Remote sensing for wind energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pena, A.; Bay Hasager, C.; Lange, J. [Technical Univ. of Denmark. DTU Wind Energy, DTU Risoe Campus, Roskilde (Denmark) (and others

2013-06-15

The Remote Sensing in Wind Energy report provides a description of several topics and it is our hope that students and others interested will learn from it. The idea behind it began in year 2008 at DTU Wind Energy (formerly Risoe) during the first PhD Summer School: Remote Sensing in Wind Energy. Thus it is closely linked to the PhD Summer Schools where state-of-the-art is presented during the lecture sessions. The advantage of the report is to supplement with in-depth, article style information. Thus we strive to provide link from the lectures, field demonstrations, and hands-on exercises to theory. The report will allow alumni to trace back details after the course and benefit from the collection of information. This is the third edition of the report (first externally available), after very successful and demanded first two, and we warmly acknowledge all the contributing authors for their work in the writing of the chapters, and we also acknowledge all our colleagues in the Meteorology and Test and Measurements Sections from DTU Wind Energy in the PhD Summer Schools. We hope to continue adding more topics in future editions and to update and improve as necessary, to provide a truly state-of-the-art 'guideline' available for people involved in Remote Sensing in Wind Energy. (Author)

A low-rank matrix recovery approach for energy efficient EEG acquisition for a wireless body area network.

Science.gov (United States)

Majumdar, Angshul; Gogna, Anupriya; Ward, Rabab

2014-08-25

We address the problem of acquiring and transmitting EEG signals in Wireless Body Area Networks (WBAN) in an energy efficient fashion. In WBANs, the energy is consumed by three operations: sensing (sampling), processing and transmission. Previous studies only addressed the problem of reducing the transmission energy. For the first time, in this work, we propose a technique to reduce sensing and processing energy as well: this is achieved by randomly under-sampling the EEG signal. We depart from previous Compressed Sensing based approaches and formulate signal recovery (from under-sampled measurements) as a matrix completion problem. A new algorithm to solve the matrix completion problem is derived here. We test our proposed method and find that the reconstruction accuracy of our method is significantly better than state-of-the-art techniques; and we achieve this while saving sensing, processing and transmission energy. Simple power analysis shows that our proposed methodology consumes considerably less power compared to previous CS based techniques.

Multislot Simultaneous Spectrum Sensing and Energy Harvesting in Cognitive Radio

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin Liu

2016-07-01

Full Text Available In cognitive radio (CR, the spectrum sensing of the primary user (PU may consume some electrical power from the battery capacity of the secondary user (SU, resulting in a decrease in the transmission power of the SU. In this paper, a multislot simultaneous spectrum sensing and energy harvesting model is proposed, which uses the harvested radio frequency (RF energy of the PU signal to supply the spectrum sensing. In the proposed model, the sensing duration is divided into multiple sensing slots consisting of one local-sensing subslot and one energy-harvesting subslot. If the PU is detected to be present in the local-sensing subslot, the SU will harvest RF energy of the PU signal in the energy-harvesting slot, otherwise, the SU will continue spectrum sensing. The global decision on the presence of the PU is obtained through combining local sensing results from all the sensing slots by adopting “Or-logic Rule”. A joint optimization problem of sensing time and time splitter factor is proposed to maximize the throughput of the SU under the constraints of probabilities of false alarm and detection and energy harvesting. The simulation results have shown that the proposed model can clearly improve the maximal throughput of the SU compared to the traditional sensing-throughput tradeoff model.

The sense of the body in individuals with spinal cord injury.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bigna Lenggenhager

Full Text Available Increasing evidence suggests that the basic foundations of the self lie in the brain systems that represent the body. Specific sensorimotor stimulation has been shown to alter the bodily self. However, little is known about how disconnection of the brain from the body affects the phenomenological sense of the body and the self. Spinal cord injury (SCI patients who exhibit massively reduced somatomotor processes below the lesion in the absence of brain damage are suitable for testing the influence of body signals on two important components of the self-the sense of disembodiment and body ownership. We recruited 30 SCI patients and 16 healthy participants, and evaluated the following parameters: (i depersonalization symptoms, using the Cambridge Depersonalization Scale (CDS, and (ii measures of body ownership, as quantified by the rubber hand illusion (RHI paradigm. We found higher CDS scores in SCI patients, which show increased detachment from their body and internal bodily sensations and decreasing global body ownership with higher lesion level. The RHI paradigm reveals no alterations in the illusory ownership of the hand between SCI patients and controls. Yet, there was no typical proprioceptive drift in SCI patients with intact tactile sensation on the hand, which might be related to cortical reorganization in these patients. These results suggest that disconnection of somatomotor inputs to the brain due to spinal cord lesions resulted in a disturbed sense of an embodied self. Furthermore, plasticity-related cortical changes might influence the dynamics of the bodily self.

Quantum Sensing for High Energy Physics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahmed, Zeeshan; et al.

2018-03-29

Report of the first workshop to identify approaches and techniques in the domain of quantum sensing that can be utilized by future High Energy Physics applications to further the scientific goals of High Energy Physics.

The benefits of remote sensing for energy policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sen, A.

2004-01-01

A strong remote sensing regime is a necessary component of any contemporary national or international energy policy. Energy is essential to the functioning of modem industrial society, and as such it is the responsibility of governments to produce sound national energy policies in order to ensure stable economic growth, ecologically responsible use of energy resources and the health and safety of citizens. Comprehensive, accurate and timely remote sensing data can aid decision making on energy matters in several areas. This paper looks at the benefits that can be realized in resource exploration, weather forecasting and environmental monitoring. Improvements in the technology of remote sensing platforms would be of great value to buyers of energy, sellers of energy and the environment. Furthermore, the utility of such information could be enhanced by efforts of government agencies to communicate it more effectively to the end-user. National energy policies should thus include investments not only in satellite system hardware to collect data, but also in the services required to interpret and distribute the data. (author)

FAT/CD36: a major regulator of neuronal fatty acid sensing and energy homeostasis in rats and mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Foll, Christelle; Dunn-Meynell, Ambrose; Musatov, Serguei; Magnan, Christophe; Levin, Barry E

2013-08-01

Hypothalamic "metabolic-sensing" neurons sense glucose and fatty acids (FAs) and play an integral role in the regulation of glucose, energy homeostasis, and the development of obesity and diabetes. Using pharmacologic agents, we previously found that ~50% of these neurons responded to oleic acid (OA) by using the FA translocator/receptor FAT/CD36 (CD36). For further elucidation of the role of CD36 in neuronal FA sensing, ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) CD36 was depleted using adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector expressing CD36 short hairpin RNA (shRNA) in rats. Whereas their neuronal glucosensing was unaffected by CD36 depletion, the percent of neurons that responded to OA was decreased specifically in glucosensing neurons. A similar effect was seen in total-body CD36-knockout mice. Next, weanling rats were injected in the VMH with CD36 AAV shRNA. Despite significant VMH CD36 depletion, there was no effect on food intake, body weight gain, or total carcass adiposity on chow or 45% fat diets. However, VMH CD36-depleted rats did have increased plasma leptin and subcutaneous fat deposition and markedly abnormal glucose tolerance. These results demonstrate that CD36 is a critical factor in both VMH neuronal FA sensing and the regulation of energy and glucose homeostasis.

Waterproof and stretchable triboelectric nanogenerator for biomechanical energy harvesting and self-powered sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xuexian; Miao, Liming; Guo, Hang; Chen, Haotian; Song, Yu; Su, Zongming; Zhang, Haixia

2018-05-01

We introduce a waterproof and stretchable triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) that can be attached on the human body, such as fingers and the wrist, to harvest mechanical energy from body movement. The whole device is composed of stretchable material, making it able to endure diverse mechanical deformations and scavenge energy from them. Under gentle mechanical motions of pressing, stretching and bending, the device with an effective area of 1 × 2 cm2 can generate the peak-to-peak output current of 257.5 nA, 50.2 nA, and 33.5 nA, respectively. Besides, the TENG is tightly encapsulated, enabling it to avoid the influence of the external environment like humidity changes and harvest energy under water. Particularly, owing to the thin and soft properties of the encapsulation film, the device can respond to weak vibrations like the wrist pulse and act as a self-powered pulse sensor, which broadens its application prospects in the field of wearable energy harvesting devices and self-powered sensing systems.

[Remote sensing monitoring and screening for urban black and odorous water body: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Qian; Zhu, Li; Cao, Hong Ye

2017-10-01

Continuous improvement of urban water environment and overall control of black and odorous water body are not merely national strategic needs with the action plan for prevention and treatment of water pollution, but also the hot issues attracting the attention of people. Most previous researches concentrated on the study of cause, evaluation and treatment measures of this phenomenon, and there are few researches on the monitoring using remote sensing, which is often a strain to meet the national needs of operational monitoring. This paper mainly summarized the urgent research problems, mainly including the identification and classification standard, research on the key technologies, and the frame of remote sensing screening systems for the urban black and odorous water body. The main key technologies were concluded too, including the high spatial resolution image preprocessing and extraction technique for black and odorous water body, the extraction of water information in city zones, the classification of the black and odorous water, and the identification and classification technique based on satellite-sky-ground remote sensing. This paper summarized the research progress and put forward research ideas of monitoring and screening urban black and odorous water body via high spatial resolution remote sensing technology, which would be beneficial to having an overall grasp of spatial distribution and improvement progress of black and odorous water body, and provide strong technical support for controlling urban black and odorous water body.

Energy Autonomous Wireless Sensing System Enabled by Energy Generated during Human Walking

Science.gov (United States)

Kuang, Yang; Ruan, Tingwen; Chew, Zheng Jun; Zhu, Meiling

2016-11-01

Recently, there has been a huge amount of work devoted to wearable energy harvesting (WEH) in a bid to establish energy autonomous wireless sensing systems for a range of health monitoring applications. However, limited work has been performed to implement and test such systems in real-world settings. This paper reports the development and real-world characterisation of a magnetically plucked wearable knee-joint energy harvester (Mag-WKEH) powered wireless sensing system, which integrates our latest research progresses in WEH, power conditioning and wireless sensing to achieve high energy efficiency. Experimental results demonstrate that with walking speeds of 3∼7 km/h, the Mag-WKEH generates average power of 1.9∼4.5 mW with unnoticeable impact on the wearer and is able to power the wireless sensor node (WSN) with three sensors to work at duty cycles of 6.6%∼13%. In each active period of 2 s, the WSN is able to measure and transmit 482 readings to the base station.

No Correlation between Distorted Body Representations Underlying Tactile Distance Perception and Position Sense

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew R. Longo

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Both tactile distance perception and position sense are believed to require that immediate afferent signals be referenced to a stored representation of body size and shape (the body model. For both of these abilities, recent studies have reported that the stored body representations involved are highly distorted, at least in the case of the hand, with the hand dorsum represented as wider and squatter than it actually is. Here, we investigated whether individual differences in the magnitude of these distortions are shared between tactile distance perception and position sense, as would be predicted by the hypothesis that a single distorted body model underlies both tasks. We used established task to measure distortions of the represented shape of the hand dorsum. Consistent with previous results, in both cases there were clear biases to overestimate distances oriented along the medio-lateral axis of the hand compared to the proximo-distal axis. Moreover, within each task there were clear split-half correlations, demonstrating that both tasks show consistent individual differences. Critically, however, there was no correlation between the magnitudes of distortion in the two tasks. This casts doubt on the proposal that a common body model underlies both tactile distance perception and position sense.

Energy Autonomous Wireless Sensing System Enabled by Energy Generated during Human Walking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuang, Yang; Ruan, Tingwen; Chew, Zheng Jun; Zhu, Meiling

2016-01-01

Recently, there has been a huge amount of work devoted to wearable energy harvesting (WEH) in a bid to establish energy autonomous wireless sensing systems for a range of health monitoring applications. However, limited work has been performed to implement and test such systems in real-world settings. This paper reports the development and real-world characterisation of a magnetically plucked wearable knee-joint energy harvester (Mag-WKEH) powered wireless sensing system, which integrates our latest research progresses in WEH, power conditioning and wireless sensing to achieve high energy efficiency. Experimental results demonstrate that with walking speeds of 3∼7 km/h, the Mag-WKEH generates average power of 1.9∼4.5 mW with unnoticeable impact on the wearer and is able to power the wireless sensor node (WSN) with three sensors to work at duty cycles of 6.6%∼13%. In each active period of 2 s, the WSN is able to measure and transmit 482 readings to the base station. (paper)

Energy Analysis of Decoders for Rakeness-Based Compressed Sensing of ECG Signals.

Science.gov (United States)

Pareschi, Fabio; Mangia, Mauro; Bortolotti, Daniele; Bartolini, Andrea; Benini, Luca; Rovatti, Riccardo; Setti, Gianluca

2017-12-01

In recent years, compressed sensing (CS) has proved to be effective in lowering the power consumption of sensing nodes in biomedical signal processing devices. This is due to the fact the CS is capable of reducing the amount of data to be transmitted to ensure correct reconstruction of the acquired waveforms. Rakeness-based CS has been introduced to further reduce the amount of transmitted data by exploiting the uneven distribution to the sensed signal energy. Yet, so far no thorough analysis exists on the impact of its adoption on CS decoder performance. The latter point is of great importance, since body-area sensor network architectures may include intermediate gateway nodes that receive and reconstruct signals to provide local services before relaying data to a remote server. In this paper, we fill this gap by showing that rakeness-based design also improves reconstruction performance. We quantify these findings in the case of ECG signals and when a variety of reconstruction algorithms are used either in a low-power microcontroller or a heterogeneous mobile computing platform.

Remote sensing observation used in offshore wind energy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hasager, Charlotte Bay; Pena Diaz, Alfredo; Christiansen, Merete Bruun

2008-01-01

Remote sensing observations used in offshore wind energy are described in three parts: ground-based techniques and applications, airborne techniques and applications, and satellite-based techniques and applications. Ground-based remote sensing of winds is relevant, in particular, for new large wind...

Force Sensing Resistor and Evaluation of Technology for Wearable Body Pressure Sensing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Davide Giovanelli

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Wearable technologies are gaining momentum and widespread diffusion. Thanks to devices such as activity trackers, in form of bracelets, watches, or anklets, the end-users are becoming more and more aware of their daily activity routine, posture, and training and can modify their motor-behavior. Activity trackers are prevalently based on inertial sensors such as accelerometers and gyroscopes. Loads we bear with us and the interface pressure they put on our body also affect posture. A contact interface pressure sensing wearable would be beneficial to complement inertial activity trackers. What is precluding force sensing resistors (FSR to be the next best seller wearable? In this paper, we provide elements to answer this question. We build an FSR based on resistive material (Velostat and printed conductive ink electrodes on polyethylene terephthalate (PET substrate; we test its response to pressure in the range 0–2.7 kPa. We present a state-of-the-art review, filtered by the need to identify technologies adequate for wearables. We conclude that the repeatability is the major issue yet unsolved.

Sensing the fuels: glucose and lipid signaling in the CNS controlling energy homeostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, Sabine D; Könner, A Christine; Brüning, Jens C

2010-10-01

The central nervous system (CNS) is capable of gathering information on the body's nutritional state and it implements appropriate behavioral and metabolic responses to changes in fuel availability. This feedback signaling of peripheral tissues ensures the maintenance of energy homeostasis. The hypothalamus is a primary site of convergence and integration for these nutrient-related feedback signals, which include central and peripheral neuronal inputs as well as hormonal signals. Increasing evidence indicates that glucose and lipids are detected by specialized fuel-sensing neurons that are integrated in these hypothalamic neuronal circuits. The purpose of this review is to outline the current understanding of fuel-sensing mechanisms in the hypothalamus, to integrate the recent findings in this field, and to address the potential role of dysregulation in these pathways in the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Extraction of Urban Water Bodies from High-Resolution Remote-Sensing Imagery Using Deep Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Chen

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Accurate information on urban surface water is important for assessing the role it plays in urban ecosystem services in the context of human survival and climate change. The precise extraction of urban water bodies from images is of great significance for urban planning and socioeconomic development. In this paper, a novel deep-learning architecture is proposed for the extraction of urban water bodies from high-resolution remote sensing (HRRS imagery. First, an adaptive simple linear iterative clustering algorithm is applied for segmentation of the remote-sensing image into high-quality superpixels. Then, a new convolutional neural network (CNN architecture is designed that can extract useful high-level features of water bodies from input data in a complex urban background and mark the superpixel as one of two classes: an including water or no-water pixel. Finally, a high-resolution image of water-extracted superpixels is generated. Experimental results show that the proposed method achieved higher accuracy for water extraction from the high-resolution remote-sensing images than traditional approaches, and the average overall accuracy is 99.14%.

Universality in low energy three-body systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amorim, A.E.A.; Tomio, L; Frederico, T.

1997-01-01

The renormalizability of the quantum theory of non-relativistic three-body system with zero range interaction, warranties that all the low-energy three-body properties are well defined and the low-energy two-body and only one three-body physical information are known. Considering this observation, we have shown that the conditions for the occurrence of Efimov states can be easily reached with any model of short range potential where the three-body ground state and the corresponding binding energy of the subsystems are kept fixed. This approach was applied to the recently discovered halo nuclei. (author)

Energy and remote sensing applications

Science.gov (United States)

Summers, R. A.; Smith, W. L.; Short, N. M.

1978-01-01

The nature of the U.S. energy problem is examined. Based upon the best available estimates, it appears that demand for OPEC oil will exceed OPEC productive capacity in the early to mid-eighties. The upward pressure on world oil prices resulting from this supply/demand gap could have serious international consequences, both financial and in terms of foreign policy implementation. National Energy Plan objectives in response to this situation are discussed. Major strategies for achieving these objectives include a conversion of industry and utilities from oil and gas to coal and other abundant fuels. Remote sensing from aircraft and spacecraft could make significant contributions to the solution of energy problems in a number of ways, related to exploration of energy-related resources, the efficiency and safety of exploitation procedures, power plant siting, environmental monitoring and assessment, and the transportation infrastructure.

The Development of Wireless Body Area Network for Motion Sensing Application

Science.gov (United States)

Puspitaningayu, P.; Widodo, A.; Yundra, E.; Ramadhany, F.; Arianto, L.; Habibie, D.

2018-04-01

The information era has driven the society into the digitally-controlled lifestyle. Wireless body area networks (WBAN) as the specific scope of wireless sensor networks (WSN) is consistently growing into bigger applications. Currently, people are able to monitor their medical parameters by simply using small electronics devices attached to their body and connected to the authorities. On top of that, this time, smart phones are typically equipped with sensors such as accelerometer, gyroscope, barometric pressure, heart rate monitor, etc. It means that the sensing yet the signal processing can be performed by a single device. Moreover, Android opens lot wider opportunities for new applications as the most popular open-sourced smart phone platform. This paper is intended to show the development of motion sensing application which focused on analysing data from accelerometer and gyroscope. Beside reads the sensors, this application also has the ability to convert the sensors’ numerical value into graphs.

Energy Efficient Resource Allocation for Cognitive Radios: A Generalized Sensing Analysis

KAUST Repository

Alabbasi, AbdulRahman; Rezki, Zouheir; Shihada, Basem

2014-01-01

In this paper, two resource allocation schemes for energy efficient cognitive radio systems are proposed. Our design considers resource allocation approaches that adopt spectrum sharing combined with soft-sensing information, adaptive sensing thresholds, and adaptive power to achieve an energy efficient system. An energy per good-bit metric is considered as an energy efficient objective function. A multi-carrier system, such as, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, is considered in the framework. The proposed resource allocation schemes, using different approaches, are designated as sub-optimal and optimal. The sub-optimal approach is attained by optimizing over a channel inversion power policy. The optimal approach utilizes the calculus of variation theory to optimize a problem of instantaneous objective function subject to average and instantaneous constraints with respect to functional optimization variables. In addition to the analytical results, selected numerical results are provided to quantify the impact of soft-sensing information and the optimal adaptive sensing threshold on the system performance.

Energy Efficient Resource Allocation for Cognitive Radios: A Generalized Sensing Analysis

KAUST Repository

Alabbasi, Abdulrahman

2014-12-31

In this paper, two resource allocation schemes for energy efficient cognitive radio systems are proposed. Our design considers resource allocation approaches that adopt spectrum sharing combined with soft-sensing information, adaptive sensing thresholds, and adaptive power to achieve an energy efficient system. An energy per good-bit metric is considered as an energy efficient objective function. A multi-carrier system, such as, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, is considered in the framework. The proposed resource allocation schemes, using different approaches, are designated as sub-optimal and optimal. The sub-optimal approach is attained by optimizing over a channel inversion power policy. The optimal approach utilizes the calculus of variation theory to optimize a problem of instantaneous objective function subject to average and instantaneous constraints with respect to functional optimization variables. In addition to the analytical results, selected numerical results are provided to quantify the impact of soft-sensing information and the optimal adaptive sensing threshold on the system performance.

Hypoxia-inducible factor directs POMC gene to mediate hypothalamic glucose sensing and energy balance regulation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hai Zhang

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF is a nuclear transcription factor that responds to environmental and pathological hypoxia to induce metabolic adaptation, vascular growth, and cell survival. Here we found that HIF subunits and HIF2α in particular were normally expressed in the mediobasal hypothalamus of mice. Hypothalamic HIF was up-regulated by glucose to mediate the feeding control of hypothalamic glucose sensing. Two underlying molecular pathways were identified, including suppression of PHDs by glucose metabolites to prevent HIF2α degradation and the recruitment of AMPK and mTOR/S6K to regulate HIF2α protein synthesis. HIF activation was found to directly control the transcription of POMC gene. Genetic approach was then employed to develop conditional knockout mice with HIF inhibition in POMC neurons, revealing that HIF loss-of-function in POMC neurons impaired hypothalamic glucose sensing and caused energy imbalance to promote obesity development. The metabolic effects of HIF in hypothalamic POMC neurons were independent of leptin signaling or pituitary ACTH pathway. Hypothalamic gene delivery of HIF counteracted overeating and obesity under conditions of nutritional excess. In conclusion, HIF controls hypothalamic POMC gene to direct the central nutrient sensing in regulation of energy and body weight balance.

Hypoxia-Inducible Factor Directs POMC Gene to Mediate Hypothalamic Glucose Sensing and Energy Balance Regulation

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hai; Zhang, Guo; Gonzalez, Frank J.; Park, Sung-min; Cai, Dongsheng

2011-01-01

Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) is a nuclear transcription factor that responds to environmental and pathological hypoxia to induce metabolic adaptation, vascular growth, and cell survival. Here we found that HIF subunits and HIF2α in particular were normally expressed in the mediobasal hypothalamus of mice. Hypothalamic HIF was up-regulated by glucose to mediate the feeding control of hypothalamic glucose sensing. Two underlying molecular pathways were identified, including suppression of PHDs by glucose metabolites to prevent HIF2α degradation and the recruitment of AMPK and mTOR/S6K to regulate HIF2α protein synthesis. HIF activation was found to directly control the transcription of POMC gene. Genetic approach was then employed to develop conditional knockout mice with HIF inhibition in POMC neurons, revealing that HIF loss-of-function in POMC neurons impaired hypothalamic glucose sensing and caused energy imbalance to promote obesity development. The metabolic effects of HIF in hypothalamic POMC neurons were independent of leptin signaling or pituitary ACTH pathway. Hypothalamic gene delivery of HIF counteracted overeating and obesity under conditions of nutritional excess. In conclusion, HIF controls hypothalamic POMC gene to direct the central nutrient sensing in regulation of energy and body weight balance. PMID:21814490

Body composition and energy metabolism in elderly people

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Visser, M.

1995-01-01

This thesis describes several studies related to the three components of energy balance in elderly people: body composition, energy expenditure, and energy intake.

Body composition. The applicability of the body mass index, skinfold thickness method, and

From Embodiment to Emplacement: Re-Thinking Competing Bodies, Senses and Spatialities

Science.gov (United States)

Pink, Sarah

2011-01-01

In this article I discuss how a shift from theories of embodiment to one of emplacement can inform how we understand the performing body in competitive and pedagogical contexts. I argue that recent theoretical advances concerning the senses, human perception and place offer new analytical possibilities for understanding skilled performances and…

Energy/bandwidth-Saving Cooperative Spectrum Sensing for Two-hopWRAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming-Tuo Zhou

2014-07-01

Full Text Available A two-hop wireless regional area network (WRAN providing monitoring services operating in Television White Space (TVWS, i.e., IEEE P802.22b, may employ a great number of subscriber customer-premises equipments (S-CPEs possibly without mains power supply, leading to requirement of cost-effective and power-saving design. This paper proposes a framework of cooperative spectrum sensing (CSS and an energy/bandwidth saving CSS scheme to P802.22b. In each round of sensing, S-CPEs with SNRs lower than a predefined threshold are excluded from reporting sensing results. Numerical results show that the fused missed-detection probability and false alarmprobability could remainmeeting sensing requirements, and the overall fused error probability changes very little. With 10 S-CPEs, it is possible to save more than 40% of the energy/bandwidth on a Rayleigh channel. The principle proposed can apply to other advanced sensing technologies capable of detecting primary signals with low average SNR.

Energy detection for spectrum sensing in cognitive radio

CERN Document Server

Atapattu, Saman; Jiang, Hai

2014-01-01

This Springer Brief focuses on the current state-of-the-art research on spectrum sensing by using energy detection, a low-complexity and low-cost technique. It includes a comprehensive summary of recent research, fundamental theories, possible architectures, useful performance measurements of energy detection and applications of energy detection. Concise, practical chapters explore conventional energy detectors, alternative forms of energy detectors, performance measurements, diversity techniques and cooperative networks. The careful analysis enables reader to identify the most efficient techn

Neuronal regulation of homeostasis by nutrient sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Lam, Tony K T

2010-04-01

In type 2 diabetes and obesity, the homeostatic control of glucose and energy balance is impaired, leading to hyperglycemia and hyperphagia. Recent studies indicate that nutrient-sensing mechanisms in the body activate negative-feedback systems to regulate energy and glucose homeostasis through a neuronal network. Direct metabolic signaling within the intestine activates gut-brain and gut-brain-liver axes to regulate energy and glucose homeostasis, respectively. In parallel, direct metabolism of nutrients within the hypothalamus regulates food intake and blood glucose levels. These findings highlight the importance of the central nervous system in mediating the ability of nutrient sensing to maintain homeostasis. Futhermore, they provide a physiological and neuronal framework by which enhancing or restoring nutrient sensing in the intestine and the brain could normalize energy and glucose homeostasis in diabetes and obesity.

Wearable Eating Habit Sensing System Using Internal Body Sound

Science.gov (United States)

Shuzo, Masaki; Komori, Shintaro; Takashima, Tomoko; Lopez, Guillaume; Tatsuta, Seiji; Yanagimoto, Shintaro; Warisawa, Shin'ichi; Delaunay, Jean-Jacques; Yamada, Ichiro

Continuous monitoring of eating habits could be useful in preventing lifestyle diseases such as metabolic syndrome. Conventional methods consist of self-reporting and calculating mastication frequency based on the myoelectric potential of the masseter muscle. Both these methods are significant burdens for the user. We developed a non-invasive, wearable sensing system that can record eating habits over a long period of time in daily life. Our sensing system is composed of two bone conduction microphones placed in the ears that send internal body sound data to a portable IC recorder. Applying frequency spectrum analysis on the collected sound data, we could not only count the number of mastications during eating, but also accurately differentiate between eating, drinking, and speaking activities. This information can be used to evaluate the regularity of meals. Moreover, we were able to analyze sound features to classify the types of foods eaten by food texture.

Satellite Remote Sensing in Offshore Wind Energy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hasager, Charlotte Bay; Badger, Merete; Astrup, Poul

2013-01-01

Satellite remote sensing of ocean surface winds are presented with focus on wind energy applications. The history on operational and research-based satellite ocean wind mapping is briefly described for passive microwave, scatterometer and synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Currently 6 GW installed...

Transformation of Elastic Wave Energy to the Energy of Motion of Bodies

Science.gov (United States)

Vesnitskiĭ, A. I.; Lisenkova, E. E.

2002-01-01

The motion of a body along an elastic guide under the effect of an incident wave is considered. An equation describing the longitudinal motion of a body along an arbitrary guide is derived from the laws governing the energy and momentum variations for the case when the incident wave generates a single reflected wave. The equations that describe the motion of a body along a string and along a beam corresponding to the Bernoulli-Euler model are considered as examples. The process of the body acceleration along a beam of the aforementioned type is investigated. For the subcritical velocities, the law governing the motion of the body and the ratio of the kinetic energy variation to the energy supplied to the body are determined.

Optimal Energy-Efficient Sensing and Power Allocation in Cognitive Radio Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xia Wu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We consider a joint optimization of sensing parameter and power allocation for an energy-efficient cognitive radio network (CRN in which the primary user (PU is protected. The optimization problem to maximize the energy efficiency of CRN is formulated as a function of two variables, which are sensing time and transmit power, subject to the average interference power to the PU and the target detection probability. During the optimizing process, the quality of service parameter (the minimum rate acceptable to secondary users (SUs has also been taken into consideration. The optimal solutions are analyzed and an algorithm combined with fractional programming that maximizes the energy efficiency for CRN is presented. Numerical results show that the performance improvement is achieved by the joint optimization of sensing time and power allocation.

Nano Sensing and Energy Conversion Using Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iltai (Isaac Kim

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Nanophotonic technique has been attracting much attention in applications of nano-bio-chemical sensing and energy conversion of solar energy harvesting and enhanced energy transfer. One approach for nano-bio-chemical sensing is surface plasmon resonance (SPR imaging, which can detect the material properties, such as density, ion concentration, temperature, and effective refractive index in high sensitivity, label-free, and real-time under ambient conditions. Recent study shows that SPR can successfully detect the concentration variation of nanofluids during evaporation-induced self-assembly process. Spoof surface plasmon resonance based on multilayer metallo-dielectric hyperbolic metamaterials demonstrate SPR dispersion control, which can be combined with SPR imaging, to characterize high refractive index materials because of its exotic optical properties. Furthermore, nano-biophotonics could enable innovative energy conversion such as the increase of absorption and emission efficiency and the perfect absorption. Localized SPR using metal nanoparticles show highly enhanced absorption in solar energy harvesting. Three-dimensional hyperbolic metamaterial cavity nanostructure shows enhanced spontaneous emission. Recently ultrathin film perfect absorber is demonstrated with the film thickness is as low as ~1/50th of the operating wavelength using epsilon-near-zero (ENZ phenomena at the wavelength close to SPR. It is expected to provide a breakthrough in sensing and energy conversion applications using the exotic optical properties based on the nanophotonic technique.

The relationships between sense of belonging to the gay community, body image dissatisfaction, and self-esteem among Australian gay men.

Science.gov (United States)

Kousari-Rad, Pantea; McLaren, Suzanne

2013-01-01

Body image dissatisfaction has been linked to belonging to the gay community and poor self-esteem among gay men. This study was designed to explore the applicability of a moderation model and a mediation model in explaining the relations between sense of belonging to the gay community, body image dissatisfaction and self-esteem among 90 self-identified Australian gay men. Participants completed the psychological subscale of the Sense of Belonging Instrument, the Body Satisfaction Scale, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Results supported the moderation model; the relation between body image dissatisfaction and self-esteem was found to be statistically significant only at average and high levels of belonging to the gay community. The mediation model was also supported; body image dissatisfaction partially mediated the sense of belonging-self-esteem relation. Educating gay men and health professionals about the possible negative outcomes of "belonging" to an appearance-oriented community is important.

project SENSE : multimodal simulation with full-body real-time verbal and nonverbal interactions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Miri, Hossein; Kolkmeier, Jan; Taylor, Paul Jonathon; Poppe, Ronald; Heylen, Dirk; Poppe, Ronald; Meyer, John-Jules; Veltkamp, Remco; Dastani, Mehdi

2016-01-01

This paper presents a multimodal simulation system, project-SENSE, that combines virtual reality and full-body motion capture technologies with real-time verbal and nonverbal communication. We introduce the technical setup and employed hardware and software of a first prototype. We discuss the

Under-use of body energy and over-use of external energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Norgard, Jorgen Stig [Technical Univ. of Denmark, Lyngby (Denmark). Dept. of Civil Engineering

2005-07-01

The world's affluent countries, such as the EU, are facing two severe problems with long-term consequences. One problem is the epidemic-like increase in adverse health effects, which are related to the increasing wealth, primarily appearing as obesity and its associated diseases. This is caused by overeating and under-use of the body energy, due to increased use of mechanized and energy consuming assistance for transport and other daily tasks. This connects to the other problem, namely these countries' excessive use of fossil fuels and other environmentally harmful forms of nature's external energy. This paper illuminates the options for integrated solutions to the two problems by making more use of body energy as a means to reduce the use of nature's external energy. First is listed a human's body energy used for various tasks and occupations, showing that a person's use of external energy is an order of magnitude higher, which can be expressed by the scores of 'energy slaves' each citizen utilizes. An extra health driven physical effort by humans seems to have negligible direct impact on energy consumption. The paper will, however, indicate examples of significant indirect savings of external energy, achieved by healthy extra human efforts. Also, the paper will suggest ways to integrate energy saving policies with health policies for organizing and designing cities and houses to be 'healthy inconvenient', encouraging or pushing people to use their body in their daily doings. This is an enormous challenge to the conventional way of thinking among architects, engineers, planners, as well as individuals in general.

Reviving Vibration Energy Harvesting and Self-Powered Sensing by a Triboelectric Nanogenerator

KAUST Repository

Chen, Jun

2017-10-10

Vibration energy harvesting and sensing is a traditional and growing research field in which various working mechanisms and designs have been developed for an improved performance. Relying on a coupling effect of contact electrification and electrostatic induction, in the past 5 years, triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has been applied as a fundamentally new technology to revive the field of vibration energy harvesting and self-powered sensing, especially for low-frequency vibrations such as human motion, automobile, machine, and bridge vibrations. The demonstrated instantaneous energy conversion efficiency of ∼70% and a total efficiency up to 85% distinguished TENG from traditional techniques. In this article, both TENG-enabled vibration energy harvesting and self-powered active sensing are comprehensively reviewed. Moving toward future development, problems pressing for solutions and onward research directions are also posed to deliver a coherent picture.

Spectrum sensing algorithm based on autocorrelation energy in cognitive radio networks

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Shengwei; Zhang, Li; Zhang, Shibing

2016-10-01

Cognitive radio networks have wide applications in the smart home, personal communications and other wireless communication. Spectrum sensing is the main challenge in cognitive radios. This paper proposes a new spectrum sensing algorithm which is based on the autocorrelation energy of signal received. By taking the autocorrelation energy of the received signal as the statistics of spectrum sensing, the effect of the channel noise on the detection performance is reduced. Simulation results show that the algorithm is effective and performs well in low signal-to-noise ratio. Compared with the maximum generalized eigenvalue detection (MGED) algorithm, function of covariance matrix based detection (FMD) algorithm and autocorrelation-based detection (AD) algorithm, the proposed algorithm has 2 11 dB advantage.

Glucose sensing by carotid body glomus cells: potential implications in disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lin eGao

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The carotid body (CB is a key chemoreceptor organ in which glomus cells sense changes in blood O2, CO2, and pH levels. CB glomus cells have also been found to detect hypoglycemia in both non-primate mammals and humans. O2 and low-glucose responses share a common final pathway involving membrane depolarization, extracellular calcium influx, increase in cytosolic calcium concentration, and neurotransmitter secretion, which stimulates afferent sensory fibers to evoke sympathoadrenal activation. On the other hand, hypoxia and low glucose induce separate signal transduction pathways. Unlike O2 sensing, the response of the CB to low glucose is not altered by rotenone, with the low glucose-activated background cationic current unaffected by hypoxia. Responses of the CB to hypoglycemia and hypoxia can be potentiated by each other. The counter-regulatory response to hypoglycemia by the CB is essential for the brain, an organ that is particularly sensitive to low glucose. CB glucose sensing could be altered in diabetic patients, particularly those under insulin treatment, as well as in other medical conditions such as sleep apnea or obstructive pulmonary diseases, where chronic hypoxemia presents with plastic modifications in CB structure and function. The current review will focus on the following main aspects: 1 the CB as a low glucose sensor in both in vitro and in vivo models; 2 molecular and ionic mechanisms of low glucose sensing by glomus cells, 3 the interplay between low glucose and O2 sensing in CB, and 4 the role of CB low glucose sensing in the pathophysiology of cardiorespiratory and metabolic diseases, and how this may serve as a potential therapeutic target.

Measurement of body potassium with a whole-body counter: relationship between lean body mass and resting energy expenditure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jensen, M.D.; Braun, J.S.; Vetter, R.J.; Marsh, H.M.

1988-01-01

We conducted studies to determine whether the Mayo whole-body counter could be used to measure body potassium, and thus lean body mass (LBM), and whether moderate obesity alters resting energy expenditure when corrected for LBM. Twenty-four nonobese and 18 moderately obese adults underwent body potassium (40K) counting, as well as tritiated water space measurement and indirect calorimetry. LBM values predicted from 40K counting and tritiated water space measurements were highly correlated (P = 0.001; r = 0.88). Resting energy expenditure was closely related to LBM (P less than 0.0001; r = 0.78): kcal/day = 622 kcal + (LBM.20.0 kcal/kg LBM). In this relationship, the obese subjects did not differ from nonobese subjects. In summary, the Mayo whole-body counter can accurately measure LBM, and moderate obesity has no detectable effect on corrected resting energy expenditure

The Spanish energy regulatory body: the national energy commission (CNE)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merono, P. M.

2002-01-01

The National Energy Commission (CNE) is the Spanish Energy Regulatory body. This paper presents its scope and purpose, organisation, resources and financing, financial and performance control, functions, and legal provisions. (author)

Energy-Efficient Collaborative Outdoor Localization for Participatory Sensing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wendong Wang

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Location information is a key element of participatory sensing. Many mobile and sensing applications require location information to provide better recommendations, object search and trip planning. However, continuous GPS positioning consumes much energy, which may drain the battery of mobile devices quickly. Although WiFi and cell tower positioning are alternatives, they provide lower accuracy compared to GPS. This paper solves the above problem by proposing a novel localization scheme through the collaboration of multiple mobile devices to reduce energy consumption and provide accurate positioning. Under our scheme, the mobile devices are divided into three groups, namely the broadcaster group, the location information receiver group and the normal participant group. Only the broadcaster group and the normal participant group use their GPS. The location information receiver group, on the other hand, makes use of the locations broadcast by the broadcaster group to estimate their locations. We formulate the broadcaster set selection problem and propose two novel algorithms to minimize the energy consumption in collaborative localization. Simulations with real traces show that our proposed solution can save up to 68% of the energy of all of the participants and provide more accurate locations than WiFi and cellular network positioning.

Brain glucose sensing, counterregulation, and energy homeostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Marty, Nell; Dallaporta, Michel; Thorens, Bernard

2007-08-01

Neuronal circuits in the central nervous system play a critical role in orchestrating the control of glucose and energy homeostasis. Glucose, beside being a nutrient, is also a signal detected by several glucose-sensing units that are located at different anatomical sites and converge to the hypothalamus to cooperate with leptin and insulin in controlling the melanocortin pathway.

Compressed sensing for energy-efficient wireless telemonitoring of noninvasive fetal ECG via block sparse Bayesian learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhilin; Jung, Tzyy-Ping; Makeig, Scott; Rao, Bhaskar D

2013-02-01

Fetal ECG (FECG) telemonitoring is an important branch in telemedicine. The design of a telemonitoring system via a wireless body area network with low energy consumption for ambulatory use is highly desirable. As an emerging technique, compressed sensing (CS) shows great promise in compressing/reconstructing data with low energy consumption. However, due to some specific characteristics of raw FECG recordings such as nonsparsity and strong noise contamination, current CS algorithms generally fail in this application. This paper proposes to use the block sparse Bayesian learning framework to compress/reconstruct nonsparse raw FECG recordings. Experimental results show that the framework can reconstruct the raw recordings with high quality. Especially, the reconstruction does not destroy the interdependence relation among the multichannel recordings. This ensures that the independent component analysis decomposition of the reconstructed recordings has high fidelity. Furthermore, the framework allows the use of a sparse binary sensing matrix with much fewer nonzero entries to compress recordings. Particularly, each column of the matrix can contain only two nonzero entries. This shows that the framework, compared to other algorithms such as current CS algorithms and wavelet algorithms, can greatly reduce code execution in CPU in the data compression stage.

Method and System for Physiologically Modulating Videogames and Simulations which Use Gesture and Body Image Sensing Control Input Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Pope, Alan T. (Inventor); Stephens, Chad L. (Inventor); Habowski, Tyler (Inventor)

2017-01-01

Method for physiologically modulating videogames and simulations includes utilizing input from a motion-sensing video game system and input from a physiological signal acquisition device. The inputs from the physiological signal sensors are utilized to change the response of a user's avatar to inputs from the motion-sensing sensors. The motion-sensing system comprises a 3D sensor system having full-body 3D motion capture of a user's body. This arrangement encourages health-enhancing physiological self-regulation skills or therapeutic amplification of healthful physiological characteristics. The system provides increased motivation for users to utilize biofeedback as may be desired for treatment of various conditions.

Estimation of the Relationship Between Remotely Sensed Anthropogenic Heat Discharge and Building Energy Use

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yuyu; Weng, Qihao; Gurney, Kevin R.; Shuai, Yanmin; Hu, Xuefei

2012-01-01

This paper examined the relationship between remotely sensed anthropogenic heat discharge and energy use from residential and commercial buildings across multiple scales in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. The anthropogenic heat discharge was estimated with a remote sensing-based surface energy balance model, which was parameterized using land cover, land surface temperature, albedo, and meteorological data. The building energy use was estimated using a GIS-based building energy simulation model in conjunction with Department of Energy/Energy Information Administration survey data, the Assessor's parcel data, GIS floor areas data, and remote sensing-derived building height data. The spatial patterns of anthropogenic heat discharge and energy use from residential and commercial buildings were analyzed and compared. Quantitative relationships were evaluated across multiple scales from pixel aggregation to census block. The results indicate that anthropogenic heat discharge is consistent with building energy use in terms of the spatial pattern, and that building energy use accounts for a significant fraction of anthropogenic heat discharge. The research also implies that the relationship between anthropogenic heat discharge and building energy use is scale-dependent. The simultaneous estimation of anthropogenic heat discharge and building energy use via two independent methods improves the understanding of the surface energy balance in an urban landscape. The anthropogenic heat discharge derived from remote sensing and meteorological data may be able to serve as a spatial distribution proxy for spatially-resolved building energy use, and even for fossil-fuel CO2 emissions if additional factors are considered.

A millimeter-wave reflectometer for whole-body hydration sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, W.-D.; Brown, E. R.

2016-05-01

This paper demonstrates a non-invasive method to determine the hydration level of human skin by measuring the reflectance of W-band (75-110 GHz) and Ka-band (26-40 GHz) radiation. Ka-band provides higher hydration accuracy ( 1 mm), thereby allowing access to the important dermis layer of skin. W-band provides less depth of penetration but finer spatial resolution (~2 mm). Both the hydration sensing concept and experimental results are presented here. The goal is to make a human hydration sensor that is 1% accurate or better, operable by mechanically scanning, and fast enough to measure large areas of the human body in seconds.

Force sensing using 3D displacement measurements in linear elastic bodies

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Xinzeng; Hui, Chung-Yuen

2016-07-01

In cell traction microscopy, the mechanical forces exerted by a cell on its environment is usually determined from experimentally measured displacement by solving an inverse problem in elasticity. In this paper, an innovative numerical method is proposed which finds the "optimal" traction to the inverse problem. When sufficient regularization is applied, we demonstrate that the proposed method significantly improves the widely used approach using Green's functions. Motivated by real cell experiments, the equilibrium condition of a slowly migrating cell is imposed as a set of equality constraints on the unknown traction. Our validation benchmarks demonstrate that the numeric solution to the constrained inverse problem well recovers the actual traction when the optimal regularization parameter is used. The proposed method can thus be applied to study general force sensing problems, which utilize displacement measurements to sense inaccessible forces in linear elastic bodies with a priori constraints.

Estimating three-dimensional orientation of human body parts by inertial/magnetic sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabatini, Angelo Maria

2011-01-01

User-worn sensing units composed of inertial and magnetic sensors are becoming increasingly popular in various domains, including biomedical engineering, robotics, virtual reality, where they can also be applied for real-time tracking of the orientation of human body parts in the three-dimensional (3D) space. Although they are a promising choice as wearable sensors under many respects, the inertial and magnetic sensors currently in use offer measuring performance that are critical in order to achieve and maintain accurate 3D-orientation estimates, anytime and anywhere. This paper reviews the main sensor fusion and filtering techniques proposed for accurate inertial/magnetic orientation tracking of human body parts; it also gives useful recipes for their actual implementation.

Energy Harvesting Based Body Area Networks for Smart Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Yixue; Peng, Limei; Lu, Huimin; Hassan, Mohammad Mehedi; Alamri, Atif

2017-07-10

Body area networks (BANs) are configured with a great number of ultra-low power consumption wearable devices, which constantly monitor physiological signals of the human body and thus realize intelligent monitoring. However, the collection and transfer of human body signals consume energy, and considering the comfort demand of wearable devices, both the size and the capacity of a wearable device's battery are limited. Thus, minimizing the energy consumption of wearable devices and optimizing the BAN energy efficiency is still a challenging problem. Therefore, in this paper, we propose an energy harvesting-based BAN for smart health and discuss an optimal resource allocation scheme to improve BAN energy efficiency. Specifically, firstly, considering energy harvesting in a BAN and the time limits of human body signal transfer, we formulate the energy efficiency optimization problem of time division for wireless energy transfer and wireless information transfer. Secondly, we convert the optimization problem into a convex optimization problem under a linear constraint and propose a closed-form solution to the problem. Finally, simulation results proved that when the size of data acquired by the wearable devices is small, the proportion of energy consumed by the circuit and signal acquisition of the wearable devices is big, and when the size of data acquired by the wearable devices is big, the energy consumed by the signal transfer of the wearable device is decisive.

Energy Efficient Cooperative Spectrum Sensing in Cognitive Radio Networks Using Distributed Dynamic Load Balanced Clustering Scheme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muthukkumar R.

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Cognitive Radio (CR is a promising and potential technique to enable secondary users (SUs or unlicenced users to exploit the unused spectrum resources effectively possessed by primary users (PUs or licenced users. The proven clustering approach is used to organize nodes in the network into the logical groups to attain energy efficiency, network scalability, and stability for improving the sensing accuracy in CR through cooperative spectrum sensing (CSS. In this paper, a distributed dynamic load balanced clustering (DDLBC algorithm is proposed. In this algorithm, each member in the cluster is to calculate the cooperative gain, residual energy, distance, and sensing cost from the neighboring clusters to perform the optimal decision. Each member in a cluster participates in selecting a cluster head (CH through cooperative gain, and residual energy that minimises network energy consumption and enhances the channel sensing. First, we form the number of clusters using the Markov decision process (MDP model to reduce the energy consumption in a network. In this algorithm, CR users effectively utilize the PUs reporting time slots of unavailability. The simulation results reveal that the clusters convergence, energy efficiency, and accuracy of channel sensing increased considerably by using the proposed algorithm.

Energy Efficient Cooperative Spectrum Sensing in Cognitive Radio Networks Using Distributed Dynamic Load Balanced Clustering Scheme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muthukkumar R.

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Cognitive Radio (CR is a promising and potential technique to enable secondary users (SUs or unlicenced users to exploit the unused spectrum resources effectively possessed by primary users (PUs or licenced users. The proven clustering approach is used to organize nodes in the network into the logical groups to attain energy efficiency, network scalability, and stability for improving the sensing accuracy in CR through cooperative spectrum sensing (CSS. In this paper, a distributed dynamic load balanced clustering (DDLBC algorithm is proposed. In this algorithm, each member in the cluster is to calculate the cooperative gain, residual energy, distance, and sensing cost from the neighboring clusters to perform the optimal decision. Each member in a cluster participates in selecting a cluster head (CH through cooperative gain, and residual energy that minimises network energy consumption and enhances the channel sensing. First, we form the number of clusters using the Markov decision process (MDP model to reduce the energy consumption in a network. In this algorithm, CR users effectively utilize the PUs reporting time slots of unavailability. The simulation results reveal that the clusters convergence, energy efficiency, and accuracy of channel sensing increased considerably by using the proposed algorithm.

Real-Time Hand Position Sensing Technology Based on Human Body Electrostatics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kai Tang

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Non-contact human-computer interactions (HCI based on hand gestures have been widely investigated. Here, we present a novel method to locate the real-time position of the hand using the electrostatics of the human body. This method has many advantages, including a delay of less than one millisecond, low cost, and does not require a camera or wearable devices. A formula is first created to sense array signals with five spherical electrodes. Next, a solving algorithm for the real-time measured hand position is introduced and solving equations for three-dimensional coordinates of hand position are obtained. A non-contact real-time hand position sensing system was established to perform verification experiments, and the principle error of the algorithm and the systematic noise were also analyzed. The results show that this novel technology can determine the dynamic parameters of hand movements with good robustness to meet the requirements of complicated HCI.

Body Segment Kinematics and Energy Expenditure in Active Videogames.

Science.gov (United States)

Böhm, Birgit; Hartmann, Michael; Böhm, Harald

2016-06-01

Energy expenditure (EE) in active videogames (AVGs) is a component for assessing its benefit for cardiovascular health. Existing evidence suggests that AVGs are able to increase EE above rest and when compared with playing passive videogames. However, the association between body movement and EE remains unclear. Furthermore, for goal-directed game design, it is important to know the contribution of body segments to EE. This knowledge will help to acquire a certain level of exercise intensity during active gaming. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the best predictors of EE from body segment energies, acceleration, and heart rate during different game situations. EE and body segment movement of 17 subjects, aged 22.1 ± 2.5 years, were measured in two different AVGs. In randomized order, the subjects played a handheld-controlled Nintendo(®) Wii™ tennis (NWT) game and a whole body-controlled Sony EyeToy(®) waterfall (ETW) game. Body segment movement was analyzed using a three-dimensional motion capture system. From the video data, mean values of mechanical energy change and acceleration of 10 body segments were analyzed. Measured EE was significantly higher in ETW (7.8 ± 1.4 metabolic equivalents [METs]) than in NWT (3.4 ± 1.0 METs). The best prediction parameter for the more intense ETW game was the energy change of the right thigh and for the less intense hand-controlled NWT game was the energy change of the upper torso. Segment acceleration was less accurate in predicting EE. The best predictors of metabolic EE were the thighs and the upper torso in whole body and handheld-controlled games, respectively. Increasing movement of these body segments would lead to higher physical activity intensity during gaming, reducing sedentary behavior.

