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Sample records for capture microdissection combined

  1. Neuronal type-specific gene expression profiling and laser-capture microdissection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pietersen, Charmaine Y; Lim, Maribel P; Macey, Laurel; Woo, Tsung-Ung W; Sonntag, Kai C

    2011-01-01

    The human brain is an exceptionally heterogeneous structure. In order to gain insight into the neurobiological basis of neural circuit disturbances in various neurologic or psychiatric diseases, it is often important to define the molecular cascades that are associated with these disturbances in a neuronal type-specific manner. This can be achieved by the use of laser microdissection, in combination with molecular techniques such as gene expression profiling. To identify neurons in human postmortem brain tissue, one can use the inherent properties of the neuron, such as pigmentation and morphology or its structural composition through immunohistochemistry (IHC). Here, we describe the isolation of homogeneous neuronal cells and high-quality RNA from human postmortem brain material using a combination of rapid IHC, Nissl staining, or simple morphology with Laser-Capture Microdissection (LCM) or Laser Microdissection (LMD).

  2. Laser capture microdissection: Arcturus(XT) infrared capture and UV cutting methods.

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    Gallagher, Rosa I; Blakely, Steven R; Liotta, Lance A; Espina, Virginia

    2012-01-01

    Laser capture microdissection (LCM) is a technique that allows the precise procurement of enriched cell populations from a heterogeneous tissue under direct microscopic visualization. LCM can be used to harvest the cells of interest directly or can be used to isolate specific cells by ablating the unwanted cells, resulting in histologically enriched cell populations. The fundamental components of laser microdissection technology are (a) visualization of the cells of interest via microscopy, (b) transfer of laser energy to a thermolabile polymer with either the formation of a polymer-cell composite (capture method) or transfer of laser energy via an ultraviolet laser to photovolatize a region of tissue (cutting method), and (c) removal of cells of interest from the heterogeneous tissue section. Laser energy supplied by LCM instruments can be infrared (810 nm) or ultraviolet (355 nm). Infrared lasers melt thermolabile polymers for cell capture, whereas ultraviolet lasers ablate cells for either removal of unwanted cells or excision of a defined area of cells. LCM technology is applicable to an array of applications including mass spectrometry, DNA genotyping and loss-of-heterozygosity analysis, RNA transcript profiling, cDNA library generation, proteomics discovery, and signal kinase pathway profiling. This chapter describes the unique features of the Arcturus(XT) laser capture microdissection instrument, which incorporates both infrared capture and ultraviolet cutting technology in one instrument, using a proteomic downstream assay as a model.

  3. Identification of novel immune and barrier genes in atopic dermatitis by means of laser capture microdissection

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Esaki, Hitokazu; Ewald, David Adrian; Ungar, Benjamin

    2015-01-01

    are unknown. Objective : We sought to establish the genomic profile of the epidermal and dermal compartments of lesional and nonlesional AD skin compared with normal skin. Methods : Laser capture microdissection was performed to separate the epidermis and dermis of lesional and nonlesional skin from patients...... epidermal and dermal genomic signatures of lesional and nonlesional AD skin and normal skin compared with whole tissues. These data establish the utility of laser capture microdissection to separate different compartments and cellular subsets in patients with AD, allowing localization of key barrier...

  4. Liver gene expression profiles of rats treated with clofibric acid: comparison of whole liver and laser capture microdissected liver.

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    Michel, Cécile; Desdouets, Chantal; Sacre-Salem, Béatrice; Gautier, Jean-Charles; Roberts, Ruth; Boitier, Eric

    2003-12-01

    Clofibric acid (CLO) is a peroxisome proliferator (PP) that acts through the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha, leading to hepatocarcinogenesis in rodents. CLO-induced hepatocarcinogenesis is a multi-step process, first transforming normal liver cells into foci. The combination of laser capture microdissection (LCM) and genomics has the potential to provide expression profiles from such small cell clusters, giving an opportunity to understand the process of cancer development in response to PPs. To our knowledge, this is the first evaluation of the impact of the successive steps of LCM procedure on gene expression profiling by comparing profiles from LCM samples to those obtained with non-microdissected liver samples collected after a 1 month CLO treatment in the rat. We showed that hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and laser microdissection itself do not impact on RNA quality. However, the overall process of the LCM procedure affects the RNA quality, resulting in a bias in the gene profiles. Nonetheless, this bias did not prevent accurate determination of a CLO-specific molecular signature. Thus, gene-profiling analysis of microdissected foci, identified by H&E staining may provide insight into the mechanisms underlying non-genotoxic hepatocarcinogenesis in the rat by allowing identification of specific genes that are regulated by CLO in early pre-neoplastic foci.

  5. Laser Capture Microdissection and Multiplex-Tandem PCR Analysis of Proximal Tubular Epithelial Cell Signaling in Human Kidney Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkinson, Ray; Wang, Xiangju; Kassianos, Andrew J.; Zuryn, Steven; Roper, Kathrein E.; Osborne, Andrew; Sampangi, Sandeep; Francis, Leo; Raghunath, Vishwas; Healy, Helen

    2014-01-01

    Interstitial fibrosis, a histological process common to many kidney diseases, is the precursor state to end stage kidney disease, a devastating and costly outcome for the patient and the health system. Fibrosis is historically associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) but emerging evidence is now linking many forms of acute kidney disease (AKD) with the development of CKD. Indeed, we and others have observed at least some degree of fibrosis in up to 50% of clinically defined cases of AKD. Epithelial cells of the proximal tubule (PTEC) are central in the development of kidney interstitial fibrosis. We combine the novel techniques of laser capture microdissection and multiplex-tandem PCR to identify and quantitate “real time” gene transcription profiles of purified PTEC isolated from human kidney biopsies that describe signaling pathways associated with this pathological fibrotic process. Our results: (i) confirm previous in-vitro and animal model studies; kidney injury molecule-1 is up-regulated in patients with acute tubular injury, inflammation, neutrophil infiltration and a range of chronic disease diagnoses, (ii) provide data to inform treatment; complement component 3 expression correlates with inflammation and acute tubular injury, (iii) identify potential new biomarkers; proline 4-hydroxylase transcription is down-regulated and vimentin is up-regulated across kidney diseases, (iv) describe previously unrecognized feedback mechanisms within PTEC; Smad-3 is down-regulated in many kidney diseases suggesting a possible negative feedback loop for TGF-β in the disease state, whilst tight junction protein-1 is up-regulated in many kidney diseases, suggesting feedback interactions with vimentin expression. These data demonstrate that the combined techniques of laser capture microdissection and multiplex-tandem PCR have the power to study molecular signaling within single cell populations derived from clinically sourced tissue. PMID:24475278

  6. Histological staining methods preparatory to laser capture microdissection significantly affect the integrity of the cellular RNA

    OpenAIRE

    Wang, Hongyang; Owens, James D; Shih, Joanna H; Li, Ming-Chung; Bonner, Robert F; Mushinski, J Frederic

    2006-01-01

    Abstract Background Gene expression profiling by microarray analysis of cells enriched by laser capture microdissection (LCM) faces several technical challenges. Frozen sections yield higher quality RNA than paraffin-imbedded sections, but even with frozen sections, the staining methods used for histological identification of cells of interest could still damage the mRNA in the cells. To study the contribution of staining methods to degradation of results from gene expression profiling of LCM...

  7. Notochord isolation using laser capture microdissection.

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    Santegoeds, R G C; Yakkioui, Y; Jahanshahi, A; Raven, G; Van Overbeeke, J J; Herrler, A; Temel, Y

    2017-03-01

    Chordoma are malignant tumors of the axial skeleton, which arise from remnants of the notochord. The Notochord (chorda dorsalis) is an essential embryonic structure involved in the development of the nervous system and axial skeleton. Therefore, the notochord seems to be the most biologically relevant control tissue to study chordoma in molecular biology research. Nevertheless, up to now mainly different tissues but not the notochord have been used as control for chordoma, due to difficulty of isolating notochordal tissue. Here, we describe a fast and precise method of isolating notochordal cells. Examination of human fetuses, with a gestation of 9, 11 and 13 weeks, using (immuno)histochemical methods was performed. To isolate pure notochord cells for further molecular biology investigation five flash frozen fetuses between 9 and 10 weeks of gestation were dissected by microtome slicing. Thereafter pure notochord cells for further molecular biology investigation where harvested by using laser capture microdissection (LCM). RNA was extracted from these samples and used in quantitative PCR. This study illustrates notochord of embryonic spines in three different stages of gestation (9-11-13 weeks). Immunohistochemical staining with brachyury showed strong staining of the notochord, but also weak staining of the intervertebral disc and vertebral body. LCM of notochord slices and subsequent total RNA extraction resulted in a good yield of total RNA. qPCR analysis of two housekeeping genes confirmed the quality of the RNA. LCM is a fast and precise method to isolate notochord and the quality and yield RNA extracted from this tissue is sufficient for qPCR analysis. Therefore early embryo notochord isolated by LCM is suggested to be the gold standard for future research in chordoma development, classification and diagnosis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. The Isolation of Pure Populations of Neurons by Laser Capture Microdissection: Methods and Application in Neuroscience.

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    Morris, Renée; Mehta, Prachi

    2018-01-01

    In mammals, the central nervous system (CNS) is constituted of various cellular elements, posing a challenge to isolating specific cell types to investigate their expression profile. As a result, tissue homogenization is not amenable to analyses of motor neurons profiling as these represent less than 10% of the total spinal cord cell population. One way to tackle the problem of tissue heterogeneity and obtain meaningful genomic, proteomic, and transcriptomic profiling is to use laser capture microdissection technology (LCM). In this chapter, we describe protocols for the capture of isolated populations of motor neurons from spinal cord tissue sections and for downstream transcriptomic analysis of motor neurons with RT-PCR. We have also included a protocol for the immunological confirmation that the captured neurons are indeed motor neurons. Although focused on spinal cord motor neurons, these protocols can be easily optimized for the isolation of any CNS neurons.

  9. Laser capture microdissection in the genomic and proteomic era: targeting the genetic basis of cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Domazet, Barbara; Maclennan, Gregory T; Lopez-Beltran, Antonio; Montironi, Rodolfo; Cheng, Liang

    2008-03-15

    The advent of new technologies has enabled deeper insight into processes at subcellular levels, which will ultimately improve diagnostic procedures and patient outcome. Thanks to cell enrichment methods, it is now possible to study cells in their native environment. This has greatly contributed to a rapid growth in several areas, such as gene expression analysis, proteomics, and metabolonomics. Laser capture microdissection (LCM) as a method of procuring subpopulations of cells under direct visual inspection is playing an important role in these areas. This review provides an overview of existing LCM technology and its downstream applications in genomics, proteomics, diagnostics and therapy.

  10. Cell differentiation in cardiac myxomas: confocal microscopy and gene expression analysis after laser capture microdissection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pucci, Angela; Mattioli, Claudia; Matteucci, Marco; Lorenzini, Daniele; Panvini, Francesca; Pacini, Simone; Ippolito, Chiara; Celiento, Michele; De Martino, Andrea; Dolfi, Amelio; Belgio, Beatrice; Bortolotti, Uberto; Basolo, Fulvio; Bartoloni, Giovanni

    2018-05-22

    Cardiac myxomas are rare tumors with a heterogeneous cell population including properly neoplastic (lepidic), endothelial and smooth muscle cells. The assessment of neoplastic (lepidic) cell differentiation pattern is rather difficult using conventional light microscopy immunohistochemistry and/or whole tissue extracts for mRNA analyses. In a preliminary study, we investigated 20 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded cardiac myxomas by means of conventional immunohistochemistry; in 10/20 cases, cell differentiation was also analyzed by real-time RT-PCR after laser capture microdissection of the neoplastic cells, whereas calretinin and endothelial antigen CD31 immunoreactivity was localized in 4/10 cases by double immunofluorescence confocal microscopy. Gene expression analyses of α-smooth muscle actin, endothelial CD31 antigen, alpha-cardiac actin, matrix metalloprotease-2 (MMP2) and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloprotease-1 (TIMP1) was performed on cDNA obtained from either microdissected neoplastic cells or whole tumor sections. We found very little or absent CD31 and α-Smooth Muscle Actin expression in the microdissected cells as compared to the whole tumors, whereas TIMP1 and MMP2 genes were highly expressed in both ones, greater levels being found in patients with embolic phenomena. α-Cardiac Actin was not detected. Confocal microscopy disclosed two different signals corresponding to calretinin-positive myxoma cells and to endothelial CD31-positive cells, respectively. In conclusion, the neoplastic (lepidic) cells showed a distinct gene expression pattern and no consistent overlapping with endothelial and smooth muscle cells or cardiac myocytes; the expression of TIMP1 and MMP2 might be related to clinical presentation; larger series studies using also systematic transcriptome analysis might be useful to confirm the present results.

  11. Exploring the potential of laser capture microdissection technology in integrated oral biosciences.

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    Thennavan, A; Sharma, M; Chandrashekar, C; Hunter, K; Radhakrishnan, R

    2017-09-01

    Laser capture microdissection (LCM) is a high-end research and diagnostic technology that helps in obtaining pure cell populations for the purpose of cell- or lesion-specific genomic and proteomic analysis. Literature search on the application of LCM in oral tissues was made through PubMed. There is ample evidence to substantiate the utility of LCM in understanding the underlying molecular mechanism involving an array of oral physiological and pathological processes, including odontogenesis, taste perception, eruptive tooth movement, oral microbes, and cancers of the mouth and jaw tumors. This review is aimed at exploring the potential application of LCM in oral tissues as a high-throughput tool for integrated oral sciences. The indispensable application of LCM in the construction of lesion-specific genomic libraries with emphasis on some of the novel molecular markers thus discovered is also highlighted. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. DETECTION OF K-RAS AND P53 MUTATIONS IN SPUTUM SAMPLES OF LUNG CANCER PATIENTS USING LASER CAPTURE MICRODISSECTION MICROSCOPE AND MUTATION ANALYSIS

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    Detection of K-ras and p53 Mutations in Sputum Samples of Lung Cancer Patients Using Laser Capture Microdissection Microscope and Mutation AnalysisPhouthone Keohavong a,*, Wei-Min Gao a, Kui-Cheng Zheng a, Hussam Mady b, Qing Lan c, Mona Melhem b, and Judy Mumford d.<...

  13. Pathway-focused PCR array profiling of enriched populations of laser capture microdissected hippocampal cells after traumatic brain injury.

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    Deborah R Boone

    Full Text Available Cognitive deficits in survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI are associated with irreversible neurodegeneration in brain regions such as the hippocampus. Comparative gene expression analysis of dying and surviving neurons could provide insight into potential therapeutic targets. We used two pathway-specific PCR arrays (RT2 Profiler Apoptosis and Neurotrophins & Receptors PCR arrays to identify and validate TBI-induced gene expression in dying (Fluoro-Jade-positive or surviving (Fluoro-Jade-negative pyramidal neurons obtained by laser capture microdissection (LCM. In the Apoptosis PCR array, dying neurons showed significant increases in expression of genes associated with cell death, inflammation, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress compared with adjacent, surviving neurons. Pro-survival genes with pleiotropic functions were also significantly increased in dying neurons compared to surviving neurons, suggesting that even irreversibly injured neurons are able to mount a protective response. In the Neurotrophins & Receptors PCR array, which consists of genes that are normally expected to be expressed in both groups of hippocampal neurons, only a few genes were expressed at significantly different levels between dying and surviving neurons. Immunohistochemical analysis of selected, differentially expressed proteins supported the gene expression data. This is the first demonstration of pathway-focused PCR array profiling of identified populations of dying and surviving neurons in the brain after TBI. Combining precise laser microdissection of identifiable cells with pathway-focused PCR array analysis is a practical, low-cost alternative to microarrays that provided insight into neuroprotective signals that could be therapeutically targeted to ameliorate TBI-induced neurodegeneration.

  14. Histological staining methods preparatory to laser capture microdissection significantly affect the integrity of the cellular RNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hongyang; Owens, James D; Shih, Joanna H; Li, Ming-Chung; Bonner, Robert F; Mushinski, J Frederic

    2006-04-27

    Gene expression profiling by microarray analysis of cells enriched by laser capture microdissection (LCM) faces several technical challenges. Frozen sections yield higher quality RNA than paraffin-imbedded sections, but even with frozen sections, the staining methods used for histological identification of cells of interest could still damage the mRNA in the cells. To study the contribution of staining methods to degradation of results from gene expression profiling of LCM samples, we subjected pellets of the mouse plasma cell tumor cell line TEPC 1165 to direct RNA extraction and to parallel frozen sectioning for LCM and subsequent RNA extraction. We used microarray hybridization analysis to compare gene expression profiles of RNA from cell pellets with gene expression profiles of RNA from frozen sections that had been stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Nissl Stain (NS), and for immunofluorescence (IF) as well as with the plasma cell-revealing methyl green pyronin (MGP) stain. All RNAs were amplified with two rounds of T7-based in vitro transcription and analyzed by two-color expression analysis on 10-K cDNA microarrays. The MGP-stained samples showed the least introduction of mRNA loss, followed by H&E and immunofluorescence. Nissl staining was significantly more detrimental to gene expression profiles, presumably owing to an aqueous step in which RNA may have been damaged by endogenous or exogenous RNAases. RNA damage can occur during the staining steps preparatory to laser capture microdissection, with the consequence of loss of representation of certain genes in microarray hybridization analysis. Inclusion of RNAase inhibitor in aqueous staining solutions appears to be important in protecting RNA from loss of gene transcripts.

  15. Histological staining methods preparatory to laser capture microdissection significantly affect the integrity of the cellular RNA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Ming-Chung

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Gene expression profiling by microarray analysis of cells enriched by laser capture microdissection (LCM faces several technical challenges. Frozen sections yield higher quality RNA than paraffin-imbedded sections, but even with frozen sections, the staining methods used for histological identification of cells of interest could still damage the mRNA in the cells. To study the contribution of staining methods to degradation of results from gene expression profiling of LCM samples, we subjected pellets of the mouse plasma cell tumor cell line TEPC 1165 to direct RNA extraction and to parallel frozen sectioning for LCM and subsequent RNA extraction. We used microarray hybridization analysis to compare gene expression profiles of RNA from cell pellets with gene expression profiles of RNA from frozen sections that had been stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E, Nissl Stain (NS, and for immunofluorescence (IF as well as with the plasma cell-revealing methyl green pyronin (MGP stain. All RNAs were amplified with two rounds of T7-based in vitro transcription and analyzed by two-color expression analysis on 10-K cDNA microarrays. Results The MGP-stained samples showed the least introduction of mRNA loss, followed by H&E and immunofluorescence. Nissl staining was significantly more detrimental to gene expression profiles, presumably owing to an aqueous step in which RNA may have been damaged by endogenous or exogenous RNAases. Conclusion RNA damage can occur during the staining steps preparatory to laser capture microdissection, with the consequence of loss of representation of certain genes in microarray hybridization analysis. Inclusion of RNAase inhibitor in aqueous staining solutions appears to be important in protecting RNA from loss of gene transcripts.

  16. Efficacy of laser capture microdissection plus RT-PCR technique in analyzing gene expression levels in human gastric cancer and colon cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Makino, Hiroshi; Uetake, Hiroyuki; Danenberg, Kathleen; Danenberg, Peter V; Sugihara, Kenichi

    2008-01-01

    Thymidylate synthase, dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, thymidine phosphorylase, and orotate phosphoribosyltransferase gene expressions are reported to be valid predictive markers for 5-fluorouracil sensitivity to gastrointestinal cancer. For more reliable predictability, their expressions in cancer cells and stromal cells in the cancerous tissue (cancerous stroma) have been separately investigated using laser capture microdissection. Thymidylate synthase, dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, thymidine phosphorylase, and orotate phosphoribosyltransferase mRNA in cancer cells and cancerous stroma from samples of 47 gastric and 43 colon cancers were separately quantified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction after laser capture microdissection. In both gastric and colon cancers, thymidylate synthase and orotate phosphoribosyltransferase mRNA expressions were higher (p < 0.0001, p <0.0001 respectively in gastric cancer and P = 0.0002, p < 0.0001 respectively in colon cancer) and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase mRNA expressions were lower in cancer cells than in cancerous stroma (P = 0.0136 in gastric cancer and p < 0.0001 in colon cancer). In contrast, thymidine phosphorylase mRNA was higher in cancer cells than in cancerous stroma in gastric cancer (p < 0.0001) and lower in cancer cells than in cancerous stroma in colon cancer (P = 0.0055). By using this method, we could estimate gene expressions separately in cancer cells and stromal cells from colon and gastric cancers, in spite of the amount of stromal tissue. Our method is thought to be useful for accurately evaluating intratumoral gene expressions

  17. Laser capture microdissection of enriched populations of neurons or single neurons for gene expression analysis after traumatic brain injury.

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    Boone, Deborah R; Sell, Stacy L; Hellmich, Helen Lee

    2013-04-10

    Long-term cognitive disability after TBI is associated with injury-induced neurodegeneration in the hippocampus-a region in the medial temporal lobe that is critical for learning, memory and executive function. Hence our studies focus on gene expression analysis of specific neuronal populations in distinct subregions of the hippocampus. The technique of laser capture microdissection (LCM), introduced in 1996 by Emmert-Buck, et al., has allowed for significant advances in gene expression analysis of single cells and enriched populations of cells from heterogeneous tissues such as the mammalian brain that contains thousands of functional cell types. We use LCM and a well established rat model of traumatic brain injury (TBI) to investigate the molecular mechanisms that underlie the pathogenesis of TBI. Following fluid-percussion TBI, brains are removed at pre-determined times post-injury, immediately frozen on dry ice, and prepared for sectioning in a cryostat. The rat brains can be embedded in OCT and sectioned immediately, or stored several months at -80 °C before sectioning for laser capture microdissection. Additionally, we use LCM to study the effects of TBI on circadian rhythms. For this, we capture neurons from the suprachiasmatic nuclei that contain the master clock of the mammalian brain. Here, we demonstrate the use of LCM to obtain single identified neurons (injured and degenerating, Fluoro-Jade-positive, or uninjured, Fluoro-Jade-negative) and enriched populations of hippocampal neurons for subsequent gene expression analysis by real time PCR and/or whole-genome microarrays. These LCM-enabled studies have revealed that the selective vulnerability of anatomically distinct regions of the rat hippocampus are reflected in the different gene expression profiles of different populations of neurons obtained by LCM from these distinct regions. The results from our single-cell studies, where we compare the transcriptional profiles of dying and adjacent surviving

  18. The Use of Laser Microdissection in Forensic Sexual Assault Casework: Pros and Cons Compared to Standard Methods.

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    Costa, Sergio; Correia-de-Sá, Paulo; Porto, Maria J; Cainé, Laura

    2017-07-01

    Sexual assault samples are among the most frequently analyzed in a forensic laboratory. These account for almost half of all samples processed routinely, and a large portion of these cases remain unsolved. These samples often pose problems to traditional analytic methods of identification because they consist most frequently of cell mixtures from at least two contributors: the victim (usually female) and the perpetrator (usually male). In this study, we propose the use of current preliminary testing for sperm detection in order to determine the chances of success when faced with samples which can be good candidates to undergo analysis with the laser microdissection technology. Also, we used laser microdissection technology to capture fluorescently stained cells of interest differentiated by gender. Collected materials were then used for DNA genotyping with commercially available amplification kits such as Minifiler, Identifiler Plus, NGM, and Y-Filer. Both the methodology and the quality of the results were evaluated to assess the pros and cons of laser microdissection compared with standard methods. Overall, the combination of fluorescent staining combined with the Minifiler amplification kit provided the best results for autosomal markers, whereas the Y-Filer kit returned the expected results regardless of the used method. © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  19. Transcriptome profiling of sheep granulosa cells and oocytes during early follicular development obtained by Laser Capture Microdissection

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    Bonnet Agnes

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Successful achievement of early folliculogenesis is crucial for female reproductive function. The process is finely regulated by cell-cell interactions and by the coordinated expression of genes in both the oocyte and in granulosa cells. Despite many studies, little is known about the cell-specific gene expression driving early folliculogenesis. The very small size of these follicles and the mixture of types of follicles within the developing ovary make the experimental study of isolated follicular components very difficult. The recently developed laser capture microdissection (LCM technique coupled with microarray experiments is a promising way to address the molecular profile of pure cell populations. However, one main challenge was to preserve the RNA quality during the isolation of single cells or groups of cells and also to obtain sufficient amounts of RNA. Using a new LCM method, we describe here the separate expression profiles of oocytes and follicular cells during the first stages of sheep folliculogenesis. Results We developed a new tissue fixation protocol ensuring efficient single cell capture and RNA integrity during the microdissection procedure. Enrichment in specific cell types was controlled by qRT-PCR analysis of known genes: six oocyte-specific genes (SOHLH2, MAEL, MATER, VASA, GDF9, BMP15 and three granulosa cell-specific genes (KL, GATA4, AMH. A global gene expression profile for each follicular compartment during early developmental stages was identified here for the first time, using a bovine Affymetrix chip. Most notably, the granulosa cell dataset is unique to date. The comparison of oocyte vs. follicular cell transcriptomes revealed 1050 transcripts specific to the granulosa cell and 759 specific to the oocyte. Functional analyses allowed the characterization of the three main cellular events involved in early folliculogenesis and confirmed the relevance and potential of LCM-derived RNA. Conclusions

  20. Optimizing Frozen Sample Preparation for Laser Microdissection: Assessment of CryoJane Tape-Transfer System®.

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    Yelena G Golubeva

    Full Text Available Laser microdissection is an invaluable tool in medical research that facilitates collecting specific cell populations for molecular analysis. Diversity of research targets (e.g., cancerous and precancerous lesions in clinical and animal research, cell pellets, rodent embryos, etc. and varied scientific objectives, however, present challenges toward establishing standard laser microdissection protocols. Sample preparation is crucial for quality RNA, DNA and protein retrieval, where it often determines the feasibility of a laser microdissection project. The majority of microdissection studies in clinical and animal model research are conducted on frozen tissues containing native nucleic acids, unmodified by fixation. However, the variable morphological quality of frozen sections from tissues containing fat, collagen or delicate cell structures can limit or prevent successful harvest of the desired cell population via laser dissection. The CryoJane Tape-Transfer System®, a commercial device that improves cryosectioning outcomes on glass slides has been reported superior for slide preparation and isolation of high quality osteocyte RNA (frozen bone during laser dissection. Considering the reported advantages of CryoJane for laser dissection on glass slides, we asked whether the system could also work with the plastic membrane slides used by UV laser based microdissection instruments, as these are better suited for collection of larger target areas. In an attempt to optimize laser microdissection slide preparation for tissues of different RNA stability and cryosectioning difficulty, we evaluated the CryoJane system for use with both glass (laser capture microdissection and membrane (laser cutting microdissection slides. We have established a sample preparation protocol for glass and membrane slides including manual coating of membrane slides with CryoJane solutions, cryosectioning, slide staining and dissection procedure, lysis and RNA extraction

  1. DNA profiling of spermatozoa by laser capture microdissection and low volume-PCR.

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    Cai-xia Li

    Full Text Available Genetic profiling of sperm from complex biological mixtures such as sexual assault casework samples requires isolation of a pure sperm population and the ability to analyze low abundant samples. Current standard procedure for sperm isolation includes preferential lysis of epithelial contaminants followed by collection of intact sperm by centrifugation. While effective for samples where sperm are abundant, this method is less effective when samples contain few spermatozoa. Laser capture microdissection (LCM is a proven method for the isolation of cells biological mixtures, even when found in low abundance. Here, we demonstrate the efficacy of LCM coupled with on-chip low volume PCR (LV-PCR for the isolation and genotyping of low abundance sperm samples. Our results indicate that this method can obtain complete profiles (13-16 loci from as few as 15 sperm cells with 80% reproducibility, whereas at least 40 sperm cells are required to profile 13-16 loci by standard 'in-tube' PCR. Further, LCM and LV-PCR of a sexual assault casework sample generated a DNA genotype that was consistent with that of the suspect. This method was unable, however, to analyze a casework sample from a gang rape case in which two or more sperm contributors were in a mixed population. The results indicate that LCM and LV-PCR is sensitive and effective for genotyping sperm from sperm/epithelial cell mixtures when epithelial lysis may be insufficient due to low abundance of sperm; LCM and LV-PCR, however, failed in a casework sample when spermatozoa from multiple donors was present, indicating that further study is necessitated.

  2. Laser capture microdissection followed by next-generation sequencing identifies disease-related microRNAs in psoriatic skin that reflect systemic microRNA changes in psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Løvendorf, Marianne B; Mitsui, Hiroshi; Zibert, John R

    2015-01-01

    Psoriasis is a systemic disease with cutaneous manifestations. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that are differentially expressed in psoriatic skin; however, only few cell- and region-specific miRNAs have been identified in psoriatic lesions. We used laser capture...... microdissection (LCM) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) to study the specific miRNA expression profiles in the epidermis (Epi) and dermal inflammatory infiltrates (RD) of psoriatic skin (N = 6). We identified 24 deregulated miRNAs in the Epi and 37 deregulated miRNAs in the RD of psoriatic plaque compared...... with normal psoriatic skin (FCH > 2, FDR

  3. Myosin content of individual human muscle fibers isolated by laser capture microdissection.

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    Stuart, Charles A; Stone, William L; Howell, Mary E A; Brannon, Marianne F; Hall, H Kenton; Gibson, Andrew L; Stone, Michael H

    2016-03-01

    Muscle fiber composition correlates with insulin resistance, and exercise training can increase slow-twitch (type I) fibers and, thereby, mitigate diabetes risk. Human skeletal muscle is made up of three distinct fiber types, but muscle contains many more isoforms of myosin heavy and light chains, which are coded by 15 and 11 different genes, respectively. Laser capture microdissection techniques allow assessment of mRNA and protein content in individual fibers. We found that specific human fiber types contain different mixtures of myosin heavy and light chains. Fast-twitch (type IIx) fibers consistently contained myosin heavy chains 1, 2, and 4 and myosin light chain 1. Type I fibers always contained myosin heavy chains 6 and 7 (MYH6 and MYH7) and myosin light chain 3 (MYL3), whereas MYH6, MYH7, and MYL3 were nearly absent from type IIx fibers. In contrast to cardiomyocytes, where MYH6 (also known as α-myosin heavy chain) is seen solely in fast-twitch cells, only slow-twitch fibers of skeletal muscle contained MYH6. Classical fast myosin heavy chains (MHC1, MHC2, and MHC4) were present in variable proportions in all fiber types, but significant MYH6 and MYH7 expression indicated slow-twitch phenotype, and the absence of these two isoforms determined a fast-twitch phenotype. The mixed myosin heavy and light chain content of type IIa fibers was consistent with its role as a transition between fast and slow phenotypes. These new observations suggest that the presence or absence of MYH6 and MYH7 proteins dictates the slow- or fast-twitch phenotype in skeletal muscle. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

  4. Optimization of laser capture microdissection and RNA amplification for gene expression profiling of prostate cancer

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    Vasmatzis George

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background To discover prostate cancer biomarkers, we profiled gene expression in benign and malignant cells laser capture microdissected (LCM from prostate tissues and metastatic prostatic adenocarcinomas. Here we present methods developed, optimized, and validated to obtain high quality gene expression data. Results RNase inhibitor was included in solutions used to stain frozen tissue sections for LCM, which improved RNA quality significantly. Quantitative PCR assays, requiring minimal amounts of LCM RNA, were developed to determine RNA quality and concentration. SuperScript II™ reverse transcriptase was replaced with SuperScript III™, and SpeedVac concentration was eliminated to optimize linear amplification. The GeneChip® IVT labeling kit was used rather than the Enzo BioArray™ HighYield™ RNA transcript labeling kit since side-by-side comparisons indicated high-end signal saturation with the latter. We obtained 72 μg of labeled complementary RNA on average after linear amplification of about 2 ng of total RNA. Conclusion Unsupervised clustering placed 5/5 normal and 2/2 benign prostatic hyperplasia cases in one group, 5/7 Gleason pattern 3 cases in another group, and the remaining 2/7 pattern 3 cases in a third group with 8/8 Gleason pattern 5 cases and 3/3 metastatic prostatic adenocarcinomas. Differential expression of alpha-methylacyl coenzyme A racemase (AMACR and hepsin was confirmed using quantitative PCR.

  5. A minute focus of extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma arising in Hashimoto thyroiditis diagnosed with PCR after laser capture microdissection: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D'Antonio Antonio

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Primary thyroid gland lymphomas are uncommon tumours that occur in the setting of lymphocytic thyroiditis or Hashimoto's disease in almost all cases. In this condition a distinction between an inflammatory lymphoid infiltrate and a low grade lymphoma may be extremely difficult and precise criteria are necessary for a correct diagnosis. Patient and methods We report a case of a minute focus of primary extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (EMZBCL, incidentally discovered in a 63-year-old man with Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT and diagnosed by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR after laser capture microdissection. The histological examination of surgical specimen confirmed the diagnosis of HT and showed a minute focus of dense lymphoid infiltrate (less than 4 mm in diameter, composed by centrocyte-like cells forming MALT balls. Immunoistochemistry was not useful. A microscopic focus of EMZBCL was suspected on the basis of morphological features. PCR assays revealed the rearrangement of the heavy chain of immunoglobulins only in the microdissected suspicious area, confirming the diagnosis of EMZBCL. Conclusion Our finding suggests that in cases of autoimmune thyroiditis a careful examination of the thyroid specimen is warranted, in order to disclose areas or small foci of lymphomatous transformation. Furthermore, in difficult cases with doubtful immunohistological findings, ancillary techniques, such as molecular studies, are necessary for a conclusive diagnosis.

  6. Improved resolution by mounting of tissue sections for laser microdissection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Dijk, M C R F; Rombout, P D M; Dijkman, H B P M; Ruiter, D J; Bernsen, M R

    2003-08-01

    Laser microbeam microdissection has greatly facilitated the procurement of specific cell populations from tissue sections. However, the fact that a coverslip is not used means that the morphology of the tissue sections is often poor. To develop a mounting method that greatly improves the morphological quality of tissue sections for laser microbeam microdissection purposes so that the identification of target cells can be facilitated. Fresh frozen tissue and formalin fixed, paraffin wax embedded tissue specimens were used to test the morphological quality of mounted and unmounted tissue. The mounting solution consisted of an adhesive gum and blue ink diluted in water. Interference of the mounting solution with DNA quality was analysed by the polymerase chain reaction using 10-2000 cells isolated by microdissection from mounted and unmounted tissue. The mounting solution greatly improved the morphology of tissue sections for laser microdissection purposes and had no detrimental effects on the isolation and efficiency of amplification of DNA. One disadvantage was that the mounting solution reduced the cutting efficiency of the ultraviolet laser. To minimise this effect, the mounting solution should be diluted as much as possible. Furthermore, the addition of blue ink to the mounting medium restores the cutting efficiency of the laser. The mounting solution is easy to prepare and apply and can be combined with various staining methods without compromising the quality of the DNA extracted.

  7. Analysis of transcription factor mRNAs in identified oxytocin and vasopressin magnocellular neurons isolated by laser capture microdissection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Madison Humerick

    Full Text Available The oxytocin (Oxt and vasopressin (Avp magnocellular neurons (MCNs in the hypothalamus are the only neuronal phenotypes that are present in the supraoptic nucleus (SON, and are characterized by their robust and selective expression of either the Oxt or Avp genes. In this paper, we take advantage of the differential expression of these neuropeptide genes to identify and isolate these two individual phenotypes from the rat SON by laser capture microdissection (LCM, and to analyze the differential expression of several of their transcription factor mRNAs by qRT-PCR. We identify these neuronal phenotypes by stereotaxically injecting recombinant Adeno-Associated Viral (rAAV vectors which contain cell-type specific Oxt or Avp promoters that drive expression of EGFP selectively in either the Oxt or Avp MCNs into the SON. The fluorescent MCNs are then dissected by LCM using a novel Cap Road Map protocol described in this paper, and the purified MCNs are extracted for their RNAs. qRT-PCR of these RNAs show that some transcription factors (RORA and c-jun are differentially expressed in the Oxt and Avp MCNs.

  8. Unambiguous detection of multiple TP53 gene mutations in AAN-associated urothelial cancer in Belgium using laser capture microdissection.

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    Selda Aydin

    Full Text Available In the Balkan and Taiwan, the relationship between exposure to aristolochic acid and risk of urothelial neoplasms was inferred from the A>T genetic hallmark in TP53 gene from malignant cells. This study aimed to characterize the TP53 mutational spectrum in urothelial cancers consecutive to Aristolochic Acid Nephropathy in Belgium. Serial frozen tumor sections from female patients (n=5 exposed to aristolochic acid during weight-loss regimen were alternatively used either for p53 immunostaining or laser microdissection. Tissue areas with at least 60% p53-positive nuclei were selected for microdissecting sections according to p53-positive matching areas. All areas appeared to be carcinoma in situ. After DNA extraction, mutations in the TP53 hot spot region (exons 5-8 were identified using nested-PCR and sequencing. False-negative controls consisted in microdissecting fresh-frozen tumor tissues both from a patient with a Li-Fraumeni syndrome who carried a p53 constitutional mutation, and from KRas mutated adenocarcinomas. To rule out false-positive results potentially generated by microdissection and nested-PCR, a phenacetin-associated urothelial carcinoma and normal fresh ureteral tissues (n=4 were processed with high laser power. No unexpected results being identified, molecular analysis was pursued on malignant tissues, showing at least one mutation in all (six different mutations in two patients, with 13/16 exonic (nonsense, 2; missense, 11 and 3/16 intronic (one splice site mutations. They were distributed as transitions (n=7 or transversions (n=9, with an equal prevalence of A>T and G>T (3/16 each. While current results are in line with A>T prevalence previously reported in Balkan and Taiwan studies, they also demonstrate that multiple mutations in the TP53 hot spot region and a high frequency of G>T transversion appear as a complementary signature reflecting the toxicity of a cumulative dose of aristolochic acid ingested over a short period

  9. Laser Capture Microdissection Assisted Identification of Epithelial MicroRNA Expression Signatures for Prognosis of Stage I NSCLC

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-01

    SiC  relativ stains (B) are p tandard error 0 ng of RN on of a muc , a finding s measured crease in t dissection l, given tha of total RN ummary o...the yield and quality of microRNAs from LMD microdissectates of FFPE tissues for downstream analysis. Materials and Methods Ethics statement

  10. Combined fluorescent-chromogenic in situ hybridization for identification and laser microdissection of interphase chromosomes.

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    Nerea Paz

    Full Text Available Chromosome territories constitute the most conspicuous feature of nuclear architecture, and they exhibit non-random distribution patterns in the interphase nucleus. We observed that in cell nuclei from humans with Down Syndrome two chromosomes 21 frequently localize proximal to one another and distant from the third chromosome. To systematically investigate whether the proximally positioned chromosomes were always the same in all cells, we developed an approach consisting of sequential FISH and CISH combined with laser-microdissection of chromosomes from the interphase nucleus and followed by subsequent chromosome identification by microsatellite allele genotyping. This approach identified proximally positioned chromosomes from cultured cells, and the analysis showed that the identity of the chromosomes proximally positioned varies. However, the data suggest that there may be a tendency of the same chromosomes to be positioned close to each other in the interphase nucleus of trisomic cells. The protocol described here represents a powerful new method for genome analysis.

  11. Modified microdissection electrocautery needle

    OpenAIRE

    Singh, Virendra; Kumar, Pramod

    2014-01-01

    Electrocautery is routinely used in surgical procedures. The commercially available microdissection electrocautery needles are costly. To overcome this disadvantage, we have modified monopolar electrocautery tip to function as well as commercially available systems.

  12. Cell proliferation and apoptosis in the primary enamel knot measured by flow cytometry of laser microdissected samples

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Matalová, Eva; Dubská, L.; Fleischmannová, Jana; Chlastáková, Ivana; Janečková, Eva; Tucker, A. S.

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 55, č. 8 (2010), s. 570-575 ISSN 0003-9969 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KJB500450802; GA AV ČR IAA600450904; GA ČR GA203/08/1680 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50450515 Keywords : Laser capture microdissection * Flow cytometry * Primary enamel knot Subject RIV: EA - Cell Biology Impact factor: 1.463, year: 2010

  13. Laser microdissection of sensory organ precursor cells of Drosophila microchaetes.

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    Eulalie Buffin

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: In Drosophila, each external sensory organ originates from the division of a unique precursor cell (the sensory organ precursor cell or SOP. Each SOP is specified from a cluster of equivalent cells, called a proneural cluster, all of them competent to become SOP. Although, it is well known how SOP cells are selected from proneural clusters, little is known about the downstream genes that are regulated during SOP fate specification. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In order to better understand the mechanism involved in the specification of these precursor cells, we combined laser microdissection, toisolate SOP cells, with transcriptome analysis, to study their RNA profile. Using this procedure, we found that genes that exhibit a 2-fold or greater expression in SOPs versus epithelial cells were mainly associated with Gene Ontology (GO terms related with cell fate determination and sensory organ specification. Furthermore, we found that several genes such as pebbled/hindsight, scabrous, miranda, senseless, or cut, known to be expressed in SOP cells by independent procedures, are particularly detected in laser microdissected SOP cells rather than in epithelial cells. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These results confirm the feasibility and the specificity of our laser microdissection based procedure. We anticipate that this analysis will give new insight into the selection and specification of neural precursor cells.

  14. Analysis of gene expression in prostate cancer epithelial and interstitial stromal cells using laser capture microdissection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gregg, Jennifer L; Brown, Kathleen E; Mintz, Eric M; Piontkivska, Helen; Fraizer, Gail C

    2010-01-01

    The prostate gland represents a multifaceted system in which prostate epithelia and stroma have distinct physiological roles. To understand the interaction between stroma and glandular epithelia, it is essential to delineate the gene expression profiles of these two tissue types in prostate cancer. Most studies have compared tumor and normal samples by performing global expression analysis using a mixture of cell populations. This report presents the first study of prostate tumor tissue that examines patterns of differential expression between specific cell types using laser capture microdissection (LCM). LCM was used to isolate distinct cell-type populations and identify their gene expression differences using oligonucleotide microarrays. Ten differentially expressed genes were then analyzed in paired tumor and non-neoplastic prostate tissues by quantitative real-time PCR. Expression patterns of the transcription factors, WT1 and EGR1, were further compared in established prostate cell lines. WT1 protein expression was also examined in prostate tissue microarrays using immunohistochemistry. The two-step method of laser capture and microarray analysis identified nearly 500 genes whose expression levels were significantly different in prostate epithelial versus stromal tissues. Several genes expressed in epithelial cells (WT1, GATA2, and FGFR-3) were more highly expressed in neoplastic than in non-neoplastic tissues; conversely several genes expressed in stromal cells (CCL5, CXCL13, IGF-1, FGF-2, and IGFBP3) were more highly expressed in non-neoplastic than in neoplastic tissues. Notably, EGR1 was also differentially expressed between epithelial and stromal tissues. Expression of WT1 and EGR1 in cell lines was consistent with these patterns of differential expression. Importantly, WT1 protein expression was demonstrated in tumor tissues and was absent in normal and benign tissues. The prostate represents a complex mix of cell types and there is a need to analyze

  15. Spatial and molecular resolution of diffuse malignant mesothelioma heterogeneity by integrating label-free FTIR imaging, laser capture microdissection and proteomics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Großerueschkamp, Frederik; Bracht, Thilo; Diehl, Hanna C.; Kuepper, Claus; Ahrens, Maike; Kallenbach-Thieltges, Angela; Mosig, Axel; Eisenacher, Martin; Marcus, Katrin; Behrens, Thomas; Brüning, Thomas; Theegarten, Dirk; Sitek, Barbara; Gerwert, Klaus

    2017-03-01

    Diffuse malignant mesothelioma (DMM) is a heterogeneous malignant neoplasia manifesting with three subtypes: epithelioid, sarcomatoid and biphasic. DMM exhibit a high degree of spatial heterogeneity that complicates a thorough understanding of the underlying different molecular processes in each subtype. We present a novel approach to spatially resolve the heterogeneity of a tumour in a label-free manner by integrating FTIR imaging and laser capture microdissection (LCM). Subsequent proteome analysis of the dissected homogenous samples provides in addition molecular resolution. FTIR imaging resolves tumour subtypes within tissue thin-sections in an automated and label-free manner with accuracy of about 85% for DMM subtypes. Even in highly heterogeneous tissue structures, our label-free approach can identify small regions of interest, which can be dissected as homogeneous samples using LCM. Subsequent proteome analysis provides a location specific molecular characterization. Applied to DMM subtypes, we identify 142 differentially expressed proteins, including five protein biomarkers commonly used in DMM immunohistochemistry panels. Thus, FTIR imaging resolves not only morphological alteration within tissue but it resolves even alterations at the level of single proteins in tumour subtypes. Our fully automated workflow FTIR-guided LCM opens new avenues collecting homogeneous samples for precise and predictive biomarkers from omics studies.

  16. Establishment of a protocol for the gene expression analysis of laser microdissected rat kidney samples with affymetrix genechips

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stemmer, Kerstin; Ellinger-Ziegelbauer, Heidrun; Lotz, Kerstin; Ahr, Hans-J.; Dietrich, Daniel R.

    2006-01-01

    Laser microdissection in conjunction with microarray technology allows selective isolation and analysis of specific cell populations, e.g., preneoplastic renal lesions. To date, only limited information is available on sample preparation and preservation techniques that result in both optimal histomorphological preservation of sections and high-quality RNA for microarray analysis. Furthermore, amplification of minute amounts of RNA from microdissected renal samples allowing analysis with genechips has only scantily been addressed to date. The objective of this study was therefore to establish a reliable and reproducible protocol for laser microdissection in conjunction with microarray technology using kidney tissue from Eker rats p.o. treated for 7 days and 6 months with 10 and 1 mg Aristolochic acid/kg bw, respectively. Kidney tissues were preserved in RNAlater or snap frozen. Cryosections were cut and stained with either H and E or cresyl violet for subsequent morphological and RNA quality assessment and laser microdissection. RNA quality was comparable in snap frozen and RNAlater-preserved samples, however, the histomorphological preservation of renal sections was much better following cryopreservation. Moreover, the different staining techniques in combination with sample processing time at room temperature can have an influence on RNA quality. Different RNA amplification protocols were shown to have an impact on gene expression profiles as demonstrated with Affymetrix Rat Genome 230 2 .0 arrays. Considering all the parameters analyzed in this study, a protocol for RNA isolation from laser microdissected samples with subsequent Affymetrix chip hybridization was established that was also successfully applied to preneoplastic lesions laser microdissected from Aristolochic acid-treated rats

  17. MicroRNA Expression in Laser Micro-dissected Breast Cancer Tissue Samples - a Pilot Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seclaman, Edward; Narita, Diana; Anghel, Andrei; Cireap, Natalia; Ilina, Razvan; Sirbu, Ioan Ovidiu; Marian, Catalin

    2017-10-28

    Breast cancer continues to represent a significant public health burden despite outstanding research advances regarding the molecular mechanisms of cancer biology, biomarkers for diagnostics and prognostic and therapeutic management of this disease. The studies of micro RNAs in breast cancer have underlined their potential as biomarkers and therapeutic targets; however most of these studies are still done on largely heterogeneous whole breast tissue samples. In this pilot study we have investigated the expression of four micro RNAs (miR-21, 145, 155, 92) known to be involved in breast cancer, in homogenous cell populations collected by laser capture microdissection from breast tissue section slides. Micro RNA expression was assessed by real time PCR, and associations with clinical and pathological characteristics were also explored. Our results have confirmed previous associations of miR-21 expression with poor prognosis characteristics of breast cancers such as high stage, large and highly proliferative tumors. No statistically significant associations were found with the other micro RNAs investigated, possibly due to the small sample size of our study. Our results also suggest that miR-484 could be a suitable endogenous control for data normalization in breast tissues, these results needing further confirmation by future studies. In summary, our pilot study showed the feasibility of detecting micro RNAs expression in homogenous laser captured microdissected invasive breast cancer samples, and confirmed some of the previously reported associations with poor prognostic characteristics of breast tumors.

  18. Combined gene expression analysis of whole-tissue and microdissected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma identifies genes specifically overexpressed in tumor epithelia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badea, Liviu; Herlea, Vlad; Dima, Simona Olimpia; Dumitrascu, Traian; Popescu, Irinel

    2008-01-01

    The precise details of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) pathogenesis are still insufficiently known, requiring the use of high-throughput methods. However, PDAC is especially difficult to study using microarrays due to its strong desmoplastic reaction, which involves a hyperproliferating stroma that effectively "masks" the contribution of the minoritary neoplastic epithelial cells. Thus it is not clear which of the genes that have been found differentially expressed between normal and whole tumor tissues are due to the tumor epithelia and which simply reflect the differences in cellular composition. To address this problem, laser microdissection studies have been performed, but these have to deal with much smaller tissue sample quantities and therefore have significantly higher experimental noise. In this paper we combine our own large sample whole-tissue study with a previously published smaller sample microdissection study by Grützmann et al. to identify the genes that are specifically overexpressed in PDAC tumor epithelia. The overlap of this list of genes with other microarray studies of pancreatic cancer as well as with the published literature is impressive. Moreover, we find a number of genes whose over-expression appears to be inversely correlated with patient survival: keratin 7, laminin gamma 2, stratifin, platelet phosphofructokinase, annexin A2, MAP4K4 and OACT2 (MBOAT2), which are all specifically upregulated in the neoplastic epithelia, rather than the tumor stroma. We improve on other microarray studies of PDAC by putting together the higher statistical power due to a larger number of samples with information about cell-type specific expression and patient survival.

  19. Microdissection of gonadal tissues for gene expression analyses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Anne; Dalgaard, Marlene Danner; Sonne, Si Brask

    2011-01-01

    Laser microdissection permits isolation of specific cell types from tissue sections or cell cultures. This may be beneficial when investigating the role of specific cells in a complex tissue or organ. In tissues with easily distinguishable morphology, a simple hematoxylin staining is sufficient...... phosphatase enzyme, such as fetal germ cells, testicular carcinoma in situ cells, and putatively also other early stem cell populations. We have applied these protocols for microdissection of rat Leydig cells, fetal human and zebrafish germ cells, and human testicular germ cell tumors, but the staining...

  20. Spatial distributions of Kv4 channels and KChip2 isoforms in the murine heart based on laser capture microdissection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teutsch, Christine; Kondo, Richard P; Dederko, Dorothy A; Chrast, Jacqueline; Chien, Kenneth R; Giles, Wayne R

    2007-03-01

    Regional differences in repolarizing K(+) current densities and expression levels of their molecular components are important for coordinating the pattern of electrical excitation and repolarization of the heart. The small size of hearts from mice may obscure these interventricular and/or transmural expression differences of K(+) channels. We have examined this possibility in adult mouse ventricle using a technology that provides very high spatial resolution of tissue collection. Conventional manual dissection and laser capture microdissection (LCM) were utilized to dissect tissue from distinct ventricular regions. RNA was isolated from epicardial, mid-myocardial and endocardial layers of both the right and left ventricles. Real-time RT-PCR was used to quantify the transcript expression in these different regions. LCM revealed significant interventricular and transmural gradients for both Kv4.2 and the alpha-subunit of KChIP2. The expression profile of a second K(+) channel transcript, Kir2.1, which is responsible for the inwardly rectifying K(+) current I(k1), showed no interventricular or transmural gradients and therefore served as a negative control. Our findings are in contrast to previous reports of a relatively uniform left ventricular transmural pattern of expression of Kv4.2, Kv4.3 and KChIP2 in adult mouse heart, which appear to be different than that in larger mammals. Specifically, our results demonstrate significant epi- to endocardial differences in the patterns of expression of both Kv4.2 and KChIP2.

  1. Quantitative proteomic analysis of microdissected oral epithelium for cancer biomarker discovery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Hua; Langerman, Alexander; Zhang, Yan; Khalid, Omar; Hu, Shen; Cao, Cheng-Xi; Lingen, Mark W; Wong, David T W

    2015-11-01

    Specific biomarkers are urgently needed for the detection and progression of oral cancer. The objective of this study was to discover cancer biomarkers from oral epithelium through utilizing high throughput quantitative proteomics approaches. Morphologically malignant, epithelial dysplasia, and adjacent normal epithelial tissues were laser capture microdissected (LCM) from 19 patients and used for proteomics analysis. Total proteins from each group were extracted, digested and then labelled with corresponding isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ). Labelled peptides from each sample were combined and analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for protein identification and quantification. In total, 500 proteins were identified and 425 of them were quantified. When compared with adjacent normal oral epithelium, 17 and 15 proteins were consistently up-regulated or down-regulated in malignant and epithelial dysplasia, respectively. Half of these candidate biomarkers were discovered for oral cancer for the first time. Cornulin was initially confirmed in tissue protein extracts and was further validated in tissue microarray. Its presence in the saliva of oral cancer patients was also explored. Myoglobin and S100A8 were pre-validated by tissue microarray. These data demonstrated that the proteomic biomarkers discovered through this strategy are potential targets for oral cancer detection and salivary diagnostics. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Real-time quantitative PCR of microdissected paraffin-embedded breast carcinoma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gjerdrum, Lise Mette; Sorensen, Boe Sandahl; Kjeldsen, Eigil

    2004-01-01

    We studied the feasibility of using real-time quantitative PCR to determine HER-2 DNA amplification and mRNA expression in microdissected formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded breast tumors and compared this with standard immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) methods...... tumors as being amplified. Interestingly, all these scored 2+ with the HercepTest, but were negative using FISH. We believe that real-time quantitative PCR analysis of HER-2 DNA amplification following microdissection represents a useful supplementary or perhaps even an alternative technique...

  3. Laser capture microdissection and cDNA array analysis of endometrium identify CCL16 and CCL21 as epithelial-derived inflammatory mediators associated with endometriosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jones Rebecca L

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Understanding the pathophysiology of chemokine secretion in endometriosis may offer a novel area of therapeutic intervention. This study aimed to identify chemokines differentially expressed in epithelial glands in eutopic endometrium from normal women and those with endometriosis, and to establish the expression profiles of key chemokines in endometriotic lesions. Methods Laser capture microdissection isolated epithelial glands from endometrial eutopic tissue from women with and without endometriosis in the mid-secretory phase of their menstrual cycles. Gene profiling of the excised glands used a human chemokine and receptor cDNA array. Selected chemokines were further examined using real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. Results 22 chemokine/receptor genes were upregulated and two downregulated in pooled endometrial epithelium of women with endometriosis compared with controls. CCL16 and CCL21 mRNA was confirmed as elevated in some women with endometriosis compared to controls on individual samples. Immunoreactive CCL16 and CCL21 were predominantly confined to glands in eutopic and ectopic endometrium: leukocytes also stained. Immunoreactive CCL16 was overall higher in glands in ectopic vs. eutopic endometrium from the same woman (P Conclusion This study provides novel candidate molecules and suggests a potential local role for CCL16 and CCL21 as mediators contributing to the inflammatory events associated with endometriosis.

  4. Gene Expression Analysis of Immunostained Endothelial Cells Isolated from Formaldehyde-fixated Paraffin Embedded Tumors Using Laser Capture Microdissection – a Technical Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaneko, Tomoatsu; Okiji, Takashi; Kaneko, Reika; Suda, Hideaki; Nör, Jacques E.

    2009-01-01

    Laser capture microdissection (LCM) allows microscopic procurement of specific cell types from tissue sections that can then be used for gene expression analysis. In conventional LCM, frozen tissues stained with hematoxylin are normally used to the molecular analysis. Recent studies suggested that it is possible to carry out gene expression analysis of formaldehyde-fixated paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissues that were stained with hematoxylin. However, it is still unclear if quantitative gene expression analyses can be performed from LCM cells from FFPE tissues that were subjected to immunostaining to enhance identification of target cells. In this proof-of-principle study, we analyzed by RT-PCR and real time PCR the expression of genes in factor VIII immunostained human endothelial cells that were dissected from FFPE tissues by LCM. We observed that immunostaining should be performed at 4°C to preserve the mRNA from the cells. The expression of Bcl-2 in the endothelial cells was evaluated by RT-PCR and by real time PCR. GAPDH and 18S were used as house keeping genes for RT-PCR and real time PCR, respectively. This report unveils a method for quantitative gene expression analysis in cells that were identified by immunostaining and retrieved by LCM from FFPE tissues. This method is ideally suited for the analysis of relatively rare cell types within a tissue, and should improve on our ability to perform differential diagnosis of pathologies as compared to conventional LCM. PMID:19425073

  5. Laser Microdissection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frost, Andra R; Eltoum, Isam-Eldin; Siegal, Gene P; Emmert-Buck, Michael R; Tangrea, Michael A

    2015-10-01

    Laser microdissection (LM) offers a relatively rapid and precise method of isolating and removing specified cells from complex tissues for subsequent analysis of their RNA, DNA, protein or metabolite content, thereby allowing assessment of the role of different cell types in the normal physiological or disease processes being studied. In this unit, protocols for the preparation of mammalian frozen tissues, fixed tissues, and cytologic specimens for LM, including tissue freezing, tissue processing and paraffin embedding, histologic sectioning, cell processing, hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunohistochemistry, and image-guided cell targeting are presented. Also provided are recipes for generating lysis buffers for the recovery of nucleic acids and proteins. The Commentary section addresses the types of specimens that can be utilized for LM and approaches to staining of specimens for cell visualization. Emphasis is placed on the preparation of tissue or cytologic specimens as this is critical to effective LM. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

  6. Combining laser microdissection and RNA-seq to chart the transcriptional landscape of fungal development

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background During sexual development, filamentous ascomycetes form complex, three-dimensional fruiting bodies for the protection and dispersal of sexual spores. Fruiting bodies contain a number of cell types not found in vegetative mycelium, and these morphological differences are thought to be mediated by changes in gene expression. However, little is known about the spatial distribution of gene expression in fungal development. Here, we used laser microdissection (LM) and RNA-seq to determine gene expression patterns in young fruiting bodies (protoperithecia) and non-reproductive mycelia of the ascomycete Sordaria macrospora. Results Quantitative analysis showed major differences in the gene expression patterns between protoperithecia and total mycelium. Among the genes strongly up-regulated in protoperithecia were the pheromone precursor genes ppg1 and ppg2. The up-regulation was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy of egfp expression under the control of ppg1 regulatory sequences. RNA-seq analysis of protoperithecia from the sterile mutant pro1 showed that many genes that are differentially regulated in these structures are under the genetic control of transcription factor PRO1. Conclusions We have generated transcriptional profiles of young fungal sexual structures using a combination of LM and RNA-seq. This allowed a high spatial resolution and sensitivity, and yielded a detailed picture of gene expression during development. Our data revealed significant differences in gene expression between protoperithecia and non-reproductive mycelia, and showed that the transcription factor PRO1 is involved in the regulation of many genes expressed specifically in sexual structures. The LM/RNA-seq approach will also be relevant to other eukaryotic systems in which multicellular development is investigated. PMID:23016559

  7. Combining laser microdissection and RNA-seq to chart the transcriptional landscape of fungal development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Teichert Ines

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background During sexual development, filamentous ascomycetes form complex, three-dimensional fruiting bodies for the protection and dispersal of sexual spores. Fruiting bodies contain a number of cell types not found in vegetative mycelium, and these morphological differences are thought to be mediated by changes in gene expression. However, little is known about the spatial distribution of gene expression in fungal development. Here, we used laser microdissection (LM and RNA-seq to determine gene expression patterns in young fruiting bodies (protoperithecia and non-reproductive mycelia of the ascomycete Sordaria macrospora. Results Quantitative analysis showed major differences in the gene expression patterns between protoperithecia and total mycelium. Among the genes strongly up-regulated in protoperithecia were the pheromone precursor genes ppg1 and ppg2. The up-regulation was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy of egfp expression under the control of ppg1 regulatory sequences. RNA-seq analysis of protoperithecia from the sterile mutant pro1 showed that many genes that are differentially regulated in these structures are under the genetic control of transcription factor PRO1. Conclusions We have generated transcriptional profiles of young fungal sexual structures using a combination of LM and RNA-seq. This allowed a high spatial resolution and sensitivity, and yielded a detailed picture of gene expression during development. Our data revealed significant differences in gene expression between protoperithecia and non-reproductive mycelia, and showed that the transcription factor PRO1 is involved in the regulation of many genes expressed specifically in sexual structures. The LM/RNA-seq approach will also be relevant to other eukaryotic systems in which multicellular development is investigated.

  8. An optimised protocol for isolation of RNA from small sections of laser-capture microdissected FFPE tissue amenable for next-generation sequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amini, Parisa; Ettlin, Julia; Opitz, Lennart; Clementi, Elena; Malbon, Alexandra; Markkanen, Enni

    2017-08-23

    Formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue constitutes a vast treasury of samples for biomedical research. Thus far however, extraction of RNA from FFPE tissue has proved challenging due to chemical RNA-protein crosslinking and RNA fragmentation, both of which heavily impact on RNA quantity and quality for downstream analysis. With very small sample sizes, e.g. when performing Laser-capture microdissection (LCM) to isolate specific subpopulations of cells, recovery of sufficient RNA for analysis with reverse-transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) or next-generation sequencing (NGS) becomes very cumbersome and difficult. We excised matched cancer-associated stroma (CAS) and normal stroma from clinical specimen of FFPE canine mammary tumours using LCM, and compared the commonly used protease-based RNA isolation procedure with an adapted novel technique that additionally incorporates a focused ultrasonication step. We successfully adapted a protocol that uses focused ultrasonication to isolate RNA from small amounts of deparaffinised, stained, clinical LCM samples. Using this approach, we found that total RNA yields could be increased by 8- to 12-fold compared to a commonly used protease-based extraction technique. Surprisingly, RNA extracted using this new approach was qualitatively at least equal if not superior compared to the old approach, as Cq values in RT-qPCR were on average 2.3-fold lower using the new method. Finally, we demonstrate that RNA extracted using the new method performs comparably in NGS as well. We present a successful isolation protocol for extraction of RNA from difficult and limiting FFPE tissue samples that enables successful analysis of small sections of clinically relevant specimen. The possibility to study gene expression signatures in specific small sections of archival FFPE tissue, which often entail large amounts of highly relevant clinical follow-up data, unlocks a new dimension of hitherto difficult-to-analyse samples which now

  9. Laser microdissection and mass spectrometry-based proteomics aids the diagnosis and typing of renal amyloidosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sethi, Sanjeev; Vrana, Julie A; Theis, Jason D; Leung, Nelson; Sethi, Anjali; Nasr, Samih H; Fervenza, Fernando C; Cornell, Lynn D; Fidler, Mary E; Dogan, Ahmet

    2012-07-01

    Accurate diagnosis and typing of renal amyloidosis is critical for prognosis, genetic counseling, and treatment. Laser microdissection and mass spectrometry are emerging techniques for the analysis and diagnosis of many renal diseases. Here we present the results of laser microdissection and mass spectrometry performed on 127 cases of renal amyloidosis during 2008-2010. We found the following proteins in the amyloid deposits: immunoglobulin light and heavy chains, secondary reactive serum amyloid A protein, leukocyte cell-derived chemotaxin-2, fibrinogen-α chain, transthyretin, apolipoprotein A-I and A-IV, gelsolin, and β-2 microglobulin. Thus, laser microdissection of affected areas within the kidney followed by mass spectrometry provides a direct test of the composition of the deposit and forms a useful ancillary technique for the accurate diagnosis and typing of renal amyloidosis in a single procedure.

  10. Characterizing the heterogeneity of triple-negative breast cancers using microdissected normal ductal epithelium and RNA-sequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radovich, Milan; Clare, Susan E; Atale, Rutuja; Pardo, Ivanesa; Hancock, Bradley A; Solzak, Jeffrey P; Kassem, Nawal; Mathieson, Theresa; Storniolo, Anna Maria V; Rufenbarger, Connie; Lillemoe, Heather A; Blosser, Rachel J; Choi, Mi Ran; Sauder, Candice A; Doxey, Diane; Henry, Jill E; Hilligoss, Eric E; Sakarya, Onur; Hyland, Fiona C; Hickenbotham, Matthew; Zhu, Jin; Glasscock, Jarret; Badve, Sunil; Ivan, Mircea; Liu, Yunlong; Sledge, George W; Schneider, Bryan P

    2014-01-01

    Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are a heterogeneous set of tumors defined by an absence of actionable therapeutic targets (ER, PR, and HER-2). Microdissected normal ductal epithelium from healthy volunteers represents a novel comparator to reveal insights into TNBC heterogeneity and to inform drug development. Using RNA-sequencing data from our institution and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) we compared the transcriptomes of 94 TNBCs, 20 microdissected normal breast tissues from healthy volunteers from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Tissue Bank, and 10 histologically normal tissues adjacent to tumor. Pathway analysis comparing TNBCs to optimized normal controls of microdissected normal epithelium versus classic controls composed of adjacent normal tissue revealed distinct molecular signatures. Differential gene expression of TNBC compared with normal comparators demonstrated important findings for TNBC-specific clinical trials testing targeted agents; lack of over-expression for negative studies and over-expression in studies with drug activity. Next, by comparing each individual TNBC to the set of microdissected normals, we demonstrate that TNBC heterogeneity is attributable to transcriptional chaos, is associated with non-silent DNA mutational load, and explains transcriptional heterogeneity in addition to known molecular subtypes. Finally, chaos analysis identified 146 core genes dysregulated in >90 % of TNBCs revealing an over-expressed central network. In conclusion, use of microdissected normal ductal epithelium from healthy volunteers enables an optimized approach for studying TNBC and uncovers biological heterogeneity mediated by transcriptional chaos.

  11. Antibody-validated proteins in inflamed islets of fulminant type 1 diabetes profiled by laser-capture microdissection followed by mass spectrometry.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoriko Nishida

    Full Text Available There are no reports of proteomic analyses of inflamed islets in type 1 diabetes.Proteins expressed in the islets of enterovirus-associated fulminant type 1 diabetes (FT1DM with extensive insulitis were identified by laser-capture microdissection mass spectrometry using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded pancreatic tissues.Thirty-eight proteins were identified solely in FT1DM islets, most of which have not been previously linked to type 1 diabetes. Five protein-protein interacting clusters were identified, and the cellular localization of selected proteins was validated immunohistochemically. Migratory activity-related proteins, including plastin-2 (LCP1, moesin (MSN, lamin-B1 (LMNB1, Ras GTPase-activating-like protein (IQGAP1 and others, were identified in CD8+ T cells and CD68+ macrophages infiltrated to inflamed FT1DM islets. Proteins involved in successive signaling in innate/adaptive immunity were identified, including SAM domain and HD domain-containing protein 1 (SAMHD1, Ras GTPase-activating-like protein (IQGAP1, proteasome activator complex subunit 1 (PSME1, HLA class I histocompatibility antigen (HLA-C, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 1-alpha/beta (STAT1. Angiogenic (thymidine phosphorylase (TYMP and anti-angiogenic (tryptophan-tRNA ligase (WARS factors were identified in migrating CD8+ T cells and CD68+ macrophages. Proteins related to virus replication and cell proliferation, including probable ATP-dependent RNA helicase DEAD box helicase 5 (DDX5 and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein H (HNRNPH1, were identified. The anti-apoptotic protein T-complex protein 1 subunit epsilon (CCT5, the anti-oxidative enzyme 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (PDG, and the anti-viral and anti-apoptotic proteins serpin B6 (SERPINB6 and heat shock 70 kDa protein1-like (HSPA1L, were identified in FT1DM-affected islet cells.The identified FT1DM-characterizing proteins include those involved in aggressive beta cell destruction through

  12. Real-time quantitative PCR of microdissected paraffin-embedded breast carcinoma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gjerdrum, Lise Mette; Sorensen, Boe Sandahl; Kjeldsen, Eigil

    2004-01-01

    We studied the feasibility of using real-time quantitative PCR to determine HER-2 DNA amplification and mRNA expression in microdissected formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded breast tumors and compared this with standard immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) methods...

  13. Improved resolution by mounting of tissue sections for laser microdissection.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dijk, M.C.R.F. van; Rombout, P.D.M.; Dijkman, H.B.P.M.; Ruiter, D.J.; Bernsen, M.R.

    2003-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Laser microbeam microdissection has greatly facilitated the procurement of specific cell populations from tissue sections. However, the fact that a coverslip is not used means that the morphology of the tissue sections is often poor. AIMS: To develop a mounting method that greatly

  14. Laser capture microdissection-based in vivo genomic profiling of wound keratinocytes identifies similarities and differences to squamous cell carcinoma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Tanja Xenia; Leethanakul, Chidchanop; Patel, Vyomesh

    2003-01-01

    keratinocytes from incisional mouse skin wounds and adjacent normal skin keratinocytes. Changes in gene expression were determined by comparative cDNA array analyses, and the approach was validated by in situ hybridization. The analyses identified 48 candidate genes not previously associated with wound...... reepithelialization. Furthermore, the analyses revealed that the phenotypic resemblance of wound keratinocytes to squamous cell carcinoma is mimicked at the level of gene expression, but notable differences between the two tissue-remodeling processes were also observed. The combination of laser capture...

  15. Can the rapid identification of mature spermatozoa during microdissection testicular sperm extraction guide operative planning?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alrabeeah, K; Doucet, R; Boulet, E; Phillips, S; Al-Hathal, N; Bissonnette, F; Kadoch, I J; Zini, A

    2015-05-01

    The minimum sperm count and quality that must be identified during microdissection testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE) to deem the procedure successful remains to be established. We conducted a retrospective study of 81 consecutive men with non-obstructive azoospermia who underwent a primary (first) micro-TESE between March 2007 and October 2013. Final assessment of sperm recovery [reported on the day of (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) ICSI] was recorded as (i) successful (available spermatozoa for ICSI) or (ii) unsuccessful (no spermatozoa for ICSI). The decision to perform a unilateral (with limited or complete microdissection) or bilateral micro-TESE was guided by the intra-operative identification of sperm recovery (≥5 motile or non-motile sperm) from the first testicle. Overall, sperm recovery was successful in 56% (45/81) of the men. A unilateral micro-TESE was performed in 47% (38/81) of the men (based on intra-operative identification of sperm) and in 100% (38/38) of these men, spermatozoa was found on final assessment. In 42% (16/38) of the unilateral cases, a limited microdissection was performed (owing to the rapid intra-operative identification of sperm). The remaining 43 men underwent a bilateral micro-TESE and 16% (7/43) of these men had sperm identified on final assessment. The cumulative ICSI pregnancy rates (per cycle started and per embryo transfer) were 47% (21/45) and 60% (21/35), respectively, with a mean (±SD) of 1.9 ± 1.0 embryos transferred. The data demonstrate that intra-operative assessment of sperm recovery can correctly identify those men that require a unilateral micro-TESE. Moreover, the rapid identification of sperm recovery can allow some men to undergo a limited unilateral micro-TESE and avoid the need for complete testicular microdissection. © 2015 American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.

  16. Marker chromosome 21 identified by microdissection and FISH

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sun, Y.; Palmer, C.G. [Indiana Univ. School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN (United States); Rubinstein, J. [Univ. Affiliated Cincinnati Center for Developmental Disorders, OH (United States)] [and others

    1995-03-27

    A child without Down`s syndrome but with developmental delay, short stature, and autistic behavior was found to be mosaic 46,XX/47,XX,+mar(21) de novo. The marker was a small ring or dot-like chromosome. Microdissection of the marker was performed. The dissected fragments were biotinylated with sequence-independent PCR as a probe pool for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). FISH results suggested an acrocentric origin of the marker. Subsequent FISH with {alpha}-satellite DNA probes for acrocentric chromosomes and chromosome-specific 21 and 22 painting probes confirmed its origin from chromosome 21. 14 refs., 3 figs.

  17. Microdissection and chromosome painting of the alien chromosome in an addition line of wheat--Thinopyrum intermedium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Chuanliang; Bai, Lili; Fu, Shulan; Yin, Weibo; Zhang, Yingxin; Chen, Yuhong; Wang, Richard R-C; Zhang, Xiangqi; Han, Fangpu; Hu, Zanmin

    2013-01-01

    In this study, chromosome painting was developed and used to identify alien chromosomes in TAi-27, a wheat--Thinopyrum intermedium addition line, and the chromosomes of the three different genomes of Th. Intermedium. The smallest alien chromosome of TAi-27 was microdissected and its DNA amplified by DOP-PCR was used as a probe to hybridize with metaphase chromosomes of TAi-27 and Th. intermedium. Results showed that hybridization signals were observed in all regions of a pair of the smallest alien chromosomes and the pericentromeric area of another pair of alien chromosomes in TAi-27, indicating that the probe from microdissected chromosome is species specific. In Th. intermedium, 14 chromosomes had wide and strong hybridization signals distributed mainly on the pericentromere area and 9 chromosomes with narrow and weak signals on the pericentromere area. The remaining chromosomes displayed a very weak or no signal. Sequential FISH/GISH on Th. intermedium chromosomes using the DNAs of microdissected chromosome, Pseudoroegneria spicata (St genome) and pDbH12 (a J(s) genome specific probe) as the probes indicated that the microdissected chromosome belonged to the St genome, three genomes (J(s) , J and St) in Th. intermedium could be distinguished, in which there is no hybridization signal on J genome that is similar to the genome of Th. bessarabicum. Our results showed that the smallest alien chromosomes may represent a truncated chromosome and the repetitive sequence distribution might be similar in different chromosomes within the St genome. However, the repetitive sequence distributions are different within the J(s) genome, within a single chromosome, and among different genomes in Th. intermedium. Our results suggested that chromosome painting could be feasible in some plants and useful in detecting chromosome variation and repetitive sequence distribution in different genomes of polyploidy plants, which is helpful for understanding the evolution of different

  18. Microdissection and Chromosome Painting of the Alien Chromosome in an Addition Line of Wheat - Thinopyrum intermedium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Weibo; Zhang, Yingxin; Chen, Yuhong; Wang, Richard R.-C.; Zhang, Xiangqi; Han, Fangpu; Hu, Zanmin

    2013-01-01

    In this study, chromosome painting was developed and used to identify alien chromosomes in TAi-27, a wheat - Thinopyrum intermedium addition line, and the chromosomes of the three different genomes of Th. Intermedium. The smallest alien chromosome of TAi-27 was microdissected and its DNA amplified by DOP-PCR was used as a probe to hybridize with metaphase chromosomes of TAi-27 and Th . intermedium . Results showed that hybridization signals were observed in all regions of a pair of the smallest alien chromosomes and the pericentromeric area of another pair of alien chromosomes in TAi-27, indicating that the probe from microdissected chromosome is species specific. In Th . intermedium , 14 chromosomes had wide and strong hybridization signals distributed mainly on the pericentromere area and 9 chromosomes with narrow and weak signals on the pericentromere area. The remaining chromosomes displayed a very weak or no signal. Sequential FISH/GISH on Th . intermedium chromosomes using the DNAs of microdissected chromosome, Pseudoroegneria spicata (St genome) and pDbH12 (a Js genome specific probe) as the probes indicated that the microdissected chromosome belonged to the St genome, three genomes (Js, J and St) in Th . intermedium could be distinguished, in which there is no hybridization signal on J genome that is similar to the genome of Th . bessarabicum . Our results showed that the smallest alien chromosomes may represent a truncated chromosome and the repetitive sequence distribution might be similar in different chromosomes within the St genome. However, the repetitive sequence distributions are different within the Js genome, within a single chromosome, and among different genomes in Th . intermedium . Our results suggested that chromosome painting could be feasible in some plants and useful in detecting chromosome variation and repetitive sequence distribution in different genomes of polyploidy plants, which is helpful for understanding the evolution of different

  19. Semi-automatic laser beam microdissection of the Y chromosome and analysis of Y chromosome DNA in a dioecious plant, Silene latifolia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsunaga, S.; Kawano, S.; Michimoto, T.; Higashiyama, T.; Nakao, S.; Sakai, A.; Kuroiwa, T.

    1999-01-01

    Silene latifolia has heteromorphic sex chromosomes, the X and Y chromosomes. The Y chromosome, which is thought to carry the male determining gene, was isolated by UV laser microdissection and amplified by degenerate oligonucleotide-primed PCR. In situ chromosome suppression of the amplified Y chromosome DNA in the presence of female genomic DNA as a competitor showed that the microdissected Y chromosome DNA did not specifically hybridize to the Y chromosome, but-hybridized to all chromosomes. This result suggests that the Y chromosome does not contain Y chromosome-enriched repetitive sequences. A repetitive sequence in the microdissected Y chromosome, RMY1, was isolated while screening repetitive sequences in the amplified Y chromosome. Part of the nucleotide sequence shared a similarity to that of X-43.1, which was isolated from microdissected X chromosomes. Since fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis with RMY1 demonstrated that RMY1 was localized at the ends of the chromosome, RMY1 may be a subtelomeric repetitive sequence. Regarding the sex chromosomes, RMY1 was detected at both ends of the X chromosome and at one end near the pseudoautosomal region of the Y chromosome. The different localization of RMY1 on the sex chromosomes provides a clue to the problem of how the sex chromosomes arose from autosomes

  20. UV-laser microdissection and mRNA expression analysis of individual neurons from postmortem Parkinson's disease brains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gründemann, Jan; Schlaudraff, Falk; Liss, Birgit

    2011-01-01

    Cell specificity of gene expression analysis is essential to avoid tissue sample related artifacts, in particular when the relative number of target cells present in the compared tissues varies dramatically, e.g., when comparing dopamine neurons in midbrain tissues from control subjects with those from Parkinson's disease (PD) cases. Here, we describe a detailed protocol that combines contact-free UV-laser microdissection and quantitative PCR of reverse-transcribed RNA of individual neurons from postmortem human midbrain tissue from PD patients and unaffected controls. Among expression changes in a variety of dopamine neuron marker, maintenance, and cell-metabolism genes, we found that α-synuclein mRNA levels were significantly elevated in individual neuromelanin-positive dopamine midbrain neurons from PD brains when compared to those from matched controls.

  1. Microdissection and chromosome painting of the alien chromosome in an addition line of wheat--Thinopyrum intermedium.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chuanliang Deng

    Full Text Available In this study, chromosome painting was developed and used to identify alien chromosomes in TAi-27, a wheat--Thinopyrum intermedium addition line, and the chromosomes of the three different genomes of Th. Intermedium. The smallest alien chromosome of TAi-27 was microdissected and its DNA amplified by DOP-PCR was used as a probe to hybridize with metaphase chromosomes of TAi-27 and Th. intermedium. Results showed that hybridization signals were observed in all regions of a pair of the smallest alien chromosomes and the pericentromeric area of another pair of alien chromosomes in TAi-27, indicating that the probe from microdissected chromosome is species specific. In Th. intermedium, 14 chromosomes had wide and strong hybridization signals distributed mainly on the pericentromere area and 9 chromosomes with narrow and weak signals on the pericentromere area. The remaining chromosomes displayed a very weak or no signal. Sequential FISH/GISH on Th. intermedium chromosomes using the DNAs of microdissected chromosome, Pseudoroegneria spicata (St genome and pDbH12 (a J(s genome specific probe as the probes indicated that the microdissected chromosome belonged to the St genome, three genomes (J(s , J and St in Th. intermedium could be distinguished, in which there is no hybridization signal on J genome that is similar to the genome of Th. bessarabicum. Our results showed that the smallest alien chromosomes may represent a truncated chromosome and the repetitive sequence distribution might be similar in different chromosomes within the St genome. However, the repetitive sequence distributions are different within the J(s genome, within a single chromosome, and among different genomes in Th. intermedium. Our results suggested that chromosome painting could be feasible in some plants and useful in detecting chromosome variation and repetitive sequence distribution in different genomes of polyploidy plants, which is helpful for understanding the evolution of

  2. Pre-Combustion Carbondioxide Capture in Integrated Gasification Combined Cycles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Zeki YILMAZOĞLU

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Thermal power plants have a significant place big proportion in the production of electric energy. Thermal power plants are the systems which converts heat energy to mechanical energy and also mechanical energy to electrical energy. Heat energy is obtained from combustion process and as a result of this, some harmful emissions, like CO2, which are the reason for global warming, are released to atmosphere. The contribution of carbondioxide to global warming has been exposed by the previous researchs. Due to this fact, clean energy technologies are growing rapidly all around the world. Coal is generally used in power plants and when compared to other fossil energy sources unit electricity production cost is less than others. When reserve rate is taken into account, coal may be converted to energy in a more efficient and cleaner way. The aim for using the clean coal technologies are to eradicate the harmful emissions of coal and to store the carbondioxide, orginated from combustion, in different forms. In line with this aim, carbondioxide may be captured by either pre-combustion, by O2/CO2 recycling combustion systems or by post combustion. The integrated gasification combined cycles (IGCC are available in pre-combustion capture systems, whereas in O2/CO2 recycling combustion systems there are ultrasuper critical boiler technologies and finally flue gas washing systems by amines exists in post combustion systems. In this study, a pre-combustion CO2 capture process via oxygen blown gasifiers is compared with a conventional power plant in terms of CO2 emissions. Captured carbondioxide quantity has been presented as a result of the calculations made throughout the study.

  3. Identification of IL-28B Genotype Modification in Hepatocytes after Living Donor Liver Transplantation by Laser Capture Microdissection and Pyrosequencing Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    King-Wah Chiu

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study is to elucidate the biogenetic modification of donor and recipient interleukin-28B (IL-28B genotypes in liver graft biopsies after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT for chronic hepatitis C virus- (HCV- related, end-stage liver disease. Fifty liver graft biopsies were collected from recipients during LDLT treatment for HCV-related, end-stage liver disease. DNA was extracted from all 50 liver tissues, and the IL-28B single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs rs8099917 and rs12979860 were studied for allelic discrimination by real-time PCR analysis. Blood samples were obtained from donors and recipients on postoperative day 0 (POD0, POD7, and POD30. We randomly selected five liver biopsies and isolated the hepatocytes by laser capture microdissection (LCM to evaluate genotype modifications resulting from LDLT. After LDLT, the IL-28B SNP rs8099917 was identified not only in the liver graft biopsies and donors’ sera (TT = 41 : 43; GT = 9 : 5; GG = 0 : 2, but also in liver graft biopsies and recipients’ sera on POD0 (TT = 41 : 44; GT = 9 : 4; GG = 0 : 2, POD7 (TT = 41 : 30; GT = 9 : 18; GG = 0 : 2, and POD30 (TT = 41 : 29; GT = 9 : 19; GG = 0 : 2. A significant difference was observed between the rs8099917 allele frequencies of liver graft biopsies and recipients’ sera on POD30 (p=0.039. In addition, a significant difference was also noted between the rs12979860 allele frequencies of liver graft biopsies and donors’ sera (CT = 49 : 39; TT = 1 : 10 (p=0.012 and of liver graft biopsies and recipients’ sera on POD0 (CT = 49 : 39; TT = 1 : 11 (p=0.002, POD7 (CT = 49 : 42; TT = 1 : 8 (p=0.016, and POD30 (CT = 49 : 41; TT = 1 : 9 (p=0.008. This phenomenon was confirmed by pyrosequencing of hepatocytes isolated by LCM. Following LDLT, the TT-to-GT IL-28B genotype modification predominated in rs8099917, and the CC-to-CT modification predominated

  4. Detection of clonal B cells in microdissected reactive lymphoproliferations: possible diagnostic pitfalls in PCR analysis of immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhou, X.G.; Sandvej, K.; Gregersen, Niels

    1999-01-01

    Aims-To evaluate the specificity of standard and fluorescence based (GENESCAN) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene rearrangement analysis in complete and microdissected paraffin wax embedded sections from lymphoid proliferations. Methods-PCR IgH gene rearrangement...... because of preferential priming or detection of local B cell clones. Data from clonal analysis of small, microdissected or lymphocyte poor samples must be evaluated critically. It is recommended that analyses should be run in parallel on at least two tissue specimens. Only reproducible bands present...

  5. Senescent vs. non-senescent cells in the human annulus in vivo: Cell harvest with laser capture microdissection and gene expression studies with microarray analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ingram Jane A

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Senescent cells are well-recognized in the aging/degenerating human disc. Senescent cells are viable, cannot divide, remain metabolically active and accumulate within the disc over time. Molecular analysis of senescent cells in tissue offers a special challenge since there are no cell surface markers for senescence which would let one use fluorescence-activated cell sorting as a method for separating out senescent cells. Methods We employed a novel laser capture microdissection (LCM design to selectively harvest senescent and non-senescent annulus cells in paraffin-embedded tissue, and compared their gene expression with microarray analysis. LCM was used to separately harvest senescent and non-senescent cells from 11 human annulus specimens. Results Microarray analysis revealed significant differences in expression levels in senescent cells vs non-senescent cells: 292 genes were upregulated, and 321 downregulated. Genes with established relationships to senescence were found to be significantly upregulated in senescent cells vs. non-senescent cells: p38 (MPAK14, RB-Associated KRAB zinc finger, Discoidin, CUB and LCCL domain, growth arrest and DNA-damage inducible beta, p28ING5, sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 2 and somatostatin receptor 3; cyclin-dependent kinase 8 showed significant downregulation in senescent cells. Nitric oxidase synthase 1, and heat shock 70 kDa protein 6, both of which were significantly down-regulated in senescent cells, also showed significant changes. Additional genes related to cytokines, cell proliferation, and other processes were also identified. Conclusions Our LCM-microarray analyses identified a set of genes associated with senescence which were significantly upregulated in senescent vs non-senescent cells in the human annulus. These genes include p38 MAP kinase, discoidin, inhibitor of growth family member 5, and growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible beta. Other genes, including genes

  6. Novel method to ascertain chromatin accessibility at specific genomic loci from frozen brain homogenates and laser capture microdissected defined cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delvaux, Elaine; Mastroeni, Diego; Nolz, Jennifer; Coleman, Paul D

    2016-06-01

    We describe a novel method for assessing the "open" or "closed" state of chromatin at selected locations within the genome. This method combines the use of Benzonase, which can digest DNA in the presence of actin, with qPCR to define digested regions. We demonstrate the application of this method in brain homogenates and laser captured cells. We also demonstrate application to selected sites within more than one gene and multiple sites within one gene. We demonstrate the validity of the method by treating cells with valproate, known to render chromatin more permissive, and by comparison with classical digestion with DNase I in an in vitro preparation. Although we demonstrate the use of this method in brain tissue we also recognize its applicability to other tissue types.

  7. Identification of novel therapeutic targets in microdissected clear cell ovarian cancers.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael P Stany

    Full Text Available Clear cell ovarian cancer is an epithelial ovarian cancer histotype that is less responsive to chemotherapy and carries poorer prognosis than serous and endometrioid histotypes. Despite this, patients with these tumors are treated in a similar fashion as all other ovarian cancers. Previous genomic analysis has suggested that clear cell cancers represent a unique tumor subtype. Here we generated the first whole genomic expression profiling using epithelial component of clear cell ovarian cancers and normal ovarian surface specimens isolated by laser capture microdissection. All the arrays were analyzed using BRB ArrayTools and PathwayStudio software to identify the signaling pathways. Identified pathways validated using serous, clear cell cancer cell lines and RNAi technology. In vivo validations carried out using an orthotopic mouse model and liposomal encapsulated siRNA. Patient-derived clear cell and serous ovarian tumors were grafted under the renal capsule of NOD-SCID mice to evaluate the therapeutic potential of the identified pathway. We identified major activated pathways in clear cells involving in hypoxic cell growth, angiogenesis, and glucose metabolism not seen in other histotypes. Knockdown of key genes in these pathways sensitized clear cell ovarian cancer cell lines to hypoxia/glucose deprivation. In vivo experiments using patient derived tumors demonstrate that clear cell tumors are exquisitely sensitive to antiangiogenesis therapy (i.e. sunitinib compared with serous tumors. We generated a histotype specific, gene signature associated with clear cell ovarian cancer which identifies important activated pathways critical for their clinicopathologic characteristics. These results provide a rational basis for a radically different treatment for ovarian clear cell patients.

  8. Novel method to ascertain chromatin accessibility at specific genomic loci from frozen brain homogenates and laser capture microdissected defined cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elaine Delvaux

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available We describe a novel method for assessing the “open” or “closed” state of chromatin at selected locations within the genome. This method combines the use of Benzonase, which can digest DNA in the presence of actin, with quantitative polymerase chain reaction to define digested regions. We demonstrate the application of this method in brain homogenates and laser captured cells. We also demonstrate application to selected sites within more than 1 gene and multiple sites within 1 gene. We demonstrate the validity of the method by treating cells with valproate, known to render chromatin more permissive, and by comparison with classical digestion with DNase I in an in vitro preparation. Although we demonstrate the use of this method in brain tissue, we also recognize its applicability to other tissue types.

  9. The occasional role of low-risk human papillomaviruses 6, 11, 42, 44, and 70 in anogenital carcinoma defined by laser capture microdissection/PCR methodology: results from a global study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guimerà, Núria; Lloveras, Belén; Lindeman, Jan; Alemany, Laia; van de Sandt, Miekel; Alejo, Maria; Hernandez-Suarez, Gustavo; Bravo, Ignacio G; Molijn, Anco; Jenkins, David; Cubilla, Antonio; Muñoz, Nubia; de Sanjose, Silvia; Bosch, Francesc Xavier; Quint, Wim

    2013-09-01

    Low-risk human papillomaviruses (LR-HPVs) have been associated occasionally with clinically and pathologically unusual anogenital malignancies. The relation between clinicopathologic features and any pathogenetic role of LR-HPV remains unclear. From a global study of 13,328 anogenital carcinomas, we identified 57 cases in which whole-tissue polymerase chain reaction using SPF10-LiPA25 showed single LR-HPV infection. In 43/46 (93.5%) available carcinomas, multiple polymerase chain reaction assays confirmed single detection of HPV6, 11, 42, 44, or 70 DNA. In 75% (n=32) of these, LR-HPV DNA was confirmed in tumor cells by laser capture microdissection. In 2 cases, including 1 adenocarcinoma, viral DNA was only found outside the tumor. All anogenital tumors with confirmed HPV6/11 showed a distinctive range of papillary, warty or warty-basaloid, squamous, or transitional histology with patchy or negative p16 expression. HPV6-associated cervical tumors occurred at a low median age. HPV42/70 was associated with typical squamous cell carcinoma showing diffuse p16 staining like high-risk HPV-related malignancies. HPV44 was found in malignant cells in 1 case. Viral taxonomy and theoretical analysis show that HPV6/11 belong to a different genus from HPV42/70 with E6/E7 gene products that would not bind pRb or p53, whereas HPV42/70 could bind pRb. Our data support the causal involvement of LR-HPVs in the carcinogenesis of <2% of anogenital malignancies of 2 distinct clinicopathologic patterns related to the genetic structure of the HPV types 6/11 and 70/42. HPV42/70 was associated with typical squamous carcinomas. Importantly all carcinomas associated with HPV6/11 globally showed verruco-papillary, well-differentiated, squamous, or transitional histology without p16 expression.

  10. Comparing the outcomes of incisions made by colorado microdissection needle, electrosurgery tip, and surgical blade during periodontal surgery: A randomized controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rampalli Viswa Chandra

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Context: Electrosurgery offers many unique advantages such as hemostasis and precise tissue cutting; however, there are a number of disadvantages including thermal injury and delayed wound healing. Aims: The aim of the present study was to compare the outcomes of incisions made by Colorado® microdissection needle, electrosurgery tip, and surgical blade during periodontal surgery. Settings and Design: Twenty-two individuals participated in this study. Three quadrants in each individual were randomly assigned into each of the following experimental groups: Colorado® microdissection needle (CMD, electrosurgery tip (EC and surgical blade (BP, in which, incisions were given with Colorado® microdissection needle, straight electrocautery tip, and a scalpel blade, respectively. Materials and Methods: Blood loss (BL was measured immediately after surgery, and changes in interdental papilla dimensions were recorded at baseline, 7, 30, 120, and 180 days after surgery. Measures of periodontal disease were recorded at baseline, 120, and 180 days after surgery. Postoperative pain and wound healing were recorded at 1, 7, and 15 days after surgery. Results: The use of CMD for periodontal surgery showed better results over EC in all parameters. CMD resulted in lesser bleeding and less postoperative pain and attained similar results to that of BP in clinical parameters of periodontal disease. Conclusions: Colorado® microdissection needle may be a better choice for incisions as it seems to show less tissue damage than cautery and offers tissue healing comparable to scalpel blade.

  11. Simple preparation of plant epidermal tissue for laser microdissection and downstream quantitative proteome and carbohydrate analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian eFalter

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The outwardly directed cell wall and associated plasma membrane of epidermal cells represent the first layers of plant defense against intruding pathogens. Cell wall modifications and the formation of defense structures at sites of attempted pathogen penetration are decisive for plant defense. A precise isolation of these stress-induced structures would allow a specific analysis of regulatory mechanism and cell wall adaption. However, methods for large-scale epidermal tissue preparation from the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, which would allow proteome and cell wall analysis of complete, laser-microdissected epidermal defense structures, have not been provided. We developed the adhesive tape – liquid cover glass technique for simple leaf epidermis preparation from A. thaliana, which is also applicable on grass leaves. This method is compatible with subsequent staining techniques to visualize stress-related cell wall structures, which were precisely isolated from the epidermal tissue layer by laser microdissection coupled to laser pressure catapulting. We successfully demonstrated that these specific epidermal tissue samples could be used for quantitative downstream proteome and cell wall analysis. The development of the adhesive tape – liquid cover glass technique for simple leaf epidermis preparation and the compatibility to laser microdissection and downstream quantitative analysis opens new possibilities in the precise examination of stress- and pathogen-related cell wall structures in epidermal cells. Because the developed tissue processing is also applicable on A. thaliana, well-established, model pathosystems that include the interaction with powdery mildews can be studied to determine principal regulatory mechanisms in plant-microbe interaction with their potential outreach into crop breeding.

  12. Production of high quality brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) RNA from isolated populations of rat spinal cord motor neurons obtained by Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehta, Prachi; Premkumar, Brian; Morris, Renée

    2016-08-03

    The mammalian central nervous system (CNS) is composed of multiple cellular elements, making it challenging to segregate one particular cell type to study their gene expression profile. For instance, as motor neurons represent only 5-10% of the total cell population of the spinal cord, meaningful transcriptional analysis on these neurons is almost impossible to achieve from homogenized spinal cord tissue. A major challenge faced by scientists is to obtain good quality RNA from small amounts of starting material. In this paper, we used Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM) techniques to identify and isolate spinal cord motor neurons. The present analysis revealed that perfusion with paraformaldehyde (PFA) does not alter RNA quality. RNA integrity numbers (RINs) of tissue samples from rubrospinal tract (RST)-transected, intact spinal cord or from whole spinal cord homogenate were all above 8, which indicates intact, high-quality RNA. Levels of mRNA for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) or for its tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) were not affected by rubrospinal tract (RST) transection, a surgical procedure that deprive motor neurons from one of their main supraspinal input. The isolation of pure populations of neurons with LCM techniques allows for robust transcriptional characterization that cannot be achieved with spinal cord homogenates. Such preparations of pure population of motor neurons will provide valuable tools to advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying spinal cord injury and neuromuscular diseases. In the near future, LCM techniques might be instrumental to the success of gene therapy for these debilitating conditions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Isolation of a cosmid sublibrary for a region of chromosome 12 frequently amplified in human cancers using a complex chromosome microdissection probe

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Elkahloun, A.G.; Meltzer, P.S.; Guan, Xin-Yuan [National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (United States)] [and others

    1996-02-01

    Chromosome-specific cosmid libraries are in extremely useful resource for positional cloning projects. Once a particular region of interest has been identified, it would be of value to have an approach for isolating chromosome band-specific cosmids that could be assembled into a sublibrary for rapid screening. We constructed a region-specific sublibrary of 700 cosmids by screening a chromosome 12-specific cosmid library with a complex probe generated by degenerate oligonucleotide-primed PCR of a microdissected homogeneously staining region containing sequences amplified from chromosome 12q13-q15. Based on fluorescence in situ hybridization, approximately 60% of the cosmids in the sublibrary were derived from the microdissected region. To demonstrate further the utility of the sublibrary, a 150-kb contig containing the SAS and CDK4 genes was constructed, as well as several additional contigs between CDK4 and MDM2. This study demonstrates the possibility of utilizing probes generated by microdissection for assembling band-specific libraries that are amendable to rapid screening with multiple markers.

  14. Combined histochemical staining, RNA amplification, regional, and single cell cDNA analysis within the hippocampus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ginsberg, Stephen D; Che, Shaoli

    2004-08-01

    The use of five histochemical stains (cresyl violet, thionin, hematoxylin & eosin, silver stain, and acridine orange) was evaluated in combination with an expression profiling paradigm that included regional and single cell analyses within the hippocampus of post-mortem human brains and adult mice. Adjacent serial sections of human and mouse hippocampus were labeled by histochemistry or neurofilament immunocytochemistry. These tissue sections were used as starting material for regional and single cell microdissection followed by a newly developed RNA amplification procedure (terminal continuation (TC) RNA amplification) and subsequent hybridization to custom-designed cDNA arrays. Results indicated equivalent levels of global hybridization signal intensity and relative expression levels for individual genes for hippocampi stained by cresyl violet, thionin, and hematoxylin & eosin, and neurofilament immunocytochemistry. Moreover, no significant differences existed between the Nissl stains and neurofilament immunocytochemistry for individual CA1 neurons obtained via laser capture microdissection. In contrast, a marked decrement was observed in adjacent hippocampal sections stained for silver stain and acridine orange, both at the level of the regional dissection and at the CA1 neuron population level. Observations made on the cDNA array platform were validated by real-time qPCR using primers directed against beta-actin and glyceraldehyde-3 phosphate dehydrogenase. Thus, this report demonstrated the utility of using specific Nissl stains, but not stains that bind RNA species directly, in both human and mouse brain tissues at the regional and cellular level for state-of-the-art molecular fingerprinting studies.

  15. CpG Methylation Analysis of HPV16 in Laser Capture Microdissected Archival Tissue and Whole Tissue Sections from High Grade Anal Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions: A Potential Disease Biomarker.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monica Molano

    Full Text Available Incidence and mortality rates of anal cancer are increasing globally. More than 90% of anal squamous cell carcinomas (ASCC are associated with human papillomavirus (HPV. Studies on HPV-related anogenital lesions have shown that patterns of methylation of viral and cellular DNA targets could potentially be developed as disease biomarkers. Lesion-specific DNA isolated from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE tissues from existing or prospective patient cohorts may constitute a valuable resource for methylation analysis. However, low concentrations of DNA make these samples technically challenging to analyse using existing methods. We therefore set out to develop a sensitive and reproducible nested PCR-pyrosequencing based method to accurately quantify methylation at 10 CpG sites within the E2BS1, E2BS2,3,4 and Sp1 binding sites in the viral upstream regulatory region of HPV16 genome. Methylation analyses using primary and nested PCR-pyrosequencing on 52 FFPE tissue [26 paired whole tissue sections (WTS and laser capture microdissected (LCM tissues] from patients with anal squamous intraepithelial lesions was performed. Using nested PCR, methylation results were obtained for the E2BS1, E2BS2,3,4 and Sp1 binding sites in 86.4% of the WTS and 81.8% of the LCM samples. Methylation patterns were strongly correlated within median values of matched pairs of WTS and LCM sections, but overall methylation was higher in LCM samples at different CpG sites. High grade lesions showed low methylation levels in the E2BS1 and E2BS2 regions, with increased methylation detected in the E2BS,3,4/Sp1 regions, showing the highest methylation at CpG site 37. The method developed is highly sensitive in samples with low amounts of DNA and demonstrated to be suitable for archival samples. Our data shows a possible role of specific methylation in the HPV16 URR for detection of HSIL.

  16. New insights in the homotopic and heterotopic connectivity of the frontal portion of the human corpus callosum revealed by microdissection and diffusion tractography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Benedictis, Alessandro; Petit, Laurent; Descoteaux, Maxime; Marras, Carlo Efisio; Barbareschi, Mattia; Corsini, Francesco; Dallabona, Monica; Chioffi, Franco; Sarubbo, Silvio

    2016-12-01

    Extensive studies revealed that the human corpus callosum (CC) plays a crucial role in providing large-scale bi-hemispheric integration of sensory, motor and cognitive processing, especially within the frontal lobe. However, the literature lacks of conclusive data regarding the structural macroscopic connectivity of the frontal CC. In this study, a novel microdissection approach was adopted, to expose the frontal fibers of CC from the dorsum to the lateral cortex in eight hemispheres and in one entire brain. Post-mortem results were then combined with data from advanced constrained spherical deconvolution in 130 healthy subjects. We demonstrated as the frontal CC provides dense inter-hemispheric connections. In particular, we found three types of fronto-callosal fibers, having a dorso-ventral organization. First, the dorso-medial CC fibers subserve homotopic connections between the homologous medial cortices of the superior frontal gyrus. Second, the ventro-lateral CC fibers subserve homotopic connections between lateral frontal cortices, including both the middle frontal gyrus and the inferior frontal gyrus, as well as heterotopic connections between the medial and lateral frontal cortices. Third, the ventro-striatal CC fibers connect the medial and lateral frontal cortices with the contralateral putamen and caudate nucleus. We also highlighted an intricate crossing of CC fibers with the main association pathways terminating in the lateral regions of the frontal lobes. This combined approach of ex vivo microdissection and in vivo diffusion tractography allowed demonstrating a previously unappreciated three-dimensional architecture of the anterior frontal CC, thus clarifying the functional role of the CC in mediating the inter-hemispheric connectivity. Hum Brain Mapp 37:4718-4735, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Transmission Geometry Laser Ablation into a Non-Contact Liquid Vortex Capture Probe for Mass Spectrometry Imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ovchinnikova, Olga S [ORNL; Bhandari, