scale behaviors can be described "bottom-up" if only sufficient details about lower-scale processes are available. The view that an "ideal" or "fundamental" physics would be sufficient to explain all macro-scale phenomena has been met with criticism ...... modeling in developmental biology. In such contexts, the relation between models at different scales and from different disciplines is neither reductive nor completely autonomous, but interdependent....... from philosophers of biology. Specifically, scholars have pointed to the impossibility of deducing biological explanations from physical ones, and to the irreducible nature of distinctively biological processes such as gene regulation and evolution. This paper takes a step back in asking whether bottom......-up modeling is feasible even when modeling simple physical systems across scales. By comparing examples of multi-scale modeling in physics and biology, we argue that the “tyranny of scales” problem present a challenge to reductive explanations in both physics and biology. The problem refers to the scale...

Micro transport phenomena during boiling

CERN Document Server

Peng, Xiaofeng

2011-01-01

"Micro Transport Phenomena During Boiling" reviews the new achievements and contributions in recent investigations at microscale. It presents some original research results and discusses topics at the frontier of thermal and fluid sciences.

Biologi Komunikasi melalui Implementasi “Information Communications Technology”

OpenAIRE

Darmawan, Deni

2010-01-01

The Biological communication Behavior has been constructed through the explanation of  the phenomena of their specific part of activies encompassing: Prefrontal, Frontal, Parietal, Central, Occipital and Parasagital which have been significantly tested in terms of their impacts in learning acceleration starting from Elementary School to College level. This study is conducted by means of constructive approach, meaning that it employs both the Quantitative and Qualitative techniques.The study o...

Collective phenomena in photonic, plasmonic and hybrid structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Boriskina, Svetlana V; Povinelli, Michelle; Astratov, Vasily N; Zayats, Anatoly V; Podolskiy, Viktor A

2011-10-24

Preface to a focus issue of invited articles that review recent progress in studying the fundamental physics of collective phenomena associated with coupling of confined photonic, plasmonic, electronic and phononic states and in exploiting these phenomena to engineer novel devices for light generation, optical sensing, and information processing. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Systems Biology — the Broader Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan Bard

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Systems biology has two general aims: a narrow one, which is to discover how complex networks of proteins work, and a broader one, which is to integrate the molecular and network data with the generation and function of organism phenotypes. Doing all this involves complex methodologies, but underpinning the subject are more general conceptual problems about upwards and downwards causality, complexity and information storage, and their solutions provide the constraints within which these methodologies can be used. This essay considers these general aspects and the particular role of protein networks; their functional outputs are often the processes driving phenotypic change and physiological function—networks are, in a sense, the units of systems biology much as proteins are for molecular biology. It goes on to argue that the natural language for systems-biological descriptions of biological phenomena is the mathematical graph (a set of connected facts of the general form [process] (e.g., [activates] . Such graphs not only integrate events at different levels but emphasize the distributed nature of control as well as displaying a great deal of data. The implications and successes of these ideas for physiology, pharmacology, development and evolution are briefly considered. The paper concludes with some challenges for the future.

Damage phenomena at target surface by small leak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Kyung Chai; Jeong, J. Y.; Kim, B. H.; Kim, T. J.; Choi, J. H.

2001-04-01

Design of the steam generator should be considered the safety about the sodium-water reaction occurred by water leak in heat transfer tube. Water leak mainly occurred from welding defect at the process of tube connection, the vibration of heat transfer tube bundle in steam generating system, fretting, and pin hole in original tube manufacturing. The classification of water leak divided to two parts, roughly, in case of the water leak studies. One is small leak phenomena analysis, and the other is it of large leak which was mainly treated to the evaluation on pressure increasing from hydrogen gas formed by sodium-water reaction in sodium system. In small water leak, the leak propagation phenomena and the development of leak detecting system at initial stage of small water leak were studied, mainly. In this study, the corrosion phenomena on the target tube surface appeared by sodium-water reaction was analyzed through the small water leak experiments, and, also, the jet phenomena formed by N 2 gas injection through the leak nozzle under water medium was observed

Phenomena identification and ranking tables (PIRT) for LBLOCA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaw, R.A.; Dimenna, R.A.; Larson, T.K.; Wilson, G.E.

1988-01-01

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission is sponsoring a program to provide validated reactor safety computer codes with quantified uncertainties. The intent is to quantify the accuracy of the codes for use in best estimate licensing applications. One of the tasks required to complete this program involves the identification and ranking of thermal-hydraulic phenomena that occur during particular accidents. This paper provides detailed tables of phenomena and importance ranks for a PWR LBLOCA. The phenomena were identified and ranked according to perceived impact on peak cladding temperature. Two approaches were used to complete this task. First, a panel of experts identified the physical processes considered to be most important during LBLOCA. A second team of experienced analysts then, in parallel, assembled complete tables of all plausible LBLOCA phenomena, regardless of perceived importance. Each phenomenon was then ranked in importance against every other phenomenon associated with a given component. The results were placed in matrix format and solved for the principal eigenvector. The results as determined by each method are presented in this report

Micro ball lightning and its accelerator proposed to control natural phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, Taka-aki

2002-01-01

Micro Ball Lightning (BL) was recently discovered in laboratory. It was also observed during natural phenomena such as volcanic eruption and earthquake. This paper described a brief review of micro BL observed in laboratory as well as during two natural phenomena. Being based on a hypothesis of that those natural phenomena could have been caused by explosive reactions of micro BL, a potential accelerator of micro BL was proposed to control the natural phenomena. (author)

Nonlinear Magnetic Phenomena in Highly Polarized Target Materials

CERN Document Server

Kiselev, Yu F

2007-01-01

The report introduces and surveys nonlinear magnetic phenomena which have been observed at high nuclear polarizations in polarized targets of the SMC and of the COMPASS collaborations at CERN. Some of these phenomena, namely the frequency modulation eect and the distortion of the NMR line shape, promote the development of the polarized target technique. Others, as the spin-spin cross-relaxation between spin subsystems can be used for the development of quantum statistical physics. New findings bear on an electromagnetic noise and the spectrally resolved radiation from LiD with negatively polarized nuclei detected by low temperature bolometers. These nonlinear phenomena need to be taken into account for achieving the ultimate polarizations.

Quantification of natural phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Botero Alvarez, Javier

1997-01-01

The science is like a great spider's web in which unexpected connections appear and therefore it is frequently difficult to already know the consequences of new theories on those existent. The physics is a clear example of this. The Newton mechanics laws describe the physical phenomena observable accurately by means of our organs of the senses or by means of observation teams not very sophisticated. After their formulation at the beginning of the XVIII Century, these laws were recognized in the scientific world as a mathematical model of the nature. Together with the electrodynamics law, developed in the XIX century, and the thermodynamic one constitutes what we call the classic physics. The state of maturity of the classic physics at the end of last century it was such that some scientists believed that the physics was arriving to its end obtaining a complete description of the physical phenomena. The spider's web of the knowledge was supposed finished, or at least very near its termination. It ended up saying, in arrogant form, that if the initial conditions of the universe were known, we could determine the state of the same one in any future moment. Two phenomena related with the light would prove in firm form that mistaken that they were, creating unexpected connections in the great spider's web of the knowledge and knocking down part of her. The thermal radiation of the bodies and the fact that the light spreads to constant speed in the hole, without having an absolute system of reference with regard to which this speed is measured, they constituted the decisive factors in the construction of a new physics. The development of sophisticated of measure teams gave access to more precise information and it opened the microscopic world to the observation and confirmation of existent theories

A simple parameter can switch between different weak-noise-induced phenomena in a simple neuron model

Science.gov (United States)

Yamakou, Marius E.; Jost, Jürgen

2017-10-01

In recent years, several, apparently quite different, weak-noise-induced resonance phenomena have been discovered. Here, we show that at least two of them, self-induced stochastic resonance (SISR) and inverse stochastic resonance (ISR), can be related by a simple parameter switch in one of the simplest models, the FitzHugh-Nagumo (FHN) neuron model. We consider a FHN model with a unique fixed point perturbed by synaptic noise. Depending on the stability of this fixed point and whether it is located to either the left or right of the fold point of the critical manifold, two distinct weak-noise-induced phenomena, either SISR or ISR, may emerge. SISR is more robust to parametric perturbations than ISR, and the coherent spike train generated by SISR is more robust than that generated deterministically. ISR also depends on the location of initial conditions and on the time-scale separation parameter of the model equation. Our results could also explain why real biological neurons having similar physiological features and synaptic inputs may encode very different information.

Quantum Chess: Making Quantum Phenomena Accessible

Science.gov (United States)

Cantwell, Christopher

Quantum phenomena have remained largely inaccessible to the general public. There tends to be a scare factor associated with the word ``Quantum''. This is in large part due to the alien nature of phenomena such as superposition and entanglement. However, Quantum Computing is a very active area of research and one day we will have games that run on those quantum computers. Quantum phenomena such as superposition and entanglement will seem as normal as gravity. Is it possible to create such games today? Can we make games that are built on top of a realistic quantum simulation and introduce players of any background to quantum concepts in a fun and mentally stimulating way? One of the difficulties with any quantum simulation run on a classical computer is that the Hilbert space grows exponentially, making simulations of an appreciable size physically impossible due largely to memory restrictions. Here we will discuss the conception and development of Quantum Chess, and how to overcome some of the difficulties faced. We can then ask the question, ``What's next?'' What are some of the difficulties Quantum Chess still faces, and what is the future of quantum games?

Transport phenomena in strongly correlated Fermi liquids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kontani, Hiroshi

2013-01-01

Comprehensive overview. Written by an expert of this topic. Provides the reader with current developments in the field. In conventional metals, various transport coefficients are scaled according to the quasiparticle relaxation time, τ, which implies that the relaxation time approximation (RTA) holds well. However, such a simple scaling does not hold in many strongly correlated electron systems, reflecting their unique electronic states. The most famous example would be cuprate high-Tc superconductors (HTSCs), where almost all the transport coefficients exhibit a significant deviation from the RTA results. To better understand the origin of this discrepancy, we develop a method for calculating various transport coefficients beyond the RTA by employing field theoretical techniques. Near the magnetic quantum critical point, the current vertex correction (CVC), which describes the electron-electron scattering beyond the relaxation time approximation, gives rise to various anomalous transport phenomena. We explain anomalous transport phenomena in cuprate HTSCs and other metals near their magnetic or orbital quantum critical point using a uniform approach. We also discuss spin related transport phenomena in strongly correlated systems. In many d- and f-electron systems, the spin current induced by the spin Hall effect is considerably greater because of the orbital degrees of freedom. This fact attracts much attention due to its potential application in spintronics. We discuss various novel charge, spin and heat transport phenomena in strongly correlated metals.

Arcing phenomena in fusion devices workshop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clausing, R.E.

1979-01-01

The workshop on arcing phenomena in fusion devices was organized (1) to review the pesent status of our understanding of arcing as it relates to confinement devices, (2) to determine what informaion is needed to suppress arcing and (3) to define both laboratory and in-situ experiments which can ultimately lead to reduction of impurities in the plasma caused by arcing. The workshop was attended by experts in the area of vacuum arc electrode phenomena and ion source technology, materials scientists, and both theoreticians and experimentalists engaged in assessing the importance of unipolar arcing in today's tokamaks. Abstracts for papers presented at the workshop are included

Exotic Phenomena Searches at Hadron Colliders

CERN Document Server

INSPIRE-00305407

2013-01-01

This review presents a selection of the final results of searches for various exotic physics phenomena in proton-proton collisions at $\\sqrt{s}=7$ and 8~TeV delivered by the LHC and collected with the ATLAS and CMS detectors in 2011 (5 $fb^{-1}$) and in the first part of 2012 (4 $fb^{-1}$). Searches for large extra dimensions, gravitons, microscopic black holes, long-lived particles, dark matter, and leptoquarks are presented in this report. No sign of new physics beyond the standard model has been observed so far. In the majority of the cases these searches set the most stringent limits to date on the aforementioned new physics phenomena.

Electrical breakdown phenomena of dielectric elastomers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mateiu, Ramona Valentina; Yu, Liyun; Skov, Anne Ladegaard

2017-01-01

Silicone elastomers have been heavily investigated as candidates for dielectric elastomers and are as such almost ideal candidates with their inherent softness and compliance but they suffer from low dielectric permittivity. This shortcoming has been sought optimized by many means during recent...... years. However, optimization with respect to the dielectric permittivity solely may lead to other problematic phenomena such as premature electrical breakdown. In this work, we investigate the electrical breakdown phenomena of various types of permittivity-enhanced silicone elastomers. Two types...... of silicone elastomers are investigated and different types of breakdown are discussed. Furthermore the use of voltage stabilizers in silicone-based dielectric elastomers is investigated and discussed....

Electron impact phenomena and the properties of gaseous ions

CERN Document Server

Field, F H; Massey, H S W; Brueckner, Keith A

1970-01-01

Electron Impact Phenomena and the Properties of Gaseous Ions, Revised Edition deals with data pertaining to electron impact and to molecular gaseous ionic phenomena. This book discusses electron impact phenomena in gases at low pressure that involve low-energy electrons, which result in ion formation. The text also describes the use of mass spectrometers in electron impact studies and the degree of accuracy obtained when measuring electron impact energies. This book also reviews relatively low speed electrons and the transitions that result in the ionization of the atomic system. This text the

Towards physical principles of biological evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Katsnelson, Mikhail I.; Wolf, Yuri I.; Koonin, Eugene V.

2018-03-01

Biological systems reach organizational complexity that far exceeds the complexity of any known inanimate objects. Biological entities undoubtedly obey the laws of quantum physics and statistical mechanics. However, is modern physics sufficient to adequately describe, model and explain the evolution of biological complexity? Detailed parallels have been drawn between statistical thermodynamics and the population-genetic theory of biological evolution. Based on these parallels, we outline new perspectives on biological innovation and major transitions in evolution, and introduce a biological equivalent of thermodynamic potential that reflects the innovation propensity of an evolving population. Deep analogies have been suggested to also exist between the properties of biological entities and processes, and those of frustrated states in physics, such as glasses. Such systems are characterized by frustration whereby local state with minimal free energy conflict with the global minimum, resulting in ‘emergent phenomena’. We extend such analogies by examining frustration-type phenomena, such as conflicts between different levels of selection, in biological evolution. These frustration effects appear to drive the evolution of biological complexity. We further address evolution in multidimensional fitness landscapes from the point of view of percolation theory and suggest that percolation at level above the critical threshold dictates the tree-like evolution of complex organisms. Taken together, these multiple connections between fundamental processes in physics and biology imply that construction of a meaningful physical theory of biological evolution might not be a futile effort. However, it is unrealistic to expect that such a theory can be created in one scoop; if it ever comes to being, this can only happen through integration of multiple physical models of evolutionary processes. Furthermore, the existing framework of theoretical physics is unlikely to suffice

Function of dynamic models in systems biology: linking structure to behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

Knüpfer, Christian; Beckstein, Clemens

2013-10-08

Dynamic models in Systems Biology are used in computational simulation experiments for addressing biological questions. The complexity of the modelled biological systems and the growing number and size of the models calls for computer support for modelling and simulation in Systems Biology. This computer support has to be based on formal representations of relevant knowledge fragments. In this paper we describe different functional aspects of dynamic models. This description is conceptually embedded in our "meaning facets" framework which systematises the interpretation of dynamic models in structural, functional and behavioural facets. Here we focus on how function links the structure and the behaviour of a model. Models play a specific role (teleological function) in the scientific process of finding explanations for dynamic phenomena. In order to fulfil this role a model has to be used in simulation experiments (pragmatical function). A simulation experiment always refers to a specific situation and a state of the model and the modelled system (conditional function). We claim that the function of dynamic models refers to both the simulation experiment executed by software (intrinsic function) and the biological experiment which produces the phenomena under investigation (extrinsic function). We use the presented conceptual framework for the function of dynamic models to review formal accounts for functional aspects of models in Systems Biology, such as checklists, ontologies, and formal languages. Furthermore, we identify missing formal accounts for some of the functional aspects. In order to fill one of these gaps we propose an ontology for the teleological function of models. We have thoroughly analysed the role and use of models in Systems Biology. The resulting conceptual framework for the function of models is an important first step towards a comprehensive formal representation of the functional knowledge involved in the modelling and simulation process

Transport phenomena an introduction to advanced topics

CERN Document Server

Glasgow, Larry A

2010-01-01

Enables readers to apply transport phenomena principles to solve advanced problems in all areas of engineering and science This book helps readers elevate their understanding of, and their ability to apply, transport phenomena by introducing a broad range of advanced topics as well as analytical and numerical solution techniques. Readers gain the ability to solve complex problems generally not addressed in undergraduate-level courses, including nonlinear, multidimensional transport, and transient molecular and convective transport scenarios. Avoiding rote memorization, the author em

The Natural Emergence of (Bio)Semiosic Phenomena.

Science.gov (United States)

van Hateren, J H

Biological organisms appear to have agency, goals, and meaningful behaviour. One possibility is that this is mere appearance, where such properties are not real, but only 'as if' consequences of the physiological structure of organisms. Another possibility is that these properties are real, as emerging from the organism's structure and from how the organism interacts with its environment. Here I will discuss a recent theory showing that the latter position is most likely correct, and argue that the theory is largely consistent with the basics of the field of biosemiotics. The theory can be represented as a triad that resembles the semiotic triad proposed by Peirce, which connects a sign with its object through a process of interpretation. In the theory presented, the sign is an internalized version of fitness (i.e., expected reproductive rate) which refers to the true fitness through a feedback loop that in effect produces interpretation. The feedback loop entangles deterministic and stochastic forms of causation in such a way that genuine agency, goal-directedness, and their associated meaning emerge. It produces a strong form of emergence not reducible to its constituents. The result is that novel phenomena arise that are real and necessary components for a complete understanding of living organisms.

Transient resetting: a novel mechanism for synchrony and its biological examples.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chunguang Li

2006-08-01

Full Text Available The study of synchronization in biological systems is essential for the understanding of the rhythmic phenomena of living organisms at both molecular and cellular levels. In this paper, by using simple dynamical systems theory, we present a novel mechanism, named transient resetting, for the synchronization of uncoupled biological oscillators with stimuli. This mechanism not only can unify and extend many existing results on (deterministic and stochastic stimulus-induced synchrony, but also may actually play an important role in biological rhythms. We argue that transient resetting is a possible mechanism for the synchronization in many biological organisms, which might also be further used in the medical therapy of rhythmic disorders. Examples of the synchronization of neural and circadian oscillators as well as a chaotic neuron model are presented to verify our hypothesis.

Perspectives on theory at the interface of physics and biology

Science.gov (United States)

Bialek, William

2018-01-01

Theoretical physics is the search for simple and universal mathematical descriptions of the natural world. In contrast, much of modern biology is an exploration of the complexity and diversity of life. For many, this contrast is prima facie evidence that theory, in the sense that physicists use the word, is impossible in a biological context. For others, this contrast serves to highlight a grand challenge. I am an optimist, and believe (along with many colleagues) that the time is ripe for the emergence of a more unified theoretical physics of biological systems, building on successes in thinking about particular phenomena. In this essay I try to explain the reasons for my optimism, through a combination of historical and modern examples.

Interface-induced phenomena in magnetism

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hellman, Frances; Hoffmann, A.; Tserkovnyak, Yaroslav; Beach, Geoffrey S.D.; Fullerton, Eric E.; Leighton, Chris; Macdonald, Allan H.; Ralph, Daniel C.; Arena, Dario A.; Dürr, Hermann A.; Fischer, Peter; Grollier, Julie; Heremans, Joseph P.; Jungwirth, Tomas; Kimel, Alexey V.; Koopmans, B.; Krivorotov, Ilya N.; May, Steven J.; Petford-Long, Amanda K.; Rondinelli, James M.; Samarth, Nitin; Schuller, Ivan K.; Slavin, Andrei N.; Stiles, Mark D.; Tchernyshyov, Oleg; Thiaville, André; Zink, Barry L.

2017-01-01

This article reviews static and dynamic interfacial effects in magnetism, focusing on interfacially driven magnetic effects and phenomena associated with spin-orbit coupling and intrinsic symmetry breaking at interfaces. It provides a historical background and literature survey, but focuses on

Third DOE natural phenomena hazards mitigation conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

This conference on Natural Phenomena Hazards Mitigation has been organized into 15 presentation, panel, and poster sessions. The sessions included an overview of activities at DOE Headquarters; natural phenomena hazards tasks underway for DOE; two sessions on codes, standards, orders, criteria, and guidelines; two sessions on seismic hazards; equipment qualification; wind; PRA and margin assessments; modifications, retrofit, and restart; underground structures with a panel discussion; seismic analysis; seismic evaluation and design; and a poster session. Individual projects are processed separately for the data bases

Biological Evolution and the History of the Earth Are Foundations of Science

Science.gov (United States)

2008-01-01

AGU affirms the central importance of including scientific theories of Earth history and biological evolution in science education. Within the scientific community, the theory of biological evolution is not controversial, nor have ``alternative explanations'' been found. This is why no competing theories are required by the U.S. National Science Education Standards. Explanations of natural phenomena that appeal to the supernatural or are based on religious doctrine-and therefore cannot be tested through scientific inquiry-are not scientific, and have no place in the science classroom.

Realistic generation of natural phenomena based on video synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Changbo; Quan, Hongyan; Li, Chenhui; Xiao, Zhao; Chen, Xiao; Li, Peng; Shen, Liuwei

2009-10-01

Research on the generation of natural phenomena has many applications in special effects of movie, battlefield simulation and virtual reality, etc. Based on video synthesis technique, a new approach is proposed for the synthesis of natural phenomena, including flowing water and fire flame. From the fire and flow video, the seamless video of arbitrary length is generated. Then, the interaction between wind and fire flame is achieved through the skeleton of flame. Later, the flow is also synthesized by extending the video textures using an edge resample method. Finally, we can integrate the synthesized natural phenomena into a virtual scene.

At the biological modeling and simulation frontier.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, C Anthony; Ropella, Glen E P; Lam, Tai Ning; Tang, Jonathan; Kim, Sean H J; Engelberg, Jesse A; Sheikh-Bahaei, Shahab

2009-11-01

We provide a rationale for and describe examples of synthetic modeling and simulation (M&S) of biological systems. We explain how synthetic methods are distinct from familiar inductive methods. Synthetic M&S is a means to better understand the mechanisms that generate normal and disease-related phenomena observed in research, and how compounds of interest interact with them to alter phenomena. An objective is to build better, working hypotheses of plausible mechanisms. A synthetic model is an extant hypothesis: execution produces an observable mechanism and phenomena. Mobile objects representing compounds carry information enabling components to distinguish between them and react accordingly when different compounds are studied simultaneously. We argue that the familiar inductive approaches contribute to the general inefficiencies being experienced by pharmaceutical R&D, and that use of synthetic approaches accelerates and improves R&D decision-making and thus the drug development process. A reason is that synthetic models encourage and facilitate abductive scientific reasoning, a primary means of knowledge creation and creative cognition. When synthetic models are executed, we observe different aspects of knowledge in action from different perspectives. These models can be tuned to reflect differences in experimental conditions and individuals, making translational research more concrete while moving us closer to personalized medicine.

Tunable caustic phenomena in electron wavefields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tavabi, Amir Hossein, E-mail: a.tavabi@fz-juelich.de [Ernst Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons (ER-C) and Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI), Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich (Germany); Migunov, Vadim; Dwyer, Christian; Dunin-Borkowski, Rafal E. [Ernst Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons (ER-C) and Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI), Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich (Germany); Pozzi, Giulio [Ernst Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons (ER-C) and Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI), Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich (Germany); Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Bologna, Viale B. Pichat 6/2, 40127 Bologna (Italy)

2015-10-15

Novel caustic phenomena, which contain fold, butterfly and elliptic umbilic catastrophes, are observed in defocused images of two approximately collinear oppositely biased metallic tips in a transmission electron microscope. The observed patterns depend sensitively on defocus, on the applied voltage between the tips and on their separation and lateral offset. Their main features are interpreted on the basis of a projected electrostatic potential model for the electron-optical phase shift. - Highlights: • Electron-optical caustics are observed in defocused images of biased metallic tips. • The caustics depend on defocus, on the bias between the tips and on their separation. • The setup offers the flexibility to study a wide variety of caustic phenomena.

Heat transfer and fluid flow in biological processes advances and applications

CERN Document Server

Becker, Sid

2015-01-01

Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow in Biological Processes covers emerging areas in fluid flow and heat transfer relevant to biosystems and medical technology. This book uses an interdisciplinary approach to provide a comprehensive prospective on biofluid mechanics and heat transfer advances and includes reviews of the most recent methods in modeling of flows in biological media, such as CFD. Written by internationally recognized researchers in the field, each chapter provides a strong introductory section that is useful to both readers currently in the field and readers interested in learning more about these areas. Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow in Biological Processes is an indispensable reference for professors, graduate students, professionals, and clinical researchers in the fields of biology, biomedical engineering, chemistry and medicine working on applications of fluid flow, heat transfer, and transport phenomena in biomedical technology. Provides a wide range of biological and clinical applications of fluid...

A Paradigm Shift in Low Dose Radiation Biology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Alatas

2015-08-01

Full Text Available When ionizing radiation traverses biological material, some energy depositions occur and ionize directly deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA molecules, the critical target. A classical paradigm in radiobiology is that the deposition of energy in the cell nucleus and the resulting damage to DNA are responsible for the detrimental biological effects of radiation. It is presumed that no radiation effect would be expected in cells that receive no direct radiation exposure through nucleus. The risks of exposure to low dose ionizing radiation are estimated by extrapolating from data obtained after exposure to high dose radiation. However, the validity of using this dose-response model is controversial because evidence accumulated over the past decade has indicated that living organisms, including humans, respond differently to low dose radiation than they do to high dose radiation. Moreover, recent experimental evidences from many laboratories reveal the fact that radiation effects also occur in cells that were not exposed to radiation and in the progeny of irradiated cells at delayed times after radiation exposure where cells do not encounter direct DNA damage. Recently, the classical paradigm in radiobiology has been shifted from the nucleus, specifically the DNA, as the principal target for the biological effects of radiation to cells. The universality of target theory has been challenged by phenomena of radiation-induced genomic instability, bystander effect and adaptive response. The new radiation biology paradigm would cover both targeted and non-targeted effects of ionizing radiation. The mechanisms underlying these responses involve biochemical/molecular signals that respond to targeted and non-targeted events. These results brought in understanding that the biological response to low dose radiation at tissue or organism level is a complex process of integrated response of cellular targets as well as extra-cellular factors. Biological understanding of

Thermal transport phenomena in nanoparticle suspensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cardellini, Annalisa; Fasano, Matteo; Bozorg Bigdeli, Masoud; Chiavazzo, Eliodoro; Asinari, Pietro

2016-01-01

Nanoparticle suspensions in liquids have received great attention, as they may offer an approach to enhance thermophysical properties of base fluids. A good variety of applications in engineering and biomedicine has been investigated with the aim of exploiting the above potential. However, the multiscale nature of nanosuspensions raises several issues in defining a comprehensive modelling framework, incorporating relevant molecular details and much larger scale phenomena, such as particle aggregation and their dynamics. The objectives of the present topical review is to report and discuss the main heat and mass transport phenomena ruling macroscopic behaviour of nanosuspensions, arising from molecular details. Relevant experimental results are included and properly put in the context of recent observations and theoretical studies, which solved long-standing debates about thermophysical properties enhancement. Major transport phenomena are discussed and in-depth analysis is carried out for highlighting the role of geometrical (nanoparticle shape, size, aggregation, concentration), chemical (pH, surfactants, functionalization) and physical parameters (temperature, density). We finally overview several computational techniques available at different scales with the aim of drawing the attention on the need for truly multiscale predictive models. This may help the development of next-generation nanoparticle suspensions and their rational use in thermal applications. (topical review)

The theory of critical phenomena in two-dimensional systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olvera de la C, M.

1981-01-01

An exposition of the theory of critical phenomena in two-dimensional physical systems is presented. The first six chapters deal with the mean field theory of critical phenomena, scale invariance of the thermodynamic functions, Kadanoff's spin block construction, Wilson's renormalization group treatment of critical phenomena in configuration space, and the two-dimensional Ising model on a triangular lattice. The second part of this work is made of four chapters devoted to the application of the ideas expounded in the first part to the discussion of critical phenomena in superfluid films, two-dimensional crystals and the two-dimensional XY model of magnetic systems. Chapters seven to ten are devoted to the following subjects: analysis of long range order in one, two, and three-dimensional physical systems. Topological defects in the XY model, in superfluid films and in two-dimensional crystals. The Thouless-Kosterlitz iterated mean field theory of the dipole gas. The renormalization group treatment of the XY model, superfluid films and two-dimensional crystal. (author)

Ordering phenomena in ABA triblock copolymer gels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reynders, K.; Mischenko, N.; Kleppinger, R.

1997-01-01

Temperature and concentration dependencies of the degree of order in ABA triblock copolymer gels are discussed. Two factors can influence the ordering phenomena: the conformation of the midblocks (links of the network) and the polydispersity of the endblock domains (nodes of the network). The lat......Temperature and concentration dependencies of the degree of order in ABA triblock copolymer gels are discussed. Two factors can influence the ordering phenomena: the conformation of the midblocks (links of the network) and the polydispersity of the endblock domains (nodes of the network...

Seasonality of alcohol-related phenomena in Estonia

Science.gov (United States)

Silm, Siiri; Ahas, Rein

2005-03-01

We studied alcohol consumption and its consequences as a seasonal phenomenon in Estonia and analysed the social and environmental factors that may cause its seasonal rhythm. There are two important questions when researching the seasonality of human activities: (1) whether it is caused by natural or social factors, and (2) whether the impact of the factors is direct or indirect. Often the seasonality of social phenomena is caused by social factors, but the triggering mechanisms are related to environmental factors like temperature, precipitation, and radiation via the circannual calendar. The indicators of alcohol consumption in the current paper are grouped as: (1) pre-consumption phenomena, i.e. production, tax and excise, sales (beer, wine and vodka are analysed separately), and (2) post-consumption phenomena, i.e. alcohol-related crime and traffic accidents and the number of people detained in lockups and admitted to alcohol treatment clinics. In addition, seasonal variability in the amount of alcohol advertising has been studied, and a survey has been carried out among 87 students of Tartu University. The analysis shows that different phenomena related to alcohol have a clear seasonal rhythm in Estonia. The peak period of phenomena related to beer is in the summer, from June to August and the low point is during the first months of the year. Beer consumption correlates well with air temperature. The consumption of vodka increases sharply at the end of the year and in June; the production of vodka does not have a significant correlation with negative temperatures. The consumption of wine increases during summer and in December. The consequences of alcohol consumption, expressed as the rate of traffic accidents or the frequency of medical treatment, also show seasonal variability. Seasonal variability of alcohol consumption in Estonia is influenced by natural factors (temperature, humidity, etc.) and by social factors (celebrations, vacations, etc.). However

State of the art of biological hydrogen production processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loubette, N.; Junker, M.

2006-01-01

Our report gives an overview of hydrogen production processes with bacteria or algae. 4 main processes are described: water biophotolysis, photo- fermentation biological CO conversion and dark fermentation. Chemical phenomena which lead to hydrogen generation are exp/aired. Performances, limits and outlook are given for each process. Main projects, programs and key players involved in this field of research have been listed. This paper resumes few results of this report. (authors)

State of the art of biological hydrogen production processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nicolas Loubette; Michel Junker

2006-01-01

Our report gives an overview of hydrogen production processes with bacteria or algae. 4 main processes are described: water bio-photolysis, photo-fermentation biological CO conversion and dark fermentation. Chemical phenomena which lead to hydrogen generation are explained. Performances, limits and outlook are given for each process. Main projects, programs and key players involved in this field of research have been listed. This paper resumes few results of this report. (authors)

Transport phenomena in particulate systems

CERN Document Server

Freire, José Teixeira; Ferreira, Maria do Carmo

2012-01-01

This volume spans 10 chapters covering different aspects of transport phenomena including fixed and fluidized systems, spouted beds, electrochemical and wastewater treatment reactors. This e-book will be valuable for students, engineers and researchers aiming to keep updated on the latest developments on particulate systems.

Department of Energy Natural Phenomena Hazards Mitigation program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murray, R.C.

1993-01-01

This paper presents a summary of past and present accomplishments of the Natural Phenomena Hazards Program that has been ongoing at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory since 1975. The Natural Phenomena covered includes earthquake; winds, hurricanes, and tornadoes; flooding and precipitation; lightning; and volcanic events. The work is organized into four major areas (1) Policy, requirements, standards, and guidance, (2) Technical support, research and development, (3) Technology transfer, and (4) Oversight

Development of a preliminary PIRT (Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table) of thermal-hydraulic phenomena for SMART

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, Bub Dong; Lee, Won Jae; Kim, Hee Cheol; Song, Jin Ho; Sim, Suk Ku [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1998-12-31

The work reported in this paper identifies the thermal-hydraulic phenomena that are expected to occur during a number of key transients in SMART (System-integrated Modular Advanced ReacTor) which is under development at KAERI. The result of this effort is based on the current design concept of SMART integral reactor. Although the design is still evolving, the preliminary Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table (PIRT) has been developed based on the experts` knowledge and experience. The preliminary PIRT has been developed by consensus of KAERI expert panelists and AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process). Preliminary PIRT developed in this paper is intended to be used to identify and integrate development areas of further experimental tests needed, thermal hydraulic models and correlations and code improvements for the safety analysis of the SMART. 8 refs., 4 tabs (Author)

Development of a preliminary PIRT (Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table) of thermal-hydraulic phenomena for SMART

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, Bub Dong; Lee, Won Jae; Kim, Hee Cheol; Song, Jin Ho; Sim, Suk Ku [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1997-12-31

The work reported in this paper identifies the thermal-hydraulic phenomena that are expected to occur during a number of key transients in SMART (System-integrated Modular Advanced ReacTor) which is under development at KAERI. The result of this effort is based on the current design concept of SMART integral reactor. Although the design is still evolving, the preliminary Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table (PIRT) has been developed based on the experts` knowledge and experience. The preliminary PIRT has been developed by consensus of KAERI expert panelists and AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process). Preliminary PIRT developed in this paper is intended to be used to identify and integrate development areas of further experimental tests needed, thermal hydraulic models and correlations and code improvements for the safety analysis of the SMART. 8 refs., 4 tabs (Author)

Development of a preliminary PIRT(Phenomena Indentification and Ranking Table) of thermal-hydraulic phenomena for SMART

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Bub Dong; Lee, Won Jae; Kim, Hee Cheol; Song, Jin Ho; Sim, Suk Ku

1997-01-01

The work reported in this paper identifies the thermal-hydraluic phenomena that are expected to occur during a number of key transients in SMART (System-integrated Modular Advanced ReacTor) which is under development at KAERI. The result of this effort is based on the current design concept of SMART integral reactor. Although the design is still evolving, the preliminary Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table (PIRT) has been developed based on the expert's knowledge and experience. The preliminary PIRT has been developed by consensus of KAERI expert panelists and AHP (Analytical Hierachy Process). Preliminary PIRT developed in this paper is intended to be used to identify and integrate development areas of further experimental test needed, thermal hydraulic models and correlations and code improvements for the safety analysis of the SMART

The various phenomena encountered in tube-bundles in cross-flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gibert, R.J.

1975-01-01

The various vibrational phenomena induced on tube bundles in a cross flow are classified. The research program is concerned with mechanical phenomena observed on mock-ups with tube row structures. It is intended for specifying the coefficients controlling the appearance of two different phenomena: the first one entailing a change in the vortex shedding and consequently the mechanical source, the other one entailing a frequency spread of vibrations (floating instability). The research is to improve heat exchanger performance and cost [fr

Transport phenomena in multiphase flows

CERN Document Server

Mauri, Roberto

2015-01-01

This textbook provides a thorough presentation of the phenomena related to the transport of mass, momentum and energy.  It lays all the basic physical principles, then for the more advanced readers, it offers an in-depth treatment with advanced mathematical derivations and ends with some useful applications of the models and equations in specific settings. The important idea behind the book is to unify all types of transport phenomena, describing them within a common framework in terms of cause and effect, respectively represented by the driving force and the flux of the transported quantity. The approach and presentation are original in that the book starts with a general description of transport processes, providing the macroscopic balance relations of fluid dynamics and heat and mass transfer, before diving into the mathematical realm of continuum mechanics to derive the microscopic governing equations at the microscopic level. The book is a modular teaching tool and can be used either for an introductory...

Nutritional sub-fertility in the dairy cow: towards improved reproductive management through a better biological understanding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Friggens, Nic; Disenhaus, C; Petit, H V

2010-01-01

for the dairy producer. In this study we focus on understanding the overall biological phenomena associated with nutritional sub-fertility rather than the underlying multiplicity of physiological interactions (already described in a number of recent studies). These phenomena are important because they represent...... the natural adaptations of the animal for dealing with variations in the nutritional environment. They can also be used to monitor and modulate reproductive performance on-farm. There is an underlying trade-off between two aspects of reproduction: investment in the viability of the current calf and investment...... embryos, which are of poorer quality, than do non-lactating cows. The same applies to high- compared to medium-genetic merit cows. Another important biological property is the adaptive use of body reserves in support of reproduction. Orchestrated endocrine changes in pregnancy and lactation facilitate...

Stages in the development of a model organism as a platform for mechanistic models in developmental biology: Zebrafish, 1970-2000.

Science.gov (United States)

Meunier, Robert

2012-06-01

Model organisms became an indispensable part of experimental systems in molecular developmental and cell biology, constructed to investigate physiological and pathological processes. They are thought to play a crucial role for the elucidation of gene function, complementing the sequencing of the genomes of humans and other organisms. Accordingly, historians and philosophers paid considerable attention to various issues concerning this aspect of experimental biology. With respect to the representational features of model organisms, that is, their status as models, the main focus was on generalization of phenomena investigated in such experimental systems. Model organisms have been said to be models for other organisms or a higher taxon. This, however, presupposes a representation of the phenomenon in question. I will argue that prior to generalization, model organisms allow researchers to built generative material models of phenomena - structures, processes or the mechanisms that explain them - through their integration in experimental set-ups that carve out the phenomena from the whole organism and thus represent them. I will use the history of zebrafish biology to show how model organism systems, from around 1970 on, were developed to construct material models of molecular mechanisms explaining developmental or physiological processes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dissipative phenomena in condensed matter some applications

CERN Document Server

Dattagupta, Sushanta

2004-01-01

From the field of nonequilibrium statistical physics, this graduate- and research-level volume treats the modeling and characterization of dissipative phenomena. A variety of examples from diverse disciplines like condensed matter physics, materials science, metallurgy, chemical physics etc. are discussed. Dattagupta employs the broad framework of stochastic processes and master equation techniques to obtain models for a wide range of experimentally relevant phenomena such as classical and quantum Brownian motion, spin dynamics, kinetics of phase ordering, relaxation in glasses, dissipative tunneling. It provides a pedagogical exposition of current research material and will be useful to experimentalists, computational physicists and theorists.

Mechanical breakdown in the nuclear multifragmentation phenomena. Thermodynamic analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bulavin, L.A.; Cherevko, K.V.; Sysoev, V.M.

2012-01-01

Based on a similarity of the Van der Waals and nucleon-nucleon interaction the known thermodynamic relations for ordinary liquids are used to analyze the possible decay channels in the proton induced nuclear multifragmentation phenomena. The main features of the different phase trajectories in the P-V plane are compared with the experimental data on multifragmentation. It allowed choosing the phase trajectories with the correct qualitative picture of the phenomena. Based on the thermodynamic analysis of the proton-induced multifragmentation phenomena the most appropriate decay channel corresponding to the realistic phase trajectory is chosen. Macroscopic analysis of the suggested decay channel is done in order to check the possibility of the mechanical breakdown of the heated system. Based on a simple thermodynamic model preliminary quantitative calculations of corresponding macroscopic parameters (energy, pressure) are done and therefore the model verification on macroscopic level is held. It is shown that on macroscopic level the chosen decay channel through the mechanical breakdown meets the necessary conditions for describing the proton-induced multifragmentation phenomena

Physical phenomena as sense determinate occurrences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sommer, H.J.

2005-01-01

In the view of El Naschie's E Infinity theory [Chaos, Solitons and Fractals 22 (2004) 495], our physical laws emerge from a chaotic underground, a 'Dirac-sea'. But we have no direct access from our observations to this chaotic world and this implies that the meaning of the correspondence between the phenomena we obtain by our cognition and their causal structures remains hidden to us. The fundamental process which produces our cognition is the 'constitution of sense'. A formal description of this process will be presented. We use Dempster Shafer's belief calculus to define 'belief' and motivate an Anticipation Principle: 'Put the measurements obtained from the world in such an order that the credibility of your forecasts will be maximized.' From this specification of the basic idea of what physical science ideally strives for, we are able to deduce a frame of reference for the formation of phenomena out of arbitrary sets of measurements. Reality is formed by these 'observable phenomena'. In this emerging reality, we recognize characteristic effects and principles of modern physics: Einstein's Postulate of Relativity, Entanglement, and the Quantum Zeno Effect. The presented view of reality is closely related to the ideas that had been presented hundred years ago by Ernst Mach and which recently J. Anandan generalized in his concept of a 'Relational Reality'

Some aspects of geomagnetically conjugate phenomena

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rycroft, M.J.

1987-12-01

Both charged particles and waves convey information about the thermosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere from the Northern to the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa, along geomagnetic flux tubes.The interhemispheric travel time of electrons or ions, being dependent upon L-value , pitch angle and energy (which may lie between less than or equal to 1 eV and greater than or equal to 1 MeV) may be many hours, ranging down to less than or equal to 1 s. However, the one-hop propagation time for magnetohydrodynamic or whistler mode waves generally lies between 10/sup 2/s and 1 s. Such times, therefore, give the time scales of transient phenomena that are geomagnetically conjugate and of changes in steady-state plasma processes occurring in geomagnetically conjugate regions. Contrasting examples are presented of conjugate physical phenomena, obtained using satellite, rocket, aircraft and ground-based observations; the latter capitalise upon the rather rare disposition of land - rather than ocean - at each end of a geophysically interesting flux tube. Particular attention is paid to the interactions between whistler mode waves and energetic electrons. Geomagnetic, radio, optical and plasma observations, taken together with model computations, provide a wealth of knowledge on conjugate phenomena and their dependence on conditions in the solar wind, substorms, L-value, etc... Finally, some suggestions are made for future lines of research.

Using the Viking biology experimental results to obtain chemical information about Martian regolith

Science.gov (United States)

Plumb, Robert C.

1992-01-01

Although initially formulated as biology experiments, most of the results produced by the Viking Labeled Release (LR), Gas Exchange (GEX), and Pyrolytic Release (PR) experiments have been reproduced by chemical means. The experiments do not need more study as 'biological' phenomena, but they do deserve much more careful consideration from a chemical viewpoint. They are the only 'wet-chemical' experiments that scientists have performed on another planet, but they have not found very general use as sources of scientific information. There is a large set of potentially useful chemical observations, e.g., the three resolvable and precisely measured kinetic components of the release of C-14-labeled gases, the thermal sensitivity and magnitudes of the oxidation reaction(s) of the LR experiments, the kinetics and magnitude of the O2 and CO2 release of the GEX experiments, the thermal sensitivity of the GEX results, the differences between the thermal sensitivity of the GEX and the thermal sensitivity of the LR responses, and the kinetics and magnitudes of the LR successive injection reabsorption effect. It should be possible to test many chemical aspects of hypothetical martian phenomena in experiments using the biology experimental configurations and derive much valuable information by comparisons with the Viking observations.

Some nonlinear challenges in biology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mosconi, Francesco; Julou, Thomas; Desprat, Nicolas; Sinha, Deepak Kumar; Allemand, Jean-François; Croquette, Vincent; Bensimon, David

2008-01-01

Driven by a deluge of data, biology is undergoing a transition to a more quantitative science. Making sense of the data, building new models, asking the right questions and designing smart experiments to answer them are becoming ever more relevant. In this endeavour, nonlinear approaches can play a fundamental role. The biochemical reactions that underlie life are very often nonlinear. The functional features exhibited by biological systems at all levels (from the activity of an enzyme to the organization of a colony of ants, via the development of an organism or a functional module like the one responsible for chemotaxis in bacteria) are dynamically robust. They are often unaffected by order of magnitude variations in the dynamical parameters, in the number or concentrations of actors (molecules, cells, organisms) or external inputs (food, temperature, pH, etc). This type of structural robustness is also a common feature of nonlinear systems, exemplified by the fundamental role played by dynamical fixed points and attractors and by the use of generic equations (logistic map, Fisher–Kolmogorov equation, the Stefan problem, etc.) in the study of a plethora of nonlinear phenomena. However, biological systems differ from these examples in two important ways: the intrinsic stochasticity arising from the often very small number of actors and the role played by evolution. On an evolutionary time scale, nothing in biology is frozen. The systems observed today have evolved from solutions adopted in the past and they will have to adapt in response to future conditions. The evolvability of biological system uniquely characterizes them and is central to biology. As the great biologist T Dobzhansky once wrote: 'nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution'. (open problem)

A subsequent closed-form description of propagated signaling phenomena in the membrane of an axon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Melendy, Robert F., E-mail: rfmelendy@liberty.edu [School of Engineering and Computational Science, Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia, 24515 (United States)

2016-05-15

I recently introduced a closed-form description of propagated signaling phenomena in the membrane of an axon [R.F. Melendy, Journal of Applied Physics 118, 244701 (2015)]. Those results demonstrate how intracellular conductance, the thermodynamics of magnetization, and current modulation, function together in generating an action potential in a unified, closed-form description. At present, I report on a subsequent closed-form model that unifies intracellular conductance and the thermodynamics of magnetization, with the membrane electric field, E{sub m}. It’s anticipated this work will compel researchers in biophysics, physical biology, and the computational neurosciences, to probe deeper into the classical and quantum features of membrane magnetization and signaling, informed by the computational features of this subsequent model.

A subsequent closed-form description of propagated signaling phenomena in the membrane of an axon

Science.gov (United States)

Melendy, Robert. F.

2016-05-01

I recently introduced a closed-form description of propagated signaling phenomena in the membrane of an axon [R.F. Melendy, Journal of Applied Physics 118, 244701 (2015)]. Those results demonstrate how intracellular conductance, the thermodynamics of magnetization, and current modulation, function together in generating an action potential in a unified, closed-form description. At present, I report on a subsequent closed-form model that unifies intracellular conductance and the thermodynamics of magnetization, with the membrane electric field, Em. It's anticipated this work will compel researchers in biophysics, physical biology, and the computational neurosciences, to probe deeper into the classical and quantum features of membrane magnetization and signaling, informed by the computational features of this subsequent model.

Primary Issues of Mixed Convection Heat Transfer Phenomena

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chae, Myeong-Seon; Chung, Bum-Jin [Kyung Hee University, Yongin (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-15

The computer code analyzing the system operating and transient behavior must distinguish flow conditions involved with convective heat transfer flow regimes. And the proper correlations must be supplied to those flow regimes. However the existing safety analysis codes are focused on the Light Water Reactor and they are skeptical to be applied to the GCRs (Gas Cooled Reactors). One of the technical issues raise by the development of the VHTR is the mixed convection, which occur when the driving forces of both forced and natural convection are of comparable magnitudes. It can be encountered as in channel of the stacked with fuel elements and a decay heat removal system and in VHTR. The mixed convection is not intermediate phenomena with natural convection and forced convection but independent complicated phenomena. Therefore, many researchers have been studied and some primary issues were propounded for phenomena mixed convection. This paper is to discuss some problems identified through reviewing the papers for mixed convection phenomena. And primary issues of mixed convection heat transfer were proposed respect to thermal hydraulic problems for VHTR. The VHTR thermal hydraulic study requires an indepth study of the mixed convection phenomena. In this study we reviewed the classical flow regime map of Metais and Eckert and derived further issues to be considered. The following issues were raised: (1) Buoyancy aided an opposed flows were not differentiated and plotted in a map. (2) Experimental results for UWT and UHF condition were also plotted in the same map without differentiation. (3) The buoyancy coefficient was not generalized for correlating with buoyancy coefficient. (4) The phenomenon analysis for laminarization and returbulization as buoyancy effects in turbulent mixed convection was not established. (5) The defining to transition in mixed convection regime was difficult.

Coherence Phenomena in Coupled Optical Resonators

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, D. D.; Chang, H.

2004-01-01

We predict a variety of photonic coherence phenomena in passive and active coupled ring resonators. Specifically, the effective dispersive and absorptive steady-state response of coupled resonators is derived, and used to determine the conditions for coupled-resonator-induced transparency and absorption, lasing without gain, and cooperative cavity emission. These effects rely on coherent photon trapping, in direct analogy with coherent population trapping phenomena in atomic systems. We also demonstrate that the coupled-mode equations are formally identical to the two-level atom Schrodinger equation in the rotating-wave approximation, and use this result for the analysis of coupled-resonator photon dynamics. Notably, because these effects are predicted directly from coupled-mode theory, they are not unique to atoms, but rather are fundamental to systems of coherently coupled resonators.

Biomaterials-based electronics: polymers and interfaces for biology and medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Muskovich, Meredith; Bettinger, Christopher J

2012-05-01

Advanced polymeric biomaterials continue to serve as a cornerstone for new medical technologies and therapies. The vast majority of these materials, both natural and synthetic, interact with biological matter in the absence of direct electronic communication. However, biological systems have evolved to synthesize and utilize naturally-derived materials for the generation and modulation of electrical potentials, voltage gradients, and ion flows. Bioelectric phenomena can be translated into potent signaling cues for intra- and inter-cellular communication. These cues can serve as a gateway to link synthetic devices with biological systems. This progress report will provide an update on advances in the application of electronically active biomaterials for use in organic electronics and bio-interfaces. Specific focus will be granted to covering technologies where natural and synthetic biological materials serve as integral components such as thin film electronics, in vitro cell culture models, and implantable medical devices. Future perspectives and emerging challenges will also be highlighted. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

[Around biological evolution. Reflections of a physicist].

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez-Palencia, Evariste

2016-01-01

This text is the written version of a talk at the Société de Biologie on February 17, 2016. It contains reflections of a non-biologist scientist on general problems of biological evolution, including the kind of causality involved, the ideas emerging from it, in particular the constructive and structuring character of phenomena such as predation, the role of stability and attractors. This leads to a larger reflection on dialectics, the general framework of evolving processes, which overpasses formal logic and instantaneousness. © Société de Biologie, 2016.

Ether and interpretation of some physical phenomena and concepts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rzayev, S.G.

2008-01-01

On the basis of the concept of existence of an ether representation about time, space, matters and physical field are profound and also the essence of such phenomena, as corpuscular - wave dualism, change of time, scale and mass at movement body's is opened. The opportunity of transition from probability-statistical interpretation of the quantum phenomena to Laplace's determinism is shown

The Center for Natural Phenomena Engineering (CNPE), 1990--1991

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1992-07-01

The Center for Natural Phenomena Engineering (CNPE) was established to provide a natural phenomena (NP) engineering oversight role within Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (MMES). In this oversight role CNPE`s goals are to provide coordination and direction of activities related to earthquake and other natural phenomena engineering, including development of hazard definition, development of design criteria, conducting new facility design, development and conducting of testing, performance of analysis and vulnerability studies, development of analysis methodology, and provision of support for preparation of safety analysis reports for the five MMES sites. In conducting these activities it is CNPE`s goal to implement the elements of Total Quality Management (TQM) in a cost-effective manner, providing its customers with a quality product. This report describes 1990--1991 activities.

The Center for Natural Phenomena Engineering (CNPE), 1990--1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-07-01

The Center for Natural Phenomena Engineering (CNPE) was established to provide a natural phenomena (NP) engineering oversight role within Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (MMES). In this oversight role CNPE's goals are to provide coordination and direction of activities related to earthquake and other natural phenomena engineering, including development of hazard definition, development of design criteria, conducting new facility design, development and conducting of testing, performance of analysis and vulnerability studies, development of analysis methodology, and provision of support for preparation of safety analysis reports for the five MMES sites. In conducting these activities it is CNPE's goal to implement the elements of Total Quality Management (TQM) in a cost-effective manner, providing its customers with a quality product. This report describes 1990--1991 activities

Random phenomena fundamentals of probability and statistics for engineers

CERN Document Server

Ogunnaike, Babatunde A

2009-01-01

PreludeApproach PhilosophyFour Basic PrinciplesI FoundationsTwo Motivating ExamplesYield Improvement in a Chemical ProcessQuality Assurance in a Glass Sheet Manufacturing ProcessOutline of a Systematic ApproachRandom Phenomena, Variability, and UncertaintyTwo Extreme Idealizations of Natural PhenomenaRandom Mass PhenomenaIntroducing ProbabilityThe Probabilistic FrameworkII ProbabilityFundamentals of Probability TheoryBuilding BlocksOperationsProbabilityConditional ProbabilityIndependenceRandom Variables and DistributionsDistributionsMathematical ExpectationCharacterizing DistributionsSpecial Derived Probability FunctionsMultidimensional Random VariablesDistributions of Several Random VariablesDistributional Characteristics of Jointly Distributed Random VariablesRandom Variable TransformationsSingle Variable TransformationsBivariate TransformationsGeneral Multivariate TransformationsApplication Case Studies I: ProbabilityMendel and HeredityWorld War II Warship Tactical Response Under AttackIII DistributionsIde...

Grete Kellenberger-Gujer: Molecular biology research pioneer.

Science.gov (United States)

Citi, Sandra; Berg, Douglas E

2016-01-01

Grete Kellenberger-Gujer was a Swiss molecular biologist who pioneered fundamental studies of bacteriophage in the mid-20(th) century at the University of Geneva. Her life and career stories are reviewed here, focusing on her fundamental contributions to our early understanding of phage biology via her insightful analyses of phenomena such as the lysogenic state of a temperate phage (λ), genetic recombination, radiation's in vivo consequences, and DNA restriction-modification; on her creative personality and interactions with peers; and how her academic advancement was affected by gender, societal conditions and cultural attitudes of the time. Her story is important scientifically, putting into perspective features of the scientific community from just before the molecular biology era started through its early years, and also sociologically, in illustrating the numerous "glass ceilings" that, especially then, often hampered the advancement of creative women.

Auroral and sub-auroral phenomena: an electrostatic picture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. De Keyser

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Many auroral and sub-auroral phenomena are manifestations of an underlying magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling. In the electrostatic perspective the associated auroral current circuit describes how the generator (often in the magnetosphere is connected to the load (often in the ionosphere through field-aligned currents. The present paper examines the generic properties of the current continuity equation that characterizes the auroral circuit. The physical role of the various elements of the current circuit is illustrated by considering a number of magnetospheric configurations, various auroral current-voltage relations, and different types of behaviour of the ionospheric conductivity. Based on realistic assumptions concerning the current-voltage relation and the ionospheric conductivity, a comprehensive picture of auroral and sub-auroral phenomena is presented, including diffuse aurora, discrete auroral arcs, black aurora, and subauroral ion drift. The electrostatic picture of field-aligned potential differences, field-aligned currents, ionospheric electric fields and plasma drift, and spatial scales for all these phenomena is in qualitative agreement with observations.

Toward synthesizing executable models in biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Jasmin; Piterman, Nir; Bodik, Rastislav

2014-01-01

Over the last decade, executable models of biological behaviors have repeatedly provided new scientific discoveries, uncovered novel insights, and directed new experimental avenues. These models are computer programs whose execution mechanistically simulates aspects of the cell's behaviors. If the observed behavior of the program agrees with the observed biological behavior, then the program explains the phenomena. This approach has proven beneficial for gaining new biological insights and directing new experimental avenues. One advantage of this approach is that techniques for analysis of computer programs can be applied to the analysis of executable models. For example, one can confirm that a model agrees with experiments for all possible executions of the model (corresponding to all environmental conditions), even if there are a huge number of executions. Various formal methods have been adapted for this context, for example, model checking or symbolic analysis of state spaces. To avoid manual construction of executable models, one can apply synthesis, a method to produce programs automatically from high-level specifications. In the context of biological modeling, synthesis would correspond to extracting executable models from experimental data. We survey recent results about the usage of the techniques underlying synthesis of computer programs for the inference of biological models from experimental data. We describe synthesis of biological models from curated mutation experiment data, inferring network connectivity models from phosphoproteomic data, and synthesis of Boolean networks from gene expression data. While much work has been done on automated analysis of similar datasets using machine learning and artificial intelligence, using synthesis techniques provides new opportunities such as efficient computation of disambiguating experiments, as well as the ability to produce different kinds of models automatically from biological data.

Strings, fields and critical phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ambjoern, J.

1987-07-01

The connection between field theory and critical phenomena is reviewed. Emphasis is put on the use of Monte Carlo methods in the study of non-perturbative aspects of field theory. String theory is then described as a statistical theory of random surfaces and the critical behaviour is analyzed both by analytical and numerical methods. (orig.)

Diffusive phenomena and pseudoelasticity in Cu-Al-Be single crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sade, M., E-mail: sade@cab.cnea.gov.ar [Centro Atómico Bariloche (CNEA), Av. E. Bustillo km. 9500, 8400 S.C. de Bariloche (Argentina); CONICET (Argentina); Instituto Balseiro, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Av. E. Bustillo km. 9500, 8400 S.C. de Bariloche (Argentina); Pelegrina, J.L., E-mail: jlp201@cab.cnea.gov.ar [Centro Atómico Bariloche (CNEA), Av. E. Bustillo km. 9500, 8400 S.C. de Bariloche (Argentina); CONICET (Argentina); Instituto Balseiro, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Av. E. Bustillo km. 9500, 8400 S.C. de Bariloche (Argentina); Yawny, A., E-mail: yawny@cab.cnea.gov.ar [Centro Atómico Bariloche (CNEA), Av. E. Bustillo km. 9500, 8400 S.C. de Bariloche (Argentina); CONICET (Argentina); Instituto Balseiro, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Av. E. Bustillo km. 9500, 8400 S.C. de Bariloche (Argentina); Lovey, F.C., E-mail: lovey@cab.cnea.gov.ar [Centro Atómico Bariloche (CNEA), Av. E. Bustillo km. 9500, 8400 S.C. de Bariloche (Argentina); Instituto Balseiro, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Av. E. Bustillo km. 9500, 8400 S.C. de Bariloche (Argentina)

2015-02-15

Highlights: • Diffusive phenomena occurring under load were analyzed in Cu-Al-Be single crystals. • Stabilization of stress induced martensite was detected in a range of temperatures. • Ageing the austenite under load shifts the austenite/martensite stability field. • A free energy model is proposed considering interchanges between Cu and Be atoms. • Different kinetics for the recovery of the austenite are rationalized. - Abstract: Cu-Al-Be single crystals show pseudoelasticity and the shape memory effect in a well-defined composition range. The β{sub 3}-18R martensitic transition is the origin of these phenomena. The transformation temperatures and the critical stresses to induce the martensitic transition are affected by diffusive phenomena taking place both in the parent phase and in martensite. Pseudoelastic cycles were used to obtain quantitative data concerning the effect of diffusive phenomena like stabilization of martensite, ordering of the parent phase under load and recovery of this phase on the critical stresses to transform. Information was then obtained on changes in the relative phase stability. A model is presented to explain those changes taking place in the parent phase aged under load and in the martensitic 18R structure. Experimental data on the kinetics of diffusive phenomena is also presented and analyzed.

Renormalization group theory of critical phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menon, S.V.G.

1995-01-01

Renormalization group theory is a framework for describing those phenomena that involve a multitude of scales of variations of microscopic quantities. Systems in the vicinity of continuous phase transitions have spatial correlations at all length scales. The renormalization group theory and the pertinent background material are introduced and applied to some important problems in this monograph. The monograph begins with a historical survey of thermal phase transitions. The background material leading to the renormalization group theory is covered in the first three chapters. Then, the basic techniques of the theory are introduced and applied to magnetic critical phenomena in the next four chapters. The momentum space approach as well as the real space techniques are, thus, discussed in detail. Finally, brief outlines of applications of the theory to some of the related areas are presented in the last chapter. (author)

Experimental Studies of Hydrocarbon Flame Phenomena: Enabling Combustion Control

Science.gov (United States)

2016-07-30

flames," Physics of Fluids , vol. 7, no. 6, pp. 1447-54, 1995. [8] K. Lyons, " Toward an understanding of the stabilization mechanisms of lifted...Experimental Studies of Hydrocarbon Flame Phenomena: Enabling Combustion Control This report summarizes the research accomplished in the project...34Experimental Studies of Hydrocarbon Flame Phenomena: Enabling Combustion Control". The main areas of activity are: a) electrostatic flame and flow

Eighty phenomena about the self: representation, evaluation, regulation, and change

Science.gov (United States)

Thagard, Paul; Wood, Joanne V.

2015-01-01

We propose a new approach for examining self-related aspects and phenomena. The approach includes (1) a taxonomy and (2) an emphasis on multiple levels of mechanisms. The taxonomy categorizes approximately eighty self-related phenomena according to three primary functions involving the self: representing, effecting, and changing. The representing self encompasses the ways in which people depict themselves, either to themselves or to others (e.g., self-concepts, self-presentation). The effecting self concerns ways in which people facilitate or limit their own traits and behaviors (e.g., self-enhancement, self-regulation). The changing self is less time-limited than the effecting self; it concerns phenomena that involve lasting alterations in how people represent and control themselves (e.g., self-expansion, self-development). Each self-related phenomenon within these three categories may be examined at four levels of interacting mechanisms (social, individual, neural, and molecular). We illustrate our approach by focusing on seven self-related phenomena. PMID:25870574

Eighty Phenomena About the Self: Representation, Evaluation, Regulation, and Change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul eThagard

2015-03-01

Full Text Available We propose a new approach for examining self-related aspects and phenomena. The approach includes (1 a taxonomy and (2 an emphasis on multiple levels of mechanisms. The taxonomy categorizes approximately eighty self-related phenomena according to three primary functions involving the self: representing, effecting, and changing. The representing self encompasses the ways in which people depict themselves, either to themselves or to others (e.g., self-concepts, self-presentation. The effecting self concerns ways in which people facilitate or limit their own traits and behaviors (e.g., self-enhancement, self-regulation. The changing self is less time-limited than the regulating self; it concerns phenomena that involve lasting alterations in how people represent and control themselves (e.g., self-expansion, self-development. Each self-related phenomenon within these three categories may be examined at four levels of interacting mechanisms (social, individual, neural, and molecular. We illustrate our approach by focusing on seven self-related phenomena.

Discovery potential for new phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Godfrey, S.; Price, L.E.

1997-03-01

The authors examine the ability of future facilities to discover and interpret non-supersymmetric new phenomena. The authors first explore explicit manifestations of new physics, including extended gauge sectors, leptoquarks, exotic fermions, and technicolor models. They then take a more general approach where new physics only reveals itself through the existence of effective interactions at lower energy scales

Multi-level and hybrid modelling approaches for systems biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Bardini, R; Politano, G; Benso, A; Di Carlo, S

2017-01-01

During the last decades, high-throughput techniques allowed for the extraction of a huge amount of data from biological systems, unveiling more of their underling complexity. Biological systems encompass a wide range of space and time scales, functioning according to flexible hierarchies of mechanisms making an intertwined and dynamic interplay of regulations. This becomes particularly evident in processes such as ontogenesis, where regulative assets change according to process context and timing, making structural phenotype and architectural complexities emerge from a single cell, through local interactions. The information collected from biological systems are naturally organized according to the functional levels composing the system itself. In systems biology, biological information often comes from overlapping but different scientific domains, each one having its own way of representing phenomena under study. That is, the different parts of the system to be modelled may be described with different formalisms. For a model to have improved accuracy and capability for making a good knowledge base, it is good to comprise different system levels, suitably handling the relative formalisms. Models which are both multi-level and hybrid satisfy both these requirements, making a very useful tool in computational systems biology. This paper reviews some of the main contributions in this field.

Magnetohydrodynamic flow phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerbeth, G.; Mutschke, G.; Eckert, S.

1995-01-01

The MHD group of the Institute of Safety Research performs basic studies on fluid dynamics and heat/mass transfer in fluids, particularly for electrically conducting fluids (liquid metals) exposed to external magnetic fields (Magnetohydrodynamics - MHD). Such a contactless influence on transport phenomena is of principal importance for a variety of applied problems including safety and design aspects in liquid metal cooled fusion reactors, fast reactors, and chemical systems. Any electrically conducting flow can be influenced without any contact by means of an external electromagnetic field. This, of course, can change the known hydromechanically flow patterns considerably. In the following two examples of such magnetic field influence are presented. (orig.)

A thermodynamic derivation of equations for dielectric-relaxation phenomena in anisotropic polarizable media

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ciancio, V.; Kluitenberg, G.A.

1990-01-01

Using the general methods of non-equilibrium thermodynamics, a theory for anisotropic polarizable media in which dielectric relaxation phenomena occur is developed. Assuming that ii microscopic phenomena give rise to dielectric relaxation, the contributions of these phenomena to the macroscopic

Transport phenomena in Newtonian fluids a concise primer

CERN Document Server

Olsson, Per

2013-01-01

This short primer provides a concise and tutorial-style introduction to transport phenomena in Newtonian fluids , in particular the transport of mass, energy and momentum.  The reader will find detailed derivations of the transport equations for these phenomena, as well as selected analytical solutions to the transport equations in some simple geometries. After a brief introduction to the basic mathematics used in the text, Chapter 2, which deals with momentum transport, presents a derivation of the Navier-Stokes-Duhem equation describing the basic flow in a Newtonian fluid.  Also provided at

Macroscopic Quantum-Type Potentials in Theoretical Systems Biology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurent Nottale

2013-12-01

Full Text Available We review in this paper the use of the theory of scale relativity and fractal space-time as a tool particularly well adapted to the possible development of a future genuine systems theoretical biology. We emphasize in particular the concept of quantum-type potentials, since, in many situations, the effect of the fractality of space—or of the underlying medium—can be reduced to the addition of such a potential energy to the classical equations of motion. Various equivalent representations—geodesic, quantum-like, fluid mechanical, stochastic—of these equations are given, as well as several forms of generalized quantum potentials. Examples of their possible intervention in high critical temperature superconductivity and in turbulence are also described, since some biological processes may be similar in some aspects to these physical phenomena. These potential extra energy contributions could have emerged in biology from the very fractal nature of the medium, or from an evolutive advantage, since they involve spontaneous properties of self-organization, morphogenesis, structuration and multi-scale integration. Finally, some examples of applications of the theory to actual biological-like processes and functions are also provided.

Modelling and Simulating Complex Systems in Biology: introducing NetBioDyn : A Pedagogical and Intuitive Agent-Based Software

OpenAIRE

Ballet, Pascal; Rivière, Jérémy; Pothet, Alain; Théron, Michaël; Pichavant, Karine; Abautret, Frank; Fronville, Alexandra; Rodin, Vincent

2017-01-01

International audience; Modelling and teaching complex biological systems is a difficult process. Multi-Agent Based Simulations (MABS) have proved to be an appropriate approach both in research and education when dealing with such systems including emergent, self-organizing phenomena. This chapter presents NetBioDyn, an original software aimed at biologists (students, teachers, researchers) to easily build and simulate complex biological mechanisms observed in multicellular and molecular syst...

Ludic Function of Precedent-Related Phenomena in Media Discourse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu. M. Velykoroda

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to determine the ludic function of precedent-related phenomena as a type of intertextuality. The analysis is done on the basis of relevance theoretic approach, through which we aim to show the additional cognitive effect which is created by precedent-related phenomena in media discourse, and this comic effect serves as a foundation for the ludic function of these units.

An interpretation of passive containment cooling phenomena

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, Bum-Jin [Ministry of Science & Technology, Kyunggi-Do (Korea, Democratic People`s Republic of); Kang, Chang-Sun, [Seoul National Univ. (Korea, Democratic People`s Republic of)

1995-09-01

A simplified interpretation model for the cooling capability of the Westinghouse type PCCS is proposed in this paper. The PCCS domain was phenomenologically divided into 3 regions; water entrance effect region, asymptotic region, and air entrance effect region. The phenomena in the asymptotic region is focused in this paper. Due to the very large height to thickness ratio of the water film, the length of the asymptotic region is estimated to be over 90% of the whole domain. Using the analogy between heat and mass transfer phenomena in a turbulent situation, a new dependent variable combining temperature and vapor mass fraction was defined. The similarity between the PCCS phenomena, which contains the sensible and latent heat transfer, and the buoyant air flow on a vertical heated plate is derived. The modified buoyant coefficient and thermal conductivity were defined. Using these newly defined variable and coefficients, the modified correlation for the interfacial heat fluxes and the ratios of latent heat transfer to sensible heat transfer is established. To verify the accuracy of the correlation, the results of this study were compared with the results of other numerical analyses performed for the same configuration and they are well within the range of 15% difference.

Transport phenomena II essentials

CERN Document Server

REA, The Editors of

2012-01-01

REA's Essentials provide quick and easy access to critical information in a variety of different fields, ranging from the most basic to the most advanced. As its name implies, these concise, comprehensive study guides summarize the essentials of the field covered. Essentials are helpful when preparing for exams, doing homework and will remain a lasting reference source for students, teachers, and professionals. Transport Phenomena II covers forced convention, temperature distribution, free convection, diffusitivity and the mechanism of mass transfer, convective mass transfer, concentration

Basic transport phenomena in materials engineering

CERN Document Server

Iguchi, Manabu

2014-01-01

This book presents the basic theory and experimental techniques of transport phenomena in materials processing operations. Such fundamental knowledge is highly useful for researchers and engineers in the field to improve the efficiency of conventional processes or develop novel technology. Divided into four parts, the book comprises 11 chapters describing the principles of momentum transfer, heat transfer, and mass transfer in single phase and multiphase systems. Each chapter includes examples with solutions and exercises to facilitate students’ learning. Diagnostic problems are also provided at the end of each part to assess students’ comprehension of the material.  The book is aimed primarily at students in materials science and engineering. However, it can also serve as a useful reference text in chemical engineering as well as an introductory transport phenomena text in mechanical engineering. In addition, researchers and engineers engaged in materials processing operations will find the material use...

In search of high density collective phenomena in nuclear collision

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gyulassy, M.

1979-06-01

The progress made toward uncovering signatures of collective phenomena is reviewed. Elements of the basic reaction mechanism leading to a complex background are first discussed. Possible hints of collective phenomena in proton and pion single and double inclusive spectra as well as π - multiplicity data are then described. 6 figures, 2 tables

Vibration phenomena in large scale pressure suppression tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aust, E.; Boettcher, G.; Kolb, M.; Sattler, P.; Vollbrandt, J.

1982-01-01

Structure und fluid vibration phenomena (acceleration, strain; pressure, level) were observed during blow-down experiments simulating a LOCA in the GKSS full scale multivent pressure suppression test facility. The paper describes first the source related excitations during the two regimes of condensation oscillation and of chugging, and deals then with the response vibrations of the facility's wetwell. Modal analyses of the wetwell were run using excitation by hammer and by shaker in order to separate phenomena that are particular to the GKSS facility from more general ones, i.e. phenomena specific to the fluid related parameters of blowdown and to the geometry of the vent pipes only. The lowest periodicities at about 12 and 16 Hz stem from the vent acoustics. A frequency of about 36 to 38 Hz prominent during chugging seems to result from the lowest local models of two of the wetwell's walls when coupled by the wetwell pool. Further peaks found during blowdown in the spectra of signals at higher frequencies correspond to global vibration modes of the wetwell. (orig.)

Tiny cells meet big questions: a closer look at bacterial cell biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Goley, Erin D

2013-04-01

While studying actin assembly as a graduate student with Matt Welch at the University of California at Berkeley, my interest was piqued by reports of surprising observations in bacteria: the identification of numerous cytoskeletal proteins, actin homologues fulfilling spindle-like functions, and even the presence of membrane-bound organelles. Curiosity about these phenomena drew me to Lucy Shapiro's lab at Stanford University for my postdoctoral research. In the Shapiro lab, and now in my lab at Johns Hopkins, I have focused on investigating the mechanisms of bacterial cytokinesis. Spending time as both a eukaryotic cell biologist and a bacterial cell biologist has convinced me that bacterial cells present the same questions as eukaryotic cells: How are chromosomes organized and accurately segregated? How is force generated for cytokinesis? How is polarity established? How are signals transduced within and between cells? These problems are conceptually similar between eukaryotes and bacteria, although their solutions can differ significantly in specifics. In this Perspective, I provide a broad view of cell biological phenomena in bacteria, the technical challenges facing those of us who peer into bacterial cells, and areas of common ground as research in eukaryotic and bacterial cell biology moves forward.

Hyperchaotic phenomena in dynamic decision making

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Jesper Skovhus; Mosekilde, Erik; Sterman, John David

1992-01-01

of this article is to show how the decision making behavior of real people in simulated corporate environments can lead to chaotic, hyperchaotic and higher-order hyperchaotic phenomena. Characteristics features of these complicated forms of behavior are analyzed with particular emphasis on an interesting form...

Electrical breakdown phenomena of dielectric elastomers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yu, Liyun; Mateiu, Ramona Valentina; Skov, Anne Ladegaard

2017-01-01

years. However, optimization with respect to the dielectric permittivity solely may lead to other problematic phenomena such as premature electrical breakdown. In this work, we focus on the chloro propyl functionalized silicone elastomers prepared in Madsen et al[2] and we investigate the electrical...

The influence of low doses of ionizing radiation on biological systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwiecinska, T.

1986-11-01

Recent results concerning possible beneficial effects of low doses of ionizing radiation on biological systems are summarized. It is also pointed out on the basis of existing evidence that harmful effects on living organisms take place not only in the case of excess but also in the case of deficiency of ionizing radiation. Possibility of using radio-enhanced ultralow luminescence for studying hormesis phenomena is discussed. 24 refs., 4 figs. (author)

Scale-free flow of life: on the biology, economics, and physics of the cell

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kurakin Alexei

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract The present work is intended to demonstrate that most of the paradoxes, controversies, and contradictions accumulated in molecular and cell biology over many years of research can be readily resolved if the cell and living systems in general are re-interpreted within an alternative paradigm of biological organization that is based on the concepts and empirical laws of nonequilibrium thermodynamics. In addition to resolving paradoxes and controversies, the proposed re-conceptualization of the cell and biological organization reveals hitherto unappreciated connections among many seemingly disparate phenomena and observations, and provides new and powerful insights into the universal principles governing the emergence and organizational dynamics of living systems on each and every scale of biological organizational hierarchy, from proteins and cells to economies and ecologies.

US Department of Energy natural phenomena design/evaluation guidelines/lessons learned

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conrads, T.J.

1991-08-01

In the spring of 1988, DOE Order 6430.1A, General Design Criteria [1], was issued for use. This document references UCRL-15910, Design and Evaluation Guidelines for DOE Facilities Subjected to Natural Phenomena Hazards [2], which is to be used as the basis for the design and evaluation of new and existing facilities to natural phenomena loading. Rather than use the historical deterministic methods for computing structural and component loading from potential natural phenomena, UCRL-15910 incorporated the years of hazards studies conducted throughout the US Department of Energy complex into probabilistic-based methods. This paper describes the process used to incorporate US Department of Energy natural phenomena design guidelines into the Hanford Plant Standards -- Standard Design Criteria for Architectural and Civil Standards [3]. It also addresses the subsequent use of these criteria during structural assessments of facilities, systems, and components of various vintage in support of updating safety analysis reports. The paper includes comparison of results using these most recent probabilistic-based natural phenomena loading criteria to those obtained from previous assessments, and it addresses the lessons learned from the many structural evaluations of 1940--1960 vintage buildings

Towards Synthesizing Executable Models in Biology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jasmin eFisher

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Over the last decade, executable models of biological behaviors have repeatedly provided new scientific discoveries, uncovered novel insights, and directed new experimental avenues. These models are computer programs whose execution mechanistically simulates aspects of the cell’s behaviors. If the observed behavior of the program agrees with the observed biological behavior, then the program explains the phenomena. This approach has proven beneficial for gaining new biological insights and directing new experimental avenues. One advantage of this approach is that techniques for analysis of computer programs can be applied to the analysis of executable models. For example, one can confirm that a model agrees with experiments for all possible executions of the model (corresponding to all environmental conditions, even if there are a huge number of executions. Various formal methods have been adapted for this context, for example, model checking or symbolic analysis of state spaces. To avoid manual construction of executable models, one can apply synthesis, a method to produce programs automatically from high-level specifications. In the context of biological modelling, synthesis would correspond to extracting executable models from experimental data. We survey recent results about the usage of the techniques underlying synthesis of computer programs for the inference of biological models from experimental data. We describe synthesis of biological models from curated mutation experiment data, inferring network connectivity models from phosphoproteomic data, and synthesis of Boolean networks from gene expression data. While much work has been done on automated analysis of similar datasets using machine learning and artificial intelligence, using synthesis techniques provides new opportunities such as efficient computation of disambiguating experiments, as well as the ability to produce different kinds of models automatically from biological data.

The sun as a star: Solar phenomena and stellar applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noyes, R.W.

1981-01-01

Our Sun is a run-of-the-mill star, having no obvious extremes of stellar properties. For this reason it is perhaps more, rather than less, interesting as an astrophysical object, for its sameness to other stars suggests that in studying the Sun, we are studying at close hand common, rather than unusual stellar phenomena. Conversely, comparative study of the Sun and other solar-type stars is an invaluable tool for solar physics, for two reasons: First, it allows us to explore how solar properties and phenomena depend on parameters we cannot vary on the Sun - most fundamentally, rotation rate and mass. Second, study of solar-like stars of different ages allows us to see how stellar and solar phenomena depend on age; study of other stars may be one of the best ways to infer the earlier history of the Sun, as well as its future history. In this review we shall concentrate on phenomena common to the Sun and solar-type (main sequence) stars with different fundamental properties such as mass, age, and rotation. (orig.)

Proposal for a biological environmental monitoring approach to be used in libraries and archives.

Science.gov (United States)

Pasquarella, Cesira; Saccani, Elisa; Sansebastiano, Giuliano Ezio; Ugolotti, Manuela; Pasquariello, Giovanna; Albertini, Roberto

2012-01-01

In cultural-heritage-related indoor environments, biological particles represent a hazard not only for cultural property, but also for operators and visitors. Reliable environmental monitoring methods are essential for examining each situation and assessing the effectiveness of preventive measures. We propose an integrated approach to the study of biological pollution in indoor environments such as libraries and archives. This approach includes microbial air and surface sampling, as well as an investigation of allergens and pollens. Part of this monitoring plan has been applied at the Palatina Library in Parma, Italy. However, wider collections of data are needed to fully understand the phenomena related with biological contamination, define reliable contamination threshold values, and implement appropriate preventive measures.

Transport phenomena I essentials

CERN Document Server

REA, The Editors of

2012-01-01

REA's Essentials provide quick and easy access to critical information in a variety of different fields, ranging from the most basic to the most advanced. As its name implies, these concise, comprehensive study guides summarize the essentials of the field covered. Essentials are helpful when preparing for exams, doing homework and will remain a lasting reference source for students, teachers, and professionals. Transport Phenomena I includes viscosity, flow of Newtonian fluids, velocity distribution in laminar flow, velocity distributions with more than one independent variable, thermal con

Cross sections needed for investigations into track phenomena and Monte-Carlo calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paretzke, H.G.

1983-01-01

Investigations into basic radiation action mechanisms as well as into applied radiation transport problems (e.g. electron microscopy) greatly benefit from detailed computer simulations of charged particle track structures in matter. The first and in fact most important and most difficult step in any such calculation is the derivation of reliable cross sections for the most relevant interaction processes in the material(s) under consideration. The second step in radiation transport calculations is the testing of results or intermediate results for quantitative or qualitative consistency with other experimental or theoretical information (e.g. yields, backscatter factors). This paper discusses the types of the most important collision cross sections for studies on track phenomena by detailed Monte-Carlo calculations, the necessary accuracy of such data and various means of consistency checks of calculated results. This will be done mainly with examples taken from radiation physics as applied to dosimetric and biological problems (i.e. to gaseous and condensed targets). 12 references, 8 figures

Solvation phenomena in association theories with applications to oil & gas and chemical industries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kontogeorgis, Georgios; Folas, Georgios; Muro Sunè, Nuria

2008-01-01

Association theories e.g. those belonging to the SAFT family account explicitly for self- and cross-association (solvation) phenomena. Such phenomena are of great practical importance as they affect, often dramatically, the phase behaviour of many mixtures of industrial relevance. From the scient......Association theories e.g. those belonging to the SAFT family account explicitly for self- and cross-association (solvation) phenomena. Such phenomena are of great practical importance as they affect, often dramatically, the phase behaviour of many mixtures of industrial relevance. From...

Calcium contained tap water phenomena: students misconception patterns of acids-bases concept

Science.gov (United States)

Liliasari, S.; Albaiti, A.; Wahyudi, A.

2018-05-01

Acids and bases concept is very important and fundamental concept in learning chemistry. It is one of the chemistry subjects considered as an abstract and difficult concept to understand. The aim of this research was to explore student’s misconception pattern about acids and bases phenomena in daily life, such as calcium contained tap water. This was a qualitative research with descriptive methods. Participants were 546 undergraduate students of chemistry education and chemistry program, and graduate students of chemistry education in West Java, Indonesia. The test to explore students’ misconception about this phenomena was essay test. The results showed that there were five patterns of students’ misconception in explaining the phenomena of calcium carbonate precipitation on heating tap water. Students used irrelevant concepts in explaining this phenomena, i.e. temporary hardness, coagulation, density, and phase concepts. No students had right answer in explaining this phenomena. This research contributes to design meaningful learning and to achieve better understanding.

Foot morphometric phenomena.

Science.gov (United States)

Agić, Ante

2007-06-01

Knowledge of the foot morphometry is important for proper foot structure and function. Foot structure as a vital part of human body is important for many reasons. The foot anthropometric and morphology phenomena are analyzed together with hidden biomechanical descriptors in order to fully characterize foot functionality. For Croatian student population the scatter data of the individual foot variables were interpolated by multivariate statistics. Foot morphometric descriptors are influenced by many factors, such as life style, climate, and things of great importance in human society. Dominant descriptors related to fit and comfort are determined by the use 3D foot shape and advanced foot biomechanics. Some practical recommendations and conclusions for medical, sportswear and footwear practice are highlighted.

Thermionic phenomena the collected works of Irving Langmuir

CERN Document Server

Suits, C Guy

1961-01-01

Thermionic Phenomena is the third volume of the series entitled The Collected Works of Irving Langmuir. This volume compiles articles written during the 1920's and early 1930's, the period when the science of thermionics is beginning to be of importance. This text is divided into two parts. The first part discusses vacuum pumps, specifically examining the effect of space charge and residual gases on thermionic currents in high vacuum. This part also explains fundamental phenomena in electron tubes having tungsten cathodes and the use of high-power vacuum tubes. The second part of this text loo

Biologic Stress, Oxidative Stress, and Resistance to Drugs: What Is Hidden Behind

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Pantelidou

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Stress can be defined as the homeostatic, nonspecific defensive response of the organism to challenges. It is expressed by morphological, biochemical, and functional changes. In this review, we present biological and oxidative stress, as well as their interrelation. In addition to the mediation in biologic stress (central nervous, immune, and hormonal systems and oxidative stress, the effect of these phenomena on xenobiotic metabolism and drug response is also examined. It is concluded that stress decreases drug response, a result which seems to be mainly attributed to the induction of hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes. A number of mechanisms are presented. Structure-activity studies are also discussed. Vitamin E, as well as two synthetic novel compounds, seem to reduce both oxidative and biological stress and, consequently, influence drug response and metabolism.

Why we cannot conclude that sexual orientation is primarily a biological phenomenon.

Science.gov (United States)

Byne, W

1997-01-01

While all mental phenomena must have an ultimate biological substrate, the precise contribution of biological factors to the development of sexual orientation remains to be elucidated. Does biology merely provide the slate of neural circuitry upon which sexual orientation is inscribed by experience? Do biological factors directly wire the brain so that it will support a particular orientation? Or do biological factors influence sexual orientation only indirectly, perhaps by influencing personality variables that in turn influence how one interacts with and shapes the environment as it contributes to the social relationships and experiences that shape sexual orientation as it emerges developmentally? Recent neurostructural and genetic linkage evidence pertaining to sexual orientation must be viewed tentatively until it has been adequately corroborated and integrated with psychological and cultural models. Moreover, even a reliable and robust correlation between a biological marker and sexual orientation would be equally compatible with the second and third possibilities delineated above. Yet if the third possibility more closely approximates reality, the search for predisposing biological factors will result in incomplete and misleading findings until their interactions with environmental factors are taken into account and controlled for in adequate longitudinal studies.

Biologic relativity: Who is the observer and what is observed?

Science.gov (United States)

Torday, John S; Miller, William B

2016-05-01

When quantum physics and biological phenomena are analogously explored, it emerges that biologic causation must also be understood independently of its overt appearance. This is similar to the manner in which Bohm characterized the explicate versus the implicate order as overlapping frames of ambiguity. Placed in this context, the variables affecting epigenetic inheritance can be properly assessed as a key mechanistic principle of evolution that significantly alters our understanding of homeostasis, pleiotropy, and heterochrony, and the purposes of sexual reproduction. Each of these become differing manifestations of a new biological relativity in which biologic space-time becomes its own frame. In such relativistic cellular contexts, it is proper to question exactly who has observer status, and who and what are being observed. Consideration within this frame reduces biology to cellular information sharing through cell-cell communication to resolve ambiguities at every scope and scale. In consequence, it becomes implicit that eukaryotic evolution derives from the unicellular state, remaining consistently adherent to it in a continuous evolutionary arc based upon elemental, non-stochastic physiologic first principles. Furthermore, the entire cell including its cytoskeletal apparatus and membranes that participate in the resolution of biological uncertainties must be considered as having equivalent primacy with genomes in evolutionary terms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Didactic demonstrations of superfluidity and superconductivity phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aniola-Jedrzejak, L.; Lewicki, A.; Pilipowicz, A.; Tarnawski, Z.; Bialek, H.

1980-01-01

In order to demonstrate to students phenomena of superfluidity and superconductivity a special helium cryostat has been constructed. The demonstrated effects, construction of the cryostat and the method of demonstration are described. (author)

Random phenomena; Phenomenes aleatoires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bonnet, G. [Commissariat a l' energie atomique et aux energies alternatives - CEA, C.E.N.G., Service d' Electronique, Section d' Electronique, Grenoble (France)

1963-07-01

This document gathers a set of conferences presented in 1962. A first one proposes a mathematical introduction to the analysis of random phenomena. The second one presents an axiomatic of probability calculation. The third one proposes an overview of one-dimensional random variables. The fourth one addresses random pairs, and presents basic theorems regarding the algebra of mathematical expectations. The fifth conference discusses some probability laws: binomial distribution, the Poisson distribution, and the Laplace-Gauss distribution. The last one deals with the issues of stochastic convergence and asymptotic distributions.

Current status of studies on temperature fluctuation phenomena in LMFRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohshima, H.; Muramatsu, T.; Kobayashi, J.; Yamaguchi, A.

1994-01-01

This paper describes the current status of studies being performed in PNC on temperature fluctuation phenomena occurring in fast reactors. The studies concentrate on four problems: thermal stratification, thermal striping, core-plenum interaction and free surface sloshing. Both experimental and analytical approaches to reveal these phenomena and to establish design and safety evaluation methods are presented together with future works. (author)

Enhanced transport phenomena in CO2 sequestration and CO2 EOR

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Farajzadeh, R.

2009-01-01

The results of this thesis give insight into the (mass)-transfer during flow of gases, especially CO2, in various gas-liquid systems. A number of experiments was performed to investigate the transport phenomena through interfaces with and without surfactant monolayers. The observed phenomena have

Comparison of the light flash phenomena observed in space and in laboratory experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McNulty, P.J.; Pease, V.P.; Bond, V.P.

1976-01-01

Astronauts on Apollo and Skylab missions have reported observing a variety of visual phenomena when their eyes were closed and adapted to darkness. These observations were studied under controlled conditions during a number of sessions on board Apollo and Skylab spacecraft and the data available to date on these so-called light flashes is in the form of descriptions of the phenomena and frequency of occurrence. Similar visual phenomena have been demonstrated in a number of laboratories by exposing the eyes of human subjects to beams of neutrons, alphas, pions, and protons. More than one physical mechanism is involved in the laboratory and space phenomena. No direct comparison of the laboratory and space observations has been made by observers who have experienced both. However, the range of visual phenomena observed in the laboratory is consistent with the Apollo and Skylab observations. Measured detection efficiencies can be used to estimate the frequencies with which various phenomena would be observed if the subject was exposed to cosmic rays in space

Human Development V: Biochemistry Unable to Explain the Emergence of Biological Form (Morphogenesis and Therefore a New Principle as Source of Biological Information is Needed

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Søren Ventegodt

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Today's biomedicine builds on the conviction that biochemistry can explain the creation of the body, its anatomy and physiology. Unfortunately there are still deep mysteries strangely “fighting back” when we try to define and understand the organism and its creation in the ontogenesis as emerging from biochemistry. In analysing this from a theoretical perspective using a mathematical model focusing on the noise in complex chemical systems we argue that evolving biological structure cannot in principle be a product of chemistry. In this paper we go through the chemical gradient model and argue that this is not able to explain the ontogenesis. We discuss the used gradients as information carriers in chemical self-organizing systems and argue that by use of the “Turing structures” we are only able to modelling the mostly simple biological systems. The bio-chemical model is only able to model simple organization but not to explain the complexity of biological phenomena. We conclude that we seemingly have presented a formal proof (a NO-GO theorem that the self-organizing chemical systems that are using chemical gradients are not able to explain complex biological matters as the ontogenesis. We need a fundamentally new, information-carrying principle to understand biological information and biological order.

Canister storage building natural phenomena design loads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tallman, A.M.

1996-02-01

This document presents natural phenomena hazard (NPH) loads for use in the design and construction of the Canister Storage Building (CSB), which will be located in the 200 East Area of the Hanford Site

Dueling biological and social contagions

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Feng; Christakis, Nicholas A.; Fowler, James H.

2017-03-01

Numerous models explore how a wide variety of biological and social phenomena spread in social networks. However, these models implicitly assume that the spread of one phenomenon is not affected by the spread of another. Here, we develop a model of “dueling contagions”, with a particular illustration of a situation where one is biological (influenza) and the other is social (flu vaccination). We apply the model to unique time series data collected during the 2009 H1N1 epidemic that includes information about vaccination, flu, and face-to-face social networks. The results show that well-connected individuals are more likely to get vaccinated, as are people who are exposed to friends who get vaccinated or are exposed to friends who get the flu. Our dueling contagion model suggests that other epidemiological models may be dramatically underestimating the R0 of contagions. It also suggests that the rate of vaccination contagion may be even more important than the biological contagion in determining the course of the disease. These results suggest that real world and online platforms that make it easier to see when friends have been vaccinated (personalized vaccination campaigns) and when they get the flu (personalized flu warnings) could have a large impact on reducing the severity of epidemics. They also suggest possible benefits from understanding the coevolution of many kinds of dueling contagions.

Stokes phenomena in discrete Painlevé II.

Science.gov (United States)

Joshi, N; Lustri, C J; Luu, S

2017-02-01

We consider the asymptotic behaviour of the second discrete Painlevé equation in the limit as the independent variable becomes large. Using asymptotic power series, we find solutions that are asymptotically pole-free within some region of the complex plane. These asymptotic solutions exhibit Stokes phenomena, which is typically invisible to classical power series methods. We subsequently apply exponential asymptotic techniques to investigate such phenomena, and obtain mathematical descriptions of the rapid switching behaviour associated with Stokes curves. Through this analysis, we determine the regions of the complex plane in which the asymptotic behaviour is described by a power series expression, and find that the behaviour of these asymptotic solutions shares a number of features with the tronquée and tri-tronquée solutions of the second continuous Painlevé equation.

A study of water hammer phenomena in a one-component two-phase bubbly flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujii, Terushige; Akagawa, Koji

2000-01-01

Water hammer phenomena caused by a rapid valve closure, that is, shock phenomena in two-phase flows, are an important problem for the safety assessment of a hypothetical LOCA. This paper presents the results of experimental and analytical studies of the water hammer phenomena in a one-component tow-phase bubbly flow. In order to clarify the characteristics of water hammer phenomena, experiments for a one-component two-phase flow of Freon R-113 were conducted and a numerical simulation of pressure transients was developed. An overall picture of the water hammer phenomena in a one-component two-phase flow is presented an discussed. (author)

Mathematical Modeling of Diverse Phenomena

Science.gov (United States)

Howard, J. C.

1979-01-01

Tensor calculus is applied to the formulation of mathematical models of diverse phenomena. Aeronautics, fluid dynamics, and cosmology are among the areas of application. The feasibility of combining tensor methods and computer capability to formulate problems is demonstrated. The techniques described are an attempt to simplify the formulation of mathematical models by reducing the modeling process to a series of routine operations, which can be performed either manually or by computer.

Studies of Novel Quantum Phenomena in Ruthenates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mao, Zhiqiang

2011-04-08

Strongly correlated oxides have been the subject of intense study in contemporary condensed matter physics, and perovskite ruthenates (Sr,Ca)n+1RunO3n+1 have become a new focus in this field. One of important characteristics of ruthenates is that both lattice and orbital degrees of freedom are active and are strongly coupled to charge and spin degrees of freedom. Such a complex interplay of multiple degrees of freedom causes the properties of ruthenates to exhibit a gigantic response to external stimuli under certain circumstances. Magnetic field, pressure, and chemical composition all have been demonstrated to be effective in inducing electronic/magnetic phase transitions in ruthenates. Therefore, ruthenates are ideal candidates for searching for novel quantum phenomena through controlling external parameters. The objective of this project is to search for novel quantum phenomena in ruthenate materials using high-quality single crystals grown by the floating-zone technique, and investigate the underlying physics. The following summarizes our accomplishments. We have focused on trilayered Sr4Ru3O10 and bilayered (Ca1-xSrx)3Ru2O7. We have succeeded in growing high-quality single crystals of these materials using the floating-zone technique and performed systematic studies on their electronic and magnetic properties through a variety of measurements, including resistivity, Hall coefficient, angle-resolved magnetoresistivity, Hall probe microscopy, and specific heat. We have also studied microscopic magnetic properties for some of these materials using neutron scattering in collaboration with Los Alamos National Laboratory. We have observed a number of unusual exotic quantum phenomena through these studies, such as an orbital selective metamagnetic transition, bulk spin valve effect, and a heavy-mass nearly ferromagnetic state with a surprisingly large Wilson ratio. Our work has also revealed underlying physics of these exotic phenomena. Exotic phenomena of correlated

APRI - Accident Phenomena of Risk Importance. Final Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frid, W.; Hammar, L.; Soederman, E.

1996-12-01

The APRI-project started in 1992 with participation of the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate (SKI) and the Swedish utilities. The Finnish utility TVO joined the project in 1993. The aim of the project has been to work with phenomenological questions in severe accidents, concentrating on the risk-dominating issues. The work is reported in separate sub-project reports, the present is the final report of the methodological studies as well as a final report for the total project. The research has led to clarifications of the risk complex, and ameliorated the basis for advanced probabilistic safety analyses, specially for the emission risks (PSA level 2) which are being studied at the Swedish plants. A new method has been tried for analysis of complicated accident courses, giving a possibility for systematic evaluation of the impact of different important phenomena (e.g. melt-through, high pressure melt-through with direct heating of the containment atmosphere, steam explosions). In this method, the phenomena are looked upon as top events of a 'phenomena-tree', illustrating how various conditions must be met before the top-event can happen. This method has been useful, in particular for applying 'expert estimates'. 47 refs

Universal role of correlation entropy in critical phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu Shijian; Sun Changpu; Lin Haiqing

2008-01-01

In statistical physics, if we divide successively an equilibrium system into two parts, we will face a situation that, to a certain length ξ, the physics of a subsystem is no longer the same as the original one. The extensive property of the thermal entropy S(A union B) = S(A) + S(B) is then violated. This observation motivates us to introduce a concept of correlation entropy between two points, as measured by the mutual information in information theory, to study the critical phenomena. A rigorous relation is established to display some drastic features of the non-vanishing correlation entropy of a subsystem formed by any two distant particles with long-range correlation. This relation actually indicates a universal role played by the correlation entropy for understanding the critical phenomena. We also verify these analytical studies in terms of two well-studied models for both the thermal and quantum phase transitions: the two-dimensional Ising model and the one-dimensional transverse-field Ising model. Therefore, the correlation entropy provides us with a new physical intuition of the critical phenomena from the point of view of information theory

A method for three-dimensional quantitative observation of the microstructure of biological samples

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Pengfei; Chen, Dieyan; Ma, Wanyun; Wu, Hongxin; Ji, Liang; Sun, Jialin; Lv, Danyu; Zhang, Lu; Li, Ying; Tian, Ning; Zheng, Jinggao; Zhao, Fengying

2009-07-01

Contemporary biology has developed into the era of cell biology and molecular biology, and people try to study the mechanism of all kinds of biological phenomena at the microcosmic level now. Accurate description of the microstructure of biological samples is exigent need from many biomedical experiments. This paper introduces a method for 3-dimensional quantitative observation on the microstructure of vital biological samples based on two photon laser scanning microscopy (TPLSM). TPLSM is a novel kind of fluorescence microscopy, which has excellence in its low optical damage, high resolution, deep penetration depth and suitability for 3-dimensional (3D) imaging. Fluorescent stained samples were observed by TPLSM, and afterward the original shapes of them were obtained through 3D image reconstruction. The spatial distribution of all objects in samples as well as their volumes could be derived by image segmentation and mathematic calculation. Thus the 3-dimensionally and quantitatively depicted microstructure of the samples was finally derived. We applied this method to quantitative analysis of the spatial distribution of chromosomes in meiotic mouse oocytes at metaphase, and wonderful results came out last.

Some Phenomena on Negative Inversion Constructions

Science.gov (United States)

Sung, Tae-Soo

2013-01-01

We examine the characteristics of NDI (negative degree inversion) and its relation with other inversion phenomena such as SVI (subject-verb inversion) and SAI (subject-auxiliary inversion). The negative element in the NDI construction may be" not," a negative adverbial, or a negative verb. In this respect, NDI has similar licensing…

Procedure for Prioritization of Natural Phenomena Hazards Evaluations for Existing DOE Facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conrads, T.J., Westinghouse Hanford

1996-05-07

This document describes the procedure to be used for the prioritization for natural phenomena hazards evaluations of existing DOE facilities in conformance with DOE Order 5480.28, `Natural Phenomena Hazards Mitigation.`

Conditioning and breakdown phenomena in accelerator tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skorka, S.J.

1979-01-01

Important breakdown mechanisms in accelerator tubes are reviewed, and discharge phenomena in NEC tubes are deduced from the surface appearance of the electrodes and insulators of a used tube. Microphotos of these surfaces are shown

Transport phenomena and drying of solids and particulate materials

CERN Document Server

Lima, AG

2014-01-01

The purpose of this book, Transport Phenomena and Drying of Solids and Particulate Materials, is to provide a collection of recent contributions in the field of heat and mass transfer, transport phenomena, drying and wetting of solids and particulate materials. The main benefit of the book is that it discusses some of the most important topics related to the heat and mass transfer in solids and particulate materials. It includes a set of new developments in the field of basic and applied research work on the physical and chemical aspects of heat and mass transfer phenomena, drying and wetting processes, namely, innovations and trends in drying science and technology, drying mechanism and theory, equipment, advanced modelling, complex simulation and experimentation. At the same time, these topics will be going to the encounter of a variety of scientific and engineering disciplines. The book is divided in several chapters that intend to be a resume of the current state of knowledge for benefit of professional c...

Integrated pathway clusters with coherent biological themes for target prioritisation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi-An Chen

Full Text Available Prioritising candidate genes for further experimental characterisation is an essential, yet challenging task in biomedical research. One way of achieving this goal is to identify specific biological themes that are enriched within the gene set of interest to obtain insights into the biological phenomena under study. Biological pathway data have been particularly useful in identifying functional associations of genes and/or gene sets. However, biological pathway information as compiled in varied repositories often differs in scope and content, preventing a more effective and comprehensive characterisation of gene sets. Here we describe a new approach to constructing biologically coherent gene sets from pathway data in major public repositories and employing them for functional analysis of large gene sets. We first revealed significant overlaps in gene content between different pathways and then defined a clustering method based on the shared gene content and the similarity of gene overlap patterns. We established the biological relevance of the constructed pathway clusters using independent quantitative measures and we finally demonstrated the effectiveness of the constructed pathway clusters in comparative functional enrichment analysis of gene sets associated with diverse human diseases gathered from the literature. The pathway clusters and gene mappings have been integrated into the TargetMine data warehouse and are likely to provide a concise, manageable and biologically relevant means of functional analysis of gene sets and to facilitate candidate gene prioritisation.

Model predictions and analysis of enhanced biological effectiveness at low dose rates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watt, D.E.; Sykes, C.E.; Younis, A.-R.S.

1988-01-01

A severe challenge to all models purporting to describe the biological effects of ionizing radiation has arisen with the discovery of two phenomena: the anomalous trend with dose rate of the frequency of neoplastic transformation of mammalian cells and the apparent excessive damaging power of electron-capture radionuclides when incorporated into cell nuclei. A new model is proposed which predicts and enables interpretation of these phenomena. Radiation effectiveness is found to be expressible absolutely in terms of the geometrical cross-sectional area of the radiosensitive sites. The duration of the irradiation, the mean free path for ionization, the influence of particles in the slowing-down spectrum perrtaining in the medium and two collective time factors determining the mean repair rate and the mean lifetime of unidentified reactive chemical species [pt

Nanoparticle technology for treatment of Parkinson's disease: the role of surface phenomena in reaching the brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Leyva-Gómez, Gerardo; Cortés, Hernán; Magaña, Jonathan J; Leyva-García, Norberto; Quintanar-Guerrero, David; Florán, Benjamín

2015-07-01

The absence of a definitive treatment for Parkinson's disease has driven the emerging investigation in the search for novel therapeutic alternatives. At present, the formulation of different drugs on nanoparticles has represented several advantages over conventional treatments. This type of multifunctional carrier, owing to its size and composition, has different interactions in biological systems that can lead to a decrease in ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. Therefore, this review focuses on the latest advances in obtaining nanoparticles for Parkinson's disease and provides an overview of technical aspects in the design of brain drug delivery of nanoparticles and an analysis of surface phenomena, a key aspect in the development of functional nanoparticles for Parkinson's disease. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterising the development of the understanding of human body systems in high-school biology students - a longitudinal study

Science.gov (United States)

Snapir, Zohar; Eberbach, Catherine; Ben-Zvi-Assaraf, Orit; Hmelo-Silver, Cindy; Tripto, Jaklin

2017-10-01

Science education today has become increasingly focused on research into complex natural, social and technological systems. In this study, we examined the development of high-school biology students' systems understanding of the human body, in a three-year longitudinal study. The development of the students' system understanding was evaluated using the Components Mechanisms Phenomena (CMP) framework for conceptual representation. We coded and analysed the repertory grid personal constructs of 67 high-school biology students at 4 points throughout the study. Our data analysis builds on the assumption that systems understanding entails a perception of all the system categories, including structures within the system (its Components), specific processes and interactions at the macro and micro levels (Mechanisms), and the Phenomena that present the macro scale of processes and patterns within a system. Our findings suggest that as the learning process progressed, the systems understanding of our students became more advanced, moving forward within each of the major CMP categories. Moreover, there was an increase in the mechanism complexity presented by the students, manifested by more students describing mechanisms at the molecular level. Thus, the 'mechanism' category and the micro level are critical components that enable students to understand system-level phenomena such as homeostasis.

A core eating network and its modulations underlie diverse eating phenomena

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chen, Jing|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/411887548; Papies, Esther K.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304832766; Barsalou, Lawrence W.

2016-01-01

We propose that a core eating network and its modulations account for much of what is currently known about the neural activity underlying a wide range of eating phenomena in humans (excluding homeostasis and related phenomena). The core eating network is closely adapted from a network that Kaye,

RELAP5-3D code validation for RBMK phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisher, J.E.

1999-01-01

The RELAP5-3D thermal-hydraulic code was assessed against Japanese Safety Experiment Loop (SEL) and Heat Transfer Loop (HTL) tests. These tests were chosen because the phenomena present are applicable to analyses of Russian RBMK reactor designs. The assessment cases included parallel channel flow fluctuation tests at reduced and normal water levels, a channel inlet pipe rupture test, and a high power, density wave oscillation test. The results showed that RELAP5-3D has the capability to adequately represent these RBMK-related phenomena

Molecular and cellular biology of cerebral arteriovenous malformations: a review of current concepts and future trends in treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Rangel-Castilla, Leonardo; Russin, Jonathan J; Martinez-Del-Campo, Eduardo; Soriano-Baron, Hector; Spetzler, Robert F; Nakaji, Peter

2014-09-01

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are classically described as congenital static lesions. However, in addition to rupturing, AVMs can undergo growth, remodeling, and regression. These phenomena are directly related to cellular, molecular, and physiological processes. Understanding these relationships is essential to direct future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. The authors performed a search of the contemporary literature to review current information regarding the molecular and cellular biology of AVMs and how this biology will impact their potential future management. A PubMed search was performed using the key words "genetic," "molecular," "brain," "cerebral," "arteriovenous," "malformation," "rupture," "management," "embolization," and "radiosurgery." Only English-language papers were considered. The reference lists of all papers selected for full-text assessment were reviewed. Current concepts in genetic polymorphisms, growth factors, angiopoietins, apoptosis, endothelial cells, pathophysiology, clinical syndromes, medical treatment (including tetracycline and microRNA-18a), radiation therapy, endovascular embolization, and surgical treatment as they apply to AVMs are discussed. Understanding the complex cellular biology, physiology, hemodynamics, and flow-related phenomena of AVMs is critical for defining and predicting their behavior, developing novel drug treatments, and improving endovascular and surgical therapies.

Robust synthetic biology design: stochastic game theory approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Bor-Sen; Chang, Chia-Hung; Lee, Hsiao-Ching

2009-07-15

Synthetic biology is to engineer artificial biological systems to investigate natural biological phenomena and for a variety of applications. However, the development of synthetic gene networks is still difficult and most newly created gene networks are non-functioning due to uncertain initial conditions and disturbances of extra-cellular environments on the host cell. At present, how to design a robust synthetic gene network to work properly under these uncertain factors is the most important topic of synthetic biology. A robust regulation design is proposed for a stochastic synthetic gene network to achieve the prescribed steady states under these uncertain factors from the minimax regulation perspective. This minimax regulation design problem can be transformed to an equivalent stochastic game problem. Since it is not easy to solve the robust regulation design problem of synthetic gene networks by non-linear stochastic game method directly, the Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy model is proposed to approximate the non-linear synthetic gene network via the linear matrix inequality (LMI) technique through the Robust Control Toolbox in Matlab. Finally, an in silico example is given to illustrate the design procedure and to confirm the efficiency and efficacy of the proposed robust gene design method. http://www.ee.nthu.edu.tw/bschen/SyntheticBioDesign_supplement.pdf.

CP violating phenomena and theoretical results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grimus, W.

1987-01-01

An introduction to CP violating phenomena is given and the standard model and its most popular low energy extensions in this context are reviewed. The discussion comprises the minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model, left-right symmetry, the standard model with more than one Higgs doublet and gauged horizontal symmetries. (Author)

Review of Natural Phenomena Hazard (NPH) Assessments for the DOE Hanford Site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Snow, Robert L.; Ross, Steven B.

2011-09-15

The purpose of this review is to assess the need for updating Natural Phenomena Hazard (NPH) assessments for the DOE's Hanford Site, as required by DOE Order 420.1B Chapter IV, Natural Phenomena Hazards Mitigation, based on significant changes in state-of-the-art NPH assessment methodology or site-specific information. This review is an update and expansion to the September 2010 review of PNNL-19751, Review of Natural Phenomena Hazard (NPH) Assessments for the Hanford 200 Areas (Non-Seismic).

In-vessel phenomena -- CORA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ott, L.J.; Rij, W.I. van.

1991-01-01

Experiment-specific models have been employed since 1986 by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) severe accident analysis programs for the purpose of boiling water reactor experimental planning and optimum interpretation of experimental results. The large integral tests performed to date, which start from an initial undamaged core state, have involved significantly different-from-prototypic boundary and experimental conditions because of either normal facility limitations or specific experimental constraints. These experiments (ACRR: DF-4, NRU: FLHT-6, and CORA) were designed to obtain specific phenomenological information such as the degradation and interaction of prototypic components and the effects on melt progression of control-blade materials and channel boxes. Applications of ORNL models specific to the KfK CORA-16 and CORA-17 experiments are discussed and significant findings from the experimental analyses such as the following are presented: applicability of available Zircaloy oxidation kinetics correlations; influence of cladding strain on Zircaloy oxidation; influence of spacer grids on the structural heatup; and the impact of treating the gaseous coolant as a gray interacting medium. The experiment-specific models supplement and support the systems-level accident analysis codes. They allow the analyst to accurately quantify the observed experimental phenomena and to compensate for the effect of known uncertainties. They provide a basis for the efficient development of new models for phenomena that are currently not modeled (such as material interactions). They can provide validated phenomenological models (from the results of the experiments) as candidates for incorporation in the systems-level ''whole-core'' codes

In vessel core melt progression phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Courtaud, M.

1993-01-01

For all light water reactor (LWR) accidents, including the so called severe accidents where core melt down can occur, it is necessary to determine the amount and characteristics of fission products released to the environment. For existing reactors this knowledge is used to evaluate the consequences and eventual emergency plans. But for future reactors safety authorities demand decrease risks and reactors designed in such a way that fission products are retained inside the containment, the last protective barrier. This requires improved understanding and knowledge of all accident sequences. In particular it is necessary to be able to describe the very complex phenomena occurring during in vessel core melt progression because they will determine the thermal and mechanical loads on the primary circuit and the timing of its rupture as well as the fission product source term. On the other hand, in case of vessel failure, knowledge of the physical and chemical state of the core melt will provide the initial conditions for analysis of ex-vessel core melt progression and phenomena threatening the containment. Finally a good understanding of in vessel phenomena will help to improve accident management procedures like Emergency Core Cooling System water injection, blowdown and flooding of the vessel well, with their possible adverse effects. Research and Development work on this subject was initiated a long time ago and is still in progress but now it must be intensified in order to meet the safety requirements of the next generation of reactors. Experiments, limited in scale, analysis of the TMI 2 accident which is a unique source of global information and engineering judgment are used to establish and assess physical models that can be implemented in computer codes for reactor accident analysis

Transport phenomena in strongly correlated Fermi liquids

CERN Document Server

Kontani, Hiroshi

2013-01-01

In conventional metals, various transport coefficients are scaled according to the quasiparticle relaxation time, \\tau, which implies that the relaxation time approximation (RTA) holds well. However, such a simple scaling does not hold in many strongly correlated electron systems, reflecting their unique electronic states. The most famous example would be cuprate high-Tc superconductors (HTSCs), where almost all the transport coefficients exhibit a significant deviation from the RTA results. To better understand the origin of this discrepancy, we develop a method for calculating various transport coefficients beyond the RTA by employing field theoretical techniques. Near the magnetic quantum critical point, the current vertex correction (CVC), which describes the electron-electron scattering beyond the relaxation time approximation, gives rise to various anomalous transport phenomena. We explain anomalous transport phenomena in cuprate HTSCs and other metals near their magnetic or orbital quantum critical poi...

The chemistry of nonaqueous solvents v.4 solution phenomena and aprotic solvents

CERN Document Server

Lagowski, J J

1976-01-01

The Chemistry of Nonaqueous Solvents, Volume IV: Solution Phenomena and Aprotic Solvents focuses on the chemistry of nonaqueous solvents, with emphasis on solution phenomena and aprotic solvents such as tetramethylurea, inorganic acid chlorides, cyclic carbonates, and sulfolane. This book is organized into seven chapters and begins with an overview of the theory of electrical conductivity and elementary experimental considerations, along with some of the interesting research on nonaqueous solvents. It then turns to a discussion on hydrogen bonding phenomena in nonaqueous systems as probed

Study of interfacial phenomena for bio/chemical sensing applications

Science.gov (United States)

Min, Hwall

This work presents the fundamental study of biological and chemical interfacial phenomena and (bio)chemical sensing applications using high frequency resonator arrays. To realize a versatile (bio)chemical sensing system for the fundamental study as well as their practical applications, the following three distinct components were studied and developed: i) detection platforms with high sensitivity, ii) novel innovative sensing materials with high selectivity, iii) analytical model for data interpretation. 8-pixel micromachined quartz crystal resonator (muQCR) arrays with a fundamental resonance frequency of 60 ¡V 90 MHz have been used to provide a reliable detection platform with high sensitivity. Room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) has been explored and integrated into the sensing system as a smart chemical sensing material. The use of nanoporous gold (np-Au) enables the combination of the resonator and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for both quantitative and qualitative measurement. A statistical model for the characterization of resonator behavior to study the protein adsorption kinetics is developed by random sequential adsorption (RSA) approach with the integration of an effective surface depletion theory. The investigation of the adsorption kinetics of blood proteins is reported as the fundamental study of biological phenomena using the proposed sensing system. The aim of this work is to study different aspects of protein adsorption and kinetics of adsorption process with blood proteins on different surfaces. We specifically focus on surface depletion effect in conjunction with the RSA model to explain the observed adsorption isotherm characteristics. A number of case studies on protein adsorption conducted using the proposed sensing system has been discussed. Effort is specifically made to understand adsorption kinetics, and the effect of surface on the adsorption process as well as the properties of the adsorbed protein layer. The second half of the

Systems biology of resilience and optimal health: integrating Chinese and Western medicine perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Herman van Wietmarschen

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Western science has been strong in measuring details of biological systems such as gene expression levels and metabolite concentrations, and has generally followed a bottom up approach with regard to explaining biological phenomena. Chinese medicine in contrast has evolved as a top down approach in which body and mind is seen as a whole, a phenomenological approach based on the organization and dynamics of symptom patterns. Western and Chinese perspectives are developing towards a ‘middle out’ approach. Chinese medicine diagnosis, we will argue, allows bridging the gap between biologists and psychologists and offers new opportunities for the development of health monitoring tools and health promotion strategies.

A Retrospection of Chaotic Phenomena in Electrical Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Umesh Kumar

1998-01-01

Full Text Available In the last decade new phenomena have been observed in all areas of non linear dynamics, principal among these being ‘Chaotic phenomena’. Chaos has been reported virtually from every scientific discipline. This paper summarizes a study of the chaotic phenomena in electrical systems and attempts to translate the mathematical ideas and techniques into language that engineers and applied scientists can use to study ‘Chaos’. Towards this end, the paper has summarized the study of chaos in several examples like Chua’s circuit family; Folded Torus circuit; non-autonomous circuits; switched capacitor circuits and hyper-chaos circuits. As observed in power systems, control systems and digital filters, chaos has been exhibited and shown on examples.

Maxwell Prize Talk: Scaling Laws for the Dynamical Plasma Phenomena

Science.gov (United States)

Ryutov, Livermore, Ca 94550, Usa, D. D.

2017-10-01

The scaling and similarity technique is a powerful tool for developing and testing reduced models of complex phenomena, including plasma phenomena. The technique has been successfully used in identifying appropriate simplified models of transport in quasistationary plasmas. In this talk, the similarity and scaling arguments will be applied to highly dynamical systems, in which temporal evolution of the plasma leads to a significant change of plasma dimensions, shapes, densities, and other parameters with respect to initial state. The scaling and similarity techniques for dynamical plasma systems will be presented as a set of case studies of problems from various domains of the plasma physics, beginning with collisonless plasmas, through intermediate collisionalities, to highly collisional plasmas describable by the single-fluid MHD. Basic concepts of the similarity theory will be introduced along the way. Among the results discussed are: self-similarity of Langmuir turbulence driven by a hot electron cloud expanding into a cold background plasma; generation of particle beams in disrupting pinches; interference between collisionless and collisional phenomena in the shock physics; similarity for liner-imploded plasmas; MHD similarities with an emphasis on the effect of small-scale (turbulent) structures on global dynamics. Relations between astrophysical phenomena and scaled laboratory experiments will be discussed.

Biomedical Signals and Sensors I Linking Physiological Phenomena and Biosignals

CERN Document Server

Kaniusas, Eugenijus

2012-01-01

This two-volume set focuses on the interface between physiologic mechanisms and diagnostic human engineering. Today numerous biomedical sensors are commonplace in clinical practice. The registered biosignals reflect mostly vital physiologic phenomena. In order to adequately apply biomedical sensors and reasonably interpret the corresponding biosignals, a proper understanding of the involved physiologic phenomena, their influence on the registered biosignals, and the technology behind the sensors is necessary. The first volume is devoted to the interface between physiologic mechanisms and arising biosignals, whereas the second volume is focussed on the interface between biosignals and biomedical sensors. The physiologic mechanisms behind the biosignals are described from the basic cellular level up to their advanced mutual coordination level during sleep. The arising biosignals are discussed within the scope of vital physiologic phenomena to foster their understanding and comprehensive analysis.

Synthetic glycopeptides and glycoproteins with applications in biological research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ulrika Westerlind

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Over the past few years, synthetic methods for the preparation of complex glycopeptides have been drastically improved. The need for homogenous glycopeptides and glycoproteins with defined chemical structures to study diverse biological phenomena further enhances the development of methodologies. Selected recent advances in synthesis and applications, in which glycopeptides or glycoproteins serve as tools for biological studies, are reviewed. The importance of specific antibodies directed to the glycan part, as well as the peptide backbone has been realized during the development of synthetic glycopeptide-based anti-tumor vaccines. The fine-tuning of native chemical ligation (NCL, expressed protein ligation (EPL, and chemoenzymatic glycosylation techniques have all together enabled the synthesis of functional glycoproteins. The synthesis of structurally defined, complex glycopeptides or glyco-clusters presented on natural peptide backbones, or mimics thereof, offer further possibilities to study protein-binding events.

Critical phenomena at a first-order phase transition in a lattice of glow lamps: Experimental findings and analogy to neural activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minati, Ludovico, E-mail: lminati@ieee.org, E-mail: ludovico.minati@unitn.it, E-mail: ludovico.minati@ifj.edu [Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38123 Mattarello (Italy); Complex Systems Theory Department, Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków (Poland); Candia, Antonio de [Department of Physics “E. Pancini,” University of Naples “Federico II,” Napoli (Italy); INFN Gr. Coll. Salerno, Unità di Napoli, Napoli (Italy); Scarpetta, Silvia [INFN Gr. Coll. Salerno, Unità di Napoli, Napoli (Italy); Department of Physics “E.R.Caianiello,” University of Salerno, Napoli (Italy)

2016-07-15

Networks of non-linear electronic oscillators have shown potential as physical models of neural dynamics. However, two properties of brain activity, namely, criticality and metastability, remain under-investigated with this approach. Here, we present a simple circuit that exhibits both phenomena. The apparatus consists of a two-dimensional square lattice of capacitively coupled glow (neon) lamps. The dynamics of lamp breakdown (flash) events are controlled by a DC voltage globally connected to all nodes via fixed resistors. Depending on this parameter, two phases having distinct event rate and degree of spatiotemporal order are observed. The transition between them is hysteretic, thus a first-order one, and it is possible to enter a metastability region, wherein, approaching a spinodal point, critical phenomena emerge. Avalanches of events occur according to power-law distributions having exponents ≈3/2 for size and ≈2 for duration, and fractal structure is evident as power-law scaling of the Fano factor. These critical exponents overlap observations in biological neural networks; hence, this circuit may have value as building block to realize corresponding physical models.

On Process Modelling Using Physical Oriented And Phenomena Based Principles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mihai Culea

2000-12-01

Full Text Available This work presents a modelling framework based on phenomena description of the process. The approach is taken to easy understand and construct process model in heterogeneous possible distributed modelling and simulation environments. A simplified case study of a heat exchanger is considered and Modelica modelling language to check the proposed concept. The partial results are promising and the research effort will be extended in a computer aided modelling environment based on phenomena.

The experiment and analysis on small leak phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Kyung Chai; Hwang, S. T.; Kim, B. H.; Jeong, J. Y.

2000-07-01

The liquid sodium which is used as a coolant in LMFBR, may give rise to a serious trouble in the safety aspect of steam generator. The defects in a heat transfer tube, such as pin-hole or tube welding defect, will result in a leakage of high pressure steam into the sodium side and production of hydrogen gas and corrosive sodium compounds which can cause significant damage to the tube wall of steam generator by using exothermic reaction. In significant damage to the tube wall of steam generator by using exothermic reaction. In this case, initial leak size will be enlarged with time and the leak rate developed to large leak through the micro, small, intermediate leaks. Therefore, the analysis of sodium-water reaction phenomena on the micro and small water leaks in the heat transfer tube is very important in the initial leak stage in the aspects of the protection of leak progress and safety evaluation of steam generator. In this study, firstly, the micro and small leaks phenomena, such as reopen size, shape, and time of leak path, self-wastage, corrosion of tube materials, was analyzed from the literature survey and water leakage experiments using the leak specimen. In small water leak experiments, the leak path was plugged by the sodium-water reaction products at the leak path of a specimen, and re-open phenomena were not observed in initial experiments. Other leak experiments, reopen phenomena of self-plugged leak path was observed. Re-open mechanism of sealed path could be explained by the thermal transient and vibration of heat transfer tube. As a result, perfect reopen time of self plugged leak path was observed to be about 130 minutes after water leak initiation. Reopen shape of a specimen was appeared with double layer of circular type, and reopen size of this specimen surface was about 2 mm diameter on sodium side. Also, the corrosion of a specimen initiated from sodium side, the segregation phenomena of Cr in the specimen was found much more than those of

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROBABLY-GEOGRAPHICAL FORECAST METHOD FOR DANGEROUS WEATHER PHENOMENA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena S. Popova

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a scheme method of probably-geographical forecast for dangerous weather phenomena. Discuss two general realization stages of this method. Emphasize that developing method is response to actual questions of modern weather forecast and it’s appropriate phenomena: forecast is carried out for specific point in space and appropriate moment of time.

A MODELING AND SIMULATION LANGUAGE FOR BIOLOGICAL CELLS WITH COUPLED MECHANICAL AND CHEMICAL PROCESSES.

Science.gov (United States)

Somogyi, Endre; Glazier, James A

2017-04-01

Biological cells are the prototypical example of active matter. Cells sense and respond to mechanical, chemical and electrical environmental stimuli with a range of behaviors, including dynamic changes in morphology and mechanical properties, chemical uptake and secretion, cell differentiation, proliferation, death, and migration. Modeling and simulation of such dynamic phenomena poses a number of computational challenges. A modeling language describing cellular dynamics must naturally represent complex intra and extra-cellular spatial structures and coupled mechanical, chemical and electrical processes. Domain experts will find a modeling language most useful when it is based on concepts, terms and principles native to the problem domain. A compiler must then be able to generate an executable model from this physically motivated description. Finally, an executable model must efficiently calculate the time evolution of such dynamic and inhomogeneous phenomena. We present a spatial hybrid systems modeling language, compiler and mesh-free Lagrangian based simulation engine which will enable domain experts to define models using natural, biologically motivated constructs and to simulate time evolution of coupled cellular, mechanical and chemical processes acting on a time varying number of cells and their environment.

Active Interaction Mapping as a tool to elucidate hierarchical functions of biological processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Farré, Jean-Claude; Kramer, Michael; Ideker, Trey; Subramani, Suresh

2017-07-03

Increasingly, various 'omics data are contributing significantly to our understanding of novel biological processes, but it has not been possible to iteratively elucidate hierarchical functions in complex phenomena. We describe a general systems biology approach called Active Interaction Mapping (AI-MAP), which elucidates the hierarchy of functions for any biological process. Existing and new 'omics data sets can be iteratively added to create and improve hierarchical models which enhance our understanding of particular biological processes. The best datatypes to further improve an AI-MAP model are predicted computationally. We applied this approach to our understanding of general and selective autophagy, which are conserved in most eukaryotes, setting the stage for the broader application to other cellular processes of interest. In the particular application to autophagy-related processes, we uncovered and validated new autophagy and autophagy-related processes, expanded known autophagy processes with new components, integrated known non-autophagic processes with autophagy and predict other unexplored connections.

Ordinary differential equations with applications in molecular biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Ilea, M; Turnea, M; Rotariu, M

2012-01-01

Differential equations are of basic importance in molecular biology mathematics because many biological laws and relations appear mathematically in the form of a differential equation. In this article we presented some applications of mathematical models represented by ordinary differential equations in molecular biology. The vast majority of quantitative models in cell and molecular biology are formulated in terms of ordinary differential equations for the time evolution of concentrations of molecular species. Assuming that the diffusion in the cell is high enough to make the spatial distribution of molecules homogenous, these equations describe systems with many participating molecules of each kind. We propose an original mathematical model with small parameter for biological phospholipid pathway. All the equations system includes small parameter epsilon. The smallness of epsilon is relative to the size of the solution domain. If we reduce the size of the solution region the same small epsilon will result in a different condition number. It is clear that the solution for a smaller region is less difficult. We introduce the mathematical technique known as boundary function method for singular perturbation system. In this system, the small parameter is an asymptotic variable, different from the independent variable. In general, the solutions of such equations exhibit multiscale phenomena. Singularly perturbed problems form a special class of problems containing a small parameter which may tend to zero. Many molecular biology processes can be quantitatively characterized by ordinary differential equations. Mathematical cell biology is a very active and fast growing interdisciplinary area in which mathematical concepts, techniques, and models are applied to a variety of problems in developmental medicine and bioengineering. Among the different modeling approaches, ordinary differential equations (ODE) are particularly important and have led to significant advances

BWR core melt progression phenomena: Experimental analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ott, L.J.

1992-01-01

In the BWR Core Melt in Progression Phenomena Program, experimental results concerning severe fuel damage and core melt progression in BWR core geometry are used to evaluate existing models of the governing phenomena. These include control blade eutectic liquefaction and the subsequent relocation and attack on the channel box structure; oxidation heating and hydrogen generation; Zircaloy melting and relocation; and the continuing oxidation of zirconium with metallic blockage formation. Integral data have been obtained from the BWR DF-4 experiment in the ACRR and from BWR tests in the German CORA exreactor fuel-damage test facility. Additional integral data will be obtained from new CORA BWR test, the full-length FLHT-6 BWR test in the NRU test reactor, and the new program of exreactor experiments at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) on metallic melt relocation and blockage formation. an essential part of this activity is interpretation and use of the results of the BWR tests. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has developed experiment-specific models for analysis of the BWR experiments; to date, these models have permitted far more precise analyses of the conditions in these experiments than has previously been available. These analyses have provided a basis for more accurate interpretation of the phenomena that the experiments are intended to investigate. The results of posttest analyses of BWR experiments are discussed and significant findings from these analyses are explained. The ORNL control blade/canister models with materials interaction, relocation and blockage models are currently being implemented in SCDAP/RELAP5 as an optional structural component

Inverse Analysis of Cavitation Impact Phenomena on Structures

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Lambrakos, S. G; Tran, N. E

2007-01-01

A general methodology is presented for in situ detection of cavitation impact phenomena on structures based on inverse analysis of luminescent emissions resulting from the collapsing of bubbles onto surfaces...

Psychosocial Aspects of Dental Anxiety and Clinical Pain Phenomena

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moore, Rod

This Danish Doctoral Dissertation in the science of Odontology contains 7 chapters: 1) Introduction to a social perspective on dental treatment, anxiety and pain throughout time, 2) research models and methods to study dental anxiety and clinical pain phenomena, 3) the fear of dental treatment...... .. what it is and what it is not and how many have it, 4) clinical pain treatment, psychosocial aspects in relation to anxiety, 4) patients and dentists' roles, pain perception and anxiety, 6) psychosocial aspects of managing anxiety and pain phenomena, and 7) Conclusions and proposals for the future...

Modified Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table (PIRT) for Uncertainty Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gol-Mohamad, Mohammad P.; Modarres, Mohammad; Mosleh, Ali

2006-01-01

This paper describes a methodology of characterizing important phenomena, which is also part of a broader research by the authors called 'Modified PIRT'. The methodology provides robust process of phenomena identification and ranking process for more precise quantification of uncertainty. It is a two-step process of identifying and ranking methodology based on thermal-hydraulics (TH) importance as well as uncertainty importance. Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) has been used for as a formal approach for TH identification and ranking. Formal uncertainty importance technique is used to estimate the degree of credibility of the TH model(s) used to represent the important phenomena. This part uses subjective justification by evaluating available information and data from experiments, and code predictions. The proposed methodology was demonstrated by developing a PIRT for large break loss of coolant accident LBLOCA for the LOFT integral facility with highest core power (test LB-1). (authors)

Homoclinic phenomena in the gravitational collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koiller, J.; Mello Neto, J.R.T. de; Soares, I.D.

1984-01-01

A class of Bianchi IX cosmological models is shown to have chaotic gravitational collapse, due to Poincare's homoclinic phenomena. Such models can be programmed so that for any given positive integer N (N=infinity included) the universe undergoes N non-periodic oscillations (each oscillation requiring a long time) before collapsing. For N=infinity the universe undergoes periodic oscillations. (Author) [pt

Transport phenomena in materials processing---1990

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bishop, B.J.; Lior, N.; Lavine, A.; Flik, M.; Karwe, M.V.; Bergman, T.L.; Beckermann, C.; Charmchi, M.

1990-01-01

The papers contained in this volume represent a wide range of current research interests in processes such as food and polymer processing, casting, welding, machining, laser cutting, and superconductor processing. This volume includes papers presented in four sessions: Heat Transfer in Materials Processing; Thermal Phenomena in Superconductor Processing; Heat Transfer in Food and Polymer Processing; Heat Transfer in CAsting and Welding

Modelling of flow phenomena during DC casting

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zuidema, J.

2005-01-01

Modelling of Flow Phenomena during DC Casting Jan Zuidema The production of aluminium ingots, by semi-continuous casting, is a complex process. DC Casting stands for direct chill casting. During this process liquid aluminium transforms to solid aluminium while cooling down. This is not an

Simple classical approach to spin resonance phenomena

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gordon, R A

1977-01-01

A simple classical method of describing spin resonance in terms of the average power absorbed by a spin system is discussed. The method has several advantages over more conventional treatments, and a number of important spin resonance phenomena, not normally considered at the introductory level...

Anomalous radon emanation linked to preseismic electromagnetic phenomena

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Omori

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Anomalous emanation of radon (²²²Rn was observed preceding large earthquakes and is considered to be linked to preseismic electromagnetic phenomena (e.g. great changes of atmospheric electric field and ionospheric disturbances. Here we analyze atmospheric radon concentration and estimate changes of electrical conditions in atmosphere due to preseismic radon anomaly. The increase of radon emanation obeys crustal damage evolution, following a power-law of time-to-earthquake. Moreover, the radon emanation decreases the atmospheric electric field by 40%, besides influencing the maximum strength of atmospheric electric field by 10⁴–10⁵ V/m enough to trigger ionospheric disturbances. These changes are within the ranges observed or explaining electromagnetic phenomena associated with large earthquakes.

Acoustic phenomena during boiling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dorofeev, B.M.

1985-01-01

Applied and theoretical significance of investigation into acoustic phenomena on boiling is discussed. Effect of spatial and time conditions on pressure vapour bubble has been elucidated. Collective effects were considered: acoustic interaction of bubbles, noise formation ion developed boiling, resonance and hydrodynamic autooscillations. Different methods for predicting heat transfer crisis using changes of accompanying noise characteristics were analysed. Principle peculiarities of generation mechanism of thermoacoustic autooscillations were analysed as well: formation of standing waves; change of two-phase medium contraction in a channel; relation of alternating pressure with boiling process as well as with instantaneous and local temperatures of heat transfer surface and liquid in a boundary layer

Multiparticle phenomena and Landau damping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Talman, R.

1987-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to survey various methods of studying multiparticle phenomena in accelerators. Both experimental and theoretical methods are described. An effort has been made to emphasize the intuitive and qualitative aspects rather than the detailed mathematics. Some of the terms or concepts to be explained are coherent and incoherent tunes, normal modes, Landau damping, beam-transfer functions, and feedback. These are all of daily importance in the interpretation of colliding-beam observations and the control of performance

Detective text of post-modernism: precedential phenomena as linguacultural markers of intertexuality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tuova Ruzana Hamedovna

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Detective postmodern text is characterized by active functioning of gaming modality, which is partly responsible for its inclusion in the semantic space of precedent phenomena. Precedential phenomena mark elements of linguaculture and intertextuality as one of the important features of the postmodern age. Dual transformation, which is subjected to precedent phenomena determines ultimately receptive-interpretive activity of the reader: producing text simulates certain perception through the signs of the text of the addresser and the recipient creates a new text according to their own ideas about the text-addresser and the author’s vision. Polyfunctionality of postmodern text is determined by the presence in it of precedent phenomena and polyvariety of interpretations of detective texts due to the interaction with the case genre that is reflected in the author’s game with meanings. Game modality focused on comic effect by binding the text and contrasting concepts, which helps the recipient to render artistic images, characters and plot situations, strengthening the vitality of precedent phenomena. In detective novels by Boris Akunin texts and precedent names are widely used, provoking the reader to intellectual activity and, thus, involving in the interpretation of the text of its common cultural postmodern experience.

Nonlinear stochastic systems with network-induced phenomena recursive filtering and sliding-mode design

CERN Document Server

Hu, Jun; Gao, Huijun

2014-01-01

This monograph introduces methods for handling filtering and control problems in nonlinear stochastic systems arising from network-induced phenomena consequent on limited communication capacity. Such phenomena include communication delay, packet dropout, signal quantization or saturation, randomly occurring nonlinearities and randomly occurring uncertainties.The text is self-contained, beginning with an introduction to nonlinear stochastic systems, network-induced phenomena and filtering and control, moving through a collection of the latest research results which focuses on the three aspects

The case for biological quantum computer elements

Science.gov (United States)

Baer, Wolfgang; Pizzi, Rita

2009-05-01

An extension to vonNeumann's analysis of quantum theory suggests self-measurement is a fundamental process of Nature. By mapping the quantum computer to the brain architecture we will argue that the cognitive experience results from a measurement of a quantum memory maintained by biological entities. The insight provided by this mapping suggests quantum effects are not restricted to small atomic and nuclear phenomena but are an integral part of our own cognitive experience and further that the architecture of a quantum computer system parallels that of a conscious brain. We will then review the suggestions for biological quantum elements in basic neural structures and address the de-coherence objection by arguing for a self- measurement event model of Nature. We will argue that to first order approximation the universe is composed of isolated self-measurement events which guaranties coherence. Controlled de-coherence is treated as the input/output interactions between quantum elements of a quantum computer and the quantum memory maintained by biological entities cognizant of the quantum calculation results. Lastly we will present stem-cell based neuron experiments conducted by one of us with the aim of demonstrating the occurrence of quantum effects in living neural networks and discuss future research projects intended to reach this objective.

Emergent Phenomena at Oxide Interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, H.Y.

2012-01-01

Transition metal oxides (TMOs) are an ideal arena for the study of electronic correlations because the s-electrons of the transition metal ions are removed and transferred to oxygen ions, and hence the strongly correlated d-electrons determine their physical properties such as electrical transport, magnetism, optical response, thermal conductivity, and superconductivity. These electron correlations prohibit the double occupancy of metal sites and induce a local entanglement of charge, spin, and orbital degrees of freedom. This gives rise to a variety of phenomena, e.g., Mott insulators, various charge/spin/orbital orderings, metal-insulator transitions, multiferroics, and superconductivity. In recent years, there has been a burst of activity to manipulate these phenomena, as well as create new ones, using oxide heterostructures. Most fundamental to understanding the physical properties of TMOs is the concept of symmetry of the order parameter. As Landau recognized, the essence of phase transitions is the change of the symmetry. For example, ferromagnetic ordering breaks the rotational symmetry in spin space, i.e., the ordered phase has lower symmetry than the Hamiltonian of the system. There are three most important symmetries to be considered here. (i) Spatial inversion (I), defined as r → -r. In the case of an insulator, breaking this symmetry can lead to spontaneous electric polarization, i.e. ferroelectricity, or pyroelectricity once the point group belongs to polar group symmetry. (ii) Time-reversal symmetry (T) defined as t → -t. In quantum mechanics, the time-evolution of the wave-function Ψ is given by the phase factor e -iEt/h b ar with E being the energy, and hence time-reversal basically corresponds to taking the complex conjugate of the wave-function. Also the spin, which is induced by the 'spinning' of the particle, is reversed by time-reversal. Broken T-symmetry is most naturally associated with magnetism, since the spin operator changes sign

Understanding the physics of changing mass phenomena

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ellermeijer, A.L.

2008-01-01

Changing mass phenomena, like a falling chain or a bungee jumper, might give surprising results, even for experienced physicists. They have resulted in hot discussions in journals, in which for instance Physics professors claim the impossibility of an acceleration larger then g in case of a bungee

Cavitation phenomena in extracorporeal microexplosion lithotripsy

Science.gov (United States)

Tomita, Y.; Obara, T.; Takayama, K.; Kuwahara, M.

1994-09-01

An experimental investigation was made of cavitation phenomena induced by underwater shock wave focusing applied to the extracorporeal microexplosion lithotripsy (microexplosion ESWL). Firstly an underwater microexplosion generated by detonation of a 10 mg silver azide pellet was studied and secondly underwater shock focusing and its induced cavitation phenomena were investgated. Underwater shock wave was focused by using a semi-ellipsoidal reflector in which a shock wave generated at the first focal point of the reflector was reflected and focused at the second focal point. It is found that an explosion product gas bubble did not produce any distinct rebound shocks. Meantime cavitation appeared after shock focusing at the second focal point where expansion waves originated at the exit of the reflector were simultaneously collected. A shock/bubble interaction is found to contribute not only to urinary tract stone disintegration but also tissue damage. The cavitation effect associated with the microexplosion ESWL was weaker in comparison with a spark discharge ESWL. The microexplosion ESWL is an effective method which can minimize the number of shock exposures hence decreasing tissue damage by conducting precise positioning of urinary tract stones.

Introduction to symmetry-breaking phenomena in physics

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva. Audiovisual Unit

2001-01-01

The notion of broken symmetries started slowly to emerge in the 19th century. The early studies of Pasteur on the parity asymmetry of life, the studies of Curie on piezoelectricity and on the symmetries of effects versus the symmetry of causes ( which clearly excluded spontaneous symmetry breaking), are important historical landmarks. However the possibility of spontaneous symmetry breaking within the usual principles of statistical mechanics, waited for the work of Peierls and Onsager. The whole theory of phase transitions and critical phenomena, as well as the construction of field theoretic models as long distance limit of yet unknown physics, relies nowadays on the concept of criticality associated to spontaneous symmetry breaking. The phenomena of Goldstone bosons, of Meissner-Higgs effects, are central to the theory of condensed matter as well as to particle physics. In cosmology as well, the various inflationary scenarios begin similarly with this same concept. The three lectures will provide a simple ...

Computational transport phenomena of fluid-particle systems

CERN Document Server

Arastoopour, Hamid; Abbasi, Emad

2017-01-01

This book concerns the most up-to-date advances in computational transport phenomena (CTP), an emerging tool for the design of gas-solid processes such as fluidized bed systems. The authors examine recent work in kinetic theory and CTP and illustrate gas-solid processes’ many applications in the energy, chemical, pharmaceutical, and food industries. They also discuss the kinetic theory approach in developing constitutive equations for gas-solid flow systems and how it has advanced over the last decade as well as the possibility of obtaining innovative designs for multiphase reactors, such as those needed to capture CO2 from flue gases. Suitable as a concise reference and a textbook supplement for graduate courses, Computational Transport Phenomena of Gas-Solid Systems is ideal for practitioners in industries involved with the design and operation of processes based on fluid/particle mixtures, such as the energy, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and food processing. Explains how to couple the population balance e...

Introductory note on phase transitions and critical phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, C.N.

1983-01-01

The author briefly reviews the development of classical statistical mechanics, particularly the contributions of Gibbs. The author then turns to quantum mechanical formulations of phase transitions and critical phenomena, mentioning several seminal works

Composite Structural Motifs of Binding Sites for Delineating Biological Functions of Proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Kinjo, Akira R.; Nakamura, Haruki

2012-01-01

Most biological processes are described as a series of interactions between proteins and other molecules, and interactions are in turn described in terms of atomic structures. To annotate protein functions as sets of interaction states at atomic resolution, and thereby to better understand the relation between protein interactions and biological functions, we conducted exhaustive all-against-all atomic structure comparisons of all known binding sites for ligands including small molecules, proteins and nucleic acids, and identified recurring elementary motifs. By integrating the elementary motifs associated with each subunit, we defined composite motifs that represent context-dependent combinations of elementary motifs. It is demonstrated that function similarity can be better inferred from composite motif similarity compared to the similarity of protein sequences or of individual binding sites. By integrating the composite motifs associated with each protein function, we define meta-composite motifs each of which is regarded as a time-independent diagrammatic representation of a biological process. It is shown that meta-composite motifs provide richer annotations of biological processes than sequence clusters. The present results serve as a basis for bridging atomic structures to higher-order biological phenomena by classification and integration of binding site structures. PMID:22347478

Brain functional integration: an epidemiologic study on stress-producing dissociative phenomena

Science.gov (United States)

Messina, Giovanni; Carotenuto, Marco; Maldonato, Nelson Mauro; Moretto, Enrico; Leone, Elena; De Luca, Vincenzo; Monda, Marcellino; Messina, Antonietta

2018-01-01

Dissociative phenomena are common among psychiatric patients; the presence of these symptoms can worsen the prognosis, increasing the severity of their clinical conditions and exposing them to increased risk of suicidal behavior. Personality disorders as long duration stressful experiences may support the development of dissociative phenomena. In 933 psychiatric outpatients consecutively recruited, presence of dissociative phenomena was identified with the Dissociative Experience Scale (DES). Dissociative phenomena were significantly more severe in the group of people with mental disorders and/or personality disorders. All psychopathologic traits detected with the symptom checklist-90-revised had a significant correlation with the total score on the DES. Using total DES score as the dependent variable, a linear regression model was constructed. Mental and personality disorders which were associated with greater severity of dissociative phenomena on analysis of variance were included as predictors; scores from the nine scales of symptom checklist-90-revised, significantly correlated to total DES score, were used as covariates. The model consisted of seven explanatory variables (four factors and three covariates) explaining 82% of variance. The four significant factors were the presence of borderline and narcissistic personality disorder, substance abuse disorders and psychotic disorders. Significant covariates were psychopathologic traits of anger, psychoticism and obsessiveness. This study, confirming Janet’s theory, explains that, mental disorders and psychopathologic experiences of patients can configure the chronic stress condition that produces functional damage to the adaptive executive system. The symptoms of dissociative depersonalization/derealization and dissociative amnesia can be explained, in large part, through their current and previous psychopathologic experiences. PMID:29296086

Pre-breakdown light emission phenomena in low-pressure argon between parabolic electrodes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wagenaars, E.; Perriëns, N.W.B.; Brok, W.J.M.; Bowden, M.D.; Veldhuizen, van E.M.; Kroesen, G.M.W.

2006-01-01

An experimental study on pre-breakdown light emission in low-pressure argon gas was performed. In a pulsed discharge, pre-breakdown phenomena were observed for repetition rates between 100 and 2000 Hz and pulse duration of 100 ¿s. These phenomena were studied with time-resolved emission imaging

Development of a preliminary PIRT (Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table) of thermal-hydraulic phenomena for 330MWt SMART integral reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, B. D.; Lee, W. J.; Sim, S. K.; Song, J. H.; Kim, H. C.

1997-09-01

The work reported in this document identifies the thermal-hydraulic phenomena that are expected to occur during a number of key transients in a 330 MWt SMART integral reactor which is under development at KAERI. The result of this efforts is based on the current design concept of SMART integral reactor. Although the design is still evolving, the preliminary Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table (PIRT) has been developed based on the experts` knowledge and experience. The preliminary PIRT has been developed by the consensus of KAERI expert panelists and AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process). Preliminary PIRT developed in this report is intended for use to identify and integrate development areas of further experimental tests needed and thermal-hydraulic models and correlations and code improvements for the safety analysis of the SMART integral reactor. (author). 7 refs., 21 tabs., 22 figs.

Phenomena and Diosignes of Aratous

Science.gov (United States)

Avgoloupis, S. I.

2013-01-01

Aratous (305-240B.C.) was a singular intellectual, writer and poet which engage himself to compose a very interesting astronomical poet, using the "Dactylous sixstage' style, the formal style of the ancient Greek Epic poetry. This astronomic poem of Aratous "Phenomena and Diosignes" became very favorite reading during the Alexandrine, the Romman and the Byzandin eras as well and had received many praises from significant poets and particularly from Hipparchous and from Theonas from Alexandria, an astronomer of 4rth century A.C.(in Greeks)

Nonlinear Dynamic Phenomena in Mechanics

CERN Document Server

Warminski, Jerzy; Cartmell, Matthew P

2012-01-01

Nonlinear phenomena should play a crucial role in the design and control of engineering systems and structures as they can drastically change the prevailing dynamical responses. This book covers theoretical and applications-based problems of nonlinear dynamics concerned with both discrete and continuous systems of interest in civil and mechanical engineering. They include pendulum-like systems, slender footbridges, shape memory alloys, sagged elastic cables and non-smooth problems. Pendulums can be used as a dynamic absorber mounted in high buildings, bridges or chimneys. Geometrical nonlinear

Quantum phenomena in gravitational field

Science.gov (United States)

Bourdel, Th.; Doser, M.; Ernest, A. D.; Voronin, A. Yu.; Voronin, V. V.

2011-10-01

The subjects presented here are very different. Their common feature is that they all involve quantum phenomena in a gravitational field: gravitational quantum states of ultracold antihydrogen above a material surface and measuring a gravitational interaction of antihydrogen in AEGIS, a quantum trampoline for ultracold atoms, and a hypothesis on naturally occurring gravitational quantum states, an Eötvös-type experiment with cold neutrons and others. Considering them together, however, we could learn that they have many common points both in physics and in methodology.

Quantum phenomena in gravitational field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourdel, Th.; Doser, M.; Ernest, A.D.; Voronin, A.Y.; Voronin, V.V.

2010-01-01

The subjects presented here are very different. Their common feature is that they all involve quantum phenomena in a gravitational field: gravitational quantum states of ultracold anti-hydrogen above a material surface and measuring a gravitational interaction of anti-hydrogen in AEGIS, a quantum trampoline for ultracold atoms, and a hypothesis on naturally occurring gravitational quantum states, an Eoetvoes-type experiment with cold neutrons and others. Considering them together, however, we could learn that they have many common points both in physics and in methodology. (authors)

Toward a CFD-grade database addressing LWR containment phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paladino, Domenico; Andreani, Michele; Zboray, Robert; Dreier, Jörg

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The SETH-2 PANDA tests have supplied data with CFD-grade on plumes and jets at large-scale. ► The PANDA tests have contributed to the understanding of phenomena with high safety relevance for LWRs. ► The analytical activities related increased confidence in the use of various computational tools for safety analysis. - Abstract: The large-scale, multi-compartment PANDA facility (located at PSI in Switzerland) is one of the state-of-the-art facilities which is continuously upgraded to progressively match the requirements of CFD-grade experiments. Within the OECD/SETH projects, the PANDA facility has been used for the creation of an experimental database on basic containment phenomena e.g. gas mixing, transport, stratification, condensation. In the PANDA tests, these phenomena are driven by large scale plumes or jets. In the paper is presented a selection of the SETH PANDA experimental results. Examples of analytical activities performed at PSI using the GOTHIC, CFX-4 and CFX-5 codes will be used to illustrate how the spatial and temporal resolutions of the measurement grid in PANDA tests are adequate for CFD code (and advanced containment codes) assessment and validation purposes.

Light-induced phenomena in polymeric thin films

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Nešpůrek, Stanislav; Pospíšil, Jan

2005-01-01

Roč. 7, č. 3 (2005), s. 1157-1168 ISSN 1454-4164 R&D Projects: GA MŠk ME 700 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : Light-induced phenomena * photodegradation * photochromism Subject RIV: BG - Nuclear, Atomic and Molecular Physics, Colliders Impact factor: 1.138, year: 2005

Novel experimentally observed phenomena in soft matter

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The resulting flow is non-Newtonian and is characterized by features such as shear rate-dependent viscosities and nonzero normal stresses. This article begins with an introduction to some unusual flow properties displayed by soft matter. Experiments that report a spectrum of novel phenomena exhibited by these materials, ...

Explosive phenomena in heavily irradiated NaCl

NARCIS (Netherlands)

denHartog, HW; Vainshtein, DI; Matthews, GE; Williams, RT

1997-01-01

In heavily irradiated NaCl crystals explosive phenomena can be initiated during irradiation or afterwards when samples are heated to temperatures between 100 and 250 degrees C. During irradiation of NaCl Na and Cl-2 precipitates and void structures are produced along with the accumulation of stored

Complex fluids in biological systems experiment, theory, and computation

CERN Document Server

2015-01-01

This book serves as an introduction to the continuum mechanics and mathematical modeling of complex fluids in living systems. The form and function of living systems are intimately tied to the nature of surrounding fluid environments, which commonly exhibit nonlinear and history dependent responses to forces and displacements. With ever-increasing capabilities in the visualization and manipulation of biological systems, research on the fundamental phenomena, models, measurements, and analysis of complex fluids has taken a number of exciting directions. In this book, many of the world’s foremost experts explore key topics such as: Macro- and micro-rheological techniques for measuring the material properties of complex biofluids and the subtleties of data interpretation Experimental observations and rheology of complex biological materials, including mucus, cell membranes, the cytoskeleton, and blood The motility of microorganisms in complex fluids and the dynamics of active suspensions Challenges and solut...

Bifurcations of a class of singular biological economic models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xue; Zhang Qingling; Zhang Yue

2009-01-01

This paper studies systematically a prey-predator singular biological economic model with time delay. It shows that this model exhibits two bifurcation phenomena when the economic profit is zero. One is transcritical bifurcation which changes the stability of the system, and the other is singular induced bifurcation which indicates that zero economic profit brings impulse, i.e., rapid expansion of the population in biological explanation. On the other hand, if the economic profit is positive, at a critical value of bifurcation parameter, the system undergoes a Hopf bifurcation, i.e., the increase of delay destabilizes the system and bifurcates into small amplitude periodic solution. Finally, by using Matlab software, numerical simulations illustrate the effectiveness of the results obtained here. In addition, we study numerically that the system undergoes a saddle-node bifurcation when the bifurcation parameter goes through critical value of positive economic profit.

Anomalous transport phenomena in Fermi liquids with strong magnetic fluctuations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kontani, Hiroshi

2008-01-01

In this paper, we present recent developments in the theory of transport phenomena based on the Fermi liquid theory. In conventional metals, various transport coefficients are scaled according to the quasiparticles relaxation time, τ, which implies that the relaxation time approximation (RTA) holds well. However, such a simple scaling does not hold in many strongly correlated electron systems. The most famous example would be high-T c superconductors (HTSCs), where almost all the transport coefficients exhibit a significant deviation from the RTA results. This issue has been one of the most significant unresolved problems in HTSCs for a long time. Similar anomalous transport phenomena have been observed in metals near their antiferromagnetic (AF) quantum critical point (QCP). The main goal of this study is to demonstrate whether the anomalous transport phenomena in HTSC is evidence of a non-Fermi liquid ground state, or just RTA violation in strongly correlated Fermi liquids. Another goal is to establish a unified theory of anomalous transport phenomena in metals with strong magnetic fluctuations. For these purposes, we develop a method for calculating various transport coefficients beyond the RTA by employing field theoretical techniques. In a Fermi liquid, an excited quasiparticle induces other excited quasiparticles by collision, and current due to these excitations is called a current vertex correction (CVC). Landau noticed the existence of CVC first, which is indispensable for calculating transport coefficients in accord with the conservation laws. Here, we develop a transport theory involving resistivity and the Hall coefficient on the basis of the microscopic Fermi liquid theory, by considering the CVC. In nearly AF Fermi liquids, we find that the strong backward scattering due to AF fluctuations induces the CVC with prominent momentum dependence. This feature of the CVC can account for the significant enhancement in the Hall coefficient, magnetoresistance

The biology of myelodysplastic syndromes: unity despite heterogeneity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Azra Raza

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS traditionally have been grouped together as a disease entity based on clinical phenomena seen in association. Despite the similarities, there is great heterogeneity among the syndromes. Recent insights have shown, however, that there exists a biologically cohesive theme that unifies and thereby validates the conceptual interconnectedness. The first suggestion that such a relationship existed where biology could directly explain the observed cytopenias was the finding of excessive premature apoptosis of hematopoietic cells in MDS marrows. This apoptosis was mediated by paracrine as well as autocrine factors implicating both the seed and the soil in the pathology of the disease. Pro-inflammatory cytokines in the marrow microenvironment were mainly the paracrine mediators of apoptosis, but how the clonal cells committed suicide because of autocrine stimulation had remained a mystery for more than a decade. It has been shown now that deregulation of ribosome biogenesis can initiate a stress response in the cell through the p53 signaling pathway. Congenital anemias had been associated with mutations in ribosomal protein genes. The surprise came with the investigation of 5q- syndrome patients where haplo-insufficiency of the ribosomal protein gene RPS14 was found to be the cause of this MDS subtype. Similar ribosomal deregulation was shown to be present in all varieties of MDS patients, serving as another unifying characteristic. In addition to these findings, there are other DNA-related abnormalities such as uniparental disomy, mutations in the TET2 gene, and epigenetic phenomena that are associated with and occur across all types of MDS. This paper summarizes the themes unifying this heterogeneous group of diseases.

Teleology in biology, chemistry and physics education: what primary teachers should know

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

KOSTAS KAMPOURAKIS

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Recent research in cognitive psychology suggests that children develop intuitions that may clash with what is accepted by scientists, thus making certain scientific concepts difficult to understand. Children possess intuitions about design and purpose that make them provide teleological explanations to many different sorts of tasks. One possible explanation for the origin of the bias to view objects as made for something derives from an early sensitivity to intentional agents and to their behavior as intentional object users and object makers. What is important is that teleological explanations may not be exclusively restricted in biological phenomena, as commonly assumed. Consequently, primary school teachers should take that into account when teaching biology, chemistry or physics concepts and try to refrain from enforcing students’ teleological intuitions.

Recent progress in structural biology: lessons from our research history.

Science.gov (United States)

Nitta, Ryo; Imasaki, Tsuyoshi; Nitta, Eriko

2018-05-16

The recent 'resolution revolution' in structural analyses of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has drastically changed the research strategy for structural biology. In addition to X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, cryo-EM has achieved the structural analysis of biological molecules at near-atomic resolution, resulting in the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2017. The effect of this revolution has spread within the biology and medical science fields affecting everything from basic research to pharmaceutical development by visualizing atomic structure. As we have used cryo-EM as well as X-ray crystallography since 2000 to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of the fundamental phenomena in the cell, here we review our research history and summarize our findings. In the first half of the review, we describe the structural mechanisms of microtubule-based motility of molecular motor kinesin by using a joint cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography method. In the latter half, we summarize our structural studies on transcriptional regulation by X-ray crystallography of in vitro reconstitution of a multi-protein complex.

Acoustic pressure amplitude thresholds for rectified diffusion in gaseous microbubbles in biological tissue

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lewin, Peter A.; Jensen, Leif Bjørnø

1981-01-01

One of the mechanisms often suggested for the biological action of ultrasonic beams irradiating human tissues is concerned with the presence in the tissues of minute gaseous bubbles which may, under the influence of the ultrasonic field be stimulated to grow to a size at which resonance or collap...... of calculations for typical (transient) exposure conditions from pulse-echo equipment are presented, indicating that rectified diffusion and stable cavitation are improbable phenomena in these circumstances....

Fluid Physical and Transport Phenomena Studies aboard the International Space Station: Planned Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Bhim S.

1999-01-01

This paper provides an overview of the microgravity fluid physics and transport phenomena experiments planned for the International Spare Station. NASA's Office of Life and Microgravity Science and Applications has established a world-class research program in fluid physics and transport phenomena. This program combines the vast expertise of the world research community with NASA's unique microgravity facilities with the objectives of gaining new insight into fluid phenomena by removing the confounding effect of gravity. Due to its criticality to many terrestrial and space-based processes and phenomena, fluid physics and transport phenomena play a central role in the NASA's Microgravity Program. Through widely publicized research announcement and well established peer-reviews, the program has been able to attract a number of world-class researchers and acquired a critical mass of investigations that is now adding rapidly to this field. Currently there arc a total of 106 ground-based and 20 candidate flight principal investigators conducting research in four major thrust areas in the program: complex flows, multiphase flow and phase change, interfacial phenomena, and dynamics and instabilities. The International Space Station (ISS) to be launched in 1998, provides the microgravity research community with a unprecedented opportunity to conduct long-duration microgravity experiments which can be controlled and operated from the Principal Investigators' own laboratory. Frequent planned shuttle flights to the Station will provide opportunities to conduct many more experiments than were previously possible. NASA Lewis Research Center is in the process of designing a Fluids and Combustion Facility (FCF) to be located in the Laboratory Module of the ISS that will not only accommodate multiple users but, allow a broad range of fluid physics and transport phenomena experiments to be conducted in a cost effective manner.

Improvement in understanding of natural circulation phenomena in water cooled nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Jong-Ho; Cleveland, John; Aksan, Nusret

2011-01-01

Highlights: ► Phenomena influencing natural circulation in passive systems. ► Behaviour in large pools of liquid. ► Effect of non-condensable gas on condensation heat transfer. ► Behaviour of containment emergency systems. ► Natural circulation flow and pressure drop in various geometries. - Abstract: The IAEA has organized a coordinated research project (CRP) on “Natural Circulation Phenomena, Modelling, and Reliability of Passive Systems That Utilize Natural Circulation.” Specific objectives of CRP were to (i) establish the status of knowledge: reactor start-up and operation, passive system initiation and operation, flow stability, 3-D effects, and scaling laws, (ii) investigate phenomena influencing reliability of passive natural circulation systems, (iii) review experimental databases for the phenomena, (iv) examine the ability of computer codes to predict natural circulation and related phenomena, and (v) apply methodologies for examining the reliability of passive systems. Sixteen institutes from 13 IAEA Member States have participated in this CRP. Twenty reference advanced water cooled reactor designs including evolutionary and innovative designs were selected to examine the use of natural circulation and passive systems in their designs. Twelve phenomena influencing natural circulation were identified and characterized: (1) behaviour in large pools of liquid, (2) effect of non-condensable gases on condensation heat transfer, (3) condensation on the containment structures, (4) behaviour of containment emergency systems, (5) thermo-fluid dynamics and pressure drops in various geometrical configurations, (6) natural circulation in closed loop, (7) steam liquid interaction, (8) gravity driven cooling and accumulator behaviour, (9) liquid temperature stratification, (10) behaviour of emergency heat exchangers and isolation condensers, (11) stratification and mixing of boron, and (12) core make-up tank behaviour. This paper summarizes the

Observation of diffusion phenomena of liquid phase with multiple components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eguchi, Wataru

1979-01-01

The diffusion phenomena of liquid phase with multiple components was directly observed, and the factors contributing to complex material transfer were investigated, comparing to the former experimental results. The most excellent method of observing the diffusion behavior of liquid phase used heretofore is to trace the time history of concentration distribution for each component in unsteady diffusion process. The method of directly observing the concentration distribution is usually classified into the analysis of diffused samples, the checking of radioactive isotope tracers, and the measurement of light refraction and transmission. The most suitable method among these is to trace this time history by utilizing the spectrophotometer of position scanning type. An improved spectrophotometer was manufactured for trial. The outline of the measuring system and the detail of the optical system of this new type spectrophotometer are explained. The resolving power for position measurement is described with the numerical calculation. As for the observation examples of the diffusion phenomena of liquid phase with multiple components, the diffusion of multiple electrolytes in aqueous solution, the observation of the material transfer phenomena accompanied by heterogeneous and single phase chemical reaction, and the observation of concentration distribution in the liquid diaphragm in a reaction absorption system are described. For each experimental item, the test apparatus, the sample material, the test process, the test results and the evaluation are explained in detail, and the diffusion phenomena of liquid phase with multiple components were pretty well elucidated. (Nakai, Y.)

Phase transitions and critical phenomena

CERN Document Server

Domb, Cyril

2001-01-01

The field of phase transitions and critical phenomena continues to be active in research, producing a steady stream of interesting and fruitful results. It has moved into a central place in condensed matter studies.Statistical physics, and more specifically, the theory of transitions between states of matter, more or less defines what we know about 'everyday' matter and its transformations.The major aim of this serial is to provide review articles that can serve as standard references for research workers in the field, and for graduate students and others wishing to obtain reliable in

Violent phenomena in the Universe

CERN Document Server

Narlikar, Jayant V

2007-01-01

The serenity of a clear night sky belies the evidence-gathered by balloons, rockets, satellites, and telescopes-that the universe contains centers of furious activity that pour out vast amounts of energy, some in regular cycles and some in gigantic bursts. This reader-friendly book, acclaimed by Nature as ""excellent and uncompromising,"" traces the development of modern astrophysics and its explanations of these startling celestial fireworks.This lively narrative ranges from the gravitational theories of Newton and Einstein to recent exciting discoveries of such violent phenomena as supernova

Foot anthropometry and morphology phenomena.

Science.gov (United States)

Agić, Ante; Nikolić, Vasilije; Mijović, Budimir

2006-12-01

Foot structure description is important for many reasons. The foot anthropometric morphology phenomena are analyzed together with hidden biomechanical functionality in order to fully characterize foot structure and function. For younger Croatian population the scatter data of the individual foot variables were interpolated by multivariate statistics. Foot structure descriptors are influenced by many factors, as a style of life, race, climate, and things of the great importance in human society. Dominant descriptors are determined by principal component analysis. Some practical recommendation and conclusion for medical, sportswear and footwear practice are highlighted.

Gravitational Anomaly and Transport Phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Landsteiner, Karl; Megias, Eugenio; Pena-Benitez, Francisco

2011-01-01

Quantum anomalies give rise to new transport phenomena. In particular, a magnetic field can induce an anomalous current via the chiral magnetic effect and a vortex in the relativistic fluid can also induce a current via the chiral vortical effect. The related transport coefficients can be calculated via Kubo formulas. We evaluate the Kubo formula for the anomalous vortical conductivity at weak coupling and show that it receives contributions proportional to the gravitational anomaly coefficient. The gravitational anomaly gives rise to an anomalous vortical effect even for an uncharged fluid.

Investigation of oscillating airfoil shock phenomena

OpenAIRE

Giordano , Daniel; Fleeter , Sanford

1992-01-01

Fundamental experiments were performed in an unsteady flow water table facility to investigate and quantify the unsteady aerodynamics of a biconvex airfoil executing torsion mode oscillations at realistic reduced frequencies. A computer-based image enhancement system was used to measure the oscillating supersonic and transonic shock flow phenomena. By utilizing the hydraulic analogy to compare experimental results with a linear theoretical prediction, magnitude and phase relationships for the...

Conformal field theories and critical phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Bowei

1993-01-01

In this article we present a brief review of the conformal symmetry and the two dimensional conformal quantum field theories. As concrete applications of the conformal theories to the critical phenomena in statistical systems, we calculate the value of central charge and the anomalous scale dimensions of the Z 2 symmetric quantum chain with boundary condition. The results are compatible with the prediction of the conformal field theories

Sensory phenomena related to tics, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and global functioning in Tourette syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Kano, Yukiko; Matsuda, Natsumi; Nonaka, Maiko; Fujio, Miyuki; Kuwabara, Hitoshi; Kono, Toshiaki

2015-10-01

Sensory phenomena, including premonitory urges, are experienced by patients with Tourette syndrome (TS) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The goal of the present study was to investigate such phenomena related to tics, obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS), and global functioning in Japanese patients with TS. Forty-one patients with TS were assessed using the University of São Paulo Sensory Phenomena Scale (USP-SPS), the Premonitory Urge for Tics Scale (PUTS), the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DY-BOCS), and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) Scale. USP-SPS and PUTS total scores were significantly correlated with YGTSS total and vocal tics scores. Additionally, both sensory phenomena severity scores were significantly correlated with DY-BOCS total OCS scores. Of the six dimensional OCS scores, the USP-SPS scores were significantly correlated with measures of aggression and sexual/religious dimensions. Finally, the PUTS total scores were significantly and negatively correlated with GAF scores. By assessing premonitory urges and broader sensory phenomena, and by viewing OCS from a dimensional approach, this study provides significant insight into sensory phenomena related to tics, OCS, and global functioning in patients with TS. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"Did You Climax or Are You Just Laughing at Me?" Rare Phenomena Associated With Orgasm.

Science.gov (United States)

Reinert, Anna E; Simon, James A

2017-07-01

The study of the human orgasm has shown a core set of physiologic and psychological symptoms experienced by most individuals. The study of normal sheds light on the abnormal and has spotlighted rare physical and psychological symptoms experienced by some individuals in association with orgasm. These phenomena are rare and, as is typical of rare phenomena, their documentation in the medical literature is largely confined to case studies. To identify peri-orgasmic phenomena, defined as unusual physical or psychological symptoms subjectively experienced by some individuals as part of the orgasm response, distinct from the usual or normal orgasm response. A list of peri-orgasmic phenomena was made with help from sexual health colleagues and, using this list as a foundation, a literature search was performed of articles published in English. Publications included in this review report on physical or psychological phenomena at the time of orgasm that are distinct from psychological, whole-body, and genito-pelvic sensations commonly experienced at the time of orgasm. Cases of physical symptoms related to the physiology of sexual intercourse and not specifically to orgasm were excluded. Case studies of peri-orgasmic phenomena were reviewed, including cases describing cataplexy (weakness), crying, dysorgasmia, dysphoria, facial and/or ear pain, foot pain, headache, pruritus, laughter, panic attack, post-orgasm illness syndrome, seizures, and sneezing. The literature review confirms the existence of diverse and frequently replicated peri-orgasmic phenomena. The value of case studies is in the collection and recording of observations so that hypotheses can be formed about the observed phenomena. Accordingly, this review could inspire further research on the neurophysiologic mechanisms of orgasm. Reinert AE, Simon JA. "Did You Climax or Are You Just Laughing at Me?" Rare Phenomena Associated With Orgasm. Sex Med Rev 2017;5:275-281. Copyright © 2017 International Society for

Flow reduction due to degassing and redissolution phenomena

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doughty, C. [Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (United States)

1995-03-01

At the Stripa mine in Sweden, flow and transport experiments in a water-saturated fractured granite were conducted to investigate techniques for site characterization for a geologic nuclear waste repository. In the Simulated Drift Experiment, measured water inflow to an excavated drift with pressure held at 1 bar was only 1/9th the value expected based on inflow to boreholes with pressure held at 2.7 bars. Several physical and chemical mechanisms were hypothesized to be responsible for this reduction in flow. One possibility is that significant degassing of dissolved nitrogen takes place between 2.7 and 1 bars, credating a two-phase regime with an accompanying decrease in fluid mobility, resulting in a decrease in flow to the drift. To investigate this process, theoretical studies on degassing and redissolution phenomena have been carried out, beginning with an idealized model which yields a simple analytical solution, then relaxing some of the simplifying assumptions and using TOUGH2 to study the phenomena numerically. In conjunction with these theoretical studies, laboratory experiments on flow and degassing in transparent fracture replicas are being carried out, and are being used to check the modeling approach. We need to develop a fundamental understanding of degassing and redissolution in particular and two-phase flow phenomena in general for flow in fractures and fracture networks, in order to successfully model conditions around a nuclear waste repository, where long time and large space scales may preclude conclusive field experiments.

Visible and invisible the wonders of light phenomena

CERN Document Server

Bisi, Olmes

2015-01-01

Light phenomena have intrigued humankind since prehistory. Think of the rainbow, a sunset on the sea, a game of shadows. Humans have always used light for their own needs, from cooking food to illuminating a room. However, light is not only limited to what we can see with our eyes. The invisible part of the electromagnetic spectrum is broad and dynamic. This book outlines the mysteries and wonders of electromagnetism, heat, and light. It also covers the history of our scientific understanding of light. The dark as well as the bright sides of light are fully explored in these pages, from their impact on our world to their use in cutting-edge technologies in a variety of fields. Numerous full-color images and drawings complement the text, and light phenomena are explained in a simple and engaging way.

Dynamical systems in population biology

CERN Document Server

Zhao, Xiao-Qiang

2017-01-01

This research monograph provides an introduction to the theory of nonautonomous semiflows with applications to population dynamics. It develops dynamical system approaches to various evolutionary equations such as difference, ordinary, functional, and partial differential equations, and pays more attention to periodic and almost periodic phenomena. The presentation includes persistence theory, monotone dynamics, periodic and almost periodic semiflows, basic reproduction ratios, traveling waves, and global analysis of prototypical population models in ecology and epidemiology. Research mathematicians working with nonlinear dynamics, particularly those interested in applications to biology, will find this book useful. It may also be used as a textbook or as supplementary reading for a graduate special topics course on the theory and applications of dynamical systems. Dr. Xiao-Qiang Zhao is a University Research Professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada. His main research interests involve applied...

Understanding the coherence of the severity effect and optimism phenomena: Lessons from attention.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Adam J L

2017-04-01

Claims that optimism is a near-universal characteristic of human judgment seem to be at odds with recent results from the judgment and decision making literature suggesting that the likelihood of negative outcomes are overestimated relative to neutral outcomes. In an attempt to reconcile these seemingly contrasting phenomena, inspiration is drawn from the attention literature in which there is evidence that both positive and negative stimuli can have attentional privilege relative to neutral stimuli. This result provides a framework within which I consider three example phenomena that purport to demonstrate that people's likelihood estimates are optimistic: Wishful thinking; Unrealistic comparative optimism and Asymmetric belief updating. The framework clarifies the relationships between these phenomena and stimulates future research questions. Generally, whilst results from the first two phenomena appear reconcilable in this conceptualisation, further research is required in reconciling the third. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DOE natural phenomena hazards mitigation conference: proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-10-01

The conference includes sessions which present an overview of DOE programs, available codes, standards and criteria, examples of designs and upgrades from the DOE complex, lessons learned from past natural phenomena, ground motion, seismic evaluation of equipment, and applications of probabilistic risk assessment techniques to DOE facilities. Separate abstracts have been prepared for individual papers

Physics education students’ cognitive and affective domains toward ecological phenomena

Science.gov (United States)

Napitupulu, N. D.; Munandar, A.; Redjeki, S.; Tjasyono, B.

2018-05-01

Environmental education is become prominent in dealing with natural phenomena that occur nowadays. Studying environmental physics will lead students to have conceptual understanding which are importent in enhancing attitudes toward ecological phenomena that link directry to cognitive and affective domains. This research focused on the the relationship of cognitive and affective domains toward ecological phenomena. Thirty-seven Physics Education students participated in this study and validated sources of data were collected to eksplore students’ conceptual understanding as cognitive domain and to investigate students’ attitudes as affective domain. The percentage of cognitive outcome and affective outcome are explore. The features of such approaches to environmental learning are discussion through analysis of contribution of cognitive to develop the attitude ecological as affective outcome. The result shows that cognitive domains do not contribute significantly to affective domain toward ecological henomena as an issue trend in Central Sulawesi although students had passed Environmental Physics instruction for two semester. In fact, inferior knowledge in a way actually contributes to the attitude domain caused by the prior knowledge that students have as ombo as a Kaili local wisdom.

Similarity rules of thermal stratification phenomena for water and sodium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohtsuka, M.; Ikeda, T.; Yamakawa, M.; Shibata, Y.; Moriya, S.; Ushijima, S.; Fujimoto, K.

1988-01-01

Similarity rules for thermal stratification phenomena were studied using sodium and water experiments with scaled cylindrical vessels. The vessel dimensions were identical to focus on the effect of differences in fluid properties upon the phenomena. Comparisons of test results between sodium and water elucidated similar and dissimilar characteristics for thermal stratification phenomena which appeared in the scaled vessels. Results were as follows: (1) The dimensionless upward velocity of the thermal stratification interface was proportional to Ri -0.74 for water and sodium during the period when the buoyancy effect was dominant. (2) Dimensionless temperature transient rate at the outlet slit decreased with Ri for sodium and remained constant for water where Ri>0.2. The applicability of the scaled test results to an actual power plant was also studied by using multi-dimensional numerical analysis which was verified by the water and sodium experiments. Water experiments could simulate liquid metal fast breeder reactor flows more accurately than sodium experiments for dimensionless temperature gradient at the thermal stratification interface and dimensionless temperature transient rate at the intermediate heat exchanger inlet

Toward a CFD-grade database addressing LWR containment phenomena

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paladino, Domenico, E-mail: domenico.paladino@psi.ch [Laboratory for Thermal-Hydraulics, Nuclear Energy and Safety Department, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232 Villigen PSI (Switzerland); Andreani, Michele; Zboray, Robert; Dreier, Joerg [Laboratory for Thermal-Hydraulics, Nuclear Energy and Safety Department, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232 Villigen PSI (Switzerland)

2012-12-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The SETH-2 PANDA tests have supplied data with CFD-grade on plumes and jets at large-scale. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The PANDA tests have contributed to the understanding of phenomena with high safety relevance for LWRs. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The analytical activities related increased confidence in the use of various computational tools for safety analysis. - Abstract: The large-scale, multi-compartment PANDA facility (located at PSI in Switzerland) is one of the state-of-the-art facilities which is continuously upgraded to progressively match the requirements of CFD-grade experiments. Within the OECD/SETH projects, the PANDA facility has been used for the creation of an experimental database on basic containment phenomena e.g. gas mixing, transport, stratification, condensation. In the PANDA tests, these phenomena are driven by large scale plumes or jets. In the paper is presented a selection of the SETH PANDA experimental results. Examples of analytical activities performed at PSI using the GOTHIC, CFX-4 and CFX-5 codes will be used to illustrate how the spatial and temporal resolutions of the measurement grid in PANDA tests are adequate for CFD code (and advanced containment codes) assessment and validation purposes.

8th International symposium on transport phenomena in combustion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-12-31

The 8th International Symposium on Transport Phenomena in Combustion will be held in San Francisco, California, U.S.A., July 16-20, 1995, under the auspices of the Pacific Center of Thermal-Fluids Engineering. The purpose of the Symposium is to provide a forum for researchers and practitioners from around the world to present new developments and discuss the state of the art and future directions and priorities in the areas of transport phenomena in combustion. The Symposium is the eighth in a series; previous venues were Honolulu 1985, Tokyo 1987, Taipei 1988, Sydney 1991, Beijing 1992, Seoul 1993 and Acapulco 1994, with emphasis on various aspects of transport phenomena. The current Symposium theme is combustion. The Symposium has assembled a balanced program with topics ranging from fundamental research to contemporary applications of combustion theory. Invited keynote lecturers will provide extensive reviews of topics of great interest in combustion. Colloquia will stress recent advances and innovations in fire spread and suppression, and in low NO{sub x} burners, furnaces, boilers, internal combustion engines, and other practical combustion systems. Finally, numerous papers will contribute to the fundamental understanding of complex processes in combustion. This document contains abstracts of papers to be presented at the Symposium.

Cooperative phenomena within organised bi-dimensional structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armand, Franck

2001-01-01

In this report produced for an Accreditation to Supervise Research, the author defines a cooperative phenomenon as a phenomenon occurring each time a cooperation between elementary entities results in a collective property which exceeds the simple addition of disorganised individual properties. He reports works and researches which show that such phenomena can be generated by molecular architectures developed in laboratory, but also requires an appropriate organisation of active elementary entities. This can be obtained by self-organisation in solution. However, many applications assume the use of solid phases, and notably thin layers. In this respect, the Langmuir-Blodgett technique and self-assembly are very interesting techniques to produce mono-molecular thin layers, without however controlling molecule in-plane orientation and organisation. The author propose an overview of his works which aimed at obtaining this control, and reports three examples of cooperative phenomena: the generation of a second harmonic, spin transition with hysteresis, and electron conduction (one-dimensional and bi-dimensional electron transfer). The report also contains articles published in various scientific publications, and contributions to congresses [fr

Fast fission phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gregoire, Christian.

1982-03-01

Experimental studies of fast fission phenomena are presented. The paper is divided into three parts. In the first part, problems associated with fast fission processes are examined in terms of interaction potentials and a dynamic model is presented in which highly elastic collisions, the formation of compound nuclei and fast fission appear naturally. In the second part, a description is given of the experimental methods employed, the observations made and the preliminary interpretation of measurements suggesting the occurence of fast fission processes. In the third part, our dynamic model is incorporated in a general theory of the dissipative processes studied. This theory enables fluctuations associated with collective variables to be calculated. It is applied to highly inelastic collisions, to fast fission and to the fission dynamics of compound nuclei (for which a schematic representation is given). It is with these calculations that the main results of the second part can be interpreted [fr

From critical phenomena to gauge gields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Bellac, M.

1988-01-01

In this book the author gives an introduction to the following questions: critical phenomena (Landau theory, renormalization group, two dimensional models); Perturbation theory and renormalization, scalar euclidian field (Feynman diagrams, Callan-Symanzik equations); Quantum theory of scalar fields (path integrals in quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics, green functions and S matrix, quantization of Klein-Gordon field); Gauge theories (quantization of Dirac field and electromagnetic field, quantum electrodynamics, non-abelian gauge theories) [fr

Script, code, information: how to differentiate analogies in the "prehistory" of molecular biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Kogge, Werner

2012-01-01

The remarkable fact that twentieth-century molecular biology developed its conceptual system on the basis of sign-like terms has been the object of numerous studies and debates. Throughout these, the assumption is made that this vocabulary's emergence should be seen in the historical context of mathematical communication theory and cybernetics. This paper, in contrast, sets out the need for a more differentiated view: whereas the success of the terms "code" and "information" would probably be unthinkable outside that historical context, general semiotic and especially scriptural concepts arose far earlier in the "prehistory" of molecular biology, and in close association with biological research and phenomena. This distinction, established through a reconstruction of conceptual developments between 1870 and 1950, makes it possible to separate off a critique of the reductive implications of particular information-based concepts from the use of semiotic and scriptural concepts, which is fundamental to molecular biology. Gene-centrism and determinism are not implications of semiotic and scriptural analogies, but arose only when the vocabulary of information was superimposed upon them.

Material Abrasive Water Jet Cutting Investigation by Means Accompanying Physical Phenomena

OpenAIRE

Kinik, D.; Gánovská, B.; Hloch, S. (Sergej); Cárach, J.; Lehocká, D.

2013-01-01

The paper deals with the indirect ways of on-line monitoring of technological processes of cutting. The objective of the study is a design of on-line monitoring system for the cutting technology through an abrasive water jet. In cutting by the abrasive water jet two parallel phenomena are formed. The phenomena are represented by generated surface and vibrations. For the purpose of proving of the hypothetical assumptions on dependence of generated surface quality on vibrations the ex...

The High-Strain Rate Loading of Structural Biological Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Proud, W. G.; Nguyen, T.-T. N.; Bo, C.; Butler, B. J.; Boddy, R. L.; Williams, A.; Masouros, S.; Brown, K. A.

2015-10-01

The human body can be subjected to violent acceleration as a result of explosion caused by military ordinance or accident. Blast waves cause injury and blunt trauma can be produced by violent impact of objects against the human body. The long-term clinical manifestations of blast injury can be significantly different in nature and extent to those suffering less aggressive insult. Similarly, the damage seen in lower limbs from those injured in explosion incidents is in general more severe than those falling from height. These phenomena increase the need for knowledge of the short- and long-term effect of transient mechanical loading to the biological structures of the human body. This paper gives an overview of some of the results of collaborative investigation into blast injury. The requirement for time-resolved data, appropriate mechanical modeling, materials characterization and biological effects is presented. The use of a range of loading platforms, universal testing machines, drop weights, Hopkinson bars, and bespoke traumatic injury simulators are given.

Applications of membrane computing in systems and synthetic biology

CERN Document Server

Gheorghe, Marian; Pérez-Jiménez, Mario

2014-01-01

Membrane Computing was introduced as a computational paradigm in Natural Computing. The models introduced, called Membrane (or P) Systems, provide a coherent platform to describe and study living cells as computational systems. Membrane Systems have been investigated for their computational aspects and employed to model problems in other fields, like: Computer Science, Linguistics, Biology, Economy, Computer Graphics, Robotics, etc. Their inherent parallelism, heterogeneity and intrinsic versatility allow them to model a broad range of processes and phenomena, being also an efficient means to solve and analyze problems in a novel way. Membrane Computing has been used to model biological systems, becoming with time a thorough modeling paradigm comparable, in its modeling and predicting capabilities, to more established models in this area. This book is the result of the need to collect, in an organic way, different facets of this paradigm. The chapters of this book, together with the web pages accompanying th...

Current status of models for transient phenomena in dopant diffusion and activation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pichler, P.; Stiebel, D.

2002-01-01

Transient phenomena caused by ion-implantation processes have been studied for more than 25 years now with a continuously increasing number of research articles published in this field per year. One driving force of this research is the ongoing miniaturization of ULSI MOS and bipolar technology which uses extensively the capabilities of technology-computer-aided-design (TCAD). The other driving force which attracts also academic institutions and research institutes is the high complexity of the phenomena, involving the interaction of dopants, intrinsic point defects, extended defects and impurities like carbon as well as the interactions of mobile defects with surfaces and interfaces and their redistribution in multilayer structures. This paper outlines some recent advances towards a quantitative description of such phenomena

Time in powers of ten natural phenomena and their timescales

CERN Document Server

't Hooft, Gerard

2014-01-01

In this richly illustrated book, Nobel Laureate Gerard 't Hooft and Theoretical Physicist Stefan Vandoren describe the enormous diversity of natural phenomena that take place at different time scales. In the tradition of the bestseller Powers of Ten , the authors zoom in and out in time, each step with a factor of ten. Starting from one second, time scales are enlarged until processes are reached that take much longer than the age of the universe. After the largest possible eternities, the reader is treated to the shortest and fastest phenomena known. Then the authors increase with powers of t

Randomly transitional phenomena in the system governed by Duffing's equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ueda, Yoshisuke.

1978-06-01

This paper deals with turbulent or chaotic phenomena which occur in the system governed by Duffing's equation, a special type of 2-dimensional periodic systems. By using analog and digital computers, experiments are undertaken with special reference to the changes of attractors and of average power spectra of the random processes under the variation of the system parameters. On the basis of the experimental results, an outline of the random process is made clear. The results obtained in this paper will be applied to the phenomena of the same kind which occur in 3-dimensional autonomous systems. (author)

Coupled electric and transport phenomena in porous media

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Li, Shuai

2014-01-01

The coupled electrical and transport properties of clay-containing porous media are the topics of interest in this study. Both experimental and numerical (pore network modeling) techniques are employed to gain insight into the macro-scale interaction between electrical and solute transport phenomena

Judgments of widely held beliefs about psychological phenomena ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Lay understandings of human cognition, affect, and behaviour often diverge from the findings of scientific investigations. The present study examined South African fourth year psychology students' judgments about the factual correctness of statements of psychological phenomena that have been demonstrated to be ...

Phase transitions and critical phenomena

CERN Document Server

Domb, Cyril

2000-01-01

The field of phase transitions and critical phenomena continues to be active in research, producing a steady stream of interesting and fruitful results. No longer an area of specialist interest, it has acquired a central focus in condensed matter studies. The major aim of this serial is to provide review articles that can serve as standard references for research workers in the field, and for graduate students and others wishing to obtain reliable information on important recent developments.The two review articles in this volume complement each other in a remarkable way. Both deal with what m

Nonlinear phenomena in general relativity

Science.gov (United States)

Allahyari, Alireza; Firouzjaee, Javad T.; Mansouri, Reza

2018-04-01

The perturbation theory plays an important role in studying structure formation in cosmology and post-Newtonian physics, but not all phenomena can be described by the linear perturbation theory. Thus, it is necessary to study exact solutions or higher-order perturbations. Specifically, we study black hole (apparent) horizons and the cosmological event horizon formation in the perturbation theory. We emphasize that in the perturbative regime of the gravitational potential these horizons cannot form in the lower order. Studying the infinite plane metric, we show that, to capture the cosmological constant effect, we need at least a second-order expansion.

Nonlinear phenomena at cyclotron resonance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subbarao, D.; Uma, R.

1986-01-01

Finite amplitude electromagnetic waves in a magnetoplasma which typically occur in situations as in present day wave heating, current drives and other schemes in magnetically confined fusion systems, can show qualitatively different absorption and emission characteristics around resonant frequencies of the plasma because of anharmonicity. Linear wave plasma coupling as well as weak nonlinear effects such as parametric instabilities generally overlook this important effect even though the thresholds for the two phenomena as shown here are comparable. Though the effects described here are relevant to a host of nonlinear resonance effects in fusion plasmas, the authors mainly limit themselves to ECRH

Quantum theory of collective phenomena

CERN Document Server

Sewell, G L

2014-01-01

""An excellent and competent introduction to the field … [and] … a source of information for the expert."" - Physics Today""This a book of major importance…. I trust that this book will be used as a basis for the teaching of a balanced, modern and rigorous course on statistical mechanics in all universities."" - Bulletin of the London Mathematical Society""This is one of the best introductions to the subject, and it is strongly recommended to anyone interested in collective phenomena."" - Physics Bulletin ""The book may be recommended for students as a well-balanced introduction to this rich s

Phenomena associated with magma expansion into a drift

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaffney, E.S.

2002-01-01

One of the significant threats to the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository has been identified as the possibility of intersection of the underground structure by a basaltic intrusion. Based on the geology of the region, it is assumed that such an intrusion would consist of an alkali basalt similar to the nearby Lathrop Wells cone, which has been dated at about 78 ka. The threat of radioactive release may be either from eruption through the surface above the repository of basalt that had been contaminated or from migration through ground water of radionucleides released as a result of damage to waste packages that interact with the magma. As part of our study of these threats, we are analyzing the phenomena associated with magma expansion into drifts in tuff. The early phenomena of the encounter of volatile-rich basaltic magma with a drift are discussed here.

Two-Phase Phenomena In Wet Flue Gas Desulfurization Process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minzer, U.; Moses, E.J.; Toren, M.; Blumenfeld, Y.

1998-01-01

In order to reduce sulfur oxides discharge, Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) is building a wet Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) facility at Rutenberg B power station. The primary objective of IEC is to minimize the occurrence of stack liquid discharge and avoid the discharge of large droplets, in order to prevent acid rain around the stack. Liquid discharge from the stack is the integrated outcome of two-phase processes, which are discussed in this work. In order to estimate droplets discharge the present investigation employs analytical models, empirical tests, and numerical calculations of two-phase phenomena. The two-phase phenomena are coupled and therefore cannot be investigated separately. The present work concerns the application of Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) as an engineering complementary tool in the IEC investigation

Interdisciplinary education - a predator-prey model for developing a skill set in mathematics, biology and technology

Science.gov (United States)

van der Hoff, Quay

2017-08-01

The science of biology has been transforming dramatically and so the need for a stronger mathematical background for biology students has increased. Biological students reaching the senior or post-graduate level often come to realize that their mathematical background is insufficient. Similarly, students in a mathematics programme, interested in biological phenomena, find it difficult to master the complex systems encountered in biology. In short, the biologists do not have enough mathematics and the mathematicians are not being taught enough biology. The need for interdisciplinary curricula that includes disciplines such as biology, physical science, and mathematics is widely recognized, but has not been widely implemented. In this paper, it is suggested that students develop a skill set of ecology, mathematics and technology to encourage working across disciplinary boundaries. To illustrate such a skill set, a predator-prey model that contains self-limiting factors for both predator and prey is suggested. The general idea of dynamics, is introduced and students are encouraged to discover the applicability of this approach to more complex biological systems. The level of mathematics and technology required is not advanced; therefore, it is ideal for inclusion in a senior-level or introductory graduate-level course for students interested in mathematical biology.

Forty Years of Ebolavirus Molecular Biology: Understanding a Novel Disease Agent Through the Development and Application of New Technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Groseth, Allison; Hoenen, Thomas

2017-01-01

Molecular biology is a broad discipline that seeks to understand biological phenomena at a molecular level, and achieves this through the study of DNA, RNA, proteins, and/or other macromolecules (e.g., those involved in the modification of these substrates). Consequently, it relies on the availability of a wide variety of methods that deal with the collection, preservation, inactivation, separation, manipulation, imaging, and analysis of these molecules. As such the state of the art in the field of ebolavirus molecular biology research (and that of all other viruses) is largely intertwined with, if not driven by, advancements in the technical methodologies available for these kinds of studies. Here we review of the current state of our knowledge regarding ebolavirus biology and emphasize the associated methods that made these discoveries possible.

Coherent topological phenomena in protein folding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bohr, Henrik; Brunak, Søren; Bohr, Jakob

1997-01-01

A theory is presented for coherent topological phenomena in protein dynamics with implications for protein folding and stability. We discuss the relationship to the writhing number used in knot diagrams of DNA. The winding state defines a long-range order along the backbone of a protein with long......-range excitations, `wring' modes, that play an important role in protein denaturation and stability. Energy can be pumped into these excitations, either thermally or by an external force....

Analysis and design of Fuel Cycle Plant for natural phenomena hazards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horsager, B.K.

1985-01-01

A description of the Design Basis and the analysis and design methods used for natural phenomena at the Fuel Cycle Plant at Hanford, Washington is presented. A physical description of the main process facility and the auxiliary emergency and support facilities is given. The mission of the facility is presented and a brief description of the processes which will take place within the facility is given. The Design Criteria and design bases for natural phenomena including tornados, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are described

Atom-scale depth localization of biologically important chemical elements in molecular layers.

Science.gov (United States)

Schneck, Emanuel; Scoppola, Ernesto; Drnec, Jakub; Mocuta, Cristian; Felici, Roberto; Novikov, Dmitri; Fragneto, Giovanna; Daillant, Jean

2016-08-23

In nature, biomolecules are often organized as functional thin layers in interfacial architectures, the most prominent examples being biological membranes. Biomolecular layers play also important roles in context with biotechnological surfaces, for instance, when they are the result of adsorption processes. For the understanding of many biological or biotechnologically relevant phenomena, detailed structural insight into the involved biomolecular layers is required. Here, we use standing-wave X-ray fluorescence (SWXF) to localize chemical elements in solid-supported lipid and protein layers with near-Ångstrom precision. The technique complements traditional specular reflectometry experiments that merely yield the layers' global density profiles. While earlier work mostly focused on relatively heavy elements, typically metal ions, we show that it is also possible to determine the position of the comparatively light elements S and P, which are found in the most abundant classes of biomolecules and are therefore particularly important. With that, we overcome the need of artificial heavy atom labels, the main obstacle to a broader application of high-resolution SWXF in the fields of biology and soft matter. This work may thus constitute the basis for the label-free, element-specific structural investigation of complex biomolecular layers and biological surfaces.

Analysis of induction phenomena in thermonuclear experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deeds, W.E.; Dodd, C.V.

1976-01-01

Many of the problems involving transients induced by changing currents in the large coils of thermonuclear machines are identical to those arising in nondestructive testing by eddy currents. There are three chief methods used for calculating such induction phenomena: analytical boundary-value solutions, relaxation or iteration techniques, and model experiments. Some of the results obtained by each of these methods are described below

Collision and interaction phenomena - a historical outline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radmaneche, R.

1977-09-01

Collisions and interactions have become important for the description of matter. The author presents an outline which deals with elastic and inelastic collisions, with strong interactions, electromagnetic interactions, weak interactions and gravitational interactions. It is shown that the description of such processes has developed parallel with the understanding of matter and with the mechanism of the phenomena. Current and unsolved problems are mentioned

Neutronics Phenomena Important in Modeling and Simulation of Liquid-Fuel Molten Salt Reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diamond, David J.

2018-11-11

This paper discusses liquid-fuel molten salt reactors, how they will operate under normal, transient, and accident conditions, and the results of an expert elicitation to determine the corresponding neutronic phenomena important to understanding their behavior. Identifying these phenomena will enable the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to develop or identify modeling functionalities and tools required to carry out confirmatory analyses that examine the validity and accuracy of applicants’ calculations and help determine the margin of safety in plant design. NRC frequently does an expert elicitation using a Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table (PIRT) to identify and evaluate the state of knowledge of important modeling phenomena. However, few details about the design of these reactors and the sequence of events during accidents are known, so the process used was considered a preliminary PIRT. A panel met to define phenomena that would need to be modeled and considered the impact/importance of each phenomenon with respect to specific figures-of-merit (FoMs) (e.g., power distribution, fluence, kinetics parameters and reactivity). Each FoM reflected a potential impact on radionuclide release or loss of a barrier to release. The panel considered what the path forward might be with respect to being able to model the phenomenon in a simulation code. Results are explained for both thermal and fast spectrum designs.

Draft tube flow phenomena across the bulb turbine hill chart

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duquesne, P; Fraser, R; Maciel, Y; Aeschlimann, V; Deschênes, C

2014-01-01

In the framework of the BulbT project launched by the Consortium on Hydraulic Machines and the LAMH (Hydraulic Machine Laboratory of Laval University) in 2011, an intensive campaign to identify flow phenomena in the draft tube of a model bulb turbine has been done. A special focus was put on the draft tube component since it has a particular importance for recuperation in low head turbines. Particular operating points were chosen to analyse flow phenomena in this component. For each of these operating points, power, efficiency and pressure were measured following the IEC 60193 standard. Visualizations, unsteady wall pressure and efficiency measurements were performed in this component. The unsteady wall pressure was monitored at seven locations in the draft tube. The frequency content of each pressure signal was analyzed in order to characterize the flow phenomena across the efficiency hill chart. Visualizations were recorded with a high speed camera using tufts and cavitation bubbles as markers. The predominant detected phenomena were mapped and categorized in relation to the efficiency hill charts obtained for three runner blade openings. At partial load, the vortex rope was detected and characterized. An inflection in the partial load efficiency curves was found to be related to complex vortex rope instabilities. For overload conditions, the efficiency curves present a sharp drop after the best efficiency point, corresponding to an inflection on the power curves. This break off is more severe towards the highest blade openings. It is correlated to a flow separation at the wall of the draft tube. Also, due to the separation occurring in these conditions, a hysteresis effect was observed on the efficiency curves

Vacuum arc anode phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, H.C.

1976-01-01

A brief review of anode phenomena in vacuum arcs is presented. Discussed in succession are: the transition of the arc into the anode spot mode; the temperature of the anode before, during and after the anode spot forms; and anode ions. Characteristically the anode spot has a temperature of the order of the atmospheric boiling point of the anode material and is a copious source of vapor and energetic ions. The dominant mechanism controlling the transition of the vacuum arc into the anode spot mode appears to depend upon the electrode geometry, the electrode material, and the current waveform of the particular vacuum arc being considered. Either magnetic constriction in the gap plasma or gross anode melting can trigger the transition; indeed, a combination of the two is a common cause of anode spot formation

The origins of radiotherapy: discovery of biological effects of X-rays by Freund in 1897, Kienböck's crucial experiments in 1900, and still it is the dose.

Science.gov (United States)

Widder, Joachim

2014-07-01

The discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (1845-1923) was triggered by pursuing an anomalous phenomenon: arousal of fluorescence at a distance from tubes in which cathode rays were elicited, a phenomenon which suggested the existence of a new kind of ray other than cathode rays. The discovery of biological effects of these X-rays by Leopold Freund (1868-1943) was triggered by pursuit of the purportedly useless phenomenon of epilation and dermatitis ensuing from X-ray-diagnostic experiments that others had reported. The crucial experiments performed by Robert Kienböck (1871-1953) entailed the proof that X-ray-dose, not electric phenomena, was the active agent of biological effects ensuing when illuminating the skin using Röntgen tubes. For both the discovery of X-rays and the discovery of their biological effectiveness, priority did not matter, but understanding the physical and medico-biological significance of phenomena that others had ignored as a nuisance. Present discussions about the clinical relevance of improving the dose distribution including protons and other charged particles resemble those around 1900 to a certain degree. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regional Phenomena of Vertical Deformation in Southern Part of Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Sarsito, D. A.; Susilo; Andreas, H.; Pradipta, D.; Gumilar, I.

2018-02-01

Distribution of present-day horizontal and vertical deformation across the Southern Part of Indonesia at Java, Bali and Nusa Tenggara now days can be determined from continuous and campaign types of GNSS GPS data monitoring. For vertical deformation in this case we use the continuous types since they are give better quality of data consistency compare to campaign type. Continuous Global Positioning System (CGPS) are maintaining by Geospatial Information Agency for more than a decade. The vertical displacements or velocity rates are estimated from time series analysis after multi-baseline GPS processing using GAMIT-GLOBK software with respect to the latest International Terrestrial Reference Frame. The result shows some interesting phenomena where the northern part of research area majority have negative value that may indicate land subsidence with or without tectonic subsidence combination. In the middle part, the uplift phenomena are clearly shown and in the southern part show combine pattern between uplift and subsidence. The impacts of those phenomena would be discuss also in this paper since many population and infrastructure are located in the areas that will need more protection planning to reduce the negative impact such as earthquake and flooding.

Fast Soft X-ray Images of MHD Phenomena in NSTX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bush, C.E.; Stratton, B.C.; Robinson, J.; Zakharov, L.E.; Fredrickson, E.D.; Stutman, D.; Tritz, K.

2008-01-01

A variety of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) phenomena have been observed on the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX). Many of these affect fast particle losses, which are of major concern for future burning plasma experiments. Usual diagnostics for studying these phenomena are arrays of Mirnov coils for magnetic oscillations and PIN diode arrays for soft x-ray emission from the plasma core. Data reported here are from an unique fast soft x-ray imaging camera (FSXIC) with a wide-angle (pinhole) tangential view of the entire plasma minor cross section. The camera provides a 64x64 pixel image, on a CCD chip, of light resulting from conversion of soft x-rays incident on a phosphor to the visible. We have acquired plasma images at frame rates of 1-500 kHz (300 frames/shot), and have observed a variety of MHD phenomena: disruptions, sawteeth, fishbones, tearing modes, and ELMs. New data including modes with frequency > 90 kHz are also presented. Data analysis and modeling techniques used to interpret the FSXIC data are described and compared, and FSXIC results are compared to Mirnov and PIN diode array results.

Replication unreliability in psychology: elusive phenomena or elusive statistical power?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrizio E Tressoldi

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The focus of this paper is to analyse whether the unreliability of results related to certain controversial psychological phenomena may be a consequence of their low statistical power.Applying the Null Hypothesis Statistical Testing (NHST, still the widest used statistical approach, unreliability derives from the failure to refute the null hypothesis, in particular when exact or quasi-exact replications of experiments are carried out.Taking as example the results of meta-analyses related to four different controversial phenomena, subliminal semantic priming, incubation effect for problem solving, unconscious thought theory, and non-local perception, it was found that, except for semantic priming on categorization, the statistical power to detect the expected effect size of the typical study, is low or very low.The low power in most studies undermines the use of NHST to study phenomena with moderate or low effect sizes.We conclude by providing some suggestions on how to increase the statistical power or use different statistical approaches to help discriminate whether the results obtained may or may not be used to support or to refute the reality of a phenomenon with small effect size.

Conference report for nuclear fusion phenomena in ionized gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porkolab, M.

1975-10-01

A summary of the Conference on Phenomena in Ionized Gases, held in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, is given. In particular, the format of the conference and the content of the review papers are summarized

New high-energy phenomena in aircraft triggered lightning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Deursen, A.P.J.; Kochkin, P.; de Boer, A.; Bardet, M.; Boissin, J.F.

2016-01-01

High-energy phenomena associated with lighting have been proposed in the twenties, observed for the first time in the sixties, and further investigated more recently by e.g. rocket triggered lightning. Similarly, x-rays have been detected in meter-long discharges in air at standard atmospheric

Nuclear chromodynamics: Novel nuclear phenomena predicted by QCD

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bakker, B.L.G.; Ji, C.R.

2014-01-01

With the acceptance of QCD as the fundamental theory of strong interactions, one of the basic problems in the analysis of nuclear phenomena became how to consistently account for the effects of the underlying quark/gluon structure of nucleons and nuclei. Besides providing more detailed understanding

Clinostats and centrifuges: Their use, value, and limitations in gravitational biological research; Symposium, Washington, Oct. 19, 1991, Report

Science.gov (United States)

Halstead, Thora W. (Editor); Todd, Paul (Editor); Powers, Janet V. (Editor)

1992-01-01

The present volume addresses physical phenomena and effects associated with clinostat and centrifuge operations as well as their physiological effects. Particular attention is given to the simulation of the gravity conditions on the ground, the internal dynamics of slowly rotating biological systems, and qualitative and quantitative aspects of the fast-rotating clinostat as a research tool. Also discussed are the development and use of centrifuges in gravitational biology, the use of centrifuges in plant gravitational biology and a comparison of ground-based and flight experiment results, the ability of clinostat to mimic the effect of microgravity on plant cells and organs, and the impact of altered gravity conditions on early EGF-induced signal transduction in human epidermal A431 cells.

Simulation of water hammer phenomena using the system code ATHLET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bratfisch, Christoph; Koch, Marco K. [Bochum Univ. (Germany). Reactor Simulation and Safety Group

2017-07-15

Water Hammer Phenomena can endanger the integrity of structures leading to a possible failure of pipes in nuclear power plants as well as in many industrial applications. These phenomena can arise in nuclear power plants in the course of transients and accidents induced by the start-up of auxiliary feed water systems or emergency core cooling systems in combination with rapid acting valves and pumps. To contribute to further development and validation of the code ATHLET (Analysis of Thermalhydraulics of Leaks and Transients), an experiment performed in the test facility Pilot Plant Pipework (PPP) at Fraunhofer UMSICHT is simulated using the code version ATHLET 3.0A.

Simulation of water hammer phenomena using the system code ATHLET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bratfisch, Christoph; Koch, Marco K.

2017-01-01

Water Hammer Phenomena can endanger the integrity of structures leading to a possible failure of pipes in nuclear power plants as well as in many industrial applications. These phenomena can arise in nuclear power plants in the course of transients and accidents induced by the start-up of auxiliary feed water systems or emergency core cooling systems in combination with rapid acting valves and pumps. To contribute to further development and validation of the code ATHLET (Analysis of Thermalhydraulics of Leaks and Transients), an experiment performed in the test facility Pilot Plant Pipework (PPP) at Fraunhofer UMSICHT is simulated using the code version ATHLET 3.0A.

Micro- and nanoscale phenomena in tribology

CERN Document Server

Chung, Yip-Wah

2011-01-01

Drawn from presentations at a recent National Science Foundation Summer Institute on Nanomechanics, Nanomaterials, and Micro/Nanomanufacturing, Micro- and Nanoscale Phenomena in Tribology explores the convergence of the multiple science and engineering disciplines involved in tribology and the connection from the macro to nano world. Written by specialists from computation, materials science, mechanical engineering, surface physics, and chemistry, each chapter provides up-to-date coverage of both basic and advanced topics and includes extensive references for further study.After discussing the

Critical Phenomena Associated with Boson Stars

OpenAIRE

Hawley, Scott H.; Choptuik, Matthew W.

2001-01-01

We present a brief synopsis of related work (gr-qc/0007039), describing a study of black hole threshold phenomena for a self-gravitating, massive complex scalar field in spherical symmetry. We construct Type I critical solutions dynamically by tuning a one-parameter family of initial data consisting of a boson star and a massless real scalar field, and numerically evolving this data. The resulting critical solutions appear to correspond to boson stars on the unstable branch, as we show via co...

FEARS AND PHOBIAS IN THE PERSON’S «ANXIETY ROW» PHENOMENA STRUCTURE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. V. Astakhova

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Fear is determined as part of a sequence of so-called «number of anxiety» phenomena (fright – alarm – fear – horror – panics. Phobia isdetermined as alarming upsetting. The origin and development of fears and phobias are examined from the social viewpoint in terms of theinfluence of the «alarm raw» phenomena on the development of both an individual and the whole society.

A framework to establish credibility of computational models in biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Patterson, Eann A; Whelan, Maurice P

2017-10-01

Computational models in biology and biomedical science are often constructed to aid people's understanding of phenomena or to inform decisions with socioeconomic consequences. Model credibility is the willingness of people to trust a model's predictions and is often difficult to establish for computational biology models. A 3 × 3 matrix has been proposed to allow such models to be categorised with respect to their testability and epistemic foundation in order to guide the selection of an appropriate process of validation to supply evidence to establish credibility. Three approaches to validation are identified that can be deployed depending on whether a model is deemed untestable, testable or lies somewhere in between. In the latter two cases, the validation process involves the quantification of uncertainty which is a key output. The issues arising due to the complexity and inherent variability of biological systems are discussed and the creation of 'digital twins' proposed as a means to alleviate the issues and provide a more robust, transparent and traceable route to model credibility and acceptance. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Remote sensing of natural phenomena

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miodrag D. Regodić

2014-06-01

Full Text Available There has always been a need to directly perceive and study the events whose extent is beyond people's possibilities. In order to get new data and to make observations and studying much more objective in comparison with past syntheses - a new method of examination called remote sensing has been adopted. The paper deals with the principles and elements of remote sensing, as well as with the basic aspects of using remote research in examining meteorological (weather parameters and the conditions of the atmosphere. The usage of satellite images is possible in all phases of the global and systematic research of different natural phenomena when airplane and satellite images of different characteristics are used and their analysis and interpretation is carried out by viewing and computer added procedures. Introduction Remote sensing of the Earth enables observing and studying global and local events that occur on it. Satellite images are nowadays used in geology, agriculture, forestry, geodesy, meteorology, spatial and urbanism planning, designing of infrastructure and other objects, protection from natural and technological catastrophes, etc. It it possible to use satellite images in all phases of global and systematic research of different natural phenomena. Basics of remote sensing Remote sensing is a method of the acquisition and interpretation of information about remote objects without making a physical contact with them. The term Daljinska detekcija is a literal translation of the English term Remote Sensing. In French it isTeledetection, in German - Fernerkundung, in Russian - дистанционие иследования. We also use terms such as: remote survailance, remote research, teledetection, remote methods, and distance research. The basic elements included in Remote Sensing are: object, electromagnetic energy, sensor, platform, image, analysis, interpretation and the information (data, fact. Usage of satellite remote research in

Phenomena of g-u symmetry-breakdown in HD

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Lange, A.; Reinhold, E.M.; Ubachs, W.M.G.

2002-01-01

Phenomena associated with the breakdown of inversion symmetry in the HD molecule are reviewed and discussed. A distinction is made between three kinds of physical effects observed in HD spectra. The existence of a small electric dipole moment in the ground state gives rise to vibrational and pure

Contamination of current-clamp measurement of neuron capacitance by voltage-dependent phenomena

Science.gov (United States)

White, William E.

2013-01-01

Measuring neuron capacitance is important for morphological description, conductance characterization, and neuron modeling. One method to estimate capacitance is to inject current pulses into a neuron and fit the resulting changes in membrane potential with multiple exponentials; if the neuron is purely passive, the amplitude and time constant of the slowest exponential give neuron capacitance (Major G, Evans JD, Jack JJ. Biophys J 65: 423–449, 1993). Golowasch et al. (Golowasch J, Thomas G, Taylor AL, Patel A, Pineda A, Khalil C, Nadim F. J Neurophysiol 102: 2161–2175, 2009) have shown that this is the best method for measuring the capacitance of nonisopotential (i.e., most) neurons. However, prior work has not tested for, or examined how much error would be introduced by, slow voltage-dependent phenomena possibly present at the membrane potentials typically used in such work. We investigated this issue in lobster (Panulirus interruptus) stomatogastric neurons by performing current clamp-based capacitance measurements at multiple membrane potentials. A slow, voltage-dependent phenomenon consistent with residual voltage-dependent conductances was present at all tested membrane potentials (−95 to −35 mV). This phenomenon was the slowest component of the neuron's voltage response, and failure to recognize and exclude it would lead to capacitance overestimates of several hundredfold. Most methods of estimating capacitance depend on the absence of voltage-dependent phenomena. Our demonstration that such phenomena make nonnegligible contributions to neuron responses even at well-hyperpolarized membrane potentials highlights the critical importance of checking for such phenomena in all work measuring neuron capacitance. We show here how to identify such phenomena and minimize their contaminating influence. PMID:23576698

ldentifying Episodes of Earth Science Phenomena Using a Big-Data Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, Kwo-Sen; Oloso, Amidu; Rushing, John; Lin, Amy; Fekete, Gyorgy; Ramachandran, Rahul; Clune, Thomas; Dunny, Daniel

2014-01-01

A significant portion of Earth Science investigations is phenomenon- (or event-) based, such as the studies of Rossby waves, volcano eruptions, tsunamis, mesoscale convective systems, and tropical cyclones. However, except for a few high-impact phenomena, e.g. tropical cyclones, comprehensive records are absent for the occurrences or events of these phenomena. Phenomenon-based studies therefore often focus on a few prominent cases while the lesser ones are overlooked. Without an automated means to gather the events, comprehensive investigation of a phenomenon is at least time-consuming if not impossible. We have constructed a prototype Automated Event Service (AES) system that is used to methodically mine custom-defined events in the reanalysis data sets of atmospheric general circulation models. Our AES will enable researchers to specify their custom, numeric event criteria using a user-friendly web interface to search the reanalysis data sets. Moreover, we have included a social component to enable dynamic formation of collaboration groups for researchers to cooperate on event definitions of common interest and for the analysis of these events. An Earth Science event (ES event) is defined here as an episode of an Earth Science phenomenon (ES phenomenon). A cumulus cloud, a thunderstorm shower, a rogue wave, a tornado, an earthquake, a tsunami, a hurricane, or an El Nino, is each an episode of a named ES phenomenon, and, from the small and insignificant to the large and potent, all are examples of ES events. An ES event has a duration (often finite) and an associated geo-location as a function of time; it's therefore an entity embedded in four-dimensional (4D) spatiotemporal space. Earth Science phenomena with the potential to cause massive economic disruption or loss of life often rivet the attention of researchers. But, broader scientific curiosity also drives the study of phenomena that pose no immediate danger, such as land/sea breezes. Due to Earth System

Switching Phenomena in a System with No Switches

Science.gov (United States)

Preis, Tobias; Stanley, H. Eugene

2010-02-01

It is widely believed that switching phenomena require switches, but this is actually not true. For an intriguing variety of switching phenomena in nature, the underlying complex system abruptly changes from one state to another in a highly discontinuous fashion. For example, financial market fluctuations are characterized by many abrupt switchings creating increasing trends ("bubble formation") and decreasing trends ("financial collapse"). Such switching occurs on time scales ranging from macroscopic bubbles persisting for hundreds of days to microscopic bubbles persisting only for a few seconds. We analyze a database containing 13,991,275 German DAX Future transactions recorded with a time resolution of 10 msec. For comparison, a database providing 2,592,531 of all S&P500 daily closing prices is used. We ask whether these ubiquitous switching phenomena have quantifiable features independent of the time horizon studied. We find striking scale-free behavior of the volatility after each switching occurs. We interpret our findings as being consistent with time-dependent collective behavior of financial market participants. We test the possible universality of our result by performing a parallel analysis of fluctuations in transaction volume and time intervals between trades. We show that these financial market switching processes have properties similar to those of phase transitions. We suggest that the well-known catastrophic bubbles that occur on large time scales—such as the most recent financial crisis—are no outliers but single dramatic representatives caused by the switching between upward and downward trends on time scales varying over nine orders of magnitude from very large (≈102 days) down to very small (≈10 ms).

Computational and experimental investigation of dynamic shock reflection phenomena

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Naidoo, K

2007-07-01

Full Text Available wedge are used to analyse dynamic flow field phenomena and response of the triple point below and within the dual solution domain. Computed, unsteady pressure traces on the reflection plane are also analysed...

Current position on severe accident phenomena

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henry, Robert E [Fauske and Associates, Inc., Burr Ridge, IL (United States)

2004-07-01

The phenomena addressed in this lecture are: in-vessel and ex-vessel hydrogen generation; in-vessel and in-containment natural circulation, steam explosions, direct containment heating, core-concrete interaction; debris coolability, containment strength/failure. The following events were modeled: axial and radial power distribution, two-phase level in the core, steam generation in covered section, decay heat generation, convection to gas, cladding oxidation, cold ballooning and rupture, natural circulation between the core and upper plenum, hydrogen generation, core meltdown, reflooding. Differences between PWR and BWR type reactors.

Current position on severe accident phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henry, Robert E.

2004-01-01

The phenomena addressed in this lecture are: in-vessel and ex-vessel hydrogen generation; in-vessel and in-containment natural circulation, steam explosions, direct containment heating, core-concrete interaction; debris coolability, containment strength/failure. The following events were modeled: axial and radial power distribution, two-phase level in the core, steam generation in covered section, decay heat generation, convection to gas, cladding oxidation, cold ballooning and rupture, natural circulation between the core and upper plenum, hydrogen generation, core meltdown, reflooding. Differences between PWR and BWR type reactors

Radiation biology and radiation protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hendry, J.H.

2012-01-01

For protection purposes, the biological effects of radiation are separated into stochastic effects (cancer, hereditary effects) presumed to be unicellular in origin, and tissue reactions due to injury in populations of cells. The latter are deterministic effects, renamed ‘tissue reactions’ in the 2007 Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection because of the increasing evidence of the ability to modify responses after irradiation. Tissue reactions become manifest either early or late after doses above a threshold dose, which is the basis for recommended dose limits for avoiding such effects. Latency time before manifestation is related to cell turnover rates, and tissue proliferative and structural organisation. Threshold doses have been defined for practical purposes at 1% incidence of an effect. In general, threshold doses are lower for longer follow-up times because of the slow progression of injury before manifestation. Radiosensitive individuals in the population may contribute to low threshold doses, and in the future, threshold doses may be increased by the use of various biological response modifiers post irradiation for reducing injury. Threshold doses would be expected to be higher for fractionated or protracted doses, unless doses below the threshold dose only cause single-hit-type events that are not modified by repair/recovery phenomena, or if different mechanisms of injury are involved at low and high doses.

Chemical track effects in condensed systems and implications for biological damage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magee, J.L.; Chatterjee, A.

1979-01-01

The spatial distributions of reactive intermediates, chemical reactions, and products are involved in the chemical interests in particle tracks. Biological systems are considred to be concentrated aqueous solutions, and the reactions of biological molecules can occur at any time including prethermal period. Heavy particles lose approximately equal amounts of energy by two mechanisms which lead to the different patterns of energy deposit; that is, the resonant process with individual losses in the range of 0 - 100 eV, and the knock-on process which creates recoil electrons in spectra from 100 eV to the maximum. The survival of cultured cells after irradiation depends on certain parameters of the radiation. Such theories seem to imply that the deposit of energy in the proper location of a cell can guarantee its death, that is, there is all-or-none effect, dependent solely on the absorption of energy. The initial dissociation of water is assumed to require 17 eV. A weakness regarding heavy particle tracks is the lack of knowledge on the phenomena that occur at extremely high energy deposit, approximately 1000 eV per A. Significantly high temperature must be generated, accompanied by shock waves and bubble formation. In a radical diffusion model for cell survival, it is assumed that a particular type of the lesion of DNA may be formed by a purely chemical process which can provide a certain lethality. The chemical processes following the energy deposit by high energy particles are known at least in approximate way, including most of the phenomena in space and time. (Yamashita, S.)

An assessment of Gallistel's (2012) rationalistic account of extinction phenomena.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Ralph R

2012-05-01

Gallistel (2012) asserts that animals use rationalistic reasoning (i.e., information theory and Bayesian inference) to make decisions that underlie select extinction phenomena. Rational processes are presumed to lead to evolutionarily optimal behavior. Thus, Gallistel's model is a type of optimality theory. But optimality theory is only a theory, a theory about an ideal organism, and its predictions frequently deviate appreciably from observed behavior of animals in the laboratory and the real world. That is, behavior of animals is often far from optimal, as is evident in many behavioral phenomena. Hence, appeals to optimality theory to explain, rather than illuminate, actual behavior are misguided. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Phenomena of synchronized response in biosystems and the possible mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jingjing; Yang, Fan; Han, Danhong; Xu, Shengyong

2018-02-05

Phenomena of synchronized response is common among organs, tissues and cells in biosystems. We have analyzed and discussed three examples of synchronization in biosystems, including the direction-changing movement of paramecia, the prey behavior of flytraps, and the simultaneous discharge of electric eels. These phenomena and discussions support an electrical communication mechanism that in biosystems, the electrical signals are mainly soliton-like electromagnetic pulses, which are generated by the transient transmembrane ionic current through the ion channels and propagate along the dielectric membrane-based softmaterial waveguide network to complete synchronized responses. This transmission model implies that a uniform electrical communication mechanism might have been naturally developed in biosystem. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Random walks, critical phenomena, and triviality in quantum field theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez, R.; Froehlich, J.; Sokal, A.D.

1992-01-01

The subject of this book is equilibrium statistical mechanics - in particular the theory of critical phenomena - and quantum field theory. A general review of the theory of critical phenomena in spin systems, field theories, and random-walk and random-surface models is presented. Among the more technical topics treated in this book, the central theme is the use of random-walk representations as a tool to derive correlation inequalities. The consequences of these inequalities for critical-exponent theory and the triviality question in quantum field theory are expounded in detail. The book contains some previously unpublished results. It addresses both the researcher and the graduate student in modern statistical mechanics and quantum field theory. (orig.)

Plasma phenomena around comets: interaction with the solar wind

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sagdeev, R.Z.; Shapiro, V.D.; Shevchenko, V.I.; Szegoe, K.

1987-08-01

The most important plasma physical experimental data measured during the cometary missions are summarized. These data do not include tail phenomena. Theoretical considerations are also presented concerning the upstream and bow shock regions. (author) 47 refs.; 15 figs

The blowdown, refill and reflood phase during a LOCA. Survey of the main physical phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reocreux, M.

1980-05-01

In this paper, the main physical phenomena occuring during a LOCA are reviewed. They are presented in a chronological order. For each phenomena, a detailed physical description is given followed by the review of the general modelling problems. For some of these phenomena, modelling details are given for critical flow, for two-phase flow and heat transfer, for critical heat flux and post critical heat flux heat transfer, for reflood and rewet heat transfer and in the survey on LOCA computation codes

Laboratory simulation of space plasma phenomena*

Science.gov (United States)

Amatucci, B.; Tejero, E. M.; Ganguli, G.; Blackwell, D.; Enloe, C. L.; Gillman, E.; Walker, D.; Gatling, G.

2017-12-01

Laboratory devices, such as the Naval Research Laboratory's Space Physics Simulation Chamber, are large-scale experiments dedicated to the creation of large-volume plasmas with parameters realistically scaled to those found in various regions of the near-Earth space plasma environment. Such devices make valuable contributions to the understanding of space plasmas by investigating phenomena under carefully controlled, reproducible conditions, allowing for the validation of theoretical models being applied to space data. By working in collaboration with in situ experimentalists to create realistic conditions scaled to those found during the observations of interest, the microphysics responsible for the observed events can be investigated in detail not possible in space. To date, numerous investigations of phenomena such as plasma waves, wave-particle interactions, and particle energization have been successfully performed in the laboratory. In addition to investigations such as plasma wave and instability studies, the laboratory devices can also make valuable contributions to the development and testing of space plasma diagnostics. One example is the plasma impedance probe developed at NRL. Originally developed as a laboratory diagnostic, the sensor has now been flown on a sounding rocket, is included on a CubeSat experiment, and will be included on the DoD Space Test Program's STP-H6 experiment on the International Space Station. In this presentation, we will describe several examples of the laboratory investigation of space plasma waves and instabilities and diagnostic development. *This work supported by the NRL Base Program.

Theoretical and experimental notes on noise phenomena of KUR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kishida, Kuniharu

1980-01-01

The classification of global or local noise is important in reactor noise analysis. The term of ''global'' or ''local'' corresponds to that of ''system size'' or ''cell size'' in statistical physics. On the other hand, point model or phase space description is used in time series analysis. If a time series model describing spatial behavior is established, it will serve to reactor diagnosis. The noise phenomena of KUR are discussed from these points of view. In other words, from experimental results, the point reactor picture is reasonable to neutronic aspect but quantitative problem remains in coolant temperature fluctuations. By taking into account a diffusion type model, the spatial dependence is discussed for the problem remaining in coolant temperature fluctuations. It is pointed out that the time-space picture is a crucial idea of reactor noise phenomena. (author)

Some perspectives in nuclear astrophysics on non-thermal phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tatischeff, V.

2012-01-01

In this HDR (Accreditation to Supervise Researches) report, the author presents and comments his research activities on nuclear phenomena in stellar eruptions (solar eruptions, lithium nucleosynthesis in stellar eruptions), on particle acceleration in shock waves of stellar explosions (diffusive acceleration by shock wave, particle acceleration in symbiotic novae, particle acceleration in radio-detected supernovae), of research on low energy cosmic rays (galactic emission of nuclear gamma rays, non thermal soft X rays as new tracer of accelerated particles), and on the origin of short period radioactivities in the primitive solar system (extinguished radio-activities and formation of the solar system, origin of berylium-10 in the primitive solar system). The author concludes with some perspectives on non thermal phenomena in nuclear astrophysics, and on research and development for the future of medium-energy gamma astronomy [fr

Adsorption phenomena and anchoring energy in nematic liquid crystals

CERN Document Server

Barbero, Giovanni

2005-01-01

Despite the large quantity of phenomenological information concerning the bulk properties of nematic phase liquid crystals, little is understood about the origin of the surface energy, particularly the surface, interfacial, and anchoring properties of liquid crystals that affect the performance of liquid crystal devices. Self-contained and unique, Adsorption Phenomena and Anchoring Energy in Nematic Liquid Crystals provides an account of new and established results spanning three decades of research into the problems of anchoring energy and adsorption phenomena in liquid crystals.The book contains a detailed discussion of the origin and possible sources of anchoring energy in nematic liquid crystals, emphasizing the dielectric contribution to the anchoring energy in particular. Beginning with fundamental surface and anchoring properties of liquid crystals and the definition of the nematic phase, the authors explain how selective ion adsorption, dielectric energy density, thickness dependence, and bias voltage...

Energy Connections and Misconnections across Chemistry and Biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Kohn, Kathryn P; Underwood, Sonia M; Cooper, Melanie M

2018-01-01

Despite the number of university students who take courses in multiple science disciplines, little is known about how they connect concepts between disciplines. Energy is a concept that underlies all scientific phenomena and, as such, provides an appropriate context in which to investigate student connections and misconnections across disciplines. In this study, university students concurrently enrolled in introductory chemistry and biology were interviewed to explore their perceptions of the integration of energy both within and across the disciplines, and how they attempted to accommodate and reconcile different disciplinary approaches to energy, to inform future, interdisciplinary course reform. Findings suggest that, while students believed energy to be important to the scientific world and to the disciplines of biology and chemistry, the extent to which it was seen as central to success in their courses varied. Differences were also apparent in students' descriptions of the molecular-level mechanisms by which energy transfer occurs. These findings reveal a disconnect between how energy is understood and used in introductory science course work and uncovers opportunities to make stronger connections across the disciplines. We recommend that instructors engage in interdisciplinary conversations and consider the perspectives and goals of other disciplines when teaching introductory science courses. © 2018 K. P. Kohn et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2018 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

[Is the brain the creator of psychic phenomena or is a paradigm shift inevitable?].

Science.gov (United States)

Bonilla, Ernesto

2014-06-01

Every day new scientific information is appearing that cannot be explained using the classical Newtonian model and is calling for the emergence of a new paradigm that would include the explanation of such phenomena as telepathy, clairvoyance, presentiment, precognition, out of the body experiences, psychic healing, after-death communication, near-death experiences and reincarnation. The materialist paradigm which considers the brain as the sole cause of consciousness and psychic phenomena has been challenged by a new paradigm that seems to demonstrate that there is not a cause-effect relationship between brain activity and psychic phenomena but only a correlation between them, since these phenomena can be experienced without the body and appear to have an extra-cerebral origin (cosmic field, cosmic consciousness?). Of course, the brain is intensely involved in the manifestation of consciousness in our daily life but this is not equivalent to affirm that brain creates consciousness. Recent findings force us to consider a non-physical, spiritual and transpersonal aspect of reality.

The Impact of the Qur'anic Conception of Astronomical Phenomena on Islamic Civilization

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, I. A.

Discussions of astronomical phenomena in religious texts usually center around either their literal astronomical content or their symbolic significance. We shall instead consider the use of frequent references to astronomical phenomena in the Qur'an as exhortations to a worldview that ushered in the modern era. The Qur'anic conception of astronomical phenomena had a critical impact on Islamic civilization and the civilizations that followed because it introduced and mandated the adoption of certain attitudes. Among these were a greater respect for empirical data than was common in the preceding Greek civilization and an insistence that the Universe is ruled by a single set of laws. Both of these were rooted in the Islamic concept of tawhîd, the unity of God.

Superfluous neuroscience information makes explanations of psychological phenomena more appealing.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandez-Duque, Diego; Evans, Jessica; Christian, Colton; Hodges, Sara D

2015-05-01

Does the presence of irrelevant neuroscience information make explanations of psychological phenomena more appealing? Do fMRI pictures further increase that allure? To help answer these questions, 385 college students in four experiments read brief descriptions of psychological phenomena, each one accompanied by an explanation of varying quality (good vs. circular) and followed by superfluous information of various types. Ancillary measures assessed participants' analytical thinking, beliefs on dualism and free will, and admiration for different sciences. In Experiment 1, superfluous neuroscience information increased the judged quality of the argument for both good and bad explanations, whereas accompanying fMRI pictures had no impact above and beyond the neuroscience text, suggesting a bias that is conceptual rather than pictorial. Superfluous neuroscience information was more alluring than social science information (Experiment 2) and more alluring than information from prestigious "hard sciences" (Experiments 3 and 4). Analytical thinking did not protect against the neuroscience bias, nor did a belief in dualism or free will. We conclude that the "allure of neuroscience" bias is conceptual, specific to neuroscience, and not easily accounted for by the prestige of the discipline. It may stem from the lay belief that the brain is the best explanans for mental phenomena.

A Bayesian explanation of the "Uncanny Valley" effect and related psychological phenomena

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Roger K.

2012-11-01

There are a number of psychological phenomena in which dramatic emotional responses are evoked by seemingly innocuous perceptual stimuli. A well known example is the `uncanny valley' effect whereby a near human-looking artifact can trigger feelings of eeriness and repulsion. Although such phenomena are reasonably well documented, there is no quantitative explanation for the findings and no mathematical model that is capable of predicting such behavior. Here I show (using a Bayesian model of categorical perception) that differential perceptual distortion arising from stimuli containing conflicting cues can give rise to a perceptual tension at category boundaries that could account for these phenomena. The model is not only the first quantitative explanation of the uncanny valley effect, but it may also provide a mathematical explanation for a range of social situations in which conflicting cues give rise to negative, fearful or even violent reactions.

Pre-breakdown light emission phenomena in low-pressure argon between parabolic electrodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wagenaars, E [Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven (Netherlands); Perriens, N W B [Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven (Netherlands); Brok, W J M [Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven (Netherlands); Bowden, M D [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Open University, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA (United Kingdom); Veldhuizen, E M van [Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven (Netherlands); Kroesen, G M W [Department of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven (Netherlands)

2006-09-07

An experimental study on pre-breakdown light emission in low-pressure argon gas was performed. In a pulsed discharge, pre-breakdown phenomena were observed for repetition rates between 100 and 2000 Hz and pulse duration of 100 {mu}s. These phenomena were studied with time-resolved emission imaging using an intensified charge coupled device camera. The origin of the pre-breakdown emission was identified as diffusion of volume charges left over from previous discharges. These charges were accelerated towards the anode in small electron avalanches causing excitation of argon atoms. Different spatial distributions of the pre-breakdown light emission for different times between discharges were measured and the effects of the pre-breakdown phenomena on the main breakdown phase were studied using a double voltage pulse. The observed effects were attributed to the distribution of volume charges, left over from previous discharges, in the discharge gap during the pre-breakdown phase.

Natural phenomena hazards design and evaluation criteria for Department of Energy Facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-01-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) has issued an Order 420.1 which establishes policy for its facilities in the event of natural phenomena hazards (NPH) along with associated NPH mitigation requirements. This DOE Standard gives design and evaluation criteria for NPH effects as guidance for implementing the NPH mitigation requirements of DOE Order 420.1 and the associated implementation Guides. These are intended to be consistent design and evaluation criteria for protection against natural phenomena hazards at DOE sites throughout the United States. The goal of these criteria is to assure that DOE facilities can withstand the effects of natural phenomena such as earthquakes, extreme winds, tornadoes, and flooding. These criteria apply to the design of new facilities and the evaluation of existing facilities. They may also be used for modification and upgrading of existing facilities as appropriate. The design and evaluation criteria presented herein control the level of conservatism introduced in the design/evaluation process such that earthquake, wind, and flood hazards are treated on a consistent basis. These criteria also employ a graded approach to ensure that the level of conservatism and rigor in design/evaluation is appropriate for facility characteristics such as importance, hazards to people on and off site, and threat to the environment. For each natural phenomena hazard covered, these criteria consist of the following: Performance Categories and target performance goals as specified in the DOE Order 420.1 NPH Implementation Guide, and DOE-STD-1 021; specified probability levels from which natural phenomena hazard loading on structures, equipment, and systems is developed; and design and evaluation procedures to evaluate response to NPH loads and criteria to assess whether or not computed response is permissible.

Jets and large Psub(T) phenomena

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Narayan, D. S.

1980-07-01

Jets have been observed in hadron-hadron collisions and e/sup +/e/sup -/ annihilation at high energies. An attempt is made to explain the mechanism for the production of jets. The mechanism of quark-fragmentation is described with illustrations. Basic concepts and assumptions are used to study the distribution of quarks and gluons in a hadron. Quark and gluon decay distributions, and the transverse momentum distributions of quarks and gluons, Monte-Carlo methods in the study of jets, large Psub(T) phenomena in hadrons, QCD effects in hadronization of quark jets are discussed.

Chalcogenides Metastability and Phase Change Phenomena

CERN Document Server

Kolobov, Alexander V

2012-01-01

A state-of-the-art description of metastability observed in chalcogenide alloys is presented with the accent on the underlying physics. A comparison is made between sulphur(selenium)-based chalcogenide glasses, where numerous photo-induced phenomena take place entirely within the amorphous phase, and tellurides where a reversible crystal-to-amorphous phase-change transformation is a major effect. Applications of metastability in devices¿optical memories and nonvolatile electronic phase-change random-access memories among others are discussed, including the latest trends. Background material essential for understanding current research in the field is also provided.

Layered phenomena in the mesopause region

Science.gov (United States)

Plane, J. M. C.; Bailey, S. M.; Baumgarten, G.; Rapp, M.

2015-05-01

This special issue of the Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics comprises a collection of papers which were mostly presented at the 11th Layered Phenomena in the Mesopause Region (LPMR) Workshop, held at the University of Leeds between 29th July 2013 and 1st August 2013. The topics covered at the workshop included atmospheric dynamics, mesospheric ice clouds, meteoric metal layers, meteoric smoke particles, and airglow layers. There was also a session on the potential of planned sub-orbital spacecraft for making measurements in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT).

Modelling transport phenomena in a multi-physics context

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marra, Francesco [Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica e Alimentare - Università degli studi di Salerno Via Ponte Don Melillo - 84084 Fisciano SA (Italy)

2015-01-22

Innovative heating research on cooking, pasteurization/sterilization, defrosting, thawing and drying, often focuses on areas which include the assessment of processing time, evaluation of heating uniformity, studying the impact on quality attributes of the final product as well as considering the energy efficiency of these heating processes. During the last twenty years, so-called electro-heating-processes (radio-frequency - RF, microwaves - MW and ohmic - OH) gained a wide interest in industrial food processing and many applications using the above mentioned technologies have been developed with the aim of reducing processing time, improving process efficiency and, in many cases, the heating uniformity. In the area of innovative heating, electro-heating accounts for a considerable portion of both the scientific literature and commercial applications, which can be subdivided into either direct electro-heating (as in the case of OH heating) where electrical current is applied directly to the food or indirect electro-heating (e.g. MW and RF heating) where the electrical energy is firstly converted to electromagnetic radiation which subsequently generates heat within a product. New software packages, which make easier solution of PDEs based mathematical models, and new computers, capable of larger RAM and more efficient CPU performances, allowed an increasing interest about modelling transport phenomena in systems and processes - as the ones encountered in food processing - that can be complex in terms of geometry, composition, boundary conditions but also - as in the case of electro-heating assisted applications - in terms of interaction with other physical phenomena such as displacement of electric or magnetic field. This paper deals with the description of approaches used in modelling transport phenomena in a multi-physics context such as RF, MW and OH assisted heating.

Modelling transport phenomena in a multi-physics context

Science.gov (United States)

Marra, Francesco

2015-01-01

Innovative heating research on cooking, pasteurization/sterilization, defrosting, thawing and drying, often focuses on areas which include the assessment of processing time, evaluation of heating uniformity, studying the impact on quality attributes of the final product as well as considering the energy efficiency of these heating processes. During the last twenty years, so-called electro-heating-processes (radio-frequency - RF, microwaves - MW and ohmic - OH) gained a wide interest in industrial food processing and many applications using the above mentioned technologies have been developed with the aim of reducing processing time, improving process efficiency and, in many cases, the heating uniformity. In the area of innovative heating, electro-heating accounts for a considerable portion of both the scientific literature and commercial applications, which can be subdivided into either direct electro-heating (as in the case of OH heating) where electrical current is applied directly to the food or indirect electro-heating (e.g. MW and RF heating) where the electrical energy is firstly converted to electromagnetic radiation which subsequently generates heat within a product. New software packages, which make easier solution of PDEs based mathematical models, and new computers, capable of larger RAM and more efficient CPU performances, allowed an increasing interest about modelling transport phenomena in systems and processes - as the ones encountered in food processing - that can be complex in terms of geometry, composition, boundary conditions but also - as in the case of electro-heating assisted applications - in terms of interaction with other physical phenomena such as displacement of electric or magnetic field. This paper deals with the description of approaches used in modelling transport phenomena in a multi-physics context such as RF, MW and OH assisted heating.

Modelling transport phenomena in a multi-physics context

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marra, Francesco

2015-01-01

Innovative heating research on cooking, pasteurization/sterilization, defrosting, thawing and drying, often focuses on areas which include the assessment of processing time, evaluation of heating uniformity, studying the impact on quality attributes of the final product as well as considering the energy efficiency of these heating processes. During the last twenty years, so-called electro-heating-processes (radio-frequency - RF, microwaves - MW and ohmic - OH) gained a wide interest in industrial food processing and many applications using the above mentioned technologies have been developed with the aim of reducing processing time, improving process efficiency and, in many cases, the heating uniformity. In the area of innovative heating, electro-heating accounts for a considerable portion of both the scientific literature and commercial applications, which can be subdivided into either direct electro-heating (as in the case of OH heating) where electrical current is applied directly to the food or indirect electro-heating (e.g. MW and RF heating) where the electrical energy is firstly converted to electromagnetic radiation which subsequently generates heat within a product. New software packages, which make easier solution of PDEs based mathematical models, and new computers, capable of larger RAM and more efficient CPU performances, allowed an increasing interest about modelling transport phenomena in systems and processes - as the ones encountered in food processing - that can be complex in terms of geometry, composition, boundary conditions but also - as in the case of electro-heating assisted applications - in terms of interaction with other physical phenomena such as displacement of electric or magnetic field. This paper deals with the description of approaches used in modelling transport phenomena in a multi-physics context such as RF, MW and OH assisted heating

Nuclear phenomena in low-energy nuclear reaction research.

Science.gov (United States)

Krivit, Steven B

2013-09-01

This is a comment on Storms E (2010) Status of Cold Fusion, Naturwissenschaften 97:861-881. This comment provides the following remarks to other nuclear phenomena observed in low-energy nuclear reactions aside from helium-4 make significant contributions to the overall energy balance; and normal hydrogen, not just heavy hydrogen, produces excess heat.

Deriving Case, Agreement and Voice Phenomena in Syntax

Science.gov (United States)

Sigurdsson, Einar Freyr

2017-01-01

This dissertation places case, agreement and Voice phenomena in syntax. It argues that the derivation is driven by so-called derivational features, that is, structure-building features (Merge) and probe features (Agree) (Heck and Muller 2007 and Muller 2010; see also Chomsky 2000, 2001). Both types are essential in deriving case and agreement in…

Augmented Visual Experience of Simulated Solar Phenomena

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, A. O., IV; Berardino, R. A.; Hahne, D.; Schreurs, B.; Fox, N. J.; Raouafi, N.

2017-12-01

The Parker Solar Probe (PSP) mission will explore the Sun's corona, studying solar wind, flares and coronal mass ejections. The effects of these phenomena can impact the technology that we use in ways that are not readily apparent, including affecting satellite communications and power grids. Determining the structure and dynamics of corona magnetic fields, tracing the flow of energy that heats the corona, and exploring dusty plasma near the Sun to understand its influence on solar wind and energetic particle formation requires a suite of sensors on board the PSP spacecraft that are engineered to observe specific phenomena. Using models of these sensors and simulated observational data, we can visualize what the PSP spacecraft will "see" during its multiple passes around the Sun. Augmented reality (AR) technologies enable convenient user access to massive data sets. We are developing an application that allows users to experience environmental data from the point of view of the PSP spacecraft in AR using the Microsoft HoloLens. Observational data, including imagery, magnetism, temperature, and density are visualized in 4D within the user's immediate environment. Our application provides an educational tool for comprehending the complex relationships of observational data, which aids in our understanding of the Sun.

Shock Wave Diffraction Phenomena around Slotted Splitters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesca Gnani

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In the field of aerospace engineering, the study of the characteristics of vortical flows and their unsteady phenomena finds numerous engineering applications related to improvements in the design of tip devices, enhancement of combustor performance, and control of noise generation. A large amount of work has been carried out in the analysis of the shock wave diffraction around conventional geometries such as sharp and rounded corners, but the employment of splitters with lateral variation has hardly attracted the attention of researchers. The investigation of this phenomenon around two-dimensional wedges has allowed the understanding of the basic physical principles of the flow features. On the other hand, important aspects that appear in the third dimension due to the turbulent nature of the vortices are omitted. The lack of studies that use three-dimensional geometries has motivated the current work to experimentally investigate the evolution of the shock wave diffraction around two splitters with spike-shaped structures for Mach numbers of 1.31 and 1.59. Schlieren photography was used to obtain an insight into the sequential diffraction processes that take place in different planes. Interacting among them, these phenomena generate a complicated turbulent cloud with a vortical arrangement.

EDITORIAL: Quantum phenomena in Nanotechnology Quantum phenomena in Nanotechnology

Science.gov (United States)

Loss, Daniel

2009-10-01

Twenty years ago the Institute of Physics launched the journal Nanotechnology from its publishing house based in the home town of Paul Dirac, a legendary figure in the development of quantum mechanics at the turn of the last century. At the beginning of the 20th century, the adoption of quantum mechanical descriptions of events transformed the existing deterministic world view. But in many ways it also revolutionised the progress of research itself. For the first time since the 17th century when Francis Bacon established inductive reasoning as the means of advancing science from fact to axiom to law, theory was progressing ahead of experiments instead of providing explanations for observations that had already been made. Dirac's postulation of antimatter through purely theoretical investigation before its observation is the archetypal example of theory leading the way for experiment. The progress of nanotechnology and the development of tools and techniques that enabled the investigation of systems at the nanoscale brought with them many fascinating observations of phenomena that could only be explained through quantum mechanics, first theoretically deduced decades previously. At the nanoscale, quantum confinement effects dominate the electrical and optical properties of systems. They also render new opportunities for manipulating the response of systems. For example, a better understanding of these systems has enabled the rapid development of quantum dots with precisely determined properties, which can be exploited in a range of applications from medical imaging and photovoltaic solar cells to quantum computation, a radically new information technology being currently developed in many labs worldwide. As the first ever academic journal in nanotechnology, {\\it Nanotechnology} has been the forum for papers detailing progress of the science through extremely exciting times. In the early years of the journal, the investigation of electron spin led to the formulation

A survey of the effects of brand value on customer satisfaction in pharmaceutical and biological industries

OpenAIRE

Alipour, A.; Feizi, S.J.; Heidari, M.

2016-01-01

. The purpose of this study was to describe how companies in pharmaceutical and biological sectors can ensure their position in different markets by relying on sustainable, competitive advantages, resulting from the use of a well-defined marketing model with particular emphasis on brand improvement. As competition becomes more intense among companies and phenomena such as global marketing grow in importance, domestic industries in each country become obliged to improve their competitive advan...

Thermal-Hydraulics Phenomena Important in Modeling and Simulation of Liquid-Fuel Molten Salt Reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bajorek, Stephen; Diamond, David J.

2018-11-11

This paper discusses liquid-fuel molten salt reactors, how they will operate under normal, transient, and accident conditions, and the results of an expert elicitation to determine the corresponding thermalhydraulic phenomena important to understanding their behavior. Identifying these phenomena will enable the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to develop or identify modeling functionalities and tools required to carry out confirmatory analyses that examine the validity and accuracy of an applicant’s calculations and help determine the margin of safety in plant design. NRC frequently does an expert elicitation using a Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table (PIRT) to identify and evaluate the state of knowledge of important modeling phenomena. However, few details about the design of these reactors and the sequence of events during accidents are known, so the process used was considered a preliminary PIRT. A panel met to define phenomena that would need to be modeled and considered the impact/importance of each phenomenon with respect to specific figures-of-merit (FoMs) (e.g., salt temperature, velocity, and composition). Each FoM reflected a potential impact on radionuclide release or loss of a barrier to release. The panel considered what the path forward might be with respect to being able to model the phenomenon in a simulation code. Results are explained for both thermal and fast spectrum designs.

Design and evaluation guidelines for Department of Energy facilities subjected to natural phenomena hazards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kennedy, R.P.; Short, S.A.; McDonald, J.R.; McCann, M.W. Jr.; Murray, R.C.; Hill, J.R.

1990-06-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) and the DOE Natural Phenomena Hazards Panel have developed uniform design and evaluation guidelines for protection against natural phenomena hazards at DOE sites throughout the United States. The goal of the guidelines is to assure that DOE facilities can withstand the effects of natural phenomena such as earthquakes, extreme winds, tornadoes, and flooding. The guidelines apply to both new facilities (design) and existing facilities (evaluation, modification, and upgrading). The intended audience is primarily the civil/structural or mechanical engineers conducting the design or evaluation of DOE facilities. The likelihood of occurrence of natural phenomena hazards at each DOE site has been evaluated by the DOE Natural Phenomena Hazard Program. Probabilistic hazard models are available for earthquake, extreme wind/tornado, and flood. Alternatively, site organizations are encouraged to develop site-specific hazard models utilizing the most recent information and techniques available. In this document, performance goals and natural hazard levels are expressed in probabilistic terms, and design and evaluation procedures are presented in deterministic terms. Design/evaluation procedures conform closely to common standard practices so that the procedures will be easily understood by most engineers. Performance goals are expressed in terms of structure or equipment damage to the extent that: (1) the facility cannot function; (2) the facility would need to be replaced; or (3) personnel are endangered. 82 refs., 12 figs., 18 tabs

Design and evaluation guidelines for Department of Energy facilities subjected to natural phenomena hazards

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kennedy, R.P. (Structural Mechanics Consulting, Inc., Yorba Linda, CA (USA)); Short, S.A. (ABB Impell Corp., Mission Viejo, CA (USA)); McDonald, J.R. (Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX (USA)); McCann, M.W. Jr. (Benjamin (J.R.) and Associates, Inc., Mountain View, CA (USA)); Murray, R.C. (Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)); Hill, J.R. (USDOE Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety, and He

1990-06-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) and the DOE Natural Phenomena Hazards Panel have developed uniform design and evaluation guidelines for protection against natural phenomena hazards at DOE sites throughout the United States. The goal of the guidelines is to assure that DOE facilities can withstand the effects of natural phenomena such as earthquakes, extreme winds, tornadoes, and flooding. The guidelines apply to both new facilities (design) and existing facilities (evaluation, modification, and upgrading). The intended audience is primarily the civil/structural or mechanical engineers conducting the design or evaluation of DOE facilities. The likelihood of occurrence of natural phenomena hazards at each DOE site has been evaluated by the DOE Natural Phenomena Hazard Program. Probabilistic hazard models are available for earthquake, extreme wind/tornado, and flood. Alternatively, site organizations are encouraged to develop site-specific hazard models utilizing the most recent information and techniques available. In this document, performance goals and natural hazard levels are expressed in probabilistic terms, and design and evaluation procedures are presented in deterministic terms. Design/evaluation procedures conform closely to common standard practices so that the procedures will be easily understood by most engineers. Performance goals are expressed in terms of structure or equipment damage to the extent that: (1) the facility cannot function; (2) the facility would need to be replaced; or (3) personnel are endangered. 82 refs., 12 figs., 18 tabs.

Impact of thermoelectric phenomena on phase-change memory performance metrics and scaling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jaeho; Asheghi, Mehdi; Goodson, Kenneth E

2012-01-01

The coupled transport of heat and electrical current, or thermoelectric phenomena, can strongly influence the temperature distribution and figures of merit for phase-change memory (PCM). This paper simulates PCM devices with careful attention to thermoelectric transport and the resulting impact on programming current during the reset operation. The electrothermal simulations consider Thomson heating within the phase-change material and Peltier heating at the electrode interface. Using representative values for the Thomson and Seebeck coefficients extracted from our past measurements of these properties, we predict a cell temperature increase of 44% and a decrease in the programming current of 16%. Scaling arguments indicate that the impact of thermoelectric phenomena becomes greater with smaller dimensions due to enhanced thermal confinement. This work estimates the scaling of this reduction in programming current as electrode contact areas are reduced down to 10 nm × 10 nm. Precise understanding of thermoelectric phenomena and their impact on device performance is a critical part of PCM design strategies. (paper)

Natural phenomena risk assessment at Rocky Flats Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foppe, T.L.

1985-01-01

A realistic approach is currently being used at the Rocky Flats Plant to assess the risks of natural phenomena events. The methodology addresses frequency of occurrence estimates, damage stress on the facility and vital equipment, material-at-risk, release fractions and source terms, leakpath, dispersion and dosimetric models, risk curves, and an uncertainty analysis. 28 references, 1 figure

SUPERCOMPUTER SIMULATION OF CRITICAL PHENOMENA IN COMPLEX SOCIAL SYSTEMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petrus M.A. Sloot

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The paper describes a problem of computer simulation of critical phenomena in complex social systems on a petascale computing systems in frames of complex networks approach. The three-layer system of nested models of complex networks is proposed including aggregated analytical model to identify critical phenomena, detailed model of individualized network dynamics and model to adjust a topological structure of a complex network. The scalable parallel algorithm covering all layers of complex networks simulation is proposed. Performance of the algorithm is studied on different supercomputing systems. The issues of software and information infrastructure of complex networks simulation are discussed including organization of distributed calculations, crawling the data in social networks and results visualization. The applications of developed methods and technologies are considered including simulation of criminal networks disruption, fast rumors spreading in social networks, evolution of financial networks and epidemics spreading.

IUTAM Symposium on Fracture Phenomena in Nature and Technology

CERN Document Server

Carini, Angelo; Gei, Massimiliano; Salvadori, Alberto

2014-01-01

This book contains contributions presented at the IUTAM Symposium "Fracture Phenomena in Nature and Technology" held in Brescia, Italy, 1-5 July, 2012.The objective of the Symposium was fracture research, interpreted broadly to include new engineering and structural mechanics treatments of damage development and crack growth, and also large-scale failure processes as exemplified by earthquake or landslide failures, ice shelf break-up, and hydraulic fracturing (natural, or for resource extraction or CO2 sequestration), as well as small-scale rupture phenomena in materials physics including, e.g., inception of shear banding, void growth, adhesion and decohesion in contact and friction, crystal dislocation processes, and atomic/electronic scale treatment of brittle crack tips and fundamental cohesive properties.Special emphasis was given to multiscale fracture description and new scale-bridging formulations capable to substantiate recent experiments and tailored to become the basis for innovative computationa...

Prediction of transport phenomena in near and far field: interaction solid phase/fluid phase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mingarro, E.

1995-01-01

The prediction of transport phenomena in near and far field is presented in the present report. The study begins with the analysis of solid phases stability: solubility of storage waste: UO 2 and solubility of radionuclides the redox and sorption-desorption conditions are the last aspects studied to predict the transport phenomena

Harnessing the Power of Integrated Mitochondrial Biology and Physiology: A Special Report on the NHLBI Mitochondria in Heart Diseases Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

Ping, Peipei; Gustafsson, Åsa B; Bers, Don M; Blatter, Lothar A; Cai, Hua; Jahangir, Arshad; Kelly, Daniel; Muoio, Deborah; O'Rourke, Brian; Rabinovitch, Peter; Trayanova, Natalia; Van Eyk, Jennifer; Weiss, James N; Wong, Renee; Schwartz Longacre, Lisa

2015-07-17

Mitochondrial biology is the sum of diverse phenomena from molecular profiles to physiological functions. A mechanistic understanding of mitochondria in disease development, and hence the future prospect of clinical translations, relies on a systems-level integration of expertise from multiple fields of investigation. Upon the successful conclusion of a recent National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute initiative on integrative mitochondrial biology in cardiovascular diseases, we reflect on the accomplishments made possible by this unique interdisciplinary collaboration effort and exciting new fronts on the study of these remarkable organelles. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Slow slip phenomena in Cascadia from 2007 and beyond: a review

Science.gov (United States)

Gomberg, Joan; ,

2010-01-01

Recent technological advances combined with more detailed analyses of seismologic and geodetic observations have fundamentally changed our understanding of the ways in which tectonic stresses arising from plate motions are accommodated by slip on faults. The traditional view that relative plate motions are accommodated by a simple cycle of stress accumulation and release on “locked” plate-boundary faults has been revolutionized by the serendipitous discovery and recognition of the significance of slow-slip phenomena, mostly in the deeper reaches of subduction zones. The Cascadia subduction zone, located in the Pacific Northwest of the conterminous United States and adjacent Canada, is an archetype of exploration and learning about slow-slip phenomena. These phenomena are manifest as geodetically observed aseismic transient deformations accompanied by a previously unrecognized class of seismic signals. Although secondary failure processes may be involved in generating the seismic signals, the primary origins of both aseismic and seismic phenomena appear to be episodic fault slip, probably facilitated by fluids, on a plate interface that is critically stressed or weakened. In Cascadia, this transient slip evolves more slowly and over more prolonged durations relative to the slip in earthquakes, and it occurs between the 30- and 40-km-depth contours of the plate interface where information was previously elusive. Although there is some underlying organization that relaxes nearly all the accrued plate-motion stresses along the entirety of Cascadia, we now infer that slow slip evolves in complex patterns indicative of propagating stress fronts. Our new understanding provides key constraints not only on the region where the slow slip originates, but also on the probable characteristics of future megathrust earthquakes in Cascadia. Herein, we review the most significant scientific issues and progress related to understanding slow-slip phenomena in Cascadia and

Study on thermal-hydraulic phenomena identification of passive heat removal facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, J. Y.

2011-01-01

Recently, passive heat removal facilities have been integral features of new generation or future reactor designs worldwide. This is because the passive heat removal facilities depending on a natural force such as buoyancy can give much higher operational reliability compared to active heat removal facilities depending on pumped fluid flow and as a result they can decrease core damage frequency of a nuclear power plant drastically ever achievable before. Keeping pace with this global trend, SMART and APR+ reactors also have introduced passive heat removal features such as a passive residual heat removal system (PRHRS) and a passive auxiliary feed water system (PAFS) in their designs. Since many thermal-hydraulic (T-H) phenomena including steam condensation are involved during operation of the passive heat removal facilities, they ought to be properly simulated by T-H codes such as MARS-KS and RELAP5 in order to guarantee reliable safety analysis by these codes. Unfortunately, however, these T-H codes are not well validated with respect to phenomena related to passive heat removal mechanism because previous focus on these codes validation was mainly on the LB LOCA and resulting phenomena. To resolve this gap, Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety has initiated a research program on the development of safety analysis technology for passive heat removal facilities. The main target of this program is PRHRS and PAFS in SMART and APR+ reactors and through this program, validation of capability of existing T-H codes and improvement of codes regarding passive facilities analysis are to be sought. In part of this research, T-H phenomena important to passive heat removal facilities (PRHRS and PAFS) are investigated in the present study

Consensus on core phenomena and statements describing Basic Body Awareness Therapy within the movement awareness domain in physiotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Skjaerven, L H; Mattsson, M; Catalan-Matamoros, D; Parker, A; Gard, G; Gyllensten, A Lundvik

2018-02-26

Physiotherapists are facing complex health challenges in the treatment of persons suffering from long-lasting musculoskeletal disorders and mental health problems. Basic Body Awareness Therapy (BBAT) is a physiotherapy approach within the movement awareness domain developed to bridge physical, mental, and relational health challenges. The purpose of this study was to reach a consensus on core phenomena and statements describing BBAT. A consensus-building process was conducted using the nominal group technique (NGT). Twenty-one BBAT experts from 10 European countries participated in a concentrated weekend workshop of 20 hours. All participants signed informed consent. Participants reached a consensus on 138 core phenomena, clustered in three overarching categories: clinical core, historical roots, and research and evaluation phenomena. Of the 106 clinical core phenomena, the participants agreed on three categories of phenomena: movement quality, movement awareness practice, and movement awareness therapy and pedagogy. Furthermore, the participants reached 100 percent consensus on 16 of 30 statements describing BBAT. This study provides a consensus on core phenomena and statements describing BBAT. The data reveal phenomena implemented when promoting movement quality through movement awareness. Data provide clarity in some aspects of the vocabulary as fundamental theory. Further reearch will be developed.

Unsteady phenomena in the edge tone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paal, G.; Vaik, I.

2007-01-01

Despite its geometrical simplicity, the edge tone displays a remarkably complex behaviour. A plane jet oscillates around the wedge-shaped object with a relatively stable frequency and under certain circumstances emits an audible tone. This configuration plays a central role in the sound production of several wind instruments but occurs in industrial situations too. The flow exhibits various interesting nonlinear phenomena reported in the literature which are not entirely explained. In this paper, detailed high precision numerical simulations of the flow are reported under various conditions. Several phenomena are reproduced in agreement with the literature such as the existence of 'stages', the dependence of oscillation frequency on the outflow velocity and the orifice-edge distance within one stage, the pressure distribution on the edge surface, etc. A criterion for the appropriate time step for constant accuracy has been derived. The location of force action is surprisingly stable; it remains in a very narrow region of the wedge surface independently of the Reynolds number and the orifice-edge distance but it is much further behind the edge tip than reported in the literature. The various stages can coexist in different ways: jumping back and forth between stages or being superposed on each other. Regardless of the form, the first stage continues to be dominant even when the second and third stage appears. The question of disturbance propagation velocity and disturbance wavelength is also investigated. The development of higher harmonics of a single stage along the orifice-edge tip distance is presented

TRANSIENT LUNAR PHENOMENA: REGULARITY AND REALITY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crotts, Arlin P. S.

2009-01-01

Transient lunar phenomena (TLPs) have been reported for centuries, but their nature is largely unsettled, and even their existence as a coherent phenomenon is controversial. Nonetheless, TLP data show regularities in the observations; a key question is whether this structure is imposed by processes tied to the lunar surface, or by terrestrial atmospheric or human observer effects. I interrogate an extensive catalog of TLPs to gauge how human factors determine the distribution of TLP reports. The sample is grouped according to variables which should produce differing results if determining factors involve humans, and not reflecting phenomena tied to the lunar surface. Features dependent on human factors can then be excluded. Regardless of how the sample is split, the results are similar: ∼50% of reports originate from near Aristarchus, ∼16% from Plato, ∼6% from recent, major impacts (Copernicus, Kepler, Tycho, and Aristarchus), plus several at Grimaldi. Mare Crisium produces a robust signal in some cases (however, Crisium is too large for a 'feature' as defined). TLP count consistency for these features indicates that ∼80% of these may be real. Some commonly reported sites disappear from the robust averages, including Alphonsus, Ross D, and Gassendi. These reports begin almost exclusively after 1955, when TLPs became widely known and many more (and inexperienced) observers searched for TLPs. In a companion paper, we compare the spatial distribution of robust TLP sites to transient outgassing (seen by Apollo and Lunar Prospector instruments). To a high confidence, robust TLP sites and those of lunar outgassing correlate strongly, further arguing for the reality of TLPs.

Effects of Social Psychological Phenomena on School Psychologists' Ethical Decision-Making: A Preliminary Empirical Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Klose, Laurie McGarry; Lasser, Jon; Reardon, Robert F.

2012-01-01

This preliminary, exploratory study examines the impact of select social psychological phenomena on school-based ethical decision-making of school psychologists. Responses to vignettes and hypothetical statements reflecting several social psychological phenomena were collected from 106 practicing school psychologists. Participants were asked to…

Local Ecological Knowledge and Biological Conservation: Post-normal Science as an Intercultural Field

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorje Ignacio Zalles

2017-09-01

Full Text Available From a natural sciences perspective, efforts directed at the conservation of biodiversity are based upon what is known as conservation biology. Given its epistemological assumptions, conservation biology faces obstacles in the incorporation of wisdom originating in local ecological knowledge, that which a local population has gained about the local environment which it is surrounded by and due to its direct contact with this local environment, instead of the result of a product of a positivist scientific inquiry. Post-normal science has emerged in recent decades as an alternative for public management that aims to complement the search for knowledge by means of empirical approaches through the inclusion of understandings based on the everyday experiences and the subjective interpretation of natural phenomena, transcending the compartmentalization associated with scientific traditions born out of modernity. This article discusses the integration of local ecological knowledge and conservation biology from the perspective of post normal science, illustrating different forms of intercultural communication that would make the requisite dialogue of knowledges possible.

Photon management of GaN-based optoelectronic devices via nanoscaled phenomena

KAUST Repository

Tsai, Yu-Lin

2016-09-06

Photon management is essential in improving the performances of optoelectronic devices including light emitting diodes, solar cells and photo detectors. Beyond the advances in material growth and device structure design, photon management via nanoscaled phenomena have also been demonstrated as a promising way for further modifying/improving the device performance. The accomplishments achieved by photon management via nanoscaled phenomena include strain-induced polarization field management, crystal quality improvement, light extraction/harvesting enhancement, radiation pattern control, and spectrum management. In this review, we summarize recent development, challenges and underlying physics of photon management in GaN-based light emitting diodes and solar cells. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aging phenomena of chitosan and chitosan-diclofenac sodium system detected by low-frequency dielectric spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bodek, K H; Bak, G W

1999-09-01

The use of natural polymers for design of dosage form has received considerable attention recently, especially from the safety point of view. Among these polymers, chitosan shows very interesting biological, chemical and physical properties which makes it possible to use chitosan for various pharmaceutical applications. Microcrystalline chitosan (MCCh) is a special multifunctional polymeric material existing in the form of either of gelatinous water dispersion or a powder. Thermal aging of chitosan and chitosan-diclofenac sodium mixture have been studied using low-frequency dielectric measurements. The aging was carried out by annealing in ambient atmosphere in the temperature range between 25 degrees C and 100 degrees C. The dielectric losses in the aged samples proved to decrease by about one order of magnitude. The additional measurements of molecular weight distribution and infrared absorption were also carried out for better understanding of nature of the ageing phenomena. Partial evacuation of water, cross-linking and improvement of structural order may be suggested to be a result of thermal aging of the investigated materials.

Workshop on Nonlinear Phenomena in Complex Systems

CERN Document Server

1989-01-01

This book contains a thorough treatment of neural networks, cellular-automata and synergetics, in an attempt to provide three different approaches to nonlinear phenomena in complex systems. These topics are of major interest to physicists active in the fields of statistical mechanics and dynamical systems. They have been developed with a high degree of sophistication and include the refinements necessary to work with the complexity of real systems as well as the more recent research developments in these areas.

Gamma-ray transients and related astrophysical phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lingenfelter, R.E.; Hudson, H.S.; Worrall, D.M.

1982-01-01

The workshop covered the study of the explosive phenomena responsible for the various gamma ray transients. X-ray burster observations and theories were also reviewed with emphasis on their relationship to gamma ray bursts. Recent observational data, particularly from the SMM, HEAO, and VENERA satellites made the workshop especially timely. Major headings include: gamma-ray transients, x-ray bursts, solar transients, and instrumental concepts. Individual items from the workshop were prepared separately for the data base

Pseudogap phenomena in ultracold atomic Fermi gases

OpenAIRE

Chen, Qijin; Wang, Jibiao

2014-01-01

The pairing and superfluid phenomena in a two-component ultracold atomic Fermi gas is an analogue of Cooper pairing and superconductivity in an electron system, in particular, the high $T_c$ superconductors. Owing to the various tunable parameters that have been made accessible experimentally in recent years, atomic Fermi gases can be explored as a prototype or quantum simulator of superconductors. It is hoped that, utilizing such an analogy, the study of atomic Fermi gases may shed light to ...

Critical phenomena and renormalization group transformations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castellani, C.; Castro, C. di

1980-01-01

Our main goal is to guide the reader to find out the common rational behind the various renormalization procedures which have been proposed in the last ten years. In the first part of these lectures old arguments on universality and scaling will be briefly recalled. To our opinion these introductory remarks allow one to stress the physical origin of the two majore renormalization procedures, which have been used in the theory of critical phenomena: the Wilson and the field theoretic approach. All the general properties of a ''good'' renormalization transformation will also come out quite naturally. (author)

Cooperative phenomena in flows; Poster abstracts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loekseth, Trine [ed.

2011-05-15

The objective of this 'Geilo School' was to bring together researchers with various interests and background including theoretical experimental physicists, material scientists and molecular biologists to identify and discuss areas where synergism between these disciplines may be most fruitfully applied to the study of various aspects of 'Cooperative phenomena in flows'. There were altogether 21 lecturers at the School with about 80 participants from 19 countries. This was the 21. Geilo School held biannually since the first one in I971. Reference to the earlier Geilo Schools 1971-2009 may be found here: http://www.ife.no/departments/physics/projects/geilo (Author)

Laser experimental system as teaching aid for demonstrating basic phenomena of laser feedback

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Ling; Zhao, Shijie; Zhang, Shulian

2015-01-01

An experimental laser teaching system is developed to demonstrate laser feedback phenomena, which bring great harm to optical communication and benefits to precision measurement. The system consists of an orthogonally polarized He-Ne laser, a feedback mirror which reflects the laser output light into the laser cavity, and an optical attenuator which changes the intensity of the feedback light. As the feedback mirror is driven by a piezoelectric ceramic, the attenuator is adjusted and the feedback mirror is tilted, the system can demonstrate many basic laser feedback phenomena, including weak, moderate and strong optical feedback, multiple feedback and polarization flipping. Demonstrations of these phenomena can give students a better understanding about the intensity and polarization of lasers. The system is well designed and assembled, simple to operate, and provides a valuable teaching aid at an undergraduate level. (paper)

Quantum dynamical phenomena of independent electrons in semiconductor superlattices subject to a uniform electric field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouchard, A.M.

1994-01-01

This report discusses the following topics: Bloch oscillations and other dynamical phenomena of electrons in semiconductor superlattices; solvable dynamical model of an electron in a one-dimensional aperiodic lattice subject to a uniform electric field; and quantum dynamical phenomena of electrons in aperiodic semiconductor superlattices

Progress in the theory of magnetic reconnection phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ottaviani, M.; Arcis, N.; Maget, P.; Zwingmann, W.; Grasso, D.; Militello, F.; Porcelli, F.

2004-01-01

Recent theoretical work on magnetic reconnection in hot plasma confinement devices is reviewed. The presentation highlights the common aspects of reconnection phenomena, and current research trends are emphasised. Progress in understanding the dynamics of slowly evolving modes of the tearing family, based on advanced analytic techniques and numerical simulation, as well as of faster modes that lead to internal disruptions, is reported. (authors)

Extreme wave phenomena in down-stream running modulated waves

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Andonowati, A.; Karjanto, N.; van Groesen, Embrecht W.C.

Modulational, Benjamin-Feir, instability is studied for the down-stream evolution of surface gravity waves. An explicit solution, the soliton on finite background, of the NLS equation in physical space is used to study various phenomena in detail. It is shown that for sufficiently long modulation

Negative feedback phenomena in InP-based hydrogen detectors

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šrobár, Fedor; Procházková, Olga

2012-01-01

Roč. 6, 11-12 (2012), s. 1089-1091 ISSN 1842-6573 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA102/09/1037 Institutional support: RVO:67985882 Keywords : Chemical sensors * Interface phenomena * Semiconductor devices Subject RIV: JA - Electronics ; Optoelectronics , Electrical Engineering Impact factor: 0.402, year: 2012

Workshop on Interface Phenomena

CERN Document Server

Kreuzer, Hans

1987-01-01

This book contains the proceedings of the first Workshop on Interface Phenomena, organized jointly by the surface science groups at Dalhousie University and the University of Maine. It was our intention to concentrate on just three topics related to the kinetics of interface reactions which, in our opinion, were frequently obscured unnecessarily in the literature and whose fundamental nature warranted an extensive discussion to help clarify the issues, very much in the spirit of the Discussions of the Faraday Society. Each session (day) saw two principal speakers expounding the different views; the session chairmen were asked to summarize the ensuing discussions. To understand the complexity of interface reactions, paradigms must be formulated to provide a framework for the interpretation of experimen­ tal data and for the construction of theoretical models. Phenomenological approaches have been based on a small number of rate equations for the concentrations or mole numbers of the various species involved i...

Exclusive processes: Tests of coherent QCD phenomena and nucleon substructure at CEBAF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brodsky, S.J.

1994-07-01

Measurements of exclusive processes such as electroproduction, photoproduction, and Compton scattering are among the most sensitive probes of proton structure and coherent phenomena in quantum chromodynamics. The continuous electron beam at CEBAF, upgraded in laboratory energy to 10--12 GeV, will allow a systematic study of exclusive, semi-inclusive, and inclusive reactions in a kinematic range well-tuned to the study of fundamental nucleon and nuclear substructure. I also discuss the potential at CEBAF for studying novel QCD phenomena at the charm production threshold, including the possible production of nuclear-bound quarkonium

Development of a phenomena identification and ranking table using fuzzy set theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kljenak, I.; Jordan Cizelj, R.; Prosek, A.

2001-01-01

The use of fuzzy set theory in the development of Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table for a nuclear power plant transient is presented. Fuzzy set theory was used to aggregate the opinions from different experts concerning the importance of individual basic phenomena with respect to safety criteria. The use of fuzzy set theory is particularly adequate, as experts' opinions are inherently imprecise and uncertain. The method is presented on the specific case of a small-break loss-of-coolant accident in a two-loop pressurized water reactor. (author)

Contribution to the interpretation of explosive phenomena in research light-water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Berre, Francois.

1975-08-01

The study allows the prediction of the transient behavior of a light-water reactor that undergoes a power excursion due to a step reactivity insertion. In particular, a film-model for boiling is developed, which takes into account fast heat transfers, and permits the description of the water-hammer phenomena. The latter is due to the sudden contact between the liquid coolant and the fuel plates, which results from the vanishing of the vapor film. It is shown in which conditions this phenomena may initiate a reactor explosion [fr

Different Selection Pressures Give Rise to Distinct Ethnic Phenomena

Science.gov (United States)

Moya, Cristina; Boyd, Robert

2015-01-01

Many accounts of ethnic phenomena imply that processes such as stereotyping, essentialism, ethnocentrism, and intergroup hostility stem from a unitary adaptation for reasoning about groups. This is partly justified by the phenomena’s co-occurrence in correlational studies. Here we argue that these behaviors are better modeled as functionally independent adaptations that arose in response to different selection pressures throughout human evolution. As such, different mechanisms may be triggered by different group boundaries within a single society. We illustrate this functionalist framework using ethnographic work from the Quechua-Aymara language boundary in the Peruvian Altiplano. We show that different group boundaries motivate different ethnic phenomena. For example, people have strong stereotypes about socioeconomic categories, which are not cooperative units, whereas they hold fewer stereotypes about communities, which are the primary focus of cooperative activity. We also show that, despite the cross-cultural importance of ethnolinguistic boundaries, the Quechua-Aymara linguistic distinction does not strongly motivate any of these intergroup processes. PMID:25731969

Autoscopic phenomena and one's own body representation in dreams.

Science.gov (United States)

Occhionero, Miranda; Cicogna, Piera Carla

2011-12-01

Autoscopic phenomena (AP) are complex experiences that include the visual illusory reduplication of one's own body. From a phenomenological point of view, we can distinguish three conditions: autoscopic hallucinations, heautoscopy, and out-of-body experiences. The dysfunctional pattern involves multisensory disintegration of personal and extrapersonal space perception. The etiology, generally either neurological or psychiatric, is different. Also, the hallucination of Self and own body image is present during dreams and differs according to sleep stage. Specifically, the representation of the Self in REM dreams is frequently similar to the perception of Self in wakefulness, whereas in NREM dreams, a greater polymorphism of Self and own body representation is observed. The parallels between autoscopic phenomena in pathological cases and the Self-hallucination in dreams will be discussed to further the understanding of the particular states of self awareness, especially the complex integration of different memory sources in Self and body representation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Initiating Young Children into Basic Astronomical Concepts and Phenomena

Science.gov (United States)

Kallery, M.

2010-07-01

In the present study we developed and implemented three units of activities aiming at acquainting very young children with basic astronomical concepts and phenomena such as the sphericity of the earth, the earth’s movements and the day/night cycle. The activities were developed by a group composed of a researcher/facilitator and six early-years teachers. In the activities children were presented with appropriate for their age scientific information along with conceptual tools such as a globe and an instructional video. Action research processes were used to optimize classroom practices and to gather useful information for the final shaping of the activities and the instruction materials. In these activities the adopted approach to learning can be characterized as socially constructed. The results indicated awareness of concepts and phenomena that the activities dealt with in high percentages of children, storage of the new knowledge in the long term memory and easy retrieval of it, and children’s enthusiasm for the subject.