Energy-efficient ECG compression on wireless biosensors via minimal coherence sensing and weighted ℓ₁ minimization reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jun; Gu, Zhenghui; Yu, Zhu Liang; Li, Yuanqing

2015-03-01

Low energy consumption is crucial for body area networks (BANs). In BAN-enabled ECG monitoring, the continuous monitoring entails the need of the sensor nodes to transmit a huge data to the sink node, which leads to excessive energy consumption. To reduce airtime over energy-hungry wireless links, this paper presents an energy-efficient compressed sensing (CS)-based approach for on-node ECG compression. At first, an algorithm called minimal mutual coherence pursuit is proposed to construct sparse binary measurement matrices, which can be used to encode the ECG signals with superior performance and extremely low complexity. Second, in order to minimize the data rate required for faithful reconstruction, a weighted ℓ1 minimization model is derived by exploring the multisource prior knowledge in wavelet domain. Experimental results on MIT-BIH arrhythmia database reveals that the proposed approach can obtain higher compression ratio than the state-of-the-art CS-based methods. Together with its low encoding complexity, our approach can achieve significant energy saving in both encoding process and wireless transmission.

Energy efficiency and SINR maximization beamformers for cognitive radio utilizing sensing information

KAUST Repository

Alabbasi, AbdulRahman; Rezki, Zouheir; Shihada, Basem

2014-01-01

communication using adaptive beamforming schemes combined with the sensing information to achieve an optimal energy efficient system. The proposed schemes maximize the energy efficiency and SINR metrics subject to cognitive radio and quality of service

Energy Distributions from Three-Body Decaying Many-Body Resonances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvarez-Rodriguez, R.; Jensen, A. S.; Fedorov, D. V.; Fynbo, H. O. U.; Garrido, E.

2007-01-01

We compute energy distributions of three particles emerging from decaying many-body resonances. We reproduce the measured energy distributions from decays of two archetypal states chosen as the lowest 0 + and 1 + resonances in 12 C populated in β decays. These states are dominated by sequential, through the 8 Be ground state, and direct decays, respectively. These decay mechanisms are reflected in the ''dynamic'' evolution from small, cluster or shell-model states, to large distances, where the coordinate or momentum space continuum wave functions are accurately computed

Collateral fattening: When a deficit in lean body mass drives overeating.

Science.gov (United States)

Dulloo, Abdul G

2017-02-01

In his last review entitled "Some Adventures in Body Composition," Gilbert Forbes reminded us that "lean body mass and body fat are in a sense companions." To what extent the lean body mass (or fat-free mass) component in this companionship impacts on energy intake is rarely a topic for discussion, amid a dominant adipocentric view of appetite control. Yet an analysis of the few human studies that have investigated the relationships between objectively measured food intake and body composition reveals a potentially important role for both an increase and a decrease in fat-free mass in the drive to eat. These studies are highlighted here, together with the implications of their findings for research directed as much toward the elucidation of peripheral signals and energy-sensing mechanisms that drive hunger and appetite, as toward understanding the mechanisms by which dieting and sedentariness predispose to fatness. © 2017 The Authors. Obesity published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Obesity Society (TOS).

The three body problem with energy dependent potentials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Y.E.; McKay, C.M.; McKellar, B.H.J.

1975-10-01

It is shown how to generalize the three body equations of Faddeev, and of Karlsson and Zeiger, to include the case when the two body potential is energy dependent. Such generalizations will prove useful in the three nucleon problem and in three body models of nuclear reactions. (author)

Energy Density, Energy Intake, and Body Weight Regulation in Adults12345

Science.gov (United States)

Karl, J. Philip; Roberts, Susan B.

2014-01-01

The role of dietary energy density (ED) in the regulation of energy intake (EI) is controversial. Methodologically, there is also debate about whether beverages should be included in dietary ED calculations. To address these issues, studies examining the effects of ED on EI or body weight in nonelderly adults were reviewed. Different approaches to calculating dietary ED do not appear to alter the direction of reported relations between ED and body weight. Evidence that lowering dietary ED reduces EI in short-term studies is convincing, but there are currently insufficient data to determine long-term effectiveness for weight loss. The review also identified key barriers to progress in understanding the role of ED in energy regulation, in particular the absence of a standard definition of ED, and the lack of data from multiple long-term clinical trials examining the effectiveness of low-ED diet recommendations for preventing both primary weight gain and weight regain in nonobese individuals. Long-term clinical trials designed to examine the impact of dietary ED on energy regulation, and including multiple ED calculation methods within the same study, are still needed to determine the importance of ED in the regulation of EI and body weight. PMID:25398750

Energy efficiency and SINR maximization beamformers for cognitive radio utilizing sensing information

KAUST Repository

Alabbasi, Abdulrahman

2014-06-01

In this paper we consider a cognitive radio multi-input multi-output environment in which we adapt our beamformer to maximize both energy efficiency and signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) metrics. Our design considers an underlaying communication using adaptive beamforming schemes combined with the sensing information to achieve an optimal energy efficient system. The proposed schemes maximize the energy efficiency and SINR metrics subject to cognitive radio and quality of service constraints. Since the optimization of energy efficiency problem is not a convex problem, we transform it into a standard semi-definite programming (SDP) form to guarantee a global optimal solution. Analytical solution is provided for one scheme, while the other scheme is left in a standard SDP form. Selected numerical results are used to quantify the impact of the sensing information on the proposed schemes compared to the benchmark ones.

Energy efficient scheme for cognitive radios utilizing soft sensing

KAUST Repository

Alabbasi, AbdulRahman; Rezki, Zouheir; Shihada, Basem

2014-01-01

In this paper we propose an energy efficient cognitive radio system. Our design considers an underlaying resource allocation combined with soft sensing information to achieve a sub-optimum energy efficient system. The sub-optimality is achieved by optimizing over a channel inversion power policy instead of considering a water-filling power policy. We consider an Energy per Goodbit (EPG) metric to express the energy efficient objective function of the system and as an evaluation metric to our system performance. Since our optimization problem is not a known convex problem, we prove its convexity to guarantee its feasibility. We evaluate the proposed scheme comparing to a benchmark system through both analytical and numerical results.

Energy efficient scheme for cognitive radios utilizing soft sensing

KAUST Repository

Alabbasi, Abdulrahman

2014-04-06

In this paper we propose an energy efficient cognitive radio system. Our design considers an underlaying resource allocation combined with soft sensing information to achieve a sub-optimum energy efficient system. The sub-optimality is achieved by optimizing over a channel inversion power policy instead of considering a water-filling power policy. We consider an Energy per Goodbit (EPG) metric to express the energy efficient objective function of the system and as an evaluation metric to our system performance. Since our optimization problem is not a known convex problem, we prove its convexity to guarantee its feasibility. We evaluate the proposed scheme comparing to a benchmark system through both analytical and numerical results.

High energy radiation effects on the human body

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, Kazuaki

1977-01-01

High-energy radiation injuries and their risks were recognized, information on low-energy radiation injuries was also arranged, and with these backgrounds, countermeasures against prevention of radiation injuries were considered. Redintegration of DNA and mutation by radiation were described, and relationship between radiation injuries and dose was considered. Interaction of high-energy radiation and substances in the living body and injuries by the interaction were also considered. Expression method of risk was considered, and a concept of protection dose was suggested. Protection dose is dose equivalent which is worthy of value at the point where the ratio to permissible dose distributed among each part of the body is at its maximum in the distribution of dose equivalent formed within the body when standard human body is placed at a certain radiation field for a certain time. Significance and countermeasures of health examination which is under an abligation to make radiation workers receive health check were thought, and problems were proposed on compensation when radiation injuries should appear actually. (Tsunoda, M.)

BodySense: an evaluation of a positive body image intervention on sport climate for female athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Buchholz, Annick; Mack, Heidi; McVey, Gail; Feder, Stephen; Barrowman, Nicholas

2008-01-01

The goal of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a selective prevention program designed to reduce pressures to be thin in sport, and to promote positive body image and eating behaviors in young female athletes. Participants were competitive female gymnasts (aged 11 to 18 years), parents, and coaches from 7 gymnastic clubs across Ontario, Canada. Four of the seven clubs were randomized to receive the 3-month intervention program (IG) aimed at increasing awareness and positive climate change of body image pressures for athletes in their clubs. Three clubs were randomized to the control group (CG). A total of 62 female gymnasts (IG n = 31; CG n = 31) completed self-report questionnaires examining perceptions of pressure to be thin within their sports clubs, self-efficacy over dieting pressures, awareness and internalization of societal pressure to be thin, body esteem, and eating attitudes and behaviours before and following the intervention. A total of 32 mothers (IG n = 24; CG n = 8) completed measures examining their perceptions of their daughter's pressure to be thin, awareness and internalization of societal pressures to be thin, daughter's self-efficacy over dieting pressures, in addition to mothers' beliefs regarding thinness and success for women in society, before and following the intervention. The findings revealed that participation in the BodySense program resulted in athletes perceiving a reduction in pressure from their sports clubs to be thin, though no changes were found in body esteem, the EAT, or the SATAQ. No significant change was observed over time on mothers' measures. The role of climate change for prevention of eating disorders in athletes is discussed.

Energy-efficient digital and wireless IC design for wireless smart sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Jun; Huang, Xiongchuan; Wang, Chao; Tae-Hyoung Kim, Tony; Lian, Yong

2017-10-01

Wireless smart sensing is now widely used in various applications such as health monitoring and structural monitoring. In conventional wireless sensor nodes, significant power is consumed in wirelessly transmitting the raw data. Smart sensing adds local intelligence to the sensor node and reduces the amount of wireless data transmission via on-node digital signal processing. While the total power consumption is reduced compared to conventional wireless sensing, the power consumption of the digital processing becomes as dominant as wireless data transmission. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art energy-efficient digital and wireless IC design techniques for reducing the power consumption of the wireless smart sensor node to prolong battery life and enable self-powered applications.

Microfibre-nanowire hybrid structure for energy scavenging.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Yong; Wang, Xudong; Wang, Zhong Lin

2008-02-14

A self-powering nanosystem that harvests its operating energy from the environment is an attractive proposition for sensing, personal electronics and defence technologies. This is in principle feasible for nanodevices owing to their extremely low power consumption. Solar, thermal and mechanical (wind, friction, body movement) energies are common and may be scavenged from the environment, but the type of energy source to be chosen has to be decided on the basis of specific applications. Military sensing/surveillance node placement, for example, may involve difficult-to-reach locations, may need to be hidden, and may be in environments that are dusty, rainy, dark and/or in deep forest. In a moving vehicle or aeroplane, harvesting energy from a rotating tyre or wind blowing on the body is a possible choice to power wireless devices implanted in the surface of the vehicle. Nanowire nanogenerators built on hard substrates were demonstrated for harvesting local mechanical energy produced by high-frequency ultrasonic waves. To harvest the energy from vibration or disturbance originating from footsteps, heartbeats, ambient noise and air flow, it is important to explore innovative technologies that work at low frequencies (such as wind energy and body-movement energy using fabrics.

gTBS: A green Task-Based Sensing for energy efficient Wireless Sensor Networks

KAUST Repository

Al-Halafi, Abdullah

2016-09-08

Wireless sensor networks (WSN) are widely used to sense and measure physical conditions for different purposes and within different regions. However due to the limited lifetime of the sensor\\'s energy source, many efforts are made to design energy efficient WSN. As a result, many techniques were presented in the literature such as power adaptation, sleep and wake-up, and scheduling in order to enhance WSN lifetime. These techniques where presented separately and shown to achieve some gain in terms of energy efficiency. In this paper, we present an energy efficient cross layer design for WSN that we named \\'green Task-Based Sensing\\' (gTBS) scheme. The gTBS design is a task based sensing scheme that not only prevents wasting power in unnecessary signaling, but also utilizes several techniques for achieving reliable and energy efficient WSN. The proposed gTBS combines the power adaptation with a sleep and wake-up technique that allows inactive nodes to sleep. Also, it adopts a gradient-oriented unicast approach to overcome the synchronization problem, minimize network traffic hurdles, and significantly reduce the overall power consumption of the network. We implement the gTBS on a testbed and we show that it reduces the power consumption by a factor of 20%-55% compared to traditional TBS. It also reduces the delay by 54%-145% and improves the delivery ratio by 24%-73%. © 2016 IEEE.

Mechanical energy expenditures and movement efficiency in full body reaching movements.

Science.gov (United States)

Sha, Daohang; France, Christopher R; Thomas, James S

2010-02-01

The effect of target location, speed, and handedness on the average total mechanical energy and movement efficiency is studied in 15 healthy subjects (7 males and 8 females with age 22.9 +/- 1.79 years old) performing full body reaching movements. The average total mechanical energy is measured as the time average of integration of joint power, potential energy, and kinetic energy respectively. Movement efficiency is calculated as the ratio of total kinetic energy to the total joint power and potential energy. Results show that speed and target location have significant effects on total mechanical energy and movement efficiency, but reaching hand only effects kinetic energy. From our findings we conclude that (1) efficiency in whole body reaching is dependent on whether the height of the body center of mass is raised or lowered during the task; (2) efficiency is increased as movement speed is increased, in part because of greater changes in potential energy; and (3) the CNS does not appear to use movement efficiency as a primary planning variable in full body reaching. It may be dependent on a combination of other factors or constraints.

Remote sensing mapping of carbon and energy fluxes over forests

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roerink, G.J.; Wit, de A.J.W.; Pelgrum, H.; Mücher, C.A.

2001-01-01

This report presents the results of the EU project "Carbon and water fluxes of Mediterranean forests and impacts of land use/cover changes". The objectives of the project can be summarized as follows: (I) surface energy balance mapping using remote sensing, (ii) carbon uptake mapping using remote

An Energy Efficient Cognitive Radio System with Quantized Soft Sensing and Duration Analysis

KAUST Repository

Alabbasi, Abdulrahman

2015-03-09

In this paper, an energy efficient cognitive radio system is proposed. The proposed design optimizes the secondary user transmission power and the sensing duration combined with soft-sensing information to minimize the energy per goodbit. Due to the non-convex nature of the problem we prove its pseudo-convexity to guarantee the optimal solution. Furthermore, a quantization scheme, that discretize the softsensing information, is proposed and analyzed to reduce the overload of the continuously adapted power. Numerical results show that our proposed system outperforms the benchmark systems. The impact of the quantization levels and other system parameters is evaluated in the numerical results.

Quantifying the Terrestrial Surface Energy Fluxes Using Remotely-Sensed Satellite Data

Science.gov (United States)

Siemann, Amanda Lynn

The dynamics of the energy fluxes between the land surface and the atmosphere drive local and regional climate and are paramount to understand the past, present, and future changes in climate. Although global reanalysis datasets, land surface models (LSMs), and climate models estimate these fluxes by simulating the physical processes involved, they merely simulate our current understanding of these processes. Global estimates of the terrestrial, surface energy fluxes based on observations allow us to capture the dynamics of the full climate system. Remotely-sensed satellite data is the source of observations of the land surface which provide the widest spatial coverage. Although net radiation and latent heat flux global, terrestrial, surface estimates based on remotely-sensed satellite data have progressed, comparable sensible heat data products and ground heat flux products have not progressed at this scale. Our primary objective is quantifying and understanding the terrestrial energy fluxes at the Earth's surface using remotely-sensed satellite data with consistent development among all energy budget components [through the land surface temperature (LST) and input meteorology], including validation of these products against in-situ data, uncertainty assessments, and long-term trend analysis. The turbulent fluxes are constrained by the available energy using the Bowen ratio of the un-constrained products to ensure energy budget closure. All final products are within uncertainty ranges of literature values, globally. When validated against the in-situ estimates, the sensible heat flux estimates using the CFSR air temperature and constrained with the products using the MODIS albedo produce estimates closest to the FLUXNET in-situ observations. Poor performance over South America is consistent with the largest uncertainties in the energy budget. From 1984-2007, the longwave upward flux increase due to the LST increase drives the net radiation decrease, and the

Nuclear three-body problem and energy-dependent potentials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdurakhmanov, A.; Akhmadkhodzhaev, B.; Zubarev, A.L.; Irgaziev, B.F.

1985-01-01

Energy-dependent potentials in the three-body problem are being considered. Three-particle equations for the case of pairing energy-dependent potentials are generalized and the problems related to this ambiguous generalization are investigated. In terms of the equations obtained the tritium binding energy and vertex coupling constants (Tdn) and (Tdν) are evaluated. The binding energy and, especially, coupling constants are shown to be sensitive to a shape of the energy-dependent potential

Determining profits for solar energy with remote sensing data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Shifeng; Koch, Barbara

2010-01-01

The objects of the article are to determine the profits for solar energy integrating remote sensing data: the optimal locations of photovoltaic and the base price of electricity resulting from solar energy. An illustrated experiment with five European countries data sets is taken. Results indicate that Germany is the only optimal region to set up photovoltaic so as to satisfy the electricity demand of the five considered. Results also show that solar energy is a promising energy source since the highest base price of electricity resulting from solar energy is only 0.35 $/kWh. The base electricity price for Germany is the lowest whereas the base electricity price for Italy is the highest. Moreover, the results further indicate that the photovoltaic module price plays a key role in determining the best appropriate region(s) to install photovoltaic and the base electricity price. (author)

Determining profits for solar energy with remote sensing data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Shifeng; Koch, Barbara [Department of Remote Sensing and Landscape Information Systems, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg (Germany)

2010-07-15

The objects of the article are to determine the profits for solar energy integrating remote sensing data: the optimal locations of photovoltaic and the base price of electricity resulting from solar energy. An illustrated experiment with five European countries data sets is taken. Results indicate that Germany is the only optimal region to set up photovoltaic so as to satisfy the electricity demand of the five considered. Results also show that solar energy is a promising energy source since the highest base price of electricity resulting from solar energy is only 0.35 $/kWh. The base electricity price for Germany is the lowest whereas the base electricity price for Italy is the highest. Moreover, the results further indicate that the photovoltaic module price plays a key role in determining the best appropriate region(s) to install photovoltaic and the base electricity price. (author)

The Importance of Sensing Own's Movements in the World for the Sense of Personal Identity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariana Broens

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Within philosophy and cognitive science, the focus in relation to the problem of personal identity has been almost exclusively on the brain. We submit that the resulting neglect of the body and of bodily movements in the world has been detrimental in understanding how organisms develop a sense of identity. We examine the importance of sensing one’s own movements for the development of a basic, nonconceptual sense of self. More specifically, we argue that the origin of the sense of self stems from the sensitivity to spontaneous movements. Based on this, the organism develops a sense of “I move” and, finally, a sense of “I can move”. Proprioception and kinesthesis are essential in this development. At the same time, we argue against the traditional dichotomy between so-called external and internal senses, agreeing with Gibson that perception of the self and of the environment invariably go together. We discuss a traditional distinction between two aspects of bodily self: the body sense and the body image. We suggest that they capture different aspects of the sense of self. We argue that especially the body sense is of great importance to our nonconceptual sense of self. Finally, we attempt to draw some consequences for research in cognitive science, specifically in the area of robotics, by examining a case of missing proprioception. We make a plea for robots to be equipped not just with external perceptual and motor abilities but also with a sense of proprioception. This, we submit, would constitute one further step towards understanding creatures acting in the world with a sense of themselves.

Pheromone-sensing neurons regulate peripheral lipid metabolism in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Science.gov (United States)

Hussey, Rosalind; Stieglitz, Jon; Mesgarzadeh, Jaleh; Locke, Tiffany T; Zhang, Ying K; Schroeder, Frank C; Srinivasan, Supriya

2017-05-01

It is now established that the central nervous system plays an important role in regulating whole body metabolism and energy balance. However, the extent to which sensory systems relay environmental information to modulate metabolic events in peripheral tissues has remained poorly understood. In addition, it has been challenging to map the molecular mechanisms underlying discrete sensory modalities with respect to their role in lipid metabolism. In previous work our lab has identified instructive roles for serotonin signaling as a surrogate for food availability, as well as oxygen sensing, in the control of whole body metabolism. In this study, we now identify a role for a pair of pheromone-sensing neurons in regulating fat metabolism in C. elegans, which has emerged as a tractable and highly informative model to study the neurobiology of metabolism. A genetic screen revealed that GPA-3, a member of the Gα family of G proteins, regulates body fat content in the intestine, the major metabolic organ for C. elegans. Genetic and reconstitution studies revealed that the potent body fat phenotype of gpa-3 null mutants is controlled from a pair of neurons called ADL(L/R). We show that cAMP functions as the second messenger in the ADL neurons, and regulates body fat stores via the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, from downstream neurons. We find that the pheromone ascr#3, which is detected by the ADL neurons, regulates body fat stores in a GPA-3-dependent manner. We define here a third sensory modality, pheromone sensing, as a major regulator of body fat metabolism. The pheromone ascr#3 is an indicator of population density, thus we hypothesize that pheromone sensing provides a salient 'denominator' to evaluate the amount of food available within a population and to accordingly adjust metabolic rate and body fat levels.

How to explore dancers’ sense experiences?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ravn, Susanne; Hansen, Helle Ploug

2013-01-01

sense of how the body feels in preference to working with specific modalities of sensing. Furthermore, the dancers’ sensing of the physicality of their moving bodies appears to be shaped by their unique intention is at the same time given form through their interactions with other dancers....

Genetic association between body energy measured throughout lactation and fertility in dairy cattle.

Science.gov (United States)

Banos, G; Coffey, M P

2010-02-01

The objective of this study was to quantify the genetic association of body energy assessed throughout lactation with a cow's fertility. Nine direct and indirect body energy traits were defined at different stages of lactation. Four were daily records of energy balance, energy content, cumulative effective energy (CEE) and body condition score (BCS) calculated between lactation days 4 and 311. The other five traits included duration of negative energy balance (DNEB), rate of recovery during DNEB (RNEB), sum of negative energy balance (SNEB), nadir of energy content (NEC) and number of days from calving to NEC. Of these traits, energy balance, DNEB, RNEB and SNEB were primarily based on individual cow feed intake and milk yield, and considered direct measures of body energy. The other traits were calculated from body lipid and protein changes, predicted from BCS and live weight profiles, and were considered indirect measures of body energy. Fertility was defined by number of days between calving and commencement of luteal activity (DLA), first observed oestrus (DH) and conception (DC), and number of services per conception. A total of 957 cows in their first four lactations were considered in the study. Genetic models fitted cubic splines to define longitudinal traits (energy balance, energy content, CEE and BCS) and calculate heritability and genetic correlation with fertility. Daily heritability estimate ranges were 0.10 to 0.34, 0.35 to 0.61, 0.32 to 0.53 and 0.24 to 0.56 for energy balance, energy content, CEE and BCS, respectively, and, in most cases, tended to increase towards the middle of lactation and remain relatively stable thereafter. Of the other body energy traits, heritability of NEC (0.44) was the most notable. Statistically significant (P body energy have the strongest genetic association with cow fertility. NEC and early lactation (circa day 50) BCS and energy content are the most useful traits for selection in terms of the correlated improvement

Many-Body Energy Decomposition with Basis Set Superposition Error Corrections.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayer, István; Bakó, Imre

2017-05-09

The problem of performing many-body decompositions of energy is considered in the case when BSSE corrections are also performed. It is discussed that the two different schemes that have been proposed go back to the two different interpretations of the original Boys-Bernardi counterpoise correction scheme. It is argued that from the physical point of view the "hierarchical" scheme of Valiron and Mayer should be preferred and not the scheme recently discussed by Ouyang and Bettens, because it permits the energy of the individual monomers and all the two-body, three-body, etc. energy components to be free of unphysical dependence on the arrangement (basis functions) of other subsystems in the cluster.

Energy-minimum sub-threshold self-timed circuits using current-sensing completion detection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Akgun, O. C.; Rodrigues, J. N.; Sparsø, Jens

2011-01-01

This study addresses the design of self-timed energy-minimum circuits, operating in the sub-VT domain and a generic implementation template using bundled-data circuitry and current sensing completion detection (CSCD). Furthermore, a fully decoupled latch controller was developed, which integrates......V. Spice simulations indicate a gain of 52.58% in throughput because of asynchronous operation. By trading the throughput improvement, energy dissipation is reduced by 16.8% at the energy-minimum supply voltage....

Effects of snack consumption for 8 weeks on energy intake and body weight.

Science.gov (United States)

Viskaal-van Dongen, M; Kok, F J; de Graaf, C

2010-02-01

Consumption of snacks might contribute to the obesity epidemic. It is not clear how the moment of consumption and energy density of snacks can influence the compensatory response to consumption of snacks in the long term. To investigate the effects of snack consumption for 8 weeks on changes in body weight, emphasizing on moment of consumption and energy density. In total, 16 men and 66 women (mean age 21.9 years (s.d. 0.3 year), mean body mass index 20.7 kg m(-2) (s.d. 0.2 kg m(-2))) were randomly assigned to one of four parallel groups in a 2 x 2 design: snacks consumed with or between meals and snacks having a low (12 kJ g(-1)) energy density. For 8 weeks, subjects consumed mandatory snacks that provided 25% of energy requirements on each day. Body weight, body composition, physical activity level (PAL) and energy intake were measured in week 1 and week 8. There were no differences in changes in body weight between the four groups. Moment of consumption (P=0.7), energy density (P=0.8) and interaction (P=0.09) did not influence body weight. Similarly, there were no differences in changes in body composition, PAL and energy intake between the four groups. Body weight after 8 weeks of snack consumption was not affected by moment of consumption and energy density of snacks. This finding suggests that consuming snacks that are high or low in energy density does not necessarily contribute to weight gain. Healthy, nonobese young adults may be able to maintain a normal body weight through an accurate compensation for the consumption of snacks.

Hypothalamic glucose sensing: making ends meet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vanessa eRouth

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The neuroendocrine system governs essential survival and homeostatic functions. For example, growth is needed for development. Thermoregulation maintains optimal core temperature in a changing environment. Reproduction ensures species survival. Stress and immune responses enable an organism to overcome external and internal threats. The circadian system regulates arousal and sleep such that vegetative and active functions do not overlap. All of these functions require a significant portion of the body’s energy. As the integrator of the neuroendocrine system, the hypothalamus carefully assesses the energy status of the body in order to appropriately partition resources to provide for each system without compromising the others. While doing so the hypothalamus must ensure that adequate glucose levels are preserved for brain function since glucose is the primary fuel of the brain. To this end, the hypothalamus contains specialized glucose sensing neurons which are scattered throughout the nuclei controlling distinct neuroendocrine functions. We hypothesize that these neurons play a key role in enabling the hypothalamus to partition energy to meet these peripheral survival needs without endangering the brain’s glucose supply. The goal of this review is to describe the varied mechanisms underlying glucose sensing in neurons within discrete hypothalamic nuclei. We will then evaluate the way in which peripheral energy status regulates glucose sensitivity. For example, during energy deficit such as fasting specific hypothalamic glucose sensing neurons become sensitized to decreased glucose. This increases the gain of the information relay when glucose availability is a greater concern for the brain. Finally, changes in glucose sensitivity under pathological conditions (e.g., recurrent insulin-hypoglycemia, diabetes will be addressed. The overall goal of this review is to place glucose sensing neurons within the context of hypothalamic control of

WindScanner.eu - a new Remote Sensing Research Infrastructure for On- and Offshore Wind Energy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mikkelsen, Torben; Siggaard Knudsen, Søren; Sjöholm, Mikael

2012-01-01

will be disseminated throughout Europe to pilot European wind energy research centers. The new research infrastructure will become an open source infrastructure that also invites collaboration with wind energy related atmospheric scientists and wind energy industry overseas. Recent achievements with 3D Wind......A new remote sensing based research infrastructure for atmospheric boundary-layer wind and turbulence measurements named WindScanner have during the past three years been in its early phase of development at DTU Wind Energy in Denmark. During the forthcoming three years the technology......Scanners and spin-off innovation activity are described. The Danish WindScanner.dk research facility is build from new and fast-scanning remote sensing equipment spurred from achievements within fiber optics and telecommunication technologies. At the same time the wind energy society has demanded excessive 3D wind...

UWB Wind Turbine Blade Deflection Sensing for Wind Energy Cost Reduction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Shuai; Jensen, Tobias Lindstrøm; Franek, Ondrej

2015-01-01

A new application of utilizing ultra-wideband (UWB) technology to sense wind turbine blade deflections is introduced in this paper for wind energy cost reduction. The lower UWB band of 3.1–5.3 GHz is applied. On each blade, there will be one UWB blade deflection sensing system, which consists...... is always of sufficient quality for accurate estimations under different deflections. The measured results reveal that the blade tip-root distance and blade deflection can be accurately estimated in the complicated and lossy wireless channels around a wind turbine blade. Some future research topics...

Energy Efficiency and SINR Maximization Beamformers for Spectrum Sharing With Sensing Information

KAUST Repository

Alabbasi, AbdulRahman; Rezki, Zouheir; Shihada, Basem

2014-01-01

an underlaying communication using adaptive beamforming schemes combined with sensing information to achieve optimal energy-efficient systems. The proposed schemes maximize EE and SINR metrics subject to cognitive radio and quality-of-service constraints

Reviving Vibration Energy Harvesting and Self-Powered Sensing by a Triboelectric Nanogenerator

KAUST Repository

Chen, Jun; Wang, Zhong Lin

2017-01-01

Vibration energy harvesting and sensing is a traditional and growing research field in which various working mechanisms and designs have been developed for an improved performance. Relying on a coupling effect of contact electrification

A bibliography of high energy two-body and inclusive scattering data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gault, F.D.; Read, B.J.; Roberts, R.G.

1977-09-01

A bibliography is presented of the data on high energy two-body and quasi-two-body final state scattering processes. This updated edition also covers one and two-particle inclusive production. It contains references to those published papers whose main purpose is to provide data on high energy two-body and inclusive hadronic scattering cross-sections rather than just properties of the produced particles. It covers the leading high energy physics journals and the period up to June 1977. The entries are grouped by process in the order indicated in the Table of Contents, and an author index is also provided. (author)

Sense of moving

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Mark Schram; Grünbaum, Thor

2017-01-01

In this chapter, we assume the existence of a sense of “movement activity” that arises when a person actively moves a body part. This sense is usually supposed to be part of sense of agency (SoA). The purpose of the chapter is to determine whether the already existing experimental paradigms can...

Students' Conceptions about Energy and the Human Body

Science.gov (United States)

Mann, Michael; Treagust, David F.

2010-01-01

Students' understanding of energy has been primarily within the domain of physics. This study sought to examine students' understanding of concepts relating to energy and the human body using pencil and paper questionnaires administered to 610 students in Years 8-12. From students' responses to the questionnaires, conceptual patterns were…

Regulation of hypothalamic neuronal sensing and food intake by ketone bodies and fatty acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Foll, Christelle; Dunn-Meynell, Ambrose A; Miziorko, Henri M; Levin, Barry E

2014-04-01

Metabolic sensing neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) alter their activity when ambient levels of metabolic substrates, such as glucose and fatty acids (FA), change. To assess the relationship between a high-fat diet (HFD; 60%) intake on feeding and serum and VMH FA levels, rats were trained to eat a low-fat diet (LFD; 13.5%) or an HFD in 3 h/day and were monitored with VMH FA microdialysis. Despite having higher serum levels, HFD rats had lower VMH FA levels but ate less from 3 to 6 h of refeeding than did LFD rats. However, VMH β-hydroxybutyrate (β-OHB) and VMH-to-serum β-OHB ratio levels were higher in HFD rats during the first 1 h of refeeding, suggesting that VMH astrocyte ketone production mediated their reduced intake. In fact, using calcium imaging in dissociated VMH neurons showed that ketone bodies overrode normal FA sensing, primarily by exciting neurons that were activated or inhibited by oleic acid. Importantly, bilateral inhibition of VMH ketone production with a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase inhibitor reversed the 3- to 6-h HFD-induced inhibition of intake but had no effect in LFD-fed rats. These data suggest that a restricted HFD intake regimen inhibits caloric intake as a consequence of FA-induced VMH ketone body production by astrocytes.

Common variants near MC4R in relation to body fat, body fat distribution, metabolic traits and energy expenditure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kring, Sofia Inez Iqbal; Holst, C; Toubro, Søren

2010-01-01

Common variants near melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R) have been related to fatness and type 2 diabetes. We examined the associations of rs17782313 and rs17700633 in relation to body fat, body fat distribution, metabolic traits, weight development and energy expenditure.......Common variants near melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R) have been related to fatness and type 2 diabetes. We examined the associations of rs17782313 and rs17700633 in relation to body fat, body fat distribution, metabolic traits, weight development and energy expenditure....

Multicriteria analysis for sources of renewable energy using data from remote sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Matejicek, L.

2015-04-01

Renewable energy sources are major components of the strategy to reduce harmful emissions and to replace depleting fossil energy resources. Data from remote sensing can provide information for multicriteria analysis for sources of renewable energy. Advanced land cover quantification makes it possible to search for suitable sites. Multicriteria analysis, together with other data, is used to determine the energy potential and socially acceptability of suggested locations. The described case study is focused on an area of surface coal mines in the northwestern region of the Czech Republic, where the impacts of surface mining and reclamation constitute a dominant force in land cover changes. High resolution satellite images represent the main input datasets for identification of suitable sites. Solar mapping, wind predictions, the location of weirs in watersheds, road maps and demographic information complement the data from remote sensing for multicriteria analysis, which is implemented in a geographic information system (GIS). The input spatial datasets for multicriteria analysis in GIS are reclassified to a common scale and processed with raster algebra tools to identify suitable sites for sources of renewable energy. The selection of suitable sites is limited by the CORINE land cover database to mining and agricultural areas. The case study is focused on long term land cover changes in the 1985-2015 period. Multicriteria analysis based on CORINE data shows moderate changes in mapping of suitable sites for utilization of selected sources of renewable energy in 1990, 2000, 2006 and 2012. The results represent map layers showing the energy potential on a scale of a few preference classes (1-7), where the first class is linked to minimum preference and the last class to maximum preference. The attached histograms show the moderate variability of preference classes due to land cover changes caused by mining activities. The results also show a slight increase in the more

Thermodynamics of the living organisms. Allometric relationship between the total metabolic energy, chemical energy and body temperature in mammals

Science.gov (United States)

Atanasov, Atanas Todorov

2017-11-01

The study present relationship between the total metabolic energy (ETME(c), J) derived as a function of body chemical energy (Gchem, J) and absolute temperature (Tb, K) in mammals: ETME(c) =Gchem (Tb/Tn). In formula the temperature Tn =2.73K appears normalization temperature. The calculated total metabolic energy ETME(c) differs negligible from the total metabolic energy ETME(J), received as a product between the basal metabolic rate (Pm, J/s) and the lifespan (Tls, s) of mammals: ETME = Pm×Tls. The physical nature and biological mean of the normalization temperature (Tn, K) is unclear. It is made the hypothesis that the kTn energy (where k= 1.3806×10-23 J/K -Boltzmann constant) presents energy of excitation states (modes) in biomolecules and body structures that could be in equilibrium with chemical energy accumulated in body. This means that the accumulated chemical energy allows trough all body molecules and structures to propagate excitations states with kTn energy with wavelength in the rage of width of biological membranes. The accumulated in biomolecules chemical energy maintains spread of the excited states through biomolecules without loss of energy.

Human-motion energy harvester for autonomous body area sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Geisler, M.; Boisseau, S.; Perez, M.; Gasnier, P.; Willemin, J.; Ait-Ali, I.; Perraud, S.

2017-03-01

This paper reports on a method to optimize an electromagnetic energy harvester converting the low-frequency body motion and aimed at powering wireless body area sensors. This method is based on recorded accelerations, and mechanical and transduction models that enable an efficient joint optimization of the structural parameters. An optimized prototype of 14.8 mmØ × 52 mm, weighting 20 g, has generated up to 4.95 mW in a resistive load when worn at the arm during a run, and 6.57 mW when hand-shaken. Among the inertial electromagnetic energy harvesters reported so far, this one exhibits one of the highest power densities (up to 730 μW cm-3). The energy harvester was finally used to power a bluetooth low energy wireless sensor node with accelerations measurements at 25 Hz.

Multifunctional ZnO Nanomaterials for Efficient Energy Conversion and Sensing

Science.gov (United States)

2015-12-02

Final Report: Multifunctional ZnO Nanomaterials for Efficient Energy Conversion and Sensing The views, opinions and/or findings contained in this...ADDRESS. Fisk University 1000 17th Avenue North Nashville, TN 37208 -3045 31-May-2015 ABSTRACT Final Report: Multifunctional ZnO Nanomaterials for...and reproducible nanomaterials growth/synthesis with control of nanostructure size, shape, and functionality, in uniform functionalization with both

Energy harvesting: small scale energy production from ambient sources

Science.gov (United States)

Yeatman, Eric M.

2009-03-01

Energy harvesting - the collection of otherwise unexploited energy in the local environment - is attracting increasing attention for the powering of electronic devices. While the power levels that can be reached are typically modest (microwatts to milliwatts), the key motivation is to avoid the need for battery replacement or recharging in portable or inaccessible devices. Wireless sensor networks are a particularly important application: the availability of essentially maintenance free sensor nodes, as enabled by energy harvesting, will greatly increase the feasibility of large scale networks, in the paradigm often known as pervasive sensing. Such pervasive sensing networks, used to monitor buildings, structures, outdoor environments or the human body, offer significant benefits for large scale energy efficiency, health and safety, and many other areas. Sources of energy for harvesting include light, temperature differences, and ambient motion, and a wide range of miniature energy harvesters based on these sources have been proposed or demonstrated. This paper reviews the principles and practice in miniature energy harvesters, and discusses trends, suitable applications, and possible future developments.

Total Energy Expenditure, Energy Intake, and Body Composition in Endurance Athletes Across the Training Season: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Heydenreich, Juliane; Kayser, Bengt; Schutz, Yves; Melzer, Katarina

2017-12-01

Endurance athletes perform periodized training in order to prepare for main competitions and maximize performance. However, the coupling between alterations of total energy expenditure (TEE), energy intake, and body composition during different seasonal training phases is unclear. So far, no systematic review has assessed fluctuations in TEE, energy intake, and/or body composition in endurance athletes across the training season. The purpose of this study was to (1) systematically analyze TEE, energy intake, and body composition in highly trained athletes of various endurance disciplines and of both sexes and (2) analyze fluctuations in these parameters across the training season. An electronic database search was conducted on the SPORTDiscus and MEDLINE (January 1990-31 January 2015) databases using a combination of relevant keywords. Two independent reviewers identified potentially relevant studies. Where a consensus was not reached, a third reviewer was consulted. Original research articles that examined TEE, energy intake, and/or body composition in 18-40-year-old endurance athletes and reported the seasonal training phases of data assessment were included in the review. Articles were excluded if body composition was assessed by skinfold measurements, TEE was assessed by questionnaires, or data could not be split between the sexes. Two reviewers assessed the quality of studies independently. Data on subject characteristics, TEE, energy intake, and/or body composition were extracted from the included studies. Subjects were categorized according to their sex and endurance discipline and each study allocated a weight within categories based on the number of subjects assessed. Extracted data were used to calculate weighted means and standard deviations for parameters of TEE, energy intake, and/or body composition. From 3589 citations, 321 articles were identified as potentially relevant, with 82 meeting all of the inclusion criteria. TEE of endurance athletes was

Promoting energy efficiency: supporting Public Administration and Local Bodies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fasano, G.; Manila, E.

2008-01-01

ENEAS's institutional tasks include technical and scientific support to Public Administration and Local Bodies in the field of energy. Recently such a role has been strengthened by setting up the Agency for Energy Efficiency which ENEA is responsible for [it

Determination of the Relative Sediment Concentration in Water Bodies Using Remote Sensing Methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Germán Vargas Cuervo

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Studies for the determination of the relative concentration of sediments (RCS in bodies of water such as rivers, marshes and river deltas require specialized equipment, field work and laboratory analyses of samples, all with high economic costs. Remote sensing, in regions of the optical electromagnetic spectrum, particularly in the visible range between 0.4 and 0.6 µm, shows radiometric contrasts associated with the relative concentration of sediments in water bodies. This work presents an analysis of the principal spectral, spatial and radiometric properties or characteristics of remote sensors for the determination of the relative concentration of sediments in bodies of water, a methodological process for its cartography at a given time or an established period of time. This cartography is based on digital processing of images rather than direct measurements in the field. Lastly, applications are presented for the delta coast of the southwestern area of the Colombian Caribbean between Barranquilla and Punta Piedra and in the lacustrine area of the Guajaro Reservoir and the Jobo and Capote Wetlands in the upper Canal del Dique, Colombia.

Computing the Free Energy along a Reaction Coordinate Using Rigid Body Dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Peng; Sodt, Alexander J; Shao, Yihan; König, Gerhard; Brooks, Bernard R

2014-10-14

The calculations of potential of mean force along complex chemical reactions or rare events pathways are of great interest because of their importance for many areas in chemistry, molecular biology, and material science. The major difficulty for free energy calculations comes from the great computational cost for adequate sampling of the system in high-energy regions, especially close to the reaction transition state. Here, we present a method, called FEG-RBD, in which the free energy gradients were obtained from rigid body dynamics simulations. Then the free energy gradients were integrated along a reference reaction pathway to calculate free energy profiles. In a given system, the reaction coordinates defining a subset of atoms (e.g., a solute, or the quantum mechanics (QM) region of a quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics simulation) are selected to form a rigid body during the simulation. The first-order derivatives (gradients) of the free energy with respect to the reaction coordinates are obtained through the integration of constraint forces within the rigid body. Each structure along the reference reaction path is separately subjected to such a rigid body simulation. The individual free energy gradients are integrated along the reference pathway to obtain the free energy profile. Test cases provided demonstrate both the strengths and weaknesses of the FEG-RBD method. The most significant benefit of this method comes from the fast convergence rate of the free energy gradient using rigid-body constraints instead of restraints. A correction to the free energy due to approximate relaxation of the rigid-body constraint is estimated and discussed. A comparison with umbrella sampling using a simple test case revealed the improved sampling efficiency of FEG-RBD by a factor of 4 on average. The enhanced efficiency makes this method effective for calculating the free energy of complex chemical reactions when the reaction coordinate can be unambiguously defined by a

Energy sense is common sense

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manuel, K.

1979-07-01

Background information about the West Midlands Region of British Gas is presented and this sets the scene for the subsequent description of the action taken to conserve energy in all West Midlands Gas operational activities. The basic organizational structure for dealing with energy throughout the Region is outlined. The objectives of the Energy Conservation Working Party are defined and the achievements in energy saving since April 1975 are highlighted. The monitoring and control action taken to save energy in buildings and functional engineering and transport activities is described and reference is made to special projects undertaken to improve performance in energy utilization. Special emphasis is given to the promotion of energy conservation through the use of specially designed posters and stickers, by publicity in the in-house newspaper Boost, and by annual Energy Conservation Conferences and Awards for the Conservation of Energy in the form of an ACE Trophy for group achievement and ACE Merit Awards for individual achievement. The motivational aspects of the Region's energy conservation campaign are discussed and plans for continuing to gain the cooperation of employees to conserve energy are outlined. It is concluded that the success achieved by the Region in saving energy has been significantly influenced by the special attention which has been given to mounting an imaginative, intensive, and long term campaign aimed at involving all employees and to gaining their continuing commitment to energy conservation.

Integration of body temperature into the analysis of energy expenditure in the mouse.

Science.gov (United States)

Abreu-Vieira, Gustavo; Xiao, Cuiying; Gavrilova, Oksana; Reitman, Marc L

2015-06-01

We quantified the effect of environmental temperature on mouse energy homeostasis and body temperature. The effect of environmental temperature (4-33 °C) on body temperature, energy expenditure, physical activity, and food intake in various mice (chow diet, high-fat diet, Brs3 (-/y) , lipodystrophic) was measured using continuous monitoring. Body temperature depended most on circadian phase and physical activity, but also on environmental temperature. The amounts of energy expenditure due to basal metabolic rate (calculated via a novel method), thermic effect of food, physical activity, and cold-induced thermogenesis were determined as a function of environmental temperature. The measured resting defended body temperature matched that calculated from the energy expenditure using Fourier's law of heat conduction. Mice defended a higher body temperature during physical activity. The cost of the warmer body temperature during the active phase is 4-16% of total daily energy expenditure. Parameters measured in diet-induced obese and Brs3 (-/y) mice were similar to controls. The high post-mortem heat conductance demonstrates that most insulation in mice is via physiological mechanisms. At 22 °C, cold-induced thermogenesis is ∼120% of basal metabolic rate. The higher body temperature during physical activity is due to a higher set point, not simply increased heat generation during exercise. Most insulation in mice is via physiological mechanisms, with little from fur or fat. Our analysis suggests that the definition of the upper limit of the thermoneutral zone should be re-considered. Measuring body temperature informs interpretation of energy expenditure data and improves the predictiveness and utility of the mouse to model human energy homeostasis.

Biosensors and Biofuel Cells based on Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes for Integrated Energy Sensing, Generation, and Storage (SGS) Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Pandey, Archana; Prasad, Abhishek; Khin Yap, Yoke

2010-03-01

Diabetes is a growing health issue in the nation. Thus in-situ glucose sensors that can monitor the glucose level in our body are in high demand. Furthermore, it will be exciting if the excessive blood sugar can be converted into usable energy, and be stored in miniature batteries for applications. This will be the basis for an integrated energy sensing, generation, and storage (SGS) system in the future. Here we report the use of functionalized carbon nanotubes arrays as the glucose sensors as well as fuel cells that can convert glucose into energy. In principle, these devices can be integrated to detect excessive blood glucose and then convert the glucose into energy. They are also inline with our efforts on miniature 3D microbatteries using CNTs [1]. All these devices will be the basis for future SGS systems. Details of these results will be discussed in the meeting. [1] Wang et al., in 206^th Meeting of the Electrochemical Society, October 3-8, Honolulu, Hawaii (2004), Symposium Q1, abstract 1492. Y. K. Yap acknowledges supports from DARPA (DAAD17-03-C-0115), USDA (2007-35603-17740), and the Multi-Scale Technologies Institute (MuSTI) at MTU.

An Optimal Online Resource Allocation Algorithm for Energy Harvesting Body Area Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guangyuan Wu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In Body Area Networks (BANs, how to achieve energy management to extend the lifetime of the body area networks system is one of the most critical problems. In this paper, we design a body area network system powered by renewable energy, in which the sensors carried by patient with energy harvesting module can transmit data to a personal device. We do not require any a priori knowledge of the stochastic nature of energy harvesting and energy consumption. We formulate a user utility optimization problem. We use Lyapunov Optimization techniques to decompose the problem into three sub-problems, i.e., battery management, collecting rate control and transmission power allocation. We propose an online resource allocation algorithm to achieve two major goals: (1 balancing sensors’ energy harvesting and energy consumption while stabilizing the BANs system; and (2 maximizing the user utility. Performance analysis addresses required battery capacity, bounded data queue length and optimality of the proposed algorithm. Simulation results verify the optimization of algorithm.

Energy Preserved Sampling for Compressed Sensing MRI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yudong Zhang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The sampling patterns, cost functions, and reconstruction algorithms play important roles in optimizing compressed sensing magnetic resonance imaging (CS-MRI. Simple random sampling patterns did not take into account the energy distribution in k-space and resulted in suboptimal reconstruction of MR images. Therefore, a variety of variable density (VD based samplings patterns had been developed. To further improve it, we propose a novel energy preserving sampling (ePRESS method. Besides, we improve the cost function by introducing phase correction and region of support matrix, and we propose iterative thresholding algorithm (ITA to solve the improved cost function. We evaluate the proposed ePRESS sampling method, improved cost function, and ITA reconstruction algorithm by 2D digital phantom and 2D in vivo MR brains of healthy volunteers. These assessments demonstrate that the proposed ePRESS method performs better than VD, POWER, and BKO; the improved cost function can achieve better reconstruction quality than conventional cost function; and the ITA is faster than SISTA and is competitive with FISTA in terms of computation time.

Body composition and net energy requirements of Brazilian Somali lambs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elzânia S. Pereira

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine the energy requirements for maintenance (NEm and growth of 48 Brazilian Somali ram lambs with an average initial body weight of 13.47±1.76 kg. Eight animals were slaughtered at the trials beginning as a reference group to estimate the initial empty body weight (EBW and body composition. The remaining animals were assigned to a randomised block design with eight replications per block and five diets with increasing metabolisable energy content (4.93, 8.65, 9.41, 10.12 and 11.24 MJ/kg dry matter. The logarithm of heat production was regressed against metabolisable energy intake (MEI, and the NEm (kJ/kg0.75 EBW/day were estimated by extrapolation, when MEI was set at zero. The NEm was 239.77 kJ/kg0.75 EBW/day. The animal’s energy and EBW fat contents increased from 11.20 MJ/kg and 208.54 g/kg to 13.54 MJ/kg and 274.95 g/kg of EBW, respectively, as the BW increased from 13 to 28.70 kg. The net energy requirements for EBW gain increased from 13.79 to 16.72 MJ/kg EBW gain for body weights of 13 and 28.70 kg. Our study indicated the net energy requirements for maintenance in Brazilian Somali lambs were similar to the values commonly recommended by the United States’ nutritional system, but lower than the values recommended by Agricultural Research Council and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization. Net requirements for weight gain were less compared to the values commonly recommended by nutritional system of the United States.

Energy requirements and perceived body discomfort of the various ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The main aim of this preliminary study was to assess the energy cost of the various sub tasks required of workers during manual sugar cane harvesting. A secondary aim was to assess body mass changes, levels of dehydration and body discomfort. Eight workers were randomly selected to participate in this pilot study and ...

Energy Generation in the Human Body by the Human Cells ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

We adapted the thermodynamics equation for energy generation in a diesel engine in modeling energy generation in human body by the human cells by doing a thorough study on both systems and saw that the process of energy generation is the same in them. We equally saw that the stages involved in energy generation ...

Warm Body Temperature Facilitates Energy Efficient Cortical Action Potentials

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yuguo; Hill, Adam P.; McCormick, David A.

