Hole-Size Increasing PCFs for Blue-Extended Supercontinuum Generation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Simon Toft; Larsen, Casper; Jakobsen, C.

2013-01-01

into the deep-blue in a single mode PCF with varying hole-size and pitch fabricated directly at the draw-tower. The PCFs in this work are fabricated by increasing the pressure on the air holes during the drawing. However, this process alone will lead to an undesirable structure where both the relative hole......Supercontinuum (SC) sources with spectra extending into the deep-blue region below 400 nm are highly desirable in areas such as fluorescent microscopy [1]. Tapering of photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) with high air-fill fractions has proven an effective way of extending the spectra into the deep...... wavelength spectral edge to wavelengths in the deep-blue or even UV. Previous reports on blue-extended SC generation were typically achieved in tapered PCFs where the air-hole structure was preserved [1-4], i.e. the relative hole-size constant. However, such PCFs with high air-fill fractions are inevitably...

Comparative Evaluation of Spectral Transmittance of Some Welding Glasses with ANSI Z87.1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

saeed Rahmani

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Welding emits harmful rays to the eyes. We evaluate and compare the UV, blue light and IR transmittance characteristics of some currently available welding safety protectors with ANSI Z87.1 criteria.Materials and Methods: Three type of welding safety protectors (three of each type have been evaluated for spectral transmittance. One-sample T-test was performed to establish is there a statistically significant difference between the standard criteria and UV, blue and IR regions for the welding protectors (α=0.05.Results: In ultraviolet (UV (far and near region, two types of the tested protectors (P1, P2 transmitted lower than the maximum allowable value specified in the standard (P<0.001. In infrared (IR spectrum only one type (P3 transmitted lower than the maximum allowable value specified in the standard (P<0.001. In blue light region, all of the tested protectors transmitted lower than the maximum allowable value specified in the standard (P<0.001.Conclusion: Although all of the tested glasses could meet some parts of the criteria, but none of them could meet the complete spectral transmittance requirements of ANSI Z87.1.

Spatial variability of oceanic phycoerythrin spectral types derived from airborne laser-induced fluorescence emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Hoge, Frank E.; Wright, C. Wayne; Kana, Todd M.; Swift, Robert N.; Yungel, James K.

1998-07-01

We report spatial variability of oceanic phycoerythrin spectral types detected by means of a blue spectral shift in airborne laser-induced fluorescence emission. The blue shift of the phycoerythrobilin fluorescence is known from laboratory studies to be induced by phycourobilin chromophore substitution at phycoerythrobilin chromophore sites in some strains of phycoerythrin-containing marine cyanobacteria. The airborne 532-nm laser-induced phycoerythrin fluorescence of the upper oceanic volume showed distinct segregation of cyanobacterial chromophore types in a flight transect from coastal water to the Sargasso Sea in the western North Atlantic. High phycourobilin levels were restricted to the oceanic (oligotrophic) end of the flight transect, in agreement with historical ship findings. These remotely observed phycoerythrin spectral fluorescence shifts have the potential to permit rapid, wide-area studies of the spatial variability of spectrally distinct cyanobacteria, especially across interfacial regions of coastal and oceanic water masses. Airborne laser-induced phytoplankton spectral fluorescence observations also further the development of satellite algorithms for passive detection of phytoplankton pigments. Optical modifications to the NASA Airborne Oceanographic Lidar are briefly described that permitted observation of the fluorescence spectral shifts.

Euler deconvolution and spectral analysis of regional aeromagnetic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Existing regional aeromagnetic data from the south-central Zimbabwe craton has been analysed using 3D Euler deconvolution and spectral analysis to obtain quantitative information on the geological units and structures for depth constraints on the geotectonic interpretation of the region. The Euler solution maps confirm ...

Seeing the Unseen: MIR Spectroscopic Constraints on Quasar Big Blue Bumps

Science.gov (United States)

Gallagher, Sarah; Hines, Dean; Leighly, Karen; Ogle, Patrick; Richards, Gordon

2008-03-01

The IRS on Spitzer offers an exciting opportunity for detailed, mid-infrared spectroscopy of z~2 quasars for the first time. This epoch, sampling the peak of the quasar luminosity evolution, is particularly important for understanding the nature of quasar activity in the most massive galaxies. We aim to use this powerful tool to constrain the shape and power of the far-ultraviolet through soft-X-ray ionizing continuum of luminous quasars. Though these so-called `big blue bumps' dominate the power of quasar spectral energy distributions, they are largely unobservable as a result of hydrogen opacity in the Universe. However, we can determine the properties of the big blue bump by studying emission lines from ions in the coronal line region that emit in the mid-infrared and are created by those same energetic and elusive photons. We propose deep, high quality IRS observations of 5 luminous quasars with a range of HeII emission properties to investigate the mid-infrared spectral region in depth and constrain the shape of the ionizing continuum in each quasar. In addition, these high S/N spectra will provide templates for interpreting lower resolution, lower S/N IRS spectra.

Starbursts in Blue compact dwarf galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thuan, T.X.

1987-01-01

We summarize all the arguments for a bursting mode of star formation in blue compact dwarf galaxies. We show in particular how spectral synthesis of far ultraviolet spectra of Blue compact dwarf galaxy constitutes a powerful way for studying the star formation history in these galaxies. Blue compact dwarf galaxy luminosity functions show jumps and discontinuities. These jumps act like fossil records of the star-forming bursts, helping us to count and date the bursts

The influence of spectral nudging on typhoon formation in regional climate models

Science.gov (United States)

Feser, Frauke; Barcikowska, Monika

2012-03-01

Regional climate models can successfully simulate tropical cyclones and typhoons. This has been shown and was evaluated for hindcast studies of the past few decades. But often global and regional weather phenomena are not simulated at the observed location, or occur too often or seldom even though the regional model is driven by global reanalysis data which constitute a near-realistic state of the global atmosphere. Therefore, several techniques have been developed in order to make the regional model follow the global state more closely. One is spectral nudging, which is applied for horizontal wind components with increasing strength for higher model levels in this study. The aim of this study is to show the influence that this method has on the formation of tropical cyclones (TC) in regional climate models. Two ensemble simulations (each with five simulations) were computed for Southeast Asia and the Northwestern Pacific for the typhoon season 2004, one with spectral nudging and one without. First of all, spectral nudging reduced the overall TC number by about a factor of 2. But the number of tracks which are similar to observed best track data (BTD) was greatly increased. Also, spatial track density patterns were found to be more similar when using spectral nudging. The tracks merge after a short time for the spectral nudging simulations and then follow the BTD closely; for the no nudge cases the similarity is greatly reduced. A comparison of seasonal precipitation, geopotential height, and temperature fields at several height levels with observations and reanalysis data showed overall a smaller ensemble spread, higher pattern correlations and reduced root mean square errors and biases for the spectral nudged simulations. Vertical temperature profiles for selected TCs indicate that spectral nudging is not inhibiting TC development at higher levels. Both the Madden-Julian Oscillation and monsoonal precipitation are reproduced realistically by the regional model

The influence of spectral nudging on typhoon formation in regional climate models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feser, Frauke; Barcikowska, Monika

2012-01-01

Regional climate models can successfully simulate tropical cyclones and typhoons. This has been shown and was evaluated for hindcast studies of the past few decades. But often global and regional weather phenomena are not simulated at the observed location, or occur too often or seldom even though the regional model is driven by global reanalysis data which constitute a near-realistic state of the global atmosphere. Therefore, several techniques have been developed in order to make the regional model follow the global state more closely. One is spectral nudging, which is applied for horizontal wind components with increasing strength for higher model levels in this study. The aim of this study is to show the influence that this method has on the formation of tropical cyclones (TC) in regional climate models. Two ensemble simulations (each with five simulations) were computed for Southeast Asia and the Northwestern Pacific for the typhoon season 2004, one with spectral nudging and one without. First of all, spectral nudging reduced the overall TC number by about a factor of 2. But the number of tracks which are similar to observed best track data (BTD) was greatly increased. Also, spatial track density patterns were found to be more similar when using spectral nudging. The tracks merge after a short time for the spectral nudging simulations and then follow the BTD closely; for the no nudge cases the similarity is greatly reduced. A comparison of seasonal precipitation, geopotential height, and temperature fields at several height levels with observations and reanalysis data showed overall a smaller ensemble spread, higher pattern correlations and reduced root mean square errors and biases for the spectral nudged simulations. Vertical temperature profiles for selected TCs indicate that spectral nudging is not inhibiting TC development at higher levels. Both the Madden–Julian Oscillation and monsoonal precipitation are reproduced realistically by the regional model

Novel Cavities in Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers for Emission in Broad Spectral Region by Means of Nonlinear Frequency Conversion

Science.gov (United States)

Lukowski, Michal L.

Optically pumped semiconductor vertical external cavity surface emitting lasers (VECSEL) were first demonstrated in the mid 1990's. Due to the unique design properties of extended cavity lasers VECSELs have been able to provide tunable, high-output powers while maintaining excellent beam quality. These features offer a wide range of possible applications in areas such as medicine, spectroscopy, defense, imaging, communications and entertainment. Nowadays, newly developed VECSELs, cover the spectral regions from red (600 nm) to around 5 microm. By taking the advantage of the open cavity design, the emission can be further expanded to UV or THz regions by the means of intracavity nonlinear frequency generation. The objective of this dissertation is to investigate and extend the capabilities of high-power VECSELs by utilizing novel nonlinear conversion techniques. Optically pumped VECSELs based on GaAs semiconductor heterostructures have been demonstrated to provide exceptionally high output powers covering the 900 to 1200 nm spectral region with diffraction limited beam quality. The free space cavity design allows for access to the high intracavity circulating powers where high efficiency nonlinear frequency conversions and wavelength tuning can be obtained. As an introduction, this dissertation consists of a brief history of the development of VECSELs as well as wafer design, chip fabrication and resonator cavity design for optimal frequency conversion. Specifically, the different types of laser cavities such as: linear cavity, V-shaped cavity and patented T-shaped cavity are described, since their optimization is crucial for transverse mode quality, stability, tunability and efficient frequency conversion. All types of nonlinear conversions such as second harmonic, sum frequency and difference frequency generation are discussed in extensive detail. The theoretical simulation and the development of the high-power, tunable blue and green VECSEL by the means of type I

Second Byurakan spectral sky survey. II. Results for region centered on alpha 09h50m, delta +55 deg 00 arcmin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markarian, B.E.; Stepanian, D.A.

1984-01-01

The second list of objects in the Second Biurakan Spectral Sky Survey of the region centered on alpha 09h50m, delta +55 deg 00 arcmin is given. The list contains data on 110 objects and galaxies of a peculiar physical nature and 24 blue stars. The observations were made with the 40-52 arcsec Schmidt telescope of the Biurakan Astrophysical Observatory with a set of three objective prisms using Kodak IIIaJ and IIIaF emulsions sensitized in nitrogen. The area is found to contain 20 quasar candidates and four Seyfert galaxies, 27 blue stellar objects, 24 galaxies with an appreciable ultraviolet continuum, and 39 emission galaxies without appreciable ultraviolet radiation. The surface brightness of the quasars and Seyferts on the considered area down to the limiting magnitude 19.5 M is more than 1.5 per square degree with allowance for the already known quasars. The surface density of emission galaxies is about four per square degree. 7 references

DeepBlue epigenomic data server: programmatic data retrieval and analysis of epigenome region sets.

Science.gov (United States)

Albrecht, Felipe; List, Markus; Bock, Christoph; Lengauer, Thomas

2016-07-08

Large amounts of epigenomic data are generated under the umbrella of the International Human Epigenome Consortium, which aims to establish 1000 reference epigenomes within the next few years. These data have the potential to unravel the complexity of epigenomic regulation. However, their effective use is hindered by the lack of flexible and easy-to-use methods for data retrieval. Extracting region sets of interest is a cumbersome task that involves several manual steps: identifying the relevant experiments, downloading the corresponding data files and filtering the region sets of interest. Here we present the DeepBlue Epigenomic Data Server, which streamlines epigenomic data analysis as well as software development. DeepBlue provides a comprehensive programmatic interface for finding, selecting, filtering, summarizing and downloading region sets. It contains data from four major epigenome projects, namely ENCODE, ROADMAP, BLUEPRINT and DEEP. DeepBlue comes with a user manual, examples and a well-documented application programming interface (API). The latter is accessed via the XML-RPC protocol supported by many programming languages. To demonstrate usage of the API and to enable convenient data retrieval for non-programmers, we offer an optional web interface. DeepBlue can be openly accessed at http://deepblue.mpi-inf.mpg.de. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Spectral emissivity of tungsten: analytic expressions for the 340-nm to 2.6-μm spectral region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pon, R.M.; Hessler, J.P.

1984-01-01

To correct emission spectra a standard radiance source is often used to determine the spectral responsivity of the detection system. In the near-UV, visible, and near-IR spectral regions the most common radiance standard is a tungsten strip lamp calibrated by a standards laboratory. For day-to-day experiments where slightly less accuracy is acceptable, a less expensive uncalibrated lamp is useful. In this case, the radiant temperature T/sub r/ of the lamp is measured with an optical pyrometer, generally at a single wavelength such as 650 nm, and the source spectral radiance L(λ) is calculated from L(λ) = tau(λ)epsilon(λ,T)L/sub B/(λ,T). The transmittance of the source is tau(λ), the spectral emissivity is epsilon(λ,T), and L/sub B/(λ,T) is the spectral distribution of blackbody radiation, Planck's radiation law. To obtain the true temperature T, Wien's approximation is employed. To conveniently calibrate a system, especially one which utilizes a microcomputer, it is advantageous to have analytic expressions for the spectral emissivity of tungsten. Although Larrabee has published such expressions, they are limited to the 450-800-nm spectral region. To obtain analytic expressions from 340 nm to 2.6 μm they have used the measurements of DeVos. Although DeVos's results differ by 2% from those of Larrabee, this difference is assumed to be acceptable

Deep-blue supercontinuum light sources based on tapered photonic crystal bres

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Simon Toft

applications in areas such as spectroscopy and microscopy. In this work, we exploit the tremendous design freedom in air hole structured photonic crystal fibres to shape the supercontinuum spectrum. Specifically, the supercontinuum dynamics can be controlled by clever engineering of fibres with longitudinally...... varying air hole structures. Here we demonstrate supercontinuum generation into the commercially attractive deep-blue spectral region below 400 nm from an Yb laser in such fibres. In particular, we introduce the concept of a group acceleration mismatch that allows us to enhance the amount of light...... in the deep-blue by optimising the fibre structure. To this end, we fabricate the first single-mode high air-fill fraction photonic crystal fibre for blue-extended supercontinuum sources. The mechanisms of supercontinuum broadening are highly sensitive to noise, and the inherent shot-to-shot variations...

Determine the optimum spectral reflectance of juniper and pistachio in arid and semi-arid region

Science.gov (United States)

Fadaei, Hadi; Suzuki, Rikie

2012-11-01

Arid and semi-arid areas of northeast Iran cover about 3.4 million ha are populated by two main tree species, the broadleaf Pistacia vera. L (pistachio) and the conifer Juniperus excelsa ssp. polycarpos (Persian juniper). Natural stands of pistachio in Iran are not only environmentally important but genetically essential as seed sources for pistachio production in orchards. In this study, we estimated the optimum spectral reflectance of juniper forests and natural pistachio stands using remote sensing to help in the sustainable management and production of pistachio in Iran. In this research spectral reflectance are able to specify of multispectral from Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) that provided by JAXA. These data included PRISM is a panchromatic radiometer with a 2.5 m spatial resolution at nadir, has one band with a wavelength of 0.52-0.77 μm and AVNIR-2 is a visible and near infrared radiometer for observing land and coastal zones with a 10 m spatial resolution at nadir, has four multispectral bands: blue (0.42-0.50 μm), green (0.52-0.60 μm), red (0.61-0.69 μm), and near infrared (0.76-0.89 μm). Total ratio vegetation index (TRVI) of optimum spectral reflectance of juniper and pistachio have been evaluated. The result of TRVI for Pistachio and juniper were (R2= 0.71 and 0.55). I hope this research can provide decision of managers to helping sustainable management for arid and semi-arid regions in Iran.

Spectroscopic investigation on interaction of toluidine blue/ AOT/ γ-cyclodextrin ternary system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dasmandal, Somnath; Bhattacharyya, Debabrata; Rudra, Suparna; Patel, Biman Kumar; Mahapatra, Ambikesh, E-mail: amahapatra@chemistry.jdvu.ac.in

2016-11-15

Interaction of toluidine blue (TB), a biologically potent cationic phenothiazinium dye, with anionic surfactant, sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) have been thoroughly studied employing absorption and emission spectroscopy. A completely distinct spectral behavior of TB has been observed corresponding to pre-micellar and post-micellar region of AOT. Steady-state fluorescence anisotropy measurement has been carefully undertaken to rationalize the spectroscopic results. Effect of γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) on the spectral properties of TB has also been encountered for understanding of binding interaction between them. Molecular docking study has been accomplished to enlighten the probable orientation of TB inside the γ-CD core. Here particular interest has been focused on a mixed system, composed of AOT pre-micelles and γ-CD. A remarkable diminution of both absorption and emission intensities of TB has been observed in AOT pre-micelle with a simultaneous colorimetric change of TB solution from dark blue to lavender, and subsequent addition of γ-CD results in enhancement of intensities with dramatic reversal of the lavender colored solution to the original dark blue color. The emission characteristics of TB in the presence of AOT and γ-CD may prove as promising for an ‘IMPLICATION’ logic gate which may perform a significant role in the field of molecular electronics.

GREGOR Fabry-Pérot interferometer and its companion the blue imaging solar spectrometer

Science.gov (United States)

Puschmann, Klaus G.; Denker, Carsten; Balthasar, Horst; Louis, Rohan E.; Popow, Emil; Woche, Manfred; Beck, Christian; Seelemann, Thomas; Volkmer, Reiner

2013-08-01

The GREGOR Fabry-Pérot Interferometer (GFPI) is one of three first-light instruments of the German 1.5-m GREGOR solar telescope at the Observatorio del Teide, Tenerife, Spain. The GFPI allows fast narrow-band imaging and postfactum image restoration. The retrieved physical parameters will be a fundamental building block for understanding the dynamic sun and its magnetic field at spatial scales down to ˜50 km on the solar surface. The GFPI is a tunable dual-etalon system in a collimated mounting. It is designed for spectrometric and spectropolarimetric observations between 530-860 nm and 580-660 nm, respectively, and possesses a theoretical spectral resolution of R≈250,000. Large-format, high-cadence charged coupled device detectors with sophisticated computer hard- and software enable the scanning of spectral lines in time-spans equivalent to the evolution time of solar features. The field-of-view (FOV) of 50″×38″ covers a significant fraction of the typical area of active regions in the spectroscopic mode. In case of Stokes-vector spectropolarimetry, the FOV reduces to 25″×38″. The main characteristics of the GFPI including advanced and automated calibration and observing procedures are presented. Improvements in the optical design of the instrument are discussed and first observational results are shown. Finally, the first concrete ideas for the integration of a second FPI, the blue imaging solar spectrometer, are laid out, which will explore the blue spectral region below 530 nm.

SPECTRAL QUALITY AFFECTS MORPHOGENESIS ON ANTHURIUM PLANTLET DURING IN VITRO CULTURE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kurniawan Budiarto

2010-10-01

Full Text Available This paper elucidates the effects of LEDs spectral on callus induction, proliferation and shoot development of anthurium plantlet derived from leaf explants. The research was conducted at the Ornamental Research Station, Fukuyama, Japan from January to August 2008. Three experimental series were designed to determine the effects of LED-based spectral compositions i.e. 100% red, 75% red + 25% blue, 50% red + 50% blue, 25% red + 75% blue and 100% blue LEDs on morphogenetic process of callus formation derived from leaf explants up to plantlet formation on two anthurium cultivars, Violeta and Pink Lady. The results showed no differences among cultivars tested but interaction of factors studied were found in all parameters observed. LEDs spectral gave significant influence on the morphogenetic processes from callus induction to complete plantlet formation. Progressive initial callus was promoted with the decrease of blue LEDs portion. Conversely, to proliferate globose to torpedo callus formation, more blue light was required than red LEDs. During shoot induction and formation, hastened shoot initiation and number of shoots were achieved in higher blue LEDs portions, but not in root formations.

Bidirectional soliton spectral tunneling effects in the regime of optical event horizon

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gu, Jie; Guo, Hairun; Wang, Shaofei

2015-01-01

We study the cross-phase-modulation-induced soliton spectral shifting in the regime of the optical event horizon. The perturbed soliton to either red-shifting or blue-shifting is controllable, which could evoke bidirectional soliton spectral tunneling effects.......We study the cross-phase-modulation-induced soliton spectral shifting in the regime of the optical event horizon. The perturbed soliton to either red-shifting or blue-shifting is controllable, which could evoke bidirectional soliton spectral tunneling effects....

arXiv Blue and violet graviton spectra from a dynamical refractive index

CERN Document Server

Giovannini, Massimo

We show that the spectral energy distribution of relic gravitons mildly increases for frequencies smaller than the $\\mu$Hz and then flattens out whenever the refractive index of the tensor modes is dynamical during a quasi-de Sitter stage of expansion. For a conventional thermal history the high-frequency plateau ranges between the mHz and the audio band but it is supplemented by a spike in the GHz region if a stiff post-inflationary phase precedes the standard radiation-dominated epoch. Even though the slope is blue at intermediate frequencies, it may become violet in the MHz window. For a variety of post-inflationary histories, including the conventional one, a dynamical index of refraction leads to a potentially detectable spectral energy density in the kHz and in the mHz regions while all the relevant phenomenological constraints are concurrently satisfied.

Selective suppression of high-order harmonics within phase-matched spectral regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Lerner, Gavriel; Diskin, Tzvi; Neufeld, Ofer; Kfir, Ofer; Cohen, Oren

2017-04-01

Phase matching in high-harmonic generation leads to enhancement of multiple harmonics. It is sometimes desired to control the spectral structure within the phase-matched spectral region. We propose a scheme for selective suppression of high-order harmonics within the phase-matched spectral region while weakly influencing the other harmonics. The method is based on addition of phase-mismatched segments within a phase-matched medium. We demonstrate the method numerically in two examples. First, we show that one phase-mismatched segment can significantly suppress harmonic orders 9, 15, and 21. Second, we show that two phase-mismatched segments can efficiently suppress circularly polarized harmonics with one helicity over the other when driven by a bi-circular field. The new method may be useful for various applications, including the generation of highly helical bright attosecond pulses.

Luminosity and Redshift dependence of quasar spectral properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daniel E. Vanden Berk et al.

2004-03-09

Using a large sample of quasar spectra from the SDSS, we examine the composite spectral trends of quasars as functions of both redshift and luminosity, independently of one another. Aside from the well known Baldwin effect (BE)--the decrease of line equivalent width with luminosity--the average spectral properties are remarkably similar. Host galaxy contamination and the BE are the primary causes for apparent changes in the average spectral slope of the quasars. The BE is detected for most emission lines, including the Balmer lines, but with several exceptions including NV1240A. Emission line shifts of several lines are associated with the BE. The BE is mainly a function of luminosity, but also partly a function of redshift in that line equivalent widths become stronger with redshift. Some of the complex iron features change with redshift, particularly near the small blue bump region.

Radiation from an equilibrium CO2-N2 plasma in the [250-850 nm] spectral region: II. Spectral modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, M Lino da; Vacher, D; Andre, P; Faure, G; Dudeck, M

2008-01-01

In the first part of this work, described in a previous paper, the thermodynamic conditions in an atmospheric pressure inductively coupled CO 2 -N 2 plasma have been determined, and the radiation emission spectrum has been measured and calibrated in the [250-850 nm] spectral region. In the second part of this work, a synthetic radiation spectrum is obtained taking into account (a) the geometry of the plasma torch and (b) the local thermodynamic conditions of the plasma. This synthetic spectrum has then been compared against the measured spectrum. The good agreement between the two spectra allows validating the spectral database of the line-by-line code SPARTAN for the simulation of the radiative emission of CO 2 -N 2 plasmas from the near-UV to the near-IR spectral region.

Regional Spectral Model simulations of the summertime regional climate over Taiwan and adjacent areas

Science.gov (United States)

Ching-Teng Lee; Ming-Chin Wu; Shyh-Chin Chen

2005-01-01

The National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) regional spectral model (RSM) version 97 was used to investigate the regional summertime climate over Taiwan and adjacent areas for June-July-August of 1990 through 2000. The simulated sea-level-pressure and wind fields of RSM1 with 50-km grid space are similar to the reanalysis, but the strength of the...

Photoreceptor processing speed and input resistance changes during light adaptation correlate with spectral class in the bumblebee, Bombus impatiens.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Skorupski

Full Text Available Colour vision depends on comparison of signals from photoreceptors with different spectral sensitivities. However, response properties of photoreceptor cells may differ in ways other than spectral tuning. In insects, for example, broadband photoreceptors, with a major sensitivity peak in the green region of the spectrum (>500 nm, drive fast visual processes, which are largely blind to chromatic signals from more narrowly-tuned photoreceptors with peak sensitivities in the blue and UV regions of the spectrum. In addition, electrophysiological properties of the photoreceptor membrane may result in differences in response dynamics of photoreceptors of similar spectral class between species, and different spectral classes within a species. We used intracellular electrophysiological techniques to investigate response dynamics of the three spectral classes of photoreceptor underlying trichromatic colour vision in the bumblebee, Bombus impatiens, and we compare these with previously published data from a related species, Bombus terrestris. In both species, we found significantly faster responses in green, compared with blue- or UV-sensitive photoreceptors, although all 3 photoreceptor types are slower in B. impatiens than in B. terrestris. Integration times for light-adapted B. impatiens photoreceptors (estimated from impulse response half-width were 11.3 ± 1.6 ms for green photoreceptors compared with 18.6 ± 4.4 ms and 15.6 ± 4.4 for blue and UV, respectively. We also measured photoreceptor input resistance in dark- and light-adapted conditions. All photoreceptors showed a decrease in input resistance during light adaptation, but this decrease was considerably larger (declining to about 22% of the dark value in green photoreceptors, compared to blue and UV (41% and 49%, respectively. Our results suggest that the conductances associated with light adaptation are largest in green photoreceptors, contributing to their greater temporal processing speed

Methods for deconvoluting and interpreting complex gamma- and x-ray spectral regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gunnink, R.

1983-06-01

Germanium and silicon detectors are now widely used for the detection and measurement of x and gamma radiation. However, some analysis situations and spectral regions have heretofore been too complex to deconvolute and interpret by techniques in general use. One example is the L x-ray spectrum of an element taken with a Ge or Si detector. This paper describes some new tools and methods that were developed to analyze complex spectral regions; they are illustrated with examples

Blue-green fluorescence and visible-infrared reflectance of corn (Zea mays L.) grain for in situ field detection of nitrogen supply

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McMurtrey, J.E. III; Chappelle, E.W.; Kim, M.S.; Corp, L.A.; Daughtry, C.S.T.

1996-01-01

The sensing of spectral attributes of corn (Zea mays L.) grain from site specific areas of the field during the harvest process may be useful in managing agronomic inputs and production practices on those areas of the field in subsequent growing seasons. Eight levels of nitrogen (N) fertilization were applied to field grown corn at Beltsville, Maryland. These N treatments produced a range of chlorophyll levels, biomass and physiological condition in the live plant canopies. After harvest, spectra were obtained in the laboratory on whole grain samples. Fluorescence emissions were acquired from 400 to 600 nm and percent reflectance were measured in the visible (VIS) near infrared (NIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) regions from 400 nm to 2400 nm. A ultraviolet (UV) excitation band centered at 385 nm was the most effective in producing fluorescence emission differences in the blue-green region of the fluorescence spectrum with maxima centered from 430-470nm in the blue and with an intense shoulder centered at around 530-560 nm in the green region. Reflectance showed the most spectral differences in the NIR and MIR (970-2330 nm) regions

Influence of spectral properties on cassava leaf development and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

sunny t

2014-02-12

Feb 12, 2014 ... changes in leaf spectral characteristics were studied using Digimizer ... main wavelengths used by plants (blue, green and red) with the blue being the most preferred. Total ...... differences observed allude to plant behavior.

Minapolitan region development analysis at Penajam Paser Utara using blue economy concept

Science.gov (United States)

Mawarsari, P. M.; Dewanti, A. N.; Nurrahman, F.

2017-06-01

Penajam Paser Utara (PPU) Region in East Kalimantan was assigned as one of Minapolitan area in Indonesia focusing on aquaculture based on Indonesia Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Decision Number 35 in 2013. Unfortunately, it is shown from PPU region statistics data that decreasing fisheries production in PPU region was occur especially for land fisheries from 2013 until 2015. The aim of this study is to formulate development strategies of Minapolitan in PPU Region by the Blue Economy concept. Several variables such as fisheries and aquaculture aspects, processing and marketing, incomes and workers, also sustainability and economic paradigm is evaluated in this study. Firstly it needs to identify the potential of character and problem by reviewing Minapolitan area in PPU Region with descriptive comparative analysis. Secondly, the fruitfulness of Minapolitan activity in PPU Region impact factors was identified by using internal and external factor (IFAS and EFAS) analysis. Then some of strategic considerations was formulated by using the successful development indicator in Minapolitan area that associate to the Blue Economy concept with SWOT analysis. The result of IFAS analysis show the highest score of strength that is production and commodity productivity. Contrarily, the income level factor is become the highest score at weakness. Then, the EFAS analysis declare that marketing system is the highest factor in opportunity. The position of SWOT quadrant indicate that the Minapolitan area of PPU region is in quadrant I /or first quadrant which means progressive. Therefore, the Minapolitan in PPU have a great chance to increase the cultivation optimally. The results of SWOT matrix is to increase its product and productivity by upgrading the quality and quantity production facilities, raising the control of production activites and also increasing the supervision of processing business with sustainable management business principle.

A classification of spectral populations observed in HF radar backscatter from the E region auroral electrojets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. E. Milan

2001-02-01

Full Text Available Observations of HF radar backscatter from the auroral electrojet E region indicate the presence of five major spectral populations, as opposed to the two predominant spectral populations, types I and II, observed in the VHF regime. The Doppler shift, spectral width, backscatter power, and flow angle dependencies of these five populations are investigated and described. Two of these populations are identified with type I and type II spectral classes, and hence, are thought to be generated by the two-stream and gradient drift instabilities, respectively. The remaining three populations occur over a range of velocities which can greatly exceed the ion acoustic speed, the usual limiting velocity in VHF radar observations of the E region. The generation of these spectral populations is discussed in terms of electron density gradients in the electrojet region and recent non-linear theories of E region irregularity generation.Key words. Ionosphere (ionospheric irregularities

A classification of spectral populations observed in HF radar backscatter from the E region auroral electrojets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. E. Milan

Full Text Available Observations of HF radar backscatter from the auroral electrojet E region indicate the presence of five major spectral populations, as opposed to the two predominant spectral populations, types I and II, observed in the VHF regime. The Doppler shift, spectral width, backscatter power, and flow angle dependencies of these five populations are investigated and described. Two of these populations are identified with type I and type II spectral classes, and hence, are thought to be generated by the two-stream and gradient drift instabilities, respectively. The remaining three populations occur over a range of velocities which can greatly exceed the ion acoustic speed, the usual limiting velocity in VHF radar observations of the E region. The generation of these spectral populations is discussed in terms of electron density gradients in the electrojet region and recent non-linear theories of E region irregularity generation.

Key words. Ionosphere (ionospheric irregularities

Selection/extraction of spectral regions for autofluorescence spectra measured in the oral cavity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Skurichina, M; Paclik, P; Duin, RPW; de Veld, D; Sterenborg, HJCM; Witjes, MJH; Roodenburg, JLN; Fred, A; Caelli, T; Duin, RPW; Campilho, A; DeRidder, D

2004-01-01

Recently a number of successful algorithms to select/extract discriminative spectral regions was introduced. These methods may be more beneficial than the standard feature selection/extraction methods for spectral classification. In this paper, on the example of autofluorescence spectra measured in

On global and regional spectral evaluation of global geopotential models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ustun, A; Abbak, R A

2010-01-01

Spectral evaluation of global geopotential models (GGMs) is necessary to recognize the behaviour of gravity signal and its error recorded in spherical harmonic coefficients and associated standard deviations. Results put forward in this wise explain the whole contribution of gravity data in different kinds that represent various sections of the gravity spectrum. This method is more informative than accuracy assessment methods, which use external data such as GPS-levelling. Comparative spectral evaluation for more than one model can be performed both in global and local sense using many spectral tools. The number of GGMs has grown with the increasing number of data collected by the dedicated satellite gravity missions, CHAMP, GRACE and GOCE. This fact makes it necessary to measure the differences between models and to monitor the improvements in the gravity field recovery. In this paper, some of the satellite-only and combined models are examined in different scales, globally and regionally, in order to observe the advances in the modelling of GGMs and their strengths at various expansion degrees for geodetic and geophysical applications. The validation of the published errors of model coefficients is a part of this evaluation. All spectral tools explicitly reveal the superiority of the GRACE-based models when compared against the models that comprise the conventional satellite tracking data. The disagreement between models is large in local/regional areas if data sets are different, as seen from the example of the Turkish territory

Controlled light emission from white organic light-emitting devices with a single blue-emitting host and multiple fluorescent dopants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chin, Byung Doo; Kim, Jai Kyeong; Park, O Ok

2007-01-01

In this work, we fabricated white organic light-emitting devices (WOLEDs) containing a layered light-emitting region composed of a single blue-emitting host and different fluorescent dopant materials. The effects of varying the dye-doping ratio and emitting layer thickness on the efficiency, lifetime, spectral voltage-dependence and white balance were investigated for devices with a blue/orange stacked layer structure. Addition of a blue host layer doped with a green-emitting dopant, to give a blue/green/orange emitter, resulted in a broadband white spectrum without the need for a charge-blocking interlayer. The composition of blue, green and orange dopants in the host and the thickness of each emitting layer were optimized, resulting in a device efficiency of 9-11 cd A -1 even at a high brightness of 10 000 cd m -2 (achieved at a bias voltage of less than 9 V) with an emission spectrum suitable for lighting applications

Spectral density of electron concentration fluctuations in ionospheric D region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martynenko, S.I.

1989-01-01

Expression for spectral density of electron concentration fluctuations in D-region with regard to the effect of ionization-recombination proceses and negative ions is obtained in terms of atmospheric turbulence model which obeys Kolmogorov-Obukhov 2/3 law

Lighting considerations in controlled environments for nonphotosynthetic plant responses to blue and ultraviolet radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Caldwell, M.M.; Flint, S.D. [Utah State Univ., Logan, UT (United States)

1994-12-31

This essay will consider both physical and photobiological aspects of controlled environment lighting in the spectral region beginning in the blue and taken to the normal limit of the solar spectrum in the ultraviolet. The primary emphasis is directed to questions of plant response to sunlight. Measurement and computations used in radiation dosimetry in this part of the spectrum are also briefly treated. Because of interest in the ozone depletion problem, there has been some activity in plant UV-B research and there are several recent reviews available. Some aspects of growth chamber lighting as it relates to UV-B research were covered earlier. Apart from work related to the blue/UV-A receptor, less attention has been given to UV-A responses.

Investigating the use of Egyptian blue in Roman Egyptian portraits and panels from Tebtunis, Egypt

Science.gov (United States)

Ganio, Monica; Salvant, Johanna; Williams, Jane; Lee, Lynn; Cossairt, Oliver; Walton, Marc

2015-11-01

The use of the pigment Egyptian blue is investigated on a corpus of fifteen mummy portraits and Roman-period paintings from Tebtunis, Egypt, housed in the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley. Egyptian blue has a strong luminescence response in the near infrared that can be exploited to created wide-field images noninvasively showing the distribution of the pigment on a work of art. A growing body of publications in the last decade highlights the increasing use of this tool and its sensitive detection limits. However, the technique is not wavelength specific. Both excitation and emission occur in a broad range. Although Egyptian blue has a strong emission in the NIR, a myriad of other compounds may emit light in this spectral region when excited in the visible. The limited number of studies including complementary analysis to verify the presence of Egyptian blue does not allow its identification on the basis of NIR luminescence alone. Through the use of in situ X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectroscopy of cross sections, this paper confirms the identification of Egyptian blue by NIR luminescence in unexpected areas, i.e., those not blue in appearance.

Magnetorefractive effect in manganites with a colossal magnetoresistance in the visible spectral region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sukhorukov, Yu. P.; Telegin, A. V.; Granovsky, A. B.; Gan’shina, E. A.; Zhukov, A.; Gonzalez, J.; Herranz, G.; Caicedo, J. M.; Yurasov, A. N.; Bessonov, V. D.; Kaul’, A. R.; Gorbenko, O. Yu.; Korsakov, I. E.

2012-01-01

The magnetotransmission, magnetoreflection, and magnetoresistance of the La 0.7 Ca 0.3 MnO 3 and La 0.9 Ag 0.1 MnO 3 epitaxial films have been investigated. It has been found that the films exhibit a significant magnetorefractive effect in the case of reflection and transmission of light in the fundamental absorption region both in the vicinity of the Curie temperature and at low temperatures. It has been shown that the magnetorefractive effect in the infrared spectral region of the manganites is determined by a high-frequency response to magnetoresistance, whereas the magnetorefractive effect in the visible spectral region of these materials is associated with a change in the electronic structure in response to a magnetic field, which, in turn, leads to a change in the electron density of states, the probability of interband optical transitions, and the shift of light absorption bands. The obtained values of the magnetotransmittance and magnetoreflectance in the visible spectral region are less than those observed in the infrared region of the spectrum, but they are several times greater than the linear magneto-optical effects. As a result, the magnetorefractive effect, which is a nongyrotropic phenomenon, makes it possible to avoid the use of light analyzers and polarizers in optical circuits.

Impact of spectral nudging on regional climate simulation over CORDEX East Asia using WRF

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Jianping; Wang, Shuyu; Niu, Xiaorui; Hui, Pinhong; Zong, Peishu; Wang, Xueyuan

2017-04-01

In this study, the impact of the spectral nudging method on regional climate simulation over the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment East Asia (CORDEX-EA) region is investigated using the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF). Driven by the ERA-Interim reanalysis, five continuous simulations covering 1989-2007 are conducted by the WRF model, in which four runs adopt the interior spectral nudging with different wavenumbers, nudging variables and nudging coefficients. Model validation shows that WRF has the ability to simulate spatial distributions and temporal variations of the surface climate (air temperature and precipitation) over CORDEX-EA domain. Comparably the spectral nudging technique is effective in improving the model's skill in the following aspects: (1), the simulated biases and root mean square errors of annual mean temperature and precipitation are obviously reduced. The SN3-UVT (spectral nudging with wavenumber 3 in both zonal and meridional directions applied to U, V and T) and SN6 (spectral nudging with wavenumber 6 in both zonal and meridional directions applied to U and V) experiments give the best simulations for temperature and precipitation respectively. The inter-annual and seasonal variances produced by the SN experiments are also closer to the ERA-Interim observation. (2), the application of spectral nudging in WRF is helpful for simulating the extreme temperature and precipitation, and the SN3-UVT simulation shows a clear advantage over the other simulations in depicting both the spatial distributions and inter-annual variances of temperature and precipitation extremes. With the spectral nudging, WRF is able to preserve the variability in the large scale climate information, and therefore adjust the temperature and precipitation variabilities toward the observation.

Surface Compositional Units on Mercury from Spectral Reflectance at Ultraviolet to Near-infrared Wavelengths

Science.gov (United States)

Izenberg, N. R.; Holsclaw, G. M.; Domingue, D. L.; McClintock, W. E.; Klima, R. L.; Blewett, D. T.; Helbert, J.; Head, J. W.; Sprague, A. L.; Vilas, F.; Solomon, S. C.

2012-12-01

The Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS) on the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft has been acquiring reflectance spectra of Mercury's surface for over 16 months. The Visible and Infrared Spectrograph (VIRS) component of MASCS has accumulated a global data set of more than 2 million spectra over the wavelength range 300-1450 nm. We have derived a set of VIRS spectral units (VSUs) from the following spectral parameters: visible brightness (R575: reflectance at 575 nm); visible/near-infrared reflectance ratio (VISr: reflectance at 415 nm to that at 750 nm); and ultraviolet reflectance ratio (UVr: reflectance at 310 nm to that at 390 nm). Five broad, slightly overlapping VSUs may be distinguished from these parameters. "Average VSU" areas have spectral parameters close to mean global values. "Dark blue VSU" areas have spectra with low R575 and high UVr. "Red VSU" areas have spectra with low UVr and higher VISr and R575 than average. "Intermediate VSU" areas have spectra with higher VISr than VSU red, generally higher R575, and a wide range of UVr. "Bright VSU" areas have high R575 and VISr and intermediate UVr. Several units defined by morphological or multispectral criteria correspond to specific VSUs, including low-reflectance material (dark blue VSU), pyroclastic deposits (red VSU), and hollows (intermediate VSU), but these VSUs generally include other types of areas as well. VSU definitions are complementary to those obtained by unsupervised clustering analysis. The global distribution of VIRS spectral units provides new information on Mercury's geological evolution. Much of Mercury's northern volcanic plains show spectral properties ranging from those of average VSU to those of red VSU, as does a large region in the southern hemisphere centered near 50°S, 245°E. Dark blue VSU material is widely distributed, with concentrations south of the northern plains, around the Rembrandt and

Second byurakan spectral sky survey. IV. Results for region centered on /chi/ = 12 /sup h/ 22 /sup m/, δ = +55 /sup o/ 00

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makaryan, B.E.; Erastova, L.K.; Stepanyan, D.A.

1986-01-01

The fourth list of objects of the second Byurkan spectral sky survey in the 4 0 x 4 0 region centered on alpha= 12 /sup h/ 22 /sup m/, delta = +55 0 00' is presented. The observations were made with the 40''-52'' Schmidt telescope of the Byurkan Observatory with a set of three objective prisms. The list contains data on 106 objects and galxies and 12 blue stars. The distribution of the objects with respect to types is as follows: 16 candidates for QSO, 29 for BSO, 32 galaxies with appreciable ultraviolet continuum, among which weak Seyfert features are suspected for three, and 29 emission galaxies without appreciable ultraviolet continuum. The surface density of QSO and Seyferts down to 19 /sup m/ is more than one per square degree

The different star formation histories of blue and red spiral and elliptical galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Tojeiro, Rita; Masters, Karen L.; Richards, Joshua; Percival, Will J.; Bamford, Steven P.; Maraston, Claudia; Nichol, Robert C.; Skibba, Ramin; Thomas, Daniel

2013-06-01

We study the spectral properties of intermediate mass galaxies (M* ˜ 1010.7 M⊙) as a function of colour and morphology. We use Galaxy Zoo to define three morphological classes of galaxies, namely early types (ellipticals), late-type (disc-dominated) face-on spirals and early-type (bulge-dominated) face-on spirals. We classify these galaxies as blue or red according to their Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) g - r colour and use the spectral fitting code Versatile Spectral Analyses to calculate time-resolved star formation histories, metallicity and total starlight dust extinction from their SDSS fibre spectra. We find that red late-type spirals show less star formation in the last 500 Myr than blue late-type spirals by up to a factor of 3, but share similar star formation histories at earlier times. This decline in recent star formation explains their redder colour: their chemical and dust content are the same. We postulate that red late-type spirals are recent descendants of blue late-type spirals, with their star formation curtailed in the last 500 Myr. The red late-type spirals are however still forming stars ≃17 times faster than red ellipticals over the same period. Red early-type spirals lie between red late-type spirals and red ellipticals in terms of recent-to-intermediate star formation and dust content. Therefore, it is plausible that these galaxies represent an evolutionary link between these two populations. They are more likely to evolve directly into red ellipticals than red late-type spirals, which show star formation histories and dust content closer to blue late-type spirals. Blue ellipticals show similar star formation histories as blue spirals (regardless of type), except that they have formed less stars in the last 100 Myr. However, blue ellipticals have different dust content, which peaks at lower extinction values than all spiral galaxies. Therefore, many blue ellipticals are unlikely to be descendants of blue spirals, suggesting there may

Magnetorefractive effect in manganites with a colossal magnetoresistance in the visible spectral region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sukhorukov, Yu. P., E-mail: suhorukov@imp.uran.ru; Telegin, A. V. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Branch (Russian Federation); Granovsky, A. B., E-mail: granov@magn.ru; Gan' shina, E. A. [Moscow State University, Faculty of Physics (Russian Federation); Zhukov, A.; Gonzalez, J. [Universidad del Pais Vasco (UPV)/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (EHU), Departamento de Fisica de Materiales, Facultad de Quimica (Spain); Herranz, G. [Institut de Ciencia de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB)-CSIC (Spain); Caicedo, J. M. [Universidad del Pais Vasco (UPV)/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (EHU), Departamento de Fisica de Materiales, Facultad de Quimica (Spain); Yurasov, A. N. [Moscow State Institute of Radio-Engineering, Electronics, and Automation (Technical University) (Russian Federation); Bessonov, V. D. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Branch (Russian Federation); Kaul' , A. R.; Gorbenko, O. Yu.; Korsakov, I. E. [Moscow State University, Faculty of Physics (Russian Federation)

2012-01-15

The magnetotransmission, magnetoreflection, and magnetoresistance of the La{sub 0.7}Ca{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} and La{sub 0.9}Ag{sub 0.1}MnO{sub 3} epitaxial films have been investigated. It has been found that the films exhibit a significant magnetorefractive effect in the case of reflection and transmission of light in the fundamental absorption region both in the vicinity of the Curie temperature and at low temperatures. It has been shown that the magnetorefractive effect in the infrared spectral region of the manganites is determined by a high-frequency response to magnetoresistance, whereas the magnetorefractive effect in the visible spectral region of these materials is associated with a change in the electronic structure in response to a magnetic field, which, in turn, leads to a change in the electron density of states, the probability of interband optical transitions, and the shift of light absorption bands. The obtained values of the magnetotransmittance and magnetoreflectance in the visible spectral region are less than those observed in the infrared region of the spectrum, but they are several times greater than the linear magneto-optical effects. As a result, the magnetorefractive effect, which is a nongyrotropic phenomenon, makes it possible to avoid the use of light analyzers and polarizers in optical circuits.

Hibonite: Crystal Chemistry and Origin of Blue Coloration in Meteoritic Assemblages

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, R. G.; Burns, V. M.

1985-01-01

The blue color and optical spectra of hibonite, a common constituent of refractory inclusions in carbonaceous chondrites, are discussed. Because they may be manifestations of exotic cation species stabilized in unusual coordination sites in the hibonite crystalstructure. Hibonite, ideally CaAl12O19, is conducive to atomic substitution of host Ca2+ and Al3+ ions by a variety of lanthanide and first series transition elements. The latter cations are responsible for the colors of many rock-forming minerals as a result of intraelectronic or intervalence transitions. The visible-region spectra of most oxide and silicate minerals are generally well understood. Assignments of absorption bands in meteoritic hibonite optical spectra due to uncertainties of cation valencies and complexities in the crystal structure are examined. The crystal chemistry of hibonite is reviewed, Mossbauer spectral measurements of iron-bearing hibonite and electronic transitions that may be responsible for the blue coloration of meteoritic hibonites are discussed.

Infrequent blue and green emission transitions from Eu3+ in heavy metal tellurite glasses with low phonon energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, H.; Tanabe, S.; Lin, L.; Yang, D.L.; Liu, K.; Wong, W.H.; Yu, J.Y.; Pun, E.Y.B.

2006-01-01

Eu 3+ doped alkali-barium-bismuth-tellurite (Eu 3+ :LKBBT) glasses were prepared by conventional melt quenching. Twelve emission bands including infrequent blue and green bands are observed and they almost cover whole visible spectral region under violet light radiation. The blue and green emissions of Eu 3+ rarely appeared in oxide glasses before, but they have been clearly recorded in Eu 3+ :LKBBT glasses even in the case of high concentration doping of Eu 3+ . The analysis based on spontaneous-radiative rate, energy gap and Raman scattering reveals that the obtaining of the abundant multichannel emissions of Eu 3+ is due to the higher refractive index and the lower phonon energy in LKBBT glass system

Blue Box Plus Quinte regional recycling demonstration program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1992-08-01

The Blue Box Plus recycling program was established in September 1990 in the Quinte region of Ontario. The program was intended to develop the necessary operational information so that the existing program could expand to include mixed plastics, corrugated cardboard, and boxboard. Over 33,000 recycling boxes were distributed over an area covering 15 municipalities with a population base of 95,000. The program showed the willingness of the public to participate in recycling, but advertising and promotion of the program were critical for success. Separation of the recycled materials on the collection trucks was found to be a viable approach and more efficient than sorting at the recycling plant. Adding new materials to be recycled could be done efficiently, and operating costs were in line with those for other programs collecting fewer materials. A cooperative market development with industrial players opened up a new and expanding market for boxboard. 6 figs., 9 tabs.

Efficiency enhancement of ZnO nanostructure assisted Si solar cell based on fill factor enlargement and UV-blue spectral down-shifting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gholizadeh, A; Reyhani, A; Mortazavi, S Z; Parvin, P

2017-01-01

ZnO nanostructures (including nano-plates and nano-rods (NRs)) are grown in various temperatures and Ar/O 2 flow rates using thermal chemical vapor deposition, which affect the structure, nano-plate/NR population, and the quality of ZnO nanostructures. X-ray diffraction (XRD) attests that the peak intensity of the crystallographic plane (1 0 0) is correlated to nano-plate abundance. Moreover, optical properties elucidate that the population of nano-plates in samples strongly affect the band gap, binding energy of the exciton, and UV–visible (UV–vis) absorption and spectral luminescence emissions. In fact, the exciton binding energy reduces from ∼100 to 80 meV when the population of nano-plates increases in samples. Photovoltaic characteristics based on the drop-casting on Si solar cells reveals three dominant factors, namely, the equivalent series resistance, decreasing reflectance, and down-shifting, in order to scale up the absolute efficiency by 3%. As a consequence, the oxygen vacancies in ZnO nanostructures give rise to the down-shifting and increase of free-carriers, leading to a reduction in the equivalent series resistance and an enlargement of fill factor. To obtain a larger I sc , reduction of spectral reflectance is essential; however, the down-shifting process is shown to be dominant by lessening the surface electron-hole recombination rate over the UV–blue spectral range. (paper)

Efficiency enhancement of ZnO nanostructure assisted Si solar cell based on fill factor enlargement and UV-blue spectral down-shifting

Science.gov (United States)

Gholizadeh, A.; Reyhani, A.; Parvin, P.; Mortazavi, S. Z.

2017-05-01

ZnO nanostructures (including nano-plates and nano-rods (NRs)) are grown in various temperatures and Ar/O2 flow rates using thermal chemical vapor deposition, which affect the structure, nano-plate/NR population, and the quality of ZnO nanostructures. X-ray diffraction (XRD) attests that the peak intensity of the crystallographic plane (1 0 0) is correlated to nano-plate abundance. Moreover, optical properties elucidate that the population of nano-plates in samples strongly affect the band gap, binding energy of the exciton, and UV-visible (UV-vis) absorption and spectral luminescence emissions. In fact, the exciton binding energy reduces from ~100 to 80 meV when the population of nano-plates increases in samples. Photovoltaic characteristics based on the drop-casting on Si solar cells reveals three dominant factors, namely, the equivalent series resistance, decreasing reflectance, and down-shifting, in order to scale up the absolute efficiency by 3%. As a consequence, the oxygen vacancies in ZnO nanostructures give rise to the down-shifting and increase of free-carriers, leading to a reduction in the equivalent series resistance and an enlargement of fill factor. To obtain a larger I sc, reduction of spectral reflectance is essential; however, the down-shifting process is shown to be dominant by lessening the surface electron-hole recombination rate over the UV-blue spectral range.

The analysis and comparison of blue wool fibre populations found at random on clothing.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiggins, K; Drummond, P

2005-01-01

Fifty-eight garments were taped and searched for mid to dark blue wool fibres. These were then removed from the tapings, mounted on slides and examined using a high-power microscope (400x). A total of 2,740 blue wool fibres were identified and visible range microspectrophotometry (MSP) was performed on them. Three hundred independent blue wool populations were identified on 56 of the 58 garments searched. The lack of control fibres meant the spectral range of each population was unknown. The number of populations may have been underestimated by grouping together the fibres that had broad single peaks and a lack of distinguishing features in the spectra. Although blue wool is considered to be a common fibre type, 300 unique spectral shapes were identified by the use of microspectrophotometry alone. This demonstrates that the dyes used in the dyeing of blue wool are variable. Showing that many different populations of blue wool occur on a range of garments should ensure that the forensic scientist does not underestimate or understate the strength of evidence in cases where blue wool is found. Hopefully this work will enlighten scientists and enable them to also assess the true value of their findings when other commonly occurring fibres are encountered.

Intense, stable and excitation wavelength-independent photoluminescence emission in the blue-violet region from phosphorene quantum dots

Science.gov (United States)

Ge, Shuaipeng; Zhang, Lisheng; Wang, Peijie; Fang, Yan

2016-01-01

Nanoscale phosphorene quantum dots (PQDs) with few-layer structures were fabricated by pulsed laser ablation of a bulk black phosphorus target in diethyl ether. An intense and stable photoluminescence (PL) emission of the PQDs in the blue-violet wavelength region is clearly observed for the first time, which is attributed to electronic transitions from the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) to the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and occupied molecular orbitals below the HOMO (H-1, H-2), respectively. Surprisingly, the PL emission peak positions of the PQDs are not red-shifted with progressively longer excitation wavelengths, which is in contrast to the cases of graphene and molybdenum disulphide quantum dots. This excitation wavelength-independence is derived from the saturated passivation on the periphery and surfaces of the PQDs by large numbers of electron-donating functional groups which cause the electron density on the PQDs to be dramatically increased and the band gap to be insensitive to the quantum size effect in the PQDs. This work suggests that PQDs with intense, stable and excitation wavelength-independent PL emission in the blue-violet region have a potential application as semiconductor-based blue-violet light irradiation sources. PMID:27265198

Toluidine blue-O is a Nissl bright-field counterstain for lipophilic fluorescent tracers Di-ASP, DiI and DiO.

Science.gov (United States)

Chelvanayagam, D K; Beazley, L D

1997-03-01

The stain toluidine blue-O (tol blue), applied to sections of neural tissue, is shown to be compatible with the vivid fluorescent lipophilic neural tracers 4-(4-dihexadecylaminostyryl)-N-methylpyridinium iodide (Di-ASP), 3,3'-dioctadecyloxacarbocyanine perchlorate (DiO) and 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI). As with other Nissl stains, toluidine blue-O fluoresces in the red end of the spectrum but such fluorescence quenches upon binding with tissue. Moreover, progressive staining occurs at concentrations low enough to minimise any background fluorescence attributable to non-specific residence of the stain. The bright yellow Di-ASP and vivid green DiO signals are spectrally removed from the red fluorescence of toluidine blue-O. With toluidine blue-O counterstaining, Di-ASP generally offers contrast superior to that with DiI, however, the latter is improved by viewing in a polarised green bright field. Visible Di-ASP emission, although broad, peaks at a more film-sensitive region of the spectrum than that for DiI, thus reducing the photographic exposure required.

Spectral measurements of loess TL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rendell, H.M.; Mann, S.J.; Townsend, P.D.

1988-01-01

Variations in thermoluminescence (TL) glow curves are reported for two loess samples when examined with broad band filters in the range 275-650 nm. Samples show striking differences in bleaching behaviour, when their TL emissions are observed in the u.v., blue, green and yellow spectral regions. The age estimates, given by the equivalent dose (ED) values, differ by up to a factor of two for analyses using the green and u.v. TL signals. These ED values also vary with prolonged room temperature storage between the bleaching and irradiation steps. The anomalies in the bleaching behaviour are interpreted in terms of changes in TL efficiency. The results have major implications for the regeneration method of TL dating for these fine-grained sediments and suggest that reliable dates obtained by it may be fortuitous. (author)

Spatial Dynamics of the Blue Crab Spawning Stock in the Gulf of Mexico: Local Processes Driving Regional Patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Darnell, M. Z.

2016-02-01

Female blue crabs undertake a critical spawning migration seaward, migrating from low-salinity mating habitat to high-salinity waters of the lower estuaries and coastal ocean, where larval survival is highest. This migration occurs primarily through ebb tide transport, driven by an endogenous circatidal rhythm in vertical swimming that is modulated by behavioral responses to environmental cues. Blue crabs are typically considered an estuarine species and fisheries are managed on a state-by-state basis. Yet recent evidence from state and regional fishery independent survey programs suggests that the spawning migration can take females substantial distances offshore (>150 km), and that offshore waters are important spawning grounds for female blue crabs in the Gulf of Mexico. This is especially true in areas where freshwater inflow is high, resulting in low estuarine and coastal salinities. In low-salinity, high-inflow areas (e.g., Louisiana), spawning occurs further offshore while in high-salinity, low-inflow areas (e.g., South Texas), spawning takes place primarily within the estuary. Regional patterns in spawning locations both inshore and offshore are driven by interactions between behavioral mechanisms and local oceanographic conditions during the spawning migration. These environmentally driven differences in spawning locations have implications for larval survival and population connectivity, and emphasize the need for interjurisdictional assessment and management of the blue crab spawning stock.

Changes of the laser-induced blue, green and red fluorescence signatures during greening of etiolated leaves of wheat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stober, F.; Lichtenthaler, H.K.

1992-01-01

The UV-laser-induced blue, green and red fluorescence-emission spectra were used to characterize the pigment status of etiolated leaves of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) during a 48 h greening period under white light conditions. Upon UV-light excitation (337 nm) leaves not only show a fluorescence emission in the red spectral region between 650 and 800nm (chlorophyll fluorescence with maxima near 690nm and 735 nm), but also in the blue and green regions between 400 to 570 nm with maxima or shoulders near 450 nm (blue) and 530 nm (green). During greening of etiolated leaves the chlorophyll-fluorescence ratio F690/F735 strongly correlated with the total chlorophyll content and the ratio of the chlorophylls to the carotenoids (a+b/x+c). The ratio of the blue to the green fluorescence F450/F530 was also correlated with the total chlorophyll content and the ratio of chlorophylls to total carotenoids (a+b/x+c). Consequently, there also existed a correlation between the chlorophyll-fluorescence ratio F690/F735 and the ratio of the blue to green fluorescence F450/F530. In contrast, the ratios of the blue to red fluorescences F450/F690 and F450/F735 did not show clear relations to the pigment content of the investigated plants. The particular shape of the UV-laser-induced-fluorescence emission spectra of wheat leaves as well as the dependencies of the fluorescence ratios on the pigment content are due to a partial and differential reabsorption of the emitted fluorescences by the photosynthetic pigments

Spectral changes in stochastic anisotropic electromagnetic beams propagating through turbulent ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Miaomiao; Zhao, Daomu

2014-02-01

Based on the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle and the unified theory of coherence and polarization of light, the spectral changes of stochastic anisotropic electromagnetic beams propagating through oceanic turbulence are revealed. As an example, some numerical calculations are illustrated for an anisotropic electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model beam propagating in a homogeneous and isotropic turbulent ocean. It is shown that, under the influence of oceanic turbulence, the on-axis spectrum is always blue-shifted along with the propagation distance, however, for the off-axis positions, red-blue spectral switch can be found.

Space weathering trends on carbonaceous asteroids: A possible explanation for Bennu's blue slope?

Science.gov (United States)

Lantz, C.; Binzel, R. P.; DeMeo, F. E.

2018-03-01

We compare primitive near-Earth asteroid spectral properties to the irradiated carbonaceous chondrite samples of Lantz et al. (2017) in order to assess how space weathering processes might influence taxonomic classification. Using the same eigenvectors from the asteroid taxonomy by DeMeo et al. (2009), we calculate the principal components for fresh and irradiated meteorites and find that change in spectral slope (blueing or reddening) causes a corresponding shift in the two first principal components along the same line that the C- and X-complexes track. Using a sample of B-, C-, X-, and D-type NEOs with visible and near-infrared spectral data, we further investigated the correlation between prinicipal components and the spectral curvature for the primitive asteroids. We find that space weathering effects are not just slope and albedo, but also include spectral curvature. We show how, through space weathering, surfaces having an original "C-type" reflectance can thus turn into a redder P-type or a bluer B-type, and that space weathering can also decrease (and disguise) the D-type population. Finally we take a look at the case of OSIRIS-REx target (101955) Bennu and propose an explanation for the blue and possibly red spectra that were previously observed on different locations of its surface: parts of Bennu's surface could have become blue due to space weathering, while fresher areas are redder. No clear prediction can be made on Hayabusa-2 target (162173) Ryugu.

Molecular evidence for the subspecific differentiation of blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) and polyphyletic origin of dwarf blue sheep (Pseudois schaeferi).

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Shuai; Zou, Dandan; Tang, Lei; Wang, Gaochao; Peng, Quekun; Zeng, Bo; Zhang, Chen; Zou, Fangdong

2012-06-01

Blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur), a Central Asian ungulate with restricted geographic distribution, exhibits unclear variation in morphology and phylogeographic structure. The composition of species and subspecies in the genus Pseudois is controversial, particularly with respect to the taxonomic designation of geographically restricted populations. Here, 26 specimens including 5 dwarf blue sheep (Pseudois schaeferi), which were collected from a broad geographic region in China, were analyzed for 2 mitochondrial DNA fragments (cytochrome b and control region sequences). In a pattern consistent with geographically defined subspecies, we found three deeply divergent mitochondrial lineages restricted to different geographic regions. The currently designated two subspecies of blue sheep, Pseudois nayaur nayaur and Pseudois nayaur szechuanensis, were recognized in the phylogenetic trees. In addition, the Helan Mountain population showed distinct genetic characteristics from other geographic populations, and thus should be classified as a new subspecies. In contrast, dwarf blue sheep clustered closely with some blue sheep from Sichuan Province in the phylogenetic trees. Therefore, dwarf blue sheep appear to be a subset of Pseudois nayaur szechuanensis. After considering both population genetic information and molecular clock analysis, we obtained some relevant molecular phylogeographic information concerning the historical biogeography of blue sheep. These results also indicate that western Sichuan was a potential refugium for blue sheep during the Quaternary period.

Evans blue dye-enhanced imaging of the brain microvessels using spectral focusing coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy.

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Bo-Ram Lee

Full Text Available We performed dye-enhanced imaging of mouse brain microvessels using spectral focusing coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (SF-CARS microscopy. The resonant signals from C-H stretching in forward CARS usually show high background intensity in tissues, which makes CARS imaging of microvessels difficult. In this study, epi-detection of back-scattered SF-CARS signals showed a negligible background, but the overall intensity of resonant CARS signals was too low to observe the network of brain microvessels. Therefore, Evans blue (EB dye was used as contrasting agent to enhance the back-scattered SF-CARS signals. Breakdown of brain microvessels by inducing hemorrhage in a mouse was clearly visualized using backward SF-CARS signals, following intravenous injection of EB. The improved visualization of brain microvessels with EB enhanced the sensitivity of SF-CARS, detecting not only the blood vessels themselves but their integrity as well in the brain vasculature.

Spectra and ages of blue stragglers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abt, H.A.

1985-01-01

A mechanism similar to Wheeler's quasi-homogeneous evolution and Finzi and Wolf's proposal for blue stragglers is proposed as the origin of the blue stragglers in intermediate-age clusters. Blue stragglers are stars whose positions in color-magnitude diagrams of open and globular clusters are significantly above the turn-off points and in the region of the (former) main sequence; they seem to represent a conflict with the general conclusion that all stars in a cluster originated at about the same time. It is concluded that there are at least two kinds of blue stragglers: (1) those stars of types about B3-A2 are primarily Ap stars and slow rotators, occur in the intermediate age clusters and remain in the main sequence region probably through magnetic mixing; and (2) the stars of type O6-B2 frequently have emission lines, are rapid rotators, occur in the young cluster, and remain in the main sequence region probably by rotational mixing. 30 references

Identification of Spectral Regions for Quantification of Red Wine Tannins with Fourier Transform Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jacob Skibsted; Egebo, Max; Meyer, Anne S.

2008-01-01

Accomplishment of fast tannin measurements is receiving increased interest as tannins are important for the mouthfeel and color properties of red wines. Fourier transform mid-infrared spectroscopy allows fast measurement of different wine components, but quantification of tannins is difficult due...... to interferences from spectral responses of other wine components. Four different variable selection tools were investigated for the identification of the most important spectral regions which would allow quantification of tannins from the spectra using partial least-squares regression. The study included...... to be particularly important for tannin quantification. The spectral regions identified from the variable selection methods were used to develop calibration models. All four variable selection methods identified regions that allowed an improved quantitative prediction of tannins (RMSEP = 69−79 mg of CE/L; r = 0...

Spectral characteristics of light sources for S-cone stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlegelmilch, F; Nolte, R; Schellhorn, K; Husar, P; Henning, G; Tornow, R P

2002-11-01

Electrophysiological investigations of the short-wavelength sensitive pathway of the human eye require the use of a suitable light source as a S-cone stimulator. Different light sources with their spectral distribution properties were investigated and compared with the ideal S-cone stimulator. First, the theoretical background of the calculation of relative cone energy absorption from the spectral distribution function of the light source is summarized. From the results of the calculation, the photometric properties of the ideal S-cone stimulator will be derived. The calculation procedure was applied to virtual light sources (computer generated spectral distribution functions with different medium wavelengths and spectrum widths) and to real light sources (blue and green light emitting diodes, blue phosphor of CRT-monitor, multimedia projector, LCD monitor and notebook display). The calculated relative cone absorbencies are compared to the conditions of an ideal S-cone stimulator. Monochromatic light sources with wavelengths of less than 456 nm are close to the conditions of an ideal S-cone stimulator. Spectrum widths up to 21 nm do not affect the S-cone activation significantly (S-cone activation change < 0.2%). Blue light emitting diodes with peak wavelength at 448 nm and spectrum bandwidth of 25 nm are very useful for S-cone stimulation (S-cone activation approximately 95%). A suitable display for S-cone stimulation is the Trinitron computer monitor (S-cone activation approximately 87%). The multimedia projector has a S-cone activation up to 91%, but their spectral distribution properties depends on the selected intensity. LCD monitor and notebook displays have a lower S-cone activation (< or = 74%). Carefully selecting the blue light source for S-cone stimulation can reduce the unwanted L-and M-cone activation down to 4% for M-cones and 1.5% for L-cones.

Blue-Emitting Small Silica Particles Incorporating ZnSe-Based Nanocrystals Prepared by Reverse Micelle Method

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Masanori Ando

2007-01-01

Full Text Available ZnSe-based nanocrystals (ca. 4-5 nm in diameter emitting in blue region (ca. 445 nm were incorporated in spherical small silica particles (20–40 nm in diameter by a reverse micelle method. During the preparation, alkaline solution was used to deposit the hydrolyzed alkoxide on the surface of nanocrystals. It was crucially important for this solution to include Zn2+ ions and surfactant molecules (thioglycolic acid to preserve the spectral properties of the final silica particles. This is because these substances in the solution prevent the surface of nanocrystals from deterioration by dissolution during processing. The resultant silica particles have an emission efficiency of 16% with maintaining the photoluminescent spectral width and peak wavelength of the initial colloidal solution.

Relations between nature-based solutions of green-blue area accessibility and socio-economic-ethnic patterns in the urban Stockholm region

Science.gov (United States)

Goldenberg, Romain; Kalantari, Zahra; Destouni, Georgia

2017-04-01

More than half of the world's population lives in cities, a proportion expected to increase to two thirds by 2050 (United Nations (UN), 2015). In this study, we investigate the spatial relationships that may exist between income and/or nationality homogeneity/heterogeneity levels of urban populations and their accessibility to local green-blue areas as possible nature-based solutions for sustainable urban design. For this investigation, we consider as a concrete case study the urban region of Stockholm, Sweden, for which we compile and use available land-cover and vegetation density data (the latter in terms of Normalised Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI) in order to identify and assess the spatial distributions of various green-blue area types and aspects. We further combine this data with spatial distribution data for population density, income and nationality, as well as with road-network data for assessing population travel times to nearby green-blue areas within the region. The present study results converge with those of other recent studies in showing large socio-economic-ethnic segregation in the Stockholm region. Moreover, the present data combination and analysis also show large spatial differences in and important socio-economic-ethnic correlations with accessibility to local green areas and nearby water bodies. Specifically, population income and share of Swedish nationals are well correlated in this region, with increases in both of these variables implying greater possibility to choose where to live within the region. The living choices of richer and more homogeneous (primarily Swedish) population parts are then found to be areas with greater local vegetation density (local green areas as identified by high-resolution NDVI data) and greater area extent of nearby water bodies (blue areas). For comparison, no such correlation is found between increased income or Swedish nationality homogeneity and accessibility to nearby forest areas (overall green

Bulk mineralogy of the NE Syrtis and Jezero crater regions of Mars derived through thermal infrared spectral analyses

Science.gov (United States)

Salvatore, M. R.; Goudge, T. A.; Bramble, M. S.; Edwards, C. S.; Bandfield, J. L.; Amador, E. S.; Mustard, J. F.; Christensen, P. R.

2018-02-01

We investigated the area to the northwest of the Isidis impact basin (hereby referred to as "NW Isidis") using thermal infrared emission datasets to characterize and quantify bulk surface mineralogy throughout this region. This area is home to Jezero crater and the watershed associated with its two deltaic deposits in addition to NE Syrtis and the strong and diverse visible/near-infrared spectral signatures observed in well-exposed stratigraphic sections. The spectral signatures throughout this region show a diversity of primary and secondary surface mineralogies, including olivine, pyroxene, smectite clays, sulfates, and carbonates. While previous thermal infrared investigations have sought to characterize individual mineral groups within this region, none have systematically assessed bulk surface mineralogy and related these observations to visible/near-infrared studies. We utilize an iterative spectral unmixing method to statistically evaluate our linear thermal infrared spectral unmixing models to derive surface mineralogy. All relevant primary and secondary phases identified in visible/near-infrared studies are included in the unmixing models and their modeled spectral contributions are discussed in detail. While the stratigraphy and compositional diversity observed in visible/near-infrared spectra are much better exposed and more diverse than most other regions of Mars, our thermal infrared analyses suggest the dominance of basaltic compositions with less observed variability in the amount and diversity of alteration phases. These results help to constrain the mineralogical context of these previously reported visible/near-infrared spectral identifications. The results are also discussed in the context of future in situ investigations, as the NW Isidis region has long been promoted as a region of paleoenvironmental interest on Mars.

Identification of spectral regions for the quantification of red wine tannins with fourier transform mid-infrared spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Jacob S; Egebo, Max; Meyer, Anne S

2008-05-28

Accomplishment of fast tannin measurements is receiving increased interest as tannins are important for the mouthfeel and color properties of red wines. Fourier transform mid-infrared spectroscopy allows fast measurement of different wine components, but quantification of tannins is difficult due to interferences from spectral responses of other wine components. Four different variable selection tools were investigated for the identification of the most important spectral regions which would allow quantification of tannins from the spectra using partial least-squares regression. The study included the development of a new variable selection tool, iterative backward elimination of changeable size intervals PLS. The spectral regions identified by the different variable selection methods were not identical, but all included two regions (1485-1425 and 1060-995 cm(-1)), which therefore were concluded to be particularly important for tannin quantification. The spectral regions identified from the variable selection methods were used to develop calibration models. All four variable selection methods identified regions that allowed an improved quantitative prediction of tannins (RMSEP = 69-79 mg of CE/L; r = 0.93-0.94) as compared to a calibration model developed using all variables (RMSEP = 115 mg of CE/L; r = 0.87). Only minor differences in the performance of the variable selection methods were observed.

Effect of stimulated phase separation on properties of blue, green and monolithic white LEDs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsatsulnikov, A.F.; Lundin, W.V.; Sakharov, A.V.; Zavarin, E.E.; Nikolaev, A.E.; Sizov, V.S. [Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Politekhnicheskaya Str. 26, 194021 St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Usov, S.O.; Zakgeim, A.L.; Mizerov, M.N. [Submicron Heterostructures for Microelectronics Research and Engineering Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Politekhnicheskaya Str. 26, 194021 St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Cherkashin, N.A.; Hytch, M. [CEMES-CNRS, Universite de Toulouse, Toulouse (France)

2012-03-15

Different methods of stimulation of phase separation in an InGaN QWs by technological methods and by design of structure were investigated. Effect of admixing of hydrogen during growth interruptions (GIs) after deposition of the InGaN QWs on their structural and optical properties and properties of InGaN-based LEDs was investigated. Effect of growth pressure on the phase separation was investigated and formation of separate InGaN islands at increase in growth pressure was revealed. It was shown that the phase separation is stimulated in composite InAlN/GaN/InGaN heterostructures and formation of well isolated InGaN islands was observed. Effect of the phase separation on the properties of the blue and deep green LEDs was investigated and strong changes in the spectral position and current dependence of the quantum efficiency were revealed. It was shown that formation of the island due to the phase separation allows control position and width of the emission line and maximum in current dependence of the quantum efficiency. Monolithic white LEDs are containing in active region blue and green InGaN QWs grown with applying of the GIs and emitting in spectral range from 440 nm to 560 nm were studied. Monolithic white LEDs having optimal design of active region demonstrate CCT in the range of 9000-12000 K and maximal external quantum efficiency up to 14 lm/W. (copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

How does the blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata) flash its blue rings?

Science.gov (United States)

Mäthger, Lydia M; Bell, George R R; Kuzirian, Alan M; Allen, Justine J; Hanlon, Roger T

2012-11-01

The blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata), one of the world's most venomous animals, has long captivated and endangered a large audience: children playing at the beach, divers turning over rocks, and biologists researching neurotoxins. These small animals spend much of their time in hiding, showing effective camouflage patterns. When disturbed, the octopus will flash around 60 iridescent blue rings and, when strongly harassed, bite and deliver a neurotoxin that can kill a human. Here, we describe the flashing mechanism and optical properties of these rings. The rings contain physiologically inert multilayer reflectors, arranged to reflect blue-green light in a broad viewing direction. Dark pigmented chromatophores are found beneath and around each ring to enhance contrast. No chromatophores are above the ring; this is unusual for cephalopods, which typically use chromatophores to cover or spectrally modify iridescence. The fast flashes are achieved using muscles under direct neural control. The ring is hidden by contraction of muscles above the iridophores; relaxation of these muscles and contraction of muscles outside the ring expose the iridescence. This mechanism of producing iridescent signals has not previously been reported in cephalopods and we suggest that it is an exceptionally effective way to create a fast and conspicuous warning display.

A spectral measurement method for determining white OLED average junction temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yiting; Narendran, Nadarajah

2016-09-01

The objective of this study was to investigate an indirect method of measuring the average junction temperature of a white organic light-emitting diode (OLED) based on temperature sensitivity differences in the radiant power emitted by individual emitter materials (i.e., "blue," "green," and "red"). The measured spectral power distributions (SPDs) of the white OLED as a function of temperature showed amplitude decrease as a function of temperature in the different spectral bands, red, green, and blue. Analyzed data showed a good linear correlation between the integrated radiance for each spectral band and the OLED panel temperature, measured at a reference point on the back surface of the panel. The integrated radiance ratio of the spectral band green compared to red, (G/R), correlates linearly with panel temperature. Assuming that the panel reference point temperature is proportional to the average junction temperature of the OLED panel, the G/R ratio can be used for estimating the average junction temperature of an OLED panel.

700 W blue fiber-coupled diode-laser emitting at 450 nm

Science.gov (United States)

Balck, A.; Baumann, M.; Malchus, J.; Chacko, R. V.; Marfels, S.; Witte, U.; Dinakaran, D.; Ocylok, S.; Weinbach, M.; Bachert, C.; Kösters, A.; Krause, V.; König, H.; Lell, A.; Stojetz, B.; Löffler, A.; Strauss, U.

2018-02-01

A high-power blue laser source was long-awaited for processing materials with low absorption in the near infrared (NIR) spectral range like copper or gold. Due to the huge progress of GaN-based semiconductors, the performance of blue diode-lasers has made a major step forward recently. With the availability of unprecedented power levels at cw-operating blue diode-lasers emitting at 450 nm, it was possible to set up a high-power diode-laser in the blue spectral range to address these conventional laser applications and probably beyond that to establish completely new utilizations for lasers. Within the scope of the research project "BlauLas", funded within the German photonic initiative "EFFILAS" [8] by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Laserline in cooperation with OSRAM aims to realize a cw fiber-coupled diode-laser exceeding 1 kW blue laser power. In this paper the conceptual design and experimental results of a 700 W blue fiber-coupled diode-laser are presented. Initially a close look had to be taken on the mounting techniques of the semiconductors to serve the requirements of the GaN laser diodes. Early samples were used for extensive long term tests to investigate degradation processes. With first functional laser-modules we set up fiber-coupled laser-systems for further testing. Besides adaption of well-known optical concepts a main task within the development of the laser system was the selection and examination of suitable materials and assembling in order to minimize degradation and reach adequate lifetimes. We realized R&D blue lasersystems with lifetimes above 5,000 h, which enable first application experiments on processing of various materials as well as experiments on conversion to white-light.

3.1 W narrowband blue external cavity diode laser

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Jue; Ren, Huaijin; Zhou, Kun; Li, Yi; Du, Weichuan; Gao, Songxin; Li, Ruijun; Liu, Jianping; Li, Deyao; Yang, Hui

2018-03-01

We reported a high-power narrowband blue diode laser which is suitable for subsequent nonlinear frequency conversion into the deep ultraviolet (DUV) spectral range. The laser is based on an external cavity diode laser (ECDL) system using a commercially available GaN-based high-power blue laser diode emitting at 448 nm. Longitudinal mode selection is realized by using a surface diffraction grating in Littrow configuration. The diffraction efficiency of the grating was optimized by controlling the polarization state of the laser beam incident on the grating. A maximum optical output power of 3.1 W in continuous-wave operation with a spectral width of 60 pm and a side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) larger than 10 dB at 448.4 nm is achieved. Based on the experimental spectra and output powers, the theoretical efficiency and output power of the subsequent nonlinear frequency conversion were calculated according to the Boyd- Kleinman theory. The single-pass conversion efficiency and output power is expected to be 1.9×10-4 and 0.57 mW, respectively, at the 3.1 W output power of the ECDL. The high-power narrowband blue diode laser is very promising as pump source in the subsequent nonlinear frequency conversion.

Spectral radiation dependent photoprotective mechanism in the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christophe Brunet

Full Text Available Phytoplankton, such as diatoms, experience great variations of photon flux density (PFD and light spectrum along the marine water column. Diatoms have developed some rapidly-regulated photoprotective mechanisms, such as the xanthophyll cycle activation (XC and the non-photochemical chlorophyll fluorescence quenching (NPQ, to protect themselves from photooxidative damages caused by excess PFD. In this study, we investigate the role of blue fluence rate in combination with red radiation in shaping photoacclimative and protective responses in the coastal diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata. This diatom was acclimated to four spectral light conditions (blue, red, blue-red, blue-red-green, each of them provided with low and high PFD. Our results reveal that the increase in the XC pool size and the amplitude of NPQ is determined by the blue fluence rate experienced by cells, while cells require sensing red radiation to allow the development of these processes. Variations in the light spectrum and in the blue versus red radiation modulate either the photoprotective capacity, such as the activation of the diadinoxanthin-diatoxanthin xanthophyll cycle, the diadinoxanthin de-epoxidation rate and the capacity of non-photochemical quenching, or the pigment composition of this diatom. We propose that spectral composition of light has a key role on the ability of diatoms to finely balance light harvesting and photoprotective capacity.

An approach to estimate spatial distribution of analyte within cells using spectrally-resolved fluorescence microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Dharmendar Kumar; Irfanullah, Mir; Basu, Santanu Kumar; Madhu, Sheri; De, Suman; Jadhav, Sameer; Ravikanth, Mangalampalli; Chowdhury, Arindam

2017-03-01

While fluorescence microscopy has become an essential tool amongst chemists and biologists for the detection of various analyte within cellular environments, non-uniform spatial distribution of sensors within cells often restricts extraction of reliable information on relative abundance of analytes in different subcellular regions. As an alternative to existing sensing methodologies such as ratiometric or FRET imaging, where relative proportion of analyte with respect to the sensor can be obtained within cells, we propose a methodology using spectrally-resolved fluorescence microscopy, via which both the relative abundance of sensor as well as their relative proportion with respect to the analyte can be simultaneously extracted for local subcellular regions. This method is exemplified using a BODIPY sensor, capable of detecting mercury ions within cellular environments, characterized by spectral blue-shift and concurrent enhancement of emission intensity. Spectral emission envelopes collected from sub-microscopic regions allowed us to compare the shift in transition energies as well as integrated emission intensities within various intracellular regions. Construction of a 2D scatter plot using spectral shifts and emission intensities, which depend on the relative amount of analyte with respect to sensor and the approximate local amounts of the probe, respectively, enabled qualitative extraction of relative abundance of analyte in various local regions within a single cell as well as amongst different cells. Although the comparisons remain semi-quantitative, this approach involving analysis of multiple spectral parameters opens up an alternative way to extract spatial distribution of analyte in heterogeneous systems. The proposed method would be especially relevant for fluorescent probes that undergo relatively nominal shift in transition energies compared to their emission bandwidths, which often restricts their usage for quantitative ratiometric imaging in

Research on Spectral Reflection Characteristics of Nanostructures in Morpho Butterfly Wing Scale

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu Wenjun [Key Lab of Modern Manufacture Quality Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 30068 (China); Shi Tielin; Liao Guanglan; Zuo Haibo, E-mail: guanglan.liao@mail.hust.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074 (China)

2011-02-01

The intricate nanostructure in the scales of Morpho, which is composed of transparent cuticle protein, achieves an extremely high reflectivity in the range of visible light. The brilliant iridescent blue color is not produced by blue pigment but nanostructures. In order to investigate which structural parameters influenced the spectral reflection characteristics and formed the striking brilliance of blue color, a vector diffraction theoretical structural model was established, and simulation using rigorous coupled-wave analysis was carried out. The complex nanostructure was assumed as the diffraction grating structure of arbitrary configuration. The shape and size of the model was set according to the TEM photos of Morpho scale. The structure with irregular asymmetric multilayer lamellae ridge-like grating possessed best capability in reflectivity and color matching. The influence of every structural parameter to spectral reflectivity was cognized by comparing with the original spectrum. The results have revealed the nature of iridescent blue colors and high reflectivity, and enable us to control color and reflectivity by manufacturing nanostructure with specific structural parameter.

Research on Spectral Reflection Characteristics of Nanostructures in Morpho Butterfly Wing Scale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Wenjun; Shi Tielin; Liao Guanglan; Zuo Haibo

2011-01-01

The intricate nanostructure in the scales of Morpho, which is composed of transparent cuticle protein, achieves an extremely high reflectivity in the range of visible light. The brilliant iridescent blue color is not produced by blue pigment but nanostructures. In order to investigate which structural parameters influenced the spectral reflection characteristics and formed the striking brilliance of blue color, a vector diffraction theoretical structural model was established, and simulation using rigorous coupled-wave analysis was carried out. The complex nanostructure was assumed as the diffraction grating structure of arbitrary configuration. The shape and size of the model was set according to the TEM photos of Morpho scale. The structure with irregular asymmetric multilayer lamellae ridge-like grating possessed best capability in reflectivity and color matching. The influence of every structural parameter to spectral reflectivity was cognized by comparing with the original spectrum. The results have revealed the nature of iridescent blue colors and high reflectivity, and enable us to control color and reflectivity by manufacturing nanostructure with specific structural parameter.

Dielectric properties of semi-insulating Fe-doped InP in the terahertz spectral region.

Science.gov (United States)

Alyabyeva, L N; Zhukova, E S; Belkin, M A; Gorshunov, B P

2017-08-04

We report the values and the spectral dependence of the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric permittivity of semi-insulating Fe-doped InP crystalline wafers in the 2-700 cm -1 (0.06-21 THz) spectral region at room temperature. The data shows a number of absorption bands that are assigned to one- and two-phonon and impurity-related absorption processes. Unlike the previous studies of undoped or low-doped InP material, our data unveil the dielectric properties of InP that are not screened by strong free-carrier absorption and will be useful for designing a wide variety of InP-based electronic and photonic devices operating in the terahertz spectral range.

A comparison of electrophysiologically determined spectral responses in six subspecies of Lymantria.

Science.gov (United States)

Crook, Damon J; Hull-Sanders, Helen M; Hibbard, Emily L; Mastro, Victor C

2014-04-01

The spectral sensitivity of the compound eye in three gypsy moth species from six different geographical regions (Lymantria dispar asiatica Vnukovskij [Asian gypsy moth], Lymantria dispar japonica Motschulsky [Japanese gypsy moth], and Lymantria dispar dispar L. [North American gypsy moth]) was tested electrophysiologically in the wavelength region 300-700 nm. For all moths examined, a maximum response occurred in the 480-520-nm range (blue-green region) with a shoulder peak occurring at 460 nm. A smaller, secondary peak was observed for both sexes at the 340-380-nm range, which is in the region considered behaviorally maximal in night-flying insects. No peaks in sensitivity were observed between 520 and 700 nm (red region) for any of the moths tested. Based on our retinal recording data, a short wavelength blocking filter with a transition wavelength near 500 nm should reduce gypsy moth attraction to artificial lighting sources. This would help reduce the number of Lymantria-infested ships traveling to and from foreign ports.

Regional Spectral Model Workshop in memory of John Roads and Masao Kanamitsu

Science.gov (United States)

Hann-Ming Henry Juang; Shyh-Chin Chen; Songyou Hong; Hideki Kanamaru; Thomas Reichler; Takeshi Enomoto; Dian Putrasahan; Bruce T. Anderson; Sasha Gershunov; Haiqin Li; Kei Yoshimura; Nikolaus Buenning; Diane Boomer

2014-01-01

The committee for the 12th International Regional Spectral Model (RSM) Workshop drew its members from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), the U.S. Forest Service, Yonsei University, the Cooperative Institute for Climate and Satellites, the University of Tokyo, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Hokkaido University,...

Properties of magnetic photonic crystals in the visible spectral region and their performance limitations

Science.gov (United States)

Kotov, V. A.; Shavrov, V. G.; Vasiliev, M.; Alameh, K.; Nur-E-Alam, M.; Balabanov, D. E.

2018-02-01

We report on the results of computer modelling and performance analysis of the optical and magneto-optical (MO) characteristics of one-dimensional magnetic photonic crystals (MPC) of several classic design types (having either a single structure defect, or a number of these), designed for applications in the visible spectral region. The calculations are performed accounting for the real levels of optical absorption achievable in existing MO materials which currently demonstrate the best MO quality (bismuth-substituted ferrite garnets). We consider Bi2Dy1Fe4Ga1O12 as the base material for use within quarter-wave thick MO layers of MPC; silica is used for the non-magnetic transparent quarter-wave layers. The achieved results can be used to clarify the nature of the differences that exist between the expected practical potential of MPCs in integrated photonics, and the actual attained experimental results. Our results show that in MPCs optimized for light intensity modulation applications, in the red spectral region (near 650 nm), the achievable levels of optical transmission are limited to about 30%. This coincides spectrally with the peaks of Faraday rotation reaching their maxima at about 25°, with further transmission increases possible in the near-infrared region. Larger Faraday rotation angles are only achievable currently in structures or single film layers with reduced transmission.

A Statistical study of the Doppler spectral width of high-latitude ionospheric F-region echoes recorded with SuperDARN coherent HF radars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.-P. Villain

2002-11-01

Full Text Available The HF radars of the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN provide measurements of the E × B drift of ionospheric plasma over extended regions of the high-latitude ionosphere. We have conducted a statistical study of the associated Doppler spectral width of ionospheric F-region echoes. The study has been conducted with all available radars from the Northern Hemisphere for 2 specific periods of time. Period 1 corresponds to the winter months of 1994, while period 2 covers October 1996 to March 1997. The distributions of data points and average spectral width are presented as a function of Magnetic Latitude and Magnetic Local Time. The databases are very consistent and exhibit the same features. The most stringent features are: a region of very high spectral width, collocated with the ionospheric LLBL/cusp/mantle region; an oval shaped region of high spectral width, whose equator-ward boundary matches the poleward limit of the Holzworth and Meng auroral oval. A simulation has been conducted to evaluate the geometrical and instrumental effects on the spectral width. It shows that these effects cannot account for the observed spectral features. It is then concluded that these specific spectral width characteristics are the signature of ionospheric/magnetospheric coupling phenomena.Key words. Ionosphere (auroral ionosphere; ionosphere-magnetosphere interactions; ionospheric irregularities

A Statistical study of the Doppler spectral width of high-latitude ionospheric F-region echoes recorded with SuperDARN coherent HF radars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.-P. Villain

Full Text Available The HF radars of the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN provide measurements of the E × B drift of ionospheric plasma over extended regions of the high-latitude ionosphere. We have conducted a statistical study of the associated Doppler spectral width of ionospheric F-region echoes. The study has been conducted with all available radars from the Northern Hemisphere for 2 specific periods of time. Period 1 corresponds to the winter months of 1994, while period 2 covers October 1996 to March 1997. The distributions of data points and average spectral width are presented as a function of Magnetic Latitude and Magnetic Local Time. The databases are very consistent and exhibit the same features. The most stringent features are: a region of very high spectral width, collocated with the ionospheric LLBL/cusp/mantle region; an oval shaped region of high spectral width, whose equator-ward boundary matches the poleward limit of the Holzworth and Meng auroral oval. A simulation has been conducted to evaluate the geometrical and instrumental effects on the spectral width. It shows that these effects cannot account for the observed spectral features. It is then concluded that these specific spectral width characteristics are the signature of ionospheric/magnetospheric coupling phenomena.

Key words. Ionosphere (auroral ionosphere; ionosphere-magnetosphere interactions; ionospheric irregularities

Study of the spectral and energy characteristics of lasing in the green spectral region by lithium fluoride with radiation color centers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Voitovich, A.P.; Kalinov, V.S.; Mikhnov, S.A.; Ovseichuk, S.I.

1987-06-01

The spectral and energy characteristics of lasers utilizing lithium fluoride with F2 and F3(+) color centers in transverse and longitudinal pumping schemes are studied. The feasibility of obtaining stable narrow-band radiation in the 510-570 nm range using a selective resonator is demonstrated. Consideration is given to the effect of lithium-fluoride crystal processing by excimer laser radiation at a wavelength of 308 nm on the spectroscopic and lasing characteristics of the F3(+) color center. After this processing, the laser efficiency in the green spectral region increases by more than a factor of two (reaching an efficiency of 14 percent). 7 references.

Genomic copy number analysis of a spectrum of blue nevi identifies recurrent aberrations of entire chromosomal arms in melanoma ex blue nevus.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, May P; Andea, Aleodor A; Harms, Paul W; Durham, Alison B; Patel, Rajiv M; Wang, Min; Robichaud, Patrick; Fisher, Gary J; Johnson, Timothy M; Fullen, Douglas R

2016-03-01

Blue nevi may display significant atypia or undergo malignant transformation. Morphologic diagnosis of this spectrum of lesions is notoriously difficult, and molecular tools are increasingly used to improve diagnostic accuracy. We studied copy number aberrations in a cohort of cellular blue nevi, atypical cellular blue nevi, and melanomas ex blue nevi using Affymetrix's OncoScan platform. Cases with sufficient DNA were analyzed for GNAQ, GNA11, and HRAS mutations. Copy number aberrations were detected in 0 of 5 (0%) cellular blue nevi, 3 of 12 (25%) atypical cellular blue nevi, and 6 of 9 (67%) melanomas ex blue nevi. None of the atypical cellular blue nevi displayed more than one aberration, whereas complex aberrations involving four or more regions were seen exclusively in melanomas ex blue nevi. Gains and losses of entire chromosomal arms were identified in four of five melanomas ex blue nevi with copy number aberrations. In particular, gains of 1q, 4p, 6p, and 8q, and losses of 1p and 4q were each found in at least two melanomas. Whole chromosome aberrations were also common, and represented the sole finding in one atypical cellular blue nevus. When seen in melanomas, however, whole chromosome aberrations were invariably accompanied by partial aberrations of other chromosomes. Three melanomas ex blue nevi harbored aberrations, which were absent or negligible in their precursor components, suggesting progression in tumor biology. Gene mutations involving GNAQ and GNA11 were each detected in two of eight melanomas ex blue nevi. In conclusion, copy number aberrations are more common and often complex in melanomas ex blue nevi compared with cellular and atypical cellular blue nevi. Identification of recurrent gains and losses of entire chromosomal arms in melanomas ex blue nevi suggests that development of new probes targeting these regions may improve detection and risk stratification of these lesions.

Hungaria Asteroid Region Telescopic Spectral Survey (HARTSS): Stony Asteroids Abundant in the Background and Family Populations

Science.gov (United States)

Lucas, Michael P.; Emery, Joshua P.; Pinilla-Alonso, Noemi; Lindsay, Sean S.; Lorenzi, Vania

2016-10-01

The Hungaria region represents a "purgatory" for the closest, preserved samples of the material from which the terrestrial planets accreted. The Hungaria region harbors a collisional family of Xe-type asteroids, which are situated among a background of predominantly S-complex asteroids. Deciphering their surface composition may provide constraints on the nature of the primordial building blocks of the terrestrial planets. We hypothesize that planetesimals in the inner part of the primordial asteroid belt experienced partial- to full-melting and differentiation, the Hungaria region should retain any petrologically-evolved material that formed there.We have undertaken an observational campaign entitled the Hungaria Asteroid Region Telescopic Spectral Survey (HARTSS) to record near-infrared (NIR) spectra to characterize taxonomy, surface mineralogy, and potential meteorite analogs. We used NIR instruments at two ground-based facilities (NASA IRTF; TNG). Our data set includes spectra of 82 Hungaria asteroids (61 background; 21 family), 65 were observed during HARTSS. We compare S-complex background asteroids to calibrations developed via laboratory analyses of ordinary chondrites, and to our analyses (EPMA, XRD, VIS+NIR spectra) of 11 primitive achondrite (acapulcoite-lodranite clan) meteorites.We find that stony S-complex asteroids dominate the Hungaria background population (~80%). Background objects exhibit considerable spectral diversity, when quantified by spectral band parameter measurements, translates to a variety of surface compositions. Two main meteorite groups are represented within the Hungaria background: unmelted, nebular L chondrites (and/or L chondrites), and partially-melted primitive achondrites. H-chondrite mineralogies appear to be absent from the Hungaria background. Xe-type Hungaria family members exhibit spectral homogeneity, consistent with the hypothesis that the family was derived from the disruption of a parent body analogous to an enstatite

Electrochromism of solid films of blue form of lutetium phthalocyanine complexe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gavrilov, V I; Konstantinov, A P; Luk' yanets, E A; Shelepin, I V

1986-12-01

Results of spectral-electrochemical study on electrochromic films of blue form of tret-butyl-substituted lutetium diphthalocyanine deposited on the surface of an electrode contacting with electrolyte aqueous solution are presented. In the 0.2-1.15 V potential range sweep of the electrode potential is followed by reversible change of the film colour in the following succession: blue reversible green reversible red. Electrochromic properties of the film confirm the corresponding spectral transitions from the initial state to monoelectron-oxidized and further on to the product of two-electron oxidation. Under potential sweeping towards the anode in the 1.4 V range and irreversible wave arises; potential achievement of this wave brings about complete change in the form of j, E-curves. The consequent electrode processes are followed by change in the film colour green - red that is associated witn mechanical fracture of the film.

Interaction mode between methylene blue-Sm(III) complex and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Spectroscopic and viscosity methods were applied to investigate the interaction between methylene blue (MB)-Sm(III) complex and herring sperm DNA by using acridine orange as a spectral probe in Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.40). By means of molar ratio method, the binding ratios between MB-Sm(III)and DNA were determined ...

Low-cost 420nm blue laser diode for tissue cutting and hemostasis

Science.gov (United States)

Linden, Kurt J.

2016-03-01

This paper describes the use of a 420 nm blue laser diode for possible surgery and hemostasis. The optical absorption of blood-containing tissue is strongly determined by the absorption characteristics of blood. Blood is primarily comprised of plasma (yellowish extracellular fluid that is approximately 95% water by volume) and formed elements: red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs) and platelets. The RBCs (hemoglobin) are the most numerous, and due to the spectral absorption characteristics of hemoglobin, the optical absorption of blood has a strong relative maximum value in the 420 nm blue region of the optical spectrum. Small, low-cost laser diodes emitting at 420 nm with tens of watts of continuous wave (CW) optical power are becoming commercially available. Experiments on the use of such laser diodes for tissue cutting with simultaneous hemostasis were carried out and are here described. It was found that 1 mm deep x 1 mm wide cuts can be achieved in red meat at a focused laser power level of 3 W moving at a velocity of ~ 1 mm/s. The peripheral necrosis and thermal damage zone extended over a width of approximately 0.5 mm adjacent to the cuts. Preliminary hemostasis experiments were carried out with fresh equine blood in Tygon tubing, where it was demonstrated that cauterization can occur in regions of intentional partial tubing puncture.

Applicability of spectral indices on thickness identification of oil slick

Science.gov (United States)

Niu, Yanfei; Shen, Yonglin; Chen, Qihao; Liu, Xiuguo

2016-10-01

Hyperspectral remote sensing technology has played a vital role in the identification and monitoring of oil spill events, and amount of spectral indices have been developed. In this paper, the applicability of six frequently-used indices is analyzed, and a combination of spectral indices in aids of support vector machine (SVM) algorithm is used to identify the oil slicks and corresponding thickness. The six spectral indices are spectral rotation (SR), spectral absorption depth (HI), band ratio of blue and green (BG), band ratio of BG and shortwave infrared index (BGN), 555nm and 645nm normalized by the blue band index (NB) and spectral slope (ND). The experimental study is conducted in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill zone, with Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) hyperspectral imagery captured in May 17, 2010. The results show that SR index is the best in all six indices, which can effectively distinguish the thickness of the oil slick and identify it from seawater; HI index and ND index can obviously distinguish oil slick thickness; BG, BGN and NB are more suitable to identify oil slick from seawater. With the comparison among different kernel functions of SVM, the classify accuracy show that the polynomial and RBF kernel functions have the best effect on the separation of oil slick thickness and the relatively pure seawater. The applicability of spectral indices of oil slick and the method of oil film thickness identification will in aids of oil/gas exploration and oil spill monitoring.

Brown carbon absorption in the red and near-infrared spectral region

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffer, András; Tóth, Ádám; Pósfai, Mihály; Eddy Chung, Chul; Gelencsér, András

2017-06-01

Black carbon (BC) aerosols have often been assumed to be the only light-absorbing carbonaceous particles in the red and near-infrared spectral regions of solar radiation in the atmosphere. Here we report that tar balls (a specific type of organic aerosol particles from biomass burning) do absorb red and near-infrared radiation significantly. Tar balls were produced in a laboratory experiment, and their chemical and optical properties were measured. The absorption of these particles in the range between 470 and 950 nm was measured with an aethalometer, which is widely used to measure atmospheric aerosol absorption. We find that the absorption coefficient of tar balls at 880 nm is more than 10 % of that at 470 nm. The considerable absorption of red and infrared light by tar balls also follows from their relatively low absorption Ångström coefficient (and significant mass absorption coefficient) in the spectral range between 470 and 950 nm. Our results support the previous finding that tar balls may play an important role in global warming. Due to the non-negligible absorption of tar balls in the near-infrared region, the absorption measured in the field at near-infrared wavelengths cannot solely be due to soot particles.

Groundwater recharge, circulation and geochemical evolution in the source region of the Blue Nile River, Ethiopia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kebede, Seifu; Travi, Yves; Alemayehu, Tamiru; Ayenew, Tenalem

2005-01-01

Geochemical and environmental isotope data were used to gain the first regional picture of groundwater recharge, circulation and its hydrochemical evolution in the upper Blue Nile River basin of Ethiopia. Q-mode statistical cluster analysis (HCA) was used to classify water into objective groups and to conduct inverse geochemical modeling among the groups. Two major structurally deformed regions with distinct groundwater circulation and evolution history were identified. These are the Lake Tana Graben (LTG) and the Yerer Tullu Wellel Volcanic Lineament Zone (YTVL). Silicate hydrolysis accompanied by CO 2 influx from deeper sources plays a major role in groundwater chemical evolution of the high TDS Na-HCO 3 type thermal groundwaters of these two regions. In the basaltic plateau outside these two zones, groundwater recharge takes place rapidly through fractured basalts, groundwater flow paths are short and they are characterized by low TDS and are Ca-Mg-HCO 3 type waters. Despite the high altitude (mean altitude ∼2500 masl) and the relatively low mean annual air temperature (18 deg. C) of the region compared to Sahelian Africa, there is no commensurate depletion in δ 18 O compositions of groundwaters of the Ethiopian Plateau. Generally the highland areas north and east of the basin are characterized by relatively depleted δ 18 O groundwaters. Altitudinal depletion of δ 18 O is 0.1%o/100 m. The meteoric waters of the Blue Nile River basin have higher d-excess compared to the meteoric waters of the Ethiopian Rift and that of its White Nile sister basin which emerges from the equatorial lakes region. The geochemically evolved groundwaters of the YTVL and LTG are relatively isotopically depleted when compared to the present day meteoric waters reflecting recharge under colder climate and their high altitude

Groundwater recharge, circulation and geochemical evolution in the source region of the Blue Nile River, Ethiopia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kebede, Seifu [Laboratory of Hydrogeology, University of Avignon, 33 Rue Louis Pasteur, 84000 Avignon (France) and Department of Geology and Geophysics, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)]. E-mail: seifu.kebede@univ-avignon.fr; Travi, Yves [Laboratory of Hydrogeology, University of Avignon, 33 Rue Louis Pasteur, 84000 Avignon (France); Alemayehu, Tamiru [Department of Geology and Geophysics, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia); Ayenew, Tenalem [Department of Geology and Geophysics, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)

2005-09-15

Geochemical and environmental isotope data were used to gain the first regional picture of groundwater recharge, circulation and its hydrochemical evolution in the upper Blue Nile River basin of Ethiopia. Q-mode statistical cluster analysis (HCA) was used to classify water into objective groups and to conduct inverse geochemical modeling among the groups. Two major structurally deformed regions with distinct groundwater circulation and evolution history were identified. These are the Lake Tana Graben (LTG) and the Yerer Tullu Wellel Volcanic Lineament Zone (YTVL). Silicate hydrolysis accompanied by CO{sub 2} influx from deeper sources plays a major role in groundwater chemical evolution of the high TDS Na-HCO {sub 3} type thermal groundwaters of these two regions. In the basaltic plateau outside these two zones, groundwater recharge takes place rapidly through fractured basalts, groundwater flow paths are short and they are characterized by low TDS and are Ca-Mg-HCO {sub 3} type waters. Despite the high altitude (mean altitude {approx}2500 masl) and the relatively low mean annual air temperature (18 deg. C) of the region compared to Sahelian Africa, there is no commensurate depletion in {delta} {sup 18}O compositions of groundwaters of the Ethiopian Plateau. Generally the highland areas north and east of the basin are characterized by relatively depleted {delta} {sup 18}O groundwaters. Altitudinal depletion of {delta} {sup 18}O is 0.1%o/100 m. The meteoric waters of the Blue Nile River basin have higher d-excess compared to the meteoric waters of the Ethiopian Rift and that of its White Nile sister basin which emerges from the equatorial lakes region. The geochemically evolved groundwaters of the YTVL and LTG are relatively isotopically depleted when compared to the present day meteoric waters reflecting recharge under colder climate and their high altitude.

Correcting the relationship between PRI and shadow fraction for the blue sky effect

Science.gov (United States)

Mõttus, Matti

2016-04-01

The Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) is defined as the normalized difference ratio of leaf reflectance at two specific wavelengths in the green spectral region. Its value depends on the status of leaf carotenoid content, and especially that of the xanthophyll cycle pigments. Due to the dependence on the xanthophyll cycle, when the photosynthetic apparatus of green leaves is close to the saturation limit, their PRI becomes dependent on light conditions. Therefore, by measuring the PRI of leaves in the same canopy under different local irradiance conditions on a sunny day, it should be possible to determine the saturation level of the leaves. In turn, this gives information on the light use efficiency (LUE) of the vegetation canopy. The average light conditions of visible foliage elements are often quantified with the shadow fraction -- the fraction of visible foliage not lit by direct sunlight. The dependence of PRI on the shadow fraction has been used to remotely measure canopy LUE on clear days. Variations in shadow fraction have been achieved with multiangular measurement. However, besides photosynthetic downregulation, the dependence of canopy PRI on shadow fraction is affected by the blue sky radiation caused by scattering in the atmosphere. To quantify this effect on remotely sensed PRI, we present the underlying definitions relating leaf and canopy PRI and perform the required calculations for typical midsummer conditions in Central Finland. We demonstrate that the effect of blue sky radiation on the variation of PRI with canopy shadow fraction is similar in shape and magnitude to that of LUE variations reported in literature. Next, we propose a new method to assess these PRI variations in structured vegetation. We investiagate this blue sky effect on the PRI -- shadow fraction relationship with high spatial (60 cm) and spectral (9.8 nm) resolution airborne imaging spectroscopy data from Hyytiälä, Finland. We evaluate the spectral irradiance in

Spectral nudging in regional climate modelling: How strongly should we nudge?

OpenAIRE

Omrani , Hiba; Drobinski , Philippe; Dubos , Thomas

2012-01-01

International audience; Spectral nudging is a technique consisting in driving regional climate models (RCMs) on selected spatial scales corresponding to those produced by the driving global circulation model (GCM). This technique prevents large and unrealistic departures between the GCM driving fields and the RCM fields at the GCM spatial scales. Theoretically, the relaxation of the RCM towards the GCM should be infinitely strong provided thre are perfect large-scale fields. In practice, the ...

''Blue clearing'' on Mars in connection with dust clouds in August and September 1971

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prokof'eva, V.V.; Chuprakova, T.A.; Dzyamko, S.S.; Bryzgalova, T.V.

1975-01-01

Photometric processing of Mars TV pictures obtained in ultraviolet, blue, green and red spectrum regions reveals the connection of the ''blue clearing'' effect with the appearance of dust clouds above the light regions of the planet. The obtained data confirm the hypothesis about the dust nature of blue clearings: the illusion of blue clearings is produced as a result of increasing brightness of thse Mars light regions, when dust clouds apr above them

Impacts of using spectral nudging on regional climate model RCA4 simulations of the Arctic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Berg

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The performance of the Rossby Centre regional climate model RCA4 is investigated for the Arctic CORDEX (COordinated Regional climate Downscaling EXperiment region, with an emphasis on its suitability to be coupled to a regional ocean and sea ice model. Large biases in mean sea level pressure (MSLP are identified, with pronounced too-high pressure centred over the North Pole in summer of over 5 hPa, and too-low pressure in winter of a similar magnitude. These lead to biases in the surface winds, which will potentially lead to strong sea ice biases in a future coupled system. The large-scale circulation is believed to be the major reason for the biases, and an implementation of spectral nudging is applied to remedy the problems by constraining the large-scale components of the driving fields within the interior domain. It is found that the spectral nudging generally corrects for the MSLP and wind biases, while not significantly affecting other variables, such as surface radiative components, two-metre temperature and precipitation.

Global Source Parameters from Regional Spectral Ratios for Yield Transportability Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, W. S.; Fisk, M. D.; Stead, R. J.; Begnaud, M. L.; Rowe, C. A.

2016-12-01

We use source parameters such as moment, corner frequency and high frequency rolloff as constraints in amplitude tomography, ensuring that spectra of well-studied earthquakes are recovered using the ensuing attenuation and site term model. We correct explosion data for path and site effects using such models, which allows us to test transportability of yield estimation techniques based on our best source spectral estimates. To develop a background set of source parameters, we applied spectral ratio techniques to envelopes of a global set of regional distance recordings from over 180,000 crustal events. Corner frequencies and moment ratios were determined via inversion using all event pairs within predetermined clusters, shifting to absolute levels using independently determined regional and teleseismic moments. The moment and corner frequency results can be expressed as stress drop, which has considerable scatter, yet shows dramatic regional patterns. We observe high stress in subduction zones along S. America, S. Mexico, the Banda Sea, and associated with the Yakutat Block in Alaska. We also observe high stress at the Himalayan syntaxes, the Pamirs, eastern Iran, the Caspian, the Altai-Sayan, and the central African rift. Low stress is observed along mid ocean spreading centers, the Afar rift, patches of convergence zones such as Nicaragua, the Zagros, Tibet, and the Tien Shan, among others. Mine blasts appear as low stress events due to their low corners and steep rolloffs. Many of these anomalies have been noted by previous studies, and we plan to compare results directly. As mentioned, these results will be used to constrain tomographic imaging, but can also be used in model validation procedures similar to the use of ground truth in location problems, and, perhaps most importantly, figure heavily in quality control of local and regional distance amplitude measurements.

Elemental identification of blue paintings traces present in historic cemeteries in the São Martinho region, southern Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Thiago G.; Richter, Fábio Andreas; Castro, Elisiana Trilha; Gonçalves, Samantha; Spudeit, Daniel A.; Micke, Gustavo A.

2018-03-01

Cemeteries are of great significance in many communities, often being considered of invaluable historical, artistic, architectural and cultural significance and thus they need to be preserved. In this regard, understanding the historical aspects and the construction techniques used is essential for their protection. The purpose of this paper is to describe historical aspects of the funerary heritage present in the region of São Martinho in southern Brazil, along with an analysis of the blue paint found in cemeteries of German colonies in the region studied. FTIR analysis suggests that the binder is composed mostly of a protein resin and a small amount of lipid. The morphology of the pigment was investigated by SEM and EDS and the spectra revealed that the major elements present in the blue pigment are Na, Al, Si and S, with an overlap in the elemental mapping, indicative of ultramarine pigments. The GC-MS results are consistent with the type of binder identified by FTIR and indicate a mixture of oils, probably from vegetal sources, and proteins.

Physical and chemical differentiation of the luminous star-forming region W49A. Results from the JCMT Spectral Legacy Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Nagy, Z.; van der Tak, F. F. S.; Fuller, G. A.; Plume, R.

2015-05-01

Context. The massive and luminous star-forming region W49A is a well-known Galactic candidate to probe the physical conditions and chemistry similar to those expected in external starburst galaxies. Aims: We aim to probe the physical and chemical structure of W49A on a spatial scale of ~0.8 pc based on the JCMT Spectral Legacy Survey, which covers the frequency range between 330 and 373 GHz. Methods: The wide 2 × 2 arcmin field and the high spectral resolution of the HARP instrument on JCMT provides information on the spatial structure and kinematics of the cloud traced by the observed molecular lines. For species where multiple transitions are available, we estimate excitation temperatures and column densities using a population diagram method that takes beam dilution and optical depth corrections into account. Results: We detected 255 transitions corresponding to 63 species in the 330-373 GHz range at the center position of W49A. Excitation conditions can be probed for 14 molecules, including the complex organic molecules CH3CCH, CH3CN, and CH3OH. The chemical composition suggests the importance of shock, photon-dominated region (PDR), and hot core chemistry. Many molecular lines show a significant spatial extent across the maps including CO and its isotopologues, high density tracers (e.g., HCN, HNC, CS, HCO+), and tracers of UV irradiation (e.g., CN and C2H). The spatially extended species reveal a complex velocity-structure of W49A with possible infall and outflow motions. Large variations are seen between the subregions with mostly blue-shifted emission toward the eastern tail, mostly red-shifted emission toward the northern clump, and emission peaking around the expected source velocity toward the southwest clump. Conclusions: A comparison of column density ratios of characteristic species observed toward W49A to Galactic PDRs suggests that while the chemistry toward the W49A center is driven by a combination of UV irradiation and shocks, UV irradiation

Epidermal UV-A absorbance and whole-leaf flavonoid composition in pea respond more to solar blue light than to solar UV radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Siipola, Sari M; Kotilainen, Titta; Sipari, Nina; Morales, Luis O; Lindfors, Anders V; Robson, T Matthew; Aphalo, Pedro J

2015-05-01

Plants synthesize phenolic compounds in response to certain environmental signals or stresses. One large group of phenolics, flavonoids, is considered particularly responsive to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. However, here we demonstrate that solar blue light stimulates flavonoid biosynthesis in the absence of UV-A and UV-B radiation. We grew pea plants (Pisum sativum cv. Meteor) outdoors, in Finland during the summer, under five types of filters differing in their spectral transmittance. These filters were used to (1) attenuate UV-B; (2) attenuate UV-B and UV-A radiation signals that extend into the visible region of the solar spectrum. Furthermore, solar blue light instead of solar UV-B radiation can be the main regulator of phenolic compound accumulation in plants that germinate and develop outdoors. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

New Galactic Candidate Luminous Blue Variables and Wolf-Rayet Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Stringfellow, Guy S.; Gvaramadze, Vasilii V.; Beletsky, Yuri; Kniazev, Alexei Y.

2012-04-01

We have undertaken a near-infrared spectral survey of stars associated with compact mid-IR shells recently revealed by the MIPSGAL (24 μm) and GLIMPSE (8 μm) Spitzer surveys, whose morphologies are typical of circumstellar shells produced by massive evolved stars. Through spectral similarity with known Luminous Blue Variable (LBV) and Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars, a large population of candidate LBVs (cLBVs) and a smaller number of new WR stars are being discovered. This significantly increases the Galactic cLBV population and confirms that nebulae are inherent to most (if not all) objects of this class.

Impact of spectral nudging on the downscaling of tropical cyclones in regional climate simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Suk-Jin; Lee, Dong-Kyou

2016-06-01

This study investigated the simulations of three months of seasonal tropical cyclone (TC) activity over the western North Pacific using the Advanced Research WRF Model. In the control experiment (CTL), the TC frequency was considerably overestimated. Additionally, the tracks of some TCs tended to have larger radii of curvature and were shifted eastward. The large-scale environments of westerly monsoon flows and subtropical Pacific highs were unreasonably simulated. The overestimated frequency of TC formation was attributed to a strengthened westerly wind field in the southern quadrants of the TC center. In comparison with the experiment with the spectral nudging method, the strengthened wind speed was mainly modulated by large-scale flow that was greater than approximately 1000 km in the model domain. The spurious formation and undesirable tracks of TCs in the CTL were considerably improved by reproducing realistic large-scale atmospheric monsoon circulation with substantial adjustment between large-scale flow in the model domain and large-scale boundary forcing modified by the spectral nudging method. The realistic monsoon circulation took a vital role in simulating realistic TCs. It revealed that, in the downscaling from large-scale fields for regional climate simulations, scale interaction between model-generated regional features and forced large-scale fields should be considered, and spectral nudging is a desirable method in the downscaling method.

Spectral reflectance properties of carbonaceous chondrites: 1. CI chondrites

Science.gov (United States)

Cloutis, E. A.; Hiroi, T.; Gaffey, M. J.; Alexander, C. M. O.'D.; Mann, P.

2011-03-01

Existing reflectance spectra of CI chondrites (18 spectra of 3 CIs) have been augmented with new (18 spectra of 2 CIs) reflectance spectra to ascertain the spectral variability of this meteorite class and provide insights into their spectral properties as a function of grain size, composition, particle packing, and viewing geometry. Particle packing and viewing geometry effects have not previously been examined for CI chondrites. The current analysis is focused on the 0.3-2.5 μm interval, as this region is available for the largest number of CI spectra. Reflectance spectra of powdered CI1 chondrites are uniformly dark (IOM), as no other CI opaque phase appears able to produce concurrent darkening and bluing. Magnetite can also explain the presence of an absorption feature near 1 μm in some CI spectra. The most blue-sloped spectra are generally associated with the larger grain size samples. For incidence and emission angles <60°, increasing phase angle results in darker and redder spectra, particularly below ∼1 μm. At high incidence angles (60°), increasing emission angle results in brighter and redder spectra. More densely packed samples and underdense (fluffed) samples show lower overall reflectance than normally packed and flat-surface powdered samples. Some B-class asteroids exhibit selected spectral properties consistent with CI chondrites, although perfect spectral matches have not been found. Because many CI chondrite spectra exhibit absorption features that can be related to specific mineral phases, the search for CI parent bodies can fruitfully be conducted using such parameters.

Spectral tuning of Amazon parrot feather coloration by psittacofulvin pigments and spongy structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Tinbergen, Jan; Wilts, Bodo D; Stavenga, Doekele G

2013-12-01

The feathers of Amazon parrots are brightly coloured. They contain a unique class of pigments, the psittacofulvins, deposited in both barbs and barbules, causing yellow or red coloured feathers. In specific feather areas, spongy nanostructured barb cells exist, reflecting either in the blue or blue-green wavelength range. The blue-green spongy structures are partly enveloped by a blue-absorbing, yellow-colouring pigment acting as a spectral filter, thus yielding a green coloured barb. Applying reflection and transmission spectroscopy, we characterized the Amazons' pigments and spongy structures, and investigated how they contribute to the feather coloration. The reflectance spectra of Amazon feathers are presumably tuned to the sensitivity spectra of the visual photoreceptors.

Side- and end-illumination of polymer optical fibers in the UV region

Science.gov (United States)

Eckhardt, Hanns-S.; Jungling, B.; Klein, Karl-Friedrich; Poisel, Hans

2003-07-01

Since more than 2 decades, the polymer optical fiber (POF) based on PMMA is well known. A lot of applications were studied and initiated: in addition to data transmission, the automotive, lighting and sensor applications are of main interest. Due to the spectral attenuation and applications, light-sources like broadband metal-halide lamps and halogen lamps, or LEDs and laser-diodes are mainly used. Due to improvement in manufacturing of the standard step-index POF, the variations of the spectral attenuation in the blue region have been reduced. Therefore, the losses are acceptable for short-length applications in the UV-A region. Using different light-sources like high-power Xenon-lamp, deuterium-lamp or UV-LEDs, the UV-damage is an important factor. In addition to the basic attenuation, the UV-induced losses will be determined by experiment, in the interesting UV-A region. The higher flexibilty of the thick-core POF is superior in comparison to silica or glass fibers with the same outer diameter. Therefore, the bending losses in the UV-region are important, too. For special applications in the medical field, side-illuminating fibers are highly accepted. The axial and spectral dependence on the lateral radiation pattern will be described, using a very thick fiber.

Blue and white light emission from zinc oxide nanoforests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nafisa Noor

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Blue and white light emission is observed when high voltage stress is applied using micrometer-separated tungsten probes across a nanoforest formed of ZnO nanorods. The optical spectrum of the emitted light consistently shows three fine peaks with very high amplitude in the 465–485 nm (blue range, corresponding to atomic transitions of zinc. Additional peaks with smaller amplitudes in the 330–650 nm range and broad spectrum white light is observed depending on the excitation conditions. The spatial and spectral distribution of the emitted light, with pink–orange regions identifying percolation paths in some cases and high intensity blue and white light with center to edge variations in others, indicate that multiple mechanisms lead to light emission. Under certain conditions, the tungsten probe tips used to make electrical contact with the ZnO structures melt during the excitation, indicating that the local temperature can exceed 3422 °C, which is the melting temperature of tungsten. The distinct and narrow peaks in the optical spectra and the abrupt increase in current at high electric fields suggest that a plasma is formed by application of the electrical bias, giving rise to light emission via atomic transitions in gaseous zinc and oxygen. The broad spectrum, white light emission is possibly due to the free electron transitions in the plasma and blackbody radiation from molten silicon. The white light may also arise from the recombination through multiple defect levels in ZnO or due to the optical excitation from solid ZnO. The electrical measurements performed at different ambient pressures result in light emission with distinguishable differences in the emission properties and I–V curves, which also indicate that the dielectric breakdown of ZnO, sublimation, and plasma formation processes are the underlying mechanisms.

Spectral Imaging by Upconversion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dam, Jeppe Seidelin; Pedersen, Christian; Tidemand-Lichtenberg, Peter

2011-01-01

We present a method to obtain spectrally resolved images using upconversion. By this method an image is spectrally shifted from one spectral region to another wavelength. Since the process is spectrally sensitive it allows for a tailored spectral response. We believe this will allow standard...... silicon based cameras designed for visible/near infrared radiation to be used for spectral images in the mid infrared. This can lead to much lower costs for such imaging devices, and a better performance....

Application of a spectral sky in Radiance for daylighting calculations including non-image-forming light effects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Khademagha, P.; Aries, M.B.C.; Rosemann, A.L.P.; van Loenen, E.J.

2016-01-01

Daylight is dynamic and rich in the blue part of the spectrum. To date, the spectral composition of daylight is ignored in sky models used in Radiance. Spectral sky composition is particularly important when non-image-forming (NIF) light effects are concerned, since the action spectrum for these

Blue colour preference in honeybees distracts visual attention for learning closed shapes.

Science.gov (United States)

Morawetz, Linde; Svoboda, Alexander; Spaethe, Johannes; Dyer, Adrian G

2013-10-01

Spatial vision is an important cue for how honeybees (Apis mellifera) find flowers, and previous work has suggested that spatial learning in free-flying bees is exclusively mediated by achromatic input to the green photoreceptor channel. However, some data suggested that bees may be able to use alternative channels for shape processing, and recent work shows conditioning type and training length can significantly influence bee learning and cue use. We thus tested the honeybees' ability to discriminate between two closed shapes considering either absolute or differential conditioning, and using eight stimuli differing in their spectral characteristics. Consistent with previous work, green contrast enabled reliable shape learning for both types of conditioning, but surprisingly, we found that bees trained with appetitive-aversive differential conditioning could additionally use colour and/or UV contrast to enable shape discrimination. Interestingly, we found that a high blue contrast initially interferes with bee shape learning, probably due to the bees innate preference for blue colours, but with increasing experience bees can learn a variety of spectral and/or colour cues to facilitate spatial learning. Thus, the relationship between bee pollinators and the spatial and spectral cues that they use to find rewarding flowers appears to be a more rich visual environment than previously thought.

Excellent green but less impressive blue luminescence from CsPbBr3 perovskite nanocubes and nanoplatelets

Science.gov (United States)

Ravi, Vikash Kumar; Swarnkar, Abhishek; Chakraborty, Rayan; Nag, Angshuman

2016-08-01

Green photoluminescence (PL) from CsPbBr3 nanocubes (˜11 nm edge-length) exhibits a high quantum yield (>80%), narrow spectral width (˜85 meV), and high reproducibility, along with a high molar extinction coefficient (3.5 × 106 M-1 cm-1) for lowest energy excitonic absorption. In order to obtain these combinations of excellent properties for blue (PL peak maximum, λ max CsPbBr3 nanocubes and nanoplatelets with various dimensions were prepared. Systematic increases in both the optical gap and transition probability for radiative excitonic recombination (PL lifetime 3-7 ns), have been achieved with the decreasing size of nanocubes. A high quantum yield (>80%) was also maintained, but the spectral width increased and became asymmetric for blue emitting CsPbBr3 nanocubes. Furthermore, PL was unstable and irreproducible for samples with λ max ˜ 460 nm, exhibiting multiple features in the PL. These problems arise because smaller (CsPbBr3 nanocubes have a tendency to form nanoplatelets and nanorods, eventually yielding inhomogeneity in the shape and size of blue-emitting nanocrystals. Reaction conditions were then modified achieving nanoplatelets, with strong quantum confinement along the thickness of the platelets, yielding blue emission. But inhomogeneity in the thickness of the nanoplatelets again broadens the PL compared to green-emitting CsPbBr3 nanocubes. Therefore, unlike high quality green emitting CsPbBr3 nanocubes, blue emitting CsPbBr3 nanocrystals of any shape need to be improved further.

Blue-light emitting triazolopyridinium and triazoloquinolinium salts

KAUST Repository

Carboni, Valentina

2017-01-27

Compounds that emit blue light are of interest for applications that include optoelectronic devices and chemo/biosensing and imaging. The design and synthesis of small organic molecules that can act as high-efficiency deep-blue-light emitters in the solid state and can be easily processed from solutions represents a significant challenge. Herein we present the preparation and photophysical, photochemical and electrochemical properties of a series of triazolopyridinium and triazoloquinolinium compounds. The compounds are soluble in water or polar organic solvents and exhibit photoluminescence in the blue region of the spectrum in fluid solution, in the solid state and in a frozen matrix.

comparative study of the effects of blue and green filters on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

LIVINGSTON

with a peak near 531nm) and red (also broad with a peak near 558nm which is naturally more like yellow). All colours seen by the visual system are a combination of relative intensities of the three wavelengths red, green and blue . A spectral colour or hue has been idealistically defined as the sensation corresponding to a ...

Cool transition region loops observed by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Z.; Xia, L.; Li, B.; Madjarska, M. S.

2015-12-01

An important class of loops in the solar atmosphere, cool transition region loops, have received little attention mainly due to instrumental limitations. We analyze a cluster of these loops in the on-disk active region NOAA 11934 recorded in a Si IV 1402.8 Å spectral raster and 1400Å slit-jaw (SJ) images taken by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph. We divide these loops into three groups and study their dynamics, evolution and interaction.The first group comprises geometrically relatively stable loops, which are finely scaled with 382~626 km cross-sections. Siphon flows in these loops are suggested by the Doppler velocities gradually changing from -10 km/s (blue-shifts) in one end to 20 km/s (red-shifts) in the other. Nonthermal velocities from 15 to 25 km/s were determined. The obtained physical properties suggest that these loops are impulsively heated by magnetic reconnection occurring at the blue-shifted footpoints where magnetic cancellation with a rate of 1015 Mx/s is found. The released magnetic energy is redistributed by the siphon flows. The second group corresponds to two active footpoints rooted in mixed-magnetic-polarity regions. Magnetic reconnection in both footpoints is suggested by explosive-event line profiles with enhanced wings up to 200 km/s and magnetic cancellation with a rate of ~1015 Mx/s. In the third group, an interaction between two cool loop systems is observed. Mixed-magnetic polarities are seen in their conjunction area where explosive-event line profiles and magnetic cancellation with a rate of 3×1015 Mx/s are found. This is a clear indication that magnetic reconnection occurs between these two loop systems. Our observations suggest that the cool transition region loops are heated impulsively most likely by sequences of magnetic reconnection events.

Spectral sensitivities and color signals in a polymorphic damselfly.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shao-chang Huang

Full Text Available Animal communication relies on conspicuous signals and compatible signal perception abilities. Good signal perception abilities are particularly important for polymorphic animals where mate choice can be a challenge. Behavioral studies suggest that polymorphic damselflies use their varying body colorations and/or color patterns as communication signal for mate choice and to control mating frequencies. However, solid evidence for this hypothesis combining physiological with spectral and behavioral data is scarce. We investigated this question in the Australian common blue tail damselfly, Ischnura heterosticta, which has pronounced female-limited polymorphism: andromorphs have a male-like blue coloration and gynomorphs display green/grey colors. We measured body color reflectance and investigated the visual capacities of each morph, showing that I. heterosticta have at least three types of photoreceptors sensitive to UV, blue, and green wavelength, and that this visual perception ability enables them to detect the spectral properties of the color signals emitted from the various color morphs in both males and females. We further demonstrate that different color morphs can be discriminated against each other and the vegetation based on color contrast. Finally, these findings were supported by field observations of natural mating pairs showing that mating partners are indeed chosen based on their body coloration. Our study provides the first comprehensive evidence for the function of body coloration on mate choice in polymorphic damselflies.

Twisted bilayer blue phosphorene: A direct band gap semiconductor

Science.gov (United States)

Ospina, D. A.; Duque, C. A.; Correa, J. D.; Suárez Morell, Eric

2016-09-01

We report that two rotated layers of blue phosphorene behave as a direct band gap semiconductor. The optical spectrum shows absorption peaks in the visible region of the spectrum and in addition the energy of these peaks can be tuned with the rotational angle. These findings makes twisted bilayer blue phosphorene a strong candidate as a solar cell or photodetection device. Our results are based on ab initio calculations of several rotated blue phosphorene layers.

Present and future status of flexible spectral imaging color enhancement and blue laser imaging technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Osawa, Hiroyuki; Yamamoto, Hironori

2014-01-01

The usefulness of flexible spectral imaging color enhancement (FICE) has been reported for evaluating the esophagus, stomach, and small and large intestine. Higher contrast is shown between cancer and the surrounding mucosa in the esophagus and stomach and may facilitate the detection of gastric cancers missed by white light imaging alone. The surface patterns of gastric mucosa are clearly visualized in non-malignant areas but are irregular and blurred in malignant areas, leading to clear demarcation. Capsule endoscopy with FICE detects angiodysplasia and erosions of the small intestine. The surface and vascular pattern with FICE is useful for the differential diagnosis of colorectal polyps. However, FICE remains somewhat poor at visualizing mucosal microvasculature on a tumor surface. Narrow-band imaging (NBI) is dark in observing whole gastric mucosa and poor at visualizing mucosal microstructure. Blue laser imaging (BLI) has the potential to resolve these limitations. Narrow-band laser light combined with white light shows irregular microvessels on both differentiated and undifferentiated gastric cancer similar to those using NBI. In addition, irregular surface patterns including minute white zones are clearly seen on the uneven surface of differentiated lesions, resulting in exclusion of undifferentiated lesions. Using both distant and close-up views, a high contrast between green intestinal metaplasia and brown gastric cancer may lead to early detection of gastric cancers and determination of a demarcation line. BLI produces high-contrast images in esophageal cancer with clear vision of intrapapillary capillary loops and also predicts the histopathological diagnosis and depth of invasion in colorectal neoplasms. © 2013 The Authors. Digestive Endoscopy © 2013 Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society.

Human Blue Cone Opsin Regeneration Involves Secondary Retinal Binding with Analog Specificity.

Science.gov (United States)

Srinivasan, Sundaramoorthy; Fernández-Sampedro, Miguel A; Morillo, Margarita; Ramon, Eva; Jiménez-Rosés, Mireia; Cordomí, Arnau; Garriga, Pere

2018-03-27

Human color vision is mediated by the red, green, and blue cone visual pigments. Cone opsins are G-protein-coupled receptors consisting of an opsin apoprotein covalently linked to the 11-cis-retinal chromophore. All visual pigments share a common evolutionary origin, and red and green cone opsins exhibit a higher homology, whereas blue cone opsin shows more resemblance to the dim light receptor rhodopsin. Here we show that chromophore regeneration in photoactivated blue cone opsin exhibits intermediate transient conformations and a secondary retinoid binding event with slower binding kinetics. We also detected a fine-tuning of the conformational change in the photoactivated blue cone opsin binding site that alters the retinal isomer binding specificity. Furthermore, the molecular models of active and inactive blue cone opsins show specific molecular interactions in the retinal binding site that are not present in other opsins. These findings highlight the differential conformational versatility of human cone opsin pigments in the chromophore regeneration process, particularly compared to rhodopsin, and point to relevant functional, unexpected roles other than spectral tuning for the cone visual pigments. Copyright © 2018 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spectral line polarimetry with a channeled polarimeter.

Science.gov (United States)

van Harten, Gerard; Snik, Frans; Rietjens, Jeroen H H; Martijn Smit, J; Keller, Christoph U

2014-07-01

Channeled spectropolarimetry or spectral polarization modulation is an accurate technique for measuring the continuum polarization in one shot with no moving parts. We show how a dual-beam implementation also enables spectral line polarimetry at the intrinsic resolution, as in a classic beam-splitting polarimeter. Recording redundant polarization information in the two spectrally modulated beams of a polarizing beam-splitter even provides the possibility to perform a postfacto differential transmission correction that improves the accuracy of the spectral line polarimetry. We perform an error analysis to compare the accuracy of spectral line polarimetry to continuum polarimetry, degraded by a residual dark signal and differential transmission, as well as to quantify the impact of the transmission correction. We demonstrate the new techniques with a blue sky polarization measurement around the oxygen A absorption band using the groundSPEX instrument, yielding a polarization in the deepest part of the band of 0.160±0.010, significantly different from the polarization in the continuum of 0.2284±0.0004. The presented methods are applicable to any dual-beam channeled polarimeter, including implementations for snapshot imaging polarimetry.

Spectral classification of medium-scale high-latitude F region plasma density irregularities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, M.; Rodriguez, P.; Szuszczewicz, E.P.; Sachs Freeman Associates, Bowie, MD)

1985-01-01

The high-latitude ionosphere represents a highly structured plasma. Rodriguez and Szuszczewicz (1984) reported a wide range of plasma density irregularities (150 km to 75 m) at high latitudes near 200 km. They have shown that the small-scale irregularities (7.5 km to 75 m) populated the dayside oval more often than the other phenomenological regions. It was suggested that in the lower F region the chemical recombination is fast enough to remove small-scale irregularities before convection can transport them large distances, leaving structured particle precipitation as the dominant source term for irregularities. The present paper provides the results of spectral analyses of pulsed plasma probe data collected in situ aboard the STP/S3-4 satellite during the period March-September 1978. A quantitative description of irregularity spectra in the high-latitude lower F region plasma density is given. 22 references

Measurement of multilayer mirror reflectivity and stimulated emission in the XUV spectral region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keane, C.; Nam, C.H.; Meixler, L.; Milchberg, H.; Skinner, C.H.; Suckewer, S.; Voorhees, D.; Barbee, T.

1986-03-01

We present measurements of multilayer mirror reflectivity and stimulated emission in the XUV spectral region. A molybdenum-silicon multilayer mirror with 12% measured reflectivity at 182 A was found to produce a 120% enhancement of the C VI 182 A line (3 → 2 transition) in a strongly recombining plasma. No such enhancement of the CV 186.7 A line was seen, demonstrating amplification of stimulated emission at 182 A

Age-related changes in spectral transmittance of the human crystalline lens in situ.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakanishi, Yoshihito; Awano, Masakazu; Mizota, Atsushi; Tanaka, Minoru; Murakami, Akira; Ohnuma, Kazuhiko

2012-01-01

It was the aim of this study to measure spectral transmission of the human crystalline lens in situ. The crystalline lens was illuminated by one of four light-emitting diodes of different colors. The relative spectral transmittance of the human crystalline lens was measured with the Purkinje-Sanson mirror images over a wide range of ages. The study evaluated 36 crystalline lenses of 28 subjects aged 21-76 years. There was a significant correlation between the age and spectral transmittance for blue light. Spectral transmittance of the crystalline lens in situ could be measured with Purkinje-Sanson mirror images. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Optimum PCF tapers for blue-enhanced supercontinuum sources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Uffe Visbech; Sørensen, Simon Toft; Larsen, Casper

2012-01-01

Tapering of photonic crystal fibers has proven to be an effective way of blueshifting the dispersive wavelength edge of a supercontinuum spectrum down in the deep-blue. In this article we will review the state-of-the-art in fiber tapers, and discuss the underlying mechanisms of supercontinuum gen...... and tapered fibers, and we demonstrate that the intensity noise at the spectral edges of the generated supercontinuum is at a constant level independent on the pump power in both tapered and uniform fibers....

System responses to equal doses of photosynthetically usable radiation of blue, green, and red light in the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristin Collier Valle

Full Text Available Due to the selective attenuation of solar light and the absorption properties of seawater and seawater constituents, free-floating photosynthetic organisms have to cope with rapid and unpredictable changes in both intensity and spectral quality. We have studied the transcriptional, metabolic and photo-physiological responses to light of different spectral quality in the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum through time-series studies of cultures exposed to equal doses of photosynthetically usable radiation of blue, green and red light. The experiments showed that short-term differences in gene expression and profiles are mainly light quality-dependent. Transcription of photosynthesis-associated nuclear genes was activated mainly through a light quality-independent mechanism likely to rely on chloroplast-to-nucleus signaling. In contrast, genes encoding proteins important for photoprotection and PSII repair were highly dependent on a blue light receptor-mediated signal. Changes in energy transfer efficiency by light-harvesting pigments were spectrally dependent; furthermore, a declining trend in photosynthetic efficiency was observed in red light. The combined results suggest that diatoms possess a light quality-dependent ability to activate photoprotection and efficient repair of photodamaged PSII. In spite of approximately equal numbers of PSII-absorbed quanta in blue, green and red light, the spectral quality of light is important for diatom responses to ambient light conditions.

Therapeutic effect of turquoise versus blue light with equal irradiance in preterm infants with jaundice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ebbesen, Finn; Madsen, Poul; Støvring, Søren

2007-01-01

AIM: To compare the efficiency of turquoise light with that of TL52 blue in treatment of preterm infants with jaundice at the same level of body irradiance. METHODS: Infants with gestational age 28-37 weeks and non-haemolytic hyperbilirubinemia were treated for 24 h with either turquoise light (O......,Z-bilirubin and lumirubin, in infants under turquoise light. This suggests, given equal irradiances, that light in the turquoise spectral range is preferable to the TL52 blue in treatment of newborn jaundiced infants....

'No blue' LED solution for photolithography room illumination

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ou, Haiyan; Corell, Dennis Dan; Dam-Hansen, Carsten

2010-01-01

This paper explored the feasibility of using a LED-based bulb as the illumination light source for photolithography room. A no-blue LED was designed, and the prototype was fabricated. The spectral power distribution of both the LED bulb and the yellow fluorescent tube was measured. Based on that...... color rendering ability than the YFT. Furthermore, LED solution has design flexibility to improve it further. The prototype has been tested with photoresist SU8-2005. Even after 15 days of illumination, no effect was observed. So this LED-based solution was demonstrated to be a very promising light......, colorimetric values were calculated and compared on terms of chromatic coordinates, correlated color temperature, color rendering index, and chromatic deviation. Gretagmacbeth color charts were used as a more visional way to compare the two light sources, which shows that our no-blue LED bulb has much better...

Gigabit-per-second white light-based visible light communication using near-ultraviolet laser diode and red-, green-, and blue-emitting phosphors

KAUST Repository

Lee, Changmin

2017-07-12

Data communication based on white light generated using a near-ultraviolet (NUV) laser diode (LD) pumping red-, green-, and blue-emitting (RGB) phosphors was demonstrated for the first time. A III-nitride laser diode (LD) on a semipolar (2021) substrate emitting at 410 nm was used for the transmitter. The measured modulation bandwidth of the LD was 1 GHz, which was limited by the avalanche photodetector. The emission from the NUV LD and the RGB phosphor combination measured a color rendering index (CRI) of 79 and correlated color temperature (CCT) of 4050 K, indicating promise of this approach for creating high quality white lighting. Using this configuration, data was successfully transmitted at a rate of more than 1 Gbps. This NUV laser-based system is expected to have lower background noise from sunlight at the LD emission wavelength than a system that uses a blue LD due to the rapid fall off in intensity of the solar spectrum in the NUV spectral region.

Gigabit-per-second white light-based visible light communication using near-ultraviolet laser diode and red-, green-, and blue-emitting phosphors.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Changmin; Shen, Chao; Cozzan, Clayton; Farrell, Robert M; Speck, James S; Nakamura, Shuji; Ooi, Boon S; DenBaars, Steven P

2017-07-24

Data communication based on white light generated using a near-ultraviolet (NUV) laser diode (LD) pumping red-, green-, and blue-emitting (RGB) phosphors was demonstrated for the first time. A III-nitride laser diode (LD) on a semipolar (2021¯)  substrate emitting at 410 nm was used for the transmitter. The measured modulation bandwidth of the LD was 1 GHz, which was limited by the avalanche photodetector. The emission from the NUV LD and the RGB phosphor combination measured a color rendering index (CRI) of 79 and correlated color temperature (CCT) of 4050 K, indicating promise of this approach for creating high quality white lighting. Using this configuration, data was successfully transmitted at a rate of more than 1 Gbps. This NUV laser-based system is expected to have lower background noise from sunlight at the LD emission wavelength than a system that uses a blue LD due to the rapid fall off in intensity of the solar spectrum in the NUV spectral region.

Retrieval of spectral aerosol optical thickness over land using ocean color sensors MERIS and SeaWiFS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. von Hoyningen-Huene

2011-02-01

Full Text Available For the determination of aerosol optical thickness (AOT Bremen AErosol Retrieval (BAER has been developed. Method and main features on the aerosol retrieval are described together with validation and results. The retrieval separates the spectral aerosol reflectance from surface and Rayleigh path reflectance for the shortwave range of the measured spectrum of top-of-atmosphere reflectance for wavelength less than 0.670 μm. The advantage of MERIS (Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer on the Environmental Satellite – ENVISAT – of the European Space Agency – ESA and SeaWiFS (Sea viewing Wide Field Sensor on OrbView-2 spacecraft observations is the availability of several spectral channels in the blue and visible range enabling the spectral determination of AOT in 7 (or 6 channels (0.412–0.670 μm and additionally channels in the NIR, which can be used to characterize the surface properties. A dynamical spectral surface reflectance model for different surface types is used to obtain the spectral surface reflectance for this separation. The normalized differential vegetation index (NDVI, taken from the satellite observations, is the model input. Further surface bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF is considered by the Raman-Pinty-Verstraete (RPV model. Spectral AOT is obtained from aerosol reflectance using look-up-tables, obtained from radiative transfer calculations with given aerosol phase functions and single scattering albedos either from aerosol models, given by model package "optical properties of aerosol components" (OPAC or from experimental campaigns. Validations of the obtained AOT retrieval results with data of Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET over Europe gave a preference for experimental phase functions derived from almucantar measurements. Finally long-term observations of SeaWiFS have been investigated for 11 year trends in AOT. Western European regions have negative trends with decreasing AOT with time

Seasonal food habits of introduced blue catfish in Lake Oconee, Georgia

Science.gov (United States)

Jennings, Cecil A.; Mitchell, Geoffrey E.; Nelson, Chris

2018-01-01

Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) are native to the Coosa River drainage in northwest Georgia but have been widely introduced outside of this range including Lake Oconee, a 7677-ha impoundment on the Oconee River in central Georgia. Blue catfish abundance and growth rates have increased dramatically since their introduction in Lake Oconee, but their food habits are unknown. Therefore, food habits of blue catfish in this impoundment were determined by examining the stomachs of 808 specimens in the reservoir’s upper and lower regions across all seasons from summer 2012 to summer 2013. Diet was summarized using the Relative Importance of specific prey by weight. In the upper region of the reservoir, Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) were the dominant prey item during the summer (75.7%), fall (66.4%), and winter (37.6%); whereas crappie (Pomoxis spp.) was the dominant prey item in the spring (38.7%). Asian clams also were the dominant prey items in the lower region during the fall (68.4%), winter (33.9%), and spring (36.4%). Blue catfish seemed to feed opportunistically on seasonally abundant prey items in both the upper riverine and lower lacustrine portions of the reservoir. Of the many sportfishes in the reservoir, only crappie was an important prey item, and then only in the upper region during the spring. Our results do not support concerns that blue catfish are an apex predator that would decimate the sportfish assemblage in this recently colonized reservoir.

Fabrication and Spectral Properties of Wood-Based Luminescent Nanocomposites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xianjun Li

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Pressure impregnation pretreatment is a conventional method to fabricate wood-based nanocomposites. In this paper, the wood-based luminescent nanocomposites were fabricated with the method and its spectral properties were investigated. The results show that it is feasible to fabricate wood-based luminescent nanocomposites using microwave modified wood and nanophosphor powders. The luminescent strength is in positive correlation with the amount of phosphor powders dispersed in urea-formaldehyde resin. Phosphors absorb UV and blue light efficiently in the range of 400–470 nm and show a broad band of bluish-green emission centered at 500 nm, which makes them good candidates for potential blue-green luminescent materials.

The Structure of the Blue Whirl

Science.gov (United States)

Hariharan, Sriram Bharath; Hu, Yu; Xiao, Huahua; Gollner, Michael; Oran, Elaine

2017-11-01

Recent experiments have led to the discovery of the blue whirl, a small, stable regime of the fire whirl that burns typically sooty liquid hydrocarbons without producing soot. The physical structure consists of three regions - the blue cone, the vortex rim and the purple haze. The physical nature of the flame was further investigated through digital imaging techniques, which suggest that the transition (from the fire whirl to the blue whirl) and shape of the flame may be influenced by vortex breakdown. The flame was found to develop over a variety of surfaces, which indicates that the formation of the blue whirl is strongly influenced by the flow structure over the incoming boundary layer. The thermal structure was investigated using micro-thermocouples, thin-filament pyrometry and OH* spectroscopy. These revealed a peak temperature around 2000 K, and that most of the combustion occurs in the relatively small, visibly bright vortex rim. The results of these investigations provide a platform to develop a theory on the structure of the blue whirl, a deeper understanding of which may affirm potential for applications in the energy industry. This work was supported by an NSF EAGER award and Minta Martin Endowment Funds in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Maryland.

Hungaria asteroid region telescopic spectral survey (HARTSS) I: Stony asteroids abundant in the Hungaria background population

Science.gov (United States)

Lucas, Michael P.; Emery, Joshua P.; Pinilla-Alonso, Noemi; Lindsay, Sean S.; Lorenzi, Vania

2017-07-01

The Hungaria asteroids remain as survivors of late giant planet migration that destabilized a now extinct inner portion of the primordial asteroid belt and left in its wake the current resonance structure of the Main Belt. In this scenario, the Hungaria region represents a ;purgatory; for the closest, preserved samples of the asteroidal material from which the terrestrial planets accreted. Deciphering the surface composition of these unique samples may provide constraints on the nature of the primordial building blocks of the terrestrial planets. We have undertaken an observational campaign entitled the Hungaria Asteroid Region Telescopic Spectral Survey (HARTSS) to record near-infrared (NIR) reflectance spectra in order to characterize their taxonomy, surface mineralogy, and potential meteorite analogs. The overall objective of HARTSS is to evaluate the compositional diversity of asteroids located throughout the Hungaria region. This region harbors a collisional family of Xe-type asteroids, which are situated among a background (i.e., non-family) of predominantly S-complex asteroids. In order to assess the compositional diversity of the Hungaria region, we have targeted background objects during Phase I of HARTSS. Collisional family members likely reflect the composition of one original homogeneous parent body, so we have largely avoided them in this phase. We have employed NIR instruments at two ground-based telescope facilities: the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), and the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG). Our data set includes the NIR spectra of 42 Hungaria asteroids (36 background; 6 family). We find that stony S-complex asteroids dominate the Hungaria background population (29/36 objects; ∼80%). C-complex asteroids are uncommon (2/42; ∼5%) within the Hungaria region. Background S-complex objects exhibit considerable spectral diversity as band parameter measurements of diagnostic absorption features near 1- and 2-μm indicate that several

Blue Marble: Remote Characterization of Habitable Planets

Science.gov (United States)

Woolf, Neville; Lewis, Brian; Chartres, James; Genova, Anthony

2009-01-01

The study of the nature and distribution of habitable environments beyond the Solar System is a key area for Astrobiology research. At the present time, our Earth is the only habitable planet that can be characterized in the same way that we might characterize planets beyond the Solar System. Due to limitations in our current and near-future technology, it is likely that extra-solar planets will be observed as single-pixel objects. To understand this data, we must develop skills in analyzing and interpreting the radiation obtained from a single pixel. These skills must include the study of the time variation of the radiation, and the range of its photometric, spectroscopic and polarimetric properties. In addition, to understand whether we are properly analyzing the single pixel data, we need to compare it with a ground truth of modest resolution images in key spectral bands. This paper discusses the concept for a mission called Blue Marble that would obtain data of the Earth using a combination of spectropolarimetry, spectrophotometry, and selected band imaging. To obtain imagery of the proper resolution, it is desirable to place the Blue Marble spacecraft no closer than the outer region of cis-lunar space. This paper explores a conceptual mission design that takes advantage of low-cost launchers, bus designs and mission elements to provide a cost effective observing platform located at one of the stable Earth-moon Lagrangian points (L4, L5). The mission design allows for the development and use of novel technologies, such as a spinning moon sensor for attitude control, and leverages lessons-learned from previous low-cost spacecraft such as Lunar Prospector to yield a low-risk mission concept.

Time-resolved spectral studies of blue-green fluorescence of artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L. Var. Scolymus) leaves: identification of chlorogenic acid as one of the major fluorophores and age-mediated changes.

Science.gov (United States)

Morales, Fermín; Cartelat, Aurélie; Alvarez-Fernández, Ana; Moya, Ismael; Cerovic, Zoran G

2005-12-14

Synchrotron radiation and the time-correlated single-photon counting technique were used to investigate the spectral and time-resolved characteristics of blue-green fluorescence (BGF) of artichoke leaves. Leaves emitted BGF under ultraviolet (UV) excitation; the abaxial side was much more fluorescent than the adaxial side, and in both cases, the youngest leaves were much more fluorescent than the oldest ones. The BGF of artichoke leaves was dominated by the presence of hydroxycinnamic acids. A decrease in the percentage of BGF attributable to the very short kinetic component (from 42 to 20%), in the shape of the BGF excitation spectra, and chlorogenic acid concentrations indicate that there is a loss of hydroxycinnamic acid with leaf age. Studies on excitation, emission, and synchronized fluorescence spectra of leaves and trichomes and chlorogenic acid contents indicate that chlorogenic acid is one of the main blue-green fluorophores in artichoke leaves. Results of the present study indicate that 20-42% (i.e., the very short kinetic component) of the overall BGF is emitted by chlorogenic acid. Time-resolved BGF measurements could be a means to extract information on chlorogenic acid fluorescence from the overall leaf BGF.

Spectral damping scaling factors for shallow crustal earthquakes in active tectonic regions

Science.gov (United States)

Rezaeian, Sanaz; Bozorgnia, Yousef; Idriss, I.M.; Campbell, Kenneth; Abrahamson, Norman; Silva, Walter

2012-01-01

Ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs) for elastic response spectra, including the Next Generation Attenuation (NGA) models, are typically developed at a 5% viscous damping ratio. In reality, however, structural and non-structural systems can have damping ratios other than 5%, depending on various factors such as structural types, construction materials, level of ground motion excitations, among others. This report provides the findings of a comprehensive study to develop a new model for a Damping Scaling Factor (DSF) that can be used to adjust the 5% damped spectral ordinates predicted by a GMPE to spectral ordinates with damping ratios between 0.5 to 30%. Using the updated, 2011 version of the NGA database of ground motions recorded in worldwide shallow crustal earthquakes in active tectonic regions (i.e., the NGA-West2 database), dependencies of the DSF on variables including damping ratio, spectral period, moment magnitude, source-to-site distance, duration, and local site conditions are examined. The strong influence of duration is captured by inclusion of both magnitude and distance in the DSF model. Site conditions are found to have less significant influence on DSF and are not included in the model. The proposed model for DSF provides functional forms for the median value and the logarithmic standard deviation of DSF. This model is heteroscedastic, where the variance is a function of the damping ratio. Damping Scaling Factor models are developed for the “average” horizontal ground motion components, i.e., RotD50 and GMRotI50, as well as the vertical component of ground motion.

Origin of the blue shift of the CH stretching band for 2-butoxyethanol in water.

Science.gov (United States)

Katsumoto, Yukiteru; Komatsu, Hiroyuki; Ohno, Keiichi

2006-07-26

The blue shift of the isolated CD stretching band of 2-butoxyethanol (C4E1), which is observed for the aqueous solution during the dilution process, has been investigated by infrared (IR) spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. Mono-deuterium-labeled C4E1's were employed to remove the severe overlapping among the CH stretching bands. The isolated CD stretching mode of the alpha-methylene in the butoxy group shows a large blue shift, while those of the beta-methylene and methyl groups are not largely shifted. The spectral simulation results for the C4E1/H2O complexes indicate that the large blue shift of the CD stretching band of the butoxy group arises mainly from the hydration of the ether oxygen atom.

Development of a Fast and Accurate PCRTM Radiative Transfer Model in the Solar Spectral Region

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xu; Yang, Qiguang; Li, Hui; Jin, Zhonghai; Wu, Wan; Kizer, Susan; Zhou, Daniel K.; Yang, Ping

2016-01-01

A fast and accurate principal component-based radiative transfer model in the solar spectral region (PCRTMSOLAR) has been developed. The algorithm is capable of simulating reflected solar spectra in both clear sky and cloudy atmospheric conditions. Multiple scattering of the solar beam by the multilayer clouds and aerosols are calculated using a discrete ordinate radiative transfer scheme. The PCRTM-SOLAR model can be trained to simulate top-of-atmosphere radiance or reflectance spectra with spectral resolution ranging from 1 cm(exp -1) resolution to a few nanometers. Broadband radiances or reflectance can also be calculated if desired. The current version of the PCRTM-SOLAR covers a spectral range from 300 to 2500 nm. The model is valid for solar zenith angles ranging from 0 to 80 deg, the instrument view zenith angles ranging from 0 to 70 deg, and the relative azimuthal angles ranging from 0 to 360 deg. Depending on the number of spectral channels, the speed of the current version of PCRTM-SOLAR is a few hundred to over one thousand times faster than the medium speed correlated-k option MODTRAN5. The absolute RMS error in channel radiance is smaller than 10(exp -3) mW/cm)exp 2)/sr/cm(exp -1) and the relative error is typically less than 0.2%.

Blue-green luminescent CdZnSeS nanocrystals synthesized with activated alkyl thiol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia Xing; Liu Zuli; Du Guihuan; Li Yuebin; Ma Ming; Yao Kailun

2012-01-01

Semiconductor nanocrystals with blue-green luminescence are potentially useful in various applications, but the preparation has not been easy compared to regular semiconductor nanocrystals with emission in the orange-red range. In this research alloyed CdZnSeS nanocrystals with luminescence covering the wavelength range from 430 to 560 nm are obtained by a one-step method with the assistance of alkyl thiol compound 1-dodecanethiol, which serves both as the sulfur source and surface ligand. The luminescence of CdZnSeS nanocrystals can be tuned from blue to green by altering the Cd:Zn molar ratio. Besides, the amount of 1-dodecanethiol in the reaction mixture can influence the emission wavelength by restricting the growth of nanocrystals. The dual control of both particle composition and size has enabled the tuning of luminescence to cover the blue-green spectral window. This research presents a convenient method to synthesize nanocrystals with tunable blue-green emission; these materials can be useful in advanced technologies such as photovoltaics, lighting and display. - Highlights: → Obtained blue-green luminescent nanocrystals by a one-step process. → Alkyl thiol used as a sulfur source and a surface stabilizer to control particle size. → Luminescence color of NCs could be easily tuned by changing their composition and particle size simultaneously.

The giant mottled eel, Anguilla marmorata, uses blue-shifted rod photoreceptors during upstream migration.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Feng-Yu; Fu, Wen-Chun; Wang, I-Li; Yan, Hong Young; Wang, Tzi-Yuan

2014-01-01

Catadromous fishes migrate between ocean and freshwater during particular phases of their life cycle. The dramatic environmental changes shape their physiological features, e.g. visual sensitivity, olfactory ability, and salinity tolerance. Anguilla marmorata, a catadromous eel, migrates upstream on dark nights, following the lunar cycle. Such behavior may be correlated with ontogenetic changes in sensory systems. Therefore, this study was designed to identify changes in spectral sensitivity and opsin gene expression of A. marmorata during upstream migration. Microspectrophotometry analysis revealed that the tropical eel possesses a duplex retina with rod and cone photoreceptors. The λmax of rod cells are 493, 489, and 489 nm in glass, yellow, and wild eels, while those of cone cells are 508, and 517 nm in yellow, and wild eels, respectively. Unlike European and American eels, Asian eels exhibited a blue-shifted pattern of rod photoreceptors during upstream migration. Quantitative gene expression analyses of four cloned opsin genes (Rh1f, Rh1d, Rh2, and SWS2) revealed that Rh1f expression is dominant at all three stages, while Rh1d is expressed only in older yellow eel. Furthermore, sequence comparison and protein modeling studies implied that a blue shift in Rh1d opsin may be induced by two known (N83, S292) and four putative (S124, V189, V286, I290) tuning sites adjacent to the retinal binding sites. Finally, expression of blue-shifted Rh1d opsin resulted in a spectral shift in rod photoreceptors. Our observations indicate that the giant mottled eel is color-blind, and its blue-shifted scotopic vision may influence its upstream migration behavior and habitat choice.

Spectrally- and Time-Resolved Sum Frequency Generation (STiR-SFG): a new tool for ultrafast hydrogen bond dynamics at interfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Benderskii, Alexander; Bordenyuk, Andrey; Weeraman, Champika

2006-03-01

The recently developed spectrally- and time-resolved Sum Frequency Generation (STiR-SFG) is a surface-selective 3-wave mixing (IR+visible) spectroscopic technique capable of measuring ultrafast spectral evolution of vibrational coherences. A detailed description of this measurement will be presented, and a noniterative method or deconvolving the laser pulses will be introduced to obtain the molecular response function. STiR-SFG, combined with the frequency-domain SFG spectroscopy, was applied to study hydrogen bonding dynamics at aqueous interfaces (D2O/CaF2). Spectral dynamics of the OD-stretch on the 50-150 fs time scale provides real-time observation of ultrafast H-bond rearrangement. Tuning the IR wavelength to the blue or red side of the OD-stretch transition, we selectively monitor the dynamics of different sub-ensembles in the distribution of the H-bond structures. The blue-side excitation (weaker H-bonding) shows monotonic red-shift of the OD-frequency. In contrast, the red-side excitation (stronger H-bonding structures) produces a blue-shift and a recursion, which may indicate the presence of an underdamped intermolecular mode of interfacial water. Effect of electrolyte concentration on the H-bond dynamics will be discussed.

Highly stable colloidal TiO2 nanocrystals with strong violet-blue emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghamsari, Morteza Sasani; Gaeeni, Mohammad Reza; Han, Wooje; Park, Hyung-Ho

2016-01-01

Improved sol–gel method has been applied to prepare highly stable colloidal TiO 2 nanocrystals. The synthesized titania nanocrystals exhibit strong emission in the violet-blue wavelength region. Very long evolution time was obtained by preventing the sol to gel conversion with reflux process. FTIR, XRD, UV–vis absorption, photoluminescence and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) were used to study the optical properties, crystalline phase, morphology, shape and size of prepared TiO 2 colloidal nanocrystals. HRTEM showed that the diameter of TiO 2 colloidal nanocrystals is about 5 nm. Although the PL spectra show similar spectral features upon excitation wavelengths at 280, 300 and 350 nm, but their emission intensities are significantly different from each other. Photoluminescence quantum yield for TiO 2 colloidal nanocrystals is estimated to be 49% with 280 nm excitation wavelength which is in agreement and better than reported before. Obtained results confirm that the prepared colloidal TiO 2 sample has enough potential for optoelectronics applications.

SPECTRAL AND SPATIAL SELECTIVITY OF LUMINANCE VISION IN REEF FISH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ulrike E Siebeck

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Luminance vision has high spatial resolution and is used for form vision and texture discrimination. In humans, birds and bees luminance channel is spectrally selective – it depends on the signals of the long-wavelength sensitive photoreceptors (bees or on the sum of long- and middle- wavelength sensitive cones (humans, but not on the signal of the short-wavelength sensitive (blue photoreceptors. The reasons of such selectivity are not fully understood. The aim of this study is to reveal the inputs of cone signals to high resolution luminance vision in reef fish. 16 freshly caught damselfish, Pomacentrus amboinensis, were trained to discriminate stimuli differing either in their colour or in their fine patterns (stripes vs. cheques. Three colours (‘bright green’, ‘dark green’ and ‘blue’ were used to create two sets of colour and two sets of pattern stimuli. The ‘bright green’ and ‘dark green’ were similar in their chromatic properties for fish, but differed in their lightness; the ‘dark green’ differed from ‘blue’ in the signal for the blue cone, but yielded similar signals in the long-wavelength and middle-wavelength cones. Fish easily learned to discriminate ‘bright green’ from ‘dark green’ and ‘dark green’ from ‘blue’ stimuli. Fish also could discriminate the fine patterns created from ‘dark green’ and ‘bright green’. However, fish failed to discriminate fine patterns created from ‘blue’ and ‘dark green’ colours, i.e. the colours that provided contrast for the blue-sensitive photoreceptor, but not for the long-wavelength sensitive one. High resolution luminance vision in damselfish, Pomacentrus amboinensis, does not have input from the blue-sensitive cone, which may indicate that the spectral selectivity of luminance channel is a general feature of visual processing in both aquatic and terrestrial animals.

Separate photosensitizers mediate degradation of the 32-kDa photosystem II reaction center protein in the visible and UV spectral regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenberg, B.M.; Gaba, V.; Canaani, O.; Malkin, S.; Mattoo, A.K.; Edelman, M.

1989-01-01

A component of the photosystem II reaction center, the 32-kDa protein, is rapidly turned over in the light. The mechanism of its light-dependent metabolism is largely unknown. We quantified the rate of 32-kDa protein degradation over a broad spectral range (UV, visible, and far red). The quantum yield for degradation was highest in the UVB (280-320 nm) region. Spectral evidence demonstrates two distinctly different photosensitizers for 32-kDa protein degradation. The data implicate the bulk photosynthetic pigments (primarily chlorophyll) in the visible and far red regions, and plastoquinone (in one or more of its redox states) in the UV region. A significant portion of 32-kDa protein degradation in sunlight is attributed to UVB irradiance

Spectral reflectance properties of iridescent pierid butterfly wings.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilts, Bodo D; Pirih, Primož; Stavenga, Doekele G

2011-06-01

The wings of most pierid butterflies exhibit a main, pigmentary colouration: white, yellow or orange. The males of many species have in restricted areas of the wing upper sides a distinct structural colouration, which is created by stacks of lamellae in the ridges of the wing scales, resulting in iridescence. The amplitude of the reflectance is proportional to the number of lamellae in the ridge stacks. The angle-dependent peak wavelength of the observed iridescence is in agreement with classical multilayer theory. The iridescence is virtually always in the ultraviolet wavelength range, but some species have a blue-peaking iridescence. The spectral properties of the pigmentary and structural colourations are presumably tuned to the spectral sensitivities of the butterflies' photoreceptors.

Examination of Spectral Transformations on Spectral Mixture Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Y.; Wu, C.

2018-04-01

While many spectral transformation techniques have been applied on spectral mixture analysis (SMA), few study examined their necessity and applicability. This paper focused on exploring the difference between spectrally transformed schemes and untransformed scheme to find out which transformed scheme performed better in SMA. In particular, nine spectrally transformed schemes as well as untransformed scheme were examined in two study areas. Each transformed scheme was tested 100 times using different endmember classes' spectra under the endmember model of vegetation- high albedo impervious surface area-low albedo impervious surface area-soil (V-ISAh-ISAl-S). Performance of each scheme was assessed based on mean absolute error (MAE). Statistical analysis technique, Paired-Samples T test, was applied to test the significance of mean MAEs' difference between transformed and untransformed schemes. Results demonstrated that only NSMA could exceed the untransformed scheme in all study areas. Some transformed schemes showed unstable performance since they outperformed the untransformed scheme in one area but weakened the SMA result in another region.

Global Infrared–Radio Spectral Energy Distributions of Galactic Massive Star-Forming Regions

Science.gov (United States)

Povich, Matthew Samuel; Binder, Breanna Arlene

2018-01-01

We present a multiwavelength study of 30 Galactic massive star-forming regions. We fit multicomponent dust, blackbody, and power-law continuum models to 3.6 µm through 10 mm spectral energy distributions obtained from Spitzer, MSX, IRAS, Herschel, and Planck archival survey data. Averaged across our sample, ~20% of Lyman continuum photons emitted by massive stars are absorbed by dust before contributing to the ionization of H II regions, while ~50% of the stellar bolometric luminosity is absorbed and reprocessed by dust in the H II regions and surrounding photodissociation regions. The most luminous, infrared-bright regions that fully sample the upper stellar initial mass function (ionizing photon rates NC ≥ 1050 s–1 and total infrared luminosity LTIR ≥ 106.8 L⊙) have higher percentages of absorbed Lyman continuum photons (~40%) and dust-reprocessed starlight (~80%). The monochromatic 70-µm luminosity L70 is linearly correlated with LTIR, and on average L70/LTIR = 50%, in good agreement with extragalactic studies. Calibrated against the known massive stellar content in our sampled H II regions, we find that star formation rates based on L70 are in reasonably good agreement with extragalactic calibrations, when corrected for the smaller physical sizes of the Galactic regions. We caution that absorption of Lyman continuum photons prior to contributing to the observed ionizing photon rate may reduce the attenuation-corrected Hα emission, systematically biasing extragalactic calibrations toward lower star formation rates when applied to spatially-resolved studies of obscured star formation.This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under award CAREER-1454333.

Spectral image reconstruction using an edge preserving spatio-spectral Wiener estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

Urban, Philipp; Rosen, Mitchell R; Berns, Roy S

2009-08-01

Reconstruction of spectral images from camera responses is investigated using an edge preserving spatio-spectral Wiener estimation. A Wiener denoising filter and a spectral reconstruction Wiener filter are combined into a single spatio-spectral filter using local propagation of the noise covariance matrix. To preserve edges the local mean and covariance matrix of camera responses is estimated by bilateral weighting of neighboring pixels. We derive the edge-preserving spatio-spectral Wiener estimation by means of Bayesian inference and show that it fades into the standard Wiener reflectance estimation shifted by a constant reflectance in case of vanishing noise. Simulation experiments conducted on a six-channel camera system and on multispectral test images show the performance of the filter, especially for edge regions. A test implementation of the method is provided as a MATLAB script at the first author's website.

Seasonal and geographic variation of southern blue whale subspecies in the Indian Ocean.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Flore Samaran

Full Text Available Understanding the seasonal movements and distribution patterns of migratory species over ocean basin scales is vital for appropriate conservation and management measures. However, assessing populations over remote regions is challenging, particularly if they are rare. Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus spp are an endangered species found in the Southern and Indian Oceans. Here two recognized subspecies of blue whales and, based on passive acoustic monitoring, four "acoustic populations" occur. Three of these are pygmy blue whale (B.m. brevicauda populations while the fourth is the Antarctic blue whale (B.m. intermedia. Past whaling catches have dramatically reduced their numbers but recent acoustic recordings show that these oceans are still important habitat for blue whales. Presently little is known about the seasonal movements and degree of overlap of these four populations, particularly in the central Indian Ocean. We examined the geographic and seasonal occurrence of different blue whale acoustic populations using one year of passive acoustic recording from three sites located at different latitudes in the Indian Ocean. The vocalizations of the different blue whale subspecies and acoustic populations were recorded seasonally in different regions. For some call types and locations, there was spatial and temporal overlap, particularly between Antarctic and different pygmy blue whale acoustic populations. Except on the southernmost hydrophone, all three pygmy blue whale acoustic populations were found at different sites or during different seasons, which further suggests that these populations are generally geographically distinct. This unusual blue whale diversity in sub-Antarctic and sub-tropical waters indicates the importance of the area for blue whales in these former whaling grounds.

Spectral quality affects disease development of three pathogens on hydroponically grown plants

Science.gov (United States)

Schuerger, A. C.; Brown, C. S.; Sager, J. C. (Principal Investigator)

1997-01-01

Plants were grown under light-emitting diode (LED) arrays with various spectra to determine the effects of light quality on the development of diseases caused by tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) on pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), powdery mildew [Sphaerotheca fuliginea (Schlectend:Fr.) Pollaci] on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), and bacterial wilt (Pseudomonas solanacearum Smith) on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). One LED (660) array supplied 99% red light at 660 nm (25 nm bandwidth at half-peak height) and 1% far-red light between 700 to 800 nm. A second LED (660/735) array supplied 83% red light at 660 nm and 17% far-red light at 735 nm (25 nm bandwidth at half-peak height). A third LED (660/BF) array supplied 98% red light at 660 nm, 1% blue light (BF) between 350 to 550 nm, and 1% far-red light between 700 to 800 nm. Control plants were grown under broad-spectrum metal halide (MH) lamps. Plants were grown at a mean photon flux (300 to 800 nm) of 330 micromoles m-2 s-1 under a 12-h day/night photoperiod. Spectral quality affected each pathosystem differently. In the ToMV/pepper pathosystem, disease symptoms developed slower and were less severe in plants grown under light sources that contained blue and UV-A wavelengths (MH and 660/BF treatments) compared to plants grown under light sources that lacked blue and UV-A wavelengths (660 and 660/735 LED arrays). In contrast, the number of colonies per leaf was highest and the mean colony diameters of S. fuliginea on cucumber plants were largest on leaves grown under the MH lamp (highest amount of blue and UV-A light) and least on leaves grown under the 660 LED array (no blue or UV-A light). The addition of far-red irradiation to the primary light source in the 660/735 LED array increased the colony counts per leaf in the S. fuliginea/cucumber pathosystem compared to the red-only (660) LED array. In the P. solanacearum/tomato pathosystem, disease symptoms were less severe in plants grown under the 660 LED array, but the

MK classification of evolved blue stars in the halo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garrison, R.F.

1987-01-01

The problem of the masses and origin of the evolved blue stars is very complex. No single approach can give all the answers unambiguously; it would be naive to suppose otherwise. The MK process and the MK system give a perspective which complements photometric, kinematic, high dispersion and other quantitative data. It is useful to know which stars are similar (or not) in spectral morphology, so that interesting candidates can be selected for further study. In many cases, the gross physical characteristics can be fairly well determined by use of the MK System. 8 references

Analysis of dust and marine aerosol optical depth spectral-curvature information in the UV to SWIR (Short Wave Infrared) wavelength regions.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Neill, N. T.; Smirnov, A.; Eck, T. F.; Sakerin, S.; Kabanov, D.

2005-12-01

Traditional sunphotometry in the UV, visible and very NIR (Near Infrared) spectral regions is weighted, in terms of spectral information content, towards sub-micron (fine mode) particles. Sunphotometry in the NIR and SWIR increases the diversity and information content of spectral aerosol optical depth (AOD) measurements for supermicron (coarse mode) particles. Two data sets representing dust aerosols from the UAE (United Arab Emirates) region and marine aerosols from the northern, tropical and southern Atlantic Ocean were analyzed in terms of their spectral curvature diversity and information content. The former data set was acquired using NIR-enhanced CIMEL sunphotometers (340, 340, 380, 440, 500, 670, 870, 1020, 1640 nm) as part of the August to October, 2004 UAE2 field campaign while the latter data set was acquired using an automated Russian UV to SWIR SP-5 sunphotometer (339, 423, 438, 484, 552, 633, 677, 777, 869, 1241, 1560, 2148, 4000 nm) as part of a October/December 2004 cruise campaign in the northern, tropical and south Atlantic Ocean. A Microtops hand-held sunphotometer was also employed to acquire VIS to NIR AOD spectra during the latter field campaign. Results will be presented in terms of robust micro-physical and spectral curvature parameters which characterize super-micron aerosols and, in a more general sense, in terms of what universal/fundamental optical inferences can be drawn from the two disperse data sets.

Spectral Signature of Radiative Forcing by East Asian Dust-Soot Mixture

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, A.; Ramanathan, V.

2007-12-01

The Pacific Dust Experiment (PACDEX) provides the first detailed sampling of dust-soot mixtures from the western Pacific to the eastern Pacific Ocean. The data includes down and up spectral irradiance, mixing state of dust and soot, and other aerosol properties. This study attempts to simulate the radiative forcing by dust-soot mixtures during the experimental period. The MODTRAN band model was employed to investigate the spectral signatures of solar irradiance change induced by aerosols at moderate spectral resolutions. For the short wave band (300-1100nm) used in this study, the reduction of downward irradiance at surface by aerosols greatly enhances with increasing wavelength in the UV band (300-400nm), reaches a maximum in the blue band, then gradually decreases toward the red band. In the near-IR band (700-1100nm), irradiance reduction by aerosols shows great fluctuations in the band with center wavelength at around 940nm, 820nm, 720nm, 760nm, 690nm, where the aerosol effect is overwhelmed by the water vapor and O2 absorptions. The spectral pattern of irradiance reduction varies for different aerosol species. The maximum reduction lies at around 450nm for soot, and shifting to about 490nm for East Asian mineral dust. It's worth noting that although soot aerosols reduce more irradiance than East Asian dust in the UV and blue band, the impact of dust to the irradiance exceeds that by soot at the longer wavelength band (i.e. around 550nm). The reduction of irradiance by East Asian dust (soot) in the UV band, visible band, and near-IR accounts for about 6% (10%), 56% (64%), and 38% (26%) of total irradiance reduction. As large amount of soot aerosols are involved during the long range transport of East Asian dust, the optical properties of dust aerosols are modified with different mixing state with soot, the spectral pattern of the irradiance reduction will be changed. The study of aerosol forcing at moderate spectral resolutions has the potential application for

Spectral design flexibility of LED brings better life

Science.gov (United States)

Ou, Haiyan; Corell, Dennis; Ou, Yiyu; Poulsen, Peter B.; Dam-Hansen, Carsten; Petersen, Paul-Michael

2012-03-01

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are penetrating into the huge market of general lighting because they are energy saving and environmentally friendly. The big advantage of LED light sources, compared to traditional incandescent lamps and fluorescent light tubes, is the flexible spectral design to make white light using different color mixing schemes. The spectral design flexibility of white LED light sources will promote them for novel applications to improve the life quality of human beings. As an initial exploration to make use of the spectral design flexibility, we present an example: 'no blue' white LED light source for sufferers of disease Porphyria. An LED light source prototype, made of high brightness commercial LEDs applying an optical filter, was tested by a patient suffering from Porphyria. Preliminary results have shown that the sufferer could withstand the light source for much longer time than the standard light source. At last future perspectives on spectral design flexibility of LED light sources improving human being's life will be discussed, with focus on the light and health. The good health is ensured by the spectrum optimized so that vital hormones (melatonin and serotonin) are produced during times when they support human daily rhythm.

Assessing and adapting to climate change in the Blue Mountains, Oregon (USA: Overview, biogeography, and climate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jessica E. Halofsky

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The Blue Mountains Adaptation Partnership (BMAP was established to increase climate change awareness, assess vulnerability to climate change, and develop science-based adaptation strategies for national forest lands in the Blue Mountains region of northeast Oregon and southeast Washington (USA. The BMAP process included (1 development of a science-management partnership, (2 a vulnerability assessment of the effects of climate change on natural resources and infrastructure, (3 development of adaptation options that will help reduce negative effects of climate change and assist the transition of biological systems and management to a changing climate, and (4 ongoing dialogue and activities related to climate change in the Blue Mountains region. This special issue of Climate Services describes social context and climate change vulnerability assessments for water use and infrastructure, vegetation, and riparian ecosystems of the Blue Mountains region, as well as adaptation options for natural resource management. This manuscript introduces the special issue, describing the management, biogeographic, and climatic context for the Blue Mountains region; the climate change vulnerability assessment and adaptation process used in BMAP; and the potential applications of the information described in the special issue. Although the institutional focus of information in the special issue is U.S. Forest Service lands (Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests, the broader social context and adaptation options should be applicable to other lands throughout this region and the Pacific Northwest. Keywords: Climate change adaptation, Pacific Northwest, Resource management, Vulnerability assessment, Blue Mountains

The giant mottled eel, Anguilla marmorata, uses blue-shifted rod photoreceptors during upstream migration.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feng-Yu Wang

Full Text Available Catadromous fishes migrate between ocean and freshwater during particular phases of their life cycle. The dramatic environmental changes shape their physiological features, e.g. visual sensitivity, olfactory ability, and salinity tolerance. Anguilla marmorata, a catadromous eel, migrates upstream on dark nights, following the lunar cycle. Such behavior may be correlated with ontogenetic changes in sensory systems. Therefore, this study was designed to identify changes in spectral sensitivity and opsin gene expression of A. marmorata during upstream migration. Microspectrophotometry analysis revealed that the tropical eel possesses a duplex retina with rod and cone photoreceptors. The λmax of rod cells are 493, 489, and 489 nm in glass, yellow, and wild eels, while those of cone cells are 508, and 517 nm in yellow, and wild eels, respectively. Unlike European and American eels, Asian eels exhibited a blue-shifted pattern of rod photoreceptors during upstream migration. Quantitative gene expression analyses of four cloned opsin genes (Rh1f, Rh1d, Rh2, and SWS2 revealed that Rh1f expression is dominant at all three stages, while Rh1d is expressed only in older yellow eel. Furthermore, sequence comparison and protein modeling studies implied that a blue shift in Rh1d opsin may be induced by two known (N83, S292 and four putative (S124, V189, V286, I290 tuning sites adjacent to the retinal binding sites. Finally, expression of blue-shifted Rh1d opsin resulted in a spectral shift in rod photoreceptors. Our observations indicate that the giant mottled eel is color-blind, and its blue-shifted scotopic vision may influence its upstream migration behavior and habitat choice.

Diode-pumped CW frequency-doubled Nd:CNGG-BiBO blue laser at 468 nm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lü, Y F; Xia, J; Lin, J Q; Gao, X; Dong, Y; Xu, L J; Sun, G C; Zhao, Z M; Tan, Y; Chen, J F; Liu, Z X; Li, C L; Cai, H X; Liu, Z T; Ma, Z Y; Ning, G B

2011-01-01

Efficient and compact blue laser output at 468 nm is generated by intracavity frequency doubling of a continuous-wave (CW) diode-pumped Nd:CNGG laser at 935 nm. With 17.8 W of diode pump power and the frequency-doubling crystal BiB 3 O 6 (BiBO), a maximum output power of 490 mW in the blue spectral range at 468 nm has been achieved, corresponding to an optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 2.8%; the output power stability over 4 h is better than 2.6%. To the best of our knowledge, this is first work on intracavity frequency doubling of a diode pumped Nd:CNGG laser at 935 nm

Near-infrared fluorescence glucose sensing based on glucose/galactose-binding protein coupled to 651-Blue Oxazine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khan, Faaizah; Pickup, John C., E-mail: john.pickup@kcl.ac.uk

2013-08-30

Highlights: •We showed that the NIR fluorophore, 651-Blue Oxazine, is solvatochromic (polarity sensitive). •Blue Oxazine was covalently attached to mutants of glucose/galactose-binding protein (GBP). •Fluorescence intensity of GBP-Blue Oxazine increased with addition of glucose. •Fluorescence from bead-immobilised GBP-Blue Oxazine was detectable through skin in vitro. •This shows proof-of-concept for non-invasive glucose sensing using GBP-Blue Oxazine. -- Abstract: Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent dyes that are environmentally sensitive or solvatochromic are useful tools for protein labelling in in vivo biosensor applications such as glucose monitoring in diabetes since their spectral properties are mostly independent of tissue autofluorescence and light scattering, and they offer potential for non-invasive analyte sensing. We showed that the fluorophore 651-Blue Oxazine is polarity-sensitive, with a marked reduction in NIR fluorescence on increasing solvent polarity. Mutants of glucose/galactose-binding protein (GBP) used as the glucose receptor were site-specifically and covalently labelled with Blue Oxazine using click chemistry. Mutants H152C/A213R and H152C/A213R/L238S showed fluorescence increases of 15% and 21% on addition of saturating glucose concentrations and binding constants of 6 and 25 mM respectively. Fluorescence responses to glucose were preserved when GBP-Blue Oxazine was immobilised to agarose beads, and the beads were excited by NIR light through a mouse skin preparation studied in vitro. We conclude GBP-Blue Oxazine shows proof-of-concept as a non-invasive continuous glucose sensing system.

Selective paint coatings for coloured solar absorbers: Polyurethane thickness insensitive spectrally selective (TISS) paints (Part II)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Orel, B.; Spreizer, H.; Surca Vuk, A.; Fir, M. [National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Merlini, D.; Vodlan, M. [Color d.d., Cesta komandanta Staneta 4, SI-1230 Medvode (Slovenia); Koehl, M. [Fraunhofer-Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Heidenhofstr. 2, D-79110 Freiburg (Germany)

2007-01-23

Red, green and blue paints were prepared for use as thickness insensitive spectrally selective (TISS) paint coatings for solar facade absorbers. The paints were composed of a polyurethane resin binder in which various pigments were incorporated in such a way that they formed stable paint dispersions, satisfying stability criteria for facade coatings. A low emittance of the paints was achieved by using low-emittance aluminium flake pigments combined with iron oxide (red coloured paints). Black pigment was added to adjust solar absorptance. Blue and green paints were made by the addition of coloured aluminium flake pigment and the solar absorptance was also adjusted by the addition of black pigment. Efficiency for photo-thermal conversion of solar radiation was assessed by evaluation of the corresponding performance criteria, which enabled the selection of paints whose performance criteria values were higher than 0 (spectrally non-selective black coating). The results confirmed that blue and green paints and to minor extent red ones, combined selectivity with colour. The morphology of the paints was assessed, revealing that the colours originated from the deposition of finely dispersed colour and/or black pigment on the surface of the aluminium flakes during paint preparation. (author)

Photoconductivity of vanadium-doped lead telluride in the terahertz spectral region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Artamkin, A. I.; Dobrovolsky, A. A.; Vinokurov, A. A.; Zlomanov, V. P. [Moscow State University (Russian Federation); Danilov, S. N. [University of Regensburg (Germany); Bel' kov, V. V. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute (Russian Federation); Ryabova, L. I.; Khokhlov, D. R., E-mail: khokhlov@mig.phys.msu.ru [Moscow State University (Russian Federation)

2013-03-15

It is shown that PbTe:V single crystals are photosensitive in the terahertz spectral region up to the wavelength 280 {mu}m. The measurements are conducted in the temperature range from 8 to 300 K. In this temperature range, the dark conductivity of the crystals exhibits the activation character of the temperature dependence and varies by four orders of magnitude, which is due to Fermi-level pinning 20 meV below the bottom of the conduction band. As the temperature is elevated and, correspondingly, the conductivity increases, the amplitude of the photoresponse substantially increases. This result is interpreted in the context of the model that takes into account significant broadening of the vanadium impurity level and its shift to the bottom of the conduction band with increasing temperature.

Parametric Explosion Spectral Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ford, S R; Walter, W R

2012-01-19

Small underground nuclear explosions need to be confidently detected, identified, and characterized in regions of the world where they have never before occurred. We develop a parametric model of the nuclear explosion seismic source spectrum derived from regional phases that is compatible with earthquake-based geometrical spreading and attenuation. Earthquake spectra are fit with a generalized version of the Brune spectrum, which is a three-parameter model that describes the long-period level, corner-frequency, and spectral slope at high-frequencies. Explosion spectra can be fit with similar spectral models whose parameters are then correlated with near-source geology and containment conditions. We observe a correlation of high gas-porosity (low-strength) with increased spectral slope. The relationship between the parametric equations and the geologic and containment conditions will assist in our physical understanding of the nuclear explosion source.

Broadband cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy in the ultraviolet spectral region for measurements of nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde

Science.gov (United States)

Washenfelder, R. A.; Attwood, A. R.; Flores, J. M.; Zarzana, K. J.; Rudich, Y.; Brown, S. S.

2016-01-01

Formaldehyde (CH2O) is the most abundant aldehyde in the atmosphere, and it strongly affects photochemistry through its photolysis. We describe simultaneous measurements of CH2O and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) using broadband cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy in the ultraviolet spectral region. The light source consists of a continuous-wave diode laser focused into a Xenon bulb to produce a plasma that emits high-intensity, broadband light. The plasma discharge is optically filtered and coupled into a 1 m optical cavity. The reflectivity of the cavity mirrors is 0.99930 ± 0.00003 (1- reflectivity = 700 ppm loss) at 338 nm, as determined from the known Rayleigh scattering of He and zero air. This mirror reflectivity corresponds to an effective path length of 1.43 km within the 1 m cell. We measure the cavity output over the 315-350 nm spectral region using a grating monochromator and charge-coupled device array detector. We use published reference spectra with spectral fitting software to simultaneously retrieve CH2O and NO2 concentrations. Independent measurements of NO2 standard additions by broadband cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy and cavity ring-down spectroscopy agree within 2 % (slope for linear fit = 1.02 ± 0.03 with r2 = 0.998). Standard additions of CH2O measured by broadband cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy and calculated based on flow dilution are also well correlated, with r2 = 0.9998. During constant mixed additions of NO2 and CH2O, the 30 s measurement precisions (1σ) of the current configuration were 140 and 210 pptv, respectively. The current 1 min detection limit for extinction measurements at 315-350 nm provides sufficient sensitivity for measurement of trace gases in laboratory experiments and ground-based field experiments. Additionally, the instrument provides highly accurate, spectroscopically based trace gas detection that may complement higher precision techniques based on non-absolute detection methods. In addition to

Supplemental Blue LED Lighting Array to Improve the Signal Quality in Hyperspectral Imaging of Plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne-Katrin Mahlein

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Hyperspectral imaging systems used in plant science or agriculture often have suboptimal signal-to-noise ratio in the blue region (400–500 nm of the electromagnetic spectrum. Typically there are two principal reasons for this effect, the low sensitivity of the imaging sensor and the low amount of light available from the illuminating source. In plant science, the blue region contains relevant information about the physiology and the health status of a plant. We report on the improvement in sensitivity of a hyperspectral imaging system in the blue region of the spectrum by using supplemental illumination provided by an array of high brightness light emitting diodes (LEDs with an emission peak at 470 nm.

Directed self-assembly of liquid crystalline blue-phases into ideal single-crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-González, Jose A.; Li, Xiao; Sadati, Monirosadat; Zhou, Ye; Zhang, Rui; Nealey, Paul F.; de Pablo, Juan J.

2017-06-01

Chiral nematic liquid crystals are known to form blue phases--liquid states of matter that exhibit ordered cubic arrangements of topological defects. Blue-phase specimens, however, are generally polycrystalline, consisting of randomly oriented domains that limit their performance in applications. A strategy that relies on nano-patterned substrates is presented here for preparation of stable, macroscopic single-crystal blue-phase materials. Different template designs are conceived to exert control over different planes of the blue-phase lattice orientation with respect to the underlying substrate. Experiments are then used to demonstrate that it is indeed possible to create stable single-crystal blue-phase domains with the desired orientation over large regions. These results provide a potential avenue to fully exploit the electro-optical properties of blue phases, which have been hindered by the existence of grain boundaries.

Regional characteristics of land use in northeast and southern Blue Ridge province: Associations with acid-rain effects on surface-water chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liegel, L.; Cassell, D.; Stevens, D.; Shaffer, P.; Church, R.

1991-01-01

The Direct/Delayed Response Project (DDRP) is one of several being conducted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to assess risk to surface waters from acidic deposition in the eastern United States. In one phase of DDRP, land use, wetland, and forest cover data were collected for statistical samples of 145 northeast lakes and 35 southern Blue Ridge Province stream watersheds. Land use and other data were then extrapolated from individual to target watershed populations in both study regions. Project statistical design allows summarization of results for various subsets of the target population. The article discusses results and implications of the land-use and land-cover characterization for both regions

Luminescent properties of UV excitable blue emitting phosphors MSr4(BO3)3:Ce3+ (M = Li and Na)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Chongfeng; Ding Xu; Seo, Hyo Jin; Ren Zhaoyu; Bai Jintao

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Novel blue emitting phosphors borate MSr 4 (BO 3 ) 3 (M = Li or Na) were prepared first. → Luminescent properties of phosphors borate MSr 4 (BO 3 ) 3 (M = Li or Na) were investigated extensively as candidates of blue emitting phosphor used for UV excited LED. → The optimal concentrations of dopant Ce 3+ ions in compound MSr 4 (BO 3 ) 3 (M = Li or Na) were determined as 0.05 for Li and x = 0.09 for Na excited by UV light respectively. - Abstract: A series of Ce 3+ doped novel borate phosphors MSr 4 (BO 3 ) 3 (M = Li or Na) were successfully synthesized by traditional solid-state reaction. The crystal structures and the phase purities of samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction. The optimal concentrations of dopant Ce 3+ ions in compound MSr 4 (BO 3 ) 3 (M = Li or Na) were determined through the measurements of photoluminescence spectra of phosphors. Ce 3+ doped phosphors MSr 4 (BO 3 ) 3 (M = Li or Na) show strong broad band absorption in UV spectral region and bright blue emission under the excitation of 345 nm light. In addition, the temperature dependences of emission spectra of M 1+x Sr 4-2x Ce x (BO 3 ) 3 (M = Li or Na) phosphors with optimal composition x = 0.05 for Li and x = 0.09 for Na excited under 355 nm pulse laser were also investigated. The experimental results indicate that the M 1+x Sr 4-2x Ce x (BO 3 ) 3 (M = Li or Na) phosphors are promising blue emitting phosphors pumped by UV light.

Spectral Identification of New Galactic cLBV and WR Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Stringfellow, G. S.; Gvaramadze, V. V.; Beletsky, Y.; Kniazev, A. Y.

2012-12-01

We have undertaken a near-IR spectral survey of stars associated with compact nebulae recently revealed by the Spitzer and WISE imaging surveys. These circumstellar nebulae, produced by massive evolved stars, display a variety of symmetries and shapes and are often only evident at mid-IR wavelengths. Stars associated with ˜50 of these nebulae have been observed. We also obtained recent spectra of previously confirmed (known) luminous blue variables (LBVs) and candidate LBVs (cLBVs). The spectral similarity of the stars observed when compared directly to known LBVs and Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars indicate many are newly identified cLBVs, with a few being newly discovered WR stars, mostly of WN8-9h spectral type. These results suggest that a large population of previously unidentified cLBVs and related transitional stars reside in the Galaxy and confirm that circumstellar nebulae are inherent to most (c)LBVs.

Light-driven movements of the trifoliate leaves of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Spectral and functional analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koller, D.; Ritter, S.; Fork, D.C.

1996-01-01

The light-driven responses of the terminal leaflet of bean were analyzed spectrally and functionally. Laminar elevation increases rapidly in response to continuous overhead exposure of its pulvinus to blue light. This response is enhanced in its early stages by simultaneous exposure to red light. The pulvinus responds similarly to continuous overhead unmixed red, or far-red light, albeit at much lower rates. The response to overhead red, alone, or during enhancement of the response to blue, was not affected by simultaneous far-red. However, the response to blue alone, or enhanced by mixture with red, was partially inhibited by simultaneous exposure to far-red. The results suggest that the response to blue resulted mostly from a blue-absorbing pigment system, but may involve some absorption by phytochrome, while responses to red or far-red, with and without blue, may be mediated by high-irradiance responses of phytochrome. Functional differences between the responses to red and blue become apparent when the abaxial (lower), or lateral sectors of the pulvinus are exposed to them, separately and in combination. These differences suggest that red controls the photonastic unfolding of the pulvinus, whereas blue controls its phototropic responses. These responses co-exist in the same tissue, but are separate and additive. (author)

Characterization of Groundwater Quality Based on Regional Geologic Setting in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge Physiographic Provinces, North Carolina

Science.gov (United States)

Harden, Stephen L.; Chapman, Melinda J.; Harned, Douglas A.

2009-01-01

A compilation of groundwater-quality data collected as part of two U.S. Geological Survey studies provides a basis for understanding the ambient geochemistry related to geologic setting in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge Physiographic Provinces (hereafter referred to as Piedmont and Mountains Provinces) of North Carolina. Although the geology is complex, a grouping of the sampled wells into assemblages of geologic units described as 'geozones' provides a basis for comparison across the region. Analyses of these two data sets provide a description of water-quality conditions in bedrock aquifers of the Piedmont and Mountains Provinces of North Carolina. Analyzed data were collected between 1997 and 2008 from a network of 79 wells representing 8 regional geozones distributed throughout the Piedmont and Mountains Provinces. This area has experienced high rates of population growth and an increased demand for water resources. Groundwater was used by about 34 percent of the population in the 65 counties of this region in 2005. An improved understanding of the quality and quantity of available groundwater resources is needed to plan effectively for future growth and development. The use of regional geologic setting to characterize groundwater-quality conditions in the Piedmont and Mountains Provinces is the focus of this investigation. Data evaluation included an examination of selected properties and the ionic composition of groundwater in the geozones. No major differences in overall ionic chemistry of groundwater among the geozones were evident with the data examined. Variability in the cationic and anionic composition of groundwater within a particular geozone appeared to reflect local differences in lithologic setting, hydrologic and geochemical conditions, and(or) land-use effects. The most common exceedances of the drinking-water criteria (in accordance with Federal and State water-quality standards) occurred for radon, pH, manganese, iron, and zinc. Radon had the most

Analysis of Blue and Green Water Consumption at the Irrigation District Scale

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Liu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The concepts of virtual water and water footprint bring a new perspective for water management. Previous studies mainly focus on one type of water and the relationship between water footprint and water availability. In this study, three indicators were proposed to show water consumption and the influences of virtual water flows at the Hetao irrigation district, China, during 2001–2010, considering both blue and green water. Results indicate that the ratio of blue water footprint and blue water availability was 0.642 in 2010 and the value for green water was 0.148, coefficients on contribution of regional production on consumption in other areas were about 0.9, and coefficients on influences of trades from other regions to the district on regional water consumption were 0.528 (blue water and 0.433 (green water, respectively. Government should promote water pricing policies that can encourage the adoption of irrigation technologies and water-saving practices. Besides, the adjustment of the crop sowing date or the cultivation of new varieties may be helpful in using more rainfall. Lastly, a compensation mechanism for virtual water export should be built in the future, and virtual water importing can be advocated. Before actions are taken, the possible influences and related constraints should be considered.

Early Birds by Light at Night: Effects of Light Color and Intensity on Daily Activity Patterns in Blue Tits

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, Maaike; Caro, Samuel P.; Gienapp, Phillip; Spoelstra, Kamiel; Visser, Marcel E.

2017-01-01

Artificial light at night disturbs the daily rhythms of many organisms. To what extent this disturbance depends on the intensity and spectral composition of light remain obscure. Here, we measured daily activity patterns of captive blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) exposed to similar intensities of

The effect of spectral filters on VEP and alpha-wave responses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin T. Willeford

2016-04-01

Conclusions: The Intuitive Colorimeter filters significantly increased both N75 and P100 latencies, an effect which is primarily attributable (∼75% to luminance, and in some cases, specific spectral effects (e.g., blue and red. VEP amplitude and alpha power were not significantly affected. These findings provide an important reference to which either amplitude or power changes in light-sensitive, younger clinical groups can be compared.

Enhanced Deep Blue Aerosol Retrieval Algorithm: The Second Generation

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, N. C.; Jeong, M.-J.; Bettenhausen, C.; Sayer, A. M.; Hansell, R.; Seftor, C. S.; Huang, J.; Tsay, S.-C.

2013-01-01

The aerosol products retrieved using the MODIS collection 5.1 Deep Blue algorithm have provided useful information about aerosol properties over bright-reflecting land surfaces, such as desert, semi-arid, and urban regions. However, many components of the C5.1 retrieval algorithm needed to be improved; for example, the use of a static surface database to estimate surface reflectances. This is particularly important over regions of mixed vegetated and non- vegetated surfaces, which may undergo strong seasonal changes in land cover. In order to address this issue, we develop a hybrid approach, which takes advantage of the combination of pre-calculated surface reflectance database and normalized difference vegetation index in determining the surface reflectance for aerosol retrievals. As a result, the spatial coverage of aerosol data generated by the enhanced Deep Blue algorithm has been extended from the arid and semi-arid regions to the entire land areas.

High-luminosity blue and blue-green gallium nitride light-emitting diodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Morkoç, H; Mohammad, S N

1995-01-06

Compact and efficient sources of blue light for full color display applications and lighting eluded and tantalized researchers for many years. Semiconductor light sources are attractive owing to their reliability and amenability to mass manufacture. However, large band gaps are required to achieve blue color. A class of compound semiconductors formed by metal nitrides, GaN and its allied compounds AIGaN and InGaN, exhibits properties well suited for not only blue and blue-green emitters, but also for ultraviolet emitters and detectors. What thwarted engineers and scientists from fabricating useful devices from these materials in the past was the poor quality of material and lack of p-type doping. Both of these obstacles have recently been overcome to the point where highluminosity blue and blue-green light-emitting diodes are now available in the marketplace.

Blue eyes in lemurs and humans: same phenotype, different genetic mechanism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bradley, Brenda J; Pedersen, Anja; Mundy, Nicholas I

2009-01-01

Almost all mammals have brown or darkly-pigmented eyes (irises), but among primates, there are some prominent blue-eyed exceptions. The blue eyes of some humans and lemurs are a striking example of convergent evolution of a rare phenotype on distant branches of the primate tree. Recent work...... on humans indicates that blue eye color is associated with, and likely caused by, a single nucleotide polymorphism (rs12913832) in an intron of the gene HERC2, which likely regulates expression of the neighboring pigmentation gene OCA2. This raises the immediate question of whether blue eyes in lemurs might...... have a similar genetic basis. We addressed this by sequencing the homologous genetic region in the blue-eyed black lemur (Eulemur macaco flavifrons; N = 4) and the closely-related black lemur (Eulemur macaco macaco; N = 4), which has brown eyes. We then compared a 166-bp segment corresponding...

Fluorescence spectral shift of QD films with electron injection: Dependence on counterion proximity

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Meilin; Li, Bo; Zhang, Yaxin; Liu, Weilong; Yang, Yanqiang; Wang, Yuxiao; Yang, Qingxin

2017-05-01

Due to the promising application of quantum dot (QD) films in solar cells, LEDs and environmental detectors, the fluorescence of charged QD films has achieved much attention during recent years. In this work, we observe the spectral shift of photoluminescence (PL) in charged CdSe/ZnS QD films controlled by electrochemical potential. The spectral center under negative bias changes from red-shift to blue-shift while introducing smaller inorganic counterions (potassium ions) into the electrolyte. This repeatable effect is attributed to the enhanced electron injection with smaller cations and the electronic perturbations of QD luminescence by these excess charges.

Spatio-Spectral Method for Estimating Classified Regions with High Confidence using MODIS Data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katiyal, Anuj; Rajan, Dr K S

2014-01-01

In studies like change analysis, the availability of very high resolution (VHR)/high resolution (HR) imagery for a particular period and region is a challenge due to the sensor revisit times and high cost of acquisition. Therefore, most studies prefer lower resolution (LR) sensor imagery with frequent revisit times, in addition to their cost and computational advantages. Further, the classification techniques provide us a global estimate of the class accuracy, which limits its utility if the accuracy is low. In this work, we focus on the sub-classification problem of LR images and estimate regions of higher confidence than the global classification accuracy within its classified region. The spectrally classified data was mined into spatially clustered regions and further refined and processed using statistical measures to arrive at local high confidence regions (LHCRs), for every class. Rabi season MODIS data of January 2006 and 2007 was used for this study and the evaluation of LHCR was done using the APLULC 2005 classified data. For Jan-2007, the global class accuracies for water bodies (WB), forested regions (FR) and Kharif crops and barren lands (KB) were 89%, 71.7% and 71.23% respectively, while the respective LHCRs had accuracies of 96.67%, 89.4% and 80.9% covering an area of 46%, 29% and 14.5% of the initially classified areas. Though areas are reduced, LHCRs with higher accuracies help in extracting more representative class regions. Identification of such regions can facilitate in improving the classification time and processing for HR images when combined with the more frequently acquired LR imagery, isolate pure vs. mixed/impure pixels and as training samples locations for HR imagery

The effect of spectral filters on VEP and alpha-wave responses.

Science.gov (United States)

Willeford, Kevin T; Fimreite, Vanessa; Ciuffreda, Kenneth J

2016-01-01

Spectral filters are used to treat light sensitivity in individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI); however, the effect of these filters on normal visual function has not been elucidated. Thus, the current study aimed to determine the effect of spectral filters on objectively-measured visual-evoked potential (VEP) and alpha-wave responses in the visually-normal population. The full-field (15°H×17°V), pattern-reversal VEP (20' check size, mean luminance 52cd/m(2)) was administered to 20 visually-normal individuals. They were tested with four Intuitive-Colorimeter-derived, broad-band, spectral filters (i.e., gray/neutral density, blue, yellow, and red), which produced similar luminance values for the test stimulus. The VEP N75 and P100 latencies, and VEP amplitude, were recorded. Power spectrum analysis was used to derive the respective powers at each frequency, and peak frequency, for the selected 9-11Hz components of the alpha band. Both N75 and P100 latencies increased with the addition of each filter when compared to baseline. Additionally, each filter numerically reduced intra-session amplitude variability relative to baseline. There were no significant effects on either the mean VEP amplitude or alpha wave parameters. The Intuitive Colorimeter filters significantly increased both N75 and P100 latencies, an effect which is primarily attributable (∼75%) to luminance, and in some cases, specific spectral effects (e.g., blue and red). VEP amplitude and alpha power were not significantly affected. These findings provide an important reference to which either amplitude or power changes in light-sensitive, younger clinical groups can be compared. Copyright © 2015 Spanish General Council of Optometry. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Use of the vacuum ultraviolet spectral region for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy-based Martian geology and exploration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radziemski, Leon; Cremers, David A.; Benelli, Katharine; Khoo, Cynthia; Harris, Ronny D.

2005-01-01

Several elements important to planetary geology (e.g. Br, C, Cl, P, S) and the human exploration of Mars (e.g. toxic elements such as As) have strong emission lines in the purge and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectral region (100-200 nm). This spectral region has not been extensively studied for space applications using geological samples. We studied emissions from the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) plasma in this region using a sample chamber filled with 7 torr (930 Pa) of CO 2 to simulate the Martian atmosphere. Pressures down to 0.02 torr were also used to evaluate the effect of the residual CO 2 on the spectra and to begin investigating the use of VUV-LIBS for airless bodies such as asteroids and the Moon. Spectra were recorded using a 0.3-m vacuum spectrometer with an intensified CCD (ICCD) camera. The effects of time delay and laser energy on LIBS detection at reduced pressure were examined. The effect of ambient CO 2 on the detection of C in soil was also evaluated. Lines useful for the spectrochemical analysis of As, Br, C, Cl, P, and S were determined and calibration curves were prepared for these elements. Although LIBS is being developed for stand-off analysis at many meters distance, the experiments reported here were aimed at in-situ (close-up) analysis

Evaluating the capabilities of vegetation spectral indices on chlorophyll content estimation at Sentinel-2 spectral resolutions

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Qi; Jiao, Quanjun; Dai, Huayang

2018-03-01

Chlorophyll is an important pigment in green plants for photosynthesis and obtaining the energy for growth and development. The rapid, nondestructive and accurate estimation of chlorophyll content is significant for understanding the crops growth, monitoring the disease and insect, and assessing the yield of crops. Sentinel-2 equipped with the Multi-Spectral Instrument (MSI), which will provide images with high spatial, spectral and temporal resolution. It covers the VNIR/SWIR spectral region in 13 bands and incorporates two new spectral bands in the red-edge region and a spatial resolution of 20nm, which can be used to derive vegetation indices using red-edge bands. In this paper, we will focus on assessing the potential of vegetation spectral indices for retrieving chlorophyll content from Sentinel-2 at different angles. Subsequently, we used in-situ spectral data and Sentinel-2 data to test the relationship between VIs and chlorophyll content. The REP, MTCI, CIred-edge, CIgreen, Macc01, TCARI/OSAVI [705,750], NDRE1 and NDRE2 were calculated. NDRE2 index displays a strongly similar result for hyperspectral and simulated Sentinel-2 spectral bands (R2 =0.53, R2 =0.51, for hyperspectral and Sentinel-2, respectively). At different observation angles, NDRE2 has the smallest difference in performance (R2 = 0.51, R2 =0.64, at 0° and 15° , respectively).

Estimating Leaf Area Index for an arid region using Spectral Data ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this study, spectral reflectance of pearl millet was computed at various wavelengths and at different times during the cropping season, using a spectroradiometer. Three main indices (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index, Ratio Vegetation Index, and Perpendicular Vegetation Index)were derived from the spectral data.

Blue ocean strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, W Chan; Mauborgne, Renée

2004-10-01

Despite a long-term decline in the circus industry, Cirque du Soleil profitably increased revenue 22-fold over the last ten years by reinventing the circus. Rather than competing within the confines of the existing industry or trying to steal customers from rivals, Cirque developed uncontested market space that made the competition irrelevant. Cirque created what the authors call a blue ocean, a previously unknown market space. In blue oceans, demand is created rather than fought over. There is ample opportunity for growth that is both profitable and rapid. In red oceans--that is, in all the industries already existing--companies compete by grabbing for a greater share of limited demand. As the market space gets more crowded, prospects for profits and growth decline. Products turn into commodities, and increasing competition turns the water bloody. There are two ways to create blue oceans. One is to launch completely new industries, as eBay did with online auctions. But it's much more common for a blue ocean to be created from within a red ocean when a company expands the boundaries of an existing industry. In studying more than 150 blue ocean creations in over 30 industries, the authors observed that the traditional units of strategic analysis--company and industry--are of limited use in explaining how and why blue oceans are created. The most appropriate unit of analysis is the strategic move, the set of managerial actions and decisions involved in making a major market-creating business offering. Creating blue oceans builds brands. So powerful is blue ocean strategy, in fact, that a blue ocean strategic move can create brand equity that lasts for decades.

Electronic properties of blue phosphorene/graphene and blue phosphorene/graphene-like gallium nitride heterostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Minglei; Chou, Jyh-Pin; Yu, Jin; Tang, Wencheng

2017-07-05

Blue phosphorene (BlueP) is a graphene-like phosphorus nanosheet which was synthesized very recently for the first time [Nano Lett., 2016, 16, 4903-4908]. The combination of electronic properties of two different two-dimensional materials in an ultrathin van der Waals (vdW) vertical heterostructure has been proved to be an effective approach to the design of novel electronic and optoelectronic devices. Therefore, we used density functional theory to investigate the structural and electronic properties of two BlueP-based heterostructures - BlueP/graphene (BlueP/G) and BlueP/graphene-like gallium nitride (BlueP/g-GaN). Our results showed that the semiconducting nature of BlueP and the Dirac cone of G are well preserved in the BlueP/G vdW heterostructure. Moreover, by applying a perpendicular electric field, it is possible to tune the position of the Dirac cone of G with respect to the band edge of BlueP, resulting in the ability to control the Schottky barrier height. For the BlueP/g-GaN vdW heterostructure, BlueP forms an interface with g-GaN with a type-II band alignment, which is a promising feature for unipolar electronic device applications. Furthermore, we discovered that both G and g-GaN can be used as an active layer for BlueP to facilitate charge injection and enhance the device performance.

Polymerized Nile Blue derivatives for plasticizer-free fluorescent ion optode microsphere sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Ngeontae, Wittaya; Xu, Chao; Ye, Nan; Wygladacz, Katarzyna; Aeungmaitrepirom, Wanlapa; Tuntulani, Thawatchai; Bakker, Eric

2007-09-05

Lipophilic H+-selective fluorophores such as Nile Blue derivatives are widely used in ISE-based pH sensors and bulk optodes, and are commonly dissolved in a plasticized matrix such as PVC. Unfortunately, leaching of the active sensing ingredients and plasticizer from the matrix dictates the lifetime of the sensors and hampers their applications in vivo, especially with miniaturized particle based sensors. We find that classical copolymerization of Nile Blue derivatives containing an acrylic side group gives rise to multiple reaction products with different spectral and H+-binding properties, making this approach unsuitable for the development of reliable sensor materials. This limitation was overcome by grafting Nile Blue to a self-plasticized poly(n-butyl acrylate) matrix via an urea or amide linkage between the Nile Blue base structure and the polymer. Optode leaching experiments into methanol confirmed the successful covalent attachment of the two chromoionophores to the polymer matrix. Both polymerized Nile Blue derivatives have satisfactory pH response and appropriate optical properties that are suitable for use in ion-selective electrodes and optodes. Plasticizer-free Na+-selective microsphere sensors using the polymerized chromoionophores were fabricated under mild conditions with an in-house sonic microparticle generator for the measurement of sodium activities at physiological pH. The measuring range for sodium was found as 10(-1)-10(-4) M and 1-10(-3) M, for Nile Blue derivatives linked via urea and amide functionalities, respectively, at physiological pH. The observed ion-exchange constants of the plasticizer-free microsphere were log K(exch) = -5.6 and log K(exch) = -6.5 for the same two systems, respectively. Compared with earlier Na+-selective bulk optodes, the fabricated optical sensing microbeads reported here have agreeable selectivity patterns, reasonably fast response times, and more appropriate measuring ranges for determination of Na+ activity

Determination of space charge region width and diffusion length in Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 absorber from solar cell spectral characteristic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tivanov, M.; Mazanik, A.; Drozdov, N.; Zaretskaya, E.

2010-01-01

Full text : The space-charge region width and diffusion length of minority charge carriers in the base region (Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se) 2 absorber) are the most important parameters of the solar cell. These parameters determine the efficiency of a solar cell therefore the problem of their control is essential. In this work it is present simple non-destructive method of extracting the parameters of Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se) 2 -based solar cell (space-charge region width and diffusion length of minority charge carriers in Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se) 2 absorber) from the analysis of solar cell spectral photoresponse. The method is based on one-dimensional model of a solar cell and on the change of in-depth distribution of the photogenerated carriers in the solar cell and, hence, on the change of its photoresponse with the wave-length variation. The following assumptions are accepted: the reflection of charge carriers from a back contact and the ''drawing'' field in the quasi-neutral area of the absorber layers are absent, window and buffer layers are transparent in the analyzed part of photoresponse spectrum, the injection level of minority charge carriers is low, the recombination losses at the metallurgical p-n-junction interface of the studied photosensitive structure linearly depend on the photocurrent density. For the calculation it is necessary to obtain the following set of the experimental data: the spectral density of incident radiation, the spectral dependence of photocurrent or photovoltage of the studied photosensitive structure, the spectral dependences of optical absorption coefficient and reflectance.

A simple approach to spectrally resolved fluorescence and bright field microscopy over select regions of interest

OpenAIRE

Dahlberg, Peter D.; Boughter, Christopher T.; Faruk, Nabil F.; Hong, Lu; Koh, Young Hoon; Reyer, Matthew A.; Shaiber, Alon; Sherani, Aiman; Zhang, Jiacheng; Jureller, Justin E.; Hammond, Adam T.

2016-01-01

A standard wide field inverted microscope was converted to a spatially selective spectrally resolved microscope through the addition of a polarizing beam splitter, a pair of polarizers, an amplitude-mode liquid crystal-spatial light modulator, and a USB spectrometer. The instrument is capable of simultaneously imaging and acquiring spectra over user defined regions of interest. The microscope can also be operated in a bright-field mode to acquire absorption spectra of micron scale objects. Th...

Icebergs, sea ice, blue carbon and Antarctic climate feedbacks.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, David K A; Fleming, Andrew; Sands, Chester J; Quartino, Maria Liliana; Deregibus, Dolores

2018-06-28

Sea ice, including icebergs, has a complex relationship with the carbon held within animals (blue carbon) in the polar regions. Sea-ice losses around West Antarctica's continental shelf generate longer phytoplankton blooms but also make it a hotspot for coastal iceberg disturbance. This matters because in polar regions ice scour limits blue carbon storage ecosystem services, which work as a powerful negative feedback on climate change (less sea ice increases phytoplankton blooms, benthic growth, seabed carbon and sequestration). This resets benthic biota succession (maintaining regional biodiversity) and also fertilizes the ocean with nutrients, generating phytoplankton blooms, which cascade carbon capture into seabed storage and burial by benthos. Small icebergs scour coastal shallows, whereas giant icebergs ground deeper, offshore. Significant benthic communities establish where ice shelves have disintegrated (giant icebergs calving), and rapidly grow to accumulate blue carbon storage. When 5000 km 2 giant icebergs calve, we estimate that they generate approximately 10 6 tonnes of immobilized zoobenthic carbon per year (t C yr -1 ). However, their collisions with the seabed crush and recycle vast benthic communities, costing an estimated 4 × 10 4  t C yr -1 We calculate that giant iceberg formation (ice shelf disintegration) has a net potential of approximately 10 6  t C yr -1 sequestration benefits as well as more widely known negative impacts.This article is part of the theme issue 'The marine system of the West Antarctic Peninsula: status and strategy for progress in a region of rapid change'. © 2018 The Authors.

Study on Healing Environment Using Green, Blue and Red LED and Aroma

Science.gov (United States)

Miyaho, Noriharu; Konno, Noriko; Shimada, Takamasa

In this paper we evaluated the effects of 1/f fluctuation of Green LED light emitted from the specific object by using psychological and physiological experimental tests of spectral electroencephalogram (EEG) topography. In addition, we also verified that the combination of appropriate aroma, blue LED light irradiation and music such as “Mozart: Serenade in Eine Kleine Nacht Musik” has improved mental healing conditions. We confirmed the possibility that the effect of “Healing” would be improved by the above mentioned environments.

Tm3+ activated lanthanum phosphate: a blue PDP phosphor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, R.P.

2005-01-01

Plasma display panels (PDPs) are gaining attention due to their high performance and scalability as a medium for large format TVs. The performance and life of a PDP strongly depends upon the nature of phosphors. Currently, Eu 2+ activated barium magnesium aluminate (BAM) is being used as a blue component. Because of its low life, efforts are being made to explore new blue emitting phosphors. One of the alternatives to BAM is Tm 3+ activated lanthanum phosphate (LPTM) phosphor. LPTM phosphor samples are prepared by a solid-state as well as sol-gel process in presence of flux. The phosphor of the present investigation, having uniform and spherical shape particles in the range of 0.1-2 μm, is appropriate for thin phosphor screens required for PDP applications. It exhibits a narrow band emission in the blue region, peaking at 452 nm and also a number of narrow bands in the UV region when excited by 147 and 173 nm radiation from a xenon gas mixture. Various possible transitions responsible for UV and visible emission from Tm 3+ ion are presented. These phosphors also exhibit good color saturation and better stability when excited with VUV radiation. To achieve higher brightness, they are blended with other UV excited blue emitting phosphors such as BAM. Results related to morphology, excitation, after glow decay, emission and degradation of these phosphors in the powder form as well as in plasma display panels are presented and discussed

Bottomside sinusoidal irregularities in the equatorial F region. II - Cross-correlation and spectral analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Cragin, B. L.; Hanson, W. B.; Mcclure, J. P.; Valladares, C. E.

1985-01-01

Equatorial bottomside sinusoidal (BSS) irregularities have been studied by applying techniques of cross-correlation and spectral analysis to the Atmosphere Explorer data set. The phase of the cross-correlations of the plasma number density is discussed and the two drift velocity components observed using the retarding potential analyzer and ion drift meter on the satellite are discussed. Morphology is addressed, presenting the geographical distributions of the occurrence of BSS events for the equinoxes and solstices. Physical processes including the ion Larmor flux, interhemispheric plasma flows, and variations in the lower F region Pedersen conductivity are invoked to explain the findings.

Electrochemical preparation of poly(methylene blue)/graphene nanocomposite thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erçarıkcı, Elif; Dağcı, Kader; Topçu, Ezgi; Alanyalıoğlu, Murat

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Poly(MB)/graphene thin films are prepared by a simple electrochemical approach. • Graphene layers in the film show a broad band in visible region of absorbance spectra. • Morphology of composite films indicates both disordered and ordered regions. • XRD reveals that nanocomposite films include rGO layers after electropolymerization process. • Chemically prepared graphene is better than electrochemically prepared graphene for electrooxidation of nitrite. - Abstract: Poly(methylene blue)/graphene nanocomposite thin films were prepared by electropolymerization of methylene blue in the presence of graphene which have been synthesized by two different methods of a chemical oxidation process and an electrochemical approach. Synthesized nanocomposite thin films were characterized by using cyclic voltammetry, UV–vis. absorption spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and scanning tunneling microscopy techniques. Electrocatalytical properties of prepared poly(methylene blue)/graphene nanocomposite films were compared toward electrochemical oxidation of nitrite. Under optimized conditions, electrocatalytical effect of nanocomposite films of chemically prepared graphene through electrochemical oxidation of nitrite was better than that of electrochemically prepared graphene

A simple approach to spectrally resolved fluorescence and bright field microscopy over select regions of interest.

Science.gov (United States)

Dahlberg, Peter D; Boughter, Christopher T; Faruk, Nabil F; Hong, Lu; Koh, Young Hoon; Reyer, Matthew A; Shaiber, Alon; Sherani, Aiman; Zhang, Jiacheng; Jureller, Justin E; Hammond, Adam T

2016-11-01

A standard wide field inverted microscope was converted to a spatially selective spectrally resolved microscope through the addition of a polarizing beam splitter, a pair of polarizers, an amplitude-mode liquid crystal-spatial light modulator, and a USB spectrometer. The instrument is capable of simultaneously imaging and acquiring spectra over user defined regions of interest. The microscope can also be operated in a bright-field mode to acquire absorption spectra of micron scale objects. The utility of the instrument is demonstrated on three different samples. First, the instrument is used to resolve three differently labeled fluorescent beads in vitro. Second, the instrument is used to recover time dependent bleaching dynamics that have distinct spectral changes in the cyanobacteria, Synechococcus leopoliensis UTEX 625. Lastly, the technique is used to acquire the absorption spectra of CH 3 NH 3 PbBr 3 perovskites and measure differences between nanocrystal films and micron scale crystals.

A simple approach to spectrally resolved fluorescence and bright field microscopy over select regions of interest

Science.gov (United States)

Dahlberg, Peter D.; Boughter, Christopher T.; Faruk, Nabil F.; Hong, Lu; Koh, Young Hoon; Reyer, Matthew A.; Shaiber, Alon; Sherani, Aiman; Zhang, Jiacheng; Jureller, Justin E.; Hammond, Adam T.

2016-11-01

A standard wide field inverted microscope was converted to a spatially selective spectrally resolved microscope through the addition of a polarizing beam splitter, a pair of polarizers, an amplitude-mode liquid crystal-spatial light modulator, and a USB spectrometer. The instrument is capable of simultaneously imaging and acquiring spectra over user defined regions of interest. The microscope can also be operated in a bright-field mode to acquire absorption spectra of micron scale objects. The utility of the instrument is demonstrated on three different samples. First, the instrument is used to resolve three differently labeled fluorescent beads in vitro. Second, the instrument is used to recover time dependent bleaching dynamics that have distinct spectral changes in the cyanobacteria, Synechococcus leopoliensis UTEX 625. Lastly, the technique is used to acquire the absorption spectra of CH3NH3PbBr3 perovskites and measure differences between nanocrystal films and micron scale crystals.

Nightside studies of coherent HF Radar spectral width behaviour

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. E. Woodfield

2002-09-01

Full Text Available A previous case study found a relationship between high spectral width measured by the CUTLASS Finland HF radar and elevated electron temperatures observed by the EISCAT and ESR incoherent scatter radars in the post-midnight sector of magnetic local time. This paper expands that work by briefly re-examining that interval and looking in depth at two further case studies. In all three cases a region of high HF spectral width (>200 ms-1 exists poleward of a region of low HF spectral width (<200 ms-1. Each case, however, occurs under quite different geomagnetic conditions. The original case study occurred during an interval with no observed electrojet activity, the second study during a transition from quiet to active conditions with a clear band of ion frictional heating indicating the location of the flow reversal boundary, and the third during an isolated sub-storm. These case studies indicate that the relationship between elevated electron temperature and high HF radar spectral width appears on closed field lines after 03:00 magnetic local time (MLT on the nightside. It is not clear whether the same relationship would hold on open field lines, since our analysis of this relationship is restricted in latitude. We find two important properties of high spectral width data on the nightside. Firstly the high spectral width values occur on both open and closed field lines, and secondly that the power spectra which exhibit high widths are both single-peak and multiple-peak. In general the regions of high spectral width (>200 ms-1 have more multiple-peak spectra than the regions of low spectral widths whilst still maintaining a majority of single-peak spectra. We also find that the region of ion frictional heating is collocated with many multiple-peak HF spectra. Several mechanisms for the generation of high spectral width have been proposed which would produce multiple-peak spectra, these are discussed in relation to the data presented here. Since the

Nightside studies of coherent HF Radar spectral width behaviour

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. E. Woodfield

Full Text Available A previous case study found a relationship between high spectral width measured by the CUTLASS Finland HF radar and elevated electron temperatures observed by the EISCAT and ESR incoherent scatter radars in the post-midnight sector of magnetic local time. This paper expands that work by briefly re-examining that interval and looking in depth at two further case studies. In all three cases a region of high HF spectral width (>200 ms^-1 exists poleward of a region of low HF spectral width (<200 ms^-1. Each case, however, occurs under quite different geomagnetic conditions. The original case study occurred during an interval with no observed electrojet activity, the second study during a transition from quiet to active conditions with a clear band of ion frictional heating indicating the location of the flow reversal boundary, and the third during an isolated sub-storm. These case studies indicate that the relationship between elevated electron temperature and high HF radar spectral width appears on closed field lines after 03:00 magnetic local time (MLT on the nightside. It is not clear whether the same relationship would hold on open field lines, since our analysis of this relationship is restricted in latitude. We find two important properties of high spectral width data on the nightside. Firstly the high spectral width values occur on both open and closed field lines, and secondly that the power spectra which exhibit high widths are both single-peak and multiple-peak. In general the regions of high spectral width (>200 ms^-1 have more multiple-peak spectra than the regions of low spectral widths whilst still maintaining a majority of single-peak spectra. We also find that the region of ion frictional heating is collocated with many multiple-peak HF spectra. Several mechanisms for the generation of high spectral width have been proposed which would produce multiple-peak spectra, these are discussed in relation to

Molecular phylogenetic analysis of Chinese indigenous blue-shelled chickens inferred from whole genomic region of the SLCO1B3 gene.

Science.gov (United States)

Dalirsefat, Seyed Benyamin; Dong, Xianggui; Deng, Xuemei

2015-08-01

In total, 246 individuals from 8 Chinese indigenous blue- and brown-shelled chicken populations (Yimeng Blue, Wulong Blue, Lindian Blue, Dongxiang Blue, Lushi Blue, Jingmen Blue, Dongxiang Brown, and Lushi Brown) were genotyped for 21 SNP markers from the SLCO1B3 gene to evaluate phylogenetic relationships. As a representative of nonblue-shelled breeds, White Leghorn was included in the study for reference. A high proportion of SNP polymorphism was observed in Chinese chicken populations, ranging from 89% in Jingmen Blue to 100% in most populations, with a mean of 95% across all populations. The White Leghorn breed showed the lowest polymorphism, accounting for 43% of total SNPs. The mean expected heterozygosity varied from 0.11 in Dongxiang Blue to 0.46 in Yimeng Blue. Analysis of molecular variation (AMOVA) for 2 groups of Chinese chickens based on eggshell color type revealed 52% within-group and 43% between-group variations of the total genetic variation. As expected, FST and Reynolds' genetic distance were greatest between White Leghorn and Chinese chicken populations, with average values of 0.40 and 0.55, respectively. The first and second principal coordinates explained approximately 92% of the total variation and supported the clustering of the populations according to their eggshell color type and historical origins. STRUCTURE analysis showed a considerable source of variation among populations for the clustering into blue-shelled and nonblue-shelled chicken populations. The low estimation of genetic differentiation (FST) between Chinese chicken populations is possibly due to a common historical origin and high gene flow. Remarkably similar population classifications were obtained with all methods used in the study. Aligning endogenous avian retroviral (EAV)-HP insertion sequences showed no difference among the blue-shelled chickens. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Regional water footprint and water management: the case of Madrid region (Spain)

OpenAIRE

Soler Rovira, José; Arroyo Sanz, Juan Manuel; Conde Marcos, Hugo; Sanz Zudaire, Carlos; Mesa Moreno, Alfredo; Gil Pascual, Sergio

2010-01-01

Water resources and water footprint of the production and consumption in Madrid region were estimated, considering blue water (water resources), green water (soil moisture), grey water (polluted water) and virtual water (water trade in products imported and exported in the region). Water resources in Madrid relay mainly in surface waters and rainfall, so the periodic occurrence of meteorological droughts implies the scarcity of water supply. The main users of blue water are households, munici...

Highly stable colloidal TiO{sub 2} nanocrystals with strong violet-blue emission

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghamsari, Morteza Sasani, E-mail: msghamsari@yahoo.com [Laser & Optics Research School, NSTRI, 11155-3486 Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Gaeeni, Mohammad Reza [Laser & Optics Research School, NSTRI, 11155-3486 Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Han, Wooje; Park, Hyung-Ho [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

Improved sol–gel method has been applied to prepare highly stable colloidal TiO{sub 2} nanocrystals. The synthesized titania nanocrystals exhibit strong emission in the violet-blue wavelength region. Very long evolution time was obtained by preventing the sol to gel conversion with reflux process. FTIR, XRD, UV–vis absorption, photoluminescence and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) were used to study the optical properties, crystalline phase, morphology, shape and size of prepared TiO{sub 2} colloidal nanocrystals. HRTEM showed that the diameter of TiO{sub 2} colloidal nanocrystals is about 5 nm. Although the PL spectra show similar spectral features upon excitation wavelengths at 280, 300 and 350 nm, but their emission intensities are significantly different from each other. Photoluminescence quantum yield for TiO{sub 2} colloidal nanocrystals is estimated to be 49% with 280 nm excitation wavelength which is in agreement and better than reported before. Obtained results confirm that the prepared colloidal TiO{sub 2} sample has enough potential for optoelectronics applications.

Dermatoscopy of blue vitiligo.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandrashekar, L

2009-07-01

Blue vitiligo is a distinct variant of vitiligo characterized by a blue-grey appearance of the skin, which corresponds histologically with absence of epidermal melanocytes and presence of numerous dermal melanophages. A 23-year-old woman of Indian origin with Fitzpatrick skin type V presented with a 1-month history of normoaesthetic depigmented macules over the right forearm, dorsa of the hands and right areola. The macule over the right forearm had a bluish tinge. A clinical diagnosis of vitiligo vulgaris with blue vitiligo was made. Dermatoscopy of the interface between the blue macule and the hypopigmented macule revealed a linear depigmented macule in the centre with multiple blue dots and absence of epidermal melanin on the side of the blue macule, and reticular pigmentation with a few depigmented macules and scattered blue dots over the side of the hypopigmented macule. Blue vitiligo was described previously in a patient seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus, and believed to represent postinflammatory hyperpigmentation in areas bordering the vitiliginous patches as a result of psoralen ultraviolet A treatment. This case is unusual because of its rarity and the description of the associated dermatoscopical findings.

Detection of Oil Chestnuts Infected by Blue Mold Using Near-Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging Combined with Artificial Neural Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Feng

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Mildew damage is a major reason for chestnut poor quality and yield loss. In this study, a near-infrared hyperspectral imaging system in the 874–1734 nm spectral range was applied to detect the mildew damage to chestnuts caused by blue mold. Principal component analysis (PCA scored images were firstly employed to qualitatively and intuitively distinguish moldy chestnuts from healthy chestnuts. Spectral data were extracted from the hyperspectral images. A successive projections algorithm (SPA was used to select 12 optimal wavelengths. Artificial neural networks, including back propagation neural network (BPNN, evolutionary neural network (ENN, extreme learning machine (ELM, general regression neural network (GRNN and radial basis neural network (RBNN were used to build models using the full spectra and optimal wavelengths to distinguish moldy chestnuts. BPNN and ENN models using full spectra and optimal wavelengths obtained satisfactory performances, with classification accuracies all surpassing 99%. The results indicate the potential for the rapid and non-destructive detection of moldy chestnuts by hyperspectral imaging, which would help to develop online detection system for healthy and blue mold infected chestnuts.

Far-UV Spectral Mapping of Lunar Composition, Porosity, and Space Weathering: LRO Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP)

Science.gov (United States)

Retherford, K. D.; Greathouse, T. K.; Mandt, K.; Gladstone, R.; Liu, Y.; Hendrix, A. R.; Hurley, D.; Cahill, J. T.; Stickle, A. M.; Egan, A.; Kaufmann, D. E.; Grava, C.; Pryor, W. R.

2016-12-01

Far ultraviolet reflectance measurements of the Moon, icy satellites, comets, and asteroids obtained within the last decade have ushered in a new era of scientific advancement for UV surface investigations. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) has demonstrated an innovative nightside observing technique, putting a new light on permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) and other features on the Moon. Dayside far-UV albedo maps complement the nightside data, and LRO's polar orbit and high data downlink capabilities enable searches for diurnal variations in spectral signals. We'll discuss the strengths of the far-UV reflectance imaging spectroscopy technique with respect to several new LAMP results. Detections of water frost and hydration signatures near 165 nm, for example, provide constraints on composition that complement infrared spectroscopy, visible imaging, neutron spectroscopy, radar, and other techniques. At far-UV wavelengths a relatively blue spectral slope is diagnostic of space weathering, which is opposite of the spectral reddening indicator of maturity at wavelengths longward of 180 nm. By utilizing natural diffuse illumination sources on the nightside the far-UV technique is able to identify relative increases in porosity within the PSRs, and provides an additional tool for determining relative surface ages. Prospects for future studies are further enabled by a new, more sensitive dayside operating mode enacted during the present LRO mission extension.

Optimization of sensitometric properties of blue and green light sensitive dental radiographic films employing an automatic processor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suchetha N Malleshi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Accurate film processing is of paramount importance in acquiring a good diagnostic radiograph. Radiographic films show variations in densities and contrast, with changes in processing conditions, and also film type, all of which are interdependent. Therefore, this research was conducted to recognize the effect of time and temperature variations of automatic processor on the sensitometric properties of blue and green light sensitive screen films. The study also aimed to note the effect on sensitometric properties when mismatch occurred when using between the screen and film belonging to different manufacturers. Materials and Methods: Sixty green light sensitive and 60 blue light sensitive spectrally matched screen film combinations were used in the study. However, the films and the intensifying screens employed belonged to different manufacturers. These films were exposed to five different exposure times and subsequently processed in an automatic processor, using two different protocols. Initially, at constant processing time of 2.5 min, five different processing temperatures were employed. Later, maintaining constant processing temperature of 35°C and five different processing times were engaged. Density, contrast and speed were calculated, using H and D curve. Results: Results revealed increasing density, contrast and speed values with increasing processing times and temperatures of both green and blue sensitive films. Conclusion: This investigation clearly establishes the possibility of obtaining optimal sensitometric properties, despite using intensifying screens and films of different manufacturers, if spectral match is ensured.

The Effect of Epidermal Structures on Leaf Spectral Signatures of Ice Plants (Aizoaceae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

René Hans-Jürgen Heim

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Epidermal structures (ES of leaves are known to affect the functional properties and spectral responses. Spectral studies focused mostly on the effect of hairs or wax layers only. We studied a wider range of different ES and their impact on spectral properties. Additionally, we identified spectral regions that allow distinguishing different ES. We used a field spectrometer to measure ex situ leaf spectral responses from 350 nm–2500 nm. A spectral library for 25 species of the succulent family Aizoaceae was assembled. Five functional types were defined based on ES: flat epidermal cell surface, convex to papillary epidermal cell surface, bladder cells, hairs and wax cover. We tested the separability of ES using partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA based on the spectral data. Subsequently, variable importance (VIP was calculated to identify spectral regions relevant for discriminating our functional types (classes. Classification performance was high, with a kappa value of 0.9 indicating well-separable spectral classes. VIP calculations identified six spectral regions of increased importance for the classification. We confirmed and extended previous findings regarding the visible-near-infrared spectral region. Our experiments also confirmed that epidermal leaf traits can be classified due to clearly distinguishable spectral signatures across species and genera within the Aizoaceae.

Microanalysis study of archaeological mural samples containing Maya blue pigment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez del Rio, M.; Martinetto, P.; Somogyi, A.; Reyes-Valerio, C.; Dooryhee, E.; Peltier, N.; Alianelli, L.; Moignard, B.; Pichon, L.; Calligaro, T.; Dran, J.-C.

2004-01-01

Elemental analysis by X-ray fluorescence and particle induced X-ray emission is applied to the study of several Mesoamerican mural samples containing blue pigments. The most characteristic blue pigment is Maya blue, a very stable organo-clay complex original from Maya culture and widely used in murals, pottery and sculptures in a vast region of Mesoamerica during the pre-hispanic time (from VIII century) and during the colonization until 1580. The mural samples come from six different archaeological sites (four pre-hispanic and two from XVI century colonial convents). The correlation between the presence of some elements and the pigment colour is discussed. From the comparative study of the elemental concentration, some conclusions are drawn on the nature of the pigments and the technology used

Microanalysis study of archaeological mural samples containing Maya blue pigment

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez del Río, M.; Martinetto, P.; Somogyi, A.; Reyes-Valerio, C.; Dooryhée, E.; Peltier, N.; Alianelli, L.; Moignard, B.; Pichon, L.; Calligaro, T.; Dran, J.-C.

2004-10-01

Elemental analysis by X-ray fluorescence and particle induced X-ray emission is applied to the study of several Mesoamerican mural samples containing blue pigments. The most characteristic blue pigment is Maya blue, a very stable organo-clay complex original from Maya culture and widely used in murals, pottery and sculptures in a vast region of Mesoamerica during the pre-hispanic time (from VIII century) and during the colonization until 1580. The mural samples come from six different archaeological sites (four pre-hispanic and two from XVI century colonial convents). The correlation between the presence of some elements and the pigment colour is discussed. From the comparative study of the elemental concentration, some conclusions are drawn on the nature of the pigments and the technology used.

Microanalysis study of archaeological mural samples containing Maya blue pigment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanchez del Rio, M. [ESRF, BP220, F-38043 Grenoble (France)]. E-mail: srio@esrf.fr; Martinetto, P. [Laboratoire de Cristallographie, CNRS, BP166 F-30842 Grenoble (France); Somogyi, A. [ESRF, BP220, F-38043 Grenoble (France); Reyes-Valerio, C. [INAH, Mexico DF (Mexico); Dooryhee, E. [Laboratoire de Cristallographie, CNRS, BP166 F-30842 Grenoble (France); Peltier, N. [Laboratoire de Cristallographie, CNRS, BP166 F-30842 Grenoble (France); Alianelli, L. [INFM-OGG c/o ESRF, BP220, F-38043 Grenoble Cedex (France); Moignard, B. [C2RMF, 6 Rue des Pyramides, F-75041 Paris Cedex 01 (France); Pichon, L. [C2RMF, 6 Rue des Pyramides, F-75041 Paris Cedex 01 (France); Calligaro, T. [C2RMF, 6 Rue des Pyramides, F-75041 Paris Cedex 01 (France); Dran, J.-C. [C2RMF, 6 Rue des Pyramides, F-75041 Paris Cedex 01 (France)

2004-10-08

Elemental analysis by X-ray fluorescence and particle induced X-ray emission is applied to the study of several Mesoamerican mural samples containing blue pigments. The most characteristic blue pigment is Maya blue, a very stable organo-clay complex original from Maya culture and widely used in murals, pottery and sculptures in a vast region of Mesoamerica during the pre-hispanic time (from VIII century) and during the colonization until 1580. The mural samples come from six different archaeological sites (four pre-hispanic and two from XVI century colonial convents). The correlation between the presence of some elements and the pigment colour is discussed. From the comparative study of the elemental concentration, some conclusions are drawn on the nature of the pigments and the technology used.

[An improved low spectral distortion PCA fusion method].

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Shi; Zhang, Ai-Wu; Li, Han-Lun; Hu, Shao-Xing; Meng, Xian-Gang; Sun, Wei-Dong

2013-10-01

Aiming at the spectral distortion produced in PCA fusion process, the present paper proposes an improved low spectral distortion PCA fusion method. This method uses NCUT (normalized cut) image segmentation algorithm to make a complex hyperspectral remote sensing image into multiple sub-images for increasing the separability of samples, which can weaken the spectral distortions of traditional PCA fusion; Pixels similarity weighting matrix and masks were produced by using graph theory and clustering theory. These masks are used to cut the hyperspectral image and high-resolution image into some sub-region objects. All corresponding sub-region objects between the hyperspectral image and high-resolution image are fused by using PCA method, and all sub-regional integration results are spliced together to produce a new image. In the experiment, Hyperion hyperspectral data and Rapid Eye data were used. And the experiment result shows that the proposed method has the same ability to enhance spatial resolution and greater ability to improve spectral fidelity performance.

Multi-spectral study of a new sample of blue compact dwarf galaxies

CERN Document Server

Doublier, V; Comte, G

1999-01-01

For pt.I see ibid., vol.124, no.3, p.405-24 (1997). We present the results of surface photometry on a new sample of blue compact dwarf galaxies (BCDGs), in continuation to a previous paper (Doublier et al. 1997). The 22 galaxies $9 (plus two companions) discussed in the present paper have been selected in the Southern Hemisphere, from several lists. An atlas containing isophotal maps, surface brightnesses and B-R color profiles of the sample is given, together $9 with the tables containing the photometric parameters. The results are consistent with those for objects selected from the Byurakan surveys in the Northern Hemisphere. Similarly, we find about one fourth of the BCDGs showing a $9 dominant r/sup 1/4/ brightness distribution component, one fourth of the BCDGs showing a dominant exponential surface brightness profile, and about half of them show composite brightness distributions. Integrated properties, colors, $9 mean surface brightnesses and luminosity-radius relations are investigated and discussed f...

Terrain Extraction by Integrating Terrestrial Laser Scanner Data and Spectral Information

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, C. L.; Halim, S.; Zulkepli, M.; Azwan, A. M.; Tang, W. L.; Chong, A. K.

2015-10-01

The extraction of true terrain points from unstructured laser point cloud data is an important process in order to produce an accurate digital terrain model (DTM). However, most of these spatial filtering methods just utilizing the geometrical data to discriminate the terrain points from nonterrain points. The point cloud filtering method also can be improved by using the spectral information available with some scanners. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of using the three-channel (red, green and blue) of the colour image captured from built-in digital camera which is available in some Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) for terrain extraction. In this study, the data acquisition was conducted at a mini replica landscape in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Skudai campus using Leica ScanStation C10. The spectral information of the coloured point clouds from selected sample classes are extracted for spectral analysis. The coloured point clouds which within the corresponding preset spectral threshold are identified as that specific feature point from the dataset. This process of terrain extraction is done through using developed Matlab coding. Result demonstrates that a higher spectral resolution passive image is required in order to improve the output. This is because low quality of the colour images captured by the sensor contributes to the low separability in spectral reflectance. In conclusion, this study shows that, spectral information is capable to be used as a parameter for terrain extraction.

Spectral Methods in Numerical Plasma Simulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Coutsias, E.A.; Hansen, F.R.; Huld, T.

1989-01-01

An introduction is given to the use of spectral methods in numerical plasma simulation. As examples of the use of spectral methods, solutions to the two-dimensional Euler equations in both a simple, doubly periodic region, and on an annulus will be shown. In the first case, the solution is expanded...

Blue-wing enhancement of the chromospheric Mg II h and k lines in a solar flare

Science.gov (United States)

Tei, Akiko; Sakaue, Takahito; Okamoto, Takenori J.; Kawate, Tomoko; Heinzel, Petr; UeNo, Satoru; Asai, Ayumi; Ichimoto, Kiyoshi; Shibata, Kazunari

2018-05-01

We performed coordinated observations of AR 12205, which showed a C-class flare on 2014 November 11, with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) and the Domeless Solar Telescope (DST) at Hida Observatory. Using spectral data in the Si IV 1403 Å, C II 1335 Å, and Mg II h and k lines from IRIS and the Ca II K, Ca II 8542 Å, and Hα lines from DST, we investigated a moving flare kernel during the flare. In the Mg II h line, the leading edge of the flare kernel showed an intensity enhancement in the blue wing and a smaller intensity of the blue-side peak (h2v) than that of the red-side one (h2r). The blueshift lasted for 9-48 s with a typical speed of 10.1 ± 2.6 km s-1, which was followed by a high intensity and a large redshift with a speed of up to 51 km s-1 detected in the Mg II h line. The large redshift was a common property for all six lines, but the blueshift prior to it was found only in the Mg II lines. Cloud modeling of the Mg II h line suggests that the blue-wing enhancement with such a peak difference could have been caused by a chromospheric-temperature (cool) upflow. We discuss a scenario in which an upflow of cool plasma is lifted up by expanding hot plasma owing to the deep penetration of non-thermal electrons into the chromosphere. Furthermore, we found that the blueshift persisted without any subsequent redshift in the leading edge of the flare kernel during its decaying phase. The cause of such a long-lasting blueshift is also discussed.

Non-invasive plant growth measurements for detection of blue-light dose response of stem elongation in Chrysanthemum morifolium

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjær, Katrine Heinsvig

2012-01-01

. In the present study a non-invasive plant growth sensor (PlantEye, Phenospex B.V, Heerlen, NL) was tested in analysing changes in diurnal stem elongation patterns and plant height in response to the spectral quality of the light environment. Plants were grown in four different LED supplemental lighting...... treatments with 0%, 12.5%, 18.5% and 22.5% blue light under greenhouse conditions in winter (18 h day/4 h night). The non-invasive measurements were carried out automatically every four hour with three repetitions, and supported by manual measurements of plant height every third day. A strong linear relation...... between the non-invasive measurements and manual measurements of plant height was achieved, and a blue-light dose-response showing a decrease in plant height in relation to an increase in blue light was demonstrated. However, the non-invasive plant growth sensor was not able to distinguish between diurnal...

Origin of colour stability in blue/orange/blue stacked phosphorescent white organic light-emitting diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Sung Hyun; Jang, Jyongsik; Yook, Kyoung Soo; Lee, Jun Yeob

2009-01-01

The origin of colour stability in phosphorescent white organic light-emitting diodes (PHWOLEDs) with a blue/orange/blue stacked emitting structure was studied by monitoring the change in a recombination zone. A balanced recombination zone shift between the blue and the orange light-emitting layers was found to be responsible for the colour stability in the blue/orange/blue stacked PHWOLEDs.

Measurement of spectral sea ice albedo at Qaanaaq fjord in northwest Greenland

Science.gov (United States)

Tanikawa, T.

2017-12-01

The spectral albedos of sea ice were measured at Qaanaaq fjord in northwest Greenland. Spectral measurements were conducted for sea ice covered with snow and sea ice without snow where snow was artificially removed around measurement point. Thickness of the sea ice was approximately 1.3 m with 5 cm of snow over the sea ice. The measurements show that the spectral albedos of the sea ice with snow were lower than those of natural pure snow especially in the visible regions though the spectral shapes were similar to each other. This is because the spectral albedos in the visible region have information of not only the snow but also the sea ice under the snow. The spectral albedos of the sea ice without the snow were approximately 0.4 - 0.5 in the visible region, 0.05-0.25 in the near-infrared region and almost constant of approximately 0.05 in the region of 1500 - 2500 nm. In the visible region, it would be due to multiple scattering by an air bubble within the sea ice. In contrast, in the near-infrared and shortwave infrared wavelengths, surface reflection at the sea ice surface would be dominant. Since a light absorption by the ice in these regions is relatively strong comparing to the visible region, the light could not be penetrated deeply within the sea ice, resulting that surface reflection based on Fresnel reflection would be dominant. In this presentation we also show the results of comparison between the radiative transfer calculation and spectral measurement data.

On the photosynthetic and devlopmental responses of leaves to the spectral composition of light

OpenAIRE

Hogewoning, S.W.

2010-01-01

Key words: action spectrum, artificial solar spectrum, blue light, Cucumis sativus, gas-exchange, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), light interception, light quality, non-photosynthetic pigments, photo-synthetic capacity, photomorphogenesis, photosystem excitation balance, quantum yield, red light. A wide range of plant properties respond to the spectral composition of irradiance, such as photosynthesis, photomorphogenesis, phototropism and photonastic movements. These responses affect plant pr...

Blue and green electroluminescence from CdSe nanocrystal quantum-dot-quantum-wells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Y. F.; Cao, X. A.

2014-01-01

CdS/CdSe/ZnS quantum dot quantum well (QDQW) nanocrystals were synthesized using the successive ion layer adsorption and reaction technique, and their optical properties were tuned by bandgap and strain engineering. 3-monolayer (ML) CdSe QWs emitted blue photoluminescence at 467 nm with a spectral full-width-at-half-maximum of ∼30 nm. With a 3 ML ZnS cladding layer, which also acts as a passivating and strain-compensating layer, the QDQWs acquired a ∼35% quantum yield of the QW emission. Blue and green electroluminescence (EL) was obtained from QDQW light-emitting devices with 3–4.5 ML CdSe QWs. It was found that as the peak blueshifted, the overall EL was increasingly dominated by defect state emission due to poor hole injection into the QDQWs. The weak EL was also attributed to strong field-induced charge separation resulting from the unique QDQW geometry, weakening the oscillator strength of optical transitions

Corneal edema and permanent blue discoloration of a silicone intraocular lens by methylene blue.

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Scott; Werner, Liliana; Mamalis, Nick

2007-01-01

To report a silicone intraocular lens (IOL) stained blue by inadvertent intraoperative use of methylene blue instead of trypan blue and the results of experimental staining of various lens materials with different concentrations of the same dye. A "blue dye" was used to enhance visualization during capsulorhexis in a patient undergoing phacoemulsification with implantation of a three-piece silicone lens. Postoperatively, the patient presented with corneal edema and a discolored IOL. Various IOL materials were experimentally stained using methylene blue. Sixteen lenses (4 silicone, 4 hydrophobic acrylic, 4 hydrophilic acrylic, and 4 polymethylmethacrylate) were immersed in 0.5 mL of methylene blue at concentrations of 1%, 0.1%, 0.01%, and 0.001%. These lenses were grossly and microscopically evaluated for discoloration 6 and 24 hours after immersion. The corneal edema resolved within 1 month after the initial surgical procedure. After explantation, gross and microscopic analyses of the explanted silicone lens revealed that its surface and internal substance had been permanently stained blue. In the experimental study, all of the lenses except the polymethylmethacrylate lenses were permanently stained by methylene blue. The hydrophilic acrylic lenses showed the most intense blue staining in all dye concentrations. This is the first clinicopathological report of IOL discoloration due to intraocular use of methylene blue. This and other tissue dyes may be commonly found among surgical supplies in the operating room and due diligence is necessary to avoid mistaking these dyes for those commonly used during ocular surgery.

Photometric behavior of spectral parameters in Vesta dark and bright regions as inferred by the Dawn VIR spectrometer

Science.gov (United States)

Longobardo, Andrea; Palomba, Ernesto; Capaccioni, Fabrizio; De Sanctis, Maria Cristina; Tosi, Federico; Ammannito, Eleonora; Schröder, Stefan E.; Zambon, Francesca; Raymond, Carol A.; Russell, Christopher T.

2014-09-01

NASA’s Dawn spacecraft orbited Vesta for approximately one year, collecting thousands of hyperspectral images of its surface. The mission revealed that Vesta’s surface shows the largest variations in surface albedo on asteroids visited thus far, due to the presence of dark and bright materials at the local scale (i.e. 0.1-10 km). The aim of this work is to characterize the photometric properties of bright and dark regions, and thus derive and apply an empirical photometric correction to all the hyperspectral observations of Vesta. The very large dataset (i.e. more than 20 million spectra) provided by the VIR imaging spectrometer onboard Dawn enabled accurate statistical analysis of the spectral dataset, aimed at retrieving empirical relations between several spectral parameters (i.e. visible and infrared reflectance, band depths, band centers, Band Area Ratio) and the illumination/viewing angles. The derived relations made it possible to derive photometrically corrected maps of these spectral parameters and to infer information on the regolith shadowing effect in the Vestan dark and bright regions. As an additional analysis, we also evaluated the correlation between surface temperature and band center position. A general conclusion of this analysis is that, from a photometric point of view, the distinction between bright and dark material units lies mainly in the larger contribution due to multiple scattering in the bright units. We observed reflectance and band depth variations over Vesta’s entire surface, but these variations were much larger in the dark regions than in the bright ones. Band centers have been found to shift to longer wavelengths at increasing temperatures, with a trend that is the same observed for HED meteorites (Reddy et al. [2012]. Icarus 217, 153-158). Finally, the Band Area Ratio (i.e. the ratio between areas of the main pyroxene absorption bands located at 1.9 μm and at 0.9 μm, respectively) did not show any dependence on

Achromatization In The 3 To 5 μm Spectral Region With Visible Light Transmitting Materials

Science.gov (United States)

McDowell, M. W.; Klee, H. W.

1984-04-01

The theoretical performances of several f/1.5 triplet lenses suitable for use in the 3 to 5um spectral region are compared. Examples are given in which all the materials used have a finite visible transmittance. As centering errors can thus be considerably reduced, it is expected that such a lens will in practice approach more closely its theoretical performance. These lenses are also considerably less sensitive to manufacturing tolerances as a result of lower index materials, and the use of low dn/dT materials offers other advantages over the more usual silicon-germanium combination.

Assessing the Blue and Green Water Footprint of Lucerne for Milk Production in South Africa

OpenAIRE

Morne E. Scheepers; Henry Jordaan

2016-01-01

The Global Water Footprint Standard approach was used to calculate the volumetric blue and green water footprint indicator for lucerne production as important feed for dairy cows in a major lucerne production region in South Africa. The degree of sustainability of water use then was assessed by comparing water use to water availability for the region. The results show a volumetric water footprint indicator of 378 m3/tonne of lucerne. Of the total blue and green water footprint, 55% is green w...

Estimation of spectral classifications for stars with interesting Stroemgren indices: population II field 'blue stragglers'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olsen, E.H.

1979-01-01

More than 17 years ago in Princeton at the Conference on Interstellar Matter, Stroemgren (1962) concluded the presentation of one of his papers by mentioning a program aimed at obtaining four-color photometry of all F8-G0 stars to apparent magnitude 8. The purpose was to perform a detailed analysis of the correlations between age, chemical composition, and kinematics, and thus gain new insight into the state of the interstellar matter at various times during the history of the Galaxy. The author considers one specific category of stars, 'blue stragglers'. (Auth.)

Spectral and photometric study of the symbiotic nova RS ophiuchus in quiet phase

Science.gov (United States)

Kondratyeva, L.; Rspaev, F.; Krugov, M.; Serebryanskiy, A.

2017-07-01

The results of spectral and photometric study of the recurrent Nova RS Ophiuchus are presented and discussed. Observations were carried out in 2009-2016. During these eight years the fluxes of HI and FeII emission lines have slightly decreased by a factor of 3 - 4. Hα and Hβ exhibit double-peaked profiles with a central absorption. The ratio of the blue and red peaks intensities(V/R) varies from 0.3 to 1.0 for Hβ and from 0.4 to 0.7 for Hα. Possible correlations between changes of the ratio and other spectral parameters were investigated. Dependence of V/R on the radial velocity of absorbtion component is found out.

Blue-Green Algae

Science.gov (United States)

... that taking a specific blue-green algae product (Super Blue-Green Algae, Cell Tech, Klamath Falls, OR) ... system. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Depression. Digestion. Heart disease. Memory. Wound healing. Other conditions. More evidence is needed ...

Blue gods, blue oil, and blue people.

Science.gov (United States)

Fairbanks, V F

1994-09-01

Studies of the composition of coal tar, which began in Prussia in 1834, profoundly affected the economies of Germany, Great Britain, India, and the rest of the world, as well as medicine and surgery. Such effects include the collapse of the profits of the British indigo monopoly, the growth in economic power of Germany based on coal tar chemistry, and an economic crisis in India that led to more humane tax laws and, ultimately, the independence of India and the end of the British Empire. Additional consequences were the development of antiseptic surgery and the synthesis of a wide variety of useful drugs that have eradicated infections and alleviated pain. Many of these drugs, particularly the commonly used analgesics, sulfonamides, sulfones, and local anesthetics, are derivatives of aniline, originally called "blue oil" or "kyanol." Some of these aniline derivatives, however, have also caused aplastic anemia, agranulocytosis, and methemoglobinemia (that is, "blue people"). Exposure to aniline drugs, particularly when two or three aniline drugs are taken concurrently, seems to be the commonest cause of methemoglobinemia today.

Spectral characterizations and photophysical properties of one-step synthesized blue fluorescent 4′-aryl substituted 2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine for OLEDs application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lakshmanan, Raja [Department of Physics, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan 333031 (India); Shivaprakash, Narayanapura Chennegowda [Department of Instrumentation and Applied Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012 (India); Nair, Sindhu Sukumaran, E-mail: sindhunair@pilani.bits-pilani.ac.in [Department of Physics, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan 333031 (India)

2015-12-15

We have synthesized a series of 4′-aryl substituted 2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine (terpy) derivatives, namely 4′-(4-methylphenyl)-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine (C-1), 4′-(2-furyl)-2,2′:6′2′′-terpyridine (C-2), and 4′-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine (C-3). The synthesized terpy compounds were characterized by elemental analyses, FTIR, NMR ({sup 1}H and {sup 13}C), and ESI-Mass spectrometry. Photophysical, electrochemical and thermal properties of terpy compounds were systematically studied. Maximum excitation band was observed between 240 and 330 nm using UV–visible spectra, and maximum emission peaks from PL spectra were observed at 385, 405 and 440 nm for C-1, C-2 and C-3 respectively. Fluorescence lifetime (τ) of the fluorophores was found to be 0.35 and 1.55 ns at the excitation wavelength of 406 nm for C-1 and C-2 respectively, and τ value for C-3 was found to be 0.29 ns at the excitation wavelength of 468 nm. We noticed that the calculated values of HOMO energy levels were increased from 5.96 (C-1) to 6.08 (C-3) eV, which confirms that C-3 derivative is more electrons donating in nature. The calculated electrochemical band gaps were 2.95, 2.82 and 3.02 eV for C-1, C-2 and C-3 respectively. These blue fluorescent emitter derivatives can be used as an electron transport and electroluminescent material to design the blue fluorescent organic light emitting diode (OLED) applications. - Highlights: • Facile one-step synthesized blue fluorescent emitter, 2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine derivatives. • The exceptionally broad emission band (365–525 nm) was achieved in the blue region. • Fast fluorescence life time and good thermal stability.

Color change of Blue butterfly wing scales in an air - Vapor ambient

Science.gov (United States)

Kertész, Krisztián; Piszter, Gábor; Jakab, Emma; Bálint, Zsolt; Vértesy, Zofia; Biró, László Péter

2013-09-01

Photonic crystals are periodic dielectric nanocomposites, which have photonic band gaps that forbid the propagation of light within certain frequency ranges. The optical response of such nanoarchitectures on chemical changes in the environment is determined by the spectral change of the reflected light, and depends on the composition of the ambient atmosphere and on the nanostructure characteristics. We carried out reflectance measurements on closely related Blue lycaenid butterfly males possessing so-called "pepper-pot" type photonic nanoarchitecture in their scales covering their dorsal wing surfaces. Experiments were carried out changing the concentration and nature of test vapors while monitoring the spectral variations in time. All the tests were done with the sample temperature set at, and below the room temperature. The spectral changes were found to be linear with the increasing of concentration and the signal amplitude is higher at lower temperatures. The mechanism of reflectance spectra modification is based on capillary condensation of the vapors penetrating in the nanostructure. These structures of natural origin may serve as cheap, environmentally free and biodegradable sensor elements. The study of these nanoarchitectures of biologic origin could be the source of various new bioinspired systems.

The Blue Hook Populations of Massive Globular Clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Thomas

2006-07-01

Blue hook stars are a class of hot { 35,000 K} subluminous horizontal branch stars that have been recently discovered using HST ultraviolet images of the globular clusters omega Cen and NGC 2808. These stars occupy a region of the HR diagram that is unexplained by canonical stellar evolution theory. Using new theoretical evolutionary and atmospheric models, we have shown that the blue hook stars are very likely the progeny of stars that undergo extensive internal mixing during a late helium core flash on the white dwarf cooling curve. This "flash mixing" produces an enormous enhancement of the surface helium and carbon abundances, which suppresses the flux in the far ultraviolet. Although flash mixing is more likely to occur in stars that are born with high helium abundances, a high helium abundance, by itself, does not explain the presence of a blue hook population - flash mixing of the envelope is required. We propose ACS ultraviolet {SBC/F150LP and HRC/F250W} observations of the five additional globular clusters for which the presence of blue hook stars is suspected from longer wavelength observations. Like omega Cen and NGC 2808, these five targets are also among the most massive globular clusters, because less massive clusters show no evidence for blue hook stars. Because our targets span 1.5 dex in metallicity, we will be able to test our prediction that flash-mixing should be less drastic in metal-rich blue hook stars. In addition, our observations will test the hypothesis that blue hook stars only form in globular clusters massive enough to retain the helium-enriched ejecta from the first stellar generation. If this hypothesis is correct, then our observations will yield important constraints on the chemical evolution and early formation history in globular clusters, as well as the role of helium self-enrichment in producing blue horizontal branch morphologies and multiple main sequence turnoffs. Finally, our observations will provide new insight into the

[Acute blue urticaria following subcutaneous injection of patent blue dye].

Science.gov (United States)

Hamelin, A; Vial-Dupuy, A; Lebrun-Vignes, B; Francès, C; Soria, A; Barete, S

2015-11-01

Patent blue (PB) is a lymphatic vessel dye commonly used in France for sentinel lymph node detection in breast cancer, and less frequently in melanoma, and which may induce hypersensitivity reactions. We report a case of acute blue urticaria occurring within minutes of PB injection. Ten minutes after PB injection for sentinel lymph node detection during breast cancer surgery, a 49-year-old woman developed generalised acute blue urticaria and eyelid angioedema without bronchospasm or haemodynamic disturbance, but requiring discontinuation of surgery. Skin testing using PB and the anaesthetics given were run 6 weeks after the episode and confirmed PB allergy. PB was formally contra-indicated. Immediate hypersensitivity reactions to PB have been reported for between 0.24 and 2.2% of procedures. Such reactions are on occasion severe, chiefly involving anaphylactic shock. Two mechanisms are probably associated: non-specific histamine release and/or an IgE-mediated mechanism. Skin tests are helpful in confirming the diagnosis of PB allergy. Blue acute urticaria is one of the clinical manifestations of immediate hypersensitivity reactions to patent blue dye. Skin tests must be performed 6 weeks after the reaction in order to confirm the diagnosis and formally contra-indicate this substance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Spectral analysis of pipe-to-soil potentials with variations of the Earth's magnetic field in the Australian region

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, R. A.; Waters, C. L.; Sciffer, M. D.

2010-05-01

Long, steel pipelines used to transport essential resources such as gas and oil are potentially vulnerable to space weather. In order to inhibit corrosion, the pipelines are usually coated in an insulating material and maintained at a negative electric potential with respect to Earth using cathodic protection units. During periods of enhanced geomagnetic activity, potential differences between the pipeline and surrounding soil (referred to as pipe-to-soil potentials (PSPs)) may exhibit large voltage swings which place the pipeline outside the recommended "safe range" and at an increased risk of corrosion. The PSP variations result from the "geoelectric" field at the Earth's surface and associated geomagnetic field variations. Previous research investigating the relationship between the surface geoelectric field and geomagnetic source fields has focused on the high-latitude regions where line currents in the ionosphere E region are often the assumed source of the geomagnetic field variations. For the Australian region Sq currents also contribute to the geomagnetic field variations and provide the major contribution during geomagnetic quiet times. This paper presents the results of a spectral analysis of PSP measurements from four pipeline networks from the Australian region with geomagnetic field variations from nearby magnetometers. The pipeline networks extend from Queensland in the north of Australia to Tasmania in the south and provide PSP variations during both active and quiet geomagnetic conditions. The spectral analyses show both consistent phase and amplitude relationships across all pipelines, even for large separations between magnetometer and PSP sites and for small-amplitude signals. Comparison between the observational relationships and model predictions suggests a method for deriving a geoelectric field proxy suitable for indicating PSP-related space weather conditions.

Spectral Behavior of Weakly Compressible Aero-Optical Distortions

Science.gov (United States)

Mathews, Edwin; Wang, Kan; Wang, Meng; Jumper, Eric

2016-11-01

In classical theories of optical distortions by atmospheric turbulence, an appropriate and key assumption is that index-of-refraction variations are dominated by fluctuations in temperature and the effects of turbulent pressure fluctuations are negligible. This assumption is, however, not generally valid for aero-optical distortions caused by turbulent flow over an optical aperture, where both temperature and pressures fluctuations may contribute significantly to the index-of-refraction fluctuations. A general expression for weak fluctuations in refractive index is derived using the ideal gas law and Gladstone-Dale relation and applied to describe the spectral behavior of aero-optical distortions. Large-eddy simulations of weakly compressible, temporally evolving shear layers are then used to verify the theoretical results. Computational results support theoretical findings and confirm that if the log slope of the 1-D density spectrum in the inertial range is -mρ , the optical phase distortion spectral slope is given by - (mρ + 1) . The value of mρ is then shown to be dependent on the ratio of shear-layer free-stream densities and bounded by the spectral slopes of temperature and pressure fluctuations. Supported by HEL-JTO through AFOSR Grant FA9550-13-1-0001 and Blue Waters Graduate Fellowship Program.

Airborne differential absorption lidar for water vapour measurements in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere in the spectral region around 940 nm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Poberaj, G.

2000-07-01

Two all-solid-state laser systems were developed and studied in detail to optimise their performance for an airborne water vapour differential absorption lidar (DIAL). Their special features are high average output powers and excellent spectral properties in the 940-nm spectral region relevant for monitoring very low water vapour contents in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. One system is an injection-seeded pulsed Ti:sapphire ring laser with a spectral bandwidth of 105 MHz and an average power of 1.1 W. The other system is an injection-seeded optical parametric oscillator (OPO) in a ring configuration. Using KTP as nonlinear crystal, a signal output with a spectral bandwidth of 140 MHz and an average power of 1.2 W was achieved. Both systems, the Ti:sapphire ring laser and the KTP OPO, possess spectral purity values higher than 99%. The pump source for these systems is a frequency doubled diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser operating at a repetition rate of 100 Hz. The KTP OPO system has been used as a transmitter in a new airborne water vapour DIAL instrument. For the first time, measurements of two-dimensional water vapour distributions with a high vertical (500 m) and horizontal (20 km) resolution across several potential vorticity streamers were performed. Very low water vapour mixing ratios (10-50 ppmv) and strong gradients were observed in the tropopause region. The sensitivity of the DIAL instrument in the centre of a stratospheric intrusion ranges from 3% in the near field to 12% in the far field (4 km). The first comparison experiments with in situ measuring instruments show a good agreement. Considerable differences are found between DIAL measurements and data obtained from the ECMWF operational analyses and a mesoscale numerical model. (orig.)

SPECTRAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SELECTED HERMATYPIC CORALS FROM GULF OF KACHCHH, INDIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Ray Chaudhury

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Hermatypic, scleractinian corals are the most important benthic substrates in a coral reef ecosystem. The existing, high (spatial resolution, broad-band, multi-spectral, space-borne sensors have limited capability to spatially detect and spectrally discriminate coral substrates. In situ hyperspectral signatures of eight coral targets were collected with the help of Analytical Spectral Devices FieldSpec spectroradiometer from Paga and Laku Point reefs of Gulf of Kachchh, India to study the spectral behaviour of corals. The eight coral targets consisted of seven live corals representing four distinct colony morphologies and one bleached coral target. The coral spectra were studied over a continuous range of 350 to 1350 nm. The corals strongly reflected in the NIR and MIR regions with regional central maximas located at 820 and 1070 nm respectively. In the visible region the live coral spectra conformed to "brown mode" of coral reflectance with triple-peaked pattern at 575, 600 and 650 nm. All coral spectra are characterized with two distinct absorption features: chlorophyll absorption at 675 nm and water absorption at 975 nm. The live and the bleached corals get distinguished in the visible region over 400 to 600 nm region. Water column over the targets modifies the spectral shape and magnitude. First and second-order derivatives help in identifying spectral windows to distinguish live and bleached corals.

Distinguishing the roles of meteorology, emission control measures, regional transport, and co-benefits of reduced aerosol feedbacks in ;APEC Blue;

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Meng; Liu, Zirui; Wang, Yuesi; Lu, Xiao; Ji, Dongsheng; Wang, Lili; Li, Meng; Wang, Zifa; Zhang, Qiang; Carmichael, Gregory R.

2017-10-01

Air quality are strongly influenced by both emissions and meteorological conditions. During the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) week (November 5-11, 2014), the Chinese government implemented unprecedented strict emission control measures in Beijing and surrounding provinces, and then a phenomenon referred to as ;APEC Blue; (rare blue sky) occurred. It is challenging to quantify the effectiveness of the implemented strict control measures solely based on observations. In this study, we use the WRF-Chem model to distinguish the roles of meteorology, emission control measures, regional transport, and co-benefits of reduced aerosol feedbacks during APEC week. In general, meteorological variables, PM2.5 concentrations and PM2.5 chemical compositions are well reproduced in Beijing. Positive weather conditions (lower temperature, lower relative humidity, higher wind speeds and enhanced boundary layer heights) play important roles in ;APEC Blue;. Applying strict emission control measures in Beijing and five surrounding provinces can only explain an average decrease of 17.7 μg/m3 (-21.8%) decreases in PM2.5 concentrations, roughly more than half of which is caused by emission controls that implemented in the five surrounding provinces (12.5 μg/m3). During the APEC week, non-local emissions contributed to 41.3% to PM2.5 concentrations in Beijing, and the effectiveness of implementing emission control measures hinges on dominant pathways and transport speeds. Besides, we also quantified the contribution of reduced aerosol feedbacks due to strict emission control measures in this study. During daytime, co-benefits of reduced aerosol feedbacks account for about 10.9% of the total decreases in PM2.5 concentrations in urban Beijing. The separation of contributions from aerosol absorption and scattering restates the importance of controlling BC to accelerate the effectiveness of aerosol pollution control.

Camouflage in thermal IR: spectral design

Science.gov (United States)

Pohl, Anna; Fagerström, Jan; Kariis, Hans; Lindell, Roland; Hallberg, Tomas; Högström, Herman

2016-10-01

In this work a spectral designed coating from SPECTROGON is evaluated. Spectral design in this case means that the coating has a reflectivity equal to one at 3-5 and 8-12 microns were sensors operate and a much lower reflectivity in the other wave length regions. Three boxes are evaluated: one metallic, one black-body and one with a spectral designed surface, all with a 15 W radiator inside the box. It is shown that the box with the spectral designed surface can combine the two good characteristics of the other boxes: low signature from the metallic box and reasonable inside temperature from the black-body box. The measurements were verified with calculations using RadThermIR.

Jagua blue derived from Genipa americana L. fruit: A natural alternative to commonly used blue food colorants?

Science.gov (United States)

Brauch, J E; Zapata-Porras, S P; Buchweitz, M; Aschoff, J K; Carle, R

2016-11-01

Due to consumers' increasing health awareness, food industry aims at replacing synthetic dyes by natural counterparts. The substitution of blue synthetic dyes is particularly challenging since current natural alternatives such as phycocyanin (Spirulina) suffer from poor stability. Jagua blue (produced from Genipa americana L. fruit) might represent a potential novel blue pigment source. However, only little is known about its color properties, and application in food systems. Therefore, the blue color and the stability of Jagua blue were assessed for the first time and compared to commonly used colorants, namely, Spirulina, brilliant blue FCF (Blue no. 1), and indigo carmine (Blue no. 2). The reaction rate of Jagua blue was independent of its concentration, confirming thermal degradation to follow first-order kinetics. Between pH 3.6 and 5.0, the color hue of Jagua blue solutions was similar to that of Blue no. 2. However, Jagua blue revealed markedly higher storage stabilities (t 1/2 =86-105days) than Blue no. 2 (t 1 /2 ≤9days) and was less susceptible to acidic pH of 3.6 (t 1 /2 =86days) than Spirulina (t 1 /2 =70days). High negative b* values (blueness) of colored gelatin gels were only obtained for Jagua blue and Spirulina, and the former exhibited higher light stabilities (t 1 /2 =15days) than Spirulina gels (t 1 /2 =4days). Our findings indicate Jagua blue to be a most promising alternative to synthetic dyes, providing relevant information regarding potential food applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sensitivity of Seven Diverse Species to Blue and Green Light: Interactions with Photon Flux.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Chase Snowden

Full Text Available Despite decades of research, the effects of spectral quality on plant growth, and development are not well understood. Much of our current understanding comes from studies with daily integrated light levels that are less than 10% of summer sunlight thus making it difficult to characterize interactions between light quality and quantity. Several studies have reported that growth is increased under fluorescent lamps compared to mixtures of wavelengths from LEDs. Conclusions regarding the effect of green light fraction range from detrimental to beneficial. Here we report the effects of eight blue and green light fractions at two photosynthetic photon fluxes (PPF; 200 and 500 μmol m-2 s-1; with a daily light integral of 11.5 and 29 mol m-2 d-1 on growth (dry mass, leaf expansion, stem and petiole elongation, and whole-plant net assimilation of seven diverse plant species. The treatments included cool, neutral, and warm white LEDs, and combinations of blue, green and/or red LEDs. At the higher PPF (500, increasing blue light in increments from 11 to 28% reduced growth in tomato, cucumber, and pepper by 22, 26, and 14% respectively, but there was no statistically significant effect on radish, soybean, lettuce or wheat. At the lower PPF (200, increasing blue light reduced growth only in tomato (41%. The effects of blue light on growth were mediated by changes in leaf area and radiation capture, with minimal effects on whole-plant net-assimilation. In contrast to the significant effects of blue light, increasing green light in increments from 0 to 30% had a relatively small effect on growth, leaf area and net assimilation at either low or high PPF. Surprisingly, growth of three of the seven species was not reduced by a treatment with 93% green light compared to the broad spectrum treatments. Collectively, these results are consistent with a shade avoidance response associated with either low blue or high green light fractions.

The Fictional Black Blues Figure: Blues Music and the Art of Narrative Self-Invention

OpenAIRE

Mack, Kimberly

2015-01-01

The Fictional Black Blues Figure: Blues Music and the Art of Narrative Self-Invention, Kimberly MackMy dissertation examines representations of black American blues musicians in contemporary American fiction, drama, and popular music, and it argues that blues music can be examined as a narrative art rooted in the tradition of fictionalized autobiographical self-fashioning. I contend that the contemporary, multi-racial, literary and musical characters in my project who participate in so-called...

Using Image Texture and Spectral Reflectance Analysis to Detect Yellowness and Esca in Grapevines at Leaf-Level

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hania Al-Saddik

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Plant diseases are one of the main reasons behind major economic and production losses in the agricultural field. Current research activities enable large fields monitoring and plant disease detection using innovative and robust technologies. French grapevines have a reputation for producing premium quality wines, however, these major fruit crops are susceptible to many diseases, including Esca, Downy mildew, Powdery mildew, Yellowing, and many others. In this study, we focused on two main infections (Esca and Yellowing, and data were gathered from fields that were located in Aquitaine and Burgundy regions, France. Since plant diseases can be diagnosed from the properties of the leaf, we acquired both Red-Green-Blue (RGB digital image and hyperspectral reflectance data from infected and healthy leaves. Biophysical parameters that were produced by the PROSPECT model inversion together with texture parameters compiled from the literature were deduced. Then we investigated their relationship to damage caused by Yellowing and Esca. This study examined whether spectral and textural data can identify the two diseases through the use of Neural Networks. We obtained an overall accuracy of 99% for both of the diseases when textural and spectral data are combined. These results suggest that, first, biophysical parameters present a valid dimension reduction tool that could replace the use of complete hyperspectral data. Second, remote sensing using spectral reflectance and digital images can make an overall nondestructive, rapid, cost-effective, and reproducible technique to determine diseases in grapevines with a good level of accuracy.

Coomassie Brilliant Blue G is a more potent antagonist of P2 purinergic responses than Reactive Blue 2 (Cibacron Blue 3GA) in rat parotid acinar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soltoff, S.P.; McMillian, M.K.; Talamo, B.R.

1989-01-01

The ability of Brilliant Blue G (Coomassie Brilliant Blue G) and Reactive Blue 2 (Cibacron Blue 3GA) to block the effects of extracellular ATP on rat parotid acinar cells was examined by evaluating their effects on ATP-stimulated 45Ca 2+ entry and the elevation of [Ca 2+ ]i (Fura 2 fluorescence). ATP (300 microM) increased the rate of Ca 2+ entry to more than 25-times the basal rate and elevated [Ca 2+ ]i to levels more than three times the basal value. Brilliant Blue G and Reactive Blue 2 greatly reduced the entry of 45 Ca 2+ into parotid cells, but the potency of Brilliant Blue G (IC50 approximately 0.4 microM) was about 100-times that of Reactive Blue 2. Fura 2 studies demonstrated that inhibitory concentrations of these compounds did not block the cholinergic response of these cells, thus demonstrating the selectivity of the dye compounds for purinergic receptors. Unlike Reactive Blue 2, effective concentrations of Brilliant Blue G did not substantially quench Fura 2 fluorescence. The greater potency of Brilliant Blue G suggests that it may be very useful in identifying P2-type purinergic receptors, especially in studies which utilize fluorescent probes

Preliminary evidence for a change in spectral sensitivity of the circadian system at night

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parsons Robert H

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background It is well established that the absolute sensitivity of the suprachiasmatic nucleus to photic stimulation received through the retino-hypothalamic tract changes throughout the 24-hour day. It is also believed that a combination of classical photoreceptors (rods and cones and melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells participate in circadian phototransduction, with a spectral sensitivity peaking between 440 and 500 nm. It is still unknown, however, whether the spectral sensitivity of the circadian system also changes throughout the solar day. Reported here is a new study that was designed to determine whether the spectral sensitivity of the circadian retinal phototransduction mechanism, measured through melatonin suppression and iris constriction, varies at night. Methods Human adult males were exposed to a high-pressure mercury lamp [450 lux (170 μW/cm2 at the cornea] and an array of blue light emitting diodes [18 lux (29 μW/cm2 at the cornea] during two nighttime experimental sessions. Both melatonin suppression and iris constriction were measured during and after a one-hour light exposure just after midnight and just before dawn. Results An increase in the percentage of melatonin suppression and an increase in pupil constriction for the mercury source relative to the blue light source at night were found, suggesting a temporal change in the contribution of photoreceptor mechanisms leading to melatonin suppression and, possibly, iris constriction by light in humans. Conclusion The preliminary data presented here suggest a change in the spectral sensitivity of circadian phototransduction mechanisms at two different times of the night. These findings are hypothesized to be the result of a change in the sensitivity of the melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells to light during the night.

Perianth bottom-specific blue color development in Tulip cv. Murasakizuisho requires ferric ions.

Science.gov (United States)

Shoji, Kazuaki; Miki, Naoko; Nakajima, Noriyuki; Momonoi, Kazumi; Kato, Chiharu; Yoshida, Kumi

2007-02-01

The entire flower of Tulipa gesneriana cv. Murasakizuisho is purple, except the bottom, which is blue. To elucidate the mechanism of the different color development in the same petal, we prepared protoplasts from the purple and blue epidermal regions and measured the flavonoid composition by HPLC, the vacuolar pH by a proton-selective microelectrode, and element contents by the inductively coupled plasma (ICP) method. Chemical analyses revealed that the anthocyanin and flavonol compositions in both purple and blue colored protoplasts were the same; delphinidin 3-O-rutinoside (1) and major three flavonol glycosides, manghaslin (2), rutin (3) and mauritianin (4). The vacuolar pH values of the purple and blue protoplasts were 5.5 and 5.6, respectively, without any significant difference. However, the Fe(3+) content in the blue protoplast was approximately 9.5 mM, which was 25 times higher than that in the purple protoplasts. We could reproduce the purple solution by mixing 1 with two equimolar concentrations of flavonol with lambda(vismax) = 539 nm, which was identical to that of the purple protoplasts. Furthermore, addition of Fe(3+) to the mixture of 1-4 gave the blue solution with lambda(vismax) = 615 nm identical to that of the blue protoplasts. We have established that Fe(3+) is essential for blue color development in the tulip.

Measuring Blue Space Visibility and 'Blue Recreation' in the Everyday Lives of Children in a Capital City.

Science.gov (United States)

Pearson, Amber L; Bottomley, Ross; Chambers, Tim; Thornton, Lukar; Stanley, James; Smith, Moira; Barr, Michelle; Signal, Louise

2017-05-26

Blue spaces (water bodies) may promote positive mental and physical health through opportunities for relaxation, recreation, and social connections. However, we know little about the nature and extent of everyday exposure to blue spaces, particularly in settings outside the home or among children, nor whether exposure varies by individual or household characteristics. Wearable cameras offer a novel, reliable method for blue space exposure measurement. In this study, we used images from cameras worn over two days by 166 children in Wellington, New Zealand, and conducted content and blue space quantification analysis on each image ( n = 749,389). Blue space was identified in 24,721 images (3.6%), with a total of 23 blue recreation events. Visual exposure and participation in blue recreation did not differ by ethnicity, weight status, household deprivation, or residential proximity to the coastline. Significant differences in both visual exposure to blue space and participation in blue recreation were observed, whereby children from the most deprived schools had significantly higher rates of blue space exposure than children from low deprivation schools. Schools may be important settings to promote equitable blue space exposures. Childhood exposures to blue space may not follow the expected income inequality trends observed among adults.

A reflectivity profilometer for the optical characterisation of graded reflectivity mirrors in the 250 nm - 1100 nm spectral region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colucci, Alessandro; Nichelatti, Enrico

1998-04-01

It's developed the prototype of an instrument that can be used for the optical characterisation of graded reflectivity mirrors at any wavelength in the spectral region from 250 nm to 1100 nm. The instrument utilises a high-pressure Xe arc lamp as light source. Light is spectrally filtered by means of a grating monochromator. The sample is illuminated with an image of the monochromator exit slit. After reflection from the sample, this image is projected onto a 1024-elements charge-coupled device linear array driven by a digital frame board and interfaced with a personal computer. It's tested the instrument accuracy by comparing measurement results with the corresponding ones obtained by means of a laser scanning technique. Measurement Rms repeatability has been estimated to be approximately of 0.8% [it

Blue and red thermoluminescence of natural quartz in the temperature region from -196 to 400deg. C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashimoto, Tetsuo; Yanagawa, Yuji; Yawata, Takashi

2007-01-01

Quartz samples of three different origins were γ-irradiated with 20kGy at room temperature or at the temperature of liquid nitrogen (-196 deg. C), and analyzed by on-line TL-emission spectrometry over two temperature ranges: above 200deg. C (high-temperature region) and -196 to 200deg. C (low-temperature region). The emission spectra in the high-temperature region could be separated into intense blue TL (BTL) or red TL (RTL) properties. All quartz samples displayed more or less both properties of BTL and RTL in the low temperature region, shifting the BTL-emission spectra towards violet. Particularly, volcanically originated quartz (RTL, Medeshima) showed highly complex BTL and RTL peaks in the low-temperature region, and a stronger simple RTL peak in the high temperature. These complex glow-curve peaks are considered to reflect the presence of many crystal defects and much content of impurities in the volcanically formed quartz. In the glow-curve measurements, Brazilian quartz (quartz-vein origin) gave weak RTL and intense BTL in the low-temperature range, followed by faint emission of BTL in the high-temperature side. On the other hand, the radiation-induced colored (CC) part of a Madagascan crystal rock slice (hydrothermal origin) showed intense BTL together with slight RTL in the low temperatures, followed by strong BTL and appreciable strength of RTL in the high temperatures. The BTL-emission pattern (TL-color image) of a Madagascan slice showed a complementary relationship between irradiations at liquid-nitrogen temperature and at room temperature. To explain these radiation-induced phenomena from quartz, hydrogen radicals and Li + ions, derived from radiolysis products of OH-related impurities, could operate to eliminate the BTL centers by recombination below the room temperature

75 FR 65525 - Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Claim Management Services, Inc. Operations, a Division of...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-25

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-74,327] Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Claim Management Services, Inc. Operations, a Division of Wellpoint, Inc., Green Bay, WI; Notice... former workers of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Claim Management Services, Inc. Operations, a Division...

Dyes adsorption blue vegetable and blue watercolor by natural zeolites modified with surfactants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jardon S, C. C.; Olguin G, M. T.; Diaz N, M. C.

2009-01-01

In this work was carried out the dyes removal blue vegetable and blue watercolor of aqueous solutions, to 20 C, at different times and using a zeolite mineral of Parral (Chihuahua, Mexico) modified with hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide or dodecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide. The zeolite was characterized before and after of its adaptation with NaCl and later with HDTMABr and DTMABr. For the materials characterization were used the scanning electron microscopy of high vacuum; elementary microanalysis by X-ray spectroscopy of dispersed energy and X-ray diffraction techniques. It was found that the surfactant type absorbed in the zeolite material influences on the adsorption process of the blue dye. Likewise, the chemical structure between the vegetable blue dye and the blue watercolor, determines the efficiency of the color removal of the water, by the zeolites modified with the surfactants. (Author)

Sparse spectral deconvolution algorithm for noncartesian MR spectroscopic imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhave, Sampada; Eslami, Ramin; Jacob, Mathews

2014-02-01

To minimize line shape distortions and spectral leakage artifacts in MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI). A spatially and spectrally regularized non-Cartesian MRSI algorithm that uses the line shape distortion priors, estimated from water reference data, to deconvolve the spectra is introduced. Sparse spectral regularization is used to minimize noise amplification associated with deconvolution. A spiral MRSI sequence that heavily oversamples the central k-space regions is used to acquire the MRSI data. The spatial regularization term uses the spatial supports of brain and extracranial fat regions to recover the metabolite spectra and nuisance signals at two different resolutions. Specifically, the nuisance signals are recovered at the maximum resolution to minimize spectral leakage, while the point spread functions of metabolites are controlled to obtain acceptable signal-to-noise ratio. The comparisons of the algorithm against Tikhonov regularized reconstructions demonstrates considerably reduced line-shape distortions and improved metabolite maps. The proposed sparsity constrained spectral deconvolution scheme is effective in minimizing the line-shape distortions. The dual resolution reconstruction scheme is capable of minimizing spectral leakage artifacts. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Model of UV flashes due to gigantic blue jets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milikh, G M; Shneider, M N

2008-01-01

Analysis of UV flashes observed by the UV detector on board the 'Tatiana' microsatellite suggests, based on their location, pulse width and energy of the source of the photons, that the flashes were generated by gigantic blue jets (GBJs). Presented in this paper is a numerical model of UV flashes due to a bunch of long streamers which form a leader, a prong such as that observed in a GBJ. Using a previously developed model of upward propagation of a long streamer in the exponential atmosphere the paper describes temporal evolution of the UV flux generated by a bunch of long streamers, in the given spectral range 300-400 nm used by the UV detector on board 'Tatiana'. The model is in agreement with the observations.

Blue-enriched office light competes with natural light as a zeitgeber.

Science.gov (United States)

Vetter, Céline; Juda, Myriam; Lang, Dieter; Wojtysiak, Andreas; Roenneberg, Till

2011-09-01

Circadian regulation of human physiology and behavior (eg, body temperature or sleep-timing), depends on the "zeitgeber" light that synchronizes them to the 24-hour day. This study investigated the effect of changing light temperature at the workplace from 4000 Kelvin (K) to 8000 K on sleep-wake and activity-rest behavior. An experimental group (N=27) that experienced the light change was compared with a non-intervention group (N=27) that remained in the 4000 K environment throughout the 5-week study period (14 January to 17 February). Sleep logs and actimetry continuously assessed sleep-wake behavior and activity patterns. Over the study period, the timing of sleep and activity on free days steadily advanced parallel to the seasonal progression of sunrise in the non-intervention group. In contrast, the temporal pattern of sleep and activity in the experimental group remained associated with the constant onset of work. The results suggest that artificial blue-enriched light competes with natural light as a zeitgeber. While subjects working under the warmer light (4000 K) appear to entrain (or synchronize) to natural dawn, the subjects who were exposed to blue-enriched (8000 K) light appear to entrain to office hours. The results confirm that light is the dominant zeitgeber for the human clock and that its efficacy depends on spectral composition. The results also indicate that blue-enriched artificial light is a potent zeitgeber that has to be used with diligence.

Color change of Blue butterfly wing scales in an air – Vapor ambient

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kertész, Krisztián, E-mail: kertesz.krisztian@ttk.mta.hu [Institute of Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Natural Sciences, H-1525 Budapest, PO Box 49, Hungary(http://www.nanotechnology.hu) (Hungary); Piszter, Gábor [Institute of Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Natural Sciences, H-1525 Budapest, PO Box 49, Hungary(http://www.nanotechnology.hu) (Hungary); Jakab, Emma [Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Centre for Natural Sciences, H-1525 Budapest, PO Box 17 (Hungary); Bálint, Zsolt [Hungarian Natural History Museum, Baross utca 13, H-1088 Budapest (Hungary); Vértesy, Zofia; Biró, László Péter [Institute of Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Natural Sciences, H-1525 Budapest, PO Box 49, Hungary(http://www.nanotechnology.hu) (Hungary)

2013-09-15

Photonic crystals are periodic dielectric nanocomposites, which have photonic band gaps that forbid the propagation of light within certain frequency ranges. The optical response of such nanoarchitectures on chemical changes in the environment is determined by the spectral change of the reflected light, and depends on the composition of the ambient atmosphere and on the nanostructure characteristics. We carried out reflectance measurements on closely related Blue lycaenid butterfly males possessing so-called “pepper-pot” type photonic nanoarchitecture in their scales covering their dorsal wing surfaces. Experiments were carried out changing the concentration and nature of test vapors while monitoring the spectral variations in time. All the tests were done with the sample temperature set at, and below the room temperature. The spectral changes were found to be linear with the increasing of concentration and the signal amplitude is higher at lower temperatures. The mechanism of reflectance spectra modification is based on capillary condensation of the vapors penetrating in the nanostructure. These structures of natural origin may serve as cheap, environmentally free and biodegradable sensor elements. The study of these nanoarchitectures of biologic origin could be the source of various new bioinspired systems.

Color change of Blue butterfly wing scales in an air – Vapor ambient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kertész, Krisztián; Piszter, Gábor; Jakab, Emma; Bálint, Zsolt; Vértesy, Zofia; Biró, László Péter

2013-01-01

Photonic crystals are periodic dielectric nanocomposites, which have photonic band gaps that forbid the propagation of light within certain frequency ranges. The optical response of such nanoarchitectures on chemical changes in the environment is determined by the spectral change of the reflected light, and depends on the composition of the ambient atmosphere and on the nanostructure characteristics. We carried out reflectance measurements on closely related Blue lycaenid butterfly males possessing so-called “pepper-pot” type photonic nanoarchitecture in their scales covering their dorsal wing surfaces. Experiments were carried out changing the concentration and nature of test vapors while monitoring the spectral variations in time. All the tests were done with the sample temperature set at, and below the room temperature. The spectral changes were found to be linear with the increasing of concentration and the signal amplitude is higher at lower temperatures. The mechanism of reflectance spectra modification is based on capillary condensation of the vapors penetrating in the nanostructure. These structures of natural origin may serve as cheap, environmentally free and biodegradable sensor elements. The study of these nanoarchitectures of biologic origin could be the source of various new bioinspired systems.

Spectral curves of surface reflectance in some Antarctic regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lupi, A.; Tomasi, C.; Orsini, A.; Cacciari, A.; Vitale, V.; Georgiadis, T.; Casacchia, R.; Salvatori, R.; Salvi, S.

2001-01-01

Four surface reflectance models of solar radiation were determined by examining several sets of field measurements taken for clear-sky conditions at various sites in Antarctica. Each model consists of the mean spectral curve of surface reflectance in the 0.25-2.7 μm wavelength range and of the dependence curve of total abedo on the solar elevation angle h, within the range from 5 0 to 55 0 . The TNB (Terra Nova Bay) model refers to a rocky terrain where granites are predominant; the NIS (Nansen Ice Sheet) model to a glacier surface made uneven by sastrugi and streaked by irregular fractures; the HAP (High Altitude Plateau) model to a flat ice surface covered by fresh snow and scored by light sastrugi; and the RIS (Ross Ice Shelf) model to an area covered by the sea ice pack presenting many discontinuities in the reflectance features, due to melt water lakes, puddles, refrozen ice and snow pots. The reflectance curve obtained for the TNB model presents gradually increasing values as wavelength increases through the visible spectral range and almost constant values at infrared wavelengths, giving a total albedo value equal to 0.264 at = 30 0 , which increases by about 80% through the lower range of h and decreases by 12% through the upper range. The reflectance curves of the NIS, HAP and RIS models are all peaked at visible wavelengths and exhibit decreasing values throughout the infrared spectral range, giving values of total albedo equal to 0.464, 0.738 and 0.426 at h 30 0 , respectively. These values were estimated to increase by 8-14% as h decreases from 30 0 to 5 0 and to decrease by 2-4% only as h increases from 30 0 to 55 0

Perceptual sensitivity to spectral properties of earlier sounds during speech categorization.

Science.gov (United States)

Stilp, Christian E; Assgari, Ashley A

2018-02-28

Speech perception is heavily influenced by surrounding sounds. When spectral properties differ between earlier (context) and later (target) sounds, this can produce spectral contrast effects (SCEs) that bias perception of later sounds. For example, when context sounds have more energy in low-F 1 frequency regions, listeners report more high-F 1 responses to a target vowel, and vice versa. SCEs have been reported using various approaches for a wide range of stimuli, but most often, large spectral peaks were added to the context to bias speech categorization. This obscures the lower limit of perceptual sensitivity to spectral properties of earlier sounds, i.e., when SCEs begin to bias speech categorization. Listeners categorized vowels (/ɪ/-/ɛ/, Experiment 1) or consonants (/d/-/g/, Experiment 2) following a context sentence with little spectral amplification (+1 to +4 dB) in frequency regions known to produce SCEs. In both experiments, +3 and +4 dB amplification in key frequency regions of the context produced SCEs, but lesser amplification was insufficient to bias performance. This establishes a lower limit of perceptual sensitivity where spectral differences across sounds can bias subsequent speech categorization. These results are consistent with proposed adaptation-based mechanisms that potentially underlie SCEs in auditory perception. Recent sounds can change what speech sounds we hear later. This can occur when the average frequency composition of earlier sounds differs from that of later sounds, biasing how they are perceived. These "spectral contrast effects" are widely observed when sounds' frequency compositions differ substantially. We reveal the lower limit of these effects, as +3 dB amplification of key frequency regions in earlier sounds was enough to bias categorization of the following vowel or consonant sound. Speech categorization being biased by very small spectral differences across sounds suggests that spectral contrast effects occur

Spectrally interleaved, comb-mode-resolved spectroscopy using swept dual terahertz combs.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsieh, Yi-Da; Iyonaga, Yuki; Sakaguchi, Yoshiyuki; Yokoyama, Shuko; Inaba, Hajime; Minoshima, Kaoru; Hindle, Francis; Araki, Tsutomu; Yasui, Takeshi

2014-01-22

Optical frequency combs are innovative tools for broadband spectroscopy because a series of comb modes can serve as frequency markers that are traceable to a microwave frequency standard. However, a mode distribution that is too discrete limits the spectral sampling interval to the mode frequency spacing even though individual mode linewidth is sufficiently narrow. Here, using a combination of a spectral interleaving and dual-comb spectroscopy in the terahertz (THz) region, we achieved a spectral sampling interval equal to the mode linewidth rather than the mode spacing. The spectrally interleaved THz comb was realized by sweeping the laser repetition frequency and interleaving additional frequency marks. In low-pressure gas spectroscopy, we achieved an improved spectral sampling density of 2.5 MHz and enhanced spectral accuracy of 8.39 × 10(-7) in the THz region. The proposed method is a powerful tool for simultaneously achieving high resolution, high accuracy, and broad spectral coverage in THz spectroscopy.

Spectrally interleaved, comb-mode-resolved spectroscopy using swept dual terahertz combs

Science.gov (United States)

Hsieh, Yi-Da; Iyonaga, Yuki; Sakaguchi, Yoshiyuki; Yokoyama, Shuko; Inaba, Hajime; Minoshima, Kaoru; Hindle, Francis; Araki, Tsutomu; Yasui, Takeshi

2014-01-01

Optical frequency combs are innovative tools for broadband spectroscopy because a series of comb modes can serve as frequency markers that are traceable to a microwave frequency standard. However, a mode distribution that is too discrete limits the spectral sampling interval to the mode frequency spacing even though individual mode linewidth is sufficiently narrow. Here, using a combination of a spectral interleaving and dual-comb spectroscopy in the terahertz (THz) region, we achieved a spectral sampling interval equal to the mode linewidth rather than the mode spacing. The spectrally interleaved THz comb was realized by sweeping the laser repetition frequency and interleaving additional frequency marks. In low-pressure gas spectroscopy, we achieved an improved spectral sampling density of 2.5 MHz and enhanced spectral accuracy of 8.39 × 10-7 in the THz region. The proposed method is a powerful tool for simultaneously achieving high resolution, high accuracy, and broad spectral coverage in THz spectroscopy.

BlueHealth: a study programme protocol for mapping and quantifying the potential benefits to public health and well-being from Europe’s blue spaces

Science.gov (United States)

White, Mathew P; Albin, Maria; Bell, Simon; Elliott, Lewis R; Gascón, Mireia; Gualdi, Silvio; Mancini, Laura; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J; Sarigiannis, Denis A; van den Bosch, Matilda; Wolf, Tanja; Wuijts, Susanne; Fleming, Lora E

2017-01-01

Introduction Proximity and access to water have long been central to human culture and accordingly deliver countless societal benefits. Over 200 million people live on Europe’s coastline, and aquatic environments are the top recreational destination in the region. In terms of public health, interactions with ‘blue space’ (eg, coasts, rivers, lakes) are often considered solely in terms of risk (eg, drowning, microbial pollution). Exposure to blue space can, however, promote health and well-being and prevent disease, although underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Aims and methods The BlueHealth project aims to understand the relationships between exposure to blue space and health and well-being, to map and quantify the public health impacts of changes to both natural blue spaces and associated urban infrastructure in Europe, and to provide evidence-based information to policymakers on how to maximise health benefits associated with interventions in and around aquatic environments. To achieve these aims, an evidence base will be created through systematic reviews, analyses of secondary data sets and analyses of new data collected through a bespoke international survey and a wide range of community-level interventions. We will also explore how to deliver the benefits associated with blue spaces to those without direct access through the use of virtual reality. Scenarios will be developed that allow the evaluation of health impacts in plausible future societal contexts and changing environments. BlueHealth will develop key inputs into policymaking and land/water-use planning towards more salutogenic and sustainable uses of blue space, particularly in urban areas. Ethics and dissemination Throughout the BlueHealth project, ethics review and approval are obtained for all relevant aspects of the study by the local ethics committees prior to any work being initiated and an ethics expert has been appointed to the project advisory board. So far, ethical approval

Spectral backward radiation profile

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwon, Sung Duck; Lee, Keun Hyun; Kim, Bo Ra; Yoon, Suk Soo

2004-01-01

Ultrasonic backward radiation profile is frequency-dependent when incident region has deptional gradient of acoustical properties or multi-layers. Until now, we have measured the profiles of principal frequencies of used transducers so that it was not easy to understand the change of the frequency component and spectrum of backward radiation from the profile. We tried to measure the spectral backward radiation profiles using DFP(digital filer package) Lecroy DSO. The very big changes in the shape and pattern of spectral backward radiation profiles leads to the conclusion that this new try could be very effective tool to evaluate frequency dependent surface area.

Automated multifunction apparatus for spectral and polarization measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stepanov, A.N.; Kurakov, A.Ya.

1992-01-01

An automated spectral apparatus is described that is based on an SDL-2 spectrometer for spectral and polarization measurements with small specimens (0.15 x 0.15 mm) by the Fourier-coefficient method in the visible and ultraviolet regions over a wide range of temperatures. The absorption, dichroism, birefringence, and polarization orientation of natural waves are determined simultaneously in a single measurement cycle. Polarization-luminescence spectra can also be recorded from one region of the specimen without its adjustment. 3 refs., 3 figs

Automatic parquet block sorting using real-time spectral classification

Science.gov (United States)

Astrom, Anders; Astrand, Erik; Johansson, Magnus

1999-03-01

This paper presents a real-time spectral classification system based on the PGP spectrograph and a smart image sensor. The PGP is a spectrograph which extracts the spectral information from a scene and projects the information on an image sensor, which is a method often referred to as Imaging Spectroscopy. The classification is based on linear models and categorizes a number of pixels along a line. Previous systems adopting this method have used standard sensors, which often resulted in poor performance. The new system, however, is based on a patented near-sensor classification method, which exploits analogue features on the smart image sensor. The method reduces the enormous amount of data to be processed at an early stage, thus making true real-time spectral classification possible. The system has been evaluated on hardwood parquet boards showing very good results. The color defects considered in the experiments were blue stain, white sapwood, yellow decay and red decay. In addition to these four defect classes, a reference class was used to indicate correct surface color. The system calculates a statistical measure for each parquet block, giving the pixel defect percentage. The patented method makes it possible to run at very high speeds with a high spectral discrimination ability. Using a powerful illuminator, the system can run with a line frequency exceeding 2000 line/s. This opens up the possibility to maintain high production speed and still measure with good resolution.

Blue Ocean Thinking

Science.gov (United States)

Orem, Donna

2016-01-01

This article describes a concept called the "blue ocean thinking strategy," developed by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, professors at INSEAD, an international graduate school of business in France. The "blue ocean" thinking strategy considers opportunities to create new markets for services, rather than focusing solely on…

Development of ultraviolet- and visible-light one-shot spectral domain optical coherence tomography and in situ measurements of human skin

Science.gov (United States)

Hirayama, Heijiro; Nakamura, Sohichiro

2015-07-01

We have developed ultraviolet (UV)- and visible-light one-shot spectral domain (SD) optical coherence tomography (OCT) that enables in situ imaging of human skin with an arbitrary wavelength in the UV-visible-light region (370-800 nm). We alleviated the computational burden for each color OCT image by physically dispersing the irradiating light with a color filter. The system consists of SD-OCT with multicylindrical lenses; thus, mechanical scanning of the mirror or stage is unnecessary to obtain an OCT image. Therefore, only a few dozens of milliseconds are necessary to obtain single-image data. We acquired OCT images of one subject's skin in vivo and of a skin excision ex vivo for red (R, 650±20 nm), green (G, 550±20 nm), blue (B, 450±20 nm), and UV (397±5 nm) light. In the visible-light spectrum, R light penetrated the skin and was reflected at a lower depth than G or B light. On the skin excision, we demonstrated that UV light reached the dermal layer. We anticipated that basic knowledge about the spectral properties of human skin in the depth direction could be acquired with this system.

Blue Emission in Proteins

OpenAIRE

Sarkar, Sohini; Sengupta, Abhigyan; Hazra, Partha; Mandal, Pankaj

2014-01-01

Recent literatures reported blue-green emission from amyloid fibril as exclusive signature of fibril formation. This unusual visible luminescence is regularly used to monitor fibril growth. Blue-green emission has also been observed in crystalline protein and in solution. However, the origin of this emission is not known exactly. Our spectroscopic study of serum proteins reveals that the blue-green emission is a property of protein monomer. Evidences suggest that semiconductor-like band struc...

Spectral CT of carotid atherosclerotic plaque: comparison with histology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zainon, R.; Doesburg, R.M. [University of Canterbury, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Christchurch (New Zealand); Ronaldson, J.P.; Gieseg, S.P. [University of Otago, Centre for Bioengineering, Christchurch (New Zealand); Janmale, T. [University of Canterbury, Free Radical Biochemistry Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Christchurch (New Zealand); Scott, N.J. [University of Otago, Department of Medicine, Christchurch (New Zealand); Buckenham, T.M. [University of Otago, Department of Academic Radiology, Christchurch (New Zealand); Butler, A.P.H. [University of Otago, Centre for Bioengineering, Christchurch (New Zealand); University of Otago, Department of Academic Radiology, Christchurch (New Zealand); University of Canterbury, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Christchurch (New Zealand); European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland); Butler, P.H. [University of Canterbury, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Christchurch (New Zealand); European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland); Roake, J.A. [Christchurch Hospital, Department of Vascular, Endovascular and Transplant Surgery, Christchurch (New Zealand); Anderson, N.G. [University of Otago, Centre for Bioengineering, Christchurch (New Zealand); University of Otago, Department of Academic Radiology, Christchurch (New Zealand); University of Otago, Christchurch, Department of Radiology, PO Box 4345, Christchurch (New Zealand)

2012-12-15

To distinguish components of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque by imaging their energy response using spectral CT and comparing images with histology. After spectroscopic calibration using phantoms of plaque surrogates, excised human carotid atherosclerotic plaques were imaged using MARS CT using a photon-processing detector with a silicon sensor layer and microfocus X-ray tube (50 kVp, 0.5 mA) at 38-{mu}m voxel size. The plaques were imaged, sectioned and re-imaged using four threshold energies: 10, 16, 22 and 28 keV; then sequentially stained with modified Von Kossa, Perl's Prussian blue and Oil-Red O, and photographed. Relative Hounsfield units across the energies were entered into a linear algebraic material decomposition model to identify the unknown plaque components. Lipid, calcium, iron and water-like components of plaque have distinguishable energy responses to X-ray, visible on spectral CT images. CT images of the plaque surface correlated very well with histological photographs. Calcium deposits (>1,000 {mu}m) in plaque are larger than iron deposits (<100 {mu}m), but could not be distinguished from each other within the same voxel using the energy range available. Spectral CT displays energy information in image form at high spatial resolution, enhancing the intrinsic contrast of lipid, calcium and iron within atheroma. (orig.)

One-Step Preparation of Blue-Emitting (La,Ca)Si3(O,N)5:Ce3+ Phosphors for High-Color Rendering White Light-Emitting Diodes

Science.gov (United States)

Yaguchi, Atsuro; Suehiro, Takayuki; Sato, Tsugio; Hirosaki, Naoto

2011-02-01

Highly phase-pure (La,Ca)Si3(O,N)5:Ce3+ blue-emitting phosphors were successfully synthesized via the one-step solid-state reaction from the system La2O3-CaO-CeO2-Si3N4. The synthesized (La,Ca)Si3(O,N)5:Ce3+ exhibits tunable blue broadband emission with the dominant wavelength of 466-479 nm and the external quantum efficiency up to ˜45% under 380 nm near-UV (NUV) excitation. Spectral simulations of the trichromatic white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) using (La,Ca)Si3(O,N)5:Ce3+ demonstrated markedly higher color rendering index Ra values of 93-95, compared to 76-90 attained by the systems using a conventional BAM:Eu2+ phosphor or InGaN blue LED. The present achievement indicates the promising applicability of (La,Ca)Si3(O,N)5:Ce3+ as a blue luminescent source for NUV-converting high-color rendering white LEDs.

BlueHealth: a study programme protocol for mapping and quantifying the potential benefits to public health and well-being from Europe's blue spaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Grellier, James; White, Mathew P; Albin, Maria; Bell, Simon; Elliott, Lewis R; Gascón, Mireia; Gualdi, Silvio; Mancini, Laura; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J; Sarigiannis, Denis A; van den Bosch, Matilda; Wolf, Tanja; Wuijts, Susanne; Fleming, Lora E

2017-06-14

Proximity and access to water have long been central to human culture and accordingly deliver countless societal benefits. Over 200 million people live on Europe's coastline, and aquatic environments are the top recreational destination in the region. In terms of public health, interactions with 'blue space' (eg, coasts, rivers, lakes) are often considered solely in terms of risk (eg, drowning, microbial pollution). Exposure to blue space can, however, promote health and well-being and prevent disease, although underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. The BlueHealth project aims to understand the relationships between exposure to blue space and health and well-being, to map and quantify the public health impacts of changes to both natural blue spaces and associated urban infrastructure in Europe, and to provide evidence-based information to policymakers on how to maximise health benefits associated with interventions in and around aquatic environments. To achieve these aims, an evidence base will be created through systematic reviews, analyses of secondary data sets and analyses of new data collected through a bespoke international survey and a wide range of community-level interventions. We will also explore how to deliver the benefits associated with blue spaces to those without direct access through the use of virtual reality. Scenarios will be developed that allow the evaluation of health impacts in plausible future societal contexts and changing environments. BlueHealth will develop key inputs into policymaking and land/water-use planning towards more salutogenic and sustainable uses of blue space, particularly in urban areas. Throughout the BlueHealth project, ethics review and approval are obtained for all relevant aspects of the study by the local ethics committees prior to any work being initiated and an ethics expert has been appointed to the project advisory board. So far, ethical approval has been obtained for the BlueHealth International Survey and

Identification of the optimal spectral region for plasmonic and nanoplasmonic sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Otte, Marinus A; Sepúlveda, Borja; Ni, Weihai; Juste, Jorge Pérez; Liz-Marzán, Luis M; Lechuga, Laura M

2010-01-26

We present a theoretical and experimental study involving the sensing characteristics of wavelength-interrogated plasmonic sensors based on surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) in planar gold films and on localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) of single gold nanorods. The tunability of both sensing platforms allowed us to analyze their bulk and surface sensing characteristics as a function of the plasmon resonance position. We demonstrate that a general figure of merit (FOM), which is equivalent in wavelength and energy scales, can be employed to mutually compare both sensing schemes. Most interestingly, this FOM has revealed a spectral region for which the surface sensitivity performance of both sensor types is optimized, which we attribute to the intrinsic dielectric properties of plasmonic materials. Additionally, in good agreement with theoretical predictions, we experimentally demonstrate that, although the SPP sensor offers a much better bulk sensitivity, the LSPR sensor shows an approximately 15% better performance for surface sensitivity measurements when its FOM is optimized. However, optimization of the substrate refractive index and the accessibility of the relevant molecules to the nanoparticles can lead to a total 3-fold improvement of the FOM in LSPR sensors.

Spectral Analysis of Quantum-Dash Lasers: Effect of Inhomogeneous Broadening of the Active-Gain Region

KAUST Repository

Khan, Mohammed Zahed Mustafa

2012-05-01

The effect of the active region inhomogeneity on the spectral characteristics of InAs/InP quantum-dash (Qdash) lasers is examined theoretically by solving the coupled set of carrier-photon rate equations. The inhomogeneity due to dash size or composition fluctuation is included in the model by considering dispersive energy states and characterized by a Gaussian envelope. In addition, the technique incorporates multilongitudinal photon modes and homogeneous broadening of the optical gain. The results predict a red shift in the central lasing wavelength of Qdash lasers on increasing the inhomogeneous broadening either explicitly or implicitly, which supports various experimental observations. The threshold current density and the lasing bandwidth are also found to increase. © 2012 IEEE.

Spectral Analysis of Quantum-Dash Lasers: Effect of Inhomogeneous Broadening of the Active-Gain Region

KAUST Repository

Khan, Mohammed Zahed Mustafa; Ng, Tien Khee; Ooi, Boon S.; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2012-01-01

The effect of the active region inhomogeneity on the spectral characteristics of InAs/InP quantum-dash (Qdash) lasers is examined theoretically by solving the coupled set of carrier-photon rate equations. The inhomogeneity due to dash size or composition fluctuation is included in the model by considering dispersive energy states and characterized by a Gaussian envelope. In addition, the technique incorporates multilongitudinal photon modes and homogeneous broadening of the optical gain. The results predict a red shift in the central lasing wavelength of Qdash lasers on increasing the inhomogeneous broadening either explicitly or implicitly, which supports various experimental observations. The threshold current density and the lasing bandwidth are also found to increase. © 2012 IEEE.

Observed Spectral Invariant Behavior of Zenith Radiance in the Transition Zone Between Cloud-Free and Cloudy Regions

Science.gov (United States)

Marshak, A.; Knyazikhin, Y.; Chiu, C.; Wiscombe, W.

2010-01-01

The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program's (ARM) new Shortwave Spectrometer (SWS) looks straight up and measures zenith radiance at 418 wavelengths between 350 and 2200 nm. Because of its 1-sec sampling resolution, the SWS provides a unique capability to study the transition zone between cloudy and clear sky areas. A surprising spectral invariant behavior is found between ratios of zenith radiance spectra during the transition from cloudy to cloud-free atmosphere. This behavior suggests that the spectral signature of the transition zone is a linear mixture between the two extremes (definitely cloudy and definitely clear). The weighting function of the linear mixture is found to be a wavelength-independent characteristic of the transition zone. It is shown that the transition zone spectrum is fully determined by this function and zenith radiance spectra of clear and cloudy regions. This new finding may help us to better understand and quantify such physical phenomena as humidification of aerosols in the relatively moist cloud environment and evaporation and activation of cloud droplets.

Divergence and gene flow in the globally distributed blue-winged ducks

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Joel; Wilson, Robert E.; McCracken, Kevin G.; Cumming, Graeme; Joseph, Leo; Guay, Patrick-Jean; Peters, Jeffrey

2017-01-01

The ability to disperse over long distances can result in a high propensity for colonizing new geographic regions, including uninhabited continents, and lead to lineage diversification via allopatric speciation. However, high vagility can also result in gene flow between otherwise allopatric populations, and in some cases, parapatric or divergence-with-gene-flow models might be more applicable to widely distributed lineages. Here, we use five nuclear introns and the mitochondrial control region along with Bayesian models of isolation with migration to examine divergence, gene flow, and phylogenetic relationships within a cosmopolitan lineage comprising six species, the blue-winged ducks (genus Anas), which inhabit all continents except Antarctica. We found two primary sub-lineages, the globally-distributed shoveler group and the New World blue-winged/cinnamon teal group. The blue-winged/cinnamon sub-lineage is composed of sister taxa from North America and South America, and taxa with parapatric distributions are characterized by low to moderate levels of gene flow. In contrast, our data support strict allopatry for most comparisons within the shovelers. However, we found evidence of gene flow from the migratory, Holarctic northern shoveler (A. clypeata) and the more sedentary, African Cape shoveler (A. smithii) into the Australasian shoveler (A. rhynchotis), although we could not reject strict allopatry. Given the diverse mechanisms of speciation within this complex, the shovelers and blue-winged/cinnamon teals can serve as an effective model system for examining how the genome diverges under different evolutionary processes and how genetic variation is partitioned among highly dispersive taxa.

The effect of inter-annual variability of consumption, production, trade and climate on crop-related green and blue water footprints and inter-regional virtual water trade: A study for China (1978-2008).

Science.gov (United States)

Zhuo, La; Mekonnen, Mesfin M; Hoekstra, Arjen Y

2016-05-01

Previous studies into the relation between human consumption and indirect water resources use have unveiled the remote connections in virtual water (VW) trade networks, which show how communities externalize their water footprint (WF) to places far beyond their own region, but little has been done to understand variability in time. This study quantifies the effect of inter-annual variability of consumption, production, trade and climate on WF and VW trade, using China over the period 1978-2008 as a case study. Evapotranspiration, crop yields and green and blue WFs of crops are estimated at a 5 × 5 arc-minute resolution for 22 crops, for each year in the study period, thus accounting for climate variability. The results show that crop yield improvements during the study period helped to reduce the national average WF of crop consumption per capita by 23%, with a decreasing contribution to the total from cereals and increasing contribution from oil crops. The total consumptive WFs of national crop consumption and crop production, however, grew by 6% and 7%, respectively. By 2008, 28% of total water consumption in crop fields in China served the production of crops for export to other regions and, on average, 35% of the crop-related WF of a Chinese consumer was outside its own province. Historically, the net VW within China was from the water-rich South to the water-scarce North, but intensifying North-to-South crop trade reversed the net VW flow since 2000, which amounted 6% of North's WF of crop production in 2008. South China thus gradually became dependent on food supply from the water-scarce North. Besides, during the whole study period, China's domestic inter-regional VW flows went dominantly from areas with a relatively large to areas with a relatively small blue WF per unit of crop, which in 2008 resulted in a trade-related blue water loss of 7% of the national total blue WF of crop production. The case of China shows that domestic trade, as governed by

Evaluation of Code Blue Implementation Outcomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bengü Özütürk

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Aim: In this study, we aimed to emphasize the importance of Code Blue implementation and to determine deficiencies in this regard. Methods: After obtaining the ethics committee approval, 225 patient’s code blue call data between 2012 and 2014 January were retrospectively analyzed. Age and gender of the patients, date and time of the call and the clinics giving Code Blue, the time needed for the Code Blue team to arrive, the rates of false Code Blue calls, reasons for Code Blue calls and patient outcomes were investigated. Results: A total of 225 patients (149 male, 76 female were evaluated in the study. The mean age of the patients was 54.1 years. 142 (67.2% Code Blue calls occurred after hours and by emergency unit. The mean time for the Code Blue team to arrive was 1.10 minutes. Spontaneous circulation was provided in 137 patients (60.8%; 88 (39.1% died. The most commonly identified possible causes were of cardiac origin. Conclusion: This study showed that Code Blue implementation with a professional team within an efficient and targeted time increase the survival rate. Therefore, we conclude that the application of Code Blue carried out by a trained team is an essential standard in hospitals. (The Medical Bulletin of Haseki 2015; 53:204-8

Methylene blue doped polymers: efficient media for optical recording

Science.gov (United States)

Ushamani, M.; Sreekumar, K.; Sudha Kartha, C.; Joseph, R.

2004-05-01

Polymer materials find application in optical storage technology, namely in the development of high information density and fast access type memories. A new polymer blend of methylene blue sensitized polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) in methanol is prepared and characterized and its comparison with methylene blue sensitized PVA in methanol and complexed methylene blue sensitized polyvinyl chloride (CMBPVC) is presented. The optical absorption spectra of the thin films of these polymers showed a strong and broad absorption region at 670-650 nm, matching the wavelength of the laser used. A very slow recovery of the dye on irradiation was observed when a 7:3 blend of polyvinyl alcohol/polyacrylic acid at a pH of 3.8 and a sensitizer concentration of 4.67 · 10-5 g/ml were used. A diffraction efficiency of up to 20% was observed for the MBPVA/alcohol system and an energetic sensitivity of 2000 mJ/cm2 was obtained in the photosensitive films with a spatial frequency of 588 lines/mm.

Tunable photonic crystals with partial bandgaps from blue phase colloidal crystals and dielectric-doped blue phases.

Science.gov (United States)

Stimulak, Mitja; Ravnik, Miha

2014-09-07

Blue phase colloidal crystals and dielectric nanoparticle/polymer doped blue phases are demonstrated to combine multiple components with different symmetries in one photonic material, creating a photonic crystal with variable and micro-controllable photonic band structure. In this composite photonic material, one contribution to the band structure is determined by the 3D periodic birefringent orientational profile of the blue phases, whereas the second contribution emerges from the regular array of the colloidal particles or from the dielectric/nanoparticle-doped defect network. Using the planewave expansion method, optical photonic bands of the blue phase I and II colloidal crystals and related nanoparticle/polymer doped blue phases are calculated, and then compared to blue phases with no particles and to face-centred-cubic and body-centred-cubic colloidal crystals in isotropic background. We find opening of local band gaps at particular points of Brillouin zone for blue phase colloidal crystals, where there were none in blue phases without particles or dopants. Particle size and filling fraction of the blue phase defect network are demonstrated as parameters that can directly tune the optical bands and local band gaps. In the blue phase I colloidal crystal with an additionally doped defect network, interestingly, we find an indirect total band gap (with the exception of one point) at the entire edge of SC irreducible zone. Finally, this work demonstrates the role of combining multiple - by symmetry - differently organised components in one photonic crystal material, which offers a novel approach towards tunable soft matter photonic materials.

Spectral features in the cosmic ray fluxes

Science.gov (United States)

Lipari, Paolo

2018-01-01

The cosmic ray energy distributions contain spectral features, that is narrow energy regions where the slope of the spectrum changes rapidly. The identification and study of these features is of great importance to understand the astrophysical mechanisms of acceleration and propagation that form the spectra. In first approximation a spectral feature is often described as a discontinuous change in slope, however very valuable information is also contained in its width, that is the length of the energy interval where the change in spectral index develops. In this work we discuss the best way to define and parameterize the width a spectral feature, and for illustration discuss some of the most prominent known structures.

Blue-Green Solutions in Urban Development

Science.gov (United States)

Karlsson, Caroline; Kalantari, Zahra

2017-04-01

With the ongoing urbanisation and increasing pressure for new housing and infrastructure, the nexus of developing compact, energy-efficient and yet liveable and sustainable cities is urgent to address. In this context, blue-green spaces and related ecosystem services (ES) are critical resources that need to be integrated in policy and planning of urban. Among the ES provided by blue-green spaces, regulating ES such as water retention and purification are particularly important in urban areas, affecting water supply and quality, related cultural ES and biodiversity, as well as cities potential to adapt to climate change. Blue-green infrastructure management is considered a sustainable way to reducing negative effects of urbanisation, such as decreasing flood risks, as well as adapting to climate change for example by controlling increasing flood and drought risks. Blue-green infrastructure management can for example create multifunctional surfaces with valuable environmental and social functions and generally handle greenways and ecological networks as important ecosystem service components, for example for stormwater regulation in a sustainable urban drainage system. The Norrström drainage basin (22,000 km2) is a large demonstrator for Blue-green infrastructure management. Both urbanisation and agriculture are extensive within this basin, which includes the Swedish capital Stockholm and is part of the fertile Swedish belt. Together, the relatively high population density combined with agricultural and industrial activities in this region imply large eutrophication and pollution pressures, not least transferred through storm runoff to both inland surface waters and the coastal waters of the Baltic Sea. The ecosystems of this basin provide highly valued but also threatened services. For example, Lake Mälaren is the single main freshwater supply for the Swedish capital Stockholm, as well as a key nutrient retention system that strongly mitigates waterborne nutrient

Comparison of blue-green response between transmission-mode GaAsP- and GaAs-based photocathodes grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Science.gov (United States)

Gang-Cheng, Jiao; Zheng-Tang, Liu; Hui, Guo; Yi-Jun, Zhang

2016-04-01

In order to develop the photodetector for effective blue-green response, the 18-mm-diameter vacuum image tube combined with the transmission-mode Al0.7Ga0.3As0.9 P 0.1/GaAs0.9 P 0.1 photocathode grown by molecular beam epitaxy is tentatively fabricated. A comparison of photoelectric property, spectral characteristic and performance parameter between the transmission-mode GaAsP-based and blue-extended GaAs-based photocathodes shows that the GaAsP-based photocathode possesses better absorption and higher quantum efficiency in the blue-green waveband, combined with a larger surface electron escape probability. Especially, the quantum efficiency at 532 nm for the GaAsP-based photocathode achieves as high as 59%, nearly twice that for the blue-extended GaAs-based one, which would be more conducive to the underwater range-gated imaging based on laser illumination. Moreover, the simulation results show that the favorable blue-green response can be achieved by optimizing the emission-layer thickness in a range of 0.4 μm-0.6 μm. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61301023) and the Science and Technology on Low-Light-Level Night Vision Laboratory Foundation, China (Grant No. BJ2014001).

Solar Spectral Irradiance Changes During Cycle 24

Science.gov (United States)

Marchenko, Sergey; Deland, Matthew

2014-01-01

We use solar spectra obtained by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on board the Aura satellite to detect and follow long-term (years) and short-term (weeks) changes in the solar spectral irradiance (SSI) in the 265-500 nm spectral range. During solar Cycle 24, in the relatively line-free regions the SSI changed by approximately 0.6% +/- 0.2% around 265 nm. These changes gradually diminish to 0.15% +/- 0.20% at 500 nm. All strong spectral lines and blends, with the notable exception of the upper Balmer lines, vary in unison with the solar "continuum." Besides the lines with strong chromospheric components, the most involved species include Fe I blends and all prominent CH, NH, and CN spectral bands. Following the general trend seen in the solar "continuum," the variability of spectral lines also decreases toward longer wavelengths. The long-term solar cycle SSI changes are closely, to within the quoted 0.1%-0.2% uncertainties, matched by the appropriately adjusted short-term SSI variations derived from the 27 day rotational modulation cycles. This further strengthens and broadens the prevailing notion about the general scalability of the UV SSI variability to the emissivity changes in the Mg II 280 nm doublet on timescales from weeks to years. We also detect subtle deviations from this general rule: the prominent spectral lines and blends at lambda approximately or greater than 350 nm show slightly more pronounced 27 day SSI changes when compared to the long-term (years) trends. We merge the solar data from Cycle 21 with the current Cycle 24 OMI and GOME-2 observations and provide normalized SSI variations for the 170-795 nm spectral region.

Bright broadband coherent fiber sources emitting strongly blue-shifted resonant dispersive wave pulses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tu, Haohua; Lægsgaard, Jesper; Zhang, Rui

2013-01-01

We predict and realize the targeted wavelength conversion from the 1550-nm band of a fs Er:fiber laser to an isolated band inside 370-850 nm, corresponding to a blue-shift of 700-1180 nm. The conversion utilizes resonant dispersive wave generation in widely available optical fibers with good...... efficiency (~7%). The converted band has a large pulse energy (~1 nJ), high spectral brightness (~1 mW/nm), and broad Gaussian-like spectrum compressible to clean transform-limited ~17 fs pulses. The corresponding coherent fiber sources open up portable applications of optical parametric oscillators and dual......-output synchronized ultrafast lasers....

In situ spectral response of the Arabian Gulf and Sea of Oman coastal waters to bio-optical properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Al Shehhi, Maryam R; Gherboudj, Imen; Ghedira, Hosni

2017-10-01

Mapping of Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) over the coastal waters of the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman using the satellite-based observations, such as MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer), has shown inferior performance (Chl-a overestimation) than that of deep waters. Studies in the region have shown that this poor performance is due to three reasons: (i) water turbidity (sediments re-suspension), and the presence of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), (ii) bottom reflectance and (iii) incapability of the existing atmospheric correction models to reduce the effect of the aerosols from the water leaving radiance. Therefore, this work focuses on investigating the sensitivity of the in situ spectral signatures of these coastal waters to the algal (chlorophyll: Chl-a), non-algal (sediments and CDOM) and the bottom reflectance properties, in absence of contributions from the atmosphere. Consequently, the collected in situ spectral signatures will improve our understanding of Arabian Gulf and Sea of Oman water properties. For this purpose, comprehensive field measurements were carried out between 2013 and 2016, over Abu-Dhabi (Arabian Gulf) and Fujairah (Sea of Oman) where unique water quality data were collected. Based on the in situ water spectral analysis, the bottom reflectance (water depth<20m) are found to degrade the performance of the conventional ocean color algorithms more than the sediment-laden waters where these waters increase the R rs at the blue and red ranges. The increasing presence of CDOM markedly decreases the R rs in the blue range, which is conflicting with the effect of Chl-a. Given the inadequate performance of the widely used ocean-color algorithms (OC3: ocean color 3, OC2: ocean color 2) in retrieving Chl-a in these very shallow coastal waters, therefore, a new algorithm is proposed here based on a 3-bands ratio approach using [R rs (656) -1 -R rs (506) -1 ]×R rs (661). The selected optimum bands (656nm, 506nm, and 661nm) from

Efficient near diffraction limited blue light source by sum-frequency mixing of a BAL and a solid-state laser

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Knud Palmelund; Tidemand-Lichtenberg, Peter; Pedersen, Christian

2011-01-01

and slow axis of the diode, respectively. The BAL output beam is single-passed through a periodically poled KTiOPO4 (PPKTP) crystal placed in an intra-cavity beam waist of a 1064 nm Nd:YVO4 laser, resulting in 100 mW of sum-frequency generated blue output power. This corresponds to a power conversion......Sum-frequency mixing of an 808 nm broad area laser (BAL) with a build-in grating structure for spectral control and a 1064 nm solid-state laser is experimentally investigated. The spectrally improved 20 mu m wide BAL can deliver up to 700 mW of output power with an M-2 of 1.4 and 5.3 in the fast...

Properties–structure relationship research on LiCaPO4:Eu2+ as blue phosphor for NUV LED application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Xinguo; Mo, Fuwang; Zhou, Liya; Gong, Menglian

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: The graphical abstract shows the excitation and emission spectrum of LiCaPO 4 :Eu 2+ , and the CIE coordinates of LiCaPO 4 :Eu 2+ . The inset shows the photo of blue LED prepared by LiCaPO 4 :Eu 2+ and NUV chip. It indicates that this phosphor can be excited by UV light and emit strong greenish-blue light. Highlights: •Pure phase blue phosphors of LiCaPO 4 :Eu 2+ with a hexagonal structure were first prepared via solid-state method. •The crystallographic site of Eu 2+ ion in the LiCaPO 4 lattice was identified as 8-fold Ca 2+ site. •The phosphor exhibits excellent thermal stability and the corresponding mechanism was thermal assisted ionization. •Bright and high color purity blue LED prototype based on LiCaPO 4 :Eu 2+ phosphor was fabricated. -- Abstract: Blue-emitting phosphors of Eu 2+ -activated LiCaPO 4 with a hexagonal structure were prepared via a conventional solid-state method. The XRD, PL spectra and thermal quenching were applied to characterize the phosphors. The crystallographic site of Eu 2+ ion in the LiCaPO 4 lattice was identified and discussed. The optimized LiCaPO 4 :0.03Eu 2+ exhibits the bright greenish-blue emission with CIE coordinates of (0.119, 0.155) and a quantum efficiency of 52%. The critical energy-transfer distance was confirmed as ∼18 Å by both calculated crystal structure method and experimental spectral method. The thermal stability of LiCaPO 4 :Eu 2+ was evaluated by temperature-dependent PL spectra, and the thermal quenching mechanism was found to be thermal assisted ionization. Prototype blue LEDs with high color purity and good current stability were fabricated

Lodgepole pine in the Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon.

Science.gov (United States)

James M. Trappe; Robert W. Harris

1958-01-01

Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) is a major species in northeastern Oregon. The lodgepole type covers nearly 400,000 acres in the Blue and Wallowa Mountains, and individual trees are scattered over many of the remaining six million forested acres in this area (2). The type blankets large areas in watersheds in a region where spring floods and summer...

Spectral ellipsometry of nanodiamond composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yastrebov, S.G.; Ivanov-Omskij, V.I.; Gordeev, S.K.; Garriga, M.; Alonso, I.A.

2006-01-01

Methods of spectral ellipsometry were applied for analysis of optical properties of nanodiamond based composite in spectral region 1.4-5 eV. The nanocomposite was synthesized by molding of ultradispersed nanodiamond powder in the course of heterogeneous chemical reaction of decomposition of methane, forming pyrocarbon interconnecting nanodiamond grains. The energy of σ + π plasmon of pyrocarbon component of nanodiamond composite was restored which proves to be ∼ 24 eV; using this value, an estimation was done of pyrocarbon matrix density, which occurs to be 2 g/cm 3 [ru

Cellular organization and spectral diversity of GFP-like proteins in live coral cells studied by single and multiphoton imaging and microspectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Salih, Anya; Cox, Guy C.; Larkum, Anthony W.

2003-07-01

Tissues of many marine invertebrates of class Anthozoa contain intensely fluorescent or brightly coloured pigments. These pigments belong to a family of photoactive proteins closely related to Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP), and their emissions range from blue to red wavelengths. The great diversity of these pigments has only recently been realised. To investigate the role of these proteins in corals, we have performed an in vivo fluorescent pigment (FP) spectral and cellular distribution analyses in live coral cells using single and multi-photon laser scanning imaging and microspectroscopy. These analyses revealed that even single colour corals contain spectroscopically heterogeneous pigment mixtures, with 2-5 major colour types in the same area of tissue. They were typically arranged in step-wise light emission energy gradients (e.g. blue, green, yellow, red). The successive overlapping emission-excitation spectral profiles of differently coloured FPs suggested that they were suited for sequential energy coupling. Traces of red FPs (emission = 570-660 nm) were present, even in non-red corals. We confirmed that radiative energy transfer could occur between separate granules of blue and green FPs and that energy transfer was inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Multi-photon micro-spectrofluorometric analysis gave significantly improved spectral resolution by restricting FP excitation to a single point in the focal plane of the sample. Pigment heterogeneity at small scales within granules suggested that fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) might be occurring, and we confirmed that this was the case. Thus, energy transfer can take place both radiatively and by FRET, probably functioning in photoprotection by dissipation of excessive solar radiation.

Salinity and spectral reflectance of soils

Science.gov (United States)

Szilagyi, A.; Baumgardner, M. F.

1991-01-01

The basic spectral response related to the salt content of soils in the visible and reflective IR wavelengths is analyzed in order to explore remote sensing applications for monitoring processes of the earth system. The bidirectional reflectance factor (BRF) was determined at 10 nm of increments over the 520-2320-nm spectral range. The effect of salts on reflectance was analyzed on the basis of 162 spectral measurements. MSS and TM bands were simulated within the measured spectral region. A strong relationship was found in variations of reflectance and soil characteristics pertaining to salinization and desalinization. Although the individual MSS bands had high R-squared values and 75-79 percent of soil/treatment combinations were separable, there was a large number of soil/treatment combinations not distinguished by any of the four highly correlated MSS bands under consideration.

WHY IS NON-THERMAL LINE BROADENING OF SPECTRAL LINES IN THE LOWER TRANSITION REGION OF THE SUN INDEPENDENT OF SPATIAL RESOLUTION?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Pontieu, B.; Martinez-Sykora, J.; McIntosh, S.; Peter, H.; Pereira, T. M. D.

2015-01-01

Spectral observations of the solar transition region (TR) and corona show broadening of spectral lines beyond what is expected from thermal and instrumental broadening. The remaining non-thermal broadening is significant (5–30 km s −1 ) and correlated with intensity. Here we study spectra of the TR Si iv 1403 Å line obtained at high resolution with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). We find that the large improvement in spatial resolution (0.″33) of IRIS compared to previous spectrographs (2″) does not resolve the non-thermal line broadening which, in most regions, remains at pre-IRIS levels of about 20 km s −1 . This invariance to spatial resolution indicates that the processes behind the broadening occur along the line-of-sight (LOS) and/or on spatial scales (perpendicular to the LOS) smaller than 250 km. Both effects appear to play a role. Comparison with IRIS chromospheric observations shows that, in regions where the LOS is more parallel to the field, magneto-acoustic shocks driven from below impact the TR and can lead to significant non-thermal line broadening. This scenario is supported by MHD simulations. While these do not show enough non-thermal line broadening, they do reproduce the long-known puzzling correlation between non-thermal line broadening and intensity. This correlation is caused by the shocks, but only if non-equilibrium ionization is taken into account. In regions where the LOS is more perpendicular to the field, the prevalence of small-scale twist is likely to play a significant role in explaining the invariance and correlation with intensity. (letters)

On the potential of the 2041–2047 nm spectral region for remote sensing of atmospheric CO2 isotopologues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reuter, M.; Bovensmann, H.; Buchwitz, M.; Burrows, J.P.; Deutscher, N.M.; Heymann, J.; Rozanov, A.; Schneising, O.; Suto, H.; Toon, G.C.; Warneke, T.

2012-01-01

Pressing open questions about the carbon cycle can be addressed with precise measurements of the three most abundant CO 2 isotopologues 16 O 12 C 16 O, 16 O 13 C 16 O, and 16 O 12 C 18 O. Such measurements can, e.g., help to further constrain oceanic and biospheric net fluxes or to differentiate between the gross biospheric fluxes photosynthesis and respiration. The 2041–2047nm (about 4885–4900cm −1 ) spectral region contains separated absorption lines of the three most abundant CO 2 isotopologues. Their spectral properties make this spectral region well suited for the use of a light path proxy method for the retrieval of δ 13 C and δ 18 O (the ratio of heavier to lighter isotopologues relative to a standard). An optimal estimation based light path proxy retrieval for δ 13 C and δ 18 O has been set up, applicable to GOSAT (Greenhouse gases Observing Satellite) and ground-based FTS (Fourier transform spectrometer) measurements. Initial results show that it is possible to retrieve δ 13 C and δ 18 O from ground-based FTS instruments with a precision of 0.6–1.6‰ and from GOSAT with a precision of about 30‰. Comparison of the achievable precision with the expected atmospheric signals shows that ground-based FTS remote sensing measurements have the potential to gain valuable information on δ 13 C and δ 18 O if averaging a sufficient number of measurements. It seems unlikely that this applies also to GOSAT because of the lower precision and a conceptual larger sensitivity to scattering related errors in satellite viewing geometry. -- Highlights: ► The 2041–2047 nm region is suited for remote sensing atmospheric CO 2 isotopologues. ► A δ 13 C and δ 18 O retrieval was set up for ground-based FTS and the GOSAT satellite. ► The retrieval precision of δ 13 C and δ 18 O is about 0.6–1.6‰ (FTS) and 30‰ (GOSAT). ► FTS measurements can give valuable information on atmospheric δ 13 C and δ 18 O.

A Study of Spectral Integration and Normalization in NMR-based Metabonomic Analyses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Webb-Robertson, Bobbie-Jo M.; Lowry, David F.; Jarman, Kristin H.; Harbo, Sam J.; Meng, Quanxin; Fuciarelli, Alfred F.; Pounds, Joel G.; Lee, Monica T.

2005-09-15

Metabonomics involves the quantitation of the dynamic multivariate metabolic response of an organism to a pathological event or genetic modification (Nicholson, Lindon and Holmes, 1999). The analysis of these data involves the use of appropriate multivariate statistical methods. Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) linear projection methods, primarily Principal Component Analysis (PCA), have been documented as a valuable pattern recognition technique for 1H NMR spectral data (Brindle et al., 2002, Potts et al., 2001, Robertson et al., 2000, Robosky et al., 2002). Prior to PCA the raw data is typically processed through four steps; (1) baseline correction, (2) endogenous peak removal, (3) integration over spectral regions to reduce the number of variables, and (4) normalization. The effect of the size of spectral integration regions and normalization has not been well studied. We assess the variability structure and classification accuracy on two distinctly different datasets via PCA and a leave-one-out cross-validation approach under two normalization approaches and an array of spectral integration regions. This study indicates that independent of the normalization method the classification accuracy achieved from metabonomic studies is not highly sensitive to the size of the spectral integration region. Additionally, both datasets scaled to mean zero and unity variance (auto-scaled) has higher variability within classification accuracy over spectral integration window widths than data scaled to the total intensity of the spectrum.

Spectral reflectance analysis of longkong (Lansium domesticum Corr. bunches as an indicator for optimal harvesting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaewtubtim, P.

2007-09-01

Full Text Available To determine the appropriate harvesting time of Longkong bunches, the spectral reflectance of ripening bunches was investigated from images taken by a digital camera using red LED and green LED. Every day images were taken from selected bunches at a Longkong estate during the growth of the bunches from immaturity to the over-ripe phase, to trace the changes in color that correlate with the process of ripening. The images were analyzed by measuring the changes in the three basic colors i.e. red, green and blue, using a specially developed Color Analysis computer program of Longkong "fruit" (CAOL, and then the obtained results were compared with the sweet in form of total soluble solid (TSS:TA.The result showed that the blue light reflectance from red LED source (Br was selected as an indicator for harvesting Longkong bunches. Br was inversely proportional to ripeness of Longkong. The blue color intensity decreases linearly while TSS:TA increases monotonously. From our investigations, we suggest that the time interval to harvest Longkong should be within 96 ±7 days after the first flower blossom of that bunch takes place while blue level per pixel was in the range of 8.67-2.39. If Longkong bunch was cut while the blue color level was in the range of 8.67-5.53, its taste will be sweet and sour and strong enough for long distance shipment. But if the blue level per pixel was in the range of 5.52-2.39, it has a very good taste and is suitable a for sale in the local area. In addition, it was also found that the blue level per pixel usually decreased at the rate of 0.45 per day. This made is possible to predict the harvesting day by this technique.

Fine-tuning of the spectral collection efficiency in multilayer junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandes, M.; Fantoni, A.; Louro, P.; Lavareda, G.; Carvalho, N.; Schwarz, R.; Vieira, M.

2006-01-01

a-SiC:H/a-Si:H p-i-n/p-i-n tandem cells with different i-layer thickness have been produced by PECVD and tested for a proper fine-tuning of the spectral collection efficiency. The tandem structure takes advantage on the radiation wavelength selectivity due to the different light penetration depth inside the a-Si:H and a-SiC:H absorbers. The thickness and the absorption coefficient of the front p-i-n cell were optimized for blue collection and red transmittance and the thickness of the back one adjusted to achieve full absorption in the green and high collection in the red spectral ranges. Preliminary results show that device optimization for red detection can be obtained by reducing the thickness of the internal recombination junction while by increasing the intrinsic layer of the bottom a-Si:H cell, a better detection of the green color under appropriated applied voltages is foreseen. The physics behind the device functioning is explained through a numerical simulation of the internal electrical configuration of the device in dark and under different wavelength irradiations. Considerations about conduction band offsets, electrical field profiles and inversion layers will be taken into account to explain the optical and voltage bias dependence of the spectral response. Experimental results about the spectral collection efficiency are presented and discussed from the point of view of the color sensor applications

The 'Blue-Shift' in midlatitude dynamics in a Changing Climate

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho, L. V.

2013-12-01

Global surface temperature variations and changes result from intricate interplay of phenomena varying on scales ranging from fraction of seconds (turbulence) to thousands of years (e.g. glaciations). To complicate these issues further, the contribution of the anthropogenic forcing on the observed changes in surface temperatures varies over time and is spatially non-uniform. While evaluating all individual bands of this broad spectrum is virtually impossible, the availability of global daily datasets in the last few decades from reanalyses and Global Climate Models (GCMs) simulations allows estimating the contribution of phenomena varying on synoptic-to-interannual timescales. Previous studies using GCM simulations for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment (IPCC AR4) have documented a consistent poleward shift in the storm tracks related to changes in baroclinicity resulting from global warming. However, our recent research (Cannon et al. 2013) indicated that the pattern of changes in the storm tracks observed in the last few decades is much more complex in both space and time. Complex terrain and the relative distribution of continents, oceans and icecaps play a significant role for changes in synoptic activity. Coupled modes such as the Northern and Southern annular modes, the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and respective teleconnections with changes in baroclinicity have been identified as relevant dynamical forcings for variations of the midlatitude storm tracks, increasing the uncertainties in future projections. Moreover, global warming has modified the amplitude of the annual cycles of temperature, moisture and circulation throughout the planet and there is strong indication that these changes have mostly affected the tropics and Polar Regions. The present study advances these findings by investigating the 'blue-shift' in the underlying dynamics causing surface temperature anomalies and investigates relationships with

The emission-line regions in the nucleus of NGC 1313 probed with GMOS-IFU: a supergiant/hypergiant candidate and a kinematically cold nucleus

Science.gov (United States)

Menezes, R. B.; Steiner, J. E.

2017-04-01

NGC 1313 is a bulgeless nearby galaxy, classified as SB(s)d. Its proximity allows high spatial resolution observations. We performed the first detailed analysis of the emission-line properties in the nuclear region of NGC 1313, using an optical data cube obtained with the Gemini Multi-object Spectrograph. We detected four main emitting areas, three of them (regions 1, 2 and 3) having spectra typical of H II regions. Region 1 is located very close to the stellar nucleus and shows broad spectral features characteristic of Wolf-Rayet stars. Our analysis revealed the presence of one or two WC4-5 stars in this region, which is compatible with results obtained by previous studies. Region 4 shows spectral features (as a strong Hα emission line, with a broad component) typical of a massive emission-line star, such as a luminous blue variable, a B[e] supergiant or a B hypergiant. The radial velocity map of the ionized gas shows a pattern consistent with rotation. A significant drop in the values of the gas velocity dispersion was detected very close to region 1, which suggests that the young stars there were formed from this cold gas, possibly keeping low values of velocity dispersion. Therefore, although detailed measurements of the stellar kinematics were not possible (due to the weak stellar absorption spectrum of this galaxy), we predict that NGC 1313 may also show a drop in the values of the stellar velocity dispersion in its nuclear region.

On the Nature and History of Blue Amorphous Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Marlowe, Amanda True

1998-07-01

Dwarf galaxies play an important role in our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. We have embarked on a systematic study of 12 blue amorphous galaxies (BAGs) whose properties suggest that they are dwarf galaxies in a starburst or post-burst state. It seems likely that BAGs are related to other 'starburst' dwarfs such as blue compact dwarfs (BCDs) and HII galaxies. The BAGs in our sample, however, are considerably closer than BCDs and HII galaxies in other samples, and therefore easier to study. These galaxies may offer important insights into dwarf galaxy evolution. In an effort to clarify the role of BAGs in evolutionary scenarios for dwarf galaxies, we present and analyze Hα and UBVI data for our sample. BAGs, like BCDs and HII galaxies, have surface brightness profiles that are exponential in the outer regions but have a predominantly blue central blue excess, suggesting a young burst in an older, redder galaxy. Seven of the galaxies have the bubble or filamentary Hα morphology and double peaked emission lines that are the signature of superbubbles or superwind activity. These galaxies are typically the ones with the strongest central excesses. The starbursting regions are young events compared to the older underlying galaxy, which follow an exponential surface brightness law. Not all of the galaxies develop superwinds: the appearance of superwinds is most sensitive to the concentration and rate of star formation in the starbursting core. The underlying exponential galaxies are very similar to those found in BCDs and HII galaxies, though the 'burst' colors are slightly redder than those found in HII galaxies. BAGs are structurally similar to BCDs and HII galaxies. How BAGs fit into the dwarf galaxy evolutionary debate is less clear. While some compact dIs have properties similar to those of the underlying exponential galaxy in our sample, issues such as mass loss from superwinds, the impact of the starbursting core on the underlying galaxy, and

Low-potential electrosynthesis of novel electroactive poly(9-fluorenemethanol) and its electrochromic and blue-light-emitting properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Shimin; Qin, Leiqiang; Lu, Baoyang; Xu, Jingkun

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► The electropolymerization of 9-fluorenemethanol (FMO) was reported. ► Semiconducting poly(9-fluorenemethanol) (PFMO) film was electrosynthesized. ► PFMO shows favorable solubility and good redox activity and stability. ► PFMO exhibits electrochromic nature from pale brown to dark blue. ► PFMO is highly fluorescent with its emission at 418 nm and a quantum yield of 0.52. -- Abstract: In this paper we describe the electropolymerization of 9-fluorenemethanol (FMO) in boron trifluoride diethyl etherate, which leads to low-potential electrodeposition of semiconducting poly(9-fluorenemethanol) (PFMO) film under optimized conditions. The as-formed PFMO film shows favorable solubility in common organic solvents, good redox activity and stability with a conductivity of 10 −2 S cm −1 , good thermal stability, and uniform morphology. Besides, PFMO exhibits electrochromic nature with its color changing from pale brown in its reduced form to dark blue upon oxidation, but its electrochromic performances are relatively poor. Fluorescence spectral studies demonstrated that soluble PFMO is highly fluorescent with its maximum emission at 418 nm and a quantum yield of 0.52, and it can emit bright blue light under 365 nm UV light irradiation

An Objective Approach to Identify Spectral Distinctiveness for Hearing Impairment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yeou-Jiunn Chen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available To facilitate the process of developing speech perception, speech-language pathologists have to teach a subject with hearing loss the differences between two syllables by manually enhancing acoustic cues of speech. However, this process is time consuming and difficult. Thus, this study proposes an objective approach to automatically identify the regions of spectral distinctiveness between two syllables, which is used for speech-perception training. To accurately represent the characteristics of speech, mel-frequency cepstrum coefficients are selected as analytical parameters. The mismatch between two syllables in time domain is handled by dynamic time warping. Further, a filter bank is adopted to estimate the components in different frequency bands, which are also represented as mel-frequency cepstrum coefficients. The spectral distinctiveness in different frequency bands is then easily estimated by using Euclidean metrics. Finally, a morphological gradient operator is applied to automatically identify the regions of spectral distinctiveness. To evaluate the proposed approach, the identified regions are manipulated and then the manipulated syllables are measured by a close-set based speech-perception test. The experimental results demonstrated that the identified regions of spectral distinctiveness are very useful in speech perception, which indeed can help speech-language pathologists in speech-perception training.

Spectral analysis and classification of igneous and metamorphic rocks of Hamedan region for remote sensing studies; using laboratory reflectance spectra (350-2500 nm)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rangzan, K.; Saki, A.; Hassanshahi, H.; Mojaradi, B.

2012-01-01

Reflectance spectrometry techniques with the integration of remote sensing data help us in identifying and mapping the phenomena on the earth. Using these techniques to discriminate the petrologic units independently and without knowing the spectral behavior of rocks along the electromagnetic wavelengths can not be so much useful. For the purposes of this study, 65 samples of igneous and metamorphic rocks from Hamedan region were collected and their spectra were measured using Fieldspec3 device in laboratory. The spectra were analyzed on the basis of absorption, position and shape. Petrographic analyses were used to interpret the absorption patterns as well. Then the spectra were classified according to spectral patterns. This measurement was done on both freshly cut and exposed surfaces of the samples and except a few samples, the two sets of spectra did not differ significantly. Finally, to evaluate the possibility of recognition of these targets, the responses of two hyper spectral and multispectral sensors were simulated from spectra representative of the spectral classes, showing that significant identification and classification of well exposed rocks are potentially possible using remote instruments providing high quality spectra. Also Aster simulation showed that a preliminary gross discrimination of rocks was however possible.

"Blue-Collar Blues" uurib töösuhteid uutes oludes / Janar Ala

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Ala, Janar, 1979-

2009-01-01

Tööproblemaatikat käsitlev näitus "Blue-Collar Blues" Tallinna Kunstihoones ja Tallinna Kunstihoone galeriis 31. jaanuarini 2010, kuraator Anders Härm. Lähemalt belgia-mehhiko kunstniku Francis Alys'e videost, austria kunstniku Oliver Ressleri ning venetsueela-saksa politoloogi Dario Azzelini videost "Viis tehast. Tööliste kontroll Venezuelas"

Electroluminescence from a single InGaN quantum dot in the green spectral region up to 150 K

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalden, J; Sebald, K; Gutowski, J; Tessarek, C; Figge, S; Kruse, C; Hommel, D

2010-01-01

We present electrically driven luminescence from single InGaN quantum dots embedded into a light emitting diode structure grown by metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy. Single sharp emission lines in the green spectral region can be identified. Temperature dependent measurements demonstrate thermal stability of the emission of a single quantum dot up to 150 K. These results are an important step towards applications like electrically driven single-photon emitters, which are a basis for applications incorporating plastic optical fibers as well as for modern concepts of free space quantum cryptography.

The spectrum of dermatoscopic patterns in blue nevi.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Cesare, Antonella; Sera, Francesco; Gulia, Andrea; Coletti, Gino; Micantonio, Tamara; Fargnoli, Maria Concetta; Peris, Ketty

2012-08-01

Blue nevi are congenital or acquired, dermal dendritic melanocytic proliferations that can simulate melanocytic and nonmelanocytic lesions including melanoma, cutaneous metastasis of melanoma, Spitz/Reed nevi, and basal cell carcinoma. We sought to investigate global and local dermatoscopic patterns of blue nevi compared with melanomas and basal cell carcinomas. We retrospectively analyzed global and local features in 95 dermatoscopic images of blue nevi and in 190 melanomas and basal cell carcinomas that were selected as control lesions on the basis of similar pigmentation. Lesion pigmentation was classified as monochromatic, dichromatic, or multichromatic. A global pattern characterized by homogeneous pigmentation was observed in all of 95 (100%) blue nevi. Eighty of 95 (84.2%) blue nevi presented a homogeneous pattern consisting of one color (blue, black, or brown) or two colors (blue-brown, blue-gray, or blue-black). Fifteen of 95 (15.8%) blue nevi had a multichromatic (blue, gray, black, brown, and/or red) pigmentation. In all, 47 of 95 (49.5%) blue nevi were characterized by pigmentation in the absence of pigment network or any other local dermatoscopic features. And 48 of 95 (50.5%) blue nevi showed local dermatoscopic patterns including whitish scarlike depigmentation, dots/globules, vascular pattern, streaks, and networklike pattern. The study was retrospective and involved only Caucasian people of Italian origin. The characteristic feature of blue nevi is a homogeneous pigmentation that is blue, blue-gray, blue-brown, or blue-black. We showed that a wide spectrum of local dermatoscopic features (whitish scarlike depigmentation, dots/globules, peripheral streaks or vessels) may also be present. In such cases, clinical and dermatoscopic distinction from melanoma or nonmelanocytic lesions may be difficult or impossible, and surgical excision is necessary. Copyright © 2011 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Geology along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Mark W.; Southworth, C. Scott; Tollo, Richard P.; Merschat, Arthur J.; Wagner, Sara; Lazor, Ava; Aleinikoff, John N.

2017-01-01

Back Formations. These rocks are bound by numerous faults, including the Rock Castle Creek fault that separates Ashe Formation rocks from Alligator Back Formation rocks in the core of the Ararat River synclinorium. The lack of unequivocal paleontologic or geochronologic ages for any of these rock sequences, combined with fundamental and conflicting differences in tectonogenetic models, compound the problem of regional correlation with Blue Ridge cover rocks to the north.The geologic transition from the central to southern Appalachians is also marked by a profound change in landscape and surficial deposits. In central Virginia, the Blue Ridge consists of narrow ridges that are held up by resistant but contrasting basement and cover lithologies. These ridges have shed eroded material from their crests to the base of the mountain fronts in the form of talus slopes, debris flows, and alluvial-colluvial fans for perhaps 10 m.y. South of Roanoke, however, ridges transition into a broad hilly plateau, flanked on the east by the Blue Ridge escarpment and the eastern Continental Divide. Here, deposits of rounded pebbles, cobbles, and boulders preserve remnants of ancestral west-flowing drainage systems.Both bedrock and surficial geologic processes provide an array of economic deposits along the length of the Blue Ridge Parkway corridor in Virginia, including base and precious metals and industrial minerals. However, common stone was the most important commodity for creating the Blue Ridge Parkway, which yielded building stone for overlooks and tunnels, or crushed stone for road base and pavement.

The multi-spectral line-polarization MSE system on Alcator C-Mod

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mumgaard, R. T., E-mail: mumgaard@psfc.mit.edu; Khoury, M. [Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Scott, S. D. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 (United States)

2016-11-15

A multi-spectral line-polarization motional Stark effect (MSE-MSLP) diagnostic has been developed for the Alcator C-Mod tokamak wherein the Stokes vector is measured in multiple wavelength bands simultaneously on the same sightline to enable better polarized background subtraction. A ten-sightline, four wavelength MSE-MSLP detector system was designed, constructed, and qualified. This system consists of a high-throughput polychromator for each sightline designed to provide large étendue and precise spectral filtering in a cost-effective manner. Each polychromator utilizes four narrow bandpass interference filters and four custom large diameter avalanche photodiode detectors. Two filters collect light to the red and blue of the MSE emission spectrum while the remaining two filters collect the beam pi and sigma emission generated at the same viewing volume. The filter wavelengths are temperature tuned using custom ovens in an automated manner. All system functions are remote controllable and the system can be easily retrofitted to existing single-wavelength line-polarization MSE systems.

The multi-spectral line-polarization MSE system on Alcator C-Mod

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mumgaard, R. T.; Khoury, M.; Scott, S. D.

2016-01-01

A multi-spectral line-polarization motional Stark effect (MSE-MSLP) diagnostic has been developed for the Alcator C-Mod tokamak wherein the Stokes vector is measured in multiple wavelength bands simultaneously on the same sightline to enable better polarized background subtraction. A ten-sightline, four wavelength MSE-MSLP detector system was designed, constructed, and qualified. This system consists of a high-throughput polychromator for each sightline designed to provide large étendue and precise spectral filtering in a cost-effective manner. Each polychromator utilizes four narrow bandpass interference filters and four custom large diameter avalanche photodiode detectors. Two filters collect light to the red and blue of the MSE emission spectrum while the remaining two filters collect the beam pi and sigma emission generated at the same viewing volume. The filter wavelengths are temperature tuned using custom ovens in an automated manner. All system functions are remote controllable and the system can be easily retrofitted to existing single-wavelength line-polarization MSE systems.

Spectral changes in conifers subjected to air pollution and water stress: Experimental studies

Science.gov (United States)

Westman, Walter E.; Price, Curtis V.

1988-01-01

The roles of leaf anatomy, moisture and pigment content, and number of leaf layers on spectral reflectance in healthy, pollution-stressed, and water-stressed conifer needles were examined experimentally. Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi) and giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron gigantea) were exposed to ozone and acid mist treatments in fumigation chambers; red pine (Pinus resinosa) needles were artificially dried. Infrared reflectance from stacked needles rose with free water loss. In an air-drying experiment, cell volume reductions induced by loss of turgor caused near-infrared reflectance (TM band 4) to drop after most free water was lost. Under acid mist fumigation, stunting of tissue development similarly reduced band 4 reflectance. Both artificial drying and pollutant fumigation caused a blue shift of the red edge of spectral reflectance curves in conifers, attributable to chlorophyll denaturation. Thematic mapper band ratio 4/3 fell and 5/4 rose with increasing pollution stress on artificial drying. Loss of water by air-drying, freeze-drying, or oven-drying enhanced spectral features, due in part to greater scattering and reduced water absorption. Grinding of the leaf tissue further enhanced the spectral features by increasing reflecting surfaces and path length. In a leaf-stacking experiment, an asymptote in visible and infrared reflectance was reached at 7-8 needle layers of red pine.

The Blue Coma: The Role of Methylene Blue in Unexplained Coma After Cardiac Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Martino, Enrico Antonio; Winterton, Dario; Nardelli, Pasquale; Pasin, Laura; Calabrò, Maria Grazia; Bove, Tiziana; Fanelli, Giovanna; Zangrillo, Alberto; Landoni, Giovanni

2016-04-01

Methylene blue commonly is used as a dye or an antidote, but also can be used off label as a vasopressor. Serotonin toxicity is a potentially lethal and often misdiagnosed condition that can result from drug interaction. Mild serotonin toxicity previously was reported in settings in which methylene blue was used as a dye. The authors report 3 cases of life-threatening serotonin toxicity in patients undergoing chronic selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) therapy who also underwent cardiac surgery and received methylene blue to treat vasoplegic syndrome. An observational study. A cardiothoracic intensive care unit (ICU) in a teaching hospital. Three patients who received methylene blue after cardiac surgery, later discovered to be undergoing chronic SSRI therapy. None. All 3 patients received high doses of fentanyl during general anesthesia. They all developed vasoplegic syndrome and consequently were given methylene blue in the ICU. All 3 patients developed serotonin toxicity, including coma, after this administration and diagnostic tests were negative for acute intracranial pathology. Coma lasted between 1 and 5 days. Two patients were discharged from the ICU shortly after awakening, whereas the third patient experienced a complicated postoperative course for concomitant refractory low-cardiac-output syndrome. Patients undergoing chronic SSRI therapy should not be administered methylene blue to treat vasoplegic syndrome. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spectrally resolved hyperfine interactions between polaron and nuclear spins in organic light emitting diodes: Magneto-electroluminescence studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crooker, S. A.; Kelley, M. R.; Martinez, N. J. D.; Nie, W.; Mohite, A.; Nayyar, I. H.; Tretiak, S.; Smith, D. L. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States); Liu, F.; Ruden, P. P. [University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455 (United States)

2014-10-13

We use spectrally resolved magneto-electroluminescence (EL) measurements to study the energy dependence of hyperfine interactions between polaron and nuclear spins in organic light-emitting diodes. Using layered devices that generate bright exciplex emission, we show that the increase in EL emission intensity I due to small applied magnetic fields of order 100 mT is markedly larger at the high-energy blue end of the EL spectrum (ΔI/I ∼ 11%) than at the low-energy red end (∼4%). Concurrently, the widths of the magneto-EL curves increase monotonically from blue to red, revealing an increasing hyperfine coupling between polarons and nuclei and directly providing insight into the energy-dependent spatial extent and localization of polarons.

Spectral gamuts and spectral gamut mapping

Science.gov (United States)

Rosen, Mitchell R.; Derhak, Maxim W.

2006-01-01

All imaging devices have two gamuts: the stimulus gamut and the response gamut. The response gamut of a print engine is typically described in CIE colorimetry units, a system derived to quantify human color response. More fundamental than colorimetric gamuts are spectral gamuts, based on radiance, reflectance or transmittance units. Spectral gamuts depend on the physics of light or on how materials interact with light and do not involve the human's photoreceptor integration or brain processing. Methods for visualizing a spectral gamut raise challenges as do considerations of how to utilize such a data-set for producing superior color reproductions. Recent work has described a transformation of spectra reduced to 6-dimensions called LabPQR. LabPQR was designed as a hybrid space with three explicit colorimetric axes and three additional spectral reconstruction axes. In this paper spectral gamuts are discussed making use of LabPQR. Also, spectral gamut mapping is considered in light of the colorimetric-spectral duality of the LabPQR space.

EYE REGIONALIZATION AND SPECTRAL TUNING OF RETINAL PIGMENTS IN INSECTS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

STAVENGA, DG

The spatial and spectral properties of an eye can often be directly linked to the behaviour and habitat of the animal. In a honey bee (Apis mellifera) society, the drones use the well-developed dorsal part of the eye to detect the queen against the sky during her nuptial flight. Recently it has

Alternative expression of vacuolar iron transporter and ferritin genes leads to blue/purple coloration of flowers in tulip cv. 'Murasakizuisho'.

Science.gov (United States)

Shoji, Kazuaki; Momonoi, Kazumi; Tsuji, Tosiaki

2010-02-01

Flowers of tulip cv. 'Murasakizuisho' have a purple perianth except for the bottom region, which is blue in color even though it has the same anthocyanin, delphinidin 3-O-rutinoside, as the entire perianth. The development of the blue coloration in the perianth bottom is due to complexation by anthocyanin, flavonol and iron (Fe), as well as a vacuolar iron transporter, TgVit1. Although transient expression of TgVit1 in the purple cells led to a color change to light blue, the coloration of the transformed cells did not coincide with the dark blue color of the cells of the perianth bottom. We thought that another factor is required for the blue coloration of the cells of perianth bottom. To examine the effect of ferritin (FER), an Fe storage protein, on blue color development, we cloned an FER gene (TgFER1) and performed expression analyses. TgFER1 transcripts were found in the cells located in the upper region of the petals along with purple color development by anthocyanin and were not found in the blue cells of the perianth bottom. This gene expression is in contrast to that of TgVit1, expressed only in the cells of the perianth bottom. Co-expression of TgVIT1 and TgFER-RNAi, constructed for suppressing endogenous TgFER1 by RNA interference (RNAi), changed the purple petal cells to a dark blue color similar to that of the natural perianth bottom. These results strongly suggest that TgVit1 expression and TgFER1 suppression are critical for the development of blue color in the perianth bottom.

Why Blue-Collar Blacks Help Less

OpenAIRE

Smith, Sandra Susan; Young, Kara Alexis

2013-01-01

Why are blue-collar blacks less likely to help jobseekers than jobholders from other ethnoracial groups or even than more affluent blacks? Drawing from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 97 black and Latino workers at one large, public sector employer, we find that blue-collar black workers both helped less proactively and rejected more requests for assistance than did blue-collar Latino and white-collar black workers. We attribute blue-collar blacks’ more passive engagement to their...

Spectral zone selection methodology for pebble bed reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mphahlele, Ramatsemela; Ougouag, Abderrafi M.; Ivanov, Kostadin N.; Gougar, Hans D.

2011-01-01

A methodology is developed for determining boundaries of spectral zones for pebble bed reactors. A spectral zone is defined as a region made up of a number of nodes whose characteristics are collectively similar and that are assigned the same few-group diffusion constants. The spectral zones are selected in such a manner that the difference (error) between the reference transport solution and the diffusion code solution takes a minimum value. This is achieved by choosing spectral zones through optimally minimizing this error. The objective function for the optimization algorithm is the total reaction rate error, which is defined as the sum of the leakage, absorption and fission reaction rates errors in each zone. The selection of these spectral zones is such that the core calculation results based on diffusion theory are within an acceptable tolerance as compared to a proper transport reference solution. Through this work, a consistent approach for identifying spectral zones that yield more accurate diffusion results is introduced.

[Spectral features analysis of Pinus massoniana with pest of Dendrolimus punctatus Walker and levels detection].

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Zhang-Hua; Liu, Jian; Yu, Kun-Yong; Gong, Cong-Hong; Xie, Wan-Jun; Tang, Meng-Ya; Lai, Ri-Wen; Li, Zeng-Lu

2013-02-01

Taking 51 field measured hyperspectral data with different pest levels in Yanping, Fujian Province as objects, the spectral reflectance and first derivative features of 4 levels of healthy, mild, moderate and severe insect pest were analyzed. On the basis of 7 detecting parameters construction, the pest level detecting models were built. The results showed that (1) the spectral reflectance of Pinus massoniana with pests were significantly lower than that of healthy state, and the higher the pest level, the lower the reflectance; (2) with the increase in pest level, the spectral reflectance curves' "green peak" and "red valley" of Pinus massoniana gradually disappeared, and the red edge was leveleds (3) the pest led to spectral "green peak" red shift, red edge position blue shift, but the changes in "red valley" and near-infrared position were complicated; (4) CARI, RES, REA and REDVI were highly relevant to pest levels, and the correlations between REP, RERVI, RENDVI and pest level were weak; (5) the multiple linear regression model with the variables of the 7 detection parameters could effectively detect the pest levels of Dendrolimus punctatus Walker, with both the estimation rate and accuracy above 0.85.

Spatially explicit estimates of stock sizes, structure and biomass of herring and blue whiting, and catch data of bluefin tuna

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huse, G.; MacKenzie, B. R.; Trenkel, V.

2015-01-01

The North Atlantic is a productive marine region which has supported important commercial fisheries for centuries. Many of these fisheries have exploited the pelagic species, including herring, blue whiting and tuna. Here we present data on the distribution of herring and blue whiting based on th...

Blue phosphorescent mono-cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ham, Ho Wan; Yang, Yoon A; Kim, Young Sik

2010-01-01

New deep blue phosphorescent iridium(III) complexes comprised of one cyclometalate, two phosphines trans to each other and two cis-ancillary ligands, such as Ir(F 2 Meppy)(PPh 2 Me) 2 (H)(Cl), Ir(F 2 Meppy)(PPh 2 Me) 2 (H)(NCMe) + , and Ir(F 2 Meppy)(PPh 2 Me) 2 (H)(CN), [F 2 Meppy = 2-(2', 4'- difluorophenyl)-4-methyl-pyridine] were synthesized and studied to tune the phosphorescence wavelength to the deep blue region and to enhance the luminescence efficiencies. We investigated the strong field effects of ancillary ligands to gain insight into the factors responsible for the emission color change and the different luminescence efficiency. Reducing the molecular weight of the phosphine ligand with PPh 2 Me leads to more efficient deep-blue organic light-emitting devices (OLED) by thermal processing instead of through solution processing. The electron-withdrawing difluoro group substituted on the phenyl ring, the electron-donating methyl group on the pyridyl ring, and the cyano strong field ancillary ligand increased the HOMO-LUMO gap and achieved a hypsochromic shift in the emission color. As a result, the maximum emission spectra of Ir(F 2 Meppy)-(PPh 2 Me) 2 (H)(Cl), Ir(F 2 Meppy)(PPh 2 Me) 2 (H)(NCMe) + , and Ir(F 2 Meppy)(PPh 2 Me) 2- (H)(CN) were in the ranges of 440.5, 437, 436 nm, respectively.

Raman analysis of cobalt blue pigment in blue and white porcelain: A reassessment

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Xiaochenyang; Ma, Yanying; Chen, Yue; Li, Yuanqiu; Ma, Qinglin; Zhang, Zhaoxia; Wang, Changsui; Yang, Yimin

2018-02-01

Cobalt blue is a famous pigment in human history. In the past decade it is widely reported that the cobalt aluminate has been detected in ancient ceramics as blue colorant in glaze, yet the acquired Raman spectra are incredibly different from that of synthesised references, necessitating a reassessment of such contradictory scenario with more accurate analytic strategies. In this study, micro-Raman spectroscopy (MRS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in association with energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) were performed on under-glaze cobalt pigments from one submerged blue and white porcelain shard dated from Wanli reign (1573-1620 CE) of Ming dynasty (1365-1644 CE) excavated at Nan'ao I shipwreck off the southern coast of China. The micro-structural inspection reveals that the pigment particles have characteristics of small account, tiny size, heterogeneously distribution, and more importantly, been completely enwrapped by well-developed anorthite crystals in the glaze, indicating that the signals recorded in previous publications are probably not from cobalt pigments themselves but from outside thickset anorthite shell. The further spectromicroscopic analyses confirm this presumption when the accurate spectra of cobalt aluminate pigment and surrounding anorthite were obtained separately with precise optical positioning. Accordingly, we reassess and clarify the previous Raman studies dedicated to cobalt blue pigment in ancient ceramics, e.g. cobalt blue in celadon glaze, and in turn demonstrate the superiority and necessity of coupling spectroscopic analysis with corresponding structure observation, especially in the characterization of pigments from complicated physico-chemical environment like antiquities. Thus, this study promotes a better understanding of Raman spectroscopy study of cobalt blue pigments in art and archaeology field.

Smart design to resolve spectral overlapping of phosphor-in-glass for high-powered remote-type white light-emitting devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jin Seok; Arunkumar, P; Kim, Sunghoon; Lee, In Jae; Lee, Hyungeui; Im, Won Bin

2014-02-15

The white light-emitting diode (WLED) is a state-of-the-art solid state technology, which has replaced conventional lighting systems due to its reduced energy consumption, its reliability, and long life. However, the WLED presents acute challenges in device engineering, due to its lack of color purity, efficacy, and thermal stability of the lighting devices. The prime cause for inadequacies in color purity and luminous efficiency is the spectral overlapping of red components with yellow/green emissions when generating white light by pumping a blue InGaN chip with yellow YAG:Ce³⁺ phosphor, where red phosphor is included, to compensate for deficiencies in the red region. An innovative strategy was formulated to resolve this spectral overlapping by alternatively arranging phosphor-in-glass (PiG) through cutting and reassembling the commercial red CaAlSiN₃:Eu²⁺ and green Lu₃Al₅O₁₂:Ce³⁺ PiG. PiGs were fabricated using glass frits with a low softening temperature of 600°C, which exhibited excellent thermal stability and high transparency, improving life time even at an operating temperature of 200°C. This strategy overcomes the spectral overlapping issue more efficiently than the randomly mixed and patented stacking design of multiple phosphors for a remote-type WLED. The protocol for the current design of PiG possesses excellent thermal and chemical stability with high luminous efficiency and color purity is an attempt to make smarter solid state lighting for high-powered remote-type white light-emitting devices.

Trophic flexibility of the Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus in invaded coastal systems of the Apulia region (SE Italy): A stable isotope analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Mancinelli, Giorgio; Teresa Guerra, Maria; Alujević, Karla; Raho, Davide; Zotti, Maurizio; Vizzini, Salvatrice

2017-11-01

The Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus is recognized as an Invasive Alien Species in the Mediterranean Sea. However, its trophic role and feeding flexibility in invaded benthic food webs have been addressed only recently. Here, field samplings were conducted in winter and summer in five coastal systems of the Apulia region (SE Italy), three located on the Ionian Sea (Mar Piccolo, Torre Colimena, and Spunderati) and two on the Adriatic Sea (Acquatina and Alimini Grande). Captured blue crabs were weighed and had their δ13C and δ15N isotopic signatures measured; their trophic level (TL) was estimated using the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis as isotopic baseline. C. sapidus abundances varied greatly across systems and seasons, and in Adriatic systems the species was not collected in winter. Trophic levels showed significant spatial and temporal variations, although with no general pattern. In winter, the Mar Piccolo population showed the highest TL values; the lowest estimates were in Torre Colimena and Spunderati, where crabs showed δ13C signatures significantly higher than mussels, suggesting the contribution of 13C-enriched plant material in the diet. In summer, with the exception of the Mar Piccolo, Ionian populations increased their trophic level; both Adriatic populations were characterized by the lowest TL estimates. The analysis performed at the individual scale further indicated body weight-related changes in trophic level. For the Torre Colimena population, in particular, a hump-shaped pattern was observed in both seasons. The present study highlighted a considerable spatial and temporal trophic flexibility of C. sapidus at the population scale, while at the individual scale size-related shifts in trophic level were observed. The ability of the blue crab to vary its energy sources in relation with season, local environmental conditions, and ontogenetic stage is emphasized, suggesting that it may represent a key determinant of its invasion success.

Spectral Slope as an Indicator of Pasture Quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rachel Lugassi

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In this study, we develop a spectral method for assessment of pasture quality based only on the spectral information obtained with a small number of wavelengths. First, differences in spectral behavior were identified across the near infrared–shortwave infrared spectral range that were indicative of changes in chemical properties. Then, slopes across different spectral ranges were calculated and correlated with the changes in crude protein (CP, neutral detergent fiber (NDF and metabolic energy concentration (MEC. Finally, partial least squares (PLS regression analysis was applied to identify the optimal spectral ranges for accurate assessment of CP, NDF and MEC. Six spectral domains and a set of slope criteria for real-time evaluation of pasture quality were suggested. The evaluation of three level categories (low, medium, high for these three parameters showed a success rate of: 73%–96% for CP, 72%–87% for NDF and 60%–85% for MEC. Moreover, only one spectral range, 1748–1764 nm, was needed to provide a good estimation of CP, NDF and MEC. Importantly, five of the six selected spectral regions were not affected by water absorbance. With some modifications, this rationale can be applied to further analyses of pasture quality from airborne sensors.

Polycrystalline Si nanoparticles and their strong aging enhancement of blue photoluminescence

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Shikuan; Cai, Weiping; Zeng, Haibo; Li, Zhigang

2008-07-01

Nearly spherical polycrystalline Si nanoparticles with 20 nm diameter were fabricated based on laser ablation of silicon wafer immersed in sodium dodecyl sulfate aqueous solution. Such Si nanoparticles consist of disordered areas and ultrafine grains of 3 nm in mean size and exhibit significant photoluminescence in blue region. Importantly, aging at ambient air leads to continuing enhancement of the emission (more than 130 times higher in 16 weeks) showing stable and strong blue emission. This aging enhancement is attributed to progressive passivation of nonradiative Pb centers corresponding to silicon dangling bonds on the particles' surface. This study could be helpful in pushing Si into optoelectronic field and Si-based full color display, biomedical tagging, and flash memories.

Unraveling the Mystery of the Blue Fog: Structure, Properties, and Applications of Amorphous Blue Phase III.

Science.gov (United States)

Gandhi, Sahil Sandesh; Chien, Liang-Chy

2017-12-01

The amorphous blue phase III of cholesteric liquid crystals, also known as the "blue fog," are among the rising stars in materials science that can potentially be used to develop next-generation displays with the ability to compete toe-to-toe with disruptive technologies like organic light-emitting diodes. The structure and properties of the practically unobservable blue phase III have eluded scientists for more than a century since it was discovered. This progress report reviews the developments in this field from both fundamental and applied research perspectives. The first part of this progress report gives an overview of the 130-years-long scientific tour-de-force that very recently resulted in the revelation of the mysterious structure of blue phase III. The second part reviews progress made in the past decade in developing electrooptical, optical, and photonic devices based on blue phase III. The strong and weak aspects of the development of these devices are underlined and criticized, respectively. The third- and-final part proposes ideas for further improvement in blue phase III technology to make it feasible for commercialization and widespread use. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) Spectral Library: Cool Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Rayner, John T.; Cushing, Michael C.; Vacca, William D.

2009-12-01

We present a 0.8-5 μm spectral library of 210 cool stars observed at a resolving power of R ≡ λ/Δλ ~ 2000 with the medium-resolution infrared spectrograph, SpeX, at the 3.0 m NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. The stars have well-established MK spectral classifications and are mostly restricted to near-solar metallicities. The sample not only contains the F, G, K, and M spectral types with luminosity classes between I and V, but also includes some AGB, carbon, and S stars. In contrast to some other spectral libraries, the continuum shape of the spectra is measured and preserved in the data reduction process. The spectra are absolutely flux calibrated using the Two Micron All Sky Survey photometry. Potential uses of the library include studying the physics of cool stars, classifying and studying embedded young clusters and optically obscured regions of the Galaxy, evolutionary population synthesis to study unresolved stellar populations in optically obscured regions of galaxies and synthetic photometry. The library is available in digital form from the IRTF Web site.

"Blue-Collar Blues" : kõigi maade töötud, ühinege! / Ants Juske

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Juske, Ants, 1956-2016

2009-01-01

Rahvusvaheline näitus "Blue-Collar Blues" Tallinna Kunstihoones ja Kunstihoone galeriis 31. jaanuarini 2010. Kuraator Anders Härm. Näituse ajendiks on 1. juulist 2009 Eestis kehtima hakanud töölepinguseadus, näituse fookus on töösuhetel

Poporodní blues – česká adaptace dotazníku „Maternity blues questionnaire“

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Takács, L.; Smolík, Filip; Mlíková Seidlerová, J.; Čepický, P.; Hoskovcová, S.

2016-01-01

Roč. 81, č. 5 (2016), s. 355-368 ISSN 1210-7832 Institutional support: RVO:68081740 Keywords : EPDS postpartum mood * Maternity Blues Questionnaire * postnatal depression * postpartum blues * postpartum depression Subject RIV: AN - Psychology

Transmitted spectral modulation of double-ring resonator using liquid crystals in terahertz range

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Huijuan; Zhou, Qingli; Wang, Xiumin; Li, Chenyu; Wu, Ani; Zhang, Cunlin

2013-12-01

Metamaterials with subwavelength structural features show unique electromagnetic responses that are unattainable with natural materials. Recent research on these artificial materials has been pushed forward to the terahertz region because of potential applications in biological fingerprinting, security imaging, remote sensing, and high frequency magnetic and electric resonant devices. Active control of their properties could further facilitate and open up new applications in terms of modulation and switching. Liquid crystals, which have been the subject of research for more than a century, have the unique properties for the development of many other optical components such as light valves, tunable filters and tunable lenses. In this paper, we investigated the transmitted spectral modulation in terahertz range by using liquid crystals (5CB and TEB300) covering on the fabricated double-ring resonators to realize the shift of the resonance frequency. Our obtained results indicate the low frequency resonance shows the obvious blue-shift, while the location of high frequency resonance is nearly unchanged. We believe this phenomenon is related to not only the refractive index of the covering liquid crystals but also the resonant mechanism of both resonances.

QEEG Spectral and Coherence Assessment of Autistic Children in Three Different Experimental Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Machado, Calixto; Estévez, Mario; Leisman, Gerry; Melillo, Robert; Rodríguez, Rafael; DeFina, Phillip; Hernández, Adrián; Pérez-Nellar, Jesús; Naranjo, Rolando; Chinchilla, Mauricio; Garófalo, Nicolás; Vargas, José; Beltrán, Carlos

2015-01-01

We studied autistics by quantitative EEG spectral and coherence analysis during three experimental conditions: basal, watching a cartoon with audio (V-A), and with muted audio band (VwA). Significant reductions were found for the absolute power spectral density (PSD) in the central region for delta and theta, and in the posterior region for sigma…

Spectral optimization simulation of white light based on the photopic eye-sensitivity curve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dai, Qi; Hao, Luoxi; Lin, Yi; Cui, Zhe

2016-01-01

Spectral optimization simulation of white light is studied to boost maximum attainable luminous efficacy of radiation at high color-rendering index (CRI) and various color temperatures. The photopic eye-sensitivity curve V(λ) is utilized as the dominant portion of white light spectra. Emission spectra of a blue InGaN light-emitting diode (LED) and a red AlInGaP LED are added to the spectrum of V(λ) to match white color coordinates. It is demonstrated that at the condition of color temperature from 2500 K to 6500 K and CRI above 90, such white sources can achieve spectral efficacy of 330–390 lm/W, which is higher than the previously reported theoretical maximum values. We show that this eye-sensitivity-based approach also has advantages on component energy conversion efficiency compared with previously reported optimization solutions

Spectral optimization simulation of white light based on the photopic eye-sensitivity curve

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dai, Qi, E-mail: qidai@tongji.edu.cn [College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092 (China); Institute for Advanced Study, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092 (China); Key Laboratory of Ecology and Energy-saving Study of Dense Habitat (Tongji University), Ministry of Education, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092 (China); Hao, Luoxi; Lin, Yi; Cui, Zhe [College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092 (China); Key Laboratory of Ecology and Energy-saving Study of Dense Habitat (Tongji University), Ministry of Education, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092 (China)

2016-02-07

Spectral optimization simulation of white light is studied to boost maximum attainable luminous efficacy of radiation at high color-rendering index (CRI) and various color temperatures. The photopic eye-sensitivity curve V(λ) is utilized as the dominant portion of white light spectra. Emission spectra of a blue InGaN light-emitting diode (LED) and a red AlInGaP LED are added to the spectrum of V(λ) to match white color coordinates. It is demonstrated that at the condition of color temperature from 2500 K to 6500 K and CRI above 90, such white sources can achieve spectral efficacy of 330–390 lm/W, which is higher than the previously reported theoretical maximum values. We show that this eye-sensitivity-based approach also has advantages on component energy conversion efficiency compared with previously reported optimization solutions.

Characterization of protein and carbohydrate mid-IR spectral features in crop residues

Science.gov (United States)

Xin, Hangshu; Zhang, Yonggen; Wang, Mingjun; Li, Zhongyu; Wang, Zhibo; Yu, Peiqiang

2014-08-01

To the best of our knowledge, a few studies have been conducted on inherent structure spectral traits related to biopolymers of crop residues. The objective of this study was to characterize protein and carbohydrate structure spectral features of three field crop residues (rice straw, wheat straw and millet straw) in comparison with two crop vines (peanut vine and pea vine) by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) technique with attenuated total reflectance (ATR). Also, multivariate analyses were performed on spectral data sets within the regions mainly related to protein and carbohydrate in this study. The results showed that spectral differences existed in mid-IR peak intensities that are mainly related to protein and carbohydrate among these crop residue samples. With regard to protein spectral profile, peanut vine showed the greatest mid-IR band intensities that are related to protein amide and protein secondary structures, followed by pea vine and the rest three field crop straws. The crop vines had 48-134% higher spectral band intensity than the grain straws in spectral features associated with protein. Similar trends were also found in the bands that are mainly related to structural carbohydrates (such as cellulosic compounds). However, the field crop residues had higher peak intensity in total carbohydrates region than the crop vines. Furthermore, spectral ratios varied among the residue samples, indicating that these five crop residues had different internal structural conformation. However, multivariate spectral analyses showed that structural similarities still exhibited among crop residues in the regions associated with protein biopolymers and carbohydrate. Further study is needed to find out whether there is any relationship between spectroscopic information and nutrition supply in various kinds of crop residue when fed to animals.

The Blue Öresund Bridge of Knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Hellström, Åsa; Palmgren, Michael

2017-04-01

The Blue Öresund Bridge of Knowledge (BÖBK) is a unique project between Malmö, Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark around The Sound. BÖBK aims to educate the next generation to become active citizens who take part in creating a sustainable marine future. It is important that future generations are capable of responding to challenges generated in society. Through practical, creative and innovative learning programs we are working on giving the school children, and their teachers, the insight, skills and commitment needed to take on the fight for a clean environment, bright future and blue waters. Thirty years ago, the Sound was a dead, eutrophic and polluted sea. With joint efforts for those environmental issues and with greater understanding of our sea, from both countries, the water in The Sound has improved, fish stocks increased, and the seabed is healthy. Despite one of Europe's largest constructions works, The Öresund Bridge. The Sound is a unique ocean with strong currents and with varying salinity. Which means a rich, varied biological life. In BÖBK, which is a unique three-year project between the two municipalities, Malmö and Copenhagen and actors like Malmö Museum, Malmö Aquarium, SEA-U Marine Science Center in Sweden and The Blue Planet, Öresund Environmental School in Denmark, we work hands-on with students and teachers from the two schools, in Malmö and Copenhagen. The aim of the project is that the students, who are 13-15 years old, get a deeper understanding of our marine environment, The Sound, through its ecosystem services, and what human influence can do. Students also practice their action competence regarding own actions and lifestyle choices based on this knowledge. Students learn more about history, marine science and the biodiversity of The Sound. But also, how important fisheries have been in the region since the Middle Ages. Marine food has a prominent position in the project where students are taught to fish their own fish in a

Thin film optical coatings for the ultraviolet spectral region

Science.gov (United States)

Torchio, P.; Albrand, G.; Alvisi, M.; Amra, C.; Rauf, H.; Cousin, B.; Otrio, G.

2017-11-01

The applications and innovations related to the ultraviolet field are today in strong growth. To satisfy these developments which go from biomedical to the large equipment like the Storage Ring Free Electron Laser, it is crucial to control with an extreme precision the optical performances, in using the substrates and the thin film materials impossible to circumvent in this spectral range. In particular, the reduction of the losses by electromagnetic diffusion, Joule effect absorption, or the behavior under UV luminous flows of power, resistance to surrounding particulate flows... become top priority which concerns a broad European and international community. Our laboratory has the theoretical, experimental and technological tools to design and fabricate numerous multilayer coatings with desirable optical properties in the visible and infrared spectral ranges. We have extended our expertise to the ultraviolet. We present here some results on high reflectivity multidielectric mirrors towards 250 nm in wavelength, produced by Ion Plating Deposition. The latter technique allows us to obtain surface treatments with low absorption and high resistance. We give in this study the UV transparent materials and the manufacturing technology which have been the best suited to meet requirements. Single UV layers were deposited and characterized. HfO2/SiO2 mirrors with a reflectance higher than 99% at 300 nm were obtained. Optical and non-optical characterizations such as UV spectrophotometric measurements, X-Ray Diffraction spectra, Scanning Electron Microscope and Atomic Force Microscope images were performed

Aerosol Retrievals Over Land and Water using Deep Blue Algorithm from SeaWiFS and MODIS during UAE2 Field Campaign

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, N.

2005-12-01

The environment in Southwest Asia exhibits one of the most complex situations for aerosol remote sensing from space. Several air masses with different aerosol characteristics commonly converge in this region. In particular, there are often fine mode pollution particles generated from oil industry activities in the Persian Gulf colliding with coarse mode dust particles lifted from desert sources in the surrounding areas. During the course of the UAE field campaign (August-October, 2004), we provided near-real time information, calculated using the Deep Blue algorithm, of satellite aerosol optical thickness and Angstrom exponent over the Southwest Asia region, including the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and part of north Africa. In this paper, we will present results of aerosol characteristics retrieved from SeaWiFS and MODIS over the Arabian Peninsula, Persian Gulf, and the Arabian Sea during the UAE experiment. The spectral surface reflectance data base constructed using satellite reflectance from MODIS and SeaWiFS employed in our algorithm will be discussed. We will also compare the resulting satellite retrieved aerosol optical thickness and Angstrom exponent with those obtained from the ground based sun photometers from AERONET in the region. Finally, we will discuss the changes in shortwave and longwave fluxes at the top of atmosphere in response to changes in aerosol optical thickness (i.e. aerosol forcing).

A Spectral-Texture Kernel-Based Classification Method for Hyperspectral Images

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi Wang

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Classification of hyperspectral images always suffers from high dimensionality and very limited labeled samples. Recently, the spectral-spatial classification has attracted considerable attention and can achieve higher classification accuracy and smoother classification maps. In this paper, a novel spectral-spatial classification method for hyperspectral images by using kernel methods is investigated. For a given hyperspectral image, the principle component analysis (PCA transform is first performed. Then, the first principle component of the input image is segmented into non-overlapping homogeneous regions by using the entropy rate superpixel (ERS algorithm. Next, the local spectral histogram model is applied to each homogeneous region to obtain the corresponding texture features. Because this step is performed within each homogenous region, instead of within a fixed-size image window, the obtained local texture features in the image are more accurate, which can effectively benefit the improvement of classification accuracy. In the following step, a contextual spectral-texture kernel is constructed by combining spectral information in the image and the extracted texture information using the linearity property of the kernel methods. Finally, the classification map is achieved by the support vector machines (SVM classifier using the proposed spectral-texture kernel. Experiments on two benchmark airborne hyperspectral datasets demonstrate that our method can effectively improve classification accuracies, even though only a very limited training sample is available. Specifically, our method can achieve from 8.26% to 15.1% higher in terms of overall accuracy than the traditional SVM classifier. The performance of our method was further compared to several state-of-the-art classification methods of hyperspectral images using objective quantitative measures and a visual qualitative evaluation.

76 FR 22923 - Wellpoint, Inc. D/B/A/Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield Enterprise Provider Data Management Team...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-25

.../B/A/Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield Enterprise Provider Data Management Team Including On-Site... & Blue Shield, Enterprise Provider Data Management Team, Including On-Site Leased Workers From Kelly... Of Kentucky, Enterprise Provider Data Management Team, Louisville, Kentucky TA-W-74,895B Wellpoint...

Fast Blue RR—Siloxane Derivatized Materials Indicate Wound Infection Due to a Deep Blue Color Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Doris Schiffer

2015-09-01

Full Text Available There is a strong need for simple and fast methods for wound infection determination. Myeloperoxidase, an immune system-derived enzyme was found to be a suitable biomarker for wound infection. Hence, alkoxysilane-derivatized Fast Blue RR was immobilized via simple hydrolytic polymerization. The resulting enzyme-responsive siloxane layers were incubated with myeloperoxidase, wound fluid or hemoglobin. The reaction was monitored via HPLC measurements and the color development quantified spectrophotometrically. Myeloperoxidase was indeed able to oxidize immobilized Fast Blue RR leading to a blue colored product. No conversion was detected in non-infected wound fluids. The visible color changes of these novel materials towards blue enable an easy distinction between infected and non-infected wound fluids.

Colorimetry and efficiency of white LEDs: Spectral width dependence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taylor, Elaine; Edwards, Paul R.; Martin, Robert W. [Department of Physics, SUPA, Strathclyde University, Glasgow (United Kingdom)

2012-03-15

The potential colour rendering capability and efficiency of white LEDs constructed by a combination of individual red, green and blue (RGB) LEDs are analysed. The conventional measurement of colour rendering quality, the colour rendering index (CRI), is used as well as a recently proposed colour quality scale (CQS), designed to overcome some of the limitations of CRI when narrow-band emitters are being studied. The colour rendering performance is maximised by variation of the peak emission wavelength and relative intensity of the component LEDs, with the constraint that the spectral widths follow those measured in actual devices. The highest CRI achieved is 89.5, corresponding to a CQS value of 79, colour temperature of 3800 K and a luminous efficacy of radiation (LER) of 365 lm/W. By allowing the spectral width of the green LED to vary the CRI can be raised to 90.9, giving values of 82.5 and 370 lm/W for the CQS and LER, respectively. The significance of these values are discussed in terms of optimising the possible performance of RGB LEDs. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Early Birds by Light at Night: Effects of Light Color and Intensity on Daily Activity Patterns in Blue Tits.

Science.gov (United States)

de Jong, Maaike; Caro, Samuel P; Gienapp, Phillip; Spoelstra, Kamiel; Visser, Marcel E

2017-08-01

Artificial light at night disturbs the daily rhythms of many organisms. To what extent this disturbance depends on the intensity and spectral composition of light remain obscure. Here, we measured daily activity patterns of captive blue tits ( Cyanistes caeruleus) exposed to similar intensities of green, red, or white light at night. Birds advanced their onset of activity in the morning under all light colors but more under red and white light than under green light. Offset of activity was slightly delayed in all light colors. The total activity over a 24-h period did not change but birds moved a part of their daily activity into the night. Since the effect of red and white lights are comparable, we tested the influence of light intensity in a follow-up experiment, where we compared the activity of the birds under different intensities of green and white light only. While in the higher range of intensities, the effects of white and green light were comparable; at lower intensities, green light had a less disturbing effect as compared with white light on daily rhythms in blue tits. Our results show that the extent of this disturbance can be mitigated by modulating the spectral characteristics and intensity of outdoor lighting, which is now feasible through the use of LED lighting.

Limits on carbon sequestration in arid blue carbon ecosystems.

Science.gov (United States)

Schile, Lisa M; Kauffman, J Boone; Crooks, Stephen; Fourqurean, James W; Glavan, Jane; Megonigal, J Patrick

2017-04-01

Coastal ecosystems produce and sequester significant amounts of carbon ("blue carbon"), which has been well documented in humid and semi-humid regions of temperate and tropical climates but less so in arid regions where mangroves, marshes, and seagrasses exist near the limit of their tolerance for extreme temperature and salinity. To better understand these unique systems, we measured whole-ecosystem carbon stocks in 58 sites across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in natural and planted mangroves, salt marshes, seagrass beds, microbial mats, and coastal sabkha (inter- and supratidal unvegetated salt flats). Natural mangroves held significantly more carbon in above- and belowground biomass than other vegetated ecosystems. Planted mangrove carbon stocks increased with age, but there were large differences for sites of similar age. Soil carbon varied widely across sites (2-367 Mg C/ha), with ecosystem averages that ranged from 49 to 156 Mg C/ha. For the first time, microbial mats were documented to contain soil carbon pools comparable to vascular plant-dominated ecosystems, and could arguably be recognized as a unique blue carbon ecosystem. Total ecosystem carbon stocks ranged widely from 2 to 515 Mg C/ha (seagrass bed and mangrove, respectively). Seagrass beds had the lowest carbon stock per unit area, but the largest stock per total area due to their large spatial coverage. Compared to similar ecosystems globally, mangroves and marshes in the UAE have lower plant and soil carbon stocks; however, the difference in soil stocks is far larger than with plant stocks. This incongruent difference between stocks is likely due to poor carbon preservation under conditions of weakly reduced soils (200-350 mV), coarse-grained sediments, and active shoreline migration. This work represents the first attempt to produce a country-wide coastal ecosystem carbon accounting using a uniform sampling protocol, and was motivated by specific policy goals identified by the Abu Dhabi Global

MHC class II B diversity in blue tits: a preliminary study.

Science.gov (United States)

Aguilar, Juan Rivero-de; Schut, Elske; Merino, Santiago; Martínez, Javier; Komdeur, Jan; Westerdahl, Helena

2013-07-01

In this study, we partly characterize major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II B in the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus). A total of 22 individuals from three different European locations: Spain, The Netherlands, and Sweden were screened for MHC allelic diversity. The MHC genes were investigated using both PCR-based methods and unamplified genomic DNA with restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and southern blots. A total of 13 different exon 2 sequences were obtained independently from DNA and/or RNA, thus confirming gene transcription and likely functionality of the genes. Nine out of 13 alleles were found in more than one country, and two alleles appeared in all countries. Positive selection was detected in the region coding for the peptide binding region (PBR). A maximum of three alleles per individual was detected by sequencing and the RFLP pattern consisted of 4-7 fragments, indicating a minimum number of 2-4 loci per individual. A phylogenetic analysis, demonstrated that the blue tit sequences are divergent compared to sequences from other passerines resembling a different MHC lineage than those possessed by most passerines studied to date.

Simulation and analysis of Au-MgF2 structure in plasmonic sensor in near infrared spectral region

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Anuj K.

2018-05-01

Plasmonic sensor based on metal-dielectric combination of gold and MgF2 layers is studied in near infrared (NIR) spectral region. An emphasis is given on the effect of variable thickness of MgF2 layer in combination with operating wavelength and gold layer thickness on the sensor's performance in NIR. It is established that the variation in MgF2 thickness in connection with plasmon penetration depth leads to significant variation in sensor's performance. The analysis leads to a conclusion that taking smaller values of MgF2 layer thickness and operating at longer NIR wavelength leads to enhanced sensing performance. Also, fluoride glass can provide better sensing performance than chalcogenide glass and silicon substrate.

Titan's fluvial valleys: Morphology, distribution, and spectral properties

Science.gov (United States)

Langhans, M.H.; Jaumann, R.; Stephan, K.; Brown, R.H.; Buratti, B.J.; Clark, R.N.; Baines, K.H.; Nicholson, P.D.; Lorenz, R.D.; Soderblom, L.A.; Soderblom, J.M.; Sotin, Christophe; Barnes, J.W.; Nelson, R.

2012-01-01

Titan's fluvial channels have been investigated based on data obtained by the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instrument and the Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) onboard the Cassini spacecraft. In this paper, a database of fluvial features is created based on radar-SAR data aiming to unveil the distribution and the morphologic and spectral characteristics of valleys on Titan on a global scale. It will also study the spatial relations between fluvial valleys and Titan's geologic units and spectral surface units which have become accessible thanks to Cassini-VIMS data. Several distinct morphologic types of fluvial valleys can be discerned by SAR-images. Dendritic valley networks appear to have much in common with terrestrial dendritic systems owing to a hierarchical and tree-shaped arrangement of the tributaries which is indicative of an origin from precipitation. Dry valleys constitute another class of valleys resembling terrestrial wadis, an indication of episodic and strong flow events. Other valley types, such as putative canyons, cannot be correlated with rainfall based on their morphology alone, since it cannot be ruled out that they may have originated from volcanic/tectonic action or groundwater sapping. Highly developed and complex fluvial networks with channel lengths of up to 1200 km and widths of up to 10 km are concentrated only at a few locations whereas single valleys are scattered over all latitudes. Fluvial valleys are frequently found in mountainous areas. Some terrains, such as equatorial dune fields and undifferentiated plains at mid-latitudes, are almost entirely free of valleys. Spectrally, fluvial terrains are often characterized by a high reflectance in each of Titan's atmospheric windows, as most of them are located on Titan's bright 'continents'. Nevertheless, valleys are spatially associated with a surface unit appearing blue due to its higher reflection at 1.3??m in a VIMS false color RGB composite with R: 1.59/1.27??m, G: 2

The lithium abundance of M67 blue stragglers - A constraint on the blue straggler phenomenon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pritchet, C.J.; Glaspey, J.W.

1991-01-01

Upper limits have been placed on the line strength of the 6707 A Li I resonance doublet in seven blue stragglers in M67. The corresponding upper limits on abundances range from log N(Li) less than about 1.3 to less than about 2.3. This result is significantly below the level of log N(Li) about 3.1 + or - 0.1 found in field main-sequence stars of comparable temperature. It is concluded that some form of mixing has affected the outer envelopes of blue stragglers. (Such mixing has been proposed as the mechanism needed to prolong the lifetimes of blue stragglers relative to normal main-sequence stars at the same luminosity). Virtually all mechanisms for the production of blue stragglers other than mixing, binary mass transfer, or binary coalescence appear to be ruled out by the present observations. 45 refs

Blue phosphorescent mono-cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ham, Ho Wan; Yang, Yoon A; Kim, Young Sik [Hongik University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2010-12-15

New deep blue phosphorescent iridium(III) complexes comprised of one cyclometalate, two phosphines trans to each other and two cis-ancillary ligands, such as Ir(F{sub 2}Meppy)(PPh{sub 2}Me){sub 2}(H)(Cl), Ir(F{sub 2}Meppy)(PPh{sub 2}Me){sub 2}(H)(NCMe){sup +}, and Ir(F{sub 2}Meppy)(PPh{sub 2}Me){sub 2}(H)(CN), [F{sub 2}Meppy = 2-(2', 4'- difluorophenyl)-4-methyl-pyridine] were synthesized and studied to tune the phosphorescence wavelength to the deep blue region and to enhance the luminescence efficiencies. We investigated the strong field effects of ancillary ligands to gain insight into the factors responsible for the emission color change and the different luminescence efficiency. Reducing the molecular weight of the phosphine ligand with PPh{sub 2}Me leads to more efficient deep-blue organic light-emitting devices (OLED) by thermal processing instead of through solution processing. The electron-withdrawing difluoro group substituted on the phenyl ring, the electron-donating methyl group on the pyridyl ring, and the cyano strong field ancillary ligand increased the HOMO-LUMO gap and achieved a hypsochromic shift in the emission color. As a result, the maximum emission spectra of Ir(F{sub 2}Meppy)-(PPh{sub 2}Me){sub 2}(H)(Cl), Ir(F{sub 2}Meppy)(PPh{sub 2}Me){sub 2}(H)(NCMe){sup +}, and Ir(F{sub 2}Meppy)(PPh{sub 2}Me){sub 2-}(H)(CN) were in the ranges of 440.5, 437, 436 nm, respectively.

Two micron spectroscopy of the Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxy Haro 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davidge, T.J.; Maillard, J.P.

1990-01-01

This paper discusses the results of 2-micron spectroscopic observations of the Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxy (BCDG) Haro 2, obtained with the 3.6-m Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. The spectrum contains emission lines of H I, He I, Fe II, and H2 and strong absorption originating from Delta-v = 2 transitions of CO. The strengths of the various features are discussed and the extinction in the 2-micron region is estimated. The spectrum of Haro 2 is compared with those of other BCDGs and the starburst galaxies NGC 253 and M82. It is found that, in many respects, Haro 2 is a typical starburst galaxy and that its blue near-IR colors are not necessarily a sign of youth. 35 refs

Raman spectroscopy and the forensic analysis of black/grey and blue cotton fibres Part 1: investigation of the effects of varying laser wavelength.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, J; Buzzini, P; Massonnet, G; Reedy, B; Roux, C

2005-09-10

Raman spectroscopy was investigated to determine the optimal conditions, mainly laser wavelength/s, for the analysis of the commonly encountered black/grey and blue cotton fibres dyed with reactive dyes. In this first part, a single blue cotton fibre, its three dye components, and an undyed cotton fibre were analysed with five different laser wavelengths from two different Raman microprobe spectrometers. The quality of the spectra, fibre degradation and speed of acquisition were used to determine that, under the conditions used, the 785 and 830 nm lasers gave superior results. The 632.8 nm laser wavelengths provided good results with little acquisition time and no spectral degradation. Results indicate that, at least, the major dye component could be identified using Raman spectroscopy.

Ecology of blue straggler stars

CERN Document Server

Carraro, Giovanni; Beccari, Giacomo

2015-01-01

The existence of blue straggler stars, which appear younger, hotter, and more massive than their siblings, is at odds with a simple picture of stellar evolution. Such stars should have exhausted their nuclear fuel and evolved long ago to become cooling white dwarfs. They are found to exist in globular clusters, open clusters, dwarf spheroidal galaxies of the Local Group, OB associations and as field stars. This book summarises the many advances in observational and theoretical work dedicated to blue straggler stars. Carefully edited extended contributions by well-known experts in the field cover all the relevant aspects of blue straggler stars research: Observations of blue straggler stars in their various environments; Binary stars and formation channels; Dynamics of globular clusters; Interpretation of observational data and comparison with models. The book also offers an introductory chapter on stellar evolution written by the editors of the book.

High spatial and spectral resolution measurements of Jupiter's auroral regions using Gemini-North-TEXES

Science.gov (United States)

Sinclair, J. A.; Orton, G. S.; Greathouse, T. K.; Lacy, J.; Giles, R.; Fletcher, L. N.; Vogt, M.; Irwin, P. G.

2017-12-01

Jupiter exhibits auroral emission at a multitude of wavelengths. Auroral emission at X-ray, ultraviolet and near-infrared wavelengths demonstrate the precipitation of ion and electrons in Jupiter's upper atmosphere, at altitudes exceeding 250 km above the 1-bar level. Enhanced mid-infrared emission of CH4, C2H2, C2H4 and further hydrocarbons is also observed coincident with Jupiter's auroral regions. Retrieval analyses of infrared spectra from IRTF-TEXES (Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph on NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility) indicate strong heating at the 1-mbar level and evidence of ion-neutral chemistry, which enriches the abundances of unsaturated hydrocarbons (Sinclair et al., 2017b, doi:10.1002/2017GL073529, Sinclair et al., 2017c (under review)). The extent to which these phenomena in the stratosphere are correlated and coupled physically with the shorter-wavelength auroral emission originating from higher altitudes has been a challenge due to the limited spatial resolution available on the IRTF. Smaller-scale features observed in the near-infrared and ultraviolet emission, such as the main `oval', transient `swirls' and dusk-active regions within the main oval (e.g. Stallard et al., 2014, doi:10.1016/j/Icarus.2015.12.044, Nichols et al., 2017, doi: 10.1002/2017GL073029) are potentially being blurred in the mid-infrared by the diffraction-limited resolution (0.7") of IRTF's 3-metre primary aperture. However, on March 17-19th 2017, we obtained spectral measurements of H2 S(1), CH4, C2H2, C2H4 and C2H6 emission of Jupiter's high latitudes using TEXES on Gemini-North, which has a 8-metre primary aperture. This rare opportunity combines the superior spectral resolving power of TEXES and the high spatial resolution provided by Gemini-North's 8-metre aperture. We will perform a retrieval analyses to determine the 3D distributions of temperature, C2H2, C2H4 and C2H6. The morphology will be compared with near-contemporaneous measurements of H3+ emission from

Spectral methods in numerical plasma simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coutsias, E.A.; Hansen, F.R.; Huld, T.; Knorr, G.; Lynov, J.P.

1989-01-01

An introduction is given to the use of spectral methods in numerical plasma simulation. As examples of the use of spectral methods, solutions to the two-dimensional Euler equations in both a simple, doubly periodic region, and on an annulus will be shown. In the first case, the solution is expanded in a two-dimensional Fourier series, while a Chebyshev-Fourier expansion is employed in the second case. A new, efficient algorithm for the solution of Poisson's equation on an annulus is introduced. Problems connected to aliasing and to short wavelength noise generated by gradient steepening are discussed. (orig.)

Impacts of spectral nudging on the simulated surface air temperature in summer compared with the selection of shortwave radiation and land surface model physics parameterization in a high-resolution regional atmospheric model

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jun; Hwang, Seung-On

2017-11-01

The impact of a spectral nudging technique for the dynamical downscaling of the summer surface air temperature in a high-resolution regional atmospheric model is assessed. The performance of this technique is measured by comparing 16 analysis-driven simulation sets of physical parameterization combinations of two shortwave radiation and four land surface model schemes of the model, which are known to be crucial for the simulation of the surface air temperature. It is found that the application of spectral nudging to the outermost domain has a greater impact on the regional climate than any combination of shortwave radiation and land surface model physics schemes. The optimal choice of two model physics parameterizations is helpful for obtaining more realistic spatiotemporal distributions of land surface variables such as the surface air temperature, precipitation, and surface fluxes. However, employing spectral nudging adds more value to the results; the improvement is greater than using sophisticated shortwave radiation and land surface model physical parameterizations. This result indicates that spectral nudging applied to the outermost domain provides a more accurate lateral boundary condition to the innermost domain when forced by analysis data by securing the consistency with large-scale forcing over a regional domain. This consequently indirectly helps two physical parameterizations to produce small-scale features closer to the observed values, leading to a better representation of the surface air temperature in a high-resolution downscaled climate.

Cellular Blue Nevus Diagnosed following Excision of Melanoma: A Challenge in Diagnosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nives Jonjić

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A case of a 41-year-old woman with a history of nodular melanoma (NM, associated with an indurated dome-shaped blue-black nodule with a diameter of 1.2 cm in the gluteal region, is presented. Clinical diagnosis of the lesion, present from birth, was blue nevus. Recently, the nodule has been showing a mild enlargement and thus complete resection was performed. Histological analysis revealed a pigmented lesion with an expansive pattern of extension into the dermis and the subcutaneous adipose tissue. The lesion displayed an alveolar pattern as well as a pigmented dendritic cell pattern. The histology was consistent with cellular blue nevus (CBN; however, the history of NM which was excised one year earlier, as well as the clinical information about the slow growing lesion, included a differential diagnosis of CBN, borderline melanocytic tumor, and malignant blue nevus. Additional immunohistochemical (HMB-45, p16, and Ki-67 and molecular (BRAF V600E mutation analyses were performed on both lesions: the CBN-like and the previously excised NM. Along with lesion history and histological analyses, p16 staining and BRAF were useful diagnostic tools for confirming the benign nature of CBN in this case.

A multi-object spectral imaging instrument

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gibson, G M; Dienerowitz, M; Kelleher, P A; Harvey, A R; Padgett, M J

2013-01-01

We have developed a snapshot spectral imaging system which fits onto the side camera port of a commercial inverted microscope. The system provides spectra, in real time, from multiple points randomly selected on the microscope image. Light from the selected points in the sample is directed from the side port imaging arm using a digital micromirror device to a spectrometer arm based on a dispersing prism and CCD camera. A multi-line laser source is used to calibrate the pixel positions on the CCD for wavelength. A CMOS camera on the front port of the microscope allows the full image of the sample to be displayed and can also be used for particle tracking, providing spectra of multiple particles moving in the sample. We demonstrate the system by recording the spectra of multiple fluorescent beads in aqueous solution and from multiple points along a microscope sample channel containing a mixture of red and blue dye. (paper)

Natural Blue Food Colour

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roda-Serrat, Maria Cinta

In recent years, there has been a growing tendency to avoid the use of artificial colorants and additives in food products, especially after some studies linked their consumption with behavioural changes in children. However, the incorporation of colorants from natural origin remains a challenge...... for food technologists, as these are typically less vivid and less stable than their synthetic alternatives. Regarding blue colorants, phycocyanins from cyanobacteria are currently in the spotlight as promising new natural blue colorants. Phycocyanins are proteins which blue colour results from...... the presence of the chromophore phycocyanobilin (PCB), a covalently attached linear tetrapyrrole. The applications of phycocyanins as food colorants are however limited, as they show poor stability in certain conditions of pH, light and temperature. Cleavage of PCB from the protein followed by careful product...

Water vapor transmittance models for narrow bands in the 13 to 19 μm spectral region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weichel, R.L.

1983-10-01

The purpose of this report is to document the development of water vapor transmittance models for narrow bands (satellite sensor channels) in the 13 to 19 μm spectral region. The models are the result of research efforts of the author in 1971-1972 while on active duty with the US Air Force at the Air Force Global Weather Central (AFGWC). The models were developed for application in studies involving a temperature profiling sensor system carried aboard the satellites of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP), formerly DAPP. Recently, (Lovill et al., 1978; Luther et al., 1981) the models were implemented for studies concerned with methodologies to retrieve total atmospheric column ozone from measurements of newer DMSP Block 5D series satellite sensors with similar channels (see Nichols, 1975)

THE INFRARED TELESCOPE FACILITY (IRTF) SPECTRAL LIBRARY: COOL STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rayner, John T.; Cushing, Michael C.; Vacca, William D.

2009-01-01

We present a 0.8-5 μm spectral library of 210 cool stars observed at a resolving power of R ≡ λ/Δλ ∼ 2000 with the medium-resolution infrared spectrograph, SpeX, at the 3.0 m NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. The stars have well-established MK spectral classifications and are mostly restricted to near-solar metallicities. The sample not only contains the F, G, K, and M spectral types with luminosity classes between I and V, but also includes some AGB, carbon, and S stars. In contrast to some other spectral libraries, the continuum shape of the spectra is measured and preserved in the data reduction process. The spectra are absolutely flux calibrated using the Two Micron All Sky Survey photometry. Potential uses of the library include studying the physics of cool stars, classifying and studying embedded young clusters and optically obscured regions of the Galaxy, evolutionary population synthesis to study unresolved stellar populations in optically obscured regions of galaxies and synthetic photometry. The library is available in digital form from the IRTF Web site.

Measurements and estimation of the columnar optical depth of tropospheric aerosols in the UV spectral region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. E. Cachorro

2002-04-01

Full Text Available We report values of the columnar tropospheric aerosol optical depth at UV wavelengths based on experimental measurements of the direct spectral irradiances carried out by a commercial spectroradiometer (Li1800 of Licor company covering the range from 300–1100 nm at two stations with different climate characteristics in Spain. The first station is located in a rural site in north central Spain with continental climate. The data extend from March to the end of October of 1995. The other station is a coastal site in the Gulf of Cádiz (southwest Spain of maritime climate type. This study is mainly focused on the capability of estimating aerosol optical depth values in the UV region based on the extracted information in the visible and near infrared ranges. A first method has been used based on the Ångström turbidity parameters. However, since this method requires detailed spectral information, a second method has also been used, based on the correlation between wavelengths. A correlation has been established between the experimental aerosol optical depth values at 350 nm and 500 nm wavelengths. Although the type of aerosol seems to be the key factor that determines the quality of these estimations, the evaluation of the associated error is necessary to know the behaviour of these estimations in each area of study.Key words. Atmospheric composition and structure (aerosols and particles; transmission and scattering of radiation; troposphere – composition and chemistry

Measurements and estimation of the columnar optical depth of tropospheric aerosols in the UV spectral region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. E. Cachorro

Full Text Available We report values of the columnar tropospheric aerosol optical depth at UV wavelengths based on experimental measurements of the direct spectral irradiances carried out by a commercial spectroradiometer (Li1800 of Licor company covering the range from 300–1100 nm at two stations with different climate characteristics in Spain. The first station is located in a rural site in north central Spain with continental climate. The data extend from March to the end of October of 1995. The other station is a coastal site in the Gulf of Cádiz (southwest Spain of maritime climate type. This study is mainly focused on the capability of estimating aerosol optical depth values in the UV region based on the extracted information in the visible and near infrared ranges. A first method has been used based on the Ångström turbidity parameters. However, since this method requires detailed spectral information, a second method has also been used, based on the correlation between wavelengths. A correlation has been established between the experimental aerosol optical depth values at 350 nm and 500 nm wavelengths. Although the type of aerosol seems to be the key factor that determines the quality of these estimations, the evaluation of the associated error is necessary to know the behaviour of these estimations in each area of study.

Key words. Atmospheric composition and structure (aerosols and particles; transmission and scattering of radiation; troposphere – composition and chemistry

Can greening of aquaculture sequester blue carbon?

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Nesar; Bunting, Stuart W; Glaser, Marion; Flaherty, Mark S; Diana, James S

2017-05-01

Globally, blue carbon (i.e., carbon in coastal and marine ecosystems) emissions have been seriously augmented due to the devastating effects of anthropogenic pressures on coastal ecosystems including mangrove swamps, salt marshes, and seagrass meadows. The greening of aquaculture, however, including an ecosystem approach to Integrated Aquaculture-Agriculture (IAA) and Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) could play a significant role in reversing this trend, enhancing coastal ecosystems, and sequestering blue carbon. Ponds within IAA farming systems sequester more carbon per unit area than conventional fish ponds, natural lakes, and inland seas. The translocation of shrimp culture from mangrove swamps to offshore IMTA could reduce mangrove loss, reverse blue carbon emissions, and in turn increase storage of blue carbon through restoration of mangroves. Moreover, offshore IMTA may create a barrier to trawl fishing which in turn could help restore seagrasses and further enhance blue carbon sequestration. Seaweed and shellfish culture within IMTA could also help to sequester more blue carbon. The greening of aquaculture could face several challenges that need to be addressed in order to realize substantial benefits from enhanced blue carbon sequestration and eventually contribute to global climate change mitigation.

The fading of irradiated blue-colored pearls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okamoto, Shinichi

1982-01-01

The fading of irradiated and natural blue-colored pearls was investigated in this experiment. Thirty natural blue-colored pearls and sixty irradiated blue-colored pearls were used. Some of them were placed at a light position of RT. Another pearls were placed at a dark position of 50 0 C. The irradiated pearls placed at a light position of RT didn't show remarkable fading in their color in 294 days. But the natural blue-colored pearls showed a little recovery from 4% to 8% in reflection factors in 223 days at RT. The irradiated pearls placed at a dark position of 50 0 C showed the recovery from 9% to 14% in 264 days independently of irradiation times. The natural blue-colored pearls also showed the bleaching from 5% to 10% in reflection factor in 86 days at 50 0 C. Both irradiated and natural blue-colored pearls hardly showed their remarkable changes in their chromaticities independently of temperatures. (author)

Blue space geographies: Enabling health in place.

Science.gov (United States)

Foley, Ronan; Kistemann, Thomas

2015-09-01

Drawing from research on therapeutic landscapes and relationships between environment, health and wellbeing, we propose the idea of 'healthy blue space' as an important new development Complementing research on healthy green space, blue space is defined as; 'health-enabling places and spaces, where water is at the centre of a range of environments with identifiable potential for the promotion of human wellbeing'. Using theoretical ideas from emotional and relational geographies and critical understandings of salutogenesis, the value of blue space to health and wellbeing is recognised and evaluated. Six individual papers from five different countries consider how health can be enabled in mixed blue space settings. Four sub-themes; embodiment, inter-subjectivity, activity and meaning, document multiple experiences within a range of healthy blue spaces. Finally, we suggest a considerable research agenda - theoretical, methodological and applied - for future work within different forms of blue space. All are suggested as having public health policy relevance in social and public space. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Global connectivity and cross-scale interactions create uncertainty for Blue Growth of Arctic fisheries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Niiranen, S.; Richter, A.; Blenckner, T.; Stige, L.C.; Valman, M.; Eikeset, A.M.

2018-01-01

The Arctic faces high expectations of Blue Growth due to future projections of easier access and increased biological productivity. These expectations are, however, often based on global and regional climate change projections and largely ignore the complexity of social-ecological interactions

Hubble's View of Little Blue Dots

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Susanna

2018-02-01

The recent discovery of a new type of tiny, star-forming galaxy is the latest in a zoo of detections shedding light on our early universe. What can we learn from the unique little blue dots found in archival Hubble data?Peas, Berries, and DotsGreen pea galaxies identified by citizen scientists with Galaxy Zoo. [Richard Nowell Carolin Cardamone]As telescope capabilities improve and we develop increasingly deeper large-scale surveys of our universe, we continue to learn more about small, faraway galaxies. In recent years, increasing sensitivity first enabled the detection of green peas luminous, compact, low-mass (10 billion solar masses; compare this to the Milky Ways 1 trillion solar masses!) galaxies with high rates of star formation.Not long thereafter, we discovered galaxies that form stars similarly rapidly, but are even smaller only 330 million solar masses, spanning less than 3,000 light-years in size. These tiny powerhouses were termed blueberries for their distinctive color.Now, scientists Debra and Bruce Elmegreen (of Vassar College and IBM Research Division, respectively) report the discovery of galaxies that have even higher star formation rates and even lower masses: little blue dots.Exploring Tiny Star FactoriesThe Elmegreens discovered these unique galaxies by exploring archival Hubble data. The Hubble Frontier Fields data consist of deep images of six distant galaxy clusters and the parallel fields next to them. It was in the archival data for two Frontier Field Parallels, those for clusters Abell 2744 and MAS J0416.1-2403, that the authors noticed several galaxies that stand out as tiny, bright, blue objects that are nearly point sources.Top: a few examples of the little blue dots recently identified in two Hubble Frontier Field Parallels. Bottom: stacked images for three different groups of little blue dots. [Elmegreen Elmegreen 2017]The authors performed a search through the two Frontier Field Parallels, discovering a total of 55 little blue dots

Temporal behavior of unresolved transition array emission in water window soft x-ray spectral region from multiply charged ions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dinh, Thanh-Hung, E-mail: dinh@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp; Suzuki, Yuhei; Arai, Goki; Higashiguchi, Takeshi, E-mail: higashi@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Center for Optical Research and Education (CORE), Utsunomiya University, Yoto 7-1-2, Utsunomiya, Tochigi 321-8585 (Japan); Li, Bowen [School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Dunne, Padraig; O' Sullivan, Gerry [School of Physics, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4 (Ireland); Fujioka, Shinsuke [Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan); Hasegawa, Noboru; Kawachi, Tetsuya; Nishikino, Masaharu [Quantum Beam Science Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 8-1-7 Umemidai, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0215 (Japan)

2015-09-21

We have characterized the spectral structure and the temporal history of the laser-produced high-Z multi-charged ion plasmas for the efficient water window soft x-ray sources. Strong unresolved transition array emission was observed due to 4d–4f and 4f–5g transitions from Au, Pb, and Bi plasmas in the 280–700 eV photon energy region. The temporal behavior of the emission was essentially similar of that of the laser pulse with a slight delay between different transitions. These results provide feedback for accurate modeling of the atomic processes with the radiative hydrodynamic simulations.

Phylogenetic Structure of Foliar Spectral Traits in Tropical Forest Canopies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kelly M. McManus

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The Spectranomics approach to tropical forest remote sensing has established a link between foliar reflectance spectra and the phylogenetic composition of tropical canopy tree communities vis-à-vis the taxonomic organization of biochemical trait variation. However, a direct relationship between phylogenetic affiliation and foliar reflectance spectra of species has not been established. We sought to develop this relationship by quantifying the extent to which underlying patterns of phylogenetic structure drive interspecific variation among foliar reflectance spectra within three Neotropical canopy tree communities with varying levels of soil fertility. We interpreted the resulting spectral patterns of phylogenetic signal in the context of foliar biochemical traits that may contribute to the spectral-phylogenetic link. We utilized a multi-model ensemble to elucidate trait-spectral relationships, and quantified phylogenetic signal for spectral wavelengths and traits using Pagel’s lambda statistic. Foliar reflectance spectra showed evidence of phylogenetic influence primarily within the visible and shortwave infrared spectral regions. These regions were also selected by the multi-model ensemble as those most important to the quantitative prediction of several foliar biochemical traits. Patterns of phylogenetic organization of spectra and traits varied across sites and with soil fertility, indicative of the complex interactions between the environmental and phylogenetic controls underlying patterns of biodiversity.

Satellite Ocean Aerosol Retrieval (SOAR) Algorithm Extension to S-NPP VIIRS as Part of the "Deep Blue" Aerosol Project

Science.gov (United States)

Sayer, A. M.; Hsu, N. C.; Lee, J.; Bettenhausen, C.; Kim, W. V.; Smirnov, A.

2018-01-01

The Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) satellite, launched in late 2011, carries the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) and several other instruments. VIIRS has similar characteristics to prior satellite sensors used for aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieval, allowing the continuation of space-based aerosol data records. The Deep Blue algorithm has previously been applied to retrieve AOD from Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) measurements over land. The SeaWiFS Deep Blue data set also included a SeaWiFS Ocean Aerosol Retrieval (SOAR) algorithm to cover water surfaces. As part of NASA's VIIRS data processing, Deep Blue is being applied to VIIRS data over land, and SOAR has been adapted from SeaWiFS to VIIRS for use over water surfaces. This study describes SOAR as applied in version 1 of NASA's S-NPP VIIRS Deep Blue data product suite. Several advances have been made since the SeaWiFS application, as well as changes to make use of the broader spectral range of VIIRS. A preliminary validation against Maritime Aerosol Network (MAN) measurements suggests a typical uncertainty on retrieved 550 nm AOD of order ±(0.03+10%), comparable to existing SeaWiFS/MODIS aerosol data products. Retrieved Ångström exponent and fine-mode AOD fraction are also well correlated with MAN data, with small biases and uncertainty similar to or better than SeaWiFS/MODIS products.

The effects of spectral tuning of evening ambient light on melatonin suppression, alertness and sleep.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Shadab A; St Hilaire, Melissa A; Lockley, Steven W

2017-08-01

We compared the effects of bedroom-intensity light from a standard fluorescent and a blue- (i.e., short-wavelength) depleted LED source on melatonin suppression, alertness, and sleep. Sixteen healthy participants (8 females) completed a 4-day inpatient study. Participants were exposed to blue-depleted circadian-sensitive (C-LED) light and a standard fluorescent light (FL, 4100K) of equal illuminance (50lx) for 8h prior to a fixed bedtime on two separate days in a within-subject, randomized, cross-over design. Each light exposure day was preceded by a dim light (LED conditions compared to FL 30min prior to bedtime. EEG-based correlates of alertness corroborated the reduced alertness under C-LED conditions as shown by significantly increased EEG spectral power in the delta-theta (0.5-8.0Hz) bands under C-LED as compared to FL exposure. There was no significant difference in total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency (SE%), and slow-wave activity (SWA) between the two conditions. Unlike melatonin suppression and alertness, a significant order effect was observed on all three sleep variables, however. Individuals who received C-LED first and then FL had increased TST, SE% and SWA averaged across both nights compared to individuals who received FL first and then C-LED. These data show that the spectral characteristics of light can be fine-tuned to attenuate non-visual responses to light in humans. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Variable blue straggler stars in NGC 5466

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, H.C.; Mateo, M.; Olszewski, E.W.; Nemec, J.M.

1990-01-01

Nine variable blue stragglers have been found in the globular cluster NGC 5466. The six dwarf Cepheids in this cluster coexist in the instability strip with other nonvariable stars. The three eclipsing binaries are among the hottest of the blue stragglers. The hypothesis is discussed that all blue stragglers in this cluster have undergone mass transfer in close binaries. Under this hypothesis, rotation and spin-down play important roles in controlling the evolution of blue stragglers in old clusters and in affecting some of their observational properties. 14 refs

From dispersion relations to spectral dimension - and back again

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sotiriou, Thomas P.; Visser, Matt; Weinfurtner, Silke

2011-01-01

The so-called spectral dimension is a scale-dependent number associated with both geometries and field theories that has recently attracted much attention, driven largely, though not exclusively, by investigations of causal dynamical triangulations and Horava gravity as possible candidates for quantum gravity. We advocate the use of the spectral dimension as a probe for the kinematics of these (and other) systems in the region where spacetime curvature is small, and the manifold is flat to a good approximation. In particular, we show how to assign a spectral dimension (as a function of so-called diffusion time) to any arbitrarily specified dispersion relation. We also analyze the fundamental properties of spectral dimension using extensions of the usual Seeley-DeWitt and Feynman expansions and by using saddle point techniques. The spectral dimension turns out to be a useful, robust, and powerful probe, not only of geometry, but also of kinematics.

Spectral singularities, biorthonormal systems and a two-parameter family of complex point interactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mostafazadeh, Ali [Department of Mathematics, Koc University, Rumelifeneri Yolu, 34450 Sariyer, Istanbul (Turkey); Mehri-Dehnavi, Hossein [Department of Physics, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences, Zanjan 45195-1159 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)], E-mail: amostafazadeh@ku.edu.tr, E-mail: mehrideh@iasbs.ac.ir

2009-03-27

A curious feature of complex scattering potentials v(x) is the appearance of spectral singularities. We offer a quantitative description of spectral singularities that identifies them with an obstruction to the existence of a complete biorthonormal system consisting of the eigenfunctions of the Hamiltonian operator and its adjoint. We establish the equivalence of this description with the mathematicians' definition of spectral singularities for the potential v(x) = z{sub -}{delta}(x + a) + z{sub +}{delta}(x - a), where z{sub {+-}} and a are respectively complex and real parameters and {delta}(x) is the Dirac delta function. We offer a through analysis of the spectral properties of this potential and determine the regions in the space of the coupling constants z{sub {+-}} where it admits bound states and spectral singularities. In particular, we find an explicit bound on the size of certain regions in which the Hamiltonian is quasi-Hermitian and examine the consequences of imposing PT-symmetry.

Spectral singularities, biorthonormal systems and a two-parameter family of complex point interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mostafazadeh, Ali; Mehri-Dehnavi, Hossein

2009-01-01

A curious feature of complex scattering potentials v(x) is the appearance of spectral singularities. We offer a quantitative description of spectral singularities that identifies them with an obstruction to the existence of a complete biorthonormal system consisting of the eigenfunctions of the Hamiltonian operator and its adjoint. We establish the equivalence of this description with the mathematicians' definition of spectral singularities for the potential v(x) = z - δ(x + a) + z + δ(x - a), where z ± and a are respectively complex and real parameters and δ(x) is the Dirac delta function. We offer a through analysis of the spectral properties of this potential and determine the regions in the space of the coupling constants z ± where it admits bound states and spectral singularities. In particular, we find an explicit bound on the size of certain regions in which the Hamiltonian is quasi-Hermitian and examine the consequences of imposing PT-symmetry

The spectral changes of deforestation in the Brazilian tropical savanna.

Science.gov (United States)

Trancoso, Ralph; Sano, Edson E; Meneses, Paulo R

2015-01-01

The Cerrado is a biome in Brazil that is experiencing the most rapid loss in natural vegetation. The objective of this study was to analyze the changes in the spectral response in the red, near infrared (NIR), middle infrared (MIR), and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) when native vegetation in the Cerrado is deforested. The test sites were regions of the Cerrado located in the states of Bahia, Minas Gerais, and Mato Grosso. For each region, a pair of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) scenes from 2008 (before deforestation) and 2009 (after deforestation) was compared. A set of 1,380 samples of deforested polygons and an equal number of samples of native vegetation have their spectral properties statistically analyzed. The accuracy of deforestation detections was also evaluated using high spatial resolution imagery. Results showed that the spectral data of deforested areas and their corresponding native vegetation were statistically different. The red band showed the highest difference between the reflectance data from deforested areas and native vegetation, while the NIR band showed the lowest difference. A consistent pattern of spectral change when native vegetation in the Cerrado is deforested was identified regardless of the location in the biome. The overall accuracy of deforestation detections was 97.75%. Considering both the marked pattern of spectral changes and the high deforestation detection accuracy, this study suggests that deforestation in Cerrado can be accurately monitored, but a strong seasonal and spatial variability of spectral changes might be expected.

Preliminary hydrogeologic assessment and study plan for a regional ground-water resource investigation of the Blue Ridge and Piedmont provinces of North Carolina

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel, Charles C.; Dahlen, Paul R.

2002-01-01

Prolonged drought, allocation of surface-water flow, and increased demands on ground-water supplies resulting from population growth are focuses for the need to evaluate ground-water resources in the Blue Ridge and Piedmont Provinces of North Carolina. Urbanization and certain aspects of agricultural production also have caused increased concerns about protecting the quality of ground water in this region.More than 75 percent of the State's population resides in the Blue Ridge and Piedmont Provinces in an area that covers 30,544 square miles and 65 counties. Between 1940 and 2000, the population in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge Provinces increased from 2.66 to 6.11 million; most of this increase occurred in the Piedmont. Of the total population, an estimated 1.97 million people, or 32.3 percent (based on the 1990 census), relied on ground water for a variety of uses, including commercial, industrial, and most importantly, potable supplies.Ground water in the Blue Ridge and Piedmont traditionally has not been considered as a source for large supplies, primarily because of readily available and seemingly limitless surface-water supplies, and the perception that ground water in the Blue Ridge and Piedmont Provinces occurs in a complex, generally heterogeneous geologic environment. Some reluctance to use ground water for large supplies derives from the reputation of aquifers in these provinces for producing low yields to wells, and the few high-yield wells that are drilled seem to be scattered in areas distant from where they are needed. Because the aquifers in these provinces are shallow, they also are susceptible to contamination by activities on the land surface.In response to these issues, the North Carolina Legislature supported the creation of a Resource Evaluation Program to ensure the long-term availability, sustainability, and quality of ground water in the State. As part of the Resource Evaluation Program, the North Carolina Division of Water Quality

The discrimination of (non-denim) blue cotton.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, Ray; Hutchinson, William; Fryer, Verity

2009-03-01

This study was conducted to determine the degree of discrimination obtained between non-denim blue cotton fibres using visible-UV range microspectrophotometry alone. To this end, samples of fibres were taken from 100, nondenim, blue cotton, outer garments, including t-shirts, trousers and jumpers and subjected to analysis by both visible and UV range microspectrophotometry. The results obtained from the samples of each garment were compared to determine if they 'matched' or not. From an initial visual comparison of the garments it was possible to subdivide the samples into two populations consisting of 73 'dark blue' garments and 27 'mid-blue' garments. It was found that of the 73 'dark blue' garments, 22 distinct sub-populations could be distinguished using visible range MSP, this figure being increased to 43 when the analysis was extended into the UVW range. In the case of the 27 'mid-blue' garments, 9 distinct sub-populations were discriminated using visible range MSP, this figure being increased to 17 when the analysis was extended into the UV range. The discriminating power (i.e., the number of discriminated pairs divided by the number of possible pairs) of visible range microspectrophotometry was calculated as 0.89 for 'mid-blue' garments and 0.87 for 'dark blue' garments. Extending microspectrophotometry into the UV range increased discrimination by 7%, giving a discriminating power of 0.96 for both mid and dark blue cotton fibres which was similar to that reported by a previous study where this method was combined with light and fluorescence microscopy. Intra-garment variation was found to be negligible. The implications of this study for casework are discussed and a revised analytical pathway for the comparison of this fibre type/colour combination using microspectrophotometry as a primary screening tool, is proposed.

Spectral synchronicity in brain signals

KAUST Repository

de Jesus Euan Campos, Carolina; Ombao, Hernando; Ortega, Joaquí n

2018-01-01

This paper addresses the problem of identifying brain regions with similar oscillatory patterns detected from electroencephalograms. We introduce the hierarchical spectral merger (HSM) clustering method where the feature of interest is the spectral curve and the similarity metric used is the total variance distance. The HSM method is compared with clustering using features derived from independent-component analysis. Moreover, the HSM method is applied to 2 different electroencephalogram datasets. The first was recorded at resting state where the participant was not engaged in any cognitive task; the second was recorded during a spontaneous epileptic seizure. The results of the analyses using the HSM method demonstrate that clustering could evolve over the duration of the resting state and during epileptic seizure.

Spectral synchronicity in brain signals

KAUST Repository

de Jesus Euan Campos, Carolina

2018-05-04

This paper addresses the problem of identifying brain regions with similar oscillatory patterns detected from electroencephalograms. We introduce the hierarchical spectral merger (HSM) clustering method where the feature of interest is the spectral curve and the similarity metric used is the total variance distance. The HSM method is compared with clustering using features derived from independent-component analysis. Moreover, the HSM method is applied to 2 different electroencephalogram datasets. The first was recorded at resting state where the participant was not engaged in any cognitive task; the second was recorded during a spontaneous epileptic seizure. The results of the analyses using the HSM method demonstrate that clustering could evolve over the duration of the resting state and during epileptic seizure.

Long-term spectroscopic monitoring of the Luminous Blue Variable AG Carinae

Science.gov (United States)

Stahl, O.; Jankovics, I.; Kovács, J.; Wolf, B.; Schmutz, W.; Kaufer, A.; Rivinius, Th.; Szeifert, Th.

2001-08-01

We have extensively monitored the Luminous Blue Variable AG Car (HD 94910) spectroscopically. Our data cover the years 1989 to 1999. In this period, the star underwent almost a full S Dor cycle from visual minimum to maximum and back. Over several seasons, up to four months of almost daily spectra are available. Our data cover most of the visual spectral range with a high spectral resolution (lambda /Delta lambda ~ 20 000). This allows us to investigate the variability in many lines on time scales from days to years. The strongest variability occurs on a time scale of years. Qualitatively, the variations can be understood as changes of the effective temperature and radius, which are in phase with the optical light curve. Quantitatively, there are several interesting deviations from this behaviour, however. The Balmer lines show P Cygni profiles and have their maximum strength (both in equivalent width and line flux) after the peak of the optical light curve, at the descending branch of the light curve. The line-width during maximum phase is smaller than during minimum, but it has a local maximum close to the peak of the visual light curve. We derive mass-loss rates over the cycle from the Hα line and find the highest mass loss rates (log dot {M}/({M}_sun yr-1) ~ -3.8, about a factor of five higher than in the minimum, where we find log dot {M}/({M}_sun yr-1) ~ -4.5) after the visual maximum. Line-splitting is very commonly observed, especially on the rise to maximum and on the descending branch from maximum. The components are very long-lived (years) and are probably unrelated to similar-looking line-splitting events in normal supergiants. Small apparent accelerations of the components are observed. The change in radial velocity could be due to successive narrowing of the components, with the absorption disappearing at small expansion velocities first. In general, the line-splitting is more likely the result of missing absorption at intermediate velocities than of

Spectral Band Characterization for Hyperspectral Monitoring of Water Quality

Science.gov (United States)

Vermillion, Stephanie C.; Raqueno, Rolando; Simmons, Rulon

2001-01-01

A method for selecting the set of spectral characteristics that provides the smallest increase in prediction error is of interest to those using hyperspectral imaging (HSI) to monitor water quality. The spectral characteristics of interest to these applications are spectral bandwidth and location. Three water quality constituents of interest that are detectable via remote sensing are chlorophyll (CHL), total suspended solids (TSS), and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM). Hyperspectral data provides a rich source of information regarding the content and composition of these materials, but often provides more data than an analyst can manage. This study addresses the spectral characteristics need for water quality monitoring for two reasons. First, determination of the greatest contribution of these spectral characteristics would greatly improve computational ease and efficiency. Second, understanding the spectral capabilities of different spectral resolutions and specific regions is an essential part of future system development and characterization. As new systems are developed and tested, water quality managers will be asked to determine sensor specifications that provide the most accurate and efficient water quality measurements. We address these issues using data from the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) and a set of models to predict constituent concentrations.

A sol-gel method for preparing ZnO quantum dots with strong blue emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Zhong; Li Xiaoxia; Du Guoping; Chen Nan; Suen, Andy Y.M.

2011-01-01

ZnO quantum dots (QDs) with strong blue emission have been successfully synthesized by sol-gel method, and their crystal structures, sizes, and photoluminescence properties were characterized by X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. It has been found that ZnO QDs had a hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure, and their average diameter was about 16.0-32.2 nm. Both the reaction time and temperature were found to have a strong influence on the average size and photoluminescence properties of ZnO QDs. Longer reaction time and higher reaction temperature resulted in larger average size for ZnO QDs. It has been shown that at reaction temperature 60 deg. C the emission intensity for ZnO QDs increased first with reaction time before 7 h and then decreased after 7 h. For the same reaction time 7 h, ZnO QDs synthesized at 60 deg. C showed the strongest emission intensity. It was found that annealing in nitrogen, vacuum, and air all resulted in an increase of the size of ZnO QDs and a reduction in their photoluminescence. The dependence of the size and properties of ZnO QDs on the reaction parameters as well as the annealing conditions has been discussed. - Highlights: → ZnO quantum dots (QDs) with strong blue emission were prepared by sol-gel method. → ZnO QDs had a pure spectral blue with the chromaticity coordinates (0.166, 0.215). → Optimal reaction time and temperature were 7 h and 60 deg. C, respectively.

GOSAT-2014 methane spectral line list

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikitin, A.V.; Lyulin, O.M.; Mikhailenko, S.N.; Perevalov, V.I.; Filippov, N.N.; Grigoriev, I.M.; Morino, I.; Yoshida, Y.; Matsunaga, T.

2015-01-01

The updated methane spectral line list GOSAT-2014 for the 5550–6240 cm −1 region with the intensity cutoff of 5×10 –25 cm/molecule at 296 K is presented. The line list is based on the extensive measurements of the methane spectral line parameters performed at different temperatures and pressures of methane without and with buffer gases N 2 , O 2 and air. It contains the following spectral line parameters of about 12150 transitions: line position, line intensity, energy of lower state, air-induced and self-pressure-induced broadening and shift coefficients and temperature exponent of air-broadening coefficient. The accuracy of the line positions and intensities are considerably improved in comparison with the previous version GOSAT-2009. The improvement of the line list is done mainly due to the involving to the line position and intensity retrieval of six new spectra recorded with short path way (8.75 cm). The air-broadening and air-shift coefficients for the J-manifolds of the 2ν 3 (F 2 ) band are refitted using the new more precise values of the line positions and intensities. The line assignment is considerably extended. The lower state J-value was assigned to 6397 lines representing 94.4% of integrated intensity of the considering wavenumber region. The complete assignment was done for 2750 lines. - Highlights: • The upgrade of the GOSAT methane line list in the 5550–6240 cm −1 region is done. • 12,146 experimental methane line positions and intensities are retrieved. • 6376 lower energy levels for methane lines are determined

The water use of Indian diets and socio-demographic factors related to dietary blue water footprint.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Francesca; Green, Rosemary F; Joy, Edward J M; Kayatz, Benjamin; Haines, Andy; Dangour, Alan D

2017-06-01

Agriculture accounts for ~90% of India's fresh water use, and there are concerns that future food production will be threatened by insufficient water supply of adequate quality. This study aimed to quantify the water required in the production of diets in India using the water footprint (WF) assessment method. The socio-demographic associations of dietary WFs were explored using mixed effects regression models with a particular focus on blue (irrigation) WF given the importance for Indian agriculture. Dietary data from ~7000 adults living in India were matched to India-specific WF data for food groups to quantify the blue and green (rainfall) WF of typical diets. The mean blue and green WF of diets was 737l/capita/day and 2531l/capita/day, respectively. Vegetables had the lowest WFs per unit mass of product, while roots/tubers had the lowest WFs per unit dietary energy. Poultry products had the greatest blue WFs. Wheat and rice contributed 31% and 19% of the dietary blue WF respectively. Vegetable oils were the highest contributor to dietary green WF. Regional variation in dietary choices meant large differences in dietary blue WFs, whereby northern diets had nearly 1.5 times greater blue WFs than southern diets. Urban diets had a higher blue WF than rural diets, and a higher standard of living was associated with larger dietary blue WFs. This study provides a novel perspective on the WF of diets in India using individual-level dietary data, and demonstrates important variability in WFs due to different food consumption patterns and socio-demographic characteristics. Future dietary shifts towards patterns currently consumed by individuals in higher income groups, would likely increase irrigation requirements putting substantial pressure on India's water resources. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigation of the chemical origin and evidential value of differences in the SERS spectra of blue gel inks.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Yen Cheng; Lee, Wendy W Y; Bell, Steven E J

2016-08-15

Highly swellable polymer films doped with Ag nanoparticle aggregates (poly-SERS films) have been used to record very high signal : noise ratio, reproducible surface-enhanced (resonance) Raman (SER(R)S) spectra of in situ dried ink lines and their constituent dyes using both 633 and 785 nm excitation. These allowed the chemical origins of differences in the SERRS spectra of different inks to be determined. Initial investigation of pure samples of the 10 most common blue dyes showed that the dyes which had very similar chemical structures such as Patent Blue V and Patent Blue VF (which differ only by a single OH group) gave SERRS spectra in which the only indications that the dye structure had been changed were small differences in peak positions or relative intensities of the bands. SERRS studies of 13 gel pen inks were consistent with this observation. In some cases inks from different types of pens could be distinguished even though they were dominated by a single dye such as Victoria Blue B (Zebra Surari) or Victoria Blue BO (Pilot Acroball) because their predominant dye did not appear in other inks. Conversely, identical spectra were also recorded from different types of pens (Pilot G7, Zebra Z-grip) because they all had the same dominant Brilliant Blue G dye. Finally, some of the inks contained mixtures of dyes which could be separated by TLC and removed from the plate before being analysed with the same poly-SERS films. For example, the Pentel EnerGel ink pen was found to give TLC spots corresponding to Erioglaucine and Brilliant Blue G. Overall, this study has shown that the spectral differences between different inks which are based on chemically similar, but nonetheless distinct dyes, are extremely small, so very close matches between SERRS spectra are required for confident identification. Poly-SERS substrates can routinely provide the very stringent reproducibility and sensitivity levels required. This, coupled with the awareness of the reasons

BLUES function method in computational physics

Science.gov (United States)

Indekeu, Joseph O.; Müller-Nedebock, Kristian K.

2018-04-01

We introduce a computational method in physics that goes ‘beyond linear use of equation superposition’ (BLUES). A BLUES function is defined as a solution of a nonlinear differential equation (DE) with a delta source that is at the same time a Green’s function for a related linear DE. For an arbitrary source, the BLUES function can be used to construct an exact solution to the nonlinear DE with a different, but related source. Alternatively, the BLUES function can be used to construct an approximate piecewise analytical solution to the nonlinear DE with an arbitrary source. For this alternative use the related linear DE need not be known. The method is illustrated in a few examples using analytical calculations and numerical computations. Areas for further applications are suggested.

Composite multilobe descriptors for cross-spectral recognition of full and partial face

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Zhicheng; Schmid, Natalia A.; Bourlai, Thirimachos

2016-08-01

Cross-spectral image matching is a challenging research problem motivated by various applications, including surveillance, security, and identity management in general. An example of this problem includes cross-spectral matching of active infrared (IR) or thermal IR face images against a dataset of visible light images. A summary of recent developments in the field of cross-spectral face recognition by the authors is presented. In particular, it describes the original form and two variants of a local operator named composite multilobe descriptor (CMLD) for facial feature extraction with the purpose of cross-spectral matching of near-IR, short-wave IR, mid-wave IR, and long-wave IR to a gallery of visible light images. The experiments demonstrate that the variants of CMLD outperform the original CMLD and other recently developed composite operators used for comparison. In addition to different IR spectra, various standoff distances from close-up (1.5 m) to intermediate (50 m) and long (106 m) are also investigated. Performance of CMLD I to III is evaluated for each of the three cases of distances. The newly developed operators, CMLD I to III, are further utilized to conduct a study on cross-spectral partial face recognition where different facial regions are compared in terms of the amount of useful information they contain for the purpose of conducting cross-spectral face recognition. The experimental results show that among three facial regions considered in the experiments the eye region is the most informative for all IR spectra at all standoff distances.

Blue light Exposure And Long-Term Deficits In Visual Function

Science.gov (United States)

Clarke, A. M.

1980-10-01

During the last 6 months of 1976, the fovea of two trained rhesus monkeys were exposed to a 10 nm bandwidth source, centered at 441 nm, at energy levels representing up to three times that required in the paramacula to cause minimal, ophthalmoscopically visible lesions to appear 48 hours postexposure (30 J/cm2 to 90 J/cm2, 1000 sec). After the acute period, a visual decrement lasting beyond 30 days postexposure occurred only for the 90 J/cm2, 1000 second fovea' exposure; the statistically significant criteria for recognition of the 20/20 (1.0 min of arc) Landolt ring target was not met, although the criteria for the 20/30 (1.5 min of arc) target was continuously met after 33 days of recovery. The animals are still regularly tested in the original protocol for visual acuity, and additionally have been examined for spectral sensitivity and changes in reaction time to the visual stimulus. During the last 6 months of 1979, only the eye originally exposed at the 90 J/cm2 level failed at any test session to meet the recognition criteria for 1.0 min targets, and all eyes met the criteria for 1.5 min targets at every session. This indicates no long-term changes in the visual acuity, ruling out physiologic repair mechanisms operating beyond the first 30 to 60 days postexposure, or long term degenerative changes accumulating after the initial recovery period. Additionally, the spectral sensitivity of the subject exposed to higher levels shows a mild red but no blue deficit for 20/50 (2.5 min) targets compared to the CIE photopic function. At 1.5 min however, the spectral sensitivity would seem to be better fit by a single photopigment curve, centered at 535 nm.

Novel Br-DPQ blue light-emitting phosphors for OLED.

Science.gov (United States)

Dahule, H K; Thejokalyani, N; Dhoble, S J

2015-06-01

A new series of blue light-emitting 2,4-diphenylquinoline (DPQ) substituted blue light-emitting organic phosphors namely, 2-(4-methoxy-phenyl)-4-phenyl-quinoline (OMe-DPQ), 2-(4-methyl-phenyl)-4-phenylquinoline (M-DPQ), and 2-(4-bromo-phenyl)-4-phenylquinoline (Br-DPQ) were synthesized by substituting methoxy, methyl and bromine at the 2-para position of DPQ, respectively by Friedländer condensation of 2-aminobenzophenone and corresponding acetophenone. The synthesized phosphors were characterized by different techniques, e.g., Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), UV-visible absorption and photoluminescence spectra. FTIR spectra confirms the presence of chemical groups such as C=O, NH, or OH in all the three synthesized chromophores. DSC studies show that these complexes have good thermal stability. Although they are low-molecular-weight organic compounds, they have the potential to improve the stability and operating lifetime of a device made out of these complexes. The synthesized polymeric compounds demonstrate a bright emission in the blue region in the wavelength range of 405-450 nm in solid state. Thus the attachment of methyl, methoxy and bromine substituents to the diphenyl quinoline ring in these phosphors results in colour tuning of the phosphorescence. An electroluminescence (EL) cell of Br-DPQ phosphor was made and its EL behaviour was studied. A brightness-voltage characteristics curve of Br-DPQ cell revealed that EL begins at 400 V and then the brightness increases exponentially with applied AC voltage, while current-voltage (I-V) characteristics revealed that the turn on voltage of the fabricated EL cell was 11 V. Hence this phosphor can be used as a promising blue light material for electroluminescent devices. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Highly Efficient Spectrally Stable Red Perovskite Light-Emitting Diodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Yu; Zhou, Chenkun; Worku, Michael; Wang, Xi; Ling, Yichuan; Gao, Hanwei; Zhou, Yan; Miao, Yu; Guan, Jingjiao; Ma, Biwu

2018-05-01

Perovskite light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have recently attracted great research interest for their narrow emissions and solution processability. Remarkable progress has been achieved in green perovskite LEDs in recent years, but not blue or red ones. Here, highly efficient and spectrally stable red perovskite LEDs with quasi-2D perovskite/poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) composite thin films as the light-emitting layer are reported. By controlling the molar ratios of organic salt (benzylammonium iodide) to inorganic salts (cesium iodide and lead iodide), luminescent quasi-2D perovskite thin films are obtained with tunable emission colors from red to deep red. The perovskite/polymer composite approach enables quasi-2D perovskite/PEO composite thin films to possess much higher photoluminescence quantum efficiencies and smoothness than their neat quasi-2D perovskite counterparts. Electrically driven LEDs with emissions peaked at 638, 664, 680, and 690 nm have been fabricated to exhibit high brightness and external quantum efficiencies (EQEs). For instance, the perovskite LED with an emission peaked at 680 nm exhibits a brightness of 1392 cd m -2 and an EQE of 6.23%. Moreover, exceptional electroluminescence spectral stability under continuous device operation has been achieved for these red perovskite LEDs. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Deficits of magnetoencephalography regional power in patients with major depressive disorder:an individual spectral analysis

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

汤浩

2014-01-01

Objective To explore the discrepancies of individualized frequency and band power between major depressive disorder(MDD)and controls in resting state,and the association of abnormal spectral power with clinical severity of MDD.Methods Whole-head MEG recordings were collected in 19 patients with MDD and 19 non-depressed controls in eye-closed resting state.Individual spectral power of each subject was calculated based on

New insights into the role of Mn and Fe in coloring origin of blue decorations of blue-and-white porcelains by XANES spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Jian; Luo, Wugan; Ming, Chaofang; Wang, Changsui; Chen, Dongliang; Xu, Wei; Wang, Lihua

2013-01-01

Blue and white porcelain is one of the most valuable ancient ceramics varieties in ancient China. It is well known for its beautiful blue decorations. However, the origin of its blue color has not been very clear till now. In this research, two blue and white porcelains from Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province were selected and Mn and Fe K-edge XANES spectra were recorded from blue decorations with or without transparent glaze. Results showed that Mn K-edge XANES features were almost identical between different samples while that of iron changed. The above findings indicated the positive role of iron in the variation of blue decorations. As for manganese, although more system researches were need, its negative role on the variations of the tone of blue decorations was obtained. On the other hand, the paper also revealed the XAFS results will be affect by the glaze layer above the pigment. These findings provided us more information to understand the coloring origin of blue decorations of blue-and-white porcelain by means of XANES spectroscopy.

New insights into the role of Mn and Fe in coloring origin of blue decorations of blue-and-white porcelains by XANES spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Jian; Luo, Wugan; Chen, Dongliang; Xu, Wei; Ming, Chaofang; Wang, Changsui; Wang, Lihua

2013-04-01

Blue and white porcelain is one of the most valuable ancient ceramics varieties in ancient China. It is well known for its beautiful blue decorations. However, the origin of its blue color has not been very clear till now. In this research, two blue and white porcelains from Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province were selected and Mn and Fe K-edge XANES spectra were recorded from blue decorations with or without transparent glaze. Results showed that Mn K-edge XANES features were almost identical between different samples while that of iron changed. The above findings indicated the positive role of iron in the variation of blue decorations. As for manganese, although more system researches were need, its negative role on the variations of the tone of blue decorations was obtained. On the other hand, the paper also revealed the XAFS results will be affect by the glaze layer above the pigment. These findings provided us more information to understand the coloring origin of blue decorations of blue-and-white porcelain by means of XANES spectroscopy.

Blue-light-emitting organic electroluminescence via exciplex emission based on a fluorene derivative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Fushan; Chen Zhijian; Wei Wei; Cao Huayu; Gong Qihuang; Teng Feng; Qian Lei; Wang Yuanmin

2004-01-01

The synthesis of a high photoluminescence efficiency (88%, compared with tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)(Alq 3 )) organic material 9,9-Dibutyl-N,N,N,N-tetraphenyl-9H-fluorene-2,7-diamine (DTFD) via Ullmann condensation was reported. Exiciplex emission of the ITO/DTFD/2,2-[1,2-phenylenebis(oxy)]bis(N,N-diphenylacetamide)/Alq 3 /LiF/Al device was observed and the peak wavelength of the emission was measured to be 480 nm, which belongs to the blue region. A turn-on voltage as low as 4 V and maximal brightness as large as 400 cd m -2 were measured. The electroluminescence spectrum was observed to be blue-shifted with increase in applied voltage

Blue-light-emitting organic electroluminescence via exciplex emission based on a fluorene derivative

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li Fushan [Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics, Peking University, 100871 (China); Chen Zhijian [Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics, Peking University, 100871 (China); Wei Wei [Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics, Peking University, 100871 (China); Cao Huayu [Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics, Peking University, 100871 (China); Gong Qihuang [Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics, Peking University, 100871 (China); Teng Feng [Institute of Optoelectronic Technology, Northern Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044 (China); Qian Lei [Institute of Optoelectronic Technology, Northern Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044 (China); Wang Yuanmin [Institute of Optoelectronic Technology, Northern Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044 (China)

2004-06-21

The synthesis of a high photoluminescence efficiency (88%, compared with tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)(Alq{sub 3})) organic material 9,9-Dibutyl-N,N,N,N-tetraphenyl-9H-fluorene-2,7-diamine (DTFD) via Ullmann condensation was reported. Exiciplex emission of the ITO/DTFD/2,2-[1,2-phenylenebis(oxy)]bis(N,N-diphenylacetamide)/Alq{sub 3}/LiF/Al device was observed and the peak wavelength of the emission was measured to be 480 nm, which belongs to the blue region. A turn-on voltage as low as 4 V and maximal brightness as large as 400 cd m{sup -2} were measured. The electroluminescence spectrum was observed to be blue-shifted with increase in applied voltage.

Nature's palette: the search for natural blue colorants.

Science.gov (United States)

Newsome, Andrew G; Culver, Catherine A; van Breemen, Richard B

2014-07-16

The food and beverage industry is seeking to broaden the palette of naturally derived colorants. Although considerable effort has been devoted to the search for new blue colorants in fruits and vegetables, less attention has been directed toward blue compounds from other sources such as bacteria and fungi. The current work reviews known organic blue compounds from natural plant, animal, fungal, and microbial sources. The scarcity of blue-colored metabolites in the natural world relative to metabolites of other colors is discussed, and structural trends common among natural blue compounds are identified. These compounds are grouped into seven structural classes and evaluated for their potential as new color additives.

Extending the McDonald Observatory Serendipitous Survey of UV/Blue Asteroid Spectra

Science.gov (United States)

Vilas, Faith; Cochran, A. L.

1999-01-01

Moderate resolution asteroid spectra in the 350 - 650 nm spectral range acquired randomly over many years (Cochran and Vilas, Icarus v 127, 121, 1997) identified absorption features in spectra of some of the asteroids. A feature centered at 430 nm was identified in the spectra of some low-albedo asteroids (C class and subclass), similar to the feature identified by Vilas et al. (Icarus, v. 102, 225,1993) in other low-albedo asteroid spectra and attributed to a ferric iron spin-forbidden transition in iron alteration minerals such as jarosite. Features at 505 nm and 430 nm were identified in the spectrum of 4 Vesta. The 505-nm feature is highly diagnostic of the amount and form of calcium in pyroxenes. This suggested further research on the sharpness and spectral placement of this feature in the spectra of Vesta and Vestoids (e.g., Cochran and Vilas, Icarus v. 134, 207, 1998). In 1997 and 1998, additional UV/blue spectra were obtained at the 2.7-m Harlan J. Smith telescope with a facility cassegrain spectrograph. These included spectra of low-albedo asteroids, the R-class asteroid 349 Dembowska, and the M-class asteroid 135 Hertha. These spectra will be presented and identified features will be discussed.

A new PCR-based method shows that blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun)) consume winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus (Walbaum)).

Science.gov (United States)

Collier, Jackie L; Fitzgerald, Sean P; Hice, Lyndie A; Frisk, Michael G; McElroy, Anne E

2014-01-01

Winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) once supported robust commercial and recreational fisheries in the New York (USA) region, but since the 1990s populations have been in decline. Available data show that settlement of young-of-the-year winter flounder has not declined as sharply as adult abundance, suggesting that juveniles are experiencing higher mortality following settlement. The recent increase of blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) abundance in the New York region raises the possibility that new sources of predation may be contributing to juvenile winter flounder mortality. To investigate this possibility we developed and validated a method to specifically detect winter flounder mitochondrial control region DNA sequences in the gut contents of blue crabs. A survey of 55 crabs collected from Shinnecock Bay (along the south shore of Long Island, New York) in July, August, and September of 2011 showed that 12 of 42 blue crabs (28.6%) from which PCR-amplifiable DNA was recovered had consumed winter flounder in the wild, empirically supporting the trophic link between these species that has been widely speculated to exist. This technique overcomes difficulties with visual identification of the often unrecognizable gut contents of decapod crustaceans, and modifications of this approach offer valuable tools to more broadly address their feeding habits on a wide variety of species.

Spectral Properties and Orientation of Voltage-Sensitive Dyes in Lipid Membranes

KAUST Repository

Matson, Maria

2012-07-24

Voltage-sensitive dyes are frequently used for probing variations in the electric potential across cell membranes. The dyes respond by changing their spectral properties: measured as shifts of wavelength of absorption or emission maxima or as changes of absorption or fluorescence intensity. Although such probes have been studied and used for decades, the mechanism behind their voltage sensitivity is still obscure. We ask whether the voltage response is due to electrochromism as a result of direct field interaction on the chromophore or to solvatochromism, which is the focus of this study, as result of changed environment or molecular alignment in the membrane. The spectral properties of three styryl dyes, di-4-ANEPPS, di-8-ANEPPS, and RH421, were investigated in solvents of varying polarity and in model membranes using spectroscopy. Using quantum mechanical calculations, the spectral dependence of monomer and dimer ANEPPS on solvent properties was modeled. Also, the kinetics of binding to lipid membranes and the binding geometry of the probe molecules were found relevant to address. The spectral properties of all three probes were found to be highly sensitive to the local environment, and the probes are oriented nearly parallel with the membrane normal. Slow binding kinetics and scattering in absorption spectra indicate, especially for di-8-ANEPPS, involvement of aggregation. On the basis of the experimental spectra and time-dependent density functional theory calculations, we find that aggregate formation may contribute to the blue-shifts seen for the dyes in decanol and when bound to membrane models. In conclusion, solvatochromic and other intermolecular interactions effects also need to be included when considering electrochromic response voltage-sensitive dyes. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

Phototherapy with blue and green mixed-light is as effective against unconjugated jaundice as blue light and reduces oxidative stress in the Gunn rat model.

Science.gov (United States)

Uchida, Yumiko; Morimoto, Yukihiro; Uchiike, Takao; Kamamoto, Tomoyuki; Hayashi, Tamaki; Arai, Ikuyo; Nishikubo, Toshiya; Takahashi, Yukihiro

2015-07-01

Phototherapy using blue light-emitting diodes (LED) is effective against neonatal jaundice. However, green light phototherapy also reduces unconjugated jaundice. We aimed to determine whether mixed blue and green light can relieve jaundice with minimal oxidative stress as effectively as either blue or green light alone in a rat model. Gunn rats were exposed to phototherapy with blue (420-520 nm), filtered blue (FB; 440-520 nm without 1.00), respectively. Blue plus green phototherapy is as effective as blue phototherapy and it attenuates irradiation-induced oxidative stress. Combined blue and green spectra might be effective against neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mercury in tunas and blue marlin in the North Pacific Ocean.

Science.gov (United States)

Drevnick, Paul E; Brooks, Barbara A

2017-05-01

Models and data from the North Pacific Ocean indicate that mercury concentrations in water and biota are increasing in response to (global or hemispheric) anthropogenic mercury releases. In the present study, we provide an updated record of mercury in yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) caught near Hawaii that confirms an earlier conclusion that mercury concentrations in these fish are increasing at a rate similar to that observed in waters shallower than 1000 m. We also compiled and reanalyzed data from bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) and blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) caught near Hawaii in the 1970s and 2000s. Increases in mercury concentrations in bigeye tuna are consistent with the trend found in yellowfin tuna, in both timing and magnitude. The data available for blue marlin do not allow for a fair comparison among years, because mercury concentrations differ between sexes for this species, and sex was identified (or reported) in only 3 of 7 studies. Also, mercury concentrations in blue marlin may be insensitive to modest changes in mercury exposure, because this species appears to have the ability to detoxify mercury. The North Pacific Ocean is a region of both relatively high rates of atmospheric mercury deposition and capture fisheries production. Other data sets that allow temporal comparisons in mercury concentrations, such as pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) in Alaskan waters and albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) off the US Pacific coast, should be explored further, to aid in understanding human health and ecological risks and to develop additional baseline knowledge for assessing changes in a region expected to respond strongly to reductions in anthropogenic mercury emissions. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1365-1374. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

Ultraviolet spectral reflectance of carbonaceous materials

Science.gov (United States)

Applin, Daniel M.; Izawa, Matthew R. M.; Cloutis, Edward A.; Gillis-Davis, Jeffrey J.; Pitman, Karly M.; Roush, Ted L.; Hendrix, Amanda R.; Lucey, Paul G.

2018-06-01

A number of planetary spacecraft missions have carried instruments with sensors covering the ultraviolet (UV) wavelength range. However, there exists a general lack of relevant UV reflectance laboratory data to compare against these planetary surface remote sensing observations in order to make confident material identifications. To address this need, we have systematically analyzed reflectance spectra of carbonaceous materials in the 200-500 nm spectral range, and found spectral-compositional-structural relationships that suggest this wavelength region could distinguish between otherwise difficult-to-identify carbon phases. In particular (and by analogy with the infrared spectral region), large changes over short wavelength intervals in the refractive indices associated with the trigonal sp2π-π* transition of carbon can lead to Fresnel peaks and Christiansen-like features in reflectance. Previous studies extending to shorter wavelengths also show that anomalous dispersion caused by the σ-σ* transition associated with both the trigonal sp2 and tetrahedral sp3 sites causes these features below λ = 200 nm. The peak wavelength positions and shapes of π-π* and σ-σ* features contain information on sp3/sp2, structure, crystallinity, and powder grain size. A brief comparison with existing observational data indicates that the carbon fraction of the surface of Mercury is likely amorphous and submicroscopic, as is that on the surface of the martian satellites Phobos and Deimos, and possibly comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, while further coordinated observations and laboratory experiments should refine these feature assignments and compositional hypotheses. The new laboratory diffuse reflectance data reported here provide an important new resource for interpreting UV reflectance measurements from planetary surfaces throughout the solar system, and confirm that the UV can be rich in important spectral information.

High spectral resolution image of Barnacle Bill

Science.gov (United States)

1997-01-01

The rover Sojourner's first target for measurement by the Alpha-Proton-Xray Spectrometer (APXS) was the rock named Barnacle Bill, located close to the ramp down which the rover made its egress from the lander. The full spectral capability of the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP), consisting of 13 wavelength filters, was used to characterize the rock's surface. The measured area is relatively dark, and is shown in blue. Nearby on the rock surface, soil material is trapped in pits (shown in red).Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Charged-current inclusive neutrino cross sections: superscaling extension to the pion production and realistic spectral function for quasielastic region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivanov, A.N.; Antonov, M.V.; Barbaro, J.A.; Caballero, G.A.; Megias, G.D.; González-Jiménez, R.; Giusti, C.; Meucci, A.; Moya de Guerra, E.; Udías, J.M.

2015-01-01

Superscaling approximation (SuSA) predictions to neutrino-induced charged-current pion production in the Δ-resonance region are explored under MiniBooNE experimental conditions. The results obtained within SuSA for the flux-averaged double-differential cross sections of the pion production for the ν_μ+CH_2 reaction as a function of the muon kinetic energy and of the scattering angle, the cross sections averaged over the angle, the total cross section for the pion production are compared with the corresponding MiniBooNE experimental data. The SuSA charged-current π"+ predictions are in good agreement with data on neutrino flux average cross-sections. The SuSA extension to the pion production region and the realistic spectral function S(p;ε) for quasielastic scattering are used for predictions of charged current inclusive neutrino-nucleus cross sections. The results are compared with the inclusive neutrino-nucleus data from the T2K experiment. (author)

The Taxonomy of Blue Amorphous Galaxies. II. Structure and Evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Marlowe, Amanda T.; Meurer, Gerhardt R.; Heckman, Timothy M.

1999-09-01

Dwarf galaxies play an important role in our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution, and starbursts are believed to affect the structure and evolution of dwarf galaxies strongly. We have therefore embarked on a systematic study of 12 of the nearest dwarf galaxies thought to be undergoing bursts of star formation. These were selected primarily by their morphological type (blue ``amorphous'' galaxies). We show that these blue amorphous galaxies are not physically distinguishable from dwarfs selected as starbursting by other methods, such as blue compact dwarfs (BCDs) and H II galaxies. All these classes exhibit surface brightness profiles that are exponential in the outer regions (r>~1.5re) but often have a predominantly central blue excess, suggesting a young burst in an older, redder galaxy. Typically, the starbursting ``cores'' are young (~107-108 yr) events compared to the older (~109-1010 yr) underlying galaxy (the ``envelope''). The ratio of the core to envelope in blue light ranges from essentially zero to about 2. These starbursts are therefore modest events involving only a few percent of the stellar mass. The envelopes have surface brightnesses that are much higher than typical dwarf irregular (dI) galaxies, so it is unlikely that there is a straightforward evolutionary relation between typical dIs and dwarf starburst galaxies. Instead we suggest that amorphous galaxies may repeatedly cycle through starburst and quiescent phases, corresponding to the galaxies with strong and weak/absent cores, respectively. Once amorphous galaxies use up the available gas (either through star formation or galactic winds) so that star formation is shut off, the faded remnants would strongly resemble dwarf elliptical galaxies. However, in the current cosmological epoch, this is evidently a slow process that is the aftermath of a series of many weak, recurring bursts. Present-day dE's must have experienced more rapid and intense evolution than this in the distant past.

MOCK OBSERVATIONS OF BLUE STRAGGLERS IN GLOBULAR CLUSTER MODELS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sills, Alison; Glebbeek, Evert; Chatterjee, Sourav; Rasio, Frederic A.

2013-01-01

We created artificial color-magnitude diagrams of Monte Carlo dynamical models of globular clusters and then used observational methods to determine the number of blue stragglers in those clusters. We compared these blue stragglers to various cluster properties, mimicking work that has been done for blue stragglers in Milky Way globular clusters to determine the dominant formation mechanism(s) of this unusual stellar population. We find that a mass-based prescription for selecting blue stragglers will select approximately twice as many blue stragglers than a selection criterion that was developed for observations of real clusters. However, the two numbers of blue stragglers are well-correlated, so either selection criterion can be used to characterize the blue straggler population of a cluster. We confirm previous results that the simplified prescription for the evolution of a collision or merger product in the BSE code overestimates their lifetimes. We show that our model blue stragglers follow similar trends with cluster properties (core mass, binary fraction, total mass, collision rate) as the true Milky Way blue stragglers as long as we restrict ourselves to model clusters with an initial binary fraction higher than 5%. We also show that, in contrast to earlier work, the number of blue stragglers in the cluster core does have a weak dependence on the collisional parameter Γ in both our models and in Milky Way globular clusters

Cumulative-Phase-Alteration of Galactic-Light Passing Through the Cosmic-Microwave-Background: A New Mechanism for Some Observed Spectral-Shifts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tank H. K.

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Currently, whole of the measured “cosmological-red-shift ” is interpreted as due to the “metric-expansion-of-space”; so for the required “closer -density” of the universe, we need twenty times more mass-energy than the visible baryonic-matter contained in the universe. This paper proposes a new mechanism, which can account for good per- centage of the red-shift in the extra-galactic-light, greatly reducing the requirement of dark matter-energy. Also, this mechanism can cause a new kin d of blue-shift reported here, and their observational evidences. These spectral-s hifts are proposed to result due to cumulative phase-alteration of extra-galactic-light b ecause of vector-addition of: (i electric-field of extra-galactic-light and (ii that of the cosmic-microwave-background (CMB. Since the center-frequency of CMB is much lower than extra-galactic-light, the cumulative-phase-alteration results in red -shift, observed as an additional contribu- tor to the measured “cosmological red-shift”; and since the center-frequency of CMB is higher than the radio-frequency-signals used to measure velocity of space-probes like: Pioneer-10, Pioneer-11, Galileo and Ulysses, the cum ulative-phase-alteration re- sulted in blue-shift, leading to the interpretation of deceleration of these space-probes. While the galactic-light experiences the red-shift, and th e ranging-signals of the space- probes experience blue -shift, they are comparable in magnitude, providing a supportive- evidence for the new mechanism proposed here. More confirmative-experiments for this new mechanism are also proposed.

Constancy of spectral-line bisectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gray, D.F.

1983-01-01

Bisectors of spectral line profiles in cool stars indicate the strength of convection in the photospheres of these objects. The present investigation is concerned with the feasibility of studying time variations in line bisectors, the reality of apparent line-to-line differences within the same stellar spectrum, and bisector differences between stars of identical spectral types. The differences considered pertain to the shape of the bisector. The material used in the investigation was acquired at the McDonald Observatory using a 1728 diode Reticon array at the coudefocus of the 2.1-m telescope. Observed bisector errors are discussed. It is established that different lines in the same star show significantly different bisectors. The observed error bands are shown by the shaded regions. The slope and curvature are unique for each case

Reduction of Musical Noise in Spectral Subtraction Method Using Subframe Phase Randomization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seok, J.W.; Bae, K.S. [Kyungpook National University, Taegu (Korea)

1999-06-01

The Subframe phase randomization method is applied to the spectral subtraction method to reduce the musical noise in nonvoicing region after speech enhancement. The musical noise in the spectral subtraction method is the result of the narrowband tonal components that appearing somewhat periodically in the spectrogram of unvoiced and silence regions. Thus each synthesis frame in nonvoicing region is divided into several subframes to broaden the narrowband spectrum, and then phases of silence and unvoiced regions are randomized to eliminate the tonal components in the spectrum while keeping the shape of the amplitude spectrum. Performance assessments based on visual inspection of spectrogram, objective measure, and informal subjective listening tests demonstrate the superiority of the proposed algorithm. (author). 7 refs., 5 figs.

Alcian blue-stained particles in a eutrophic lake

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Worm, J.; Søndergaard, Morten

1998-01-01

We used a neutral solution of Alcian Blue to stain transparent particles in eutrophic Lake Frederiksborg Slotss0, Denmark. Alcian Blue-stained particles (ABSP) appeared to be similar to the so-called transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) identified with an acidic solution of Alcian Blue. Our...

FIXED-BED COLUMN ADSORPTION OF METHYL BLUE USING ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

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Axle Wood Carbon (AWC) was used to study the removal of Methyl Blue (MB) from ... height, initial methyl blue (MB) concentration, .... colour from blue to dark purple- .... Environ. Earth Sci. 13; 1–13. Yagub, M. T., Sen, T. K., Afroze, S., and Ang,.

Understanding Soliton Spectral Tunneling as a Spectral Coupling Effect

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guo, Hairun; Wang, Shaofei; Zeng, Xianglong

2013-01-01

Soliton eigenstate is found corresponding to a dispersive phase profile under which the soliton phase changes induced by the dispersion and nonlinearity are instantaneously counterbalanced. Much like a waveguide coupler relying on a spatial refractive index profile that supports mode coupling...... between channels, here we suggest that the soliton spectral tunneling effect can be understood supported by a spectral phase coupler. The dispersive wave number in the spectral domain must have a coupler-like symmetric profile for soliton spectral tunneling to occur. We show that such a spectral coupler...

Spectral lights trigger biomass accumulation and production of antioxidant secondary metabolites in adventitious root cultures of Stevia rebaudiana (Bert.).

Science.gov (United States)

Idrees, Muhammad; Sania, Bibi; Hafsa, Bibi; Kumari, Sana; Khan, Haji; Fazal, Hina; Ahmad, Ishfaq; Akbar, Fazal; Ahmad, Naveed; Ali, Sadeeq; Ahmad, Nisar

2018-05-30

Stevia rebaudiana (S. rebaudiana) is the most important therapeutic plant species and has been accepted as such worldwide. It has a tendency to accumulate steviol glycosides, which are 300 times sweeter than marketable sugar. Recently, diabetic patients commonly use this plant as a sugar substitute for sweet taste. In the present study, the effects of different spectral lights were investigated on biomass accumulation and production of secondary metabolites in adventitious root cultures of S. rebaudiana. For callus development, leaf explants were excised from seed-derived plantlets and inoculated on a Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing the combination of 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2, 4-D, 2.0mg/l) and 6-benzyladenine (BA, 2.0mg/l), while 0.5mg/l naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) was used for adventitious root culture. Adventitious root cultures were exposed to different spectral lights (blue, green, violet, red and yellow) for a 30-day period. White light was used as control. The growth kinetics was studied for 30days with 3-day intervals. In this study, the violet light showed the maximum accumulation of fresh biomass (2.495g/flask) as compared to control (1.63g/flask), while red light showed growth inhibition (1.025g/flask) as compared to control. The blue light enhanced the highest accumulation of phenolic content (TPC; 6.56mg GAE/g DW), total phenolic production (TPP; 101mg/flask) as compared to control (5.44mg GAE/g DW; 82.2mg GAE/g DW), and exhibited a strong correlation with dry biomass. Blue light also improved the accumulation of total flavonoid content (TFC; 4.33mg RE/g DW) and total flavonoid production (TFP; 65mg/flask) as compared to control. The violet light showed the highest DPPH inhibition (79.72%), while the lowest antioxidant activity was observed for control roots (73.81%). Hence, we concluded that the application of spectral lights is an auspicious strategy for the enhancement of the required antioxidant secondary metabolites in

Unskilled blue collar workers: Bourgeois and/or authoritarian? Results from a small scale survey in Belgium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hans De Witte

2007-04-01

adopted the attitudes (and life style of white collar workers, from whom they can no longer be distinguished. Lipset’s hypothesis of the ‘authoritarianism of the working class’, on the other hand, states that blue collar workers more strongly endorse a conservative attitude on socio-cultural matters and a progressive stand concerning socio-economic issues. Both hypotheses are tested using data from a small scale survey (N = 135 among unskilled blue collar workers and lower- and mid-level white collar workers from different large companies in the region of Leuven, Belgium. The results indicate that the interviewed unskilled blue collar workers still hold a set of attitudes that distinguishes them from the interviewed white collar workers. So, the ‘embourgeoisement’ thesis was refuted. Instead, the unskilled blue collar workers were more conservative on a socio-cultural level, and more progressive concerning socio-economic issues. These results are in line with Lipset’s ‘authoritarianism of the working class’ hypothesis.

Blue light-induced oxidative stress in live skin.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakashima, Yuya; Ohta, Shigeo; Wolf, Alexander M

2017-07-01

Skin damage from exposure to sunlight induces aging-like changes in appearance and is attributed to the ultraviolet (UV) component of light. Photosensitized production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by UVA light is widely accepted to contribute to skin damage and carcinogenesis, but visible light is thought not to do so. Using mice expressing redox-sensitive GFP to detect ROS, blue light could produce oxidative stress in live skin. Blue light induced oxidative stress preferentially in mitochondria, but green, red, far red or infrared light did not. Blue light-induced oxidative stress was also detected in cultured human keratinocytes, but the per photon efficacy was only 25% of UVA in human keratinocyte mitochondria, compared to 68% of UVA in mouse skin. Skin autofluorescence was reduced by blue light, suggesting flavins are the photosensitizer. Exposing human skin to the blue light contained in sunlight depressed flavin autofluorescence, demonstrating that the visible component of sunlight has a physiologically significant effect on human skin. The ROS produced by blue light is probably superoxide, but not singlet oxygen. These results suggest that blue light contributes to skin aging similar to UVA. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Compact and efficient blue laser sheet for measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Yan; Wang, Yu; Wu, Bin; Wang, Yanwei; Yan, Boxia

2017-10-01

Compact and efficient blue laser sheet has important applications in the field of measurement, with laser diode end pumped Nd:YAG directly and LBO intracavity frequency doubling, a compact and efficient CW 473nm blue laser sheet composed of dual path liner blue laser is realized. At an incident pump power of 12.4W, up to 1.4W output power of the compound blue laser is achieved, the optical-to-optical conversion efficiency is as high as 11.3%.

Toward an Empirically-based Parametric Explosion Spectral Model

Science.gov (United States)

Ford, S. R.; Walter, W. R.; Ruppert, S.; Matzel, E.; Hauk, T. F.; Gok, R.

2010-12-01

Small underground nuclear explosions need to be confidently detected, identified, and characterized in regions of the world where they have never occurred. We develop a parametric model of the nuclear explosion seismic source spectrum derived from regional phases (Pn, Pg, and Lg) that is compatible with earthquake-based geometrical spreading and attenuation. Earthquake spectra are fit with a generalized version of the Brune spectrum, which is a three-parameter model that describes the long-period level, corner-frequency, and spectral slope at high-frequencies. These parameters are then correlated with near-source geology and containment conditions. There is a correlation of high gas-porosity (low strength) with increased spectral slope. However, there are trade-offs between the slope and corner-frequency, which we try to independently constrain using Mueller-Murphy relations and coda-ratio techniques. The relationship between the parametric equation and the geologic and containment conditions will assist in our physical understanding of the nuclear explosion source, and aid in the prediction of observed local and regional distance seismic amplitudes for event identification and yield determination in regions with incomplete or no prior history of underground nuclear testing.

M3 spectral analysis of lunar swirls and the link between optical maturation and surface hydroxyl formation at magnetic anomalies

Science.gov (United States)

Kramer, G.Y.; Besse, S.; Dhingra, D.; Nettles, J.; Klima, R.; Garrick-Bethell, I.; Clark, Roger N.; Combe, J.-P.; Head, J. W.; Taylor, L.A.; Pieters, C.M.; Boardman, J.; McCord, T.B.

2011-01-01

We examined the lunar swirls using data from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3). The improved spectral and spatial resolution of M3 over previous spectral imaging data facilitates distinction of subtle spectral differences, and provides new information about the nature of these enigmatic features. We characterized spectral features of the swirls, interswirl regions (dark lanes), and surrounding terrain for each of three focus regions: Reiner Gamma, Gerasimovich, and Mare Ingenii. We used Principle Component Analysis to identify spectrally distinct surfaces at each focus region, and characterize the spectral features that distinguish them. We compared spectra from small, recent impact craters with the mature soils into which they penetrated to examine differences in maturation trends on- and off-swirl. Fresh, on-swirl crater spectra are higher albedo, exhibit a wider range in albedos and have well-preserved mafic absorption features compared with fresh off-swirl craters. Albedoand mafic absorptions are still evident in undisturbed, on-swirl surface soils, suggesting the maturation process is retarded. The spectral continuum is more concave compared with off-swirl spectra; a result of the limited spectral reddening being mostly constrained to wavelengths less than ∼1500 nm. Off-swirl spectra show very little reddening or change in continuum shape across the entire M3 spectral range. Off-swirl spectra are dark, have attenuated absorption features, and the narrow range in off-swirl albedos suggests off-swirl regions mature rapidly. Spectral parameter maps depicting the relative OH surface abundance for each of our three swirl focus regions were created using the depth of the hydroxyl absorption feature at 2.82 μm. For each of the studied regions, the 2.82 μm absorption feature is significantly weaker on-swirl than off-swirl, indicating the swirls are depleted in OH relative to their surroundings. The spectral characteristics of the swirls and adjacent terrains

A Blue Lagoon Function

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Markvorsen, Steen

2007-01-01

We consider a specific function of two variables whose graph surface resembles a blue lagoon. The function has a saddle point $p$, but when the function is restricted to any given straight line through $p$ it has a {\\em{strict local minimum}} along that line at $p$.......We consider a specific function of two variables whose graph surface resembles a blue lagoon. The function has a saddle point $p$, but when the function is restricted to any given straight line through $p$ it has a {\\em{strict local minimum}} along that line at $p$....

Predawn and high intensity application of supplemental blue light decreases the quantum yield of PSII and enhances the amount of phenolic acids, flavonoids, and pigments in Lactuca sativa.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Theoharis eOuzounis

2015-02-01

Full Text Available To evaluate the effect of blue light intensity and timing, two cultivars of lettuce [Lactuca sativa cv. ’Batavia’ (green and cv. ‘Lollo Rossa’ (red] were grown in a greenhouse compartment in late winter under natural light and supplemental high pressure sodium (SON-T lamps yielding 90 (±10 µmol m-2 s-1 for up to 20 hr, but never between 17:00 and 21:00. The temperature in the greenhouse compartments was 22/11°C day/night, respectively. The five light-emitting diode (LED light treatments were Control (no blue addition, 1B 06-08 (Blue light at 45 µmol m-2 s-1 from 06:00 to 08:00, 1B 21-08 (Blue light at 45 µmol m-2 s-1 from 21:00 to 08:00, 2B 17-19 (Blue at 80 µmol m-2 s-1 from 17:00 to 19:00, and (1B 17-19 Blue at 45 µmol m-2 s-1from 17:00 to 19:00. Total fresh and dry weight was not affected with additional blue light; however, plants treated with additional blue light were more compact. The stomatal conductance in the green lettuce cultivar was higher for all treatments with blue light compared to the Control. Photosynthetic yields measured with chlorophyll fluorescence showed different response between the cultivars; in red lettuce, the quantum yield of PSII decreased and the yield of non-photochemical quenching increased with increasing blue light, whereas in green lettuce no difference was observed. Quantification of secondary metabolites showed that all four treatments with additional blue light had higher amount of pigments, phenolic acids, and flavonoids compared to the Control. The effect was more prominent in red lettuce, highlighting that the results vary among treatments and compounds. Our results indicate that not only high light level triggers photoprotective heat dissipation in the plant, but also the specific spectral composition of the light itself at low intensities. However, these plant responses to light are cultivar dependent.

Predawn and high intensity application of supplemental blue light decreases the quantum yield of PSII and enhances the amount of phenolic acids, flavonoids, and pigments in Lactuca sativa.

Science.gov (United States)

Ouzounis, Theoharis; Razi Parjikolaei, Behnaz; Fretté, Xavier; Rosenqvist, Eva; Ottosen, Carl-Otto

2015-01-01

To evaluate the effect of blue light intensity and timing, two cultivars of lettuce [Lactuca sativa cv. "Batavia" (green) and cv. "Lollo Rossa" (red)] were grown in a greenhouse compartment in late winter under natural light and supplemental high pressure sodium (SON-T) lamps yielding 90 (±10) μmol m(-2) s(-1) for up to 20 h, but never between 17:00 and 21:00. The temperature in the greenhouse compartments was 22/11°C day/night, respectively. The five light-emitting diode (LED) light treatments were Control (no blue addition), 1B 06-08 (Blue light at 45 μmol m(-2) s(-1) from 06:00 to 08:00), 1B 21-08 (Blue light at 45 μmol m(-2) s(-1) from 21:00 to 08:00), 2B 17-19 (Blue at 80 μmol m(-2) s(-1) from 17:00 to 19:00), and 1B 17-19 (Blue at 45 μmol m(-2) s(-1) from 17:00 to 19:00). Total fresh and dry weight was not affected with additional blue light; however, plants treated with additional blue light were more compact. The stomatal conductance in the green lettuce cultivar was higher for all treatments with blue light compared to the Control. Photosynthetic yields measured with chlorophyll fluorescence showed different response between the cultivars; in red lettuce, the quantum yield of PSII decreased and the yield of non-photochemical quenching increased with increasing blue light, whereas in green lettuce no difference was observed. Quantification of secondary metabolites showed that all four treatments with additional blue light had higher amount of pigments, phenolic acids, and flavonoids compared to the Control. The effect was more prominent in red lettuce, highlighting that the results vary among treatments and compounds. Our results indicate that not only high light level triggers photoprotective heat dissipation in the plant, but also the specific spectral composition of the light itself at low intensities. However, these plant responses to light are cultivar dependent.

Predawn and high intensity application of supplemental blue light decreases the quantum yield of PSII and enhances the amount of phenolic acids, flavonoids, and pigments in Lactuca sativa

Science.gov (United States)

Ouzounis, Theoharis; Razi Parjikolaei, Behnaz; Fretté, Xavier; Rosenqvist, Eva; Ottosen, Carl-Otto

2015-01-01

To evaluate the effect of blue light intensity and timing, two cultivars of lettuce [Lactuca sativa cv. “Batavia” (green) and cv. “Lollo Rossa” (red)] were grown in a greenhouse compartment in late winter under natural light and supplemental high pressure sodium (SON-T) lamps yielding 90 (±10) μmol m−2 s−1 for up to 20 h, but never between 17:00 and 21:00. The temperature in the greenhouse compartments was 22/11°C day/night, respectively. The five light-emitting diode (LED) light treatments were Control (no blue addition), 1B 06-08 (Blue light at 45 μmol m−2 s−1 from 06:00 to 08:00), 1B 21-08 (Blue light at 45 μmol m−2 s−1 from 21:00 to 08:00), 2B 17-19 (Blue at 80 μmol m−2 s−1 from 17:00 to 19:00), and 1B 17-19 (Blue at 45 μmol m−2 s−1 from 17:00 to 19:00). Total fresh and dry weight was not affected with additional blue light; however, plants treated with additional blue light were more compact. The stomatal conductance in the green lettuce cultivar was higher for all treatments with blue light compared to the Control. Photosynthetic yields measured with chlorophyll fluorescence showed different response between the cultivars; in red lettuce, the quantum yield of PSII decreased and the yield of non-photochemical quenching increased with increasing blue light, whereas in green lettuce no difference was observed. Quantification of secondary metabolites showed that all four treatments with additional blue light had higher amount of pigments, phenolic acids, and flavonoids compared to the Control. The effect was more prominent in red lettuce, highlighting that the results vary among treatments and compounds. Our results indicate that not only high light level triggers photoprotective heat dissipation in the plant, but also the specific spectral composition of the light itself at low intensities. However, these plant responses to light are cultivar dependent. PMID:25767473

Blue whales Balaenoptera musculus off Angola: recent sightings ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Further survey work is required to better clarify the status of blue whales in Angolan waters, particularly with regard to population structure and potential calving grounds. Keywords: Antarctic blue whale, calving, catch data, pygmy blue whale, South-East Atlantic, stomach contents. African Journal of Marine Science 2014, ...

Spectral response of a polycrystalline silicon solar cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ba, B.; Kane, M.

1994-10-01

A theoretical study of the spectral response of a polycrystalline silicon n-p junction solar cell is presented. The case of a fibrously oriented grain structure, involving grain boundary recombination velocity and grain size effects is discussed. The contribution of the base region on the internal quantum efficiency Q int is computed for different grain sizes and grain boundary recombination velocities in order to examine their influence. Suggestions are also made for the determination of base diffusion length in polycrystalline silicon solar cells using the spectral response method. (author). 15 refs, 4 figs

Spectral Analysis of Moderately Charged Rare-Gas Atoms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge Reyna Almandos

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This article presents a review concerning the spectral analysis of several ions of neon, argon, krypton and xenon, with impact on laser studies and astrophysics that were mainly carried out in our collaborative groups between Argentina and Brazil during many years. The spectra were recorded from the vacuum ultraviolet to infrared regions using pulsed discharges. Semi-empirical approaches with relativistic Hartree–Fock and Dirac-Fock calculations were also included in these investigations. The spectral analysis produced new classified lines and energy levels. Lifetimes and oscillator strengths were also calculated.

Applying aerial digital photography as a spectral remote sensing technique for macrophytic cover assessment in small rural streams

Science.gov (United States)

Anker, Y.; Hershkovitz, Y.; Gasith, A.; Ben-Dor, E.

2011-12-01

Although remote sensing of fluvial ecosystems is well developed, the tradeoff between spectral and spatial resolutions prevents its application in small streams (habitat scales classifications, acquisition of aerial digital RGB datasets. B. For section scale classification, hyperspectral (HSR) dataset acquisition. C. For calibration, HSR reflectance measurements of specific ground targets, in close proximity to each dataset acquisition swath. D. For habitat scale classification, manual, in-stream flora grid transects classification. The digital RGB datasets were converted to reflectance units by spectral calibration against colored reference plates. These red, green, blue, white, and black EVA foam reference plates were measured by an ASD field spectrometer and each was given a spectral value. Each spectral value was later applied to the spectral calibration and radiometric correction of spectral RGB (SRGB) cube. Spectral calibration of the HSR dataset was done using the empirical line method, based on reference values of progressive grey scale targets. Differentiation between the vegetation species was done by supervised classification both for the HSR and for the SRGB datasets. This procedure was done using the Spectral Angle Mapper function with the spectral pattern of each vegetation species as a spectral end member. Comparison between the two remote sensing techniques and between the SRGB classification and the in-situ transects indicates that: A. Stream vegetation classification resolution is about 4 cm by the SRGB method compared to about 1 m by HSR. Moreover, this resolution is also higher than of the manual grid transect classification. B. The SRGB method is by far the most cost-efficient. The combination of spectral information (rather than the cognitive color) and high spatial resolution of aerial photography provides noise filtration and better sub-water detection capabilities than the HSR technique. C. Only the SRGB method applies for habitat and

A GMOS-N IFU study of the central H II region in the blue compact dwarf galaxy NGC 4449: kinematics, nebular metallicity and star formation

Science.gov (United States)

Kumari, Nimisha; James, Bethan L.; Irwin, Mike J.

2017-10-01

We use integral field spectroscopic (IFS) observations from the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph North (GMOS-N) to study the central H II region in a nearby blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxy NGC 4449. The IFS data enable us to explore the variation of physical and chemical conditions of the star-forming region and the surrounding gas on spatial scales as small as 5.5 pc. Our kinematical analysis shows possible signatures of shock ionization and shell structures in the surroundings of the star-forming region. The metallicity maps of the region, created using direct Te and indirect strong line methods (R23, O3N2 and N2), do not show any chemical variation. From the integrated spectrum of the central H II region, we find a metallicity of 12 + log(O/H) = 7.88 ± 0.14 ({˜ }0.15^{+0.06}_{-0.04} Z⊙) using the direct method. Comparing the central H II region metallicity derived here with those of H II regions throughout this galaxy from previous studies, we find evidence of increasing metallicity with distance from the central nucleus. Such chemical inhomogeneities can be due to several mechanisms, including gas loss via supernova blowout, galactic winds or metal-poor gas accretion. However, we find that the localized area of decreased metallicity aligns spatially with the peak of star-forming activity in the galaxy, suggesting that gas accretion may be at play here. Spatially resolved IFS data for the entire galaxy are required to confirm the metallicity inhomogeneity found in this study and determine its possible cause.

Geothermal Technologies Program Blue Ribbon Panel Recommendations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2011-06-17

The Geothermal Technologies Program assembled a geothermal Blue Ribbon Panel on March 22-23, 2011 in Albuquerque, New Mexico for a guided discussion on the future of geothermal energy in the United States and the role of the DOE Program. The Geothermal Blue Ribbon Panel Report captures the discussions and recommendations of the experts. An addendum is available here: http://www.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/pdfs/gtp_blue_ribbon_panel_report_addendum10-2011.pdf

Piecewise spectrally band-pass for compressive coded aperture spectral imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qian Lu-Lu; Lü Qun-Bo; Huang Min; Xiang Li-Bin

2015-01-01

Coded aperture snapshot spectral imaging (CASSI) has been discussed in recent years. It has the remarkable advantages of high optical throughput, snapshot imaging, etc. The entire spatial-spectral data-cube can be reconstructed with just a single two-dimensional (2D) compressive sensing measurement. On the other hand, for less spectrally sparse scenes, the insufficiency of sparse sampling and aliasing in spatial-spectral images reduce the accuracy of reconstructed three-dimensional (3D) spectral cube. To solve this problem, this paper extends the improved CASSI. A band-pass filter array is mounted on the coded mask, and then the first image plane is divided into some continuous spectral sub-band areas. The entire 3D spectral cube could be captured by the relative movement between the object and the instrument. The principle analysis and imaging simulation are presented. Compared with peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and the information entropy of the reconstructed images at different numbers of spectral sub-band areas, the reconstructed 3D spectral cube reveals an observable improvement in the reconstruction fidelity, with an increase in the number of the sub-bands and a simultaneous decrease in the number of spectral channels of each sub-band. (paper)

Spectral reflectance relationships to leaf water stress

Science.gov (United States)

Ripple, William J.

1986-01-01

Spectral reflectance data were collected from detached snapbean leaves in the laboratory with a multiband radiometer. Four experiments were designed to study the spectral response resulting from changes in leaf cover, relative water content of leaves, and leaf water potential. Spectral regions included in the analysis were red (630-690 nm), NIR (760-900 nm), and mid-IR (2.08-2.35 microns). The red and mid-IR bands showed sensitivity to changes in both leaf cover and relative water content of leaves. The NIR was only highly sensitive to changes in leaf cover. Results provided evidence that mid-IR reflectance was governed primarily by leaf moisture content, although soil reflectance was an important factor when leaf cover was less than 100 percent. High correlations between leaf water potentials and reflectance were attributed to covariances with relative water content of leaves and leaf cover.

Characteristics of Alcian-blue Dye Adsorption of Natural Biofilm Matrix

Science.gov (United States)

Kurniawan, A.; Yamamoto, T.; Sukandar; Guntur

2018-01-01

In this study, natural biofilm matrices formed on stones have been used for the adsorption of Alcian blue dye. Alcian blue is a member of polyvalent basic dyes that largely used from laboratory until industrial dying purposes. The adsorption of the dye onto the biofilm matrix has been carried out at different experimental conditions such as adsorption isotherm and kinetic of adsorption. The electric charge properties of biofilm matrix and its changes related to the adsorption of Alcian blue have been also investigated. Moreover, the results of Alcian blue adsorption to the biofilm were compared to those onto the acidic and neutral resin. The kinetics of adsorption result showed that the adsorption of the Alcian blue dye reached to a maximum adsorption amount within 60 minutes. The adsorption amount of Alcian blue to biofilm increased monotonously, and the maximum adsorption amount was greater compared to the resins. On the contrary, Alcian blue did not attach to the neutral resin having no electric charge. It seems that Alcian blue attached to the acidic resins due to electrostatic attractive force, and the same seems to be the case for adsorption of Alcian blue to biofilm. The adsorption of Alcian blue to the biofilm and acidic resins fitted to Langmuir type indicates that the binding of Alcian blue to the biofilm and acidic resins occurred in a monolayer like form. The maximum adsorption amount of Alcian blue on the biofilm (0.24 mmol/dry-g) was greater than those of acidic resin (0.025 mmol/dry-g). This indicates that the biofilm has many more sites for Alcian blue attachment than acidic resins. According to the result of this study, the biofilm matrix can be a good adsorbent for dye such as Alcian blue or other dyes that causing hazards in nature.

Effects of blue light and caffeine on mood.

Science.gov (United States)

Ekström, Johan G; Beaven, C Martyn

2014-09-01