2012-01-01

The energy efficiency of neural signal transmission is important not only as a limiting factor in brain architecture, but it also influences the interpretation of functional brain imaging signals. Action potential generation in mammalian, versus invertebrate, axons is remarkably energy efficient. Here we demonstrate that this increase in energy efficiency is due largely to a warmer body temperature. Increases in temperature result in an exponential increase in energy efficiency for single action potentials by increasing the rate of Na+ channel inactivation, resulting in a marked reduction in overlap of the inward Na+, and outward K+, currents and a shortening of action potential duration. This increase in single spike efficiency is, however, counterbalanced by a temperature-dependent decrease in the amplitude and duration of the spike afterhyperpolarization, resulting in a nonlinear increase in the spike firing rate, particularly at temperatures above approximately 35°C. Interestingly, the total energy cost, as measured by the multiplication of total Na+ entry per spike and average firing rate in response to a constant input, reaches a global minimum between 37–42°C. Our results indicate that increases in temperature result in an unexpected increase in energy efficiency, especially near normal body temperature, thus allowing the brain to utilize an energy efficient neural code. PMID:22511855

Warm body temperature facilitates energy efficient cortical action potentials.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuguo Yu

Full Text Available The energy efficiency of neural signal transmission is important not only as a limiting factor in brain architecture, but it also influences the interpretation of functional brain imaging signals. Action potential generation in mammalian, versus invertebrate, axons is remarkably energy efficient. Here we demonstrate that this increase in energy efficiency is due largely to a warmer body temperature. Increases in temperature result in an exponential increase in energy efficiency for single action potentials by increasing the rate of Na(+ channel inactivation, resulting in a marked reduction in overlap of the inward Na(+, and outward K(+, currents and a shortening of action potential duration. This increase in single spike efficiency is, however, counterbalanced by a temperature-dependent decrease in the amplitude and duration of the spike afterhyperpolarization, resulting in a nonlinear increase in the spike firing rate, particularly at temperatures above approximately 35°C. Interestingly, the total energy cost, as measured by the multiplication of total Na(+ entry per spike and average firing rate in response to a constant input, reaches a global minimum between 37-42°C. Our results indicate that increases in temperature result in an unexpected increase in energy efficiency, especially near normal body temperature, thus allowing the brain to utilize an energy efficient neural code.

Feasibility of a SenseCam-assisted 24-h recall to reduce under-reporting of energy intake.

Science.gov (United States)

Gemming, L; Doherty, A; Kelly, P; Utter, J; Ni Mhurchu, C

2013-10-01

The SenseCam is a camera worn on a lanyard around the neck that automatically captures point-of-view images in response to movement, heat and light (every 20-30 s). This device may enhance the accuracy of self-reported dietary intake by assisting participants' recall of food and beverage consumption. It was the objective of this study to evaluate if the wearable camera, SenseCam, can enhance the 24-h dietary recall by providing visual prompts to improve recall of food and beverage consumption. Thirteen volunteer adults in Oxford, United Kingdom, were recruited. Participants wore the SenseCam for 2 days while continuing their usual daily activities. On day 3, participants' diets were assessed using an interviewer-administered 24-h recall. SenseCam images were then shown to the participants and any additional dietary information that participants provided after viewing the images was recorded. Energy and macronutrient intakes were compared between the 24-h recall and 24-h recall+SenseCam. Data from 10 participants were included in the final analysis (8 males and 2 females), mean age 33 ± 11 years, mean BMI 25.9 ± 5.1 kg/m(2). Viewing the SenseCam images increased self-reported energy intake by approximately 1432 ± 1564 kJ or 12.5% compared with the 24-h recall alone (P=0.02). The increase was predominantly due to reporting of 41 additional foods (241 vs 282 total foods) across a range of food groups. Eight changes in portion size were made, which resulted in a negligible change to energy intake. Wearable cameras are promising method to enhance the accuracy of self-reported dietary assessment methods.

Advancements in Modelling of Land Surface Energy Fluxes with Remote Sensing at Different Spatial Scales

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guzinski, Radoslaw

uxes, such as sensible heat ux, ground heat ux and net radiation, are also necessary. While it is possible to measure those uxes with ground-based instruments at local scales, at region scales they usually need to be modelled or estimated with the help of satellite remote sensing data. Even though...... to increase the spatial resolution of the reliable DTD-modelled fluxes from 1 km to 30 m. Furthermore, synergies between remote sensing based models and distributed hydrological models were studied with the aim of improving spatial performance of the hydrological models through incorporation of remote sensing...... of this study was to look at, and improve, various approaches for modelling the land-surface energy uxes at different spatial scales. The work was done using physically-based Two-Source Energy Balance (TSEB) approach as well as semi-empirical \\Triangle" approach. The TSEB-based approach was the main focus...

WindScanner.eu - a new remote sensing research infrastructure for on- and offshore wind energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mikkelsen, Torben; Knudsen, Soeren; Sjoeholm, M.; Angeloua, N.; Tegtmeier, A. [Technical Univ. og Denmark. DTU Wind Energy, DTU Risoe Campus, Roskilde (Denmark)

2012-07-01

A new remote sensing based research infrastructure for atmospheric boundary-layer wind and turbulence measurements named WindScanner have during the past three years been in its early phase of development at DTU Wind Energy in Denmark. During the forthcoming three years the technology will be disseminated throughout Europe to pilot European wind energy research centers. The new research infrastructure will become an open source infrastructure that also invites collaboration with wind energy related atmospheric scientists and wind energy industry overseas. Recent achievements with 3D WindScanners and spin-off innovation activity are described. The Danish WindScanner.dk research facility is build from new and fast-scanning remote sensing equipment spurred from achievements within fiber optics and telecommunication technologies. At the same time the wind energy society has demanded excessive 3D wind flow and ever taller wind profile measurements for the wind energy resource assessment studies on- and off shore of the future. Today, hub heights on +5 MW wind turbines exceed the 100 m mark. At the Danish DTU test site Oesterild testing is ongoing with a Siemens turbine with hub height 120 meters and a rotor diameter of 154 meters; hence its blade tips reaches almost 200 meters into the sky. The wind speed profiles over the rotor planes are consequently no longer representatively measured by a single cup anemometer at hub height from a nearby met-mast; power curve assessment as well as turbine control call for multi-height multi point measurement strategies of wind speed and wind shear within the turbines entire rotor plane. The development of our new remote sensing-based WindScanner.dk facility as well as the first measurement results obtained to date are here presented, including a first wind lidar measurement of turbulence in complex terrain within an internal boundary layer developing behind an escarpment. Also measurements of wind speed and direction profiles

Energy Efficiency and SINR Maximization Beamformers for Spectrum Sharing With Sensing Information

KAUST Repository

Alabbasi, Abdulrahman

2014-09-01

In this paper, we consider a cognitive radio multi-input-multi-output environment, in which we adapt our beamformer to maximize both energy efficiency (EE) and signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) metrics. Our design considers an underlaying communication using adaptive beamforming schemes combined with sensing information to achieve optimal energy-efficient systems. The proposed schemes maximize EE and SINR metrics subject to cognitive radio and quality-of-service constraints. The analysis of the proposed schemes is classified into two categories based on knowledge of the secondary-transmitter-to-primary-receiver channel. Since the optimizations of EE and SINR problems are not convex problems, we transform them into a standard semidefinite programming (SDP) form to guarantee that the optimal solutions are global. An analytical solution is provided for one scheme, while the second scheme is left in a standard SDP form. Selected numerical results are used to quantify the impact of the sensing information on the proposed schemes compared to the benchmark ones.

Adaptive MCS selection and resource planning for energy-efficient communication in LTE-M based IoT sensing platform.

Science.gov (United States)

Dao, Nhu-Ngoc; Park, Minho; Kim, Joongheon; Cho, Sungrae

2017-01-01

As an important part of IoTization trends, wireless sensing technologies have been involved in many fields of human life. In cellular network evolution, the long term evolution advanced (LTE-A) networks including machine-type communication (MTC) features (named LTE-M) provide a promising infrastructure for a proliferation of Internet of things (IoT) sensing platform. However, LTE-M may not be optimally exploited for directly supporting such low-data-rate devices in terms of energy efficiency since it depends on core technologies of LTE that are originally designed for high-data-rate services. Focusing on this circumstance, we propose a novel adaptive modulation and coding selection (AMCS) algorithm to address the energy consumption problem in the LTE-M based IoT-sensing platform. The proposed algorithm determines the optimal pair of MCS and the number of primary resource blocks (#PRBs), at which the transport block size is sufficient to packetize the sensing data within the minimum transmit power. In addition, a quantity-oriented resource planning (QORP) technique that utilizes these optimal MCS levels as main criteria for spectrum allocation has been proposed for better adapting to the sensing node requirements. The simulation results reveal that the proposed approach significantly reduces the energy consumption of IoT sensing nodes and #PRBs up to 23.09% and 25.98%, respectively.

Learning Frameworks for Cooperative Spectrum Sensing and Energy-Efficient Data Protection in Cognitive Radio Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vinh Quang Do

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This paper studies learning frameworks for energy-efficient data communications in an energy-harvesting cognitive radio network in which secondary users (SUs harvest energy from solar power while opportunistically accessing a licensed channel for data transmission. The SUs perform spectrum sensing individually, and send local decisions about the presence of the primary user (PU on the channel to a fusion center (FC. We first design a new cooperative spectrum-sensing technique based on a convolutional neural network in which the FC uses historical sensing data to train the network for classification problem. The system is assumed to operate in a time-slotted manner. At the beginning of each time slot, the FC uses the current local decisions as input for the trained network to decide whether the PU is active or not in that time slot. In addition, legitimate transmissions can be vulnerable to a hidden eavesdropper, which always passively listens to the communication. Therefore, we further propose a transfer learning actor–critic algorithm for an SU to decide its operation mode to increase the security level under the constraint of limited energy. In this approach, the SU directly interacts with the environment to learn its dynamics (i.e., an arrival of harvested energy; then, the SU can either stay idle to save energy or transmit to the FC secured data that are encrypted using a suitable private-key encryption method to maximize the long-term effective security level of the network. We finally present numerical simulation results under various configurations to evaluate our proposed schemes.

Graphitic design: prospects of graphene-based nanocomposites for solar energy conversion, storage, and sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Lightcap, Ian V; Kamat, Prashant V

2013-10-15

Graphene not only possesses interesting electrochemical behavior but also has a remarkable surface area and mechanical strength and is naturally abundant, all advantageous properties for the design of tailored composite materials. Graphene-semiconductor or -metal nanoparticle composites have the potential to function as efficient, multifunctional materials for energy conversion and storage. These next-generation composite systems could possess the capability to integrate conversion and storage of solar energy, detection, and selective destruction of trace environmental contaminants or achieve single-substrate, multistep heterogeneous catalysis. These advanced materials may soon become a reality, based on encouraging results in the key areas of energy conversion and sensing using graphene oxide as a support structure. Through recent advances, chemists can now integrate such processes on a single substrate while using synthetic designs that combine simplicity with a high degree of structural and composition selectivity. This progress represents the beginning of a transformative movement leveraging the advancements of single-purpose chemistry toward the creation of composites designed to address whole-process applications. The promising field of graphene nanocomposites for sensing and energy applications is based on fundamental studies that explain the electronic interactions between semiconductor or metal nanoparticles and graphene. In particular, reduced graphene oxide is a suitable composite substrate because of its two-dimensional structure, outstanding surface area, and electrical conductivity. In this Account, we describe common assembly methods for graphene composite materials and examine key studies that characterize its excited state interactions. We also discuss strategies to develop graphene composites and control electron capture and transport through the 2D carbon network. In addition, we provide a brief overview of advances in sensing, energy conversion

Iron-dependent regulation of hepcidin in Hjv-/- mice: evidence that hemojuvelin is dispensable for sensing body iron levels.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Konstantinos Gkouvatsos

Full Text Available Hemojuvelin (Hjv is a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP co-receptor involved in the control of systemic iron homeostasis. Functional inactivation of Hjv leads to severe iron overload in humans and mice due to marked suppression of the iron-regulatory hormone hepcidin. To investigate the role of Hjv in body iron sensing, Hjv-/- mice and isogenic wild type controls were placed on a moderately low, a standard or a high iron diet for four weeks. Hjv-/- mice developed systemic iron overload under all regimens. Transferrin (Tf was highly saturated regardless of the dietary iron content, while liver iron deposition was proportional to it. Hepcidin mRNA expression responded to fluctuations in dietary iron intake, despite the absence of Hjv. Nevertheless, iron-dependent upregulation of hepcidin was more than an order of magnitude lower compared to that seen in wild type controls. Likewise, iron signaling via the BMP/Smad pathway was preserved but substantially attenuated. These findings suggest that Hjv is not required for sensing of body iron levels and merely functions as an enhancer for iron signaling to hepcidin.

Under-Use of Body Energy and Over-Use of External Energy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nørgaard, Jørgen

2005-01-01

The world’s affluent countries, such as the EU, are facing two severe problems with long-term consequences. One problem is the epidemic-like increase in adverse health effects, which are related to the increasing wealth, primarily appearing as obesity and its associated diseases. This is caused...... of magnitude higher, which can be expressed by the scores of “energy slaves” each citizen utilizes. An extra health driven physical effort by humans seems to have negligible direct impact on energy consumption. The paper will, however, indicate examples of significant indirect savings of external energy......, achieved by healthy extra human efforts. Also, the paper will suggest ways to integrate energy saving policies with health policies for organizing and designing cities and houses to be “healthy inconvenient”, encouraging or pushing people to use their body in their daily doings. This is an enormous...

Remotely sensed thermal pollution and its relationship with energy consumption and industry in a rapidly urbanizing Chinese city

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Xiaofeng; Jiang, Hui; Wang, Huina; Zhao, Juanjuan; Qiu, Quanyi; Tapper, Nigel; Hua, Lizhong

2013-01-01

Taking the city of Xiamen, China, as an example, we used thermal infrared remote sensing to detect thermal pollution, and examined its relationship to energy consumption and the industrial economy. Monthly changes in 2002 and dynamics throughout the period of rapid urbanization (1987–2007) are analysed. It is found that seasonal variation led to distinct shapes and sizes of thermal pollution areas, and winter thermal pollution was highly indicative of industrial and energy transformation sources. Industrial enterprises were the dominant sources of winter thermal pollution in Xiamen. The number and ratio of industrial thermal pollution sources increased stably in the earlier years, and dramatically in the later period (2002–2007), attributable to the effects of China entering the World Trade Organization. Linear regression shows that the number of thermal pollution sources was strongly correlated with several factors of the industrial economy and energy consumption, including industrial outputs, industrial enterprise numbers, LPG and electricity. Related mitigation measures are also discussed. This research builds a link between remote sensing-detected thermal pollution information and statistical energy consumption data, as well as industrial economy statistics. It thereby enhances understanding of the relationship between urbanization, industrialization, energy consumption and related environmental effects. - Highlights: ► A method was provided for detecting thermal pollution through remote sensing. ► Seasonal dynamics and dynamics with the process of urbanization were examined. ► Winter thermal pollution is quite indicative of industrial energy consumption. ► Thermal pollution has high correlations with industrial economy and energy factors. ► It builds a link between remotely sensed thermal pollution and energy-economic data

Rigid Body Energy Minimization on Manifolds for Molecular Docking.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirzaei, Hanieh; Beglov, Dmitri; Paschalidis, Ioannis Ch; Vajda, Sandor; Vakili, Pirooz; Kozakov, Dima

2012-11-13

Virtually all docking methods include some local continuous minimization of an energy/scoring function in order to remove steric clashes and obtain more reliable energy values. In this paper, we describe an efficient rigid-body optimization algorithm that, compared to the most widely used algorithms, converges approximately an order of magnitude faster to conformations with equal or slightly lower energy. The space of rigid body transformations is a nonlinear manifold, namely, a space which locally resembles a Euclidean space. We use a canonical parametrization of the manifold, called the exponential parametrization, to map the Euclidean tangent space of the manifold onto the manifold itself. Thus, we locally transform the rigid body optimization to an optimization over a Euclidean space where basic optimization algorithms are applicable. Compared to commonly used methods, this formulation substantially reduces the dimension of the search space. As a result, it requires far fewer costly function and gradient evaluations and leads to a more efficient algorithm. We have selected the LBFGS quasi-Newton method for local optimization since it uses only gradient information to obtain second order information about the energy function and avoids the far more costly direct Hessian evaluations. Two applications, one in protein-protein docking, and the other in protein-small molecular interactions, as part of macromolecular docking protocols are presented. The code is available to the community under open source license, and with minimal effort can be incorporated into any molecular modeling package.

Mobile Sensing Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Macias, Elsa; Suarez, Alvaro; Lloret, Jaime

2013-01-01

Rich-sensor smart phones have made possible the recent birth of the mobile sensing research area as part of ubiquitous sensing which integrates other areas such as wireless sensor networks and web sensing. There are several types of mobile sensing: individual, participatory, opportunistic, crowd, social, etc. The object of sensing can be people-centered or environment-centered. The sensing domain can be home, urban, vehicular… Currently there are barriers that limit the social acceptance of mobile sensing systems. Examples of social barriers are privacy concerns, restrictive laws in some countries and the absence of economic incentives that might encourage people to participate in a sensing campaign. Several technical barriers are phone energy savings and the variety of sensors and software for their management. Some existing surveys partially tackle the topic of mobile sensing systems. Published papers theoretically or partially solve the above barriers. We complete the above surveys with new works, review the barriers of mobile sensing systems and propose some ideas for efficiently implementing sensing, fusion, learning, security, privacy and energy saving for any type of mobile sensing system, and propose several realistic research challenges. The main objective is to reduce the learning curve in mobile sensing systems where the complexity is very high. PMID:24351637

Mobile sensing systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Macias, Elsa; Suarez, Alvaro; Lloret, Jaime

2013-12-16

Rich-sensor smart phones have made possible the recent birth of the mobile sensing research area as part of ubiquitous sensing which integrates other areas such as wireless sensor networks and web sensing. There are several types of mobile sensing: individual, participatory, opportunistic, crowd, social, etc. The object of sensing can be people-centered or environment-centered. The sensing domain can be home, urban, vehicular… Currently there are barriers that limit the social acceptance of mobile sensing systems. Examples of social barriers are privacy concerns, restrictive laws in some countries and the absence of economic incentives that might encourage people to participate in a sensing campaign. Several technical barriers are phone energy savings and the variety of sensors and software for their management. Some existing surveys partially tackle the topic of mobile sensing systems. Published papers theoretically or partially solve the above barriers. We complete the above surveys with new works, review the barriers of mobile sensing systems and propose some ideas for efficiently implementing sensing, fusion, learning, security, privacy and energy saving for any type of mobile sensing system, and propose several realistic research challenges. The main objective is to reduce the learning curve in mobile sensing systems where the complexity is very high.

Mobile Sensing Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elsa Macias

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Rich-sensor smart phones have made possible the recent birth of the mobile sensing research area as part of ubiquitous sensing which integrates other areas such as wireless sensor networks and web sensing. There are several types of mobile sensing: individual, participatory, opportunistic, crowd, social, etc. The object of sensing can be people-centered or environment-centered. The sensing domain can be home, urban, vehicular… Currently there are barriers that limit the social acceptance of mobile sensing systems. Examples of social barriers are privacy concerns, restrictive laws in some countries and the absence of economic incentives that might encourage people to participate in a sensing campaign. Several technical barriers are phone energy savings and the variety of sensors and software for their management. Some existing surveys partially tackle the topic of mobile sensing systems. Published papers theoretically or partially solve the above barriers. We complete the above surveys with new works, review the barriers of mobile sensing systems and propose some ideas for efficiently implementing sensing, fusion, learning, security, privacy and energy saving for any type of mobile sensing system, and propose several realistic research challenges. The main objective is to reduce the learning curve in mobile sensing systems where the complexity is very high.

Remote Sensing of Energy Distribution Characteristics over the Tibet

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, J.; Husi, L.; Wang, T.

2017-12-01

The overall objective of our study is to quantify the spatiotemporal characteristics and changes of typical factors dominating water and energy cycles in the Tibet region. Especially, we focus on variables of clouds optical & microphysical parameters, surface shortwave and longwave radiation. Clouds play a key role in the Tibetan region's water and energy cycles. They seriously impact the precipitation, temperature and surface energy distribution. Considering that proper cloud products with relatively higher spatial and temporal sampling and with satisfactory accuracy are serious lacking in the Tibet region, except cloud optical thickness, cloud effective radius and liquid/ice water content, the cloud coverage dynamics at hourly scales also analyzed jointly based on measurements of Himawari-8, and MODIS. Surface radiation, as an important energy source in perturbating the Tibet's evapotranspiration, snow and glacier melting, is a controlling factor in energy balance in the Tibet region. All currently available radiation products in this area are not suitable for regional scale study of water and energy exchange and snow/glacier melting due to their coarse resolution and low accuracies because of cloud and topography. A strategy for deriving land surface upward and downward radiation by fusing optical and microwave remote sensing data is proposed. At the same time, the big topographic effect on the surface radiation are also modelled and analyzed over the Tibet region.

Cadm2 regulates body weight and energy homeostasis in mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin Yan

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Objective: Obesity is strongly linked to genes regulating neuronal signaling and function, implicating the central nervous system in the maintenance of body weight and energy metabolism. Genome-wide association studies identified significant associations between body mass index (BMI and multiple loci near Cell adhesion molecule2 (CADM2, which encodes a mediator of synaptic signaling enriched in the brain. Here we sought to further understand the role of Cadm2 in the pathogenesis of hyperglycemia and weight gain. Methods: We first analyzed Cadm2 expression in the brain of both human subjects and mouse models and subsequently characterized a loss-of-function mouse model of Cadm2 for alterations in glucose and energy homeostasis. Results: We show that the risk variant rs13078960 associates with increased CADM2 expression in the hypothalamus of human subjects. Increased Cadm2 expression in several brain regions of Lepob/ob mice was ameliorated after leptin treatment. Deletion of Cadm2 in obese mice (Cadm2/ob resulted in reduced adiposity, systemic glucose levels, and improved insulin sensitivity. Cadm2-deficient mice exhibited increased locomotor activity, energy expenditure rate, and core body temperature identifying Cadm2 as a potent regulator of systemic energy homeostasis. Conclusions: Together these data illustrate that reducing Cadm2 expression can reverse several traits associated with the metabolic syndrome including obesity, insulin resistance, and impaired glucose homeostasis. Keywords: Cadm2/SynCAM2, Energy homeostasis, Insulin sensitivity, Genome-wide association studies, Leptin signaling

Saving energy for the data collection point in WBAN network

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen-Duc, Toan; Kamioka, Eiji

2017-11-01

Wireless sensor networking (WSN) has been rapidly developed and become essential in various domains including health care systems. Such systems use WSN to collect real-time medical sensed data, aiming at improving the patient safety. For instance, patients suffered from adverse events, i.e., cardiac or respiratory arrests, are monitored so as to prevent them from getting harm. Sensors are placed on, in or near the patients' body to continuously collect sensing data such as the electrocardiograms, blood oxygenation, breathing, and heart rate. In this case, the sensors form a subcategory of WSN called wireless body area network (WBAN). In WBAN, sensing data are sent to one or more data collection points called personal server (PS). The role of PS is important since it forwards sensed data, to a medical server via a Bluetooth/WLAN connection in real time to support storage of information and real-time diagnosis, the device can also issue a notification of an emergency status. Since PS is a battery-based device, when its battery is empty, it will disconnect the sensed medical data with the rest network. To best of our knowledge, very few studies that focus on saving energy for the PS. To this end, this work investigates the trade-off between energy consumption for wireless communication and the amount of sensing data. An energy consumption model for wireless communication has been proposed based on direct measurement using real testbed. According to our findings, it is possible to save energy for the PS by selecting suitable wireless technology to be used based on the amount of data to be transmitted.

Energy efficiency and its relationship with milk, body, and intake traits and energy status among primiparous Nordic Red dairy cattle.

Science.gov (United States)

Mäntysaari, P; Liinamo, A-E; Mäntysaari, E A

2012-06-01

Existing variation in energy efficiency and its relationship with milk yield and milk composition, body weight and body condition, feed intake, and energy status was studied in primiparous Nordic Red dairy cattle with data including 3,752 weekly records from 145 cows. Energy efficiency was defined as energy conversion efficiency (ECE) and as residual energy intake (REI) estimated based on Finnish feeding standards (REI₁) or from the current data (REI₂). The results indicated true phenotypic variation in energy efficiency of the cows. The proportion of total variance due to the animal was 0.35 for REI₁, 0.30 for REI₂, and 0.50 for ECE. The high efficiency based on ECE was associated with increased mobilization of body reserves (r = -0.50) and decreased dry matter intake (r = -0.51). With REI as an energy efficiency measure, the increased efficiency was associated with a large decrease in feed intake (REI₁: r = 0.60; REI2: r = 0.74) without any effect on body weight change (REI₁: r = 0.13; REI2: r = 0.00). Increased efficiency based on ECE and REI₁ was associated with increased milk yield (ECE: r = 0.58; REI₁: r = -0.41). A clear effect of stage of lactation on REI was found, which could be caused by true differences in utilization of metabolizable energy during lactation. However, it might also be related, in part, to the lack of knowledge of the composition of body weight change in the beginning of lactation. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Energy Analysis in the Elliptic Restricted Three-body Problem

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Yi; de Ruiter, Anton

2018-05-01

The gravity assist or flyby is investigated by analyzing the inertial energy of a test particle in the elliptic restricted three-body problem (ERTBP), where two primary bodies are moving in elliptic orbits. Firstly, the expression of the derivation of energy is obtained and discussed. Then, the approximate expressions of energy change in a circular neighborhood of the smaller primary are derived. Numerical computation indicates that the obtained expressions can be applied to study the flyby problem of the nine planets and the Moon in the solar system. Parameters related to the flyby are discussed analytically and numerically. The optimal conditions, including the position and time of the periapsis, for a flyby orbit are found to make a maximum energy gain or loss. Finally, the mechanical process of a flyby orbit is uncovered by an approximate expression in the ERTBP. Numerical computations testify that our analytical results well approximate the mechanical process of flyby orbits obtained by the numerical simulation in the ERTBP. Compared with the previous research established in the patched-conic method and numerical calculation, our analytical investigations based on a more elaborate derivation get more original results.

The Cross-Sectional Association of Energy Intake and Dietary Energy Density with Body Composition of Children in Southwest China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xue Zhou

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Objective: We examined whether dietary energy intake (EI and dietary energy density (ED were cross-sectionally associated with body composition of children living in Southwest China. Design and Methods: Multivariate regression analyses were performed on three day, 24 h dietary recall data and information on potential confounders from 1207 participants aged 8–14 years. EI was calculated from all foods and drinks and ED was classified into five categories. Body mass index (BMI z-scores, percentage of body fat (%BF, fat mass index (FMI, fat-free mass index (FFMI and ratio of waist to hip circumference (WHR were used to describe body composition. Results: Boys with higher total EI had higher BMI z-scores, %BF, and FMI than boys with lower total EI both before and after measurements were adjusted for confounders (age, fiber intake, physical activity, the timing of adding complementary foods, paternal education level and maternal BMI (p ≤ 0.04. However, EI was not associated with body composition in girls. Dietary ED, in any category, was not associated with body composition in either gender. Conclusions: Dietary ED was not associated with body composition of children in Southwest China, while dietary EI in boys, not girls, was positively associated with body composition. Reducing dietary energy intake may help to prevent obesity and related diseases in later life among boys living in Southwest China.

Body composition, energy expenditure and food intake in brazilian fashion models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandra Magna Rodrigues

2009-01-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1980-0037.2009v11n1p1   The objective of this study was to compare body composition, resting metabolic rate (RMR and food intake between adolescent fashion models and non-models. Thirty-three models and 33 non-models ranging in age from 15 to 18 years and matched for age and BMI participated in the study. Body composition was evaluated by plethysmography. RMR was determined using an indirect calorimetry method and food intake was evaluated based on three-day food records obtained on alternate days. No significant difference in mean body fat percentage was observed between groups (p>0.05. However, when the adolescents were classified according to body fat percentage, none of the models presented a body fat percentage lower than 15%, whereas 15.2% of the non-models presented a low body fat percentage (p0.05. Mean energy intake was 1480.93 ± 582.95 kcal in models and 1973.00 ± 557.63 kcal in non-models (p=0.001. In conclusion, most models presented a body composition within the limits considered to be normal for this phase of life. RMR was similar in the two groups. However, energy intake was lower among adolescent models compared to non-models.

Energy Harvesting from the Animal/Human Body for Self-Powered Electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Dagdeviren, Canan; Li, Zhou; Wang, Zhong Lin

2017-06-21

Living subjects (i.e., humans and animals) have abundant sources of energy in chemical, thermal, and mechanical forms. The use of these energies presents a viable way to overcome the battery capacity limitation that constrains the long-term operation of wearable/implantable devices. The intersection of novel materials and fabrication techniques offers boundless possibilities for the benefit of human health and well-being via various types of energy harvesters. This review summarizes the existing approaches that have been demonstrated to harvest energy from the bodies of living subjects for self-powered electronics. We present material choices, device layouts, and operation principles of these energy harvesters with a focus on in vivo applications. We discuss a broad range of energy harvesters placed in or on various body parts of human and animal models. We conclude with an outlook of future research in which the integration of various energy harvesters with advanced electronics can provide a new platform for the development of novel technologies for disease diagnostics, treatment, and prevention.

Impact of a moderately energy-restricted diet on energy metabolism and body composition in non-obese men

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Velthuis-te Wierik, E.J.M.; Westerterp, K.R.; Berg, H. van den

1995-01-01

Objective: Since little information is available on the capacity of the non-obese to adapt to a moderate decrease in energy intake, the effect of a 10-week moderately energy-restricted diet (ER) on energy expenditure and body composition was studied. Design: A controlled intervention study. After a

Fully Integrated Solar Energy Harvester and Sensor Interface Circuits for Energy-Efficient Wireless Sensing Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maher Kayal

2013-02-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an energy-efficient solar energy harvesting and sensing microsystem that harvests solar energy from a micro-power photovoltaic module for autonomous operation of a gas sensor. A fully integrated solar energy harvester stores the harvested energy in a rechargeable NiMH microbattery. Hydrogen concentration and temperature are measured and converted to a digital value with 12-bit resolution using a fully integrated sensor interface circuit, and a wireless transceiver is used to transmit the measurement results to a base station. As the harvested solar energy varies considerably in different lighting conditions, in order to guarantee autonomous operation of the sensor, the proposed area- and energy-efficient circuit scales the power consumption and performance of the sensor. The power management circuit dynamically decreases the operating frequency of digital circuits and bias currents of analog circuits in the sensor interface circuit and increases the idle time of the transceiver under reduced light intensity. The proposed microsystem has been implemented in a 0.18 µm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS process and occupies a core area of only 0.25 mm2. This circuit features a low power consumption of 2.1 µW when operating at its highest performance. It operates with low power supply voltage in the 0.8V to 1.6 V range.

Multi-energy spectral CT: adding value in emergency body imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Punjabi, Gopal V

2018-04-01

Most vendors offer scanners capable of dual- or multi-energy computed tomography (CT) imaging. Advantages of multi-energy CT scanning include superior tissue characterization, detection of subtle iodine uptake differences, and opportunities to reduce contrast dose. However, utilization of this technology in the emergency department (ED) remains low. The purpose of this pictorial essay is to illustrate the value of multi-energy CT scanning in emergency body imaging.

Harmonic analysis in integrated energy system based on compressed sensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Ting; Pen, Haibo; Wang, Dan; Wang, Zhaoxia

2016-01-01

Highlights: • We propose a harmonic/inter-harmonic analysis scheme with compressed sensing theory. • Property of sparseness of harmonic signal in electrical power system is proved. • The ratio formula of fundamental and harmonic components sparsity is presented. • Spectral Projected Gradient-Fundamental Filter reconstruction algorithm is proposed. • SPG-FF enhances the precision of harmonic detection and signal reconstruction. - Abstract: The advent of Integrated Energy Systems enabled various distributed energy to access the system through different power electronic devices. The development of this has made the harmonic environment more complex. It needs low complexity and high precision of harmonic detection and analysis methods to improve power quality. To solve the shortages of large data storage capacities and high complexity of compression in sampling under the Nyquist sampling framework, this research paper presents a harmonic analysis scheme based on compressed sensing theory. The proposed scheme enables the performance of the functions of compressive sampling, signal reconstruction and harmonic detection simultaneously. In the proposed scheme, the sparsity of the harmonic signals in the base of the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) is numerically calculated first. This is followed by providing a proof of the matching satisfaction of the necessary conditions for compressed sensing. The binary sparse measurement is then leveraged to reduce the storage space in the sampling unit in the proposed scheme. In the recovery process, the scheme proposed a novel reconstruction algorithm called the Spectral Projected Gradient with Fundamental Filter (SPG-FF) algorithm to enhance the reconstruction precision. One of the actual microgrid systems is used as simulation example. The results of the experiment shows that the proposed scheme effectively enhances the precision of harmonic and inter-harmonic detection with low computing complexity, and has good

The IAEA hears about regional nuclear energy bodies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1966-01-01

Full text: During the early part of 1966, executive heads or senior officials of certain regional organizations working in atomic energy are visiting the Agency in order to give general talks on the activities of their organizations. The first to be arranged was Dr. Jules Gueron, Director General of Research and Training of Euratom, on 14 January 1966. These lectures are likely to be followed by others, given by the representatives of bodies such as the Council for Mutual Economic Aid (COMECON) the Inter-American Nuclear Energy Commission (IANEC), the European Nuclear Energy Agency (ENEA) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the Scientific and Technical Research Commission of the Organization of African Unity. (author)

The IAEA hears about regional nuclear energy bodies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1966-03-15

Full text: During the early part of 1966, executive heads or senior officials of certain regional organizations working in atomic energy are visiting the Agency in order to give general talks on the activities of their organizations. The first to be arranged was Dr. Jules Gueron, Director General of Research and Training of Euratom, on 14 January 1966. These lectures are likely to be followed by others, given by the representatives of bodies such as the Council for Mutual Economic Aid (COMECON) the Inter-American Nuclear Energy Commission (IANEC), the European Nuclear Energy Agency (ENEA) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the Scientific and Technical Research Commission of the Organization of African Unity. (author)

An Energy Efficient Neuromorphic Computing System Using Real Time Sensing Method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Farkhani, Hooman; Tohidi, Mohammad; Farkhani, Sadaf

2017-01-01

In spintronic-based neuromorphic computing systems (NCS), the switching of magnetic moment in a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) is used to mimic neuron firing. However, the stochastic switching behavior of the MTJ and process variations effect leads to extra stimulation time. This leads to extra...... energy consumption and delay of such NCSs. In this paper, a new real-time sensing (RTS) circuit is proposed to track the MTJ state and terminate stimulation phase immediately after MTJ switching. This leads to significant degradation in energy consumption and delay of NCS. The simulation results using...... a 65-nm CMOS technology and a 40-nm MTJ technology confirm that the energy consumption of a RTS-based NCS is improved by 50% in comparison with a typical NCS. Moreover, utilizing RTS circuit improves the overall speed of an NCS by 2.75x....

Salvinorin-A Induces Intense Dissociative Effects, Blocking External Sensory Perception and Modulating Interoception and Sense of Body Ownership in Humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Maqueda, Ana Elda; Valle, Marta; Addy, Peter H; Antonijoan, Rosa Maria; Puntes, Montserrat; Coimbra, Jimena; Ballester, Maria Rosa; Garrido, Maite; González, Mireia; Claramunt, Judit; Barker, Steven; Johnson, Matthew W; Griffiths, Roland R; Riba, Jordi

2015-06-05

Salvinorin-A is a terpene with agonist properties at the kappa-opioid receptor, the binding site of endogenous dynorphins. Salvinorin-A is found in Salvia divinorum, a psychoactive plant traditionally used by the Mazatec people of Oaxaca, Mexico, for medicinal and spiritual purposes. Previous studies with the plant and salvinorin-A have reported psychedelic-like changes in perception, but also unusual changes in body awareness and detachment from external reality. Here we comprehensively studied the profiles of subjective effects of increasing doses of salvinorin-A in healthy volunteers, with a special emphasis on interoception. A placebo and three increasing doses of vaporized salvinorin-A (0.25, 0.50, and 1mg) were administered to eight healthy volunteers with previous experience in the use of psychedelics. Drug effects were assessed using a battery of questionnaires that included, among others, the Hallucinogen Rating Scale, the Altered States of Consciousness, and a new instrument that evaluates different aspects of body awareness: the Multidimensional Assessment for Interoceptive Awareness. Salvinorin-A led to a disconnection from external reality, induced elaborate visions and auditory phenomena, and modified interoception. The lower doses increased somatic sensations, but the highest dose led to a sense of a complete loss of contact with the body. Salvinorin-A induced intense psychotropic effects characterized by a dose-dependent gating of external audio-visual information and an inverted-U dose-response effect on body awareness. These results suggest a prominent role for the kappa opioid receptor in the regulation of sensory perception, interoception, and the sense of body ownership in humans. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of CINP.

Anti-logic or common sense that can hinder machine’s energy performance: Energy and comfort control models based on artificial intelligence responding to abnormal indoor environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, Jonghoon; Cho, Soolyeon

2017-01-01

Highlights: •Integrated energy control model improves thermal comfort and mitigates an increase of energy consumption. •Communication between heating and cooling, thermal comfort, and decision making models optimizes energy supply. •PMV model effectively rectifies set-point temperature to reduce thermal dissatisfaction in various conditions. •Five-step decision making model properly responds to abnormal situations derived from human anti-logic or common sense. •Integrated model can be extended for managing risks caused by fire or disasters. -- Abstract: In spite of the remarkable development of technology, most studies for building energy controls to evaluate or estimate the energy performance have not accurately reflected actual building’s energy consumption patterns. For this issue, several techniques, such as simulation and calibration, comprehensive survey system, smart metering, and commissioning, have been attempted. However, in most studies, some factors in thermal systems derived from occupant behavior were perceived as fixed objects, and the factors were converted into simple numbers as parts of inputs into simulation templates. There was lack of studies on considerations that unpredictable responses derived from human anti-logic or common sense could deteriorate energy efficiency in theoretical analyses even though the systems were properly operated. This research proposes integrated energy supply models based on artificial intelligence responding to anti-logic or common sense that can reduce machine’s energy saving effects. By use of design scenarios assuming some unusual situations, a decision making model determines the extent to which the cause of the abnormal situations are associated with the occupant behavior. After the five-step phases in the decision making model, the actual outputs of the energy supply model for the buildings are determined, and the reciprocal communication between the thermal and decision making models mitigates

Proceedings of the meeting on few-body problems in high and medium energy physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yukawa, T.

1985-12-01

The study meeting on few-body problems in high and medium energy physics was held from October 3 to 5, 1985, at National Laboratory for High Energy Physics. Two meetings were held already concerning few body physics, but most of the participants were theorists. In this meeting, high priority was put on the attendance of experimental physicists. As a bridge between particle and nuclear physics, the few body physics in an intermediate energy region has become important recently. The topics in this meeting were meson spectroscopy, baryonium, kaon physics, muonic fusion, dibaryon, φNN system, quarks and skyrmions, NN correlation, and symmetry test in few-body system. The gists of the papers presented are collected in this book. (Kako, I.)

Changes in body fluid and energy compartments during prolonged hunger strike.

Science.gov (United States)

Faintuch, J; Soriano, F G; Ladeira, J P; Janiszewski, M; Velasco, I T; Gama-Rodrigues, J J

2000-01-01

Prolonged total food deprivation in non-obese adults is rare, and few studies have documented body composition changes in this setting. In a group of eight hunger strikers who refused alimentation for 43 days, water and energy compartments were estimated, aiming to assess the impact of progressive starvation. Measurements included body mass index (BMI), triceps skinfold (TSF), arm muscle circumference (AMC), and bioimpedance (BIA) determinations of water, fat, lean body mass (LBM), and total resistance. Indirect calorimetry was also performed in one occasion. The age of the group was 43.3+/-6.2 years (seven males, one female). Only water, intermittent vitamins and electrolytes were ingested, and average weight loss reached 17.9%. On the last two days of the fast (43rd-44th day) rapid intravenous fluid, electrolyte, and vitamin replenishment were provided before proceeding with realimentation. Body fat decreased approximately 60% (BIA and TSF), whereas BMI reduced only 18%. Initial fat was estimated by BIA as 52.2+/-5.4% of body weight, and even on the 43rd day it was still measured as 19.7+/-3.8% of weight. TSF findings were much lower and commensurate with other anthropometric results. Water was comparatively low with high total resistance, and these findings rapidly reversed upon the intravenous rapid hydration. At the end of the starvation period, BMI (21.5+/-2.6 kg/m2) and most anthropometric determinations were still acceptable, suggesting efficient energy and muscle conservation. 1) All compartments diminished during fasting, but body fat was by far the most affected; 2) Total water was low and total body resistance comparatively elevated, but these findings rapidly reversed upon rehydration; 3) Exaggerated fat percentage estimates from BIA tests and simultaneous increase in lean body mass estimates suggested that this method was inappropriate for assessing energy compartments in the studied population; 4) Patients were not morphologically malnourished after

Changes in body fluid and energy compartments during prolonged hunger strike

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Faintuch Joel

2000-01-01

Full Text Available Prolonged total food deprivation in non-obese adults is rare, and few studies have documented body composition changes in this setting. In a group of eight hunger strikers who refused alimentation for 43 days, water and energy compartments were estimated, aiming to assess the impact of progressive starvation. Measurements included body mass index (BMI, triceps skinfold (TSF, arm muscle circumference (AMC, and bioimpedance (BIA determinations of water, fat, lean body mass (LBM, and total resistance. Indirect calorimetry was also performed in one occasion. The age of the group was 43.3±6.2 years (seven males, one female. Only water, intermittent vitamins and electrolytes were ingested, and average weight loss reached 17.9%. On the last two days of the fast (43rd-44th day rapid intravenous fluid, electrolyte, and vitamin replenishment were provided before proceeding with realimentation. Body fat decreased approximately 60% (BIA and TSF, whereas BMI reduced only 18%. Initial fat was estimated by BIA as 52.2±5.4% of body weight, and even on the 43rd day it was still measured as 19.7±3.8% of weight. TSF findings were much lower and commensurate with other anthropometric results. Water was comparatively low with high total resistance, and these findings rapidly reversed upon the intravenous rapid hydration. At the end of the starvation period, BMI (21.5±2.6 kg/m² and most anthropometric determinations were still acceptable, suggesting efficient energy and muscle conservation. Conclusions: 1 All compartments diminished during fasting, but body fat was by far the most affected; 2 Total water was low and total body resistance comparatively elevated, but these findings rapidly reversed upon rehydration; 3 Exaggerated fat percentage estimates from BIA tests and simultaneous increase in lean body mass estimates suggested that this method was inappropriate for assessing energy compartments in the studied population; 4 Patients were not morphologically

A wireless batteryless in vivo EKG and core body temperature sensing microsystem with 60 Hz suppression technique for untethered genetically engineered mice real-time monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaimanonart, Nattapon; Young, Darrin J

2009-01-01

A wireless, batteryless, and implantable EKG and core body temperature sensing microsystem with adaptive RF powering for untethered genetically engineered mice real-time monitoring is designed, implemented, and in vivo characterized. A packaged microsystem, exhibiting a total size of 9 mm x 7 mm x 3 mm with a weight of 400 mg including a pair of stainless-steel EKG electrodes, is implanted in a mouse abdomen for real-time monitoring. A low power 2 mm x 2 mm ASIC, consisting of an EKG amplifier, a proportional-to-absolute-temperature (PTAT)-based temperature sensor, an RF power sensing circuit, an RF-DC power converter, an 8-bit ADC, digital control circuitry, and a 433 MHz FSK transmitter, is powered by an adaptively controlled external RF energy source at 4 MHz to ensure a stable 2V supply with 156microA current driving capability for the overall microsystem. An electrical model for analyzing 60 Hz interference based on 2-electrode and 3-electrode configurations is proposed and compared with in vivo evaluation results. Due to the small laboratory animal chest area, a 60 Hz suppression technique by employing input termination resistors is chosen for two-EKG-electrode implant configuration.

The BFMNU method as an alternative to the methods in use based on energy: study of the correlation between food energy and body mass.

Science.gov (United States)

Rondini, Greta; Olearo, Beatrice; Soriano Del Castillo, José Miguel; Boselli, Pietro Marco

2018-03-01

to establish slimming guidelines and any other changing treatments is useful to know the individual's energy expenditure due to the fact that, nowadays, the incidence of many diseases related to the loss of lean mass and the accumulation of adipose tissue has increased. The dietary treatments are carried out on calculating the energy contained in food, and then put in relation to the total energy expended by the body in order to produce changes in body mass. the aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the food energy and body mass of different subjects in various pathophysiological conditions. one hundred and twenty subjects (male and female, aged 7-78 years old) were studied in various pathophysiological conditions and previously treated with the BFMNU (Biologia e Fisiologia Modellistica della Nutrizione Umana)method. a correlation coefficient R2 of 0.1256 was found between food energy of the diet usually followed by the subjects and their body mass. The correlation between food energy and food mass was with R2 of 0.211. The correlation between Δ% of food energy and Δ% of body mass of the subjects, obtained through dietary treatment with the BFMNU method, was 95.77 percent. the correlation between food energy and body mass is not significant, being a critical point about the diets designed on an energy basis. However, the body mass of an individual is determined by mass balance, regulated by corresponding metabolic rate, calculated by the BFMNU method, thanks to which the macronutrients in the diet are absorbed, redistributed and eliminated. A significant correlation, although not straight, is demonstrated between Δ% of food energy, supplied after processing through the dietary BFMNU method, and the Δ% of body mass, obtained following the dietetic path.

Spin and energy evolution equations for a wide class of extended bodies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Racine, Etienne

2006-01-01

We give a surface integral derivation of the leading-order evolution equations for the spin and energy of a relativistic body interacting with other bodies in the post-Newtonian expansion scheme. The bodies can be arbitrarily shaped and can be strongly self-gravitating. The effects of all mass and current multipoles are taken into account. As part of the computation one of the 2PN potentials parametrizing the metric is obtained. The formulae obtained here for spin and energy evolution coincide with those obtained by Damour, Soffel and Xu for the case of weakly self-gravitating bodies. By combining an Einstein-Infeld-Hoffman-type surface integral approach with multipolar expansions we extend the domain of validity of these evolution equations to a wide class of strongly self-gravitating bodies. This paper completes in a self-contained way a previous work by Racine and Flanagan on translational equations of motion for compact objects

Validation of mid-infrared spectrometry in milk for predicting body energy status in Holstein-Friesian cows.

Science.gov (United States)

McParland, S; Banos, G; McCarthy, B; Lewis, E; Coffey, M P; O'Neill, B; O'Donovan, M; Wall, E; Berry, D P

2012-12-01

Cow energy balance is known to be associated with cow health and fertility; therefore, routine access to data on energy balance can be useful in both management and breeding decisions to improve cow performance. The objective of this study was to determine if individual cow milk mid-infrared spectra (MIR) could be useful to predict cow energy balance across contrasting production systems. Direct energy balance was calculated as the differential between energy intake and energy output in milk and maintenance (maintenance was predicted using body weight). Body energy content was calculated from (change in) body weight and body condition score. Following editing, 2,992 morning, 2,742 midday, and 2,989 evening milk MIR records from 564 lactations on 337 Scottish cows, managed in a confinement system on 1 of 2 diets, were available. An additional 844 morning and 820 evening milk spectral records from 338 lactations on 244 Irish cows offered a predominantly grazed grass diet were also available. Equations were developed to predict body energy status using the milk spectral data and milk yield as predictor variables. Several different approaches were used to test the robustness of the equations calibrated in one data set and validated in another. The analyses clearly showed that the variation in the validation data set must be represented in the calibration data set. The accuracy (i.e., square root of the coefficient of multiple determinations) of predicting, from MIR, direct energy balance, body energy content, and energy intake was 0.47 to 0.69, 0.51 to 0.56, and 0.76 to 0.80, respectively. This highlights the ability of milk MIR to predict body energy balance, energy content, and energy intake with reasonable accuracy. Very high accuracy, however, was not expected, given the likely random errors in the calculation of these energy status traits using field data. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hierarchical oxide-based composite nanostructures for energy, environmental, and sensing applications

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Pu-Xian; Shimpi, Paresh; Cai, Wenjie; Gao, Haiyong; Jian, Dunliang; Wrobel, Gregory

2011-02-01

Self-assembled composite nanostructures integrate various basic nano-elements such as nanoparticles, nanofilms and nanowires toward realizing multifunctional characteristics, which promises an important route with potentially high reward for the fast evolving nanoscience and nanotechnology. A broad array of hierarchical metal oxide based nanostructures have been designed and fabricated in our research group, involving semiconductor metal oxides, ternary functional oxides such as perovskites and spinels and quaternary dielectric hydroxyl metal oxides with diverse applications in efficient energy harvesting/saving/utilization, environmental protection/control, chemical sensing and thus impacting major grand challenges in the area of materials and nanotechnology. Two of our latest research activities have been highlighted specifically in semiconductor oxide alloy nanowires and metal oxide/perovskite composite nanowires, which could impact the application sectors in ultraviolet/blue lighting, visible solar absorption, vehicle and industry emission control, chemical sensing and control for vehicle combustors and power plants.

Opportunistic Carrier Sensing for Energy-Efficient Information Retrieval in Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhao Qing

2005-01-01

Full Text Available We consider distributed information retrieval for sensor networks with cluster heads or mobile access points. The performance metric used in the design is energy efficiency defined as the ratio of the average number of bits reliably retrieved by the access point to the total amount of energy consumed. A distributed opportunistic transmission protocol is proposed using a combination of carrier sensing and backoff strategy that incorporates channel state information (CSI of individual sensors. By selecting a set of sensors with the best channel states to transmit, the proposed protocol achieves the upper bound on energy efficiency when the signal propagation delay is negligible. For networks with substantial propagation delays, a backoff function optimized for energy efficiency is proposed. The design of this backoff function utilizes properties of extreme statistics and is shown to have mild performance loss in practical scenarios. We also demonstrate that opportunistic strategies that use CSI may not be optimal when channel acquisition at individual sensors consumes substantial energy. We show further that there is an optimal sensor density for which the opportunistic information retrieval is the most energy efficient. This observation leads to the design of the optimal sensor duty cycle.

A Molecular Electronic Transducer based Low-Frequency Accelerometer with Electrolyte Droplet Sensing Body

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Mengbing

"Sensor Decade" has been labeled on the first decade of the 21st century. Similar to the revolution of micro-computer in 1980s, sensor R&D developed rapidly during the past 20 years. Hard workings were mainly made to minimize the size of devices with optimal the performance. Efforts to develop the small size devices are mainly concentrated around Micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) technology. MEMS accelerometers are widely published and used in consumer electronics, such as smart phones, gaming consoles, anti-shake camera and vibration detectors. This study represents liquid-state low frequency micro-accelerometer based on molecular electronic transducer (MET), in which inertial mass is not the only but also the conversion of mechanical movement to electric current signal is the main utilization of the ionic liquid. With silicon-based planar micro-fabrication, the device uses a sub-micron liter electrolyte droplet sealed in oil as the sensing body and a MET electrode arrangement which is the anode-cathode-cathode-anode (ACCA) in parallel as the read-out sensing part. In order to sensing the movement of ionic liquid, an imposed electric potential was applied between the anode and the cathode. The electrode reaction, I3-- + 2e-- ↔ 3I --, occurs around the cathode which is reverse at the anodes. Obviously, the current magnitude varies with the concentration of ionic liquid, which will be effected by the movement of liquid droplet as the inertial mass. With such structure, the promising performance of the MET device design is to achieve 10.8 V/G (G=9.81 m/s2) sensitivity at 20 Hz with the bandwidth from 1 Hz to 50 Hz, and a low noise floor of 100 microg/sqrt(Hz) at 20 Hz.

Increased Body Weight Reduces Voluntary Movement to Maintain Energy Expenditure of Rats Exposed to Increases in Gravity

Science.gov (United States)

Wade, C. E.; Moran, M. M.; Stein, T. P.; Sin, Sidney (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

With the increase in obesity related diseases there is heightened interest in mechanisms regulating body weight. To assess the influence of increases in body weight on energy expenditure and intake in rats we employed variable levels of gravity. Our approach afforded the means to measure interactions of energy expenditure and intake in response to increases in body weight (body mass x gravity level). We found a dose relationship between rapid elevation of body weight and reduction of voluntary movement, such that the energy requirements for activity are unchanged, and total energy expenditure and intake maintained. Reduction of movement appears to be a response to increased body weight, rather than a contributing factor, suggesting a new regulatory pathway.

Brain glucose sensing in homeostatic and hedonic regulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Steinbusch, Laura; Labouèbe, Gwenaël; Thorens, Bernard

2015-09-01

Glucose homeostasis as well as homeostatic and hedonic control of feeding is regulated by hormonal, neuronal, and nutrient-related cues. Glucose, besides its role as a source of metabolic energy, is an important signal controlling hormone secretion and neuronal activity, hence contributing to whole-body metabolic integration in coordination with feeding control. Brain glucose sensing plays a key, but insufficiently explored, role in these metabolic and behavioral controls, which when deregulated may contribute to the development of obesity and diabetes. The recent introduction of innovative transgenic, pharmacogenetic, and optogenetic techniques allows unprecedented analysis of the complexity of central glucose sensing at the molecular, cellular, and neuronal circuit levels, which will lead to a new understanding of the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

UWB Wind Turbine Blade Deflection Sensing for Wind Energy Cost Reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shuai; Jensen, Tobias Lindstrøm; Franek, Ondrej; Eggers, Patrick C F; Olesen, Kim; Byskov, Claus; Pedersen, Gert Frølund

2015-08-12

A new application of utilizing ultra-wideband (UWB) technology to sense wind turbine blade deflections is introduced in this paper for wind energy cost reduction. The lower UWB band of 3.1-5.3 GHz is applied. On each blade, there will be one UWB blade deflection sensing system, which consists of two UWB antennas at the blade root and one UWB antenna at the blade tip. The detailed topology and challenges of this deflection sensing system are addressed. Due to the complexity of the problem, this paper will first realize the on-blade UWB radio link in the simplest case, where the tip antenna is situated outside (and on the surface of) a blade tip. To investigate this case, full-blade time-domain measurements are designed and conducted under different deflections. The detailed measurement setups and results are provided. If the root and tip antenna locations are properly selected, the first pulse is always of sufficient quality for accurate estimations under different deflections. The measured results reveal that the blade tip-root distance and blade deflection can be accurately estimated in the complicated and lossy wireless channels around a wind turbine blade. Some future research topics on this application are listed finally.

Vibration energy absorption in the whole-body system of a tractor operator.

Science.gov (United States)

Szczepaniak, Jan; Tanaś, Wojciech; Kromulski, Jacek

2014-01-01

Many people are exposed to whole-body vibration (WBV) in their occupational lives, especially drivers of vehicles such as tractor and trucks. The main categories of effects from WBV are perception degraded comfort interference with activities-impaired health and occurrence of motion sickness. Absorbed power is defined as the power dissipated in a mechanical system as a result of an applied force. The vibration-induced injuries or disorders in a substructure of the human system are primarily associated with the vibration power absorption distributed in that substructure. The vibration power absorbed by the exposed body is a measure that combines both the vibration hazard and the biodynamic response of the body. The article presents measurement method for determining vibration power dissipated in the human whole body system called Vibration Energy Absorption (VEA). The vibration power is calculated from the real part of the force-velocity cross-spectrum. The absorbed power in the frequency domain can be obtained from the cross-spectrum of the force and velocity. In the context of the vibration energy transferred to a seated human body, the real component reflects the energy dissipated in the biological structure per unit of time, whereas the imaginary component reflects the energy stored/released by the system. The seated human is modeled as a series/parallel 4-DOF dynamic models. After introduction of the excitation, the response in particular segments of the model can be analyzed. As an example, the vibration power dissipated in an operator has been determined as a function of the agricultural combination operating speed 1.39 - 4.16 ms(-1).

Enabling Virtual Sensing as a Service

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Li

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In many situations, placing a physical sensor in the ideal position in or on the human body to acquire sensing data is incredibly difficult. Virtual sensors, in contrast to physical sensors, can provide indirect measurements by making use of other available sensor data. In this paper, we demonstrate a virtual sensing application developed as a service on top of a cloud-based health sensor data management platform called Wiki-Health. The proposed application “implants” virtual sensors in the human body by integrating environmental, geographic and personal sensor data with physiological models to compute temperature estimations of various parts of the body. The feasibility of the proposed virtual sensing service is supported by a case study. The ability to share computational models relevant to do calculations on measured data on the go is also discussed.

[Energy intake and body weight development of Warmblood foals that changed stud at weaning].

Science.gov (United States)

Mack, J K; Remler, H P; Senckenberg, E; Kienzle, E

2014-01-01

This study investigated the energy requirements of Warmblood foals with a change of the stud at weaning. Nine colts purchased at weaning participated in the study aged approximately 6 months to 1 year. They were transported to the stud by their breeders either having been separated from their dams in their home stable or upon arrival at the stud. The foals were offered a late first cut of haylage, oats and foal starter feed. To ensure individual feeding of concentrates, the foals were tethered twice daily. The total combined haylage intake of all foals per day was recorded. Individual concentrate intake, body weight and body condition score (BCS) were documented at 4-week intervals. The total energy intake was 74 MJ digestible energy (68 MJ metabolisable energy) per animal per day. The foals had been delivered at the stud with a comparably low body weight (285 ± 30 kg) and BCS (4.2 ± 0.4 on a scale from 1 to 9). At the end of the study, aged 319 ± 22 days, they attained an average body weight of 326 ± 24 kg and a BCS of 4.2 ± 0.4. The energy intake of the foals of this study was higher and their body weight development slower than in foals of a parallel study, which were born and raised in the stud and therefore exposed to less stressful weaning conditions. Foals with a comparatively low body weight and BCS at weaning in combination with further stressors need considerably more energy than foals that undergo less stressful weaning conditions.

Stretch sensors for human body motion

Science.gov (United States)

O'Brien, Ben; Gisby, Todd; Anderson, Iain A.

2014-03-01

Sensing motion of the human body is a difficult task. From an engineers' perspective people are soft highly mobile objects that move in and out of complex environments. As well as the technical challenge of sensing, concepts such as comfort, social intrusion, usability, and aesthetics are paramount in determining whether someone will adopt a sensing solution or not. At the same time the demands for human body motion sensing are growing fast. Athletes want feedback on posture and technique, consumers need new ways to interact with augmented reality devices, and healthcare providers wish to track recovery of a patient. Dielectric elastomer stretch sensors are ideal for bridging this gap. They are soft, flexible, and precise. They are low power, lightweight, and can be easily mounted on the body or embedded into clothing. From a commercialisation point of view stretch sensing is easier than actuation or generation - such sensors can be low voltage and integrated with conventional microelectronics. This paper takes a birds-eye view of the use of these sensors to measure human body motion. A holistic description of sensor operation and guidelines for sensor design will be presented to help technologists and developers in the space.

Energy spectra of massive two-body decay products and mass measurement

CERN Document Server

Agashe, Kaustubh; Hong, Sungwoo; Kim, Doojin

2016-01-01

We have recently established a new method for measuring the mass of unstable particles produced at hadron colliders based on the analysis of the energy distribution of a massless product from their two-body decays. The central ingredient of our proposal is the remarkable result that, for an unpolarized decaying particle, the location of the peak in the energy distribution of the observed decay product is identical to the (fixed) value of the energy that this particle would have in the rest-frame of the decaying particle, which, in turn, is a simple function of the involved masses. In addition, we utilized the property that this energy distribution is symmetric around the location of peak when energy is plotted on a logarithmic scale. The general strategy was demonstrated in several specific cases, including both beyond the SM particles, as well as for the top quark. In the present work, we generalize this method to the case of a massive decay product from a two-body decay; this procedure is far from trivial b...

On The Dynamics and Design of a Two-body Wave Energy Converter

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Changwei; Zuo, Lei

2016-09-01

A two-body wave energy converter oscillating in heave is studied in this paper. The energy is extracted through the relative motion between the floating and submerged bodies. A linearized model in the frequency domain is adopted to study the dynamics of such a two-body system with consideration of both the viscous damping and the hydrodynamic damping. The closed form solution of the maximum absorption power and corresponding power take-off parameters are obtained. The suboptimal and optimal designs for a two-body system are proposed based on the closed form solution. The physical insight of the optimal design is to have one of the damped natural frequencies of the two body system the same as, or as close as possible to, the excitation frequency. A case study is conducted to investigate the influence of the submerged body on the absorption power of a two-body system subjected to suboptimal and optimal design under regular and irregular wave excitations. It is found that the absorption power of the two-body system can be significantly higher than that of the single body system with the same floating buoy in both regular and irregular waves. In regular waves, it is found that the mass of the submerged body should be designed with an optimal value in order to achieve the maximum absorption power for the given floating buoy. The viscous damping on the submerged body should be as small as possible for a given mass in both regular and irregular waves.

Power allocation strategies to minimize energy consumption in wireless body area networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Kailas, Aravind

2011-01-01

The wide scale deployment of wireless body area networks (WBANs) hinges on designing energy efficient communication protocols to support the reliable communication as well as to prolong the network lifetime. Cooperative communications, a relatively new idea in wireless communications, offers the benefits of multi-antenna systems, thereby improving the link reliability and boosting energy efficiency. In this short paper, the advantages of resorting to cooperative communications for WBANs in terms of minimized energy consumption are investigated. Adopting an energy model that encompasses energy consumptions in the transmitter and receiver circuits, and transmitting energy per bit, it is seen that cooperative transmission can improve energy efficiency of the wireless network. In particular, the problem of optimal power allocation is studied with the constraint of targeted outage probability. Two strategies of power allocation are considered: power allocation with and without posture state information. Using analysis and simulation-based results, two key points are demonstrated: (i) allocating power to the on-body sensors making use of the posture information can reduce the total energy consumption of the WBAN; and (ii) when the channel condition is good, it is better to recruit less relays for cooperation to enhance energy efficiency.

Vibration energy absorption in the whole-body system of a tractor operator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Szczepaniak

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Many people are exposed to whole-body vibration (WBV in their occupational lives, especially drivers of vehicles such as tractor and trucks. The main categories of effects from WBV are perception degraded comfort interference with activities-impaired health and occurrence of motion sickness. Absorbed power is defined as the power dissipated in a mechanical system as a result of an applied force. The vibration-induced injuries or disorders in a substructure of the human system are primarily associated with the vibration power absorption distributed in that substructure. The vibration power absorbed by the exposed body is a measure that combines both the vibration hazard and the biodynamic response of the body. The article presents measurement method for determining vibration power dissipated in the human whole body system called Vibration Energy Absorption (VEA. The vibration power is calculated from the real part of the force-velocity cross-spectrum. The absorbed power in the frequency domain can be obtained from the cross-spectrum of the force and velocity. In the context of the vibration energy transferred to a seated human body, the real component reflects the energy dissipated in the biological structure per unit of time, whereas the imaginary component reflects the energy stored/released by the system. The seated human is modeled as a series/parallel 4-DOF dynamic models. After introduction of the excitation, the response in particular segments of the model can be analyzed. As an example, the vibration power dissipated in an operator has been determined as a function of the agricultural combination operating speed 1.39 – 4.16 ms[sup] -1 [/sup].

An energy-efficient leader election mechanism for wireless body area networks

OpenAIRE

Zhang , Rongrong; Moungla , Hassine; Mehaoua , Ahmed

2014-01-01

International audience; In Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs), the energy consumption determines the lifetime of the entire network. As a result, how to conserve the energy to prolong the network lifetime becomes a key problem in WBANs. In this paper, to address the energy conservation problem in WBANs, we develop an Energy-Efficient Leader Election mechanism, called EELE. In EELE, each node competes for the leader following the distributed leader election algorithm in which a utility functi...

High-energy gravitational scattering and the general relativistic two-body problem

Science.gov (United States)

Damour, Thibault

2018-02-01

A technique for translating the classical scattering function of two gravitationally interacting bodies into a corresponding (effective one-body) Hamiltonian description has been recently introduced [Phys. Rev. D 94, 104015 (2016), 10.1103/PhysRevD.94.104015]. Using this technique, we derive, for the first time, to second-order in Newton's constant (i.e. one classical loop) the Hamiltonian of two point masses having an arbitrary (possibly relativistic) relative velocity. The resulting (second post-Minkowskian) Hamiltonian is found to have a tame high-energy structure which we relate both to gravitational self-force studies of large mass-ratio binary systems, and to the ultra high-energy quantum scattering results of Amati, Ciafaloni and Veneziano. We derive several consequences of our second post-Minkowskian Hamiltonian: (i) the need to use special phase-space gauges to get a tame high-energy limit; and (ii) predictions about a (rest-mass independent) linear Regge trajectory behavior of high-angular-momenta, high-energy circular orbits. Ways of testing these predictions by dedicated numerical simulations are indicated. We finally indicate a way to connect our classical results to the quantum gravitational scattering amplitude of two particles, and we urge amplitude experts to use their novel techniques to compute the two-loop scattering amplitude of scalar masses, from which one could deduce the third post-Minkowskian effective one-body Hamiltonian.

Cats during gestation and lactation fed with canned food ad libitum: energy and protein intake, development of body weight and body composition.

Science.gov (United States)

Wichert, B; Signer, M; Uebelhart, D

2012-12-01

The NRC recommendations for cats for energy and protein supply during gestation and lactation are based on limited data. This study aimed to answer the question: Can the energy requirement be met with canned food or is the volume restrictive? Therefore, balance trials were conducted in 10 queens before mating, during the 4th and 7th week of gestation and during the 2nd and 6th week of lactation. The cats were fed with canned food ad libitum. Additionally, the body composition of the queens was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (Dexa) before mating, after parturition and after weaning. Eight of 10 cats presented increased body fat content and lean body mass during gestation. The weight loss during lactation led to a loss of lean body mass, but only six cats lost body fat of widely differing amounts. It was evident that the queens' dry matter intake was consistent with that of queens fed ad libitum with dry food. The cats lost lean body mass during lactation and had negative protein balances in the 2nd week of lactation. This seems to be physiological in early lactation. Nevertheless, the protein recommendations for lactation seem to be too low. © 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

A high protein diet upregulated whole-body protein turnover during energy deficit

Science.gov (United States)

The effects of higher protein diets and sustained energy deficit (ED) on whole-body protein turnover (WBPTO) are not well described. This study examined whether dietary protein level influences whole-body protein breakdown (Ra), non-oxidative leucine disposal (NOLD), and oxidation (Ox) during ED. ...

EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA); Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to very low calorie diets (VLCDs) and reduction in body weight (ID 1410), reduction in the sense of hunger (ID 1411), reduction in body fat mass while maintaining lean

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tetens, Inge

claims in relation to very low calorie diets (VLCDs) and reduction in body weight, reduction in the sense of hunger, reduction in body fat mass while maintaining lean body mass, reduction of post-prandial glycaemic responses, and maintenance of normal blood lipid profile. The scientific substantiation...... that whereas the diet that is the subject of the claim, very low calorie diet, is sufficiently characterised in relation to the following claimed effects: reduction in body weight (ID 1410), reduction in the sense of hunger (ID 1411), and reduction in body fat mass while maintaining lean body mass (ID 1412...... that formula foods for use in very low calorie diets should contain. The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship cannot be established between the consumption of a very low calorie diet and reduction of post-prandial glycaemic responses (ID 1414) and maintenance of normal blood lipid profile (ID...

The energy supplied to a body in the theory of relativity and the impulse-energy tensor of a compressible fluid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ricard, J.

1979-01-01

In the relativity theory, the variation of a certain amount of energy supplied to a body, according to its speed, has been a matter of controversy. We study this variation either for a fluid that is submitted by a compression, or for a gas receiving heat from outward. It is shown that the problem is solved by a simple matter of definition of the energy received in the system of coordinate where the body is moving. Besides, we establish the impulse-energy tensor for a compressible fluid [fr

Behavioral and body size correlates of energy intake underreporting by obese and normal-weight women.

Science.gov (United States)

Kretsch, M J; Fong, A K; Green, M W

1999-03-01

To examine behavioral and body size influences on the underreporting of energy intake by obese and normal-weight women. Seven-day estimated food records were kept by subjects before they participated in a 49-day residential study. Self-reported energy intake was compared with energy intake required to maintain a stable body weight during the residential study (reference standard). Energy intake bias and its relationship to various body size and behavioral measures were examined. Twenty-two, healthy, normal-weight (mean body mass index [BMI] = 21.3) and obese (mean BMI = 34.2) women aged 22 to 42 years were studied. Analysis of variance, paired t test, simple linear regression, and Pearson correlation analyses were conducted. Mean energy intake from self-reported food records was underreported by normal-weight (-9.7%) and obese (-19.4%) women. BMI correlated inversely with the energy intake difference for normal-weight women (r = -.67, P = .02), whereas the Beck Depression Inventory correlated positively with the energy intake difference for obese women (r = .73, P behavioral traits play a role in the ability of women to accurately self-report energy intake. BMI appears to be predictive of underreporting of energy intake by normal-weight women, whereas emotional factors related to depression appear to be more determinant of underreporting for obese women. Understanding causative factors of the underreporting phenomenon will help practicing dietitians to devise appropriate and realistic diet intervention plans that clients can follow to achieve meaningful change.

A Novel Sensing Circuit with Large Sensing Margin for Embedded Spin-Transfer Torque MRAMs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bagheriye, Leila; Toofan, Siroos; Saeidi, Roghayeh

-disturbance and high yield. In this paper, to deal with the read reliability challenge, a high sensing margin sensing circuit with strong positive feedback is proposed. It improves the sensing margin (SM) by 10.42X/3.3X and a with 1.24X/1.59X lower read energy at iso-sensing time (2ns) in comparison...

The energy balance of wind waves and the remote sensing problem

Science.gov (United States)

Hasselmann, K.

1972-01-01

Measurements of wave growth indicate an energy balance of the wave spectrum governed primarily by input from the atmosphere, nonlinear transfer to shorter and longer waves, and advection. The pronounced spectral peak and sharp low frequency cut-off characteristic of fetch-limited spectra are explained as a self-stabilizing feature of the nonlinear wave-wave interactions. The momentum transferred from the atmosphere to the wind waves accounts for a large part of the wind drag. These findings are relevant for remote microwave sensing of the sea surface by backscatter and passive radiometry methods.

Hypothalamic roles of mTOR complex I: Integration of nutrient and hormone signals to regulate energy homeostasis

Science.gov (United States)

Mammalian or mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) senses nutrient, energy, and hormone signals to regulate metabolism and energy homeostasis. mTOR activity in the hypothalamus, which is associated with changes in energy status, plays a critical role in the regulation of food intake and body weight...

Contribution of blood oxygen and carbon dioxide sensing to the energetic optimization of human walking.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Jeremy D; O'Connor, Shawn M; Selinger, Jessica C; Donelan, J Maxwell

2017-08-01

People can adapt their gait to minimize energetic cost, indicating that walking's neural control has access to ongoing measurements of the body's energy use. In this study we tested the hypothesis that an important source of energetic cost measurements arises from blood gas receptors that are sensitive to O 2 and CO 2 concentrations. These receptors are known to play a role in regulating other physiological processes related to energy consumption, such as ventilation rate. Given the role of O 2 and CO 2 in oxidative metabolism, sensing their levels can provide an accurate estimate of the body's total energy use. To test our hypothesis, we simulated an added energetic cost for blood gas receptors that depended on a subject's step frequency and determined if subjects changed their behavior in response to this simulated cost. These energetic costs were simulated by controlling inspired gas concentrations to decrease the circulating levels of O 2 and increase CO 2 We found this blood gas control to be effective at shifting the step frequency that minimized the ventilation rate and perceived exertion away from the normally preferred frequency, indicating that these receptors provide the nervous system with strong physiological and psychological signals. However, rather than adapt their preferred step frequency toward these lower simulated costs, subjects persevered at their normally preferred frequency even after extensive experience with the new simulated costs. These results suggest that blood gas receptors play a negligible role in sensing energetic cost for the purpose of optimizing gait. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Human gait adaptation implies that the nervous system senses energetic cost, yet this signal is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that the blood gas receptors sense cost for gait optimization by controlling blood O 2 and CO 2 with step frequency as people walked. At the simulated energetic minimum, ventilation and perceived exertion were lowest, yet subjects

Body mass, energy intake, and water consumption of rats and humans during space flight

Science.gov (United States)

Wade, C. E.; Miller, M. M.; Baer, L. A.; Moran, M. M.; Steele, M. K.; Stein, T. P.

2002-01-01

Alteration of metabolism has been suggested as a major limiting factor to long-term space flight. In humans and primates, a negative energy balance has been reported. The metabolic response of rats to space flight has been suggested to result in a negative energy balance. We hypothesized that rats flown in space would maintain energy balance as indicated by maintenance of caloric intake and body mass gain. Further, the metabolism of the rat would be similar to that of laboratory-reared animals. We studied the results from 15 space flights lasting 4 to 19 d. There was no difference in average body weight (206 +/- 13.9 versus 206 +/- 14.8 g), body weight gain (5.8 +/- 0.48 versus 5.9 +/- 0.56 g/d), caloric intake (309 +/- 21.0 versus 309 +/- 20.1 kcal/kg of body mass per day), or water intake (200 +/- 8.6 versus 199 +/- 9.3 mL/kg of body mass per day) between flight and ground control animals. Compared with standard laboratory animals of similar body mass, no differences were noted. The observations suggested that the negative balance observed in humans and non-human primates may be due to other factors in the space-flight environment.

Folding model analysis of Λ binding energies and three-body ΛNN force

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mian, M.; Rahman Khan, M.Z.

1988-02-01

Working within the framework of the folding model, we analyze the Λ binding energy data of light hypernuclei with effective two-body ΛN plus three-body ΛNN interaction. The two-body density for the core nucleus required for evaluating the three-body force contribution is obtained in terms of the centre of mass pair correlation. It is found that except for Λ 5 He the data are fairly well explained. The three-body force seems to account for the density dependence of the effective two-body ΛN interaction proposed earlier. (author). 13 refs, 2 tabs

Energy efficient medium access protocol for wireless medical body area sensor networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Omeni, O; Wong, A; Burdett, A J; Toumazou, C

2008-12-01

This paper presents a novel energy-efficient MAC Protocol designed specifically for wireless body area sensor networks (WBASN) focused towards pervasive healthcare applications. Wireless body area networks consist of wireless sensor nodes attached to the human body to monitor vital signs such as body temperature, activity or heart-rate. The network adopts a master-slave architecture, where the body-worn slave node periodically sends sensor readings to a central master node. Unlike traditional peer-to-peer wireless sensor networks, the nodes in this biomedical WBASN are not deployed in an ad hoc fashion. Joining a network is centrally managed and all communications are single-hop. To reduce energy consumption, all the sensor nodes are in standby or sleep mode until the centrally assigned time slot. Once a node has joined a network, there is no possibility of collision within a cluster as all communication is initiated by the central node and is addressed uniquely to a slave node. To avoid collisions with nearby transmitters, a clear channel assessment algorithm based on standard listen-before-transmit (LBT) is used. To handle time slot overlaps, the novel concept of a wakeup fallback time is introduced. Using single-hop communication and centrally controlled sleep/wakeup times leads to significant energy reductions for this application compared to more ldquoflexiblerdquo network MAC protocols such as 802.11 or Zigbee. As duty cycle is reduced, the overall power consumption approaches the standby power. The protocol is implemented in hardware as part of the Sensiumtrade system-on-chip WBASN ASIC, in a 0.13- mum CMOS process.

Croatian energy regulatory council - independent Croatian regulatory body

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klepo, M.

2002-01-01

By means of approving five energy laws, the Republic of Croatia established an appropriate legislative framework for energy sector regulation. A series of sub-law acts is presently being elaborated as well as some additional documents in order to bring about transparent and non-discriminatory provisions for the establishment of electric energy, gas, oil/oil derivatives and thermal energy markets, i.e. for the introduction and management of market activities and public services. A considerable share of these activities relates to the definition of transparent regulatory mechanisms that would guarantee the implementation of regulation rules based on the law, and be carried out by the independent regulatory body - Croatian Energy Regulatory Council. The Council's rights and obligations include firm executive functions, which present obligations to every energy entity. A dissatisfied party may set in motion a settlement of dispute, if it maintains that the decisions are not based on the law or reveal a flaw in the procedure. Therefore, it is the Council's priority to always make careful and law-abiding decisions. This paper gives insight into the regulatory framework elements based on the laws including the Council's organisational structure and non-profit entities that will prepare act proposals for the Council and perform other professional activities. (author)

AMPK is essential for energy homeostasis regulation and glucose sensing by POMC and AgRP neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Claret, Marc; Smith, Mark A; Batterham, Rachel L; Selman, Colin; Choudhury, Agharul I; Fryer, Lee G D; Clements, Melanie; Al-Qassab, Hind; Heffron, Helen; Xu, Allison W; Speakman, John R; Barsh, Gregory S; Viollet, Benoit; Vaulont, Sophie; Ashford, Michael L J; Carling, David; Withers, Dominic J

2007-08-01

Hypothalamic AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has been suggested to act as a key sensing mechanism, responding to hormones and nutrients in the regulation of energy homeostasis. However, the precise neuronal populations and cellular mechanisms involved are unclear. The effects of long-term manipulation of hypothalamic AMPK on energy balance are also unknown. To directly address such issues, we generated POMC alpha 2KO and AgRP alpha 2KO mice lacking AMPK alpha2 in proopiomelanocortin- (POMC-) and agouti-related protein-expressing (AgRP-expressing) neurons, key regulators of energy homeostasis. POMC alpha 2KO mice developed obesity due to reduced energy expenditure and dysregulated food intake but remained sensitive to leptin. In contrast, AgRP alpha 2KO mice developed an age-dependent lean phenotype with increased sensitivity to a melanocortin agonist. Electrophysiological studies in AMPK alpha2-deficient POMC or AgRP neurons revealed normal leptin or insulin action but absent responses to alterations in extracellular glucose levels, showing that glucose-sensing signaling mechanisms in these neurons are distinct from those pathways utilized by leptin or insulin. Taken together with the divergent phenotypes of POMC alpha 2KO and AgRP alpha 2KO mice, our findings suggest that while AMPK plays a key role in hypothalamic function, it does not act as a general sensor and integrator of energy homeostasis in the mediobasal hypothalamus.

Approximation of Resting Energy Expenditure in Intensive Care Unit Patients Using the SenseWear Bracelet: A Comparison With Indirect Calorimetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Sundström, Martin; Mehrabi, Mahboubeh; Tjäder, Inga; Rooyackers, Olav; Hammarqvist, Folke

2017-08-01

Indirect calorimetry (IC) is the gold standard for determining energy expenditure in patients requiring mechanical ventilation. Metabolic armbands using data derived from dermal measurements have been proposed as an alternative to IC in healthy subjects, but their utility during critical illness is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the level of agreement between the SenseWear armband and the Deltatrac Metabolic Monitor in mechanically ventilated intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Adult ICU patients requiring invasive ventilator therapy were eligible for inclusion. Simultaneous measurements were performed with the SenseWear Armband and Deltatrac under stable conditions. Resting energy expenditure (REE) values were registered for both instruments and compared with Bland-Altman plots. Forty-two measurements were performed in 30 patients. The SenseWear Armband measured significantly higher REE values as compared with IC (mean bias, 85 kcal/24 h; P = .027). Less variability was noted between individual SenseWear measurements and REE as predicted by the Harris-Benedict equation (2 SD, ±327 kcal/24 h) than when IC was compared with SenseWear and Harris-Benedict (2 SD, ±473 and ±543 kcal/24 h, respectively). The systematic bias and large variability of the SenseWear armband when compared with gas exchange measurements confer limited benefits over the Harris Benedict equation in determining caloric requirements of ICU patients.

A macroevolutionary explanation for energy equivalence in the scaling of body size and population density.

Science.gov (United States)

Damuth, John

2007-05-01

Across a wide array of animal species, mean population densities decline with species body mass such that the rate of energy use of local populations is approximately independent of body size. This "energetic equivalence" is particularly evident when ecological population densities are plotted across several or more orders of magnitude in body mass and is supported by a considerable body of evidence. Nevertheless, interpretation of the data has remained controversial, largely because of the difficulty of explaining the origin and maintenance of such a size-abundance relationship in terms of purely ecological processes. Here I describe results of a simulation model suggesting that an extremely simple mechanism operating over evolutionary time can explain the major features of the empirical data. The model specifies only the size scaling of metabolism and a process where randomly chosen species evolve to take resource energy from other species. This process of energy exchange among particular species is distinct from a random walk of species abundances and creates a situation in which species populations using relatively low amounts of energy at any body size have an elevated extinction risk. Selective extinction of such species rapidly drives size-abundance allometry in faunas toward approximate energetic equivalence and maintains it there.

Optimal Configurations of Wave Energy Converter Arrays with a Floating Body

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Wanchao

2016-10-01

Full Text Available An array of floating point-absorbing wave energy converters (WECs is usually employed for extracting efficiently ocean wave energy. For deep water environment, it is more feasible and convenient to connect the absorbers array with a floating body, such as a semi-submersible bottom-moored disk, whose function is to act as the virtual seabed. In the present work, an array of identical floating symmetrically distributed cylinders in a coaxial moored disk as a wave energy device is proposed The power take-off (PTO system in the wave energy device is assumed to be composed of a linear/nonlinear damper activated by the buoys heaving motion. Hydrodynamic analysis of the examined floating system is implemented in frequency domain. Hydrodynamic interferences between the oscillating bodies are accounted for in the corresponding coupled equations. The array layouts under the constraint of the disk, incidence wave directions, separating distance between the absorbers and the PTO damping are considered to optimize this kind of WECs. Numerical results with regular waves are presented and discussed for the axisymmetric system utilizing heave mode with these interaction factors, in terms of a specific numbers of cylinders and expected power production.

Quantum-mechanical few-body scattering equations with half-on-shell energy-independent subsystem input

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeiger, E.M.

1978-01-01

New equations are presented for three- and four-body scattering, within the context of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics and a Hamiltonian scattering theory. For the three-body case Faddeev-type equations are presented which, although obtained from the rigorous Faddeev theory, only require two-body bound state wave functions and half-off-shell transition amplitudes as input. In addition, their effective potentials are independent of the three-body energy, and can easily be made real after an angular momentum decomposition. The equations are formulated in terms of physical transition amplitudes for three-body processes, except that in the breakup case the partial-wave amplitudes differ from the corresponding full amplitudes by a Watson final-state-interaction factor. Also presented are new equations for four-body scattering, obtained by generalizing our three-body formalism to the four-body case. These equations, although equivalent to those of Faddeev--Yakubovskii, are expressed in terms of singularity-free transition amplitudes, and their energy-independent effective potentials require only half-on-shell subsystem transition amplitudes (and bound state wave functions) as input. However, due to the detailed index structure of the Faddeev--Yakubovskii formalsim, the result of the generalization is considerably more complicated than in the three-body case

Literacies in the Body

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Stephanie

2013-01-01

In this commentary, the author invites readers to consider the body and its central place in literacy pedagogy, practice and research. She emphasizes two interrelated paths for teachers and researchers interested in literacies to tend to the body: (1) the ways literacies are engaged and cultivated for making sense of bodies, and (2) the literacies…

A Digital Compressed Sensing-Based Energy-Efficient Single-Spot Bluetooth ECG Node

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Kan Luo

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Energy efficiency is still the obstacle for long-term real-time wireless ECG monitoring. In this paper, a digital compressed sensing- (CS- based single-spot Bluetooth ECG node is proposed to deal with the challenge in wireless ECG application. A periodic sleep/wake-up scheme and a CS-based compression algorithm are implemented in a node, which consists of ultra-low-power analog front-end, microcontroller, Bluetooth 4.0 communication module, and so forth. The efficiency improvement and the node’s specifics are evidenced by the experiments using the ECG signals sampled by the proposed node under daily activities of lay, sit, stand, walk, and run. Under using sparse binary matrix (SBM, block sparse Bayesian learning (BSBL method, and discrete cosine transform (DCT basis, all ECG signals were essentially undistorted recovered with root-mean-square differences (PRDs which are less than 6%. The proposed sleep/wake-up scheme and data compression can reduce the airtime over energy-hungry wireless links, the energy consumption of proposed node is 6.53 mJ, and the energy consumption of radio decreases 77.37%. Moreover, the energy consumption increase caused by CS code execution is negligible, which is 1.3% of the total energy consumption.

A Digital Compressed Sensing-Based Energy-Efficient Single-Spot Bluetooth ECG Node.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Kan; Cai, Zhipeng; Du, Keqin; Zou, Fumin; Zhang, Xiangyu; Li, Jianqing

2018-01-01

Energy efficiency is still the obstacle for long-term real-time wireless ECG monitoring. In this paper, a digital compressed sensing- (CS-) based single-spot Bluetooth ECG node is proposed to deal with the challenge in wireless ECG application. A periodic sleep/wake-up scheme and a CS-based compression algorithm are implemented in a node, which consists of ultra-low-power analog front-end, microcontroller, Bluetooth 4.0 communication module, and so forth. The efficiency improvement and the node's specifics are evidenced by the experiments using the ECG signals sampled by the proposed node under daily activities of lay, sit, stand, walk, and run. Under using sparse binary matrix (SBM), block sparse Bayesian learning (BSBL) method, and discrete cosine transform (DCT) basis, all ECG signals were essentially undistorted recovered with root-mean-square differences (PRDs) which are less than 6%. The proposed sleep/wake-up scheme and data compression can reduce the airtime over energy-hungry wireless links, the energy consumption of proposed node is 6.53 mJ, and the energy consumption of radio decreases 77.37%. Moreover, the energy consumption increase caused by CS code execution is negligible, which is 1.3% of the total energy consumption.

Four-body interaction energy for compressed solid krypton from quantum theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Chunling; Wu, Na; Liu, Fusheng; Saxena, Surendra K; Zheng, Xingrong

2012-07-28

The importance of the four-body contribution in compressed solid krypton was first evaluated using the many-body expansion method and the coupled cluster theory with full single and double excitations plus perturbative treatment of triples. All different four-atom clusters existing in the first- and second-nearest neighbor shells of face-centered cubic krypton were considered, and both self-consistent-field Hartree-Fock and correlation parts of the four-body interaction were accurately determined from the ambient conditions up to eightfold volume compression. We find that the four-body interaction energy is negative at compression ratio lower than 2, where the dispersive forces play a dominant role. With increasing the compression, the four-body contribution becomes repulsive and significantly cancels the over-softening effects of the three-body potential. The obtained equation of state (EOS) was compared with the experiments and the density-functional theory calculations. It shows that combination of the four-body effects with two- and three-body interactions leads to an excellent agreement with EOS measurements throughout the whole experimental range 0-130 GPa, and extends the prediction to 300 GPa.

Integration of body temperature into the analysis of energy expenditure in the mouse

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Gustavo Abreu-Vieira

2015-06-01

Conclusions: At 22 °C, cold-induced thermogenesis is ∼120% of basal metabolic rate. The higher body temperature during physical activity is due to a higher set point, not simply increased heat generation during exercise. Most insulation in mice is via physiological mechanisms, with little from fur or fat. Our analysis suggests that the definition of the upper limit of the thermoneutral zone should be re-considered. Measuring body temperature informs interpretation of energy expenditure data and improves the predictiveness and utility of the mouse to model human energy homeostasis.

Fully solar-powered photoelectrochemical conversion for simultaneous energy storage and chemical sensing.

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Wang, Yongcheng; Tang, Jing; Peng, Zheng; Wang, Yuhang; Jia, Dingsi; Kong, Biao; Elzatahry, Ahmed A; Zhao, Dongyuan; Zheng, Gengfeng

2014-06-11

We report the development of a multifunctional, solar-powered photoelectrochemical (PEC)-pseudocapacitive-sensing material system for simultaneous solar energy conversion, electrochemical energy storage, and chemical detection. The TiO2 nanowire/NiO nanoflakes and the Si nanowire/Pt nanoparticle composites are used as photoanodes and photocathodes, respectively. A stable open-circuit voltage of ∼0.45 V and a high pseudocapacitance of up to ∼455 F g(-1) are obtained, which also exhibit a repeating charging-discharging capability. The PEC-pseudocapacitive device is fully solar powered, without the need of any external power supply. Moreover, this TiO2 nanowire/NiO nanoflake composite photoanode exhibits excellent glucose sensitivity and selectivity. Under the sun light illumination, the PEC photocurrent shows a sensitive increase upon different glucose additions. Meanwhile in the dark, the open-circuit voltage of the charged pseudocapacitor also exhibits a corresponding signal over glucose analyte, thus serving as a full solar-powered energy conversion-storage-utilization system.

Redox signaling in acute oxygen sensing

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Lin Gao

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Acute oxygen (O2 sensing is essential for individuals to survive under hypoxic conditions. The carotid body (CB is the main peripheral chemoreceptor, which contains excitable and O2-sensitive glomus cells with O2-regulated ion channels. Upon exposure to acute hypoxia, inhibition of K+ channels is the signal that triggers cell depolarization, transmitter release and activation of sensory fibers that stimulate the brainstem respiratory center to produce hyperventilation. The molecular mechanisms underlying O2 sensing by glomus cells have, however, remained elusive. Here we discuss recent data demonstrating that ablation of mitochondrial Ndufs2 gene selectively abolishes sensitivity of glomus cells to hypoxia, maintaining responsiveness to hypercapnia or hypoglycemia. These data suggest that reactive oxygen species and NADH generated in mitochondrial complex I during hypoxia are signaling molecules that modulate membrane K+ channels. We propose that the structural substrates for acute O2 sensing in CB glomus cells are “O2-sensing microdomains” formed by mitochondria and neighboring K+ channels in the plasma membrane. Keywords: Hypoxia, Acute oxygen sensing, Peripheral chemoreceptors, Carotid body, Adrenal medulla, Mitochondrial complex I, Reactive oxygen species (ROS, Pyridine nucleotides

Energy-efficient key distribution using electrocardiograph biometric set for secure communications in wireless body healthcare networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Jinyang; Lam, Kwok-Yan; Gu, Ming; Li, Mingze; Chung, Siu-Leung

2011-10-01

Wireless body sensor network (WBSN) has gained significant interests as an important infrastructure for real-time biomedical healthcare systems, while the security of the sensitive health information becomes one of the main challenges. Due to the constraints of limited power, traditional cryptographic key distribution schemes are not suitable for WBSN. This paper proposes a novel energy-efficient approach, BodyKey, which can distribute the keys using the electrocardiograph biometrics. BodyKey represents the biometric features as ordered set, and deals with the biometric variations using set reconciliation. In this way, only limited necessary information needs to be communicated for key agreement, and the total energy consumption for key distribution can thus be reduced. Experiments on the PhysioBank Database show that BodyKey can perform an energy consumption rate of 0.01 mJ/bit with an equal accuracy rate of 97.28%, allowing the system to be used as an energy-efficient key distribution scheme for secure communications in WBSN.

A comprehensive survey of energy-aware routing protocols in wireless body area sensor networks.

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Effatparvar, Mehdi; Dehghan, Mehdi; Rahmani, Amir Masoud

2016-09-01

Wireless body area sensor network is a special purpose wireless sensor network that, employing wireless sensor nodes in, on, or around the human body, makes it possible to measure biological parameters of a person for specific applications. One of the most fundamental concerns in wireless body sensor networks is accurate routing in order to send data promptly and properly, and therefore overcome some of the challenges. Routing protocols for such networks are affected by a large number of factors including energy, topology, temperature, posture, the radio range of sensors, and appropriate quality of service in sensor nodes. Since energy is highly important in wireless body area sensor networks, and increasing the network lifetime results in benefiting greatly from sensor capabilities, improving routing performance with reduced energy consumption presents a major challenge. This paper aims to study wireless body area sensor networks and the related routing methods. It also presents a thorough, comprehensive review of routing methods in wireless body area sensor networks from the perspective of energy. Furthermore, different routing methods affecting the parameter of energy will be classified and compared according to their advantages and disadvantages. In this paper, fundamental concepts of wireless body area sensor networks are provided, and then the advantages and disadvantages of these networks are investigated. Since one of the most fundamental issues in wireless body sensor networks is to perform routing so as to transmit data precisely and promptly, we discuss the same issue. As a result, we propose a classification of the available relevant literature with respect to the key challenge of energy in the routing process. With this end in view, all important papers published between 2000 and 2015 are classified under eight categories including 'Mobility-Aware', 'Thermal-Aware', 'Restriction of Location and Number of Relays', 'Link-aware', 'Cluster- and Tree

Using Remote Sensing Data for Integrating different Renewable Energy Sources at Coastal Site in South Italy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Calaudi, Rosamaria; Feudo, Teresa Lo; Calidonna, Claudia Roberta

2016-01-01

Italian coastal sites have the advantage of favorable climatic conditions to use mixed renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind. Harbors are safe places to install wind turbines where wind conditions are almost offshore. Space-borne remote sensing can provide information to determine solar...

Effects of dietary fat on appetite and energy intake in health and obesity--oral and gastrointestinal sensory contributions.

Science.gov (United States)

Little, Tanya J; Feinle-Bisset, Christine

2011-09-26

While epidemiological studies have revealed a strong positive relationship between the intake of dietary fat with total energy intake and body weight, laboratory-based studies investigating physiological effects of fat have demonstrated that the direct exposure of receptors in the oral cavity and small intestine to fat, specifically fatty acids (FAs), induces potent effects on gastrointestinal (GI) motility and gut peptide secretion that favor the suppression of appetite and energy intake. Recent studies in humans have demonstrated an association between a decreased ability to detect the presence of FAs in the oral cavity with increased energy intake and body mass index suggesting that impairment of oral fat sensing mechanisms may contribute to overeating and obesity. Furthermore, while sensing of the presence of FAs in the small intestine results in the modulation of GI motility, stimulation of GI hormone release, including cholecystokinin (CCK) and peptide YY (PYY), and suppression of subsequent energy intake, recent data indicate that these effects of fat are attenuated in individuals with reduced oral sensitivity to fat, and following consumption of a high-fat diet. This review will focus on emerging knowledge about the physiological mechanisms that sense the presence of fat in both the oral cavity and the small intestine, and environmental factors, such as high-fat diet exposure and energy restriction, that may modulate sensitivity to nutrients, and thereby contribute to the regulation of appetite and body weight. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Highly Sensitive and Selective Sensing of Free Bilirubin Using Metal-Organic Frameworks-Based Energy Transfer Process.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Yaran; Li, Xiqian; Lv, Xueju; Jia, Qiong

2017-09-13

Free bilirubin, a key biomarker for jaundice, was detected with a newly designed fluorescent postsynthetically modified metal organic framework (MOF) (UIO-66-PSM) sensor. UiO-66-PSM was prepared based on the aldimine condensation reaction of UiO-66-NH 2 with 2,3,4-trihydroxybenzaldehyde. The fluorescence of UIO-66-PSM could be effectively quenched by free bilirubin via a fluorescent resonant energy transfer process, thus achieving its recognition of free bilirubin. It was the first attempt to design a MOF-based fluorescent probe for sensing free bilirubin. The probe exhibited fast response time, low detection limit, wide linear range, and high selectivity toward free bilirubin. The sensing system enabled the monitor of free bilirubin in real human serum. Hence, the reported free bilirubin sensing platform has potential applications for clinical diagnosis of jaundice.

Summer declines in activity and body temperature offer polar bears limited energy savings

Science.gov (United States)

Whiteman, J.P.; Harlow, H.J.; Durner, George M.; Anderson-Sprecher, R.; Albeke, Shannon E.; Regehr, Eric V.; Amstrup, Steven C.; Ben-David, M.

2015-01-01

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) summer on the sea ice or, where it melts, on shore. Although the physiology of “ice” bears in summer is unknown, “shore” bears purportedly minimize energy losses by entering a hibernation-like state when deprived of food. Such a strategy could partially compensate for the loss of on-ice foraging opportunities caused by climate change. However, here we report gradual, moderate declines in activity and body temperature of both shore and ice bears in summer, resembling energy expenditures typical of fasting, nonhibernating mammals. Also, we found that to avoid unsustainable heat loss while swimming, bears employed unusual heterothermy of the body core. Thus, although well adapted to seasonal ice melt, polar bears appear susceptible to deleterious declines in body condition during the lengthening period of summer food deprivation.

Assessment of the physical activity, body mass index and energy ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Declining levels of physical activity at workplaces, during leisure time and when travelling, accompanied by increasing exposure to the mass media, are major determinants of the global obesity epidemic. This study aimed to assess physical activity, the body mass index (BMI) and energy intake of human ...

An Energy-Efficient ASIC for Wireless Body Sensor Networks in Medical Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiaoyu Zhang; Hanjun Jiang; Lingwei Zhang; Chun Zhang; Zhihua Wang; Xinkai Chen

2010-02-01

An energy-efficient application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) featured with a work-on-demand protocol is designed for wireless body sensor networks (WBSNs) in medical applications. Dedicated for ultra-low-power wireless sensor nodes, the ASIC consists of a low-power microcontroller unit (MCU), a power-management unit (PMU), reconfigurable sensor interfaces, communication ports controlling a wireless transceiver, and an integrated passive radio-frequency (RF) receiver with energy harvesting ability. The MCU, together with the PMU, provides quite flexible communication and power-control modes for energy-efficient operations. The always-on passive RF receiver with an RF energy harvesting block offers the sensor nodes the capability of work-on-demand with zero standby power. Fabricated in standard 0.18-¿m complementary metal-oxide semiconductor technology, the ASIC occupies a die area of 2 mm × 2.5 mm. A wireless body sensor network sensor-node prototype using this ASIC only consumes < 10-nA current under the passive standby mode, and < 10 ¿A under the active standby mode, when supplied by a 3-V battery.

A method for solving a three-body problem with energy-dependent interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Safronov, A.N.

1994-01-01

A method is proposed for solving a three-body problem with energy-dependent interactions. This method is based on introducing the dependence of scattering operators and state vectors on an additional external parameter. Effects caused by the energy dependence of the interaction operator are investigated by using the unitary condition for the amplitude of the 2 → 2 and 2 → 3 transitions. It is shown, in particular, that taking this dependence into account leads to a change in the relation between the asymptotic normalization factor of the wave function of the three-body bound state and the vertex constant of virtual dissociation (synthesis) of the system into two fragments. 15 refs

Yoga Poses Increase Subjective Energy and State Self-Esteem in Comparison to 'Power Poses'.

Science.gov (United States)

Golec de Zavala, Agnieszka; Lantos, Dorottya; Bowden, Deborah

2017-01-01

Research on beneficial consequences of yoga focuses on the effects of yogic breathing and meditation. Less is known about the psychological effects of performing yoga postures. The present study investigated the effects of yoga poses on subjective sense of energy and self-esteem. The effects of yoga postures were compared to the effects of 'power poses,' which arguably increase the sense of power and self-confidence due to their association with interpersonal dominance (Carney et al., 2010). The study tested the novel prediction that yoga poses, which are not associated with interpersonal dominance but increase bodily energy, would increase the subjective feeling of energy and therefore increase self-esteem compared to 'high power' and 'low power' poses. A two factorial, between participants design was employed. Participants performed either two standing yoga poses with open front of the body ( n = 19), two standing yoga poses with covered front of the body ( n = 22), two expansive, high power poses ( n = 21), or two constrictive, low power poses ( n = 20) for 1-min each. The results showed that yoga poses in comparison to 'power poses' increased self-esteem. This effect was mediated by an increased subjective sense of energy and was observed when baseline trait self-esteem was controlled for. These results suggest that the effects of performing open, expansive body postures may be driven by processes other than the poses' association with interpersonal power and dominance. This study demonstrates that positive effects of yoga practice can occur after performing yoga poses for only 2 min.

Eating Behavior Dimensions: Associations With Energy Intake And Body Weight: A Review

Science.gov (United States)

French, Simone A.; Epstein, Leonard H; Jeffery, Robert W.; Blundell, John E.; Wardle, Jane

2012-01-01

The purpose of this review is to spark integrative thinking in the area of eating behaviors by critically examining research on exemplary constructs in this area. The eating behaviors food responsiveness, enjoyment of eating, satiety responsiveness, eating in the absence of hunger, reinforcing value of food, eating disinhibition and impulsivity/self-control are reviewed in relation to energy intake, body mass index and weight gain over time. Each of these constructs has been developed independently, and little research has explored the extent to which they overlap or whether they differentially predict food choices, energy intake and weight gain in the naturalistic environment. Most available data show positive cross-sectional associations with body mass index, but fewer studies report associations with energy intake or food choices. Little prospective data are available to link measures of eating behaviors with weight gain. Disinhibition has the largest and most consistent body of empirical data that link it prospectively with weight gain. An overarching conceptual model to integrate the conceptual and empirical research base for the role of eating behavior dimensions in the field of obesity research would highlight potential patterns of interaction between individual differences in eating behaviors, specific aspects of the individual’s food environment and individual variation in state levels of hunger and satiety. PMID:22796186

Body ownership and experiential ownership in the self-touching illusion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caleb eLiang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We investigate two issues about the subjective experience of one’s body: first, is the experience of owning a full-body fundamentally different from the experience of owning a body-part? Second, when I experience a bodily sensation, does it guarantee that I cannot be wrong about whether it is me who feels it? To address these issues, we conducted a series of experiments that combined the rubber hand illusion (RHI and the body swap illusion. The subject wore a head mounted display (HMD connected with a stereo camera set on the experimenter’s head. Sitting face to face, they used their right hand holding a paintbrush to brush each other’s left hand. Through the HMD, the subject adopted the experimenter’s first-person perspective (1PP as if it was his/her own 1PP: the subject watched either the experimenter’s hand from the adopted 1PP, and/or the subject’s own hand from the adopted third-person perspective (3PP in the opposite direction (180°, or the subject’s full body from the adopted 3PP (180°, with or without face. The synchronous full-body conditions generate a self-touching illusion: many participants felt that I was brushing my own hand! We found that (1 the sense of body-part ownership and the sense of full-body ownership are not fundamentally different from each other; and (2 our data present a strong case against the mainstream philosophical view called the immunity principle (IEM. We argue that it is possible for misrepresentation to occur in the subject’s sense of experiential ownership (the sense that I am the one who is having this bodily experience. We discuss these findings and conclude that not only the sense of body ownership but also the sense of experiential ownership call for further interdisciplinary studies.

Arcuate Na+,K+-ATPase senses systemic energy states and regulates feeding behavior through glucose-inhibited neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurita, Hideharu; Xu, Kai Y; Maejima, Yuko; Nakata, Masanori; Dezaki, Katsuya; Santoso, Putra; Yang, Yifei; Arai, Takeshi; Gantulga, Darambazar; Muroya, Shinji; Lefor, Alan K; Kakei, Masafumi; Watanabe, Eiju; Yada, Toshihiko

2015-08-15

Feeding is regulated by perception in the hypothalamus, particularly the first-order arcuate nucleus (ARC) neurons, of the body's energy state. However, the cellular device for converting energy states to the activity of critical neurons in ARC is less defined. We here show that Na(+),K(+)-ATPase (NKA) in ARC senses energy states to regulate feeding. Fasting-induced systemic ghrelin rise and glucose lowering reduced ATP-hydrolyzing activity of NKA and its substrate ATP level, respectively, preferentially in ARC. Lowering glucose concentration (LG), which mimics fasting, decreased intracellular NAD(P)H and increased Na(+) concentration in single ARC neurons that subsequently exhibited [Ca(2+)]i responses to LG, showing that they were glucose-inhibited (GI) neurons. Third ventricular injection of the NKA inhibitor ouabain induced c-Fos expression in agouti-related protein (AgRP) neurons in ARC and evoked neuropeptide Y (NPY)-dependent feeding. When injected focally into ARC, ouabain stimulated feeding and mRNA expressions for NPY and AgRP. Ouabain increased [Ca(2+)]i in single NPY/AgRP neurons with greater amplitude than in proopiomelanocortin neurons in ARC. Conversely, the specific NKA activator SSA412 suppressed fasting-induced feeding and LG-induced [Ca(2+)]i increases in ARC GI neurons. NPY/AgRP neurons highly expressed NKAα3, whose knockdown impaired feeding behavior. These results demonstrate that fasting, via ghrelin rise and LG, suppresses NKA enzyme/pump activity in ARC and thereby promotes the activation of GI neurons and NPY/AgRP-dependent feeding. This study identifies ARC NKA as a hypothalamic sensor and converter of metabolic states to key neuronal activity and feeding behaviour, providing a new target to treat hyperphagic obesity and diabetes. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

Body Fat Percentages by Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry Corresponding to Body Mass Index Cutoffs for Overweight and Obesity in Indian Children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deepa Pandit

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Background Indians are suspected to have higher body fat percent at a given body mass index (BMI than their western counterparts. Objective To estimate percent body fat in apparently healthy Indian children and adolescents by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA and explore linkages of BMI with body fat percent for better health risk assessment. Methods Age, weight, height of 316 boys and 250 girls (6–17 years were recorded. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA. High adiposity was defined as body fat percent (BF% > McCarthy's 85th percentile of body fat reference data. Receiver operating characteristic analysis (ROC was carried out for CDC BMI Z score for it's ability to judge excess fatness. Results High BF% was seen in 38.5% boys and 54.0% girls (p < 0.05. Percentage of obese children as defined by the BMI cutoffs of International Obesity Task Force (IOTF (2.1% for boys and 6.9% for girls was lower than that using Indian (13.7% for boys and 20.9% for girls and CDC (14.1% for boys and 20.9% for girls cutoffs. The point closest to one on the ROC curves of CDC BMI Z-scores indicated high adiposity at BMI cutoff of 22 at the age of 17 yr in both the genders. Conclusions Higher body fat percentage is associated with lower BMI values in Indian children.

Are movements necessary for the sense of body ownership? Evidence from the rubber hand illusion in pure hemiplegic patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Burin, Dalila; Livelli, Alessandro; Garbarini, Francesca; Fossataro, Carlotta; Folegatti, Alessia; Gindri, Patrizia; Pia, Lorenzo

2015-01-01

A question still debated within cognitive neuroscience is whether signals present during actions significantly contribute to the emergence of human's body ownership. In the present study, we aimed at answer this question by means of a neuropsychological approach. We administered the classical rubber hand illusion paradigm to a group of healthy participants and to a group of neurological patients affected by a complete left upper limb hemiplegia, but without any propriceptive/tactile deficits. The illusion strength was measured both subjectively (i.e., by a self-report questionnaire) and behaviorally (i.e., the location of one's own hand is shifted towards the rubber hand). We aimed at examining whether, and to which extent, an enduring absence of movements related signals affects body ownership. Our results showed that patients displayed, respect to healthy participants, stronger illusory effects when the left (affected) hand was stimulated and no effects when the right (unaffected) hand was stimulated. In other words, hemiplegics had a weaker/more flexible sense of body ownership for the affected hand, but an enhanced/more rigid one for the healthy hand. Possible interpretations of such asymmetrical distribution of body ownership, as well as limits of our results, are discussed. Broadly speaking, our findings suggest that the alteration of the normal flow of signals present during movements impacts on human's body ownership. This in turn, means that movements have a role per se in developing and maintaining a coherent body ownership.

Are movements necessary for the sense of body ownership? Evidence from the rubber hand illusion in pure hemiplegic patients.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dalila Burin

Full Text Available A question still debated within cognitive neuroscience is whether signals present during actions significantly contribute to the emergence of human's body ownership. In the present study, we aimed at answer this question by means of a neuropsychological approach. We administered the classical rubber hand illusion paradigm to a group of healthy participants and to a group of neurological patients affected by a complete left upper limb hemiplegia, but without any propriceptive/tactile deficits. The illusion strength was measured both subjectively (i.e., by a self-report questionnaire and behaviorally (i.e., the location of one's own hand is shifted towards the rubber hand. We aimed at examining whether, and to which extent, an enduring absence of movements related signals affects body ownership. Our results showed that patients displayed, respect to healthy participants, stronger illusory effects when the left (affected hand was stimulated and no effects when the right (unaffected hand was stimulated. In other words, hemiplegics had a weaker/more flexible sense of body ownership for the affected hand, but an enhanced/more rigid one for the healthy hand. Possible interpretations of such asymmetrical distribution of body ownership, as well as limits of our results, are discussed. Broadly speaking, our findings suggest that the alteration of the normal flow of signals present during movements impacts on human's body ownership. This in turn, means that movements have a role per se in developing and maintaining a coherent body ownership.

Precise measurement of internal sense-wire locations in high-energy physics detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dunn, W.L.; O'Foghludha, F.; Yacount, A.M.

1992-01-01

Cylindrical straw tubes that contain central sense wires (as anodes) are commonly employed in high-energy and nuclear physics experiments to track charged particles through regions of large detectors. The outer tracking region of the proposed Solenoidal Detector Collaboration (SDC) detector for future experiments at the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC), for instance, is expected to contain more than a hundred thousand 4-mm-diam straw tube drift cells arranged in five cylindrically concentric superlayers. The superlayers will be made up of modules having roughly trapezoidal cross sections. The modules will be up to 4 m long and will contain ∼200 straws each, arranged in either six or eight layers. The module shells are expected to be made of thin but nontransparent carbon/epoxy composite material and the straws of mylar or kapton, which has been coated on the inside with a thin (∼0.15-μm) layer of copper. A precise knowledge of the locations of the sense wires in these modules is crucial to the intended particle tracking

Dietary change, energy balance and body weight regulation among migrating students.

Science.gov (United States)

Reeves, S L; Henry, C J

2000-11-01

This study was conducted to examine how subjects modulate their food intake and energy balance when they migrate from a low energy density food intake pattern to one of high energy density. It was hypothesised that an increase in the energy density of food consumed would result in increased body weight of the migrating subjects unless food intake and energy balance could be modulated. Food selection, food intake, basal metabolic rate (BMR) and anthropometric measurements were made on 53 female and 56 male newly arrived overseas students. All subjects were from Malaysia, but the data was collected at Oxford Brookes University where the subjects were studying. Food intake using 3-day food diaries and food frequency questionnaires (FFQs). BMR and anthropometric measurements including body weight were measured on arrival in the UK and after 3 and 6 months' stay. Student's t-tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to compare the data. A significant difference (P foods consumed in Malaysia and after 3 and 6 months in the UK. There was also a significant decrease (P food selection due mainly to the lack of availability of certain foods in UK supermarkets. No significant differences were found in the BMR and anthropometric measurements made at the start of the study and later assessments. It appears that Malaysian students are able to remain in energy balance and are weight stable at least during the first 6 months of residence in the UK, despite the wider choice of energy dense food available. This suggests that at least in the short term, subjects are able to modulate their food intake in response to changes in the energy densities and free choice of food.

Yoga Poses Increase Subjective Energy and State Self-Esteem in Comparison to ‘Power Poses’

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agnieszka Golec de Zavala

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Research on beneficial consequences of yoga focuses on the effects of yogic breathing and meditation. Less is known about the psychological effects of performing yoga postures. The present study investigated the effects of yoga poses on subjective sense of energy and self-esteem. The effects of yoga postures were compared to the effects of ‘power poses,’ which arguably increase the sense of power and self-confidence due to their association with interpersonal dominance (Carney et al., 2010. The study tested the novel prediction that yoga poses, which are not associated with interpersonal dominance but increase bodily energy, would increase the subjective feeling of energy and therefore increase self-esteem compared to ‘high power’ and ‘low power’ poses. A two factorial, between participants design was employed. Participants performed either two standing yoga poses with open front of the body (n = 19, two standing yoga poses with covered front of the body (n = 22, two expansive, high power poses (n = 21, or two constrictive, low power poses (n = 20 for 1-min each. The results showed that yoga poses in comparison to ‘power poses’ increased self-esteem. This effect was mediated by an increased subjective sense of energy and was observed when baseline trait self-esteem was controlled for. These results suggest that the effects of performing open, expansive body postures may be driven by processes other than the poses’ association with interpersonal power and dominance. This study demonstrates that positive effects of yoga practice can occur after performing yoga poses for only 2 min.

High Sensitivity, Wearable, Piezoresistive Pressure Sensors Based on Irregular Microhump Structures and Its Applications in Body Motion Sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zongrong; Wang, Shan; Zeng, Jifang; Ren, Xiaochen; Chee, Adrian J Y; Yiu, Billy Y S; Chung, Wai Choi; Yang, Yong; Yu, Alfred C H; Roberts, Robert C; Tsang, Anderson C O; Chow, Kwok Wing; Chan, Paddy K L

2016-07-01

A pressure sensor based on irregular microhump patterns has been proposed and developed. The devices show high sensitivity and broad operating pressure regime while comparing with regular micropattern devices. Finite element analysis (FEA) is utilized to confirm the sensing mechanism and predict the performance of the pressure sensor based on the microhump structures. Silicon carbide sandpaper is employed as the mold to develop polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microhump patterns with various sizes. The active layer of the piezoresistive pressure sensor is developed by spin coating PSS on top of the patterned PDMS. The devices show an averaged sensitivity as high as 851 kPa(-1) , broad operating pressure range (20 kPa), low operating power (100 nW), and fast response speed (6.7 kHz). Owing to their flexible properties, the devices are applied to human body motion sensing and radial artery pulse. These flexible high sensitivity devices show great potential in the next generation of smart sensors for robotics, real-time health monitoring, and biomedical applications. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Distributed Optical Fiber Radiation and Temperature Sensing at High Energy Accelerators and Experiments

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2090137; Brugger, Markus

The aim of this Thesis is to investigate the feasibility of a distributed optical fiber radiation sensing system to be used at high energy physics accelerators and experiments where complex mixed-field environments are present. In particular, after having characterized the response of a selection of radiation sensitive optical fibers to ionizing radiation coming from a 60Co source, the results of distributed optical fiber radiation measurements in a mixed-field environment are presented along with the method to actually estimate the dose variation. This study demonstrates that distributed optical fiber dosimetry in the above mentioned mixed-field radiation environment is feasible, allowing to detect dose variations of about 10-15 Gy with a 1 m spatial resolution. The proof of principle has fully succeeded and we can now tackle the challenge of an industrial installation taking into account that some optimizations need to be done both on the control unit of the system as well as on the choice of the sensing f...

Assessment of body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, bioimpedance analysis and anthropometrics in children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tompuri, Tuomo T; Lakka, Timo A; Hakulinen, Mikko

2015-01-01

We compared InBody720 segmental multifrequency bioimpedance analysis (SMF-BIA) with Lunar Prodigy Advance dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in assessment of body composition among 178 predominantly prepubertal children. Segmental agreement analysis of body compartments was carried out...

Maximizing kinetic energy transfer in one-dimensional many-body collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ricardo, Bernard; Lee, Paul

2015-01-01

The main problem discussed in this paper involves a simple one-dimensional two-body collision, in which the problem can be extended into a chain of one-dimensional many-body collisions. The result is quite interesting, as it provides us with a thorough mathematical understanding that will help in designing a chain system for maximum energy transfer for a range of collision types. In this paper, we will show that there is a way to improve the kinetic energy transfer between two masses, and the idea can be applied recursively. However, this method only works for a certain range of collision types, which is indicated by a range of coefficients of restitution. Although the concept of momentum, elastic and inelastic collision, as well as Newton’s laws, are taught in junior college physics, especially in Singapore schools, students in this level are not expected to be able to do this problem quantitatively, as it requires rigorous mathematics, including calculus. Nevertheless, this paper provides nice analytical steps that address some common misconceptions in students’ way of thinking about one-dimensional collisions. (paper)

Maximizing kinetic energy transfer in one-dimensional many-body collisions

Science.gov (United States)

Ricardo, Bernard; Lee, Paul

2015-03-01

The main problem discussed in this paper involves a simple one-dimensional two-body collision, in which the problem can be extended into a chain of one-dimensional many-body collisions. The result is quite interesting, as it provides us with a thorough mathematical understanding that will help in designing a chain system for maximum energy transfer for a range of collision types. In this paper, we will show that there is a way to improve the kinetic energy transfer between two masses, and the idea can be applied recursively. However, this method only works for a certain range of collision types, which is indicated by a range of coefficients of restitution. Although the concept of momentum, elastic and inelastic collision, as well as Newton’s laws, are taught in junior college physics, especially in Singapore schools, students in this level are not expected to be able to do this problem quantitatively, as it requires rigorous mathematics, including calculus. Nevertheless, this paper provides nice analytical steps that address some common misconceptions in students’ way of thinking about one-dimensional collisions.

How disentangled sense of agency and sense of ownership can interact with different emotional events on stress feelings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Chen

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract We used the virtual hand illusion paradigm to study how sense of agency and sense of (body ownership can interact with different emotional events on stress feelings. Converging evidence for at least the partial independence of agency and ownership was found. For instance, sense of agency was a better predictor of individual anxiety levels than sense of ownership and males showed stronger effects related to agency—presumably due to gender-specific attribution styles and empathy skills. Moreover, agency and ownership also interacted with emotional events and led to different anxiety levels. Taken together, our findings suggest that the disentangled sense of agency and sense of ownership can interact with different emotional events and influenced stress feelings more in threatening situations than awarding ones.

Smartphones for distributed multimode sensing: biological and environmental sensing and analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Feitshans, Tyler; Williams, Robert

2013-05-01

Active and Agile Environmental and Biological sensing are becoming obligatory to generate prompt warnings for the troops and law enforcements conducting missions in hostile environments. The traditional static sensing mesh networks which provide a coarse-grained (far-field) measurement of the environmental conditions like air quality, radiation , CO2, etc … would not serve the dynamic and localized changes in the environment, which requires a fine-grained (near-field) sensing solutions. Further, sensing the biological conditions of (healthy and injured) personnel in a contaminated environment and providing a personalized analysis of the life-threatening conditions in real-time would greatly aid the success of the mission. In this vein, under SATE and YATE programs, the research team at AFRL Tec^Edge Discovery labs had demonstrated the feasibility of developing Smartphone applications , that employ a suite of external environmental and biological sensors, which provide fine-grained and customized sensing in real-time fashion. In its current state, these smartphone applications leverage a custom designed modular standalone embedded platform (with external sensors) that can be integrated seamlessly with Smartphones for sensing and further provides connectivity to a back-end data architecture for archiving, analysis and dissemination of real-time alerts. Additionally, the developed smartphone applications have been successfully tested in the field with varied environmental sensors to sense humidity, CO2/CO, wind, etc…, ; and with varied biological sensors to sense body temperature and pulse with apt real-time analysis

Effect of local energy supply to a hypersonic flow on the drag of bodies with different nose bluntness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borzov, V.Yu.; Rybka, I.V.; Yur'ev, A.S.

1995-01-01

Parameters of the axisymmetric flow around bodies with different bluntness are compared in the case of constant energy supply to the main hypersonic flow. Flow structures, drag coefficients, and expenditure of energy on overcoming drag are analyzed with the effect of thermal energy on the flow taken into account for different bodies with equal volume

Scaling of surface energy fluxes using remotely sensed data

Science.gov (United States)

French, Andrew Nichols

Accurate estimates of evapotranspiration (ET) across multiple terrains would greatly ease challenges faced by hydrologists, climate modelers, and agronomists as they attempt to apply theoretical models to real-world situations. One ET estimation approach uses an energy balance model to interpret a combination of meteorological observations taken at the surface and data captured by remote sensors. However, results of this approach have not been accurate because of poor understanding of the relationship between surface energy flux and land cover heterogeneity, combined with limits in available resolution of remote sensors. The purpose of this study was to determine how land cover and image resolution affect ET estimates. Using remotely sensed data collected over El Reno, Oklahoma, during four days in June and July 1997, scale effects on the estimation of spatially distributed ET were investigated. Instantaneous estimates of latent and sensible heat flux were calculated using a two-source surface energy balance model driven by thermal infrared, visible-near infrared, and meteorological data. The heat flux estimates were verified by comparison to independent eddy-covariance observations. Outcomes of observations taken at coarser resolutions were simulated by aggregating remote sensor data and estimated surface energy balance components from the finest sensor resolution (12 meter) to hypothetical resolutions as coarse as one kilometer. Estimated surface energy flux components were found to be significantly dependent on observation scale. For example, average evaporative fraction varied from 0.79, using 12-m resolution data, to 0.93, using 1-km resolution data. Resolution effects upon flux estimates were related to a measure of landscape heterogeneity known as operational scale, reflecting the size of dominant landscape features. Energy flux estimates based on data at resolutions less than 100 m and much greater than 400 m showed a scale-dependent bias. But estimates

Eating behavior dimensions. Associations with energy intake and body weight. A review.

Science.gov (United States)

French, Simone A; Epstein, Leonard H; Jeffery, Robert W; Blundell, John E; Wardle, Jane

2012-10-01

The purpose of this review is to spark integrative thinking in the area of eating behaviors by critically examining research on exemplary constructs in this area. The eating behaviors food responsiveness, enjoyment of eating, satiety responsiveness, eating in the absence of hunger, reinforcing value of food, eating disinhibition and impulsivity/self-control are reviewed in relation to energy intake, body mass index and weight gain over time. Each of these constructs has been developed independently, and little research has explored the extent to which they overlap or whether they differentially predict food choices, energy intake and weight gain in the naturalistic environment. Most available data show positive cross-sectional associations with body mass index, but fewer studies report associations with energy intake or food choices. Little prospective data are available to link measures of eating behaviors with weight gain. Disinhibition has the largest and most consistent body of empirical data that link it prospectively with weight gain. An overarching conceptual model to integrate the conceptual and empirical research base for the role of eating behavior dimensions in the field of obesity research would highlight potential patterns of interaction between individual differences in eating behaviors, specific aspects of the individual's food environment and individual variation in state levels of hunger and satiety. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Broiler breeders utilise body lipid as an energy source | Nonis ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

However, where 80 g was allocated daily in Phase 2 this was clearly insufficient to sustain performance, but in this case egg production was considerably higher in birds that had been given larger amounts of food in Phase 1, and which could therefore draw on body lipid reserves as a source of energy. Rate of lay increased ...

Effect of photoperiod on body weight gain, and daily energy intake and energy expenditure in Japanese quail (Coturnix c. Japonica)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boon, P; Visser, GH; Daan, S

2000-01-01

Effect of photoperiod and food duration on body weight gain, energy intake, energy expenditure, and sexual development were investigated in two strains of Japanese quail (Coturnix c. japonica), bred for meat (broilers) or egg production (layers), from 7 to 71 days of age. In a first experiment

Lorcaserin, a 5-HT(2C) receptor agonist, reduces body weight by decreasing energy intake without influencing energy expenditure.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Corby K; Redman, Leanne M; Zhang, Jinkun; Sanchez, Matilde; Anderson, Christen M; Smith, Steven R; Ravussin, Eric

2011-03-01

Lorcaserin, a selective 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)(2C) receptor agonist, reduces body weight. It is unclear whether weight loss is due to reduced energy intake (EI) or also to enhanced energy expenditure (EE). This study tested the effect of lorcaserin on EI and EE. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 57 (39 women) overweight and obese (body mass index, 27-45 kg/m(2)) adults were randomized to placebo (n = 28) or 10 mg twice daily lorcaserin (n = 29) for 56 d. Weight maintenance was imposed during d 1-7. Beginning on d 8, participants followed a diet and exercise plan targeting a 600 kcal/d deficit. At baseline and after 7 and 56 d of treatment, we measured body weight, body composition (dual x-ray absorptiometry), blood pressure, heart rate, EI at lunch and dinner, subjective appetite ratings, and 24-h EE and 24-h-respiratory quotient (RQ), measured by indirect calorimetry in a respiratory chamber. After 7 d of weight maintenance, EI was significantly (P kcal; placebo, -147 ± 89 kcal). After 56 d, lorcaserin resulted in significantly larger reductions in body weight (lorcaserin, -3.8 ± 0.4 kg; placebo, -2.2 ± 0.5 kg; P kcal; placebo, -205 ± 91 kcal; P < .05), and appetite ratings than in placebo. Changes in 24-h EE and 24-h RQ did not differ between groups, even after 24-h EE was adjusted for body weight and composition. Compared with placebo, lorcaserin had no effect on systolic or diastolic blood pressure or heart rate after 56 d. Lorcaserin reduces body weight through reduced EI, not altered EE or RQ.

Measuring body composition and energy expenditure in children with severe neurologic impairment and intellectual disability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rieken, Rob; van Goudoever, Johannes B.; Schierbeek, Henk; Willemsen, Sten P.; Calis, Elsbeth A. C.; Tibboel, Dick; Evenhuis, Heleen M.; Penning, Corine

2011-01-01

Accurate prediction equations for estimating body composition and total energy expenditure (TEE) in children with severe neurologic impairment and intellectual disability are currently lacking. The objective was to develop group-specific equations to predict body composition by using

Bodies as means for continuing post-death relationships.

Science.gov (United States)

Leichtentritt, Ronit D; Mahat Shamir, Michal; Barak, Adi; Yerushalmi, Ayelet

2016-05-01

Secondary analysis of data from 30 people in three interview studies shows that bereaved people use their own and the deceased's body in their continuing efforts to maintain a relationship with the departed. Following the continuing bond perspective, the study reveals three body-associated strategies for maintaining post-death relationships: (a) the presence of the deceased in the bereaved's body, (b) body-associated actions and activities, and (c) sensing and caring for the deceased's body. The conceptual dimension of embodiment is used to interpret results. Attention is also given to the bereaved's sense of disembodiment due to social rejection of these strategies for maintaining post-death relationships. Implications for health psychologists are offered. © The Author(s) 2014.

Triboelectric-based harvesting of gas flow energy and powerless sensing applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taghavi, Majid, E-mail: majid.taghavi@iit.it [Micro-BioRobotics Center, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera (Italy); Biorobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pontedera, Pisa (Italy); Sadeghi, Ali; Mazzolai, Barbara [Micro-BioRobotics Center, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera (Italy); Beccai, Lucia, E-mail: lucia.beccai@iit.it [Micro-BioRobotics Center, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera (Italy); Mattoli, Virgilio, E-mail: virgilio.mattoli@iit.it [Micro-BioRobotics Center, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera (Italy)

2014-12-30

Highlights: • The mechanical energy of both pure and impure gases can be harvested by the introduced system. • The blown gas vibrates a non conductive sheet between two surfaces, generating the triboelectric charges. • The system is able to measure the flow rate of the blown gas. • The existence of dust in the blown air can be detected without external powering. • A self powered smoke detector is introduced. - Abstract: In this work, we propose an approach that can convert gas flow energy to electric energy by using the triboelectric effect, in a structure integrating at least two conductive parts (i.e. electrodes) and one non-conductive sheet. The gas flow induces vibration of the cited parts. Therefore, the frequent attaching and releasing between a non-conductive layer with at least one electrode generates electrostatic charges on the surfaces, and then an electron flow between the two electrodes. The effect of blown gas on the output signals is studied to evaluate the gas flow sensing. We also illustrate that the introduced system has an ability to detect micro particles driven by air into the system. Finally we show how we can use this approach for a self sustainable system demonstrating smoke detection and LED lightening.

Triboelectric-based harvesting of gas flow energy and powerless sensing applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taghavi, Majid; Sadeghi, Ali; Mazzolai, Barbara; Beccai, Lucia; Mattoli, Virgilio

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The mechanical energy of both pure and impure gases can be harvested by the introduced system. • The blown gas vibrates a non conductive sheet between two surfaces, generating the triboelectric charges. • The system is able to measure the flow rate of the blown gas. • The existence of dust in the blown air can be detected without external powering. • A self powered smoke detector is introduced. - Abstract: In this work, we propose an approach that can convert gas flow energy to electric energy by using the triboelectric effect, in a structure integrating at least two conductive parts (i.e. electrodes) and one non-conductive sheet. The gas flow induces vibration of the cited parts. Therefore, the frequent attaching and releasing between a non-conductive layer with at least one electrode generates electrostatic charges on the surfaces, and then an electron flow between the two electrodes. The effect of blown gas on the output signals is studied to evaluate the gas flow sensing. We also illustrate that the introduced system has an ability to detect micro particles driven by air into the system. Finally we show how we can use this approach for a self sustainable system demonstrating smoke detection and LED lightening

Combined diversity and improved energy detection in cooperative spectrum sensing with faded reporting channels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Srinivas Nallagonda

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper we evaluate the performance of cooperative spectrum sensing (CSS where each cognitive radio (CR employs an improved energy detector (IED with multiple antennas and uses selection combining (SC for detecting the primary user (PU in noisy and faded sensing (S channels. We derive an expression for the probability of false alarm and expressions for probability of missed detection in non-faded (AWGN and Rayleigh faded sensing environments in terms of cumulative distribution function (CDF. Each CR transmits its decision about PU via noisy and faded reporting (R channel to fusion center (FC. In this paper we assume that S-channels are noisy and Rayleigh faded while several cases of fading are considered for R-channels such as: (i Hoyt (or Nakagami-q, (ii Rayleigh, (iii Rician (or Nakagami-n, and (iv Weibull. A Binary Symmetric channel (BSC with a fixed error probability (r in the R-channel is also considered. The impact of fading in R-channel, S-channel and several network parameters such as IED parameter, normalized detection threshold, number of CRs, and number of antennas on missed detection and total error probability is assessed. The effects of Hoyt, Rician, and Weibull fading parameters on overall performance of IED-CSS are also highlighted.

A statistical frame based TDMA protocol for human body communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Nie, Zedong; Li, Zhao; Huang, Renwei; Liu, Yuhang; Li, Jingzhen; Wang, Lei

2015-07-09

Human body communication (HBC) using the human body as the transmission medium, which has been regarded as one of the most promising short-range communications in wireless body area networks (WBAN). Compared to the traditional wireless networks, two challenges are existed in HBC based WBAN. (1) Its sensor nodes should be energy saving since it is inconvenient to replace or recharge the battery on these sensor nodes; (2) the coordinator should be able to react dynamically and rapidly to the burst traffic triggered by sensing events. Those burst traffic conditions include vital physical signal (electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram etc.) monitoring, human motion detection (fall detection, activity monitoring, gesture recognition, motion sensing etc.) and so on. To cope with aforementioned challenges, a statistical frame based TDMA (S-TDMA) protocol with multi-constrained (energy, delay, transmission efficiency and emergency management) service is proposed in this paper. The scenarios where burst traffic is often triggered rapidly with low power consumption and low delay is handled in our proposed S-TDMA. A beacon frame with the contained synchronous and poll information is designed to reduce the possibility of collisions of request frames. A statistical frame which broadcasts the unified scheduling information is adopted to avoid packet collisions, idle listening and overhearing. Dynamic time slot allocation mechanism is presented to manage the burst traffic and reduce the active period in each beacon period. An emergency mechanism is proposed for vital signals to be transmitted. The theory analysis is proceed and the result is evaluated in the hardware platform. To verify its feasibility, S-TDMA was fully implemented on our independently-developed HBC platform where four sensor nodes and a coordinator are fastened on a human body. Experiment results show that S-TDMA costs 89.397 mJ every 20 s when the payload size is 122 bytes, 9.51% lower than Lightweight MAC

Anthropometrics and body composition by dual energy X-ray in children of obese women

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tanvig, Mette; Vinter, Christina A; Jørgensen, Jan S

2014-01-01

of the RCT mothers and in 97 reference group children with Body Mass Index (BMI) Z-score as a primary outcome. Body composition was estimated by Dual Energy X-ray (DEXA) in 123 successful scans out of 147 (84%). RESULTS: No differences between randomized groups were seen in mean (95% C.I.) BMI Z...

Genetic relationship of body energy and blood metabolites with reproduction in holstein cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Oikonomou, G; Arsenos, G; Valergakis, G E; Tsiaras, A; Zygoyiannis, D; Banos, G

2008-11-01

Body condition score (BCS), energy content (EC), cumulative effective energy balance (CEEB), and blood serum concentrations of glucose, beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), and nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) were measured throughout first lactation in 497 Holstein cows raised on a large commercial farm in northern Greece. All these traits are considered to be indicators of a cow's energy balance. An additional measure of BCS, EC, and blood serum glucose, BHBA, and NEFA concentrations were taken approximately 2 mo (61 +/- 23 d) before first calving. During first lactation, first service conception rate, conception rate in the first 305 d of lactation, interval from calving to conception, number of inseminations per conception, incidence of metritis, and incidence of reproductive problems of these cows were recorded; interval between first and second calving, and second lactation first service conception rate were also recorded. Random regression models were used to calculate weekly animal breeding values for first lactation BCS, EC, CEEB, glucose, BHBA, and NEFA. Single trait animal models were used to calculate breeding values for these traits measured on pregnant heifers before calving. Reproductive records were then regressed on animal breeding values for these energy balance-related traits to derive estimates of their genetic correlations. Several significant estimates were obtained. In general, traits that are known to be positively correlated with energy balance (BCS, EC, CEEB, and glucose) were found to have a favorable genetic relationship with reproduction, meaning that increased levels of the former will lead to an enhancement of the latter. On the other hand, traits known to be negatively correlated with energy balance (BHBA and NEFA) were found to have an unfavorable genetic association with reproductive traits. Body condition score, BHBA, and NEFA recorded early in lactation, and glucose concentrations measured in pregnant heifers had the highest genetic

New tyrannosaur from the mid-Cretaceous of Uzbekistan clarifies evolution of giant body sizes and advanced senses in tyrant dinosaurs.

Science.gov (United States)

Brusatte, Stephen L; Averianov, Alexander; Sues, Hans-Dieter; Muir, Amy; Butler, Ian B

2016-03-29

Tyrannosaurids--the familiar group of carnivorous dinosaurs including Tyrannosaurus and Albertosaurus--were the apex predators in continental ecosystems in Asia and North America during the latest Cretaceous (ca. 80-66 million years ago). Their colossal sizes and keen senses are considered key to their evolutionary and ecological success, but little is known about how these features developed as tyrannosaurids evolved from smaller basal tyrannosauroids that first appeared in the fossil record in the Middle Jurassic (ca. 170 million years ago). This is largely because of a frustrating 20+ million-year gap in the mid-Cretaceous fossil record, when tyrannosauroids transitioned from small-bodied hunters to gigantic apex predators but from which no diagnostic specimens are known. We describe the first distinct tyrannosauroid species from this gap, based on a highly derived braincase and a variety of other skeletal elements from the Turonian (ca. 90-92 million years ago) of Uzbekistan. This taxon is phylogenetically intermediate between the oldest basal tyrannosauroids and the latest Cretaceous forms. It had yet to develop the giant size and extensive cranial pneumaticity of T. rex and kin but does possess the highly derived brain and inner ear characteristic of the latest Cretaceous species. Tyrannosauroids apparently developed huge size rapidly during the latest Cretaceous, and their success in the top predator role may have been enabled by their brain and keen senses that first evolved at smaller body size.

New tyrannosaur from the mid-Cretaceous of Uzbekistan clarifies evolution of giant body sizes and advanced senses in tyrant dinosaurs

Science.gov (United States)

Brusatte, Stephen L.; Averianov, Alexander; Sues, Hans-Dieter; Muir, Amy; Butler, Ian B.

2016-03-01

Tyrannosaurids-the familiar group of carnivorous dinosaurs including Tyrannosaurus and Albertosaurus-were the apex predators in continental ecosystems in Asia and North America during the latest Cretaceous (ca. 80-66 million years ago). Their colossal sizes and keen senses are considered key to their evolutionary and ecological success, but little is known about how these features developed as tyrannosaurids evolved from smaller basal tyrannosauroids that first appeared in the fossil record in the Middle Jurassic (ca. 170 million years ago). This is largely because of a frustrating 20+ million-year gap in the mid-Cretaceous fossil record, when tyrannosauroids transitioned from small-bodied hunters to gigantic apex predators but from which no diagnostic specimens are known. We describe the first distinct tyrannosauroid species from this gap, based on a highly derived braincase and a variety of other skeletal elements from the Turonian (ca. 90-92 million years ago) of Uzbekistan. This taxon is phylogenetically intermediate between the oldest basal tyrannosauroids and the latest Cretaceous forms. It had yet to develop the giant size and extensive cranial pneumaticity of T. rex and kin but does possess the highly derived brain and inner ear characteristic of the latest Cretaceous species. Tyrannosauroids apparently developed huge size rapidly during the latest Cretaceous, and their success in the top predator role may have been enabled by their brain and keen senses that first evolved at smaller body size.

Advanced Remote Sensing Research

Science.gov (United States)

Slonecker, Terrence; Jones, John W.; Price, Susan D.; Hogan, Dianna

2008-01-01

'Remote sensing' is a generic term for monitoring techniques that collect information without being in physical contact with the object of study. Overhead imagery from aircraft and satellite sensors provides the most common form of remotely sensed data and records the interaction of electromagnetic energy (usually visible light) with matter, such as the Earth's surface. Remotely sensed data are fundamental to geographic science. The Eastern Geographic Science Center (EGSC) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is currently conducting and promoting the research and development of three different aspects of remote sensing science: spectral analysis, automated orthorectification of historical imagery, and long wave infrared (LWIR) polarimetric imagery (PI).

Contributions of the Hippocampus and Medial Prefrontal Cortex to Energy and Body Weight Regulation

Science.gov (United States)

Davidson, T. L.; Chan, Kinho; Jarrard, Leonard E.; Kanoski, Scott E.; Clegg, Deborah J.; Benoit, Stephen C.

2008-01-01

The effects of selective ibotenate lesions of the complete hippocampus (CHip), the hippocampal ventral pole (VP), or the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in male rats were assessed on several measures related to energy regulation (i.e., body weight gain, food intake, body adiposity, metabolic activity general behavioral activity, conditioned appetitive responding). The testing conditions were designed to minimize the nonspecific debilitating effects of these surgeries on intake and body weight. Rats with CHip and VP lesions exhibited significantly greater weight gain and food intake compared to controls. Furthermore, CHip-lesioned rats, but not rats with VP lesions, showed elevated metabolic activity, general activity in the dark phase of the light-dark cycle, and greater conditioned appetitive behavior, compared to control rats without these brain lesions. In contrast, rats with mPFC lesions were not different from controls on any of these measures. These results indicate that hippocampal damage interferes with energy and body weight regulation, perhaps by disrupting higher-order learning and memory processes that contribute to the control of appetitive and consummatory behavior. PMID:18831000

Recent Progress of Self-Powered Sensing Systems for Wearable Electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Lou, Zheng; Li, La; Wang, Lili; Shen, Guozhen

2017-12-01

Wearable/flexible electronic sensing systems are considered to be one of the key technologies in the next generation of smart personal electronics. To realize personal portable devices with mobile electronics application, i.e., wearable electronic sensors that can work sustainably and continuously without an external power supply are highly desired. The recent progress and advantages of wearable self-powered electronic sensing systems for mobile or personal attachable health monitoring applications are presented. An overview of various types of wearable electronic sensors, including flexible tactile sensors, wearable image sensor array, biological and chemical sensor, temperature sensors, and multifunctional integrated sensing systems is provided. Self-powered sensing systems with integrated energy units are then discussed, separated as energy harvesting self-powered sensing systems, energy storage integrated sensing systems, and all-in-on integrated sensing systems. Finally, the future perspectives of self-powered sensing systems for wearable electronics are discussed. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Spray Sprinkler Bodies

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Landscape irrigation sprinklers are often installed at sites where the system pressure is higher than what is recommended for the sprinkler nozzle, which can lead to water waste. WaterSense labeled sprinkler bodies help control pressure.

Using remote sensing data for exploitation of integrated renewable energy at coastal site in South Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Calaudi, Rosamaria; Lo Feudo, Teresa; Calidonna, Claudia Roberta; Sempreviva, Anna Maria

2016-04-01

Renewable energy sources are major components of the strategy to reduce harmful emissions and to replace depleting fossil energy resources. Data from Remote Sensing can provide detailed information for analysis for sources of renewable energy and to determine the potential energy and socially acceptability of suggested location. Coastal sites of Southern Italy have the advantage of favorable climatic conditions to use renewable energy, such us cloud free days and local breeze phenomena. Many ports are located where they have opportunities for exploitation of renewable energy, by using existing port area and by taking advantage of their coastal locations. Policies of European-Committee and Global-Navigation-PIANC for a better use of energy and an efficient supply from renewable sources are also focused on the construction of port facilities in zero emissions. Using data from Remote Sensing, can reduce the financial resources currently required for finding and assessing suitable areas, we defined an integrated methodology for potential wind and solar energy in harbor areas. In this study we compared the hourly solar power energy using MSG-SEVIRI (Meteosat Second Generation Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared) data products DSSF (Down-welling Surface Short-wave-Flux), and PV-Plant measurements with Nominal Power Peak of 19,85 kWp. The PV Plant is situated at a coastal site in Calabrian region, located near Vibo Valentia harbor area. We estimate potential energy by using input solar radiation of Satellite data, with same characteristics of the PV-plant. The RMSE and BIAS for hourly averaged solar electrical reproducibility are estimated including clear and sky conditions. Comparison between energy reproducibility by using DSSF product and PV-plant measurements, made over the period October 2013-June 2014, showed a good agreement in our costal site and generally overestimate (RMSE(35W/m2) and BIAS(4W/m2)) electrical reproducibility from a PV-plant. For wind resource

Senses of body image in adolescents in elementary school.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Maria Lídia de Abreu; Taquette, Stella Regina; Coutinho, Evandro Silva Freire

2014-06-01

To comprehend the perception of body image in adolescence. A qualitative study was conducted with eight focus groups with 96 students of both sexes attending four public elementary school institutions in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil, in 2013. An interview guide with questions about the adolescents' feelings in relation to: their bodies, standards of idealized beauty, practice of physical exercise and sociocultural influences on self-image. In the data analysis we sought to understand and interpret the meanings and contradictions of narratives, understanding the subjects' context and reasons and the internal logic of the group. Three thematic categories were identified. The influence of media on body image showed the difficulty of achieving the perfect body and is viewed with suspicion in face of standards of beauty broadcast; the importance of a healthy body was observed as standards of beauty and good looks were closely linked to good physical condition and result from having a healthy body; the relationship between the standard of beauty and prejudice, as people who are not considered attractive, having small physical imperfections, are discriminated against and can be rejected or even excluded from society. The standard of perfect body propagated by media influences adolescents' self-image and, consequently, self-esteem and is considered an unattainable goal, corresponding to a standard of beauty described as artificial and unreal. However, it causes great suffering and discrimination against those who do not feel they are attractive, which can lead to health problems resulting from low self-esteem.

Senses of body image in adolescents in elementary school

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Lídia de Abreu Silva

2014-06-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE : To comprehend the perception of body image in adolescence. METHODS : A qualitative study was conducted with eight focus groups with 96 students of both sexes attending four public elementary school institutions in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil, in 2013. An interview guide with questions about the adolescents’ feelings in relation to: their bodies, standards of idealized beauty, practice of physical exercise and sociocultural influences on self-image. In the data analysis we sought to understand and interpret the meanings and contradictions of narratives, understanding the subjects’ context and reasons and the internal logic of the group. RESULTS : Three thematic categories were identified. The influence of media on body image showed the difficulty of achieving the perfect body and is viewed with suspicion in face of standards of beauty broadcast; the importance of a healthy body was observed as standards of beauty and good looks were closely linked to good physical condition and result from having a healthy body; the relationship between the standard of beauty and prejudice, as people who are not considered attractive, having small physical imperfections, are discriminated against and can be rejected or even excluded from society. CONCLUSIONS : The standard of perfect body propagated by media influences adolescents’ self-image and, consequently, self-esteem and is considered an unattainable goal, corresponding to a standard of beauty described as artificial and unreal. However, it causes great suffering and discrimination against those who do not feel they are attractive, which can lead to health problems resulting from low self-esteem.

Maintenance of energy expenditure on high-protein vs. high-carbohydrate diets at a constant body weight may prevent a positive energy balance.

Science.gov (United States)

Martens, E A; Gonnissen, H K; Gatta-Cherifi, B; Janssens, P L; Westerterp-Plantenga, M S

2015-10-01

Relatively high-protein diets are effective for body weight loss, and subsequent weight maintenance, yet it remains to be shown whether these diets would prevent a positive energy balance. Therefore, high-protein diet studies at a constant body weight are necessary. The objective was to determine fullness, energy expenditure, and macronutrient balances on a high-protein low-carbohydrate (HPLC) diet compared with a high-carbohydrate low-protein (HCLP) diet at a constant body weight, and to assess whether effects are transient or sustained after 12 weeks. A randomized parallel study was performed in 14 men and 18 women [mean ± SD age: 24 ± 5 y; BMI (in kg/m(2)): 22.8 ± 2.0] on diets containing 30/35/35 (HPLC) or 5/60/35 (HCLP) % of energy from protein/carbohydrate/fat. Significant interactions between dietary intervention and time on total energy expenditure (TEE) (P = 0.013), sleeping metabolic rate (SMR) (P = 0.040), and diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT) (P = 0.027) appeared from baseline to wk 12. TEE was maintained in the HPLC diet group, while it significantly decreased throughout the intervention period in the HCLP diet group (wk 1: P = 0.002; wk 12: P = 0.001). Energy balance was maintained in the HPLC diet group, and became positive in the HCLP diet group at wk 12 (P = 0.008). Protein balance varied directly according to the amount of protein in the diet, and diverged significantly between the diets (P = 0.001). Fullness ratings were significantly higher in the HPLC vs. the HCLP diet group at wk 1 (P = 0.034), but not at wk 12. Maintenance of energy expenditure on HPLC vs. HCLP diets at a constant body weight may prevent development of a positive energy balance, despite transiently higher fullness. The study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov with Identifier: NCT01551238. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

Orientation of bluff body for designing efficient energy harvesters from vortex-induced vibrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dai, H. L.; Abdelkefi, A.; Yang, Y.; Wang, L.

2016-01-01

The characteristics and performances of four distinct vortex-induced vibrations (VIVs) piezoelectric energy harvesters are experimentally investigated and compared. The difference between these VIV energy harvesters is the installation of the cylindrical bluff body at the tip of cantilever beam with different orientations (bottom, top, horizontal, and vertical). Experiments show that the synchronization regions of the bottom, top, and horizontal configurations are almost the same at low wind speeds (around 1.5 m/s). The vertical configuration has the highest wind speed for synchronization (around 3.5 m/s) with the largest harvested power, which is explained by its highest natural frequency and the smallest coupled damping. The results lead to the conclusion that to design efficient VIV energy harvesters, the bluff body should be aligned with the beam for low wind speeds (<2 m/s) and perpendicular to the beam at high wind speeds (>2 m/s)

A systematic review of the effect of oral glucocorticoids on energy intake, appetite, and body weight in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Berthon, Bronwyn S; MacDonald-Wicks, Lesley K; Wood, Lisa G

2014-03-01

Obesity is a serious risk factor for chronic disease, and commonly prescribed oral glucocorticoids (OCS) may be contributing to the prevalence of obesity. The objective of this review was to assess the impact of OCS on obesity in humans through effects on body weight (BW), energy intake, appetite, and body composition. An electronic search of English language peer-reviewed studies from 1973 up to March 2012 was conducted using Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases. Original studies that addressed the effects of OCS on appetite, energy intake, BW, or body composition in adults were considered eligible. Data from 21 studies with objectively measured outcomes were extracted and assessed for quality using standardized tools. The publication year varied from 1986 to 2013, and the sample size, from 6 to 189. Energy intake was measured in 6 studies; BW, in 19 studies; energy expenditure, in 3 studies; body composition, in 6 studies; and appetite was evaluated in 3 studies. Short-term oral glucocorticoid therapy may result in small increases in energy intake but does not appear to result in increased BW, possibly due to an increase in energy expenditure. Long-term therapy may result in clinically significant weight gain. Within-subject variation due to metabolism and physical activity levels confounds the relationship. A dose-response relationship of oral glucocorticoid therapy on energy intake, appetite, BW, or body composition was not found. Additional well-designed, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials that use standardized doses of OCS and assess the effects on appetite, energy intake, BW, and composition are strongly justified to confirm the findings of this review. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modulation of hepatic inflammation and energy-sensing pathways in the rat liver by high-fructose diet and chronic stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Veličković, Nataša; Teofilović, Ana; Ilić, Dragana; Djordjevic, Ana; Vojnović Milutinović, Danijela; Petrović, Snježana; Preitner, Frederic; Tappy, Luc; Matić, Gordana

2018-05-29

High-fructose consumption and chronic stress are both associated with metabolic inflammation and insulin resistance. Recently, disturbed activity of energy sensor AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) was recognized as mediator between nutrient-induced stress and inflammation. Thus, we analyzed the effects of high-fructose diet, alone or in combination with chronic stress, on glucose homeostasis, inflammation and expression of energy sensing proteins in the rat liver. In male Wistar rats exposed to 9-week 20% fructose diet and/or 4-week chronic unpredictable stress we measured plasma and hepatic corticosterone level, indicators of glucose homeostasis and lipid metabolism, hepatic inflammation (pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels, Toll-like receptor 4, NLRP3, activation of NFκB, JNK and ERK pathways) and levels of energy-sensing proteins AMPK, SIRT1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α). High-fructose diet led to glucose intolerance, activation of NFκB and JNK pathways and increased intrahepatic IL-1β, TNFα and inhibitory phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 on Ser 307 . It also decreased phospho-AMPK/AMPK ratio and increased SIRT1 expression. Stress alone increased plasma and hepatic corticosterone but did not influence glucose tolerance, nor hepatic inflammatory or energy-sensing proteins. After the combined treatment, hepatic corticosterone was increased, glucose tolerance remained preserved, while hepatic inflammation was partially prevented despite decreased AMPK activity. High-fructose diet resulted in glucose intolerance, hepatic inflammation, decreased AMPK activity and reduced insulin sensitivity. Chronic stress alone did not exert such effects, but when applied together with high-fructose diet it could partially prevent fructose-induced inflammation, presumably due to increased hepatic glucocorticoids.

REMOTE SENSING AND SURFACE ENERGY FLUX MODELS TO DERIVE EVAPOTRANSPIRATION AND CROP COEFFICIENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salvatore Barbagallo

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Remote sensing techniques using high resolution satellite images provide opportunities to evaluate daily crop water use and its spatial and temporal distribution on a field by field basis. Mapping this indicator with pixels of few meters of size on extend areas allows to characterize different processes and parameters. Satellite data on vegetation reflectance, integrated with in field measurements of canopy coverage features and the monitoring of energy fluxes through the soil-plant-atmosphere system, allow to estimate conventional irrigation components (ET, Kc thus improving irrigation strategies. In the study, satellite potential evapotranspiration (ETp and crop coefficient (Kc maps of orange orchards are derived using semi-empirical approaches between reflectance data from IKONOS imagery and ground measurements of vegetation features. The monitoring of energy fluxes through the orchard allows to estimate actual crop evapotranspiration (ETa using energy balance and the Surface Renewal theory. The approach indicates substantial promise as an efficient, accurate and relatively inexpensive procedure to predict actual ET fluxes and Kc from irrigated lands.

Regional Estimation of Remotely Sensed Evapotranspiration Using the Surface Energy Balance-Advection (SEB-A Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suhua Liu

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Evapotranspiration (ET is an essential part of the hydrological cycle and accurately estimating it plays a crucial role in water resource management. Surface energy balance (SEB models are widely used to estimate regional ET with remote sensing. The presence of horizontal advection, however, perturbs the surface energy balance system and contributes to the uncertainty of energy influxes. Thus, it is vital to consider horizontal advection when applying SEB models to estimate ET. This study proposes an innovative and simplified approach, the surface energy balance-advection (SEB-A method, which is based on the energy balance theory and also takes into account the horizontal advection to determine ET by remote sensing. The SEB-A method considers that the actual ET consists of two parts: the local ET that is regulated by the energy balance system and the exotic ET that arises from horizontal advection. To evaluate the SEB-A method, it was applied to the middle region of the Heihe River in China. Instantaneous ET for three days were acquired and assessed with ET measurements from eddy covariance (EC systems. The results demonstrated that the ET estimates had a high accuracy, with a correlation coefficient (R2 of 0.713, a mean average error (MAE of 39.3 W/m2 and a root mean square error (RMSE of 54.6 W/m2 between the estimates and corresponding measurements. Percent error was calculated to more rigorously assess the accuracy of these estimates, and it ranged from 0% to 35%, with over 80% of the locations within a 20% error. To better understand the SEB-A method, the relationship between the ET estimates and land use types was analyzed, and the results indicated that the ET estimates had spatial distributions that correlated with vegetation patterns and could well demonstrate the ET differences caused by different land use types. The sensitivity analysis suggested that the SEB-A method requested accurate estimation of the available energy, R n − G

Measuring body composition in overweight individuals by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brownbill, Rhonda A; Ilich, Jasminka Z

2005-01-01

Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is widely used for body composition measurements in normal-weight and overweight/obese individuals. The limitations of bone densitometers have been frequently addressed. However, the possible errors in assessing body composition in overweight individuals due to incorrect positioning or limitations of DXA to accurately assess both bone mineral density and body composition in obese individuals have not received much attention and are the focus of this report. We discuss proper ways of measuring overweight individuals and point to some studies where that might not have been the case. It appears that currently, the most prudent approach to assess body composition of large individuals who cannot fit under the scanning area would be to estimate regional fat, namely the regions of thigh and/or abdomen. Additionally, using two-half body scans, although time consuming, may provide a relatively accurate measurement of total body fat, however, more studies using this technique are needed to validate it. Researchers using bone densitometers for body composition measurements need to have an understanding of its limitations in overweight individuals and address them appropriately when interpreting their results. Studies on accuracy and precision in measurements of both bone and soft tissue composition in overweight individuals using available densitometers are needed

Sense of coherence and burnout in the energy and chemicals industry: The moderating role of age

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanet van der Westhuizen

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Orientation: Organisations are accommodating four different social generations in the working environment. This poses a challenge for Human Resources departments to manage these diverse age cohorts in the workforce, as they are likely to have different needs, values and variables affecting their wellness. Research purpose: The objective of the present study was to assess whether various age groups differ with regard to their sense of coherence and burnout, and whether age significantly moderates the relationship between sense of coherence and burnout. Motivation for the study: Although the literature review suggests that age groups may differ with regard to their sense of coherence and burnout, the findings seem to be somewhat inconclusive in this regard. There also seems to be a paucity of research examining the interaction effect between sense of coherence, burnout and age. Research approach, design and method: A cross-sectional quantitative survey approach was used. A nonprobability convenience sample of adults (N = 246 – employed in South Africa by an international integrated energy and chemicals company – participated in the study. Correlation, analysis of variance (ANOVA and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed to achieve the objectives of the study. Main findings: The results showed that employees between the ages of 51 and 60 years of age experienced higher levels of comprehensibility and lower levels of reduced professional efficacy than their younger counterparts. The relationship between sense of coherence and exhaustion was also stronger for employees between 51 and 60 years old than for younger age categories. Practical/managerial implications: The results of the study can be useful when planning human resource interventions to enhance the well-being of employees from different age groups. Contribution: The results of the study add new insights to the well-being literature by showing that employees’ age is

Energy intake, growth rate and body composition of young Labrador Retrievers and Miniature Schnauzers fed different dietary levels of vitamin A.

Science.gov (United States)

Brenten, Thomas; Morris, Penelope J; Salt, Carina; Raila, Jens; Kohn, Barbara; Brunnberg, Leo; Schweigert, Florian J; Zentek, Jürgen

2014-06-28

Research in rodents has shown that dietary vitamin A reduces body fat by enhancing fat mobilisation and energy utilisation; however, their effects in growing dogs remain unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the development of body weight and body composition and compared observed energy intake with predicted energy intake in forty-nine puppies from two breeds (twenty-four Labrador Retriever (LAB) and twenty-five Miniature Schnauzer (MS)). A total of four different diets with increasing vitamin A content between 5·24 and 104·80 μmol retinol (5000-100 000 IU vitamin A)/4184 kJ (1000 kcal) metabolisable energy were fed from the age of 8 weeks up to 52 (MS) and 78 weeks (LAB). The daily energy intake was recorded throughout the experimental period. The body condition score was evaluated weekly using a seven-category system, and food allowances were adjusted to maintain optimal body condition. Body composition was assessed at the age of 26 and 52 weeks for both breeds and at the age of 78 weeks for the LAB breed only using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The growth curves of the dogs followed a breed-specific pattern. However, data on energy intake showed considerable variability between the two breeds as well as when compared with predicted energy intake. In conclusion, the data show that energy intakes of puppies particularly during early growth are highly variable; however, the growth pattern and body composition of the LAB and MS breeds are not affected by the intake of vitamin A at levels up to 104·80 μmol retinol (100 000 IU vitamin A)/4184 kJ (1000 kcal).

Deficits in agency in schizophrenia, and additional deficits in body image, body schema and internal timing, in passivity symptoms.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyran Trent Graham

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Individuals with schizophrenia, particularly those with passivity symptoms, may not feel in control of their actions, believing them to be controlled by external agents. Cognitive operations that contribute to these symptoms may include abnormal processing in agency, as well as body representations that deal with body schema and body image. However, these operations in schizophrenia are not fully understood, and the questions of general versus specific deficits in individuals with different symptom profiles remain unanswered. Using the projected hand illusion (a digital video version of the rubber hand illusion with syn-chronous and asynchronous stroking (500 ms delay, and a hand laterality judgment task, we assessed sense of agency, body image and body schema in 53 people with clinically stable schizophrenia (with a current, past, and no history of passivity symptoms and 48 healthy controls. The results revealed a stable trait in schizophrenia with no difference be-tween clinical subgroups (sense of agency, and some quantitative (specific differences de-pending on the passivity symptom profile (body image and body schema. Specifically, a reduced sense of self-agency was a common feature of all clinical subgroups. However, subgroup comparisons showed that individuals with passivity symptoms (both current and past had significantly greater deficits on tasks assessing body image and body schema, relative to the other groups. In addition, patients with current passivity symptoms failed to demonstrate the normal reduction in body illusion typically seen with a 500 ms delay in visual feedback (asynchronous condition, suggesting internal timing problems. Altogether, the results underscore self-abnormalities in schizophrenia, provide evidence for both trait abnormalities and state changes specific to passivity symptoms, and point to a role for internal timing deficits as a mechanistic explanation for external cues becoming a possible source of self-body

Validation of the body in psychotherapy

OpenAIRE

Leijssen, Maria

2006-01-01

Psychotherapists can improve verbal psychotherapy by adding a bodily perspective. Different approaches can be situated on a continuum from verbal to nonverbal, and body-oriented interventions can be directed to different aspects of the body. The body as sensed from inside is one source of information. This is different from working with the body as perceived from outside and paying attention to nonverbal communication. In the next stage, major methods are working with the body in action and i...

Distributed Aerodynamic Sensing and Processing Toolbox

Science.gov (United States)

Brenner, Martin; Jutte, Christine; Mangalam, Arun

2011-01-01

A Distributed Aerodynamic Sensing and Processing (DASP) toolbox was designed and fabricated for flight test applications with an Aerostructures Test Wing (ATW) mounted under the fuselage of an F-15B on the Flight Test Fixture (FTF). DASP monitors and processes the aerodynamics with the structural dynamics using nonintrusive, surface-mounted, hot-film sensing. This aerodynamic measurement tool benefits programs devoted to static/dynamic load alleviation, body freedom flutter suppression, buffet control, improvement of aerodynamic efficiency through cruise control, supersonic wave drag reduction through shock control, etc. This DASP toolbox measures local and global unsteady aerodynamic load distribution with distributed sensing. It determines correlation between aerodynamic observables (aero forces) and structural dynamics, and allows control authority increase through aeroelastic shaping and active flow control. It offers improvements in flutter suppression and, in particular, body freedom flutter suppression, as well as aerodynamic performance of wings for increased range/endurance of manned/ unmanned flight vehicles. Other improvements include inlet performance with closed-loop active flow control, and development and validation of advanced analytical and computational tools for unsteady aerodynamics.

Nuclear energy - a vote for good sense. 4. Enlarged Ed. Kernenergie - ein Votum fuer Vernunft

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Waas, U

1986-01-01

What does Chernobyl mean for the current discussion in the public on nuclear energy and its utilisation in the Federal Republic of Germany - what can it mean, and what should it mean. Is it the memento showing us that we ought to abandon nuclear energy. There are many people who now are prepared to do so; for them, the accident there radically changed the situation here - a conclusion which is far from being logical if one compares the Soviet design of nuclear power stations with our German standards. Chernobyl has raised emotions, but fear must not be the only factor determining the decision about an appropriate utilisation of nuclear energy. This is why this enlarged edition of the third, 1981 edition of 'Nuclear energy - a vote for good sense' is published now, with a preface and three chapters in the annex discussing the Chernobyl accident and its consequences. Surprisingly, the answers given five years ago to queries concerning the safety of the peaceful use of nuclear energy still are the same, and still valid.

Many-body theory and Energy Density Functionals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baldo, M. [INFN, Catania (Italy)

2016-07-15

In this paper a method is first presented to construct an Energy Density Functional on a microscopic basis. The approach is based on the Kohn-Sham method, where one introduces explicitly the Nuclear Matter Equation of State, which can be obtained by an accurate many-body calculation. In this way it connects the functional to the bare nucleon-nucleon interaction. It is shown that the resulting functional can be performing as the best Gogny force functional. In the second part of the paper it is shown how one can go beyond the mean-field level and the difficulty that can appear. The method is based on the particle-vibration coupling scheme and a formalism is presented that can handle the correct use of the vibrational degrees of freedom within a microscopic approach. (orig.)

Energy expenditure estimation in beta-blocker-medicated cardiac patients by combining heart rate and body movement data.

Science.gov (United States)

Kraal, Jos J; Sartor, Francesco; Papini, Gabriele; Stut, Wim; Peek, Niels; Kemps, Hareld Mc; Bonomi, Alberto G

2016-11-01

Accurate assessment of energy expenditure provides an opportunity to monitor physical activity during cardiac rehabilitation. However, the available assessment methods, based on the combination of heart rate (HR) and body movement data, are not applicable for patients using beta-blocker medication. Therefore, we developed an energy expenditure prediction model for beta-blocker-medicated cardiac rehabilitation patients. Sixteen male cardiac rehabilitation patients (age: 55.8 ± 7.3 years, weight: 93.1 ± 11.8 kg) underwent a physical activity protocol with 11 low- to moderate-intensity common daily life activities. Energy expenditure was assessed using a portable indirect calorimeter. HR and body movement data were recorded during the protocol using unobtrusive wearable devices. In addition, patients underwent a symptom-limited exercise test and resting metabolic rate assessment. Energy expenditure estimation models were developed using multivariate regression analyses based on HR and body movement data and/or patient characteristics. In addition, a HR-flex model was developed. The model combining HR and body movement data and patient characteristics showed the highest correlation and lowest error (r 2  = 0.84, root mean squared error = 0.834 kcal/minute) with total energy expenditure. The method based on individual calibration data (HR-flex) showed lower accuracy (i 2  = 0.83, root mean squared error = 0.992 kcal/minute). Our results show that combining HR and body movement data improves the accuracy of energy expenditure prediction models in cardiac patients, similar to methods that have been developed for healthy subjects. The proposed methodology does not require individual calibration and is based on the data that are available in clinical practice. © The European Society of Cardiology 2016.

Body mass, Thermogenesis and energy metabolism in Tupaia belangeri during cold acclimation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wan-long Zhu

2012-05-01

Full Text Available In order to study the relationship between energy strategies and environmental temperature, basal metabolic rate (BMR, nonshivering thermogenesis (NST, the total protein contents, mitochondrial protein contents, state and state respiratory ability, cytochrome C oxidase activity Ⅲ Ⅳ of liver, heart, diaphragm, gastrocnemius and brown adipose tissue (BAT, serum leptin level and serum thyroid hormone levels were measured in tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri during cold exposure (5±1oC for 1 day, 7 days,14days,21 days. The results showed that body mass increased, BMR and NST increased, the change of liver mitochondrial protein content was more acutely than total protein. The mitochondrial protein content of heart and BAT were significantly increased during cold-exposed, however the skeletal muscle more moderate reaction. The state Ⅲ and state Ⅳ mitochondrial respiration of these tissues were enhanced significantly than the control. The cytochrome C oxidase activity with cold acclimation also significantly increased except the gastrocnemius. Liver, muscle, BAT, heart and other organs were concerned with thermoregulation during the thermal regulation process above cold-exposed. There is a negative correlation between leptin level and body mass. These results suggested that T. belangeri enhanced thermogenic capacity during cold acclimation, and leptin participated in the regulation of energy balance and body weight in T. belangeri.

SU-C-213-04: Application of Depth Sensing and 3D-Printing Technique for Total Body Irradiation (TBI) Patient Measurement and Treatment Planning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, M; Suh, T [Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Research Institute of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Han, B; Xing, L [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA (United States); Jenkins, C [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA (United States); Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: To develop and validate an innovative method of using depth sensing cameras and 3D printing techniques for Total Body Irradiation (TBI) treatment planning and compensator fabrication. Methods: A tablet with motion tracking cameras and integrated depth sensing was used to scan a RANDOTM phantom arranged in a TBI treatment booth to detect and store the 3D surface in a point cloud (PC) format. The accuracy of the detected surface was evaluated by comparison to extracted measurements from CT scan images. The thickness, source to surface distance and off-axis distance of the phantom at different body section was measured for TBI treatment planning. A 2D map containing a detailed compensator design was calculated to achieve uniform dose distribution throughout the phantom. The compensator was fabricated using a 3D printer, silicone molding and tungsten powder. In vivo dosimetry measurements were performed using optically stimulated luminescent detectors (OSLDs). Results: The whole scan of the anthropomorphic phantom took approximately 30 seconds. The mean error for thickness measurements at each section of phantom compare to CT was 0.44 ± 0.268 cm. These errors resulted in approximately 2% dose error calculation and 0.4 mm tungsten thickness deviation for the compensator design. The accuracy of 3D compensator printing was within 0.2 mm. In vivo measurements for an end-to-end test showed the overall dose difference was within 3%. Conclusion: Motion cameras and depth sensing techniques proved to be an accurate and efficient tool for TBI patient measurement and treatment planning. 3D printing technique improved the efficiency and accuracy of the compensator production and ensured a more accurate treatment delivery.

SU-C-213-04: Application of Depth Sensing and 3D-Printing Technique for Total Body Irradiation (TBI) Patient Measurement and Treatment Planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, M; Suh, T; Han, B; Xing, L; Jenkins, C

2015-01-01

Purpose: To develop and validate an innovative method of using depth sensing cameras and 3D printing techniques for Total Body Irradiation (TBI) treatment planning and compensator fabrication. Methods: A tablet with motion tracking cameras and integrated depth sensing was used to scan a RANDOTM phantom arranged in a TBI treatment booth to detect and store the 3D surface in a point cloud (PC) format. The accuracy of the detected surface was evaluated by comparison to extracted measurements from CT scan images. The thickness, source to surface distance and off-axis distance of the phantom at different body section was measured for TBI treatment planning. A 2D map containing a detailed compensator design was calculated to achieve uniform dose distribution throughout the phantom. The compensator was fabricated using a 3D printer, silicone molding and tungsten powder. In vivo dosimetry measurements were performed using optically stimulated luminescent detectors (OSLDs). Results: The whole scan of the anthropomorphic phantom took approximately 30 seconds. The mean error for thickness measurements at each section of phantom compare to CT was 0.44 ± 0.268 cm. These errors resulted in approximately 2% dose error calculation and 0.4 mm tungsten thickness deviation for the compensator design. The accuracy of 3D compensator printing was within 0.2 mm. In vivo measurements for an end-to-end test showed the overall dose difference was within 3%. Conclusion: Motion cameras and depth sensing techniques proved to be an accurate and efficient tool for TBI patient measurement and treatment planning. 3D printing technique improved the efficiency and accuracy of the compensator production and ensured a more accurate treatment delivery

Nuts Improve Diet Quality Compared to Other Energy-Dense Snacks While Maintaining Body Weight

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siew Ling Tey

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Previous studies have reported that regular nut consumption reduces cardiovascular disease (CVD risk and does not promote weight gain despite the fact that nuts are energy-dense. However, no studies have investigated the body composition of those regularly consuming nuts compared to similar intakes of other snacks of equal energy density. This parallel study (n = 118 examined the effects of providing daily portions (~1100 kJ/d of hazelnuts, chocolate, or potato crisps compared to a control group receiving no snacks for twelve weeks. Effects on body weight and composition, blood lipids and lipoproteins, resting metabolic rate (RMR, appetite indices, and dietary quality were compared. At week 12, there was no significant difference in any of the outcome measurements between the groups except for dietary quality, which improved significantly in the nut group. Nuts can be incorporated into the diet without adversely affecting body weight and can improve diet quality.

In-situ Blockage Monitoring of Sensing Line

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Aijaz Ahmed Mangi

2016-02-01

Full Text Available A reactor vessel level monitoring system measures the water level in a reactor during normal operation and abnormal conditions. A drop in the water level can expose nuclear fuel, which may lead to fuel meltdown and radiation spread in accident conditions. A level monitoring system mainly consists of a sensing line and pressure transmitter. Over a period of time boron sediments or other impurities can clog the line which may degrade the accuracy of the monitoring system. The aim of this study is to determine blockage in a sensing line using the energy of the composite signal. An equivalent Pi circuit model is used to simulate blockages in the sensing line and the system's response is examined under different blockage levels. Composite signals obtained from the model and plant's unblocked and blocked channels are decomposed into six levels of details and approximations using a wavelet filter bank. The percentage of energy is calculated at each level for approximations. It is observed that the percentage of energy reduces as the blockage level in the sensing line increases. The results of the model and operational data are well correlated. Thus, in our opinion variation in the energy levels of approximations can be used as an index to determine the presence and degree of blockage in a sensing line.

Design of wearable hybrid generator for harvesting heat energy from human body depending on physiological activity

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Myoung-Soo; Kim, Min-Ki; Kim, Kyongtae; Kim, Yong-Jun

2017-09-01

We developed a prototype of a wearable hybrid generator (WHG) that is used for harvesting the heat energy of the human body. This WHG is constructed by integrating a thermoelectric generator (TEG) in a circular mesh polyester knit fabric, circular-shaped pyroelectric generator (PEG), and quick sweat-pickup/dry-fabric. The fabric packaging enables the TEG part of the WHG to generate energy steadily while maintaining a temperature difference in extreme temperature environments. Moreover, when the body sweats, the evaporation heat of the sweat leads to thermal fluctuations in the WHG. This phenomenon further leads to an increase in the output power of the WHG. These characteristics of the WHG make it possible to produce electrical energy steadily without reduction in the conversion efficiency, as both TEG and PEG use the same energy source of the human skin and the ambient temperature. Under a temperature difference of ˜6.5 °C and temperature change rate of ˜0.62 °C s-1, the output power and output power density of the WHG, respectively, are ˜4.5 nW and ˜1.5 μW m-2. Our hybrid approach will provide a framework to enhance the output power of the wearable generators that harvest heat energy from human body in various environments.

9Be+120Sn scattering at near-barrier energies within a four-body model

Science.gov (United States)

Arazi, A.; Casal, J.; Rodríguez-Gallardo, M.; Arias, J. M.; Lichtenthäler Filho, R.; Abriola, D.; Capurro, O. A.; Cardona, M. A.; Carnelli, P. F. F.; de Barbará, E.; Fernández Niello, J.; Figueira, J. M.; Fimiani, L.; Hojman, D.; Martí, G. V.; Martínez Heimman, D.; Pacheco, A. J.

2018-04-01

Cross sections for elastic and inelastic scattering of the weakly bound 9Be nucleus on a 120Sn target have been measured at seven bombarding energies around and above the Coulomb barrier. The elastic angular distributions are analyzed with a four-body continuum-discretized coupled-channels (CDCC) calculation, which considers 9Be as a three-body projectile (α +α +n ). An optical model analysis using the São Paulo potential is also shown for comparison. The CDCC analysis shows that the coupling to the continuum part of the spectrum is important for the agreement with experimental data even at energies around the Coulomb barrier, suggesting that breakup is an important process at low energies. At the highest incident energies, two inelastic peaks are observed at 1.19(5) and 2.41(5) MeV. Coupled-channels (CC) calculations using a rotational model confirm that the first inelastic peak corresponds to the excitation of the 21+ state in 120Sn, while the second one likely corresponds to the excitation of the 31- state.

Size matters: the interplay between sensing and size in aquatic environments

Science.gov (United States)

Wadhwa, Navish; Martens, Erik A.; Lindemann, Christian; Jacobsen, Nis S.; Andersen, Ken H.; Visser, Andre

2015-11-01

Sensing the presence or absence of other organisms in the surroundings is critical for the survival of any aquatic organism. This is achieved via the use of various sensory modes such as chemosensing, mechanosensing, vision, hearing, and echolocation. We ask how the size of an organism determines what sensory modes are available to it while others are not. We investigate this by examining the physical laws governing signal generation, transmission, and reception, together with the limits set by physiology. Hydrodynamics plays an important role in sensing; in particular chemosensing and mechanosensing are constrained by the physics of fluid motion at various scales. Through our analysis, we find a hierarchy of sensing modes determined by body size. We theoretically predict the body size limits for various sensory modes, which align well with size ranges found in the literature. Our analysis of all ocean life, from unicellular organisms to whales, demonstrates how body size determines available sensing modes, and thereby acts as a major structuring factor of aquatic life. The Centre for Ocean Life is a VKR center of excellence supported by the Villum Foundation.

Genetic parameters for energy balance, fat /protein ratio, body condition score and disease traits in German Holstein cows.

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Buttchereit, N; Stamer, E; Junge, W; Thaller, G

2012-08-01

Various health problems in dairy cows have been related to the magnitude and duration of the energy deficit post partum. Energy balance indicator traits like fat/protein ratio in milk and body condition score could be used in selection programmes to help predicting breeding values for health traits, but currently there is a lack of appropriate genetic parameters. Therefore, genetic correlations among energy balance, fat/protein ratio, and body condition score, and mastitis, claw and leg diseases, and metabolic disorders were estimated using linear and threshold models on data from 1693 primiparous cows recorded within the first 180 days in milk. Average daily energy balance, milk fat/protein ratio and body condition score were 8 MJ NEL, 1.13 and 2.94, respectively. Disease frequencies (% cows with at least one case) were 24.6% for mastitis, 9.7% for metabolic disorders and 28.2% for claw and leg diseases. Heritability estimates were 0.06, 0.30 and 0.34 for energy balance, fat/protein ratio and body condition score, respectively. For the disease traits, heritabilities ranged between 0.04 and 0.15. The genetic correlations were, in general, associated with large standard errors, but, although not significant, the results suggest that an improvement of overall health can be expected if energy balance traits are included into future breeding programmes. A low fat/protein ratio might serve as an indicator for metabolic stability and health of claw and legs. Between body condition and mastitis, a significant negative correlation of -0.40 was estimated. The study provides a new insight into the role energy balance traits can play as auxiliary traits for robustness of dairy cows. It was concluded that both, fat/protein ratio and body condition score, are potential variables to describe how well cows can adapt to the challenge of early lactation. However, the genetic parameters should be re-estimated on a more comprehensive data set. © 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Effects of once-weekly semaglutide on appetite, energy intake, control of eating, food preference and body weight in subjects with obesity.

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Blundell, John; Finlayson, Graham; Axelsen, Mads; Flint, Anne; Gibbons, Catherine; Kvist, Trine; Hjerpsted, Julie B

2017-09-01

The aim of this trial was to investigate the mechanism of action for body weight loss with semaglutide. This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-period crossover trial investigated the effects of 12 weeks of treatment with once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide, dose-escalated to 1.0 mg, in 30 subjects with obesity. Ad libitum energy intake, ratings of appetite, thirst, nausea and well-being, control of eating, food preference, resting metabolic rate, body weight and body composition were assessed. After a standardised breakfast, semaglutide, compared with placebo, led to a lower ad libitum energy intake during lunch (-1255 kJ; P  energy intake across all ad libitum meals throughout the day (-3036 kJ; P  baseline in mean body weight of 5.0 kg, predominantly from body fat mass. After 12 weeks of treatment, ad libitum energy intake was substantially lower with semaglutide vs placebo with a corresponding loss of body weight observed with semaglutide. In addition to reduced energy intake, likely mechanisms for semaglutide-induced weight loss included less appetite and food cravings, better control of eating and lower relative preference for fatty, energy-dense foods. © 2017 The Authors. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Nutritional Status of Maintenance Dialysis Patients: Low Lean Body Mass Index and Obesity Are Common, Protein-Energy Wasting Is Uncommon.

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Mette Koefoed

Full Text Available Maintenance dialysis patients are at increased risk of abnormal nutritional status due to numerous causative factors, both nutritional and non-nutritional. The present study assessed the current prevalence of protein-energy wasting, low lean body mass index and obesity in maintenance dialysis patients, and compared different methods of nutritional assessment.In a cross-sectional study conducted in 2014 at Roskilde Hospital, Denmark, we performed anthropometry (body weight, skinfolds, mid-arm, waist, and hip circumferences, and determined plasma albumin and normalized protein catabolic rate in order to assess the prevalence of protein-energy wasting, low lean body mass index and obesity in these patients.Seventy-nine eligible maintenance dialysis patients participated. The prevalence of protein-energy wasted patients was 4% (95% CI: 2-12 as assessed by the coexistence of low lean body mass index and low fat mass index. Low lean body mass index was seen in 32% (95% CI: 22-44. Obesity prevalence as assessed from fat mass index was 43% (95% CI: 32-55. Coexistence of low lean body mass index and obesity was seen in 10% (95% CI: 5-19. The prevalence of protein-energy wasting and obesity varied considerably, depending on nutritional assessment methodology.Our data indicate that protein-energy wasting is uncommon, whereas low lean body mass index and obesity are frequent conditions among patients in maintenance dialysis. A focus on how to increase and preserve lean body mass in dialysis patients is suggested in the future. In order to clearly distinguish between shortage, sufficiency and abundance of protein and/or fat deposits in maintenance dialysis patients, we suggest the simple measurements of lean body mass index and fat mass index.

Nutritional Status of Maintenance Dialysis Patients: Low Lean Body Mass Index and Obesity Are Common, Protein-Energy Wasting Is Uncommon.

Science.gov (United States)

Koefoed, Mette; Kromann, Charles Boy; Juliussen, Sophie Ryberg; Hvidtfeldt, Danni; Ekelund, Bo; Frandsen, Niels Erik; Marckmann, Peter

2016-01-01

Maintenance dialysis patients are at increased risk of abnormal nutritional status due to numerous causative factors, both nutritional and non-nutritional. The present study assessed the current prevalence of protein-energy wasting, low lean body mass index and obesity in maintenance dialysis patients, and compared different methods of nutritional assessment. In a cross-sectional study conducted in 2014 at Roskilde Hospital, Denmark, we performed anthropometry (body weight, skinfolds, mid-arm, waist, and hip circumferences), and determined plasma albumin and normalized protein catabolic rate in order to assess the prevalence of protein-energy wasting, low lean body mass index and obesity in these patients. Seventy-nine eligible maintenance dialysis patients participated. The prevalence of protein-energy wasted patients was 4% (95% CI: 2-12) as assessed by the coexistence of low lean body mass index and low fat mass index. Low lean body mass index was seen in 32% (95% CI: 22-44). Obesity prevalence as assessed from fat mass index was 43% (95% CI: 32-55). Coexistence of low lean body mass index and obesity was seen in 10% (95% CI: 5-19). The prevalence of protein-energy wasting and obesity varied considerably, depending on nutritional assessment methodology. Our data indicate that protein-energy wasting is uncommon, whereas low lean body mass index and obesity are frequent conditions among patients in maintenance dialysis. A focus on how to increase and preserve lean body mass in dialysis patients is suggested in the future. In order to clearly distinguish between shortage, sufficiency and abundance of protein and/or fat deposits in maintenance dialysis patients, we suggest the simple measurements of lean body mass index and fat mass index.

Central Modulation of Neuroinflammation by Neuropeptides and Energy-Sensing Hormones during Obesity

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Roger Maldonado-Ruiz

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Central nervous system (CNS senses energy homeostasis by integrating both peripheral and autonomic signals and responding to them by neurotransmitters and neuropeptides release. Although it is previously considered an immunologically privileged organ, we now know that this is not so. Cells belonging to the immune system, such as B and T lymphocytes, can be recruited into the CNS to face damage or infection, in addition to possessing resident immunological cells, called microglia. In this way, positive energy balance during obesity promotes an inflammatory state in the CNS. Saturated fatty acids from the diet have been pointed out as powerful candidates to trigger immune response in peripheral system and in the CNS. However, how central immunity communicates to peripheral immune response remains to be clarified. Recently there has been a great interest in the neuropeptides, POMC derived peptides, ghrelin, and leptin, due to their capacity to suppress or induce inflammatory responses in the brain, respectively. These may be potential candidates to treat different pathologies associated with autoimmunity and inflammation. In this review, we will discuss the role of lipotoxicity associated with positive energy balance during obesity in proinflammatory response in microglia, B and T lymphocytes, and its modulation by neuropeptides.

Contribution of anaerobic energy expenditure to whole body thermogenesis

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Scott Christopher B

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Heat production serves as the standard measurement for the determination of energy expenditure and efficiency in animals. Estimations of metabolic heat production have traditionally focused on gas exchange (oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide production although direct heat measurements may include an anaerobic component particularly when carbohydrate is oxidized. Stoichiometric interpretations of the ratio of carbon dioxide production to oxygen uptake suggest that both anaerobic and aerobic heat production and, by inference, all energy expenditure – can be accounted for with a measurement of oxygen uptake as 21.1 kJ per liter of oxygen. This manuscript incorporates contemporary bioenergetic interpretations of anaerobic and aerobic ATP turnover to promote the independence of these disparate types of metabolic energy transfer: each has different reactants and products, uses dissimilar enzymes, involves different types of biochemical reactions, takes place in separate cellular compartments, exploits different types of gradients and ultimately each operates with distinct efficiency. The 21.1 kJ per liter of oxygen for carbohydrate oxidation includes a small anaerobic heat component as part of anaerobic energy transfer. Faster rates of ATP turnover that exceed mitochondrial respiration and that are supported by rapid glycolytic phosphorylation with lactate production result in heat production that is independent of oxygen uptake. Simultaneous direct and indirect calorimetry has revealed that this anaerobic heat does not disappear when lactate is later oxidized and so oxygen uptake does not adequately measure anaerobic efficiency or energy expenditure (as was suggested by the "oxygen debt" hypothesis. An estimate of anaerobic energy transfer supplements the measurement of oxygen uptake and may improve the interpretation of whole-body energy expenditure.

Association between body energy content in the dry period and post-calving production disease status in dairy cattle.

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Smith, G L; Friggens, N C; Ashworth, C J; Chagunda, M G G

2017-09-01

The transition from gestation to lactation is marked by significant physiological changes for the individual cow such that disease incidence is highest in early lactation. Around the time of calving, cows rely on mobilisation of body energy reserves to fill the energy deficit created by an increase in nutrient demands at a time of restricted feed intake. It is well established that monitoring of body energy reserves in lactation is an important component of herd health management. However, despite their influence on future health and productivity, monitoring of body energy reserves in the dry period is often sparse. Further, there is increasing concern that current dry off management is inappropriate for modern cattle and may influence future disease risk. This study aimed to identify candidate indicators of early lactation production disease from body energy data collected in the dry period and production data recorded at the time of dry off. Retrospective analysis was performed on 482 cow-lactations collected from a long-term Holstein-Friesian genetic and management systems project, the Langhill herd in Scotland. Cow-lactations were assigned to one of four health groups based on health status in the first 30 days of lactation. These four groups were as follows: healthy, reproductive tract disorders (retained placenta and metritis), subclinical mastitis and metabolic disorders (ketosis, hypocalcaemia, hypomagnesaemia and left displaced abomasum). ANOVA, employing a GLM was used to determine effects for the candidate indicator traits. Cows which were diagnosed with a reproductive tract disorder in the first 30 days of lactation experienced a significantly greater loss in body energy content, body condition score and weight in the preceding dry period than healthy cows. The rate of change in body energy content during the first 15 days of the dry period was -18.26 MJ/day for cows which developed reproductive tract disorder compared with +0.63 MJ/day for healthy cows

The Urban Fabric of the City as Its Affects Thermal Energy Responses Derived from Remote Sensing Data

Science.gov (United States)

Quattrochi, Dale A.; Luvall, Jeffrey C.; Estes, Maurice G., Jr.

2000-01-01

The physical geography of the city affects numerous aspects of its interlinked biophysical, social, and land-atmosphere characteristics - those attributes that come together to form the total urban environment. One approach to studying the multitude of interactions that occur as a result of urbanization is to view the city from a systems ecology perspective, where energy and material cycle into and out of the urban milieu. Thus, the urban ecosystem is synergistic in linking land, air, water, and living organisms in a vast network of interrelated physical, human, and biological process. Given the number and the shear complexity of the exchanges and, ultimately, their effects, that occur within the urban environment, we are focusing our research on looking at how the morphology or urban fabric of the city, drives thermal energy exchanges across the urban landscape. The study of thermal energy attributes for different cities provides insight into how thermal fluxes and characteristics are partitioned across the city landscape in response to each city's morphology. We are using thermal infrared remote sensing data obtained at a high spatial resolution from aircraft, along with satellite data, to identify and quantify thermal energy characteristics for 4 U.S. cities: Atlanta, GA, Baton Rouge, LA, Salt Lake City, UT, and Sacramento, CA. Analysis of how thermal energy is spatially distributed across the urban landscapes for these cities provides a unique perspective for understanding how the differing morphology of cities forces land-atmosphere exchanges, such as the urban heat island effect, as well as related meteorological and air quality interactions. Keyword: urban ecosystems, remote sensing, urban heat island

Implanted telemeter for electrocardiogram and body temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Barrows, W. F.

1972-01-01

Measuring system requiring one blocking oscillator to generate modulated pulse repetition rate is implantable in the bodies of small animals. Device has life of two years and transmission range of about three feet. EKG sensing unit also is used to sense electromyogram or electrooculogram of laboratory animals.

Animal physiology. Summer declines in activity and body temperature offer polar bears limited energy savings.

Science.gov (United States)

Whiteman, J P; Harlow, H J; Durner, G M; Anderson-Sprecher, R; Albeke, S E; Regehr, E V; Amstrup, S C; Ben-David, M

2015-07-17

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) summer on the sea ice or, where it melts, on shore. Although the physiology of "ice" bears in summer is unknown, "shore" bears purportedly minimize energy losses by entering a hibernation-like state when deprived of food. Such a strategy could partially compensate for the loss of on-ice foraging opportunities caused by climate change. However, here we report gradual, moderate declines in activity and body temperature of both shore and ice bears in summer, resembling energy expenditures typical of fasting, nonhibernating mammals. Also, we found that to avoid unsustainable heat loss while swimming, bears employed unusual heterothermy of the body core. Thus, although well adapted to seasonal ice melt, polar bears appear susceptible to deleterious declines in body condition during the lengthening period of summer food deprivation. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Four-body wave function of π3He-system at the threshold energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pupyshev, V.V.; Rakityanskij, S.A.

1985-01-01

On the basis of approximate four-body equations the wave function of π 3 He-system is calculated at zero kinetic energy of the pion. In the case when distances between all four particles are comparable with the nucleus size a strong distortion of the wave function of (3N)-subsystem caused by the presence of the pion is found. The calculated four-body function is represented in a semianalytical form, which makes it possible to apply it in different calculations

Body composition in hemodialysis patients measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stenver, Doris Irene; Gotfredsen, Arne; Hilsted, J

1995-01-01

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measures three of the principal components of the body: fat mass, lean soft-tissue mass (comprising muscle, inner organs, and the body water), and the bone mineral content. The purpose of this study was to test the estimation capacity of DXA when it is applied...... and reduction in fat-free mass (lean soft-tissue mass plus bone mineral content) was observed by DXA. The estimation of the fat-free mass was independent of the amount of fluid loss. No significant differences in variance between the data obtained before and after the dialysis were observed. We conclude...

Graphene papers: smart architecture and specific functionalization for biomimetics, electrocatalytic sensing and energy storage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Minwei; Hou, Chengyi; Halder, Arnab

2017-01-01

for their critical applications associated with sensing, environmental and energy technologies. The contents of this review are based on a balance combination of our own studies and selected research studies done by worldwide academic groups. We first give a brief introduction to graphene as a versatile building...... block and to the current status of research studies on graphene papers. This is followed by addressing some crucial methods of how to prepare graphene papers. We then summarize multiple possibilities of functionalizing graphene papers, membranes or films. Finally, we evaluate some key applications...

Stochastic evaluation of second-order many-body perturbation energies.

Science.gov (United States)

Willow, Soohaeng Yoo; Kim, Kwang S; Hirata, So

2012-11-28

With the aid of the Laplace transform, the canonical expression of the second-order many-body perturbation correction to an electronic energy is converted into the sum of two 13-dimensional integrals, the 12-dimensional parts of which are evaluated by Monte Carlo integration. Weight functions are identified that are analytically normalizable, are finite and non-negative everywhere, and share the same singularities as the integrands. They thus generate appropriate distributions of four-electron walkers via the Metropolis algorithm, yielding correlation energies of small molecules within a few mE(h) of the correct values after 10(8) Monte Carlo steps. This algorithm does away with the integral transformation as the hotspot of the usual algorithms, has a far superior size dependence of cost, does not suffer from the sign problem of some quantum Monte Carlo methods, and potentially easily parallelizable and extensible to other more complex electron-correlation theories.

Embedded piezoelectrics for sensing and energy harvesting in total knee replacement units

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Brooke E.; Meneghini, Michael; Anton, Steven R.

2015-04-01

The knee replacement is the second most common orthopedic surgical intervention in the United States, but currently only 1 in 5 knee replacement patients are satisfied with their level of pain reduction one year after surgery. It is imperative to make the process of knee replacement surgery more objective by developing a data driven approach to ligamentous balance, which increases implant life. In this work, piezoelectric materials are considered for both sensing and energy harvesting applications in total knee replacement implants. This work aims to embed piezoelectric material in the polyethylene bearing of a knee replacement unit to act as self-powered sensors that will aid in the alignment and balance of the knee replacement by providing intraoperative feedback to the surgeon. Postoperatively, the piezoelectric sensors can monitor the structural health of the implant in order to perceive potential problems before they become bothersome to the patient. Specifically, this work will present on the use of finite element modeling coupled with uniaxial compression testing to prove that piezoelectric stacks can be utilized to harvest sufficient energy to power sensors needed for this application.

Relatively high-protein or 'low-carb' energy-restricted diets for body weight loss and body weight maintenance?

Science.gov (United States)

Soenen, Stijn; Bonomi, Alberto G; Lemmens, Sofie G T; Scholte, Jolande; Thijssen, Myriam A M A; van Berkum, Frank; Westerterp-Plantenga, Margriet S

2012-10-10

'Low-carb' diets have been suggested to be effective in body weight (BW) management. However, these diets are relatively high in protein as well. To unravel whether body-weight loss and weight-maintenance depends on the high-protein or the 'low-carb' component of the diet. Body-weight (BW), fat mass (FM), blood- and urine-parameters of 132 participants (age=50 ± 12 yr; BW=107 ± 20 kg; BMI=37 ± 6 kg/m(2); FM=47.5 ± 11.9 kg) were compared after 3 and 12 months between four energy-restricted diets with 33% of energy requirement for the first 3 months, and 67% for the last 9 months: normal-protein normal-carbohydrate (NPNC), normal-protein low-carbohydrate (NPLC); high-protein normal-carbohydrate (HPNC), high-protein low-carbohydrate (HPLC); 24h N-analyses confirmed daily protein intakes for the normal-protein diets of 0.7 ± 0.1 and for the high-protein diets of 1.1 ± 0.2g/kg BW (pvs. NP (-11.5 ± 4 kg; -9.3 ± 0.7 kg) (pvs. NC (-12.3 ± 3 kg; -10.3 ± 1.1 kg) (ns). Diet × time interaction showed HPLC (-14.7 ± 5 kg; -11.9 ± 1.6 kg) vs. HPNC (-13.8 ± 3 kg; -11.9 ± 1.8 kg) (ns); NPLC (-12.2 ± 4 kg; -10.0 ± 0.8 kg) vs. NPNC (-10.7 ± 4 kg; -8.6 ± 0.7 kg) (ns); HPLC vs. NPLC (pvs. NPNC (pvs. NP (-8.9 ± 3 kg; -7.7 ± 0.6 kg) (pvs. NC (11.1 ± 3 kg; 9.3 ± 0.7 kg) (ns). Diet × time interaction showed HPLC (-11.6 ± 5 kg ; -8.2 ± 0.7 kg) vs. HPNC (-14.1 ± 4 kg; -10.0 ± 0.9 kg) (ns); NPNC (-8.2 ± 3 kg; -6.7 ± 0.6 kg) vs. NPLC (-9.7 ± 3 kg; -8.5 ± 0.7 kg) (ns); HPLC vs. NPLC (pvs. NPNC (pvs. all other diets reduced diastolic blood pressure more. Relationships between changes in BW, FM, FFM or metabolic parameters and energy percentage of fat in the diet were not statistically significant. Metabolic profile and fat-free-mass were improved following weight-loss. Body-weight loss and weight-maintenance depends on the high-protein, but not on the 'low-carb' component of the diet, while it is unrelated to the concomitant fat-content of the diet. Copyright �

Comparison of Body Composition and Energy Intake of Young Female Ballet Dancers and Ordinary School Girls

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Kalniņa Līga

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to assess body fat level, energy and nutrient intake of adolescent ballet dancers and to compare these results with those of adolescents from ordinary school. Participants included 39 ballet dancers and 70 adolescents from ordinary school. Body composition was measured using a multi-frequency 8-polar bioelectrical impedance leg-to-hand analyser (X-Scan Plus II, Korea. Dietary intakes were assessed using a three-day estimated food record. Nutritional intake was calculated using the Nutri Survey software. Ballet dancers were slightly shorter, lighter, with less fat and fat-free mass compared to girls from ordinary school. 51.3% (95% CI 35.59 to 66.97 of ballet dancers and 4% (95% CI; 0.27 to 11.15 of ordinary school girls had a body fat level of 12% or less. The recommended amount of 35–45 kcal energy to kg fat-free mass for aesthetic sports was not reached by 42.1% (95% CI 27.61 to 50.65% of ballet dancers. No statistically significant difference was found in percent body fat between ballet dancers who consumed energy less than the recommended amount compared to those who ate normally, but fatfree mass (p < 0.05 was lower in those who consumed 35–45 kcal energy to kg fat-free mass or less compared to those who ate more. The investigated groups had an inadequate intake of minerals and vitamins during the winter period.

Body motion and physics: How elementary school students use gesture and action to make sense of the physical world

Science.gov (United States)

Noble, Tracy

This study is an exploration of the role of physical activity in making sense of the physical world. Recent work on embodied cognition has helped to break down the barrier between the body and cognition, providing the inspiration for this work. In this study, I asked ten elementary-school students to explain to me how a toy parachute works. The methods used were adapted from those used to study the role of the body in cognition in science education, child development, and psychology. This study focused on the processes of learning rather than on measuring learning outcomes. Multiple levels of analysis were pursued in a mixed-method research design. The first level was individual analyses of two students' utterances and body motions. These analyses provided initial hypotheses about the interaction of speech and body motion in students' developing understandings. The second level was group analyses of all ten students' data, in search of patterns and relationships between body motion and speech production across all the student-participants. Finally, a third level of analysis was used to explore all cases in which students produced analogies while they discussed how the parachute works. The multiple levels of analysis used in this study allowed for raising and answering some questions, and allowed for the characterization of both individual differences and group commonalities. The findings of this study show that there are several significant patterns of interaction between body motion and speech that demonstrate a role for the body in cognition. The use of sensory feedback from physical interactions with objects to create new explanations, and the use of interactions with objects to create blended spaces to support the construction of analogies are two of these patterns. Future work is needed to determine the generalizability of these patterns to other individuals and other learning contexts. However, the existence of these patterns lends concrete support to the

I Move, therefore I am - A Comment on "The Importance of Sensing One's Movements in the World for the Sense of Personal Identity" by Haselager, Broens, & Quilici Gonzalez

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandro Nannini

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The position taken by Haselager, Broens and Quilici Gonzalez in The Importance of Sensing One’s Movements in the World for the Sense of Personal Identity consists in three fundamental theses which can be summarized as follows: (1 The fundamental core of human self-consciousness is not language or thought but the body sense; (2 The traditional dichotomy between external and internal senses is false; (3 There is no prominence of the brain over the rest of the body with regard to the sense of identity that every human being has. This paper aims at showing that – while thesis (1 is perfectly convincing - theses (2 and (3 must be revisited in part since they are too committed to the kind of anti-representationalism proposed by Brooks. In fact, several experimental findings (see above all the vestibulo-ocular reflex show – in contrast to (2 – that the brain distinguishes even at a purely perceptual level between self and external world. Moreover, while other experiments do confirm the “importance”of the body for cognition and the steady interaction between the brain and the body including for the execution of cognitive tasks, they also show – in contrast to (3 – that the influence of bodily movement on the associative areas of the cortex is not directly due to the motor schemata that direct bodily movements but to “higher” brain representations of actions each of which can be executed by different motor schemata.

Formation Mechanism and Binding Energy for Body-Centred Regular Icosahedral Structure of Li13 Cluster

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Weina; Li Ping; Gou Qingquan; Zhao Yanping

2008-01-01

The formation mechanism for the body-centred regular icosahedral structure of Li 13 cluster is proposed. The curve of the total energy versus the separation R between the nucleus at the centre and nuclei at the apexes for this structure of Li 13 has been calculated by using the method of Gou's modified arrangement channel quantum mechanics (MACQM). The result shows that the curve has a minimal energy of -96.951 39 a.u. at R = 5.46a 0 . When R approaches to infinity, the total energy of thirteen lithium atoms has the value of -96.564 38 a.u. So the binding energy of Li 13 with respect to thirteen lithium atoms is 0.387 01 a.u. Therefore the binding energy per atom for Li 13 is 0.029 77 a.u. or 0.810 eV, which is greater than the binding energy per atom of 0.453 eV for Li 2 , 0.494 eV for Li 3 , 0.7878 eV for Li 4 , 0.632 eV for Li 5 , and 0.674 eV for Li 7 calculated by us previously. This means that the Li 13 cluster may be formed stably in a body-centred regular icosahedral structure with a greater binding energy

The sense of agency

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ritterband-Rosenbaum, Anina

Imagine that you are reaching for a cup of coffee. You experience that you are moving and that you have control of the movement you are executing. This feeling of control of your own body and the movements it is performing is called the sense of agency. This thesis consists of four studies which ...

Insulin modulates energy and substrate sensing and protein catabolism induced by chronic peritonitis in skeletal muscle of neonatal pigs

Science.gov (United States)

Acute infection promotes skeletal muscle wasting and insulin resistance, but the effect of insulin on energy and substrate sensing in skeletal muscle of chronically infected neonates has not been studied. Eighteen 2-d-old pigs underwent cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) or sham surgery (CON) to ind...

Flexible one-structure arched triboelectric nanogenerator based on common electrode for high efficiency energy harvesting and self-powered motion sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xi; He, Jian; Song, Linlin; Zhang, Zengxing; Tian, Zhumei; Wen, Tao; Zhai, Cong; Chen, Yi; Cho, Jundong; Chou, Xiujian; Xue, Chenyang

2018-04-01

Triboelectric nanogenerators are widely used because of low cost, simple manufacturing process and high output performance. In this work, a flexible one-structure arched triboelectric nanogenerator (FOAT), based on common electrode to combine the single-electrode mode and contact-separation, was designed using silicone rubber, epoxy resin and flexible electrode. The peak-to-peak short circuit current of 18μ A and the peak-to-peak open circuit voltage of 570V can be obtained from the FOAT with the size of 5×7 cm2 under the frequency of 3Hz and the pressure of 300N. The peak-to-peak short circuit current of FOAT is increased by 29% and 80%, and the peak-to-peak open circuit voltage is increased by 33% and 54% compared with single-electrode mode and contact-separation mode, respectively. FOAT realizes the combination of two generation modes, which improves the output performance of triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). 62 light-emitting-diodes (LEDs) can be completely lit up and 2.2μ F capacitor can be easily charged to 1.2V in 9s. When the FOAT is placed at different parts of the human body, the human motion energy can be harvested and be the sensing signal for motion monitoring sensor. Based on the above characteristics, FOAT exhibits great potential in illumination, power supplies for wearable electronic devices and self-powered motion monitoring sensor via harvesting the energy of human motion.

Self powered sensing by combining novel sensor architectures with energy harvesting

Science.gov (United States)

Bedekar, Vishwas Narayan

The sensing techniques investigated in this thesis utilize piezoelectric materials, piezoresistive materials, and magnetoelectric composites. Prior studies on structural health monitoring have demonstrated the use and promise of piezoelectric sensors. In this research, impedance spectroscopy based sensing technique was investigated with respect to two parameters (i) effect of the piezoelectric vibration mode on damage index metric, and (ii) selection of frequency band through manipulation of the electrode size and shape. These results were then used to determine sensor geometry and dimensions for detecting surface defects, fatigue and corrosion. Based upon these results, power requirement for structural health monitoring sensors was determined. Next, piezoelectric materials were coupled with magnetostrictive material for novel magnetic field gradient sensing. The ceramic -- ceramic (CC) gradiometer resembles in functionality a magnetoelectric transformer. It measures the magnetic field gradient and sensitivity with respect to a reference value. The CC gradiometer designed in this study was based upon the magnetoelectric (ME) composites and utilizes the ring-dot piezoelectric transformer structure working near resonance as the basis. This study investigated the gradiometer design and characterized the performance of gradiometer based upon Terfenol--D -- PZT composites. Based upon these results, next a metal -- ceramic gradiometer consisting of PZT and nickel was designed and characterized. In this thesis, two different designs of gradiometer with nickel and PZT laminate composites were fabricated. Nickel was chosen over other materials considering its co-firing ability with PZT. It can give a better control over dimensional parameters of the gradiometer sample and further size reduction is possible with tape casting technique. Detailed theoretical analysis was conducted in order to understand the experimental results. In order to significantly reduce the power

Sensing and Classifying Impairments of GPS Reception on Mobile Devices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blunck, Henrik; Kjærgaard, Mikkel Baun; Toftegaard, Thomas Skjødeberg

2011-01-01

Positioning using GPS receivers is a primary sensing modality in many areas of pervasive computing. However, previous work has not considered how people’s body impacts the availability and accuracy of GPS positioning and for means to sense such impacts. We present results that the GPS performance...

Green Cooperative Spectrum Sensing and Scheduling in Heterogeneous Cognitive Radio Networks

KAUST Repository

Celik, Abdulkadir

2016-09-12

In this paper, we consider heterogeneous cognitive radio networks (CRNs) comprising primary channels (PCs) with heterogeneous characteristics and secondary users (SUs) with various sensing and reporting qualities for different PCs. We first define the opportunity as the achievable total data rate and its cost as the energy consumption caused from sensing, reporting, and channel switching operations and formulate a joint spectrum discovery and energy efficiency objective to minimize the energy spent per unit of data rate. Then, a mixed integer nonlinear programming problem is formulated to determine: 1) the optimal subset of PCs to be scheduled for sensing; 2) the SU assignment set for each scheduled PC; and 3) sensing durations and detection thresholds of each SU on PCs it is assigned to sense. Thereafter, an equivalent convex framework is developed for specific instances of the above combinatorial problem. For comparison, optimal detection and sensing thresholds are also derived analytically under the homogeneity assumption. Based on these, a prioritized ordering heuristic is developed to order channels under the spectrum, energy, and spectrum-energy limited regimes. After that, a scheduling and assignment heuristic is proposed and is shown to perform very close to the exhaustive optimal solution. Finally, the behavior of the CRN is numerically analyzed under these regimes with respect to different numbers of SUs, PCs, and sensing qualities.

Underreporting of energy, protein and potassium intake in relation to body mass index

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heerstrass, D W; Ocké, M C; Bueno De Mesquita, H Bas; Peeters, P.H.; Seidell, J C

BACKGROUND: Differential underreporting of dietary intake by subgroups of body mass index (BMI) will confound associations between dietary intake and BMI-related diseases. We estimated the magnitude of BMI-related underreporting for energy, protein, and potassium intake for the Dutch cohorts of the

Non-Destructive Current Sensing for Energy Efficiency Monitoring in Buildings with Environmental Certification.

Science.gov (United States)

Mota, Lia Toledo Moreira; Mota, Alexandre de Assis; Coiado, Lorenzo Campos

2015-07-10

Nowadays, buildings environmental certifications encourage the implementation of initiatives aiming to increase energy efficiency in buildings. In these certification systems, increased energy efficiency arising from such initiatives must be demonstrated. Thus, a challenge to be faced is how to check the increase in energy efficiency related to each of the employed initiatives without a considerable building retrofit. In this context, this work presents a non-destructive method for electric current sensing to assess implemented initiatives to increase energy efficiency in buildings with environmental certification. This method proposes the use of a sensor that can be installed directly in the low voltage electrical circuit conductors that are powering the initiative under evaluation, without the need for reforms that result in significant costs, repair, and maintenance. The proposed sensor consists of three elements: an air-core transformer current sensor, an amplifying/filtering stage, and a microprocessor. A prototype of the proposed sensor was developed and tests were performed to validate this sensor. Based on laboratory tests, it was possible to characterize the proposed current sensor with respect to the number of turns and cross-sectional area of the primary and secondary coils. Furthermore, using the Least Squares Method, it was possible to determine the efficiency of the air core transformer current sensor (the best efficiency found, considering different test conditions, was 2%), which leads to a linear output response.

Non-Destructive Current Sensing for Energy Efficiency Monitoring in Buildings with Environmental Certification

Science.gov (United States)

Mota, Lia Toledo Moreira; Mota, Alexandre de Assis; Coiado, Lorenzo Campos

2015-01-01

Nowadays, buildings environmental certifications encourage the implementation of initiatives aiming to increase energy efficiency in buildings. In these certification systems, increased energy efficiency arising from such initiatives must be demonstrated. Thus, a challenge to be faced is how to check the increase in energy efficiency related to each of the employed initiatives without a considerable building retrofit. In this context, this work presents a non-destructive method for electric current sensing to assess implemented initiatives to increase energy efficiency in buildings with environmental certification. This method proposes the use of a sensor that can be installed directly in the low voltage electrical circuit conductors that are powering the initiative under evaluation, without the need for reforms that result in significant costs, repair, and maintenance. The proposed sensor consists of three elements: an air-core transformer current sensor, an amplifying/filtering stage, and a microprocessor. A prototype of the proposed sensor was developed and tests were performed to validate this sensor. Based on laboratory tests, it was possible to characterize the proposed current sensor with respect to the number of turns and cross-sectional area of the primary and secondary coils. Furthermore, using the Least Squares Method, it was possible to determine the efficiency of the air core transformer current sensor (the best efficiency found, considering different test conditions, was 2%), which leads to a linear output response. PMID:26184208

Non-Destructive Current Sensing for Energy Efficiency Monitoring in Buildings with Environmental Certification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lia Toledo Moreira Mota

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, buildings environmental certifications encourage the implementation of initiatives aiming to increase energy efficiency in buildings. In these certification systems, increased energy efficiency arising from such initiatives must be demonstrated. Thus, a challenge to be faced is how to check the increase in energy efficiency related to each of the employed initiatives without a considerable building retrofit. In this context, this work presents a non-destructive method for electric current sensing to assess implemented initiatives to increase energy efficiency in buildings with environmental certification. This method proposes the use of a sensor that can be installed directly in the low voltage electrical circuit conductors that are powering the initiative under evaluation, without the need for reforms that result in significant costs, repair, and maintenance. The proposed sensor consists of three elements: an air-core transformer current sensor, an amplifying/filtering stage, and a microprocessor. A prototype of the proposed sensor was developed and tests were performed to validate this sensor. Based on laboratory tests, it was possible to characterize the proposed current sensor with respect to the number of turns and cross-sectional area of the primary and secondary coils. Furthermore, using the Least Squares Method, it was possible to determine the efficiency of the air core transformer current sensor (the best efficiency found, considering different test conditions, was 2%, which leads to a linear output response.

Scaling the energy conversion rate from magnetic field reconnection to different bodies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mozer, F. S.; Hull, A.

2010-01-01

Magnetic field reconnection is often invoked to explain electromagnetic energy conversion in planetary magnetospheres, stellar coronae, and other astrophysical objects. Because of the huge dynamic range of magnetic fields in these bodies, it is important to understand energy conversion as a function of magnetic field strength and related parameters. It is conjectured theoretically and shown experimentally that the energy conversion rate per unit area in reconnection scales as the cube of an appropriately weighted magnetic field strength divided by the square root of an appropriately weighted density. With this functional dependence, the energy release in flares on the Sun, the large and rapid variation of the magnetic flux in the tail of Mercury, and the apparent absence of reconnection on Jupiter and Saturn, may be understood. Electric fields at the perihelion of the Solar Probe Plus mission may be tens of V/m.

Remotely sensed data fusion for offshore wind energy resource mapping; Fusion de donnees satellitaires pour la cartographie du potentiel eolien offshore

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ben Ticha, M.B

2007-11-15

Wind energy is a component of an energy policy contributing to a sustainable development. Last years, offshore wind parks have been installed offshore. These parks benefit from higher wind speeds and lower turbulence than onshore. To sit a wind park, it is necessary to have a mapping of wind resource. These maps are needed at high spatial resolution to show wind energy resource variations at the scale of a wind park. Wind resource mapping is achieved through the description of the spatial variations of statistical parameters characterizing wind climatology. For a precise estimation of these statistical parameters, high temporal resolution wind speed and direction measurements are needed. However, presently, there is no data source allying high spatial resolution and high temporal resolution. We propose a data fusion method taking advantage of the high spatial resolution of some remote sensing instruments (synthetic aperture radars) and the high temporal resolution of other remote sensing instruments (scatterometers). The data fusion method is applied to a case study and the results quality is assessed. The results show the pertinence of data fusion for the mapping of wind energy resource offshore. (author)

Liquid Level Sensing System

Science.gov (United States)

Korman, Valentin (Inventor); Wiley, John T. (Inventor); Duffell, Amanda G. (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A liquid level sensing system includes waveguides disposed in a liquid and distributed along a path with a gap between adjacent waveguides. A source introduces electromagnetic energy into the waveguides at a first end of the path. A portion of the electromagnetic energy exits the waveguides at a second end of the path. A detector measures the portion of the electromagnetic energy exiting the second end of the path.

Core body temperature in obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Heikens, Marc J; Gorbach, Alexander M; Eden, Henry S; Savastano, David M; Chen, Kong Y; Skarulis, Monica C; Yanovski, Jack A

2011-05-01

A lower core body temperature set point has been suggested to be a factor that could potentially predispose humans to develop obesity. We tested the hypothesis that obese individuals have lower core temperatures than those in normal-weight individuals. In study 1, nonobese [body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) temperature-sensing capsules, and we measured core temperatures continuously for 24 h. In study 2, normal-weight (BMI of 18-25) and obese subjects swallowed temperature-sensing capsules to measure core temperatures continuously for ≥48 h and kept activity logs. We constructed daily, 24-h core temperature profiles for analysis. Mean (±SE) daily core body temperature did not differ significantly between the 35 nonobese and 46 obese subjects (36.92 ± 0.03°C compared with 36.89 ± 0.03°C; P = 0.44). Core temperature 24-h profiles did not differ significantly between 11 normal-weight and 19 obese subjects (P = 0.274). Women had a mean core body temperature ≈0.23°C greater than that of men (36.99 ± 0.03°C compared with 36.76 ± 0.03°C; P body temperature. It may be necessary to study individuals with function-altering mutations in core temperature-regulating genes to determine whether differences in the core body temperature set point affect the regulation of human body weight. These trials were registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00428987 and NCT00266500.

Energy expenditure and body composition in children with Crohn's disease: effect of enteral nutrition and treatment with prednisolone

OpenAIRE

Azcue, M; Rashid, M; Griffiths, A; Pencharz, P

1997-01-01

Background—Malnutrition and growth retardation are common complications of Crohn's disease in children. The contribution of resting energy expenditure (REE) to malnutrition is unclear. 
Aims—To characterise the REE and body composition in children with Crohn's disease and compare them with normal controls and patients with anorexia nervosa; to compare the effects of prednisolone and enteral nutrition on energy expenditure and body composition. 
Subjects—Twenty four children wit...

A novel microbial fuel cell sensor with biocathode sensing element.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Yong; Liang, Peng; Liu, Panpan; Wang, Donglin; Miao, Bo; Huang, Xia

2017-08-15

The traditional microbial fuel cell (MFC) sensor with bioanode as sensing element delivers limited sensitivity to toxicity monitoring, restricted application to only anaerobic and organic rich water body, and increased potential fault warning to the combined shock of organic matter/toxicity. In this study, the biocathode for oxygen reduction reaction was employed for the first time as the sensing element in MFC sensor for toxicity monitoring. The results shown that the sensitivity of MFC sensor with biocathode sensing element (7.4±2.0 to 67.5±4.0mA% -1 cm -2 ) was much greater than that showed by bioanode sensing element (3.4±1.5 to 5.5±0.7mA% -1 cm -2 ). The biocathode sensing element achieved the lowest detection limit reported to date using MFC sensor for formaldehyde detection (0.0005%), while the bioanode was more applicable for higher concentration (>0.0025%). There was a quicker response of biocathode sensing element with the increase of conductivity and dissolved oxygen (DO). The biocathode sensing element made the MFC sensor directly applied to clean water body monitoring, e.g., drinking water and reclaimed water, without the amending of background organic matter, and it also decreased the warning failure when challenged by a combined shock of organic matter/toxicity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transfer of energy between a pair of molecules near a plasmonic core-shell nanoparticle: Tunability and sensing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daneshfar, Nader, E-mail: ndaneshfar@gmail.com, E-mail: ndaneshfar@razi.ac.ir; Yavari, Asghar [Department of Physics, Razi University, Kermanshah (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-05-15

Our model is applied to the calculation of interaction energy between a pair of dipolar molecules (point dipoles) in the vicinity of a nanoshell monomer with core-shell structure, based on the dipole quasi-electrostatic theory of classical electrodynamics and using the Drude and Maxwell-Garnett model. In other words, this work discusses the intermolecular energy transfer from a donor molecule to an acceptor molecule near a spherical nanoparticle that is important for practical applications like sensing. It is shown that the proximity of plasmonic nanoparticles can have a strong effect on the energy transfer between molecules. In addition to the influence of the size, composition, embedding medium, and the filling fraction of doped particles on the interaction energy, the contribution of the dipolar, quadrupolar, octupolar, hexadecapolar, triakontadipolar, and higher order multipole interactions is presented and analyzed. Briefly, we will show that it is possible to achieve enhanced energy transfer by manipulation of different parameters as mentioned above.

3D whole body scanners revisited

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Daanen, H.A.M.; Haar, F.B. ter

2013-01-01

An overview of whole body scanners in 1998 (H.A.M. Daanen, G.J. Van De Water. Whole body scanners, Displays 19 (1998) 111-120) shortly after they emerged to the market revealed that the systems were bulky, slow, expensive and low in resolution. This update shows that new developments in sensing and

Energy Gap in the Aetiology of Body Weight Gain and Obesity: A Challenging Concept with a Complex Evaluation and Pitfalls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yves Schutz

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The concept of energy gap(s is useful for understanding the consequence of a small daily, weekly, or monthly positive energy balance and the inconspicuous shift in weight gain ultimately leading to overweight and obesity. Energy gap is a dynamic concept: an initial positive energy gap incurred via an increase in energy intake (or a decrease in physical activity is not constant, may fade out with time if the initial conditions are maintained, and depends on the ‘efficiency' with which the readjustment of the energy imbalance gap occurs with time. The metabolic response to an energy imbalance gap and the magnitude of the energy gap(s can be estimated by at least two methods, i.e. i assessment by longitudinal overfeeding studies, imposing (by design an initial positive energy imbalance gap; ii retrospective assessment based on epidemiological surveys, whereby the accumulated endogenous energy storage per unit of time is calculated from the change in body weight and body composition. In order to illustrate the difficulty of accurately assessing an energy gap we have used, as an illustrative example, a recent epidemiological study which tracked changes in total energy intake (estimated by gross food availability and body weight over 3 decades in the US, combined with total energy expenditure prediction from body weight using doubly labelled water data. At the population level, the study attempted to assess the cause of the energy gap purported to be entirely due to increased food intake. Based on an estimate of change in energy intake judged to be more reliable (i.e. in the same study population and together with calculations of simple energetic indices, our analysis suggests that conclusions about the fundamental causes of obesity development in a population (excess intake vs. low physical activity or both is clouded by a high level of uncertainty.

Experience of regulatory body functioning in energy industry of Ukraine: Prospects for future development of state regulation of energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oruskaya, M.

2002-01-01

Materials collected (presented) in the paper introduce to (familiarise) the audience with the main forms, methods and phases of the state regulation of energy industry in Ukraine in the period of transition to market economy. Special attention was paid to the following aspects: 1. Necessity and history of establishment of special regulatory body in Ukraine - The National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC); 2. The main tasks and authorities of NERC according to the Ukraine Law on Energy Sector; 3. Regulation mechanisms of the main processes in the energy industry used by the Commission on the current level of energy sector development and economic results of its introduction; 4. Problems with functioning of the wholesale energy market specifically as the main component of the Ukraine energy industry and trends of future development (improvement of energy industry's financial situation, intensification of competition between energy producers and suppliers, improvement of tariff and investment policies, etc.); 5. Necessity and ways of future improvement of the standards and legal basis for regulation in Ukraine. (author)

Motion sensing energy controller

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saphir, M.E.; Reed, M.A.

1984-01-01

A moving object sensing processor responsive to slowly varying motions of a human being or other moving object in a zone of interest employs high frequency pulse modulated non-visible radiation generated by a radiation generating source, such as an LED, and detected by a detector sensitive to radiation of a preselected wavelength which generates electrical signals representative of the reflected radiation received from the zone of interest. The detectorsignals are processed to normalize the base level and remove variations due to background level changes, and slowly varying changes in the signals are detected by a bi-polar threshold detector. The control signals generated by the threshold detector in response to slowly varying motion are used to control the application of power to a utilization device, such as a set of fluoroescent lights in a room, the power being applied in response to detection of such motion and being automatically terminated in the absence of such motion after a predetermined time period established by a settable incrementable counter

Does low-energy sweetener consumption affect energy intake and body weight? A systematic review, including meta-analyses, of the evidence from human and animal studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rogers, P.J.; Hogenkamp, P.S.; Graaf, de Kees; Higgs, S.; Lluch, A.; Ness, A.R.; Penfold, C.; Perry, R.; Putz, P.; Yeomans, M.R.; Mela, D.J.

2016-01-01

By reducing energy density, low-energy sweeteners (LES) might be expected to reduce energy intake (EI) and body weight (BW). To assess the totality of the evidence testing the null hypothesis that LES exposure (versus sugars or unsweetened alternatives) has no effect on EI or BW, we conducted a

Sensing charges of the Ciona intestinalis voltage-sensing phosphatase.

Science.gov (United States)

Villalba-Galea, Carlos A; Frezza, Ludivine; Sandtner, Walter; Bezanilla, Francisco

2013-11-01

Voltage control over enzymatic activity in voltage-sensitive phosphatases (VSPs) is conferred by a voltage-sensing domain (VSD) located in the N terminus. These VSDs are constituted by four putative transmembrane segments (S1 to S4) resembling those found in voltage-gated ion channels. The putative fourth segment (S4) of the VSD contains positive residues that likely function as voltage-sensing elements. To study in detail how these residues sense the plasma membrane potential, we have focused on five arginines in the S4 segment of the Ciona intestinalis VSP (Ci-VSP). After implementing a histidine scan, here we show that four arginine-to-histidine mutants, namely R223H to R232H, mediate voltage-dependent proton translocation across the membrane, indicating that these residues transit through the hydrophobic core of Ci-VSP as a function of the membrane potential. These observations indicate that the charges carried by these residues are sensing charges. Furthermore, our results also show that the electrical field in VSPs is focused in a narrow hydrophobic region that separates the extracellular and intracellular space and constitutes the energy barrier for charge crossing.

Pharmacological and Morphological Evidence of AMPK-Mediated Energy Sensing in the Lower Brain Stem Ependymocytes to Control Reproduction in Female Rodents.

Science.gov (United States)

Minabe, Shiori; Deura, Chikaya; Ikegami, Kana; Goto, Teppei; Sanbo, Makoto; Hirabayashi, Masumi; Inoue, Naoko; Uenoyama, Yoshihisa; Maeda, Kei-Ichiro; Tsukamura, Hiroko

2015-06-01

Ependymocytes are one of the energy-sensing cells that regulate animal reproduction through their responsiveness to changes in extracellular glucose levels and the expression of pancreatic-type glucokinase and glucose transporter 2, which play a critical role in sensing blood glucose levels in pancreatic β-cells. Molecular mechanisms underlying glucose sensing in the ependymocytes remain poorly understood. The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a serine/threonine kinase highly conserved in all eukaryotic cells, has been suggested to be an intracellular fuel gauge that detects cellular energy status. The present study aims to clarify the role AMPK of the lower brainstem ependymocytes has in sensing glucose levels to regulate reproductive functions. First, we will show that administration of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-β-D-ribofuranoside, an AMPK activator, into the 4th ventricle suppressed pulsatile LH release in female rats. Second, we will demonstrate the presence of AMPK catalytic subunit immunoreactivities in the rat lower brainstem ependymocytes. Third, transgenic mice were generated to visualize the ependymocytes with Venus, a green fluorescent protein, expressed under the control of the mouse vimentin promoter for further in vitro study. The Venus-labeled ependymocytes taken from the lower brainstem of transgenic mice revealed that AMPK activation by 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-β-D-ribofuranoside, an AMPK activator, increased in vitro intracellular calcium concentrations. Taken together, malnutrition-induced AMPK activation of ependymocytes of the lower brainstem might be involved in suppression of GnRH/LH release and then gonadal activities.

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry body composition in patients with secondary osteoporosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Messina, Carmelo; Monaco, Cristian Giuseppe; Ulivieri, Fabio Massimo; Sardanelli, Francesco; Sconfienza, Luca Maria

2016-08-01

Due to the tight relationship between bone and soft tissues, there has been an increased interest in body composition assessment in patients with secondary osteoporosis as well as other pathological conditions. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is primarily devoted to the evaluation of bone mineral status, but continuous scientific advances of body composition software made DXA a rapid and easily available technique to assess body composition in terms of fat mass and lean mass. As a result, the International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD) recently developed Official Positions regarding the use of this technique for body composition analysis. According to ISCD paper, indications are mainly limited to three conditions: HIV patients treated with antiretroviral agents associated with a risk of lipoatrophy; obese patients undergoing treatment for high weight loss; patients with sarcopenia or muscle weakness. Nevertheless, there are several other interesting clinical applications that were not included in the ISCD position paper, such as body composition assessment in patients undergoing organ transplantation, pulmonary disease as well as all those chronic condition that may lead to malnutrition. In conclusion, DXA body composition offers new diagnostic and research possibilities for a variety of diseases; due to its high reproducibility, DXA has also the potential to monitor body composition changes with pharmacological, nutritional or physic therapeutic interventions. ISCD addressed and recommended a list of clinical condition, but the crescent availability of DXA scans and software improvements may open the use of DXA to other indication in the next future. This article provides an overview of DXA body composition indications in the management of secondary osteoporosis and other clinical indications in adults. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geometrical themes inspired by the n-body problem

CERN Document Server

Herrera, Haydeé; Herrera, Rafael

2018-01-01

Presenting a selection of recent developments in geometrical problems inspired by the N-body problem, these lecture notes offer a variety of approaches to study them, ranging from variational to dynamical, while developing new insights, making geometrical and topological detours, and providing historical references. A. Guillot’s notes aim to describe differential equations in the complex domain, motivated by the evolution of N particles moving on the plane subject to the influence of a magnetic field. Guillot studies such differential equations using different geometric structures on complex curves (in the sense of W. Thurston) in order to find isochronicity conditions.   R. Montgomery’s notes deal with a version of the planar Newtonian three-body equation. Namely, he investigates the problem of whether every free homotopy class is realized by a periodic geodesic. The solution involves geometry, dynamical systems, and the McGehee blow-up. A novelty of the approach is the use of energy-balance in order t...

Energy expenditure evaluation in humans and non-human primates by SenseWear Armband. Validation of energy expenditure evaluation by SenseWear Armband by direct comparison with indirect calorimetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Casiraghi, Francesca; Lertwattanarak, Raweewan; Luzi, Livio; Chavez, Alberto O; Davalli, Alberto M; Naegelin, Terry; Comuzzie, Anthony G; Frost, Patricia; Musi, Nicolas; Folli, Franco

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare and validate the use of SenseWear Armband (SWA) placed on the arm (SWA ARM) and on the back (SWA BACK) in healthy humans during resting and a cycle-ergometer exercise and to evaluate the SWA to estimate Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) and Total Energy Expenditure (TEE) in healthy baboons. We studied 26 (15F/11M) human subjects wearing SWA in two different anatomical sites (arm and back) during resting and a cycle-ergometer test and directly compared these results with indirect calorimetry evaluation (IC), performed at the same time. We then inserted the SWA in a metabolic jacket for baboons and evaluated the TEE and REE in free living condition for 6 days in 21 (8F/13M) non-human primates. In humans we found a good correlation between SWA place on the ARM and on the BACK with IC during the resting experiment (1.1±0.3 SWAs, 1±0.2 IC kcal/min) and a slight underestimation in the SWAs data compared with IC during the cycle-ergometer exercise (5±1.9 SWA ARM, 4.5±1.5 SWA BACK and 5.4±2.1 IC kcal/min). In the non-human primate (baboons) experiment SWA estimated a TEE of 0.54±0.009 kcal/min during free living and a REE of 0.82±0.06 kcal/min. SWA, an extremely simple and inexpensive apparatus, provides quite accurate measurements of energy expenditure in humans and in baboons. Energy expenditure data obtained with SWA are highly correlated with the data obtained with "gold standard", IC, in humans.

Few body systems at intermediate energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laget, J.M.

1988-01-01

I review the progresses which have been made in our understanding of the high momentum components of the wave functions of the few-body systems, the three-body mechanisms and the short range correlations

Do home energy management systems make sense? Assessing their overall lifecycle impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dam, S.S. van; Bakker, C.A.; Buiter, J.C.

2013-01-01

An ever-increasing body of research explores the effectiveness of Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) in achieving energy savings in households. To date, however, the overall life cycle impact of the HEMS itself has not been taken into account. Thus, no assessment has been made whether the amount of energy saved (e saved ) outweighs the energy needed for production, use and disposal (e invested ). Therefore, an eco-cost and a Cumulative Energy Demand (CED) method were used to analyze three distinct types of HEMS. Based on the literature, six scenarios were developed in order to find the break-even point, where e invested =e saved . The results show that the overall impact is dependent on the type of HEMS, and that if the duration of use is short and the achieved savings are small, the benefits do not always outweigh the environmental costs. Care should be taken not to develop HEMS with unnecessarily elaborate parts or functionalities and that their own electricity consumption is minimized. The paper concludes by discussing the implication for polices concerning the implementation of smart meters and HEMS and their design. - Highlights: • We conducted a lifecycle assessment of three Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS). • We developed six scenarios to find the breakeven point where e invested =e saved . • All three HEMS can achieve net energy savings over the course of five years. • Within the scenarios, it can take up to two years to achieve net energy savings. • No HEMS achieve a positive return on investment within five years in all scenarios

The effect that energy storage and return feet have on the propulsion of the body: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Crimin, Anthony; McGarry, Anthony; Harris, Elena Jane; Solomonidis, Stephan Emanuel

2014-09-01

A variety of energy storage and return prosthetic feet are currently available for use within lower limb prostheses. Designs claim to provide a beneficial energy return during push-off, but the extent to which this occurs remains disputed. Techniques currently used to measure energy storage, dissipation and return within the structure of the prosthetic foot are debatable, with limited evidence to support substantial elastic energy storage and return from existing designs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of energy storage and return foot designs through considering the ankle power during push-off and the effect on body centre of mass propulsion. To achieve this aim, the gait patterns of six trans-tibial prosthetic users wearing different designs of energy storage and return feet were analysed while ascending a ramp. Three examples of energy storage and return feet (suitable for moderate activity) were selected and randomly evaluated: the Blatchford's Epirus, Össur Assure and College Park Tribute feet. The power at the anatomical and mechanical ankle joints was integrated to evaluate the work done over the gait cycle. The direction of the inertial force, and therefore propulsion of the body centre of mass, was used to indicate the effect of the energy return by the energy storage and return feet. Results indicate that although energy storage and return feet may provide energy return, the work done around the prosthetic ankle indicates net power absorption. Therefore, the prosthetic limb is unable to contribute to the body centre of mass propulsion to the same extent as the biological limb. © IMechE 2014.

Skeletal muscle O-GlcNAc transferase is important for muscle energy homeostasis and whole-body insulin sensitivity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shi, Hao; Munk, Alexander; Nielsen, Thomas Svava

2018-01-01

-GlcNAcylation, in skeletal muscle. METHODS: We assessed O-GlcNAcylation levels in skeletal muscle from obese, type 2 diabetic people, and we characterized muscle-specific OGT knockout (mKO) mice in metabolic cages and measured energy expenditure and substrate utilization pattern using indirect calorimetry. Whole body...... of O-GlcNAc-modified proteins in obese, type 2 diabetic people compared with well-matched obese and lean controls. Muscle-specific OGT knockout mice were lean, and whole body energy expenditure and insulin sensitivity were increased in these mice, consistent with enhanced glucose uptake and elevated...

Role of FAT/CD36 in fatty acid sensing, energy, and glucose homeostasis regulation in DIO and DR rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Foll, Christelle; Dunn-Meynell, Ambrose A; Levin, Barry E

2015-02-01

Hypothalamic fatty acid (FA) sensing neurons alter their activity utilizing the FA translocator/receptor, FAT/CD36. Depletion of ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) CD36 with adeno-associated viral vector expressing CD36 shRNA (AAV CD36 shRNA) leads to redistribution of adipose stores and insulin resistance in outbred rats. This study assessed the requirement of VMH CD36-mediated FA sensing for the regulation of energy and glucose homeostasis in postnatal day 5 (P5) and P21 selectively bred diet-induced obese (DIO) and diet-resistant (DR) rats using VMH AAV CD36 shRNA injections. P5 CD36 depletion altered VMH neuronal FA sensing predominantly in DIO rats. After 10 wk on a 45% fat diet, DIO rats injected with VMH AAV CD36 shRNA at P21 ate more and gained more weight than DIO AAV controls, while DR AAV CD36 shRNA-injected rats gained less weight than DR AAV controls. VMH CD36 depletion increased inguinal fat pad weights and leptin levels in DIO and DR rats. Although DR AAV CD36 shRNA-injected rats became as obese as DIO AAV controls, only DIO control and CD36 depleted rats became insulin-resistant on a 45% fat diet. VMH CD36 depletion stunted linear growth in DIO and DR rats. DIO rats injected with AAV CD36 shRNA at P5 had increased fat mass, mostly due to a 45% increase in subcutaneous fat. They were also insulin-resistant with an associated 71% increase of liver triglycerides. These results demonstrate that VMH CD36-mediated FA sensing is a critical factor in the regulation of energy and glucose homeostasis and fat deposition in DIO and DR rats.

Neuronal control of energy balance and modulation of muscle aging by the transcriptional coactivator PGC-1α

OpenAIRE

Gill, Jonathan François

2016-01-01

Cellular metabolic adaptations play a central role in the body's response to environmental changes and external stimuli and allow the maintenance of a proper energy balance. Transcriptional activators enable the integration of incoming signals and sensing of altered energy levels. Dysregulation of such metabolic pathways is a common mechanism of various tissue dysfunctions contributing to different diseases. A key player in cellular metabolism is the transcriptional coregulator Peroxisome pro...

Migration energy barriers of symmetric tilt grain boundaries in body-centered cubic metal Fe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Minghui; Gu, Jianfeng; Jin, Zhaohui

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: DFT calculated migration energy barrier (left) for symmetric grain boundary in metals is an essential physical property to measure the trend of grain boundary migration, in particular, in terms of the classical homogeneous nucleation model of GB dislocation/disconnection loops (right). - Migration energy barriers of two symmetric tilt grain boundaries in body-centered cubic metal Fe are obtained via first-principles calculations in combination with the nudged elastic band methods. Although the two grain boundaries show similar grain boundary energies, the migration energy barriers are different. Based on a homogeneous nucleation theory of grain-boundary dislocation loops, the calculated energy barrier provides a measure of intrinsic grain-boundary mobility and helps to evaluate effects due to vacancy and interstitial atoms such as carbon

The influence of land surface parameters on energy flux densities derived from remote sensing data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tittebrand, A.; Schwiebus, A. [Inst. for Hydrology und Meteorology, TU Dresden (Germany); Berger, F.H. [Observatory Lindenberg, German Weather Service, Lindenberg (Germany)

2005-04-01

Knowledge of the vegetation properties surface reflectance, normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) and leaf area index (LAI) are essential for the determination of the heat and water fluxes between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. Remote sensing data can be used to derive spatial estimates of the required surface properties. The determination of land surface parameters and their influence on radiant and energy flux densities is investigated with data of different remote sensing systems. Sensitivity studies show the importance of correctly derived land surface properties to estimate the key quantity of the hydrological cycle, the evapotranspiration (L.E), most exactly. In addition to variable parameters like LAI or NDVI there are also parameters which are can not be inferred from satellite data but needed for the Penman-Monteith approach. Fixed values are assumed for these variables because they have little influence on L.E. Data of Landsat-7 ETM+ and NOAA-16 AVHRR are used to show results in different spatial resolution. The satellite derived results are compared with ground truth data provided by the Observatory Lindenberg of the German Weather Service. (orig.)

Exact self-energy of the many-body problem from conserving approximations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takada, Y.

1995-01-01

A procedure is proposed to obtain the exact self-energy in the many-body problem. This algorithm is based on the formal analysis to reach the exact theory by repeated applications of an operator F to an arbitrarily chosen input self-energy represented as a functional of the dressed Green's function. The operator F is so defined that the microscopic conservation law for particle number is satisfied. The rigorous self-energy is obtained by the solution of an eigenfunction of F. Particular attention is paid to the relation between the present procedure and the Baym-Kadanoff framework of conserving approximations. By simplifying the procedure in F with use of the generalized Ward identity, we suggest a practical method to implement this algorithm rather easily in actual systems. In order to suggest future directions to improve on this practical method, the recently developed mean-field theory for the Hubbard model in the limit of high spatial dimensions is also discussed in the context of our theory

Fremmedlegemeinfektioner--nyt om biofilm og quorum sensing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Høiby, Niels; Johansen, Helle Krogh; Ciofu, Oana

2007-01-01

Biofilms are structured consortia of bacteria embedded in self-produced polymer matrix. Biofilms are resistant to antibiotics, disinfectives and phagocytosis. The persistence of foreign body infections is due to biofilms. Chronic P. aeruginosa lung infection in cystic fibrosis patients is a biofilm....... Bacteria in biofilms communicate by means of quorum sensing which activates genes for virulence factors. Biofilms can be prevented by antibiotic prophylaxis or early therapy or by quorum sensing inhibitors which make them susceptible to antibiotics and phagocytosis....

Effect of nutritional recovery with soybean flour diet on body composition, energy balance and serum leptin concentration in adult rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boschero Antonio C

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Malnutrition in early life is associated with obesity in adulthood and soybean products may have a beneficial effect on its prevention and treatment. This study evaluated body composition, serum leptin and energy balance in adult rats subjected to protein restriction during the intrauterine stage and lactation and recovering on a soybean flour diet. Methods Five groups of the Wistar strain of albino rats were used: CC, offspring born to and suckled by mothers fed a control diet and fed the same diet after weaning; CS, offspring born to and suckled by mothers fed a control diet and fed a soybean diet with 17% protein after weaning; LL, offspring of mothers fed a low protein diet and fed the same diet after weaning; LC, offspring of mothers fed a low protein diet, but fed a control diet after weaning; LS, offspring of mothers fed a low protein diet, but fed a soybean diet with 17% protein after weaning. Food intake, body, perirenal and retroperitoneal adipose tissue were measured in grams. Leptin was quantified using the Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA and insulin by radioimmunoassay (RIA. Carcass composition was determined by chemical methods and energy expenditure was calculated by the difference between energy intake and carcass energy gain. Data were tested by analysis of variance (ANOVA. Results The LC and LS groups had higher energetic intake concerning body weight, lower energy expenditure, proportion of fat carcass and fat pads than CC and CS groups. The LS group showed reduced body weight gain and lower energy efficiency, which was reflected in less energy gain as protein and the proportion of carcass protein, and lower energy gain as lipid than in the LC groups, although both groups had eaten the same amount of diet and showed equal energy expenditure. Serum leptin did not differ among groups and was unrelated to food or energy intake and energy expenditure. Serum insulin was higher in the LS than in the LC

Optimization of whole-body simulator for photon emitters in the energy range 100 to 3000 KeV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dantas, Bernardo M.; Rosales, Geovana O.

1996-01-01

The calibration of the detection system for the in vivo determination of uniformly distributed radionuclides emitting photons in the energy range of 100 to 300 KeV requires the use of phantoms with dimensions close to the human body, in which known amounts of radionuclides are added. After the measurement of those phantoms, the calibration curves, channel x energy and energy x efficiency, are constructed. This type of phantom has been continuously optimized at the IRD-CNEN whole body counter with the objective of approximating its characteristics as close as possible to the standard man proposed in the ICRP 23. Furthermore, it has been tried to obtain a safe structure in terms of leakage and also of low cost. (author)

Pervasive sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Nagel, David J.

2000-11-01

The coordinated exploitation of modern communication, micro- sensor and computer technologies makes it possible to give global reach to our senses. Web-cameras for vision, web- microphones for hearing and web-'noses' for smelling, plus the abilities to sense many factors we cannot ordinarily perceive, are either available or will be soon. Applications include (1) determination of weather and environmental conditions on dense grids or over large areas, (2) monitoring of energy usage in buildings, (3) sensing the condition of hardware in electrical power distribution and information systems, (4) improving process control and other manufacturing, (5) development of intelligent terrestrial, marine, aeronautical and space transportation systems, (6) managing the continuum of routine security monitoring, diverse crises and military actions, and (7) medicine, notably the monitoring of the physiology and living conditions of individuals. Some of the emerging capabilities, such as the ability to measure remotely the conditions inside of people in real time, raise interesting social concerns centered on privacy issues. Methods for sensor data fusion and designs for human-computer interfaces are both crucial for the full realization of the potential of pervasive sensing. Computer-generated virtual reality, augmented with real-time sensor data, should be an effective means for presenting information from distributed sensors.

Comprehensive, integrated, remote sensing at DOE sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lackey, J.G.; Burson, Z.G.

1985-01-01

The Department of Energy has established a program called Comprehensive, Integrated Remote Sensing (CIRS). The overall objective of the program is to provide a state-of-the-art data base of remotely sensed data for all users of such information at large DOE sites. The primary types of remote sensing provided, at present, consist of the following: large format aerial photography, video from aerial platforms, multispectral scanning, and airborne nuclear radiometric surveys. Implementation of the CIRS Program by EG and G Energy Measurements, Inc. began with field operations at the Savannah River Plant in 1982 and is continuing at that DOE site at a level of effort of about $1.5 m per year. Integrated remote sensing studies were subsequently extended to the West Valley Demonstration Project in this summer and fall of 1984. It is expected that the Program will eventually be extended to cover all large DOE sites on a continuing basis

Sensing power transfer between the human body and the environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veltink, Petrus H.; Kortier, H.G.; Schepers, H. Martin

The power transferred between the human body and the environment at any time and the work performed are important quantities to be estimated when evaluating and optimizing the physical interaction between the human body and the environment in sports, physical labor, and rehabilitation. It is the

Body integrity identity disorder: deranged body processing, right fronto-parietal dysfunction, and phenomenological experience of body incongruity.

Science.gov (United States)

Giummarra, Melita J; Bradshaw, John L; Nicholls, Michael E R; Hilti, Leonie M; Brugger, Peter

2011-12-01

Body integrity identity disorder (BIID) is characterised by profound experience of incongruity between the biological and desired body structure. The condition manifests in "non-belonging" of body parts, and the subsequent desire to amputate, paralyse or disable a limb. Little is known about BIID; however, a neuropsychological model implicating right fronto-parietal and insular networks is emerging, with potential disruption to body representation. We argue that, as there is scant systematic research on BIID published to date and much of the research is methodologically weak, it is premature to assume that the only process underlying bodily experience that is compromised is body representation. The present review systematically investigates which aspects of neurological processing of the body, and sense of self, may be compromised in BIID. We argue that the disorder most likely reflects dysregulation in multiple levels of body processing. That is, the disunity between self and the body could arguably come about through congenital and/or developmental disruption of body representations, which, together with altered multisensory integration, may preclude the experience of self-attribution and embodiment of affected body parts. Ulimately, there is a need for official diagnostic criteria to facilitate epidemiological characterisation of BIID, and for further research to systematically investigate which aspects of body representation and processing are truly compromised in the disorder.

Sense and Sanitation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vliet, van B.J.M.; Spaargaren, G.

2010-01-01

Historically, sanitation infrastructures have been designed to do away with sensory experiences. As in the present phase of modernity the senses are assigned a crucial role in the perception of risks, a paradigm shift has emerged in the infrastructural provision of energy, water and waste services.

Free Energy Landscapes of Alanine Oligopeptides in Rigid-Body and Hybrid Water Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Nayar, Divya; Chakravarty, Charusita

2015-08-27

Replica exchange molecular dynamics is used to study the effect of different rigid-body (mTIP3P, TIP4P, SPC/E) and hybrid (H1.56, H3.00) water models on the conformational free energy landscape of the alanine oligopeptides (acAnme and acA5nme), in conjunction with the CHARMM22 force field. The free energy landscape is mapped out as a function of the Ramachandran angles. In addition, various secondary structure metrics, solvation shell properties, and the number of peptide-solvent hydrogen bonds are monitored. Alanine dipeptide is found to have similar free energy landscapes in different solvent models, an insensitivity which may be due to the absence of possibilities for forming i-(i + 4) or i-(i + 3) intrapeptide hydrogen bonds. The pentapeptide, acA5nme, where there are three intrapeptide backbone hydrogen bonds, shows a conformational free energy landscape with a much greater degree of sensitivity to the choice of solvent model, though the three rigid-body water models differ only quantitatively. The pentapeptide prefers nonhelical, non-native PPII and β-sheet populations as the solvent is changed from SPC/E to the less tetrahedral liquid (H1.56) to an LJ-like liquid (H3.00). The pentapeptide conformational order metrics indicate a preference for open, solvent-exposed, non-native structures in hybrid solvent models at all temperatures of study. The possible correlations between the properties of solvent models and secondary structure preferences of alanine oligopeptides are discussed, and the competition between intrapeptide, peptide-solvent, and solvent-solvent hydrogen bonding is shown to be crucial in the relative free energies of different conformers.

Optical display for radar sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Szu, Harold; Hsu, Charles; Willey, Jefferson; Landa, Joseph; Hsieh, Minder; Larsen, Louis V.; Krzywicki, Alan T.; Tran, Binh Q.; Hoekstra, Philip; Dillard, John T.; Krapels, Keith A.; Wardlaw, Michael; Chu, Kai-Dee

2015-05-01

Boltzmann headstone S = kB Log W turns out to be the Rosette stone for Greek physics translation optical display of the microwave sensing hieroglyphics. The LHS is the molecular entropy S measuring the degree of uniformity scattering off the sensing cross sections. The RHS is the inverse relationship (equation) predicting the Planck radiation spectral distribution parameterized by the Kelvin temperature T. Use is made of the conservation energy law of the heat capacity of Reservoir (RV) change T Δ S = -ΔE equals to the internal energy change of black box (bb) subsystem. Moreover, an irreversible thermodynamics Δ S > 0 for collision mixing toward totally larger uniformity of heat death, asserted by Boltzmann, that derived the so-called Maxwell-Boltzmann canonical probability. Given the zero boundary condition black box, Planck solved a discrete standing wave eigenstates (equation). Together with the canonical partition function (equation) an average ensemble average of all possible internal energy yielded the celebrated Planck radiation spectral (equation) where the density of states (equation). In summary, given the multispectral sensing data (equation), we applied Lagrange Constraint Neural Network (LCNN) to solve the Blind Sources Separation (BSS) for a set of equivalent bb target temperatures. From the measurements of specific value, slopes and shapes we can fit a set of Kelvin temperatures T's for each bb targets. As a result, we could apply the analytical continuation for each entropy sources along the temperature-unique Planck spectral curves always toward the RGB color temperature display for any sensing probing frequency.

Energy Expenditure Evaluation in Humans and Non-Human Primates by SenseWear Armband. Validation of Energy Expenditure Evaluation by SenseWear Armband by Direct Comparison with Indirect Calorimetry

Science.gov (United States)

Casiraghi, Francesca; Chavez, Alberto O.; Davalli, Alberto M.; Naegelin, Terry; Comuzzie, Anthony G.; Frost, Patricia; Musi, Nicolas; Folli, Franco

2013-01-01

Introduction The purpose of this study was to compare and validate the use of SenseWear Armband (SWA) placed on the arm (SWA ARM) and on the back (SWA BACK) in healthy humans during resting and a cycle-ergometer exercise and to evaluate the SWA to estimate Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) and Total Energy Expenditure (TEE) in healthy baboons. Methods We studied 26 (15F/11M) human subjects wearing SWA in two different anatomical sites (arm and back) during resting and a cycle-ergometer test and directly compared these results with indirect calorimetry evaluation (IC), performed at the same time. We then inserted the SWA in a metabolic jacket for baboons and evaluated the TEE and REE in free living condition for 6 days in 21 (8F/13M) non-human primates. Results In humans we found a good correlation between SWA place on the ARM and on the BACK with IC during the resting experiment (1.1±0.3 SWAs, 1±0.2 IC kcal/min) and a slight underestimation in the SWAs data compared with IC during the cycle-ergometer exercise (5±1.9 SWA ARM, 4.5±1.5 SWA BACK and 5.4±2.1 IC kcal/min). In the non-human primate (baboons) experiment SWA estimated a TEE of 0.54±0.009 kcal/min during free living and a REE of 0.82±0.06 kcal/min. Conclusion SWA, an extremely simple and inexpensive apparatus, provides quite accurate measurements of energy expenditure in humans and in baboons. Energy expenditure data obtained with SWA are highly correlated with the data obtained with “gold standard”, IC, in humans. PMID:24069218

A soft robot capable of 2D mobility and self-sensing for obstacle detection and avoidance

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Lei; Tang, Yucheng; Gupta, Ujjaval; Zhu, Jian

2018-04-01

Soft robots have shown great potential for surveillance applications due to their interesting attributes including inherent flexibility, extreme adaptability, and excellent ability to move in confined spaces. High mobility combined with the sensing systems that can detect obstacles plays a significant role in performing surveillance tasks. Extensive studies have been conducted on movement mechanisms of traditional hard-bodied robots to increase their mobility. However, there are limited efforts in the literature to explore the mobility of soft robots. In addition, little attempt has been made to study the obstacle-detection capability of a soft mobile robot. In this paper, we develop a soft mobile robot capable of high mobility and self-sensing for obstacle detection and avoidance. This robot, consisting of a dielectric elastomer actuator as the robot body and four electroadhesion actuators as the robot feet, can generate 2D mobility, i.e. translations and turning in a 2D plane, by programming the actuation sequence of the robot body and feet. Furthermore, we develop a self-sensing method which models the robot body as a deformable capacitor. By measuring the real-time capacitance of the robot body, the robot can detect an obstacle when the peak capacitance drops suddenly. This sensing method utilizes the robot body itself instead of external sensors to achieve detection of obstacles, which greatly reduces the weight and complexity of the robot system. The 2D mobility and self-sensing capability ensure the success of obstacle detection and avoidance, which paves the way for the development of lightweight and intelligent soft mobile robots.

Body posture recognition and turning recording system for the care of bed bound patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsiao, Rong-Shue; Mi, Zhenqiang; Yang, Bo-Ru; Kau, Lih-Jen; Bitew, Mekuanint Agegnehu; Li, Tzu-Yu

2015-01-01

This paper proposes body posture recognition and turning recording system for assisting the care of bed bound patients in nursing homes. The system continuously detects the patient's body posture and records the length of time for each body posture. If the patient remains in the same body posture long enough to develop pressure ulcers, the system notifies caregivers to change the patient's body posture. The objective of recording is to provide the log of body turning for querying of patients' family members. In order to accurately detect patient's body posture, we developed a novel pressure sensing pad which contains force sensing resistor sensors. Based on the proposed pressure sensing pad, we developed a bed posture recognition module which includes a bed posture recognition algorithm. The algorithm is based on fuzzy theory. The body posture recognition algorithm can detect the patient's bed posture whether it is right lateral decubitus, left lateral decubitus, or supine. The detected information of patient's body posture can be then transmitted to the server of healthcare center by the communication module to perform the functions of recording and notification. Experimental results showed that the average posture recognition accuracy for our proposed module is 92%.

Cis-Natural Antisense Transcripts Are Mainly Co-expressed with Their Sense Transcripts and Primarily Related to Energy Metabolic Pathways during Muscle Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yunxia; Hou, Ye; Zhao, Changzhi; Liu, Fei; Luan, Yu; Jing, Lu; Li, Xinyun; Zhu, Mengjin; Zhao, Shuhong

2016-01-01

Cis-natural antisense transcripts (cis-NATs) are a new class of RNAs identified in various species. However, the biological functions of cis-NATs are largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the transcriptional characteristics and functions of cis-NATs in the muscle tissue of lean Landrace and indigenous fatty Lantang pigs. In total, 3,306 cis-NATs of 2,469 annotated genes were identified in the muscle tissue of pigs. More than 1,300 cis-NATs correlated with their sense genes at the transcriptional level, and approximately 80% of them were co-expressed in the two breeds. Furthermore, over 1,200 differentially expressed cis-NATs were identified during muscle development. Function annotation showed that the cis-NATs participated in muscle development mainly by co-expressing with genes involved in energy metabolic pathways, including citrate cycle (TCA cycle), glycolysis or gluconeogenesis, mitochondrial activation and so on. Moreover, these cis-NATs and their sense genes abruptly increased at the transition from the late fetal stages to the early postnatal stages and then decreased along with muscle development. In conclusion, the cis-NATs in the muscle tissue of pigs were identified and determined to be mainly co-expressed with their sense genes. The co-expressed cis-NATs and their sense gene were primarily related to energy metabolic pathways during muscle development in pigs. Our results offered novel evidence on the roles of cis-NATs during the muscle development of pigs.

Touch at a distance sensing: lateral-line inspired MEMS flow sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prakash Kottapalli, Ajay Giri; Asadnia, Mohsen; Miao, Jianmin; Triantafyllou, Michael

2014-01-01

Evolution bestowed the blind cavefish with a resourcefully designed lateral-line of sensors that play an essential role in many important tasks including object detection and avoidance, energy-efficient maneuvering, rheotaxis etc. Biologists identified the two types of vital sensors on the fish bodies called the superficial neuromasts and the canal neuromasts that are responsible for flow sensing and pressure-gradient sensing, respectively. In this work, we present the design, fabrication and experimental characterization of biomimetic polymer artificial superficial neuromast micro-sensor arrays. These biomimetic micro-sensors demonstrated a high sensitivity of 0.9 mV/(m s −1 ) and 0.022 V/(m s −1 ) and threshold velocity detection limits of 0.1 m s −1 and 0.015 m s −1 in determining air and water flows respectively. Experimental results demonstrate that the biological canal inspired polymer encapsulation on the array of artificial superficial neuromast sensors is capable of filtering steady-state flows that could otherwise significantly mask the relevant oscillatory flow signals of high importance. (paper)

Vegetation water stress monitoring with remote sensing-based energy balance modelling

Science.gov (United States)

González-Dugo, Maria P.; Andreu, Ana; Carpintero, Elisabet; Gómez-Giráldez, Pedro; José Polo, María

2014-05-01

Drought is one of the major hazards faced by agroforestry systems in southern Europe, and an increase in frequency is predicted under the conditions of climate change for the region. Timely and accurate monitoring of vegetation water stress using remote sensing time series may assist early-warning services, helping to assess drought impacts and the design of management actions leading to reduce the economic and environmental vulnerability of these systems. A holm oak savanna, known as dehesa in Spain and montado in Portugal, is an agro-silvo-pastoral system occupying more than 3 million hectares the Iberian Peninsula and Greece. It consists of widely-spaced oak trees (mostly Quercus ilex L.), combined with crops, pasture and Mediterranean shrubs, and it is considered an example of sustainable land use, with great importance in the rural economy. Soil water dynamics is known to have a central role in current tree decline and the reduction of the forested area that is threatening its conservation. A two-source thermal-based evapotranspiration model (TSEB) has been applied to monitor the effect on vegetation water use of soil moisture stress in a dehesa located in southern Spain. The TSEB model separates the soil and canopy contributions to the radiative temperature and to the exchange of surface energy fluxes, so it is especially suited for partially vegetated landscapes. The integration of remotely sensed data in this model may support an evaluation of the whole ecosystem state at a large scale. During two consecutive summers, in 2012 and 2013, time series of optical and thermal MODIS images, with 250m and 1 km of spatial resolution respectively, have been combined with meteorological data provided by a ground station to monitor the evapotranspiration (ET) of the system. An eddy covariance tower (38°12' N; 4°17' W, 736 m a.s.l), equipped with instruments to measure all the components of the energy balance and 1 km of homogeneous fetch in the predominant wind

Effects of winter military training on energy balance, whole-body protein balance, muscle damage, soreness, and physical performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Margolis, Lee M; Murphy, Nancy E; Martini, Svein; Spitz, Marissa G; Thrane, Ingjerd; McGraw, Susan M; Blatny, Janet-Martha; Castellani, John W; Rood, Jennifer C; Young, Andrew J; Montain, Scott J; Gundersen, Yngvar; Pasiakos, Stefan M

2014-12-01

Physiological consequences of winter military operations are not well described. This study examined Norwegian soldiers (n = 21 males) participating in a physically demanding winter training program to evaluate whether short-term military training alters energy and whole-body protein balance, muscle damage, soreness, and performance. Energy expenditure (D2(18)O) and intake were measured daily, and postabsorptive whole-body protein turnover ([(15)N]-glycine), muscle damage, soreness, and performance (vertical jump) were assessed at baseline, following a 4-day, military task training phase (MTT) and after a 3-day, 54-km ski march (SKI). Energy intake (kcal·day(-1)) increased (P balance was lower (P military training provide the basis for future studies to evaluate nutritional strategies that attenuate protein loss and sustain performance during severe energy deficits.

Out of the body: embodiment and its vicissitudes.

Science.gov (United States)

Connolly, Angela

2013-11-01

Body-mind dualism and the consequent neglect of the body of the analyst can have important negative effects on the analytical process leading all too often to misinterpretations of the analysand's verbal and non-verbal communications and to disturbances of analytical temporality. This is intensified when we are dealing with individuals where disembodiment and states of psychic deadness are central features. The paper explores the philosophical roots of the idea of a disembodied mind and the way in which this impacts our relationship with the world. While André Green's concept of the dead mother and disturbances in the sense of self-agency have been held to play an important role in states of psychic deadness, I suggest that it is rather disturbances in the sense of body ownership and of the body image which are more central. The paper then discusses the particular kinds of countertransference that can be evoked in the analyst when we find ourselves dealing with this type of patient and suggests how we can use our embodied countertransference to become aware of and elaborate our own feelings of deadness in order to overcome the loss of temporality that is characteristic of such states. This is illustrated with reference to my work with a young man with a masochistic perversion and a severe disturbance of the body image with an accompanying profound sense of psychic deadness. © 2013, The Society of Analytical Psychology.

Neonatal anthropometrics and body composition in obese children investigated by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lausten-Thomsen, Ulrik; Nielsen, Tenna Ruest Haarmark; Thagaard, Ida Näslund

2014-01-01

index (BFMI), and fat free mass index (FFMI) in obese children and the preceding in utero conditions expressed by birth weight, birth length, and birth weight for gestational age. The study cohort consisted of 776 obese Danish children (median age 11.6 years, range 3.6-17.9) with a mean Body Mass Index......UNLABELLED: Epidemiological and animal studies have suggested an effect of the intrauterine milieu upon the development of childhood obesity. This study investigates the relationship between body composition measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry expressed as body fat percent, body fat mass...... Standard Deviation Score (BMI SDS) of 2.86 (range 1.64-5.48) treated in our national referral centre. In a linear general regression model adjusted for age, gender, socioeconomic status, and duration of breastfeeding, we found the body fat percent, FFMI, and BFMI at the time of enrolment in childhood...

Motion energy analysis reveals altered body movement in youth at risk for psychosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Dean, Derek J; Samson, Alayna T; Newberry, Raeana; Mittal, Vijay A

2017-06-03

Growing evidence suggests that movement abnormalities occur prior to the onset of psychosis. Innovations in technology and software provide the opportunity for a fine-tuned and sensitive measurement of observable behavior that may be particularly useful to detecting the subtle movement aberrations present during the prodromal period. In the present study, 54 youth at ultrahigh risk (UHR) for psychosis and 62 healthy controls participated in structured clinical interviews to assess for an UHR syndrome. The initial 15min of the baseline clinical interview was assessed using Motion Energy Analysis (MEA) providing frame-by-frame measures of total movement, amplitude, speed, and variability of both head and body movement separately. Result showed region-specific group differences such that there were no differences in head movement but significant differences in body movement. Specifically, the UHR group showed greater total body movement and speed of body movements, and lower variation in body movement compared to healthy controls. However, there were no significant associations with positive, negative or disorganized symptom domains. This study represents an innovative perspective on gross motor function in the UHR group. Importantly, the automated approach used in this study provides a sensitive and objective measure of body movement abnormalities, potentially guiding novel assessment and prevention of symptom development in those at risk for psychosis. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Energy drink consumption among New Zealand adolescents: Associations with mental health, health risk behaviours and body size.

Science.gov (United States)

Utter, Jennifer; Denny, Simon; Teevale, Tasileta; Sheridan, Janie

2018-03-01

With the increase in popularity of energy drinks come multiple concerns about the associated health indicators of young people. The current study aims to describe the frequency of consumption of energy drinks in a nationally representative sample of adolescents and to explore the relationship between energy drink consumption and health risk behaviours, body size and mental health. Data were collected as part of Youth'12, a nationally representative survey of high school students in New Zealand (2012). In total, 8500 students answered a comprehensive questionnaire about their health and well-being, including multiple measures of mental well-being, and were weighed and measured for height. More than one-third (35%) of young people consumed energy drinks in the past week, and 12% consumed energy drinks four or more times in the past week. Energy drink consumption was significantly associated with greater depressive symptoms, greater emotional difficulties and lower general subjective well-being. Frequent energy drink consumption was also associated with binge drinking, smoking, engagement in unsafe sex, violent behaviours, risky motor vehicle use and disordered eating behaviours. There was no association between consumption of energy drinks and student body size. Consumption of energy drinks is associated with a range of health risk behaviours for young people. Strategies to limit consumption of energy drinks by young people are warranted. © 2017 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Prediction of Android and Gynoid Body Adiposity via a Three-dimensional Stereovision Body Imaging System and Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jane J; Freeland-Graves, Jeanne H; Pepper, M Reese; Stanforth, Philip R; Xu, Bugao

2015-01-01

Current methods for measuring regional body fat are expensive and inconvenient compared to the relative cost-effectiveness and ease of use of a stereovision body imaging (SBI) system. The primary goal of this research is to develop prediction models for android and gynoid fat by body measurements assessed via SBI and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Subsequently, mathematical equations for prediction of total and regional (trunk, leg) body adiposity were established via parameters measured by SBI and DXA. A total of 121 participants were randomly assigned into primary and cross-validation groups. Body measurements were obtained via traditional anthropometrics, SBI, and DXA. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to develop mathematical equations by demographics and SBI assessed body measurements as independent variables and body adiposity (fat mass and percentage fat) as dependent variables. The validity of the prediction models was evaluated by a split sample method and Bland-Altman analysis. The R(2) of the prediction equations for fat mass and percentage body fat were 93.2% and 76.4% for android and 91.4% and 66.5% for gynoid, respectively. The limits of agreement for the fat mass and percentage fat were -0.06 ± 0.87 kg and -0.11% ± 1.97% for android and -0.04 ± 1.58 kg and -0.19% ± 4.27% for gynoid. Prediction values for fat mass and percentage fat were 94.6% and 88.9% for total body, 93.9% and 71.0% for trunk, and 92.4% and 64.1% for leg, respectively. The three-dimensional (3D) SBI produces reliable parameters that can predict android and gynoid as well as total and regional (trunk, leg) fat mass.

Fremmedlegemeinfektioner--nyt om biofilm og quorum sensing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Høiby, Niels; Johansen, Helle Krogh; Ciofu, Oana

2007-01-01

Biofilms are structured consortia of bacteria embedded in self-produced polymer matrix. Biofilms are resistant to antibiotics, disinfectives and phagocytosis. The persistence of foreign body infections is due to biofilms. Chronic P. aeruginosa lung infection in cystic fibrosis patients is a biofilm....... Bacteria in biofilms communicate by means of quorum sensing which activates genes for virulence factors. Biofilms can be prevented by antibiotic prophylaxis or early therapy or by quorum sensing inhibitors which make them susceptible to antibiotics and phagocytosis. Udgivelsesdato: 2007-Nov-26...

Interfacial Bonding Energy on the Interface between ZChSnSb/Sn Alloy Layer and Steel Body at Microscale

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianmei Wang

2017-09-01

Full Text Available To investigate the performance of bonding on the interface between ZChSnSb/Sn and steel body, the interfacial bonding energy on the interface of a ZChSnSb/Sn alloy layer and the steel body with or without Sn as an intermediate layer was calculated under the same loadcase using the molecular dynamics simulation software Materials Studio by ACCELRYS, and the interfacial bonding energy under different Babbitt thicknesses was compared. The results show that the bonding energy of the interface with Sn as an intermediate layer is 10% larger than that of the interface without a Sn layer. The interfacial bonding performances of Babbitt and the steel body with Sn as an intermediate layer are better than those of an interface without a Sn layer. When the thickness of the Babbitt layer of bushing is 17.143 Å, the interfacial bonding energy reaches the maximum, and the interfacial bonding performance is optimum. These findings illustrate the bonding mechanism of the interfacial structure from the molecular level so as to ensure the good bonding properties of the interface, which provides a reference for the improvement of the bush manufacturing process from the microscopic point of view.

Interfacial Bonding Energy on the Interface between ZChSnSb/Sn Alloy Layer and Steel Body at Microscale.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jianmei; Xia, Quanzhi; Ma, Yang; Meng, Fanning; Liang, Yinan; Li, Zhixiong

2017-09-25

To investigate the performance of bonding on the interface between ZChSnSb/Sn and steel body, the interfacial bonding energy on the interface of a ZChSnSb/Sn alloy layer and the steel body with or without Sn as an intermediate layer was calculated under the same loadcase using the molecular dynamics simulation software Materials Studio by ACCELRYS, and the interfacial bonding energy under different Babbitt thicknesses was compared. The results show that the bonding energy of the interface with Sn as an intermediate layer is 10% larger than that of the interface without a Sn layer. The interfacial bonding performances of Babbitt and the steel body with Sn as an intermediate layer are better than those of an interface without a Sn layer. When the thickness of the Babbitt layer of bushing is 17.143 Å, the interfacial bonding energy reaches the maximum, and the interfacial bonding performance is optimum. These findings illustrate the bonding mechanism of the interfacial structure from the molecular level so as to ensure the good bonding properties of the interface, which provides a reference for the improvement of the bush manufacturing process from the microscopic point of view.

Remote sensing: best practice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, Gareth [Sgurr Energy (Canada)

2011-07-01

This paper presents remote sensing best practice in the wind industry. Remote sensing is a technique whereby measurements are obtained from the interaction of laser or acoustic pulses with the atmosphere. There is a vast diversity of tools and techniques available and they offer wide scope for reducing project uncertainty and risk but best practice must take into account versatility and flexibility. It should focus on the outcome in terms of results and data. However, traceability of accuracy requires comparison with conventional instruments. The framework for the Boulder protocol is given. Overviews of the guidelines for IEA SODAR and IEA LIDAR are also mentioned. The important elements of IEC 61400-12-1, an international standard for wind turbines, are given. Bankability is defined based on the Boulder protocol and a pie chart is presented that illustrates the uncertainty area covered by remote sensing. In conclusion it can be said that remote sensing is changing perceptions about how wind energy assessments can be made.

Does affective touch influence the virtual reality full body illusion?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, Jutta R; Keizer, Anouk; Engel, Manja M; Dijkerman, H Chris

The sense of how we experience our physical body as our own represents a fundamental component of human self-awareness. Body ownership can be studied with bodily illusions which are generated by inducing a visuo-tactile conflict where individuals experience illusionary ownership over a fake body or

The intersectional body

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Elg, Camilla; Jensen, Sune Qvotrup

2012-01-01

from Merleau-Ponty’s thinking about human experience as always already being part of the physical world, and from the concept of mimesis which denotes that we are always as human beings spontaneously engaged with sociality, implying both the accumulation of practical sense and radical conditionality......-additive analyses might be managed as the body is by definition non-additive. 2, Considerations about fluidity and changeability might be refocused, as a central characteristic of the body is its intertia. 3, Thinking about power relations might be recast as attention is drawn to how power relations are embodied...

Does the Equivalence between Gravitational Mass and Energy Survive for a Quantum Body?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lebed A. G.

2012-10-01

Full Text Available We consider the simplest quantum composite body, a hydrogen atom, in the presence of a weak external gravitational field. We show that passive gravitational mass operator of the atom in the post-Newtonian approximation of general relativity does not commute with its energy operator, taken in the absence of the field. Nevertheless, the equivalence between the expectations values of passive gravitational mass and energy is shown to survive at a macroscopic level for stationary quantum states. Breakdown of the equiva- lence between passive gravitational mass and energy at a microscopic level for station- ary quantum states can be experimentally detected by studying unusual electromagnetic radiation, emitted by the atoms, supported and moved in the Earth gravitational field with constant velocity, using spacecraft or satellite.

Sense of coherence as a predictor of physical and psychosocial health among cardiac patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janusz Kocjan

2015-06-01

Summary   INTRODUCTION: According to salutogenic concept, a strong sense of coherence is associated with physical and psychological health. Global life orientation is a measure of an individual’s ability to balance needs and resources of the body in confrontation with stress. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of the present study was to assess relationship between sense of coherence (SOC with health-related quality of life (HRQoL, especially with physical (PC and mental (MC component of health in patients undergoing cardiac treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 144 patients in age of 40-84 (mean age: 63,35 ± 10,71 years were examined. The following scale were used: SOC-29 (Sense of Coherence and SF-36 (Short Form Health Survey. Statistical analyses included perform descriptive statistics, calculate correlation between variables and comparision in groups. Levels of p<0,05 were accepted as being statistically significant values. RESULTS: The median score for SOC and its individuals components were as follows: SOC: 121,50; sense of  comprehensibility: 46,00; sense of meaningfulness: 40,00; sense of manageability: 39,00. Correlation between SOC and all components with MC were noted (0,20energy/fatigue, role limitations due to emotional problems as well as in MC and PC components (0,0000Sense of Coherence has an impact both for MC as well as PC. Strong SOC is associated with better HRQoL. KEY WORDS: Sense of coherence, SOC-29,  health-related quality of life, cardiac patients.

A comparison of low-carbohydrate vs. high-carbohydrate diets: energy restriction, nutrient quality and correlation to body mass index.

Science.gov (United States)

Bowman, Shanthy A; Spence, Joseph T

2002-06-01

To evaluate free-living adults' diets that ranged from very low to high amounts of carbohydrate for their energy content, nutritional quality and correlation to Body Mass Index. Adults ages 19 years and older, who had complete dietary intake data on day-1 of the USDA's 1994 to 1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII 1994-1996), were divided into four groups--very low, low, moderate and high carbohydrate--based on the percent total energy from carbohydrate. Mean energy, nutrient, food intakes and Body Mass Index values were compared among the groups. SUDAAN software package was used for the data analysis and pair-wise mean comparisons (p low-fat foods, grain products and fruits. This group also had the lowest sodium intake. Adults eating a high-carbohydrate diet are more likely to have Body Mass Index values below 25. A study of diets of free-living adults in the U.S. showed that diets high in carbohydrate were both energy restrictive and nutritious and may be adopted for successful weight management.

Human development III: Bridging Brain-Mind and Body-Mind. Introduction to “Deep” (Fractal, Poly-Ray Cosmology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Søren Ventegodt

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Reality can be interpreted in many ways, but two distinctly different ways are the mental and the emotional interpretation. The traditional way of thinking in science today is the first: an often simple and mechanical interpretation of reality that empowers us to handle the outer physical world with great, often brutal efficiency. The development of a mind that enables us to handle the outer physical world and survive makes a lot of sense from an evolutionary perspective; the problem is that the mental reason and linear logic reduces all phenomena to well-defined interacting objects, which might not exist from a deeper perspective of reality. A more intuitive way to interpret the world makes much more sense, when it comes to our human relations. So to function as a human being, we need both these two ways of seeing the world, and two different modi operandi. In many patients, we find an internalized conflict between logical and mental reasoning on one hand, and emotional and sexual approach to reality and human needs on the other. We speculate that this conflict causes the deep emotional problems that really are the basis of most human diseases. Only by merging brain-mind and body-mind will we be whole and free and truly ourselves. We need to develop our mental understanding, deepen our cosmology, and develop our sexuality and body-mind in order to make them meet and merge. To facilitate this existential healing, we propose a third integrative way of looking at our human nature, which we call “the energetic-informational interpretation of reality”. What it does is allows us to look at both brain-mind and body-mind as a highly structured field of “energy and information”. Energy and information are actually the same from a scientific point of view; when the world is seen through the body-mind, it looks more like energy; when seen though the brain-mind, it looks more like information.

Use of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in obese individuals: The possibility to estimate whole body composition from DXA half-body scans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lundqvist, K.; Neovius, M.; Grigorenko, A.; Nordenstroem, J.; Roessner, S.

2009-01-01

Background: Because of its high accuracy, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) has become one of the most frequently used methods for estimating human body composition. One limiting factor concerning measuring obese people with the DXA technique is the size of the scanning area. Objective: To explore the possibility of estimating whole body composition from half-body scans before and after weight reduction, and compare the results with densitometry measurements. Design: Intervention study of 15 obese adults (age 47.2 ± 13.4; BMI 35.9 ± 3.1) who were measured with full- and half-body DXA scans before and after a 7-week weight loss program. On both occasions, body composition was also assessed with air-displacement plethysmography (ADP). Results: The mean weight loss at follow-up was 14.9 ± 4.1 kg (5.0 kg/m 2 ), corresponding to a 14% decrease in body weight. When comparing the results from full- and half-body DXA, between 96% and 98% of the variance was explained. At baseline, %Body Fat (%BF) did not differ significantly between full and half-body measurements (0.6, -0.1-1.3), but the half-body method overestimated it by 1.0% (0.2-1.8) at follow-up. On the contrary, the difference between DXA and ADP in the assessment of %BF was both significant and of large magnitude (5.2; 2.4-8.0) at baseline, while non-significant and near zero (0.4; -1.3-2.2) at follow-up when the subjects had lost a significant amount of weight. Conclusion: The results obtained from half-body DXA scans can accurately predict whole body composition, as measured by full-body DXA, before and after significant weight reduction, in obese patients who barely fit into the scanning area. However, increasing discordance between DXA and ADP with increasing adiposity was seen, indicating that the measurements might not be as reliable on extreme obese subjects as on normal and overweight ditto

Use of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in obese individuals: The possibility to estimate whole body composition from DXA half-body scans

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lundqvist, K. [Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76 Stockholm (Sweden)], E-mail: kent.lundqvist@karolinska.se; Neovius, M. [Obesity Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-141 86 Stockholm (Sweden); Grigorenko, A. [Research and Development Unit, YLab Wellcare Institute, SE-113 60 Stockholm (Sweden); Nordenstroem, J. [Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76 Stockholm (Sweden); Roessner, S. [Obesity Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-141 86 Stockholm (Sweden)

2009-02-15

Background: Because of its high accuracy, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) has become one of the most frequently used methods for estimating human body composition. One limiting factor concerning measuring obese people with the DXA technique is the size of the scanning area. Objective: To explore the possibility of estimating whole body composition from half-body scans before and after weight reduction, and compare the results with densitometry measurements. Design: Intervention study of 15 obese adults (age 47.2 {+-} 13.4; BMI 35.9 {+-} 3.1) who were measured with full- and half-body DXA scans before and after a 7-week weight loss program. On both occasions, body composition was also assessed with air-displacement plethysmography (ADP). Results: The mean weight loss at follow-up was 14.9 {+-} 4.1 kg (5.0 kg/m{sup 2}), corresponding to a 14% decrease in body weight. When comparing the results from full- and half-body DXA, between 96% and 98% of the variance was explained. At baseline, %Body Fat (%BF) did not differ significantly between full and half-body measurements (0.6, -0.1-1.3), but the half-body method overestimated it by 1.0% (0.2-1.8) at follow-up. On the contrary, the difference between DXA and ADP in the assessment of %BF was both significant and of large magnitude (5.2; 2.4-8.0) at baseline, while non-significant and near zero (0.4; -1.3-2.2) at follow-up when the subjects had lost a significant amount of weight. Conclusion: The results obtained from half-body DXA scans can accurately predict whole body composition, as measured by full-body DXA, before and after significant weight reduction, in obese patients who barely fit into the scanning area. However, increasing discordance between DXA and ADP with increasing adiposity was seen, indicating that the measurements might not be as reliable on extreme obese subjects as on normal and overweight ditto.

Equalized Energy Consumption in Wireless Body Area Networks for a Prolonged Network Lifetime

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maryam El Azhari

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The phenomenal advances in electronics contributed to a widespread use of distributed sensors in wireless communications. A set of biosensors can be deployed or implanted in the human body to form a Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN, where various WBAN PHY layers are utilized. The WBAN allows the measurement of physiological data, which is forwarded by the gateway to the base station for analysis purposes. The main issue in conceiving a WBAN communication mechanism is to manage the residual energy of sensors. The mobile agent system has been widely applied for surveillance applications in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs. It consists in dispatching one or more mobile agents simultaneously to collect data, while following a predetermined optimum itinerary. The continuous use of the optimal itinerary leads to a rapid depletion of sensor nodes batteries, which minimizes the network lifetime. This paper presents a new algorithm to equalize the energy consumption among sensor motes. The algorithm exploits all the available paths towards the destination and classifies them with respect to the end-to-end delay and the overall energy consumption. The proposed algorithm performs better compared to the optimal routing path. It increases the network lifetime to the maximum by postponing routing of data via the most-recently used path, and it also maintains data delivery within the delay interval threshold.

Body ownership and the four-hand illusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wen-Yeo; Huang, Hsu-Chia; Lee, Yen-Tung; Liang, Caleb

2018-02-01

Recent studies of the rubber hand illusion (RHI) have shown that the sense of body ownership is constrained by several factors and yet is still very flexible. However, exactly how flexible is our sense of body ownership? In this study, we address this issue by investigating the following question: is it possible that one may have the illusory experience of owning four hands? Under visual manipulation, the participant adopted the experimenter's first-person perspective (1PP) as if it was his/her own. Sitting face to face, the participant saw four hands-the experimenter's two hands from the adopted 1PP together with the subject's own two hands from the adopted third-person perspective (3PP). We found that: (1) the four-hand illusion did not occur in the passive four-hand condition. (2) In the active four-hand condition, the participants tapped their index fingers, imitated by the experimenter. When tactile stimulations were not provided, the key illusion was not induced, either. (3) Strikingly, once all four hands began to act with the same pattern and received synchronous tactile stimulations at the same time, many participants felt as if they had two more hands. These results show that the sense of body ownership is much more flexible than most researchers have suggested.

Effect of the amount of dietary energy on growth and body composition of Sabi lambs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kusina, N.T.; Hale, D.H.; Chesworth, J.M.; Mutisi, C.

1991-01-01

The effects of the amount of dietary energy on growth rate, food conversion efficiency and composition of the live body and of the carcass of 60 Sabi ram lambs were examined. The tails of the lambs were docked two days after birth. Six lambs (average 17 kg) were slaughtered at the start of the study to determine the initial body composition. The remaining (54) lambs were allocated to one of the three levels of feed (1.25, 1.50 and 2.00 times maintenance). Within each level of feeding, the animals were slaughtered at either 25, 30 or 35 kg liveweight. Carcass composition was determined by dissection of the slaughtered animals and body composition was predicted using regression equations derived from the in vivo dilution technique of tritiated water (TOH) injected into the animals. The average daily liveweight gain and feed conversion efficiency increased (p 0.05). Both total body water and total body fat were estimated more accurately when TOH space and liveweight were used jointly. TOH space alone overestimated total body water. (author). 24 refs, 1 fig., 8 tabs

How does justice smell? Reflections on space and place, justice and the body

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacob Meiring

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Flowing from a joint consultation on Spatial Justice and Reconciliation on 21–22 September 2015, hosted by the Centre for Contextual Ministry and the Ubuntu Research Project of the University of Pretoria, this article reflects on the notions of space and justice from the perspective of a contemporary theological anthropology as ‘embodied sensing’, where the making of meaning is sensed in the body. The argument is put forward that spatial justice is an embodied endeavour and that it cannot be achieved disconnected from the bodies of the persons in the concrete context where justice is strived for and where bodies can flourish. The relation between spatial justice, sense of place, human flourishing and the embodied sensing of meaning is explored.

Efficient Security Mechanisms for mHealth Applications Using Wireless Body Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prasan Kumar Sahoo

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Recent technological advances in wireless communications and physiological sensing allow miniature, lightweight, ultra-low power, intelligent monitoring devices, which can be integrated into a Wireless Body Sensor Network (WBSN for health monitoring. Physiological signals of humans such as heartbeats, temperature and pulse can be monitored from a distant location using tiny biomedical wireless sensors. Hence, it is highly essential to combine the ubiquitous computing with mobile health technology using wireless sensors and smart phones to monitor the well-being of chronic patients such as cardiac, Parkinson and epilepsy patients. Since physiological data of a patient are highly sensitive, maintaining its confidentiality is highly essential. Hence, security is a vital research issue in mobile health (mHealth applications, especially if a patient has an embarrassing disease. In this paper a three tier security architecture for the mHealth application is proposed, in which light weight data confidentiality and authentication protocols are proposed to maintain the privacy of a patient. Moreover, considering the energy and hardware constraints of the wireless body sensors, low complexity data confidential and authentication schemes are designed. Performance evaluation of the proposed architecture shows that they can satisfy the energy and hardware limitations of the sensors and still can maintain the secure fabrics of the wireless body sensor networks. Besides, the proposed schemes can outperform in terms of energy consumption, memory usage and computation time over standard key establishment security scheme.

Efficient Security Mechanisms for mHealth Applications Using Wireless Body Sensor Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Sahoo, Prasan Kumar

2012-01-01

Recent technological advances in wireless communications and physiological sensing allow miniature, lightweight, ultra-low power, intelligent monitoring devices, which can be integrated into a Wireless Body Sensor Network (WBSN) for health monitoring. Physiological signals of humans such as heartbeats, temperature and pulse can be monitored from a distant location using tiny biomedical wireless sensors. Hence, it is highly essential to combine the ubiquitous computing with mobile health technology using wireless sensors and smart phones to monitor the well-being of chronic patients such as cardiac, Parkinson and epilepsy patients. Since physiological data of a patient are highly sensitive, maintaining its confidentiality is highly essential. Hence, security is a vital research issue in mobile health (mHealth) applications, especially if a patient has an embarrassing disease. In this paper a three tier security architecture for the mHealth application is proposed, in which light weight data confidentiality and authentication protocols are proposed to maintain the privacy of a patient. Moreover, considering the energy and hardware constraints of the wireless body sensors, low complexity data confidential and authentication schemes are designed. Performance evaluation of the proposed architecture shows that they can satisfy the energy and hardware limitations of the sensors and still can maintain the secure fabrics of the wireless body sensor networks. Besides, the proposed schemes can outperform in terms of energy consumption, memory usage and computation time over standard key establishment security scheme. PMID:23112734

Efficient security mechanisms for mHealth applications using wireless body sensor networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahoo, Prasan Kumar

2012-01-01

Recent technological advances in wireless communications and physiological sensing allow miniature, lightweight, ultra-low power, intelligent monitoring devices, which can be integrated into a Wireless Body Sensor Network (WBSN) for health monitoring. Physiological signals of humans such as heartbeats, temperature and pulse can be monitored from a distant location using tiny biomedical wireless sensors. Hence, it is highly essential to combine the ubiquitous computing with mobile health technology using wireless sensors and smart phones to monitor the well-being of chronic patients such as cardiac, Parkinson and epilepsy patients. Since physiological data of a patient are highly sensitive, maintaining its confidentiality is highly essential. Hence, security is a vital research issue in mobile health (mHealth) applications, especially if a patient has an embarrassing disease. In this paper a three tier security architecture for the mHealth application is proposed, in which light weight data confidentiality and authentication protocols are proposed to maintain the privacy of a patient. Moreover, considering the energy and hardware constraints of the wireless body sensors, low complexity data confidential and authentication schemes are designed. Performance evaluation of the proposed architecture shows that they can satisfy the energy and hardware limitations of the sensors and still can maintain the secure fabrics of the wireless body sensor networks. Besides, the proposed schemes can outperform in terms of energy consumption, memory usage and computation time over standard key establishment security scheme.

An Enhanced Sensing Application Based on a Flexible Projected Capacitive-Sensing Mattress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen-Ying Chang

2014-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a cost-effective sensor system for mattresses that can classify the sleeping posture of an individual and prevent pressure ulcers. This system applies projected capacitive sensing to the field of health care. The charge time (CT method was used to sensitively and accurately measure the capacitance of the projected electrodes. The required characteristics of the projected capacitor were identified to develop large-area applications for sensory mattresses. The area of the electrodes, the use of shielding, and the increased length of the transmission line were calibrated to more accurately measure the capacitance of the electrodes in large-size applications. To offer the users comfort in the prone position, a flexible substrate was selected and covered with 16 × 20 electrodes. Compared with the static charge sensitive bed (SCSB, our proposed system-flexible projected capacitive-sensing mattress (FPCSM comes with more electrodes to increase the resolution of posture identification. As for the body pressure system (BPS, the FPCSM has advantages such as lower cost, higher aging-resistance capability, and the ability to sense the capacitance of the covered regions without physical contact. The proposed guard ring design effectively absorbs the noise and interrupts leakage paths. The projected capacitive electrode is suitable for proximity-sensing applications and succeeds at quickly recognizing the sleeping pattern of the user.

Design of a Novel Flexible Capacitive Sensing Mattress for Monitoring Sleeping Respiratory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen-Ying Chang

2014-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper, an algorithm to extract respiration signals using a flexible projected capacitive sensing mattress (FPCSM designed for personal health assessment is proposed. Unlike the interfaces of conventional measurement systems for poly-somnography (PSG and other alternative contemporary systems, the proposed FPCSM uses projected capacitive sensing capability that is not worn or attached to the body. The FPCSM is composed of a multi-electrode sensor array that can not only observe gestures and motion behaviors, but also enables the FPCSM to function as a respiration monitor during sleep using the proposed approach. To improve long-term monitoring when body movement is possible, the FPCSM enables the selection of data from the sensing array, and the FPCSM methodology selects the electrodes with the optimal signals after the application of a channel reduction algorithm that counts the reversals in the capacitive sensing signals as a quality indicator. The simple algorithm is implemented in the time domain. The FPCSM system is used in experimental tests and is simultaneously compared with a commercial PSG system for verification. Multiple synchronous measurements are performed from different locations of body contact, and parallel data sets are collected. The experimental comparison yields a correlation coefficient of 0.88 between FPCSM and PSG, demonstrating the feasibility of the system design.

Compressive Sensing in Communication Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fyhn, Karsten

2013-01-01

. The need for cheaper, smarter and more energy efficient wireless devices is greater now than ever. This thesis addresses this problem and concerns the application of the recently developed sampling theory of compressive sensing in communication systems. Compressive sensing is the merging of signal...... acquisition and compression. It allows for sampling a signal with a rate below the bound dictated by the celebrated Shannon-Nyquist sampling theorem. In some communication systems this necessary minimum sample rate, dictated by the Shannon-Nyquist sampling theorem, is so high it is at the limit of what...... with using compressive sensing in communication systems. The main contribution of this thesis is two-fold: 1) a new compressive sensing hardware structure for spread spectrum signals, which is simpler than the current state-of-the-art, and 2) a range of algorithms for parameter estimation for the class...

Prosthetics Making Sense: Dancing the Technogenetic Body

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erin Manning

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Explorations of new technologies and dance often focus on the difficulty of locating gesture-as-such. For the practitioners of dance and technology the exploration of movement is intrinsically related to how to locate where a movement begins and ends in order to map its coordinates within a sensitive system. Yet, the question "What is a gesture? (and how can the computer recognize one?" may direct the techno-dance process toward establishing a kind of grammar of movement that would — paradoxically — be more likely to tie the body to some pre-established understanding of how it actualizes. "Mapping" gesture risks breaking movement into bits of assimilable data, of replicating the very conformity the computer software is seeking to get beyond. Instead of mapping gesture-as-such, this paper therefore begins somewhere else. It seeks to explore the technogenetic potential of the wholeness of movement, including its "unmappable" virtuality. The unmappable — within a computer software program — is the aspect of movement I call pre-acceleration, a virtual becoming — a tendency toward movement — through which a displacement takes form. If a vocabulary of gesture is to be reclaimed as part of what can be stimulated in the encounter between dance and new technology, it must be done through the continuum of movement, through the body's technogenetic emergence in the realm of the virtual becoming of pre-acceleration.

Brain transcriptional responses to high-fat diet in Acads-deficient mice reveal energy sensing pathways.

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Claudia Kruger

Full Text Available How signals from fatty acid metabolism are translated into changes in food intake remains unclear. Previously we reported that mice with a genetic inactivation of Acads (acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase, short-chain, the enzyme responsible for mitochondrial beta-oxidation of C4-C6 short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs, shift consumption away from fat and toward carbohydrate when offered a choice between diets. In the current study, we sought to indentify candidate genes and pathways underlying the effects of SCFA oxidation deficiency on food intake in Acads-/- mice.We performed a transcriptional analysis of gene expression in brain tissue of Acads-/- and Acads+/+ mice fed either a high-fat (HF or low-fat (LF diet for 2 d. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis revealed three top-scoring pathways significantly modified by genotype or diet: oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and CREB signaling in neurons. A comparison of statistically significant responses in HF Acads-/- vs. HF Acads+/+ (3917 and Acads+/+ HF vs. LF Acads+/+ (3879 revealed 2551 genes or approximately 65% in common between the two experimental comparisons. All but one of these genes were expressed in opposite direction with similar magnitude, demonstrating that HF-fed Acads-deficient mice display transcriptional responses that strongly resemble those of Acads+/+ mice fed LF diet. Intriguingly, genes involved in both AMP-kinase regulation and the neural control of food intake followed this pattern. Quantitative RT-PCR in hypothalamus confirmed the dysregulation of genes in these pathways. Western blotting showed an increase in hypothalamic AMP-kinase in Acads-/- mice and HF diet increased, a key protein in an energy-sensing cascade that responds to depletion of ATP.Our results suggest that the decreased beta-oxidation of short-chain fatty acids in Acads-deficient mice fed HF diet produces a state of energy deficiency in the brain and that AMP-kinase may be the cellular energy-sensing

Mapping land water and energy balance relations through conditional sampling of remote sensing estimates of atmospheric forcing and surface states

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Farhadi, Leila; Entekhabi, Dara; Salvucci, Guido

2016-04-01

In this study, we develop and apply a mapping estimation capability for key unknown parameters that link the surface water and energy balance equations. The method is applied to the Gourma region in West Africa. The accuracy of the estimation method at point scale was previously examined using flux tower data. In this study, the capability is scaled to be applicable with remotely sensed data products and hence allow mapping. Parameters of the system are estimated through a process that links atmospheric forcing (precipitation and incident radiation), surface states, and unknown parameters. Based on conditional averaging of land surface temperature and moisture states, respectively, a single objective function is posed that measures moisture and temperature-dependent errors solely in terms of observed forcings and surface states. This objective function is minimized with respect to parameters to identify evapotranspiration and drainage models and estimate water and energy balance flux components. The uncertainty of the estimated parameters (and associated statistical confidence limits) is obtained through the inverse of Hessian of the objective function, which is an approximation of the covariance matrix. This calibration-free method is applied to the mesoscale region of Gourma in West Africa using multiplatform remote sensing data. The retrievals are verified against tower-flux field site data and physiographic characteristics of the region. The focus is to find the functional form of the evaporative fraction dependence on soil moisture, a key closure function for surface and subsurface heat and moisture dynamics, using remote sensing data.

Dual energy X-Ray absorptiometry body composition reference values from NHANES.

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Thomas L Kelly

Full Text Available In 2008 the National Center for Health Statistics released a dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA whole body dataset from the NHANES population-based sample acquired with modern fan beam scanners in 15 counties across the United States from 1999 through 2004. The NHANES dataset was partitioned by gender and ethnicity and DXA whole body measures of %fat, fat mass/height(2, lean mass/height(2, appendicular lean mass/height(2, %fat trunk/%fat legs ratio, trunk/limb fat mass ratio of fat, bone mineral content (BMC and bone mineral density (BMD were analyzed to provide reference values for subjects 8 to 85 years old. DXA reference values for adults were normalized to age; reference values for children included total and sub-total whole body results and were normalized to age, height, or lean mass. We developed an obesity classification scheme by using estabbody mass index (BMI classification thresholds and prevalences in young adults to generate matching classification thresholds for Fat Mass Index (FMI; fat mass/height(2. These reference values should be helpful in the evaluation of a variety of adult and childhood abnormalities involving fat, lean, and bone, for establishing entry criteria into clinical trials, and for other medical, research, and epidemiological uses.

Theology in the flesh – a model for theological anthropology as embodied sensing

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Jacob Meiring

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The author proposes a model for theological anthropology as embodied sensing that is based on an interdisciplinary exploration of the corporeal turn from a southern African perspective. The work of James B. Nelson is acknowledged, stating that body theology starts with the concrete, the bodily expressions of life and not with doctrines about God and humanity. The theological anthropology of David H. Kelsey is evaluated as a theological anthropology with a sentiment of the flesh. Based on clearings in the work of David Kelsey and an interdisciplinary research, the author proposes a model for theological anthropology as embodied sensing which functions within the intricate and complex connection of the living body, language and experiencing in a concrete lifeworld with an openness to the ‘more than’. The author considers the use of bodymapping within narrative therapy as a way in which to uncover the intimate and intricate connection between the living body, experience and language, and implementing insights from theological anthropology as embodied sensing.

Differences in body image between anorexics and in-vitro-fertilization patients - a study with Body Grid

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Borkenhagen, Ada; Klapp, Burghard F.; Schoeneich, Frank; Brähler, Elmar

2005-01-01

Objectives: The purpose of the investigation was to explore the body image disturbance of anorexics and in-vitro-fertilization patients (IvF-patients) with Body Grid and Body Identity Plot. Methods: The paper reports on an empirical study conducted with 32 anorexic patients and 30 IvF-patients. The structure of the body image was derived from the Body Grid, an idiographic approach following the Role Repertory Grid developed by George A. Kelly [17]. The representation of the body image and the degree of body-acceptance is represented graphically. Results: By the Body Grid and Body Identity Plot measures we were able to identify important differences in body image between anorexics and IvF-patients. Conclusion: The tendencies of dissociation in the body image of anorexics which we found must be seen in the sense of a specific body image disturbance which differs significantly from the body-experience profile of IvF-patients. With the grid approach it was possible to elicit the inner structure of body image and determine the acceptance of the body and integration of single body parts. PMID:19742059

N-body quantum scattering theory in two Hilbert spaces. VII. Real-energy limits

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Chandler, C.; Gibson, A.G.

1994-01-01

A study is made of the real-energy limits of approximate solutions of the Chandler--Gibson equations, as well as the real-energy limits of the approximate equations themselves. It is proved that (1) the approximate time-independent transition operator T π (z) and an auxiliary operator M π (z), when restricted to finite energy intervals, are trace class operators and have limits in trace norm for almost all values of the real energy; (2) the basic dynamical equation that determines the operator M π (z), when restricted to the space of trace class operators, has a real-energy limit in trace norm for almost all values of the real energy; (3) the real-energy limit of M π (z) is a solution of the real-energy limit equation; (4) the diagonal (on-shell) elements of the kernels of the real-energy limit of T π (z) and of all solutions of the real-energy limit equation exactly equal the on-shell transition operator, implying that the real-energy limit equation uniquely determines the physical transition amplitude; and (5) a sequence of approximate on-shell transition operators converges strongly to the exact on-shell transition operator. These mathematically rigorous results are believed to be the most general of their type for nonrelativistic N-body quantum scattering theories

Beyond public acceptance of energy infrastructure: How citizens make sense and form reactions by enacting networks of entities in infrastructure development

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Aaen, Sara Bjørn; Kerndrup, Søren; Lyhne, Ivar

2016-01-01

This article adds to the growing insight into public acceptance by presenting a novel approach to how citizens make sense of new energy infrastructure. We claim that to understand public acceptance, we need to go beyond the current thinking of citizens framed as passive respondents to proposed projects, and instead view infrastructure projects as enacted by citizens in their local settings. We propose a combination of sensemaking theory and actor–network theory that allows insight into how citizens enact entities from experiences and surroundings in order to create meaning and form a reaction to new infrastructure projects. Empirically, we analyze how four citizens make sense of an electricity cable project through a conversation process with a representative from the infrastructure developer. Interestingly, the formal participation process and the materiality of the cable play minor roles in citizens' sensemaking process. We conclude that insight into the way citizens are making sense of energy infrastructure processes can improve and help to overcome shortcomings in the current thinking about public acceptance and public participation. - Highlights: •Attention to citizens' sensemaking enables greater insight into the decision-making process. •A combination of sensemaking and actor-network theory (ANT) is relevant for studies of public acceptance. •Sensemaking explains why citizens facing similar situations act differently. •Complexity of citizens' sensemaking challenges the predictability of processes.

Body composition and bone mineral density measurements by using a multi-energy method

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Herve, L.

2003-01-01

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry is a major technique to evaluate bone mineral density, thus allowing diagnosis of bone decalcification ( osteoporosis). Recently, this method has proved useful to quantify body composition (fat ratio). However, these measurements suffer from artefacts which can lead to diagnosis errors in a number of cases. This work has aimed to improve both the reproducibility and the accuracy of bone mineral density and body composition measurements. To this avail, the acquisition conditions were optimised in order to ameliorate the results reproducibility and we have proposed a new method to correct inaccuracies in the determination of bone mineral density. Experimental validations yield encouraging results on both synthetic phantoms and biological samples. (author)

Manage your energy, not your time.

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Schwartz, Tony

2007-10-01

As the demands of the workplace keep rising, many people respond by putting in ever longer hours, which inevitably leads to burnout that costs both the organization and the employee. Meanwhile, people take for granted what fuels their capacity to work--their energy. Increasing that capacity is the best way to get more done faster and better. Time is a finite resource, but energy is different. It has four wellsprings--the body, emotions, mind, and spirit--and in each, it can be systematically expanded and renewed. In this article, Schwartz, founder of the Energy Project, describes how to establish rituals that will build energy in the four key dimensions. For instance, harnessing the body's ultradian rhythms by taking intermittent breaks restores physical energy. Rejecting the role of a victim and instead viewing events through three hopeful lenses defuses energy-draining negative emotions. Avoiding the constant distractions that technology has introduced increases mental energy. And participating in activities that give you a sense of meaning and purpose boosts the energy of the spirit. The new workday rituals succeed only if leaders support their adoption, but when that happens, the results can be powerful. A group of Wachovia Bank employees who went through an energy management program outperformed a control group on important financial metrics like loans generated, and they reported substantially improved customer relationships, productivity, and personal satisfaction. These findings corroborated anecdotal evidence gathered about the effectiveness of this approach at other companies, including Ernst & Young, Sony, and Deutsche Bank. When organizations invest in all dimensions of their employees' lives, individuals respond by bringing all their energy wholeheartedly to work -and both companies and their people grow in value.

Thermal Infrared Remote Sensing for Analysis of Landscape Ecological Processes: Methods and Applications

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Quattrochi, Dale A.; Luvall, Jeffrey C.

1998-01-01

Thermal Infrared (TIR) remote sensing data can provide important measurements of surface energy fluxes and temperatures, which are integral to understanding landscape processes and responses. One example of this is the successful application of TIR remote sensing data to estimate evapotranspiration and soil moisture, where results from a number of studies suggest that satellite-based measurements from TIR remote sensing data can lead to more accurate regional-scale estimates of daily evapotranspiration. With further refinement in analytical techniques and models, the use of TIR data from airborne and satellite sensors could be very useful for parameterizing surface moisture conditions and developing better simulations of landscape energy exchange over a variety of conditions and space and time scales. Thus, TIR remote sensing data can significantly contribute to the observation, measurement, and analysis of energy balance characteristics (i.e., the fluxes and redistribution of thermal energy within and across the land surface) as an implicit and important aspect of landscape dynamics and landscape functioning. The application of TIR remote sensing data in landscape ecological studies has been limited, however, for several fundamental reasons that relate primarily to the perceived difficulty in use and availability of these data by the landscape ecology community, and from the fragmentation of references on TIR remote sensing throughout the scientific literature. It is our purpose here to provide evidence from work that has employed TIR remote sensing for analysis of landscape characteristics to illustrate how these data can provide important data for the improved measurement of landscape energy response and energy flux relationships. We examine the direct or indirect use of TIR remote sensing data to analyze landscape biophysical characteristics, thereby offering some insight on how these data can be used more robustly to further the understanding and modeling of

Impact of Orexin-A Treatment on Food Intake, Energy Metabolism and Body Weight in Mice.

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Anne Blais

Full Text Available Orexin-A and -B are hypothalamic neuropeptides of 33 and 28-amino acids, which regulate many homeostatic systems including sleep/wakefulness states, energy balance, energy homeostasis, reward seeking and drug addiction. Orexin-A treatment was also shown to reduce tumor development in xenografted nude mice and is thus a potential treatment for carcinogenesis. The aim of this work was to explore in healthy mice the consequences on energy expenditure components of an orexin-A treatment at a dose previously shown to be efficient to reduce tumor development. Physiological approaches were used to evaluate the effect of orexin-A on food intake pattern, energy metabolism body weight and body adiposity. Modulation of the expression of brain neuropeptides and receptors including NPY, POMC, AgRP, cocaine- and amphetamine related transcript (CART, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH and prepro-orexin (HCRT, and Y2 and Y5 neuropeptide Y, MC4 (melanocortin, OX1 and OX2 orexin receptors (Y2R, Y5R, MC4R, OX1R and OX2R, respectively was also explored. Our results show that orexin-A treatment does not significantly affect the components of energy expenditure, and glucose metabolism but reduces intraperitoneal fat deposit, adiposity and the expression of several brain neuropeptide receptors suggesting that peripheral orexin-A was able to reach the central nervous system. These findings establish that orexin-A treatment which is known for its activity as an inducer of tumor cell death, do have minor parallel consequence on energy homeostasis control.

Analysis of energy utilization and body composition in kidney, bladder, and adrenal cancer patients.

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Xu, Wen P; Cao, Dong X; Lin, Zong M; Wu, Guo H; Chen, Lian; Zhang, Jian P; Zhang, Bo; Yang, Zi A; Jiang, Yi; Han, Yu S; Xu, Le; Zhu, Yu; Chen, Wen F

2012-09-01

To investigate resting energy expenditure (REE) and body composition and the relationship between substrate utilization and energy expenditure in urologic cancer patients. Measured resting energy expenditure (mREE) was detected by indirect calorimetry in 122 urologic cancer patients and 131 control subjects. Extracellular fluid (ECF), intracellular fluid (ICF), and total water (TW) were measured by bioelectrical impedance appliance. Fat oxidation rate (F-O), carbohydrate oxidation rate, fat mass (FM), and fat free mass (FFM) were further determined. Compared with the controls, cancer patients showed significantly elevated mREE and mREE/FFM (P = 0.049; P cancer patients, 50% (n = 61) were hypermetabolic, 43.4% (n = 53) normometabolic, and 6.6% (n = 8) hypometabolic, whereas 35.1% (n = 46) of the controls were hypermetabolic, 56.5% (n = 74) normometabolic, and 8.4% (n = 11) hypometabolic. REE was correlated to substrate oxidation rate (R(2) = 0.710). Cancer patients exhibited no significant difference in FM, FM/body weight (BW) and FFM, compared with controls. Cancer patients presented no significant difference in TW compared with controls (P = 0.791), but they had increased ECF (P cancer patients. Cancer type and pathologic stage are influential factors of REE. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Senses of Agency and Ownership: A Review.

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Braun, Niclas; Debener, Stefan; Spychala, Nadine; Bongartz, Edith; Sörös, Peter; Müller, Helge H O; Philipsen, Alexandra

2018-01-01

Usually, we do not question that we possess a body and act upon the world. This pre-reflective awareness of being a bodily and agentive self can, however, be disrupted by different clinical conditions. Whereas sense of ownership (SoO) describes the feeling of mineness toward one's own body parts, feelings or thoughts, sense of agency (SoA) refers to the experience of initiating and controlling an action. Although SoA and SoO naturally coincide, both experiences can also be made in isolation. By using many different experimental paradigms, both experiences have been extensively studied over the last years. This review introduces both concepts, with a special focus also onto their interplay. First, current experimental paradigms, results and neurocognitive theories about both concepts will be presented and then their clinical and therapeutic relevance is discussed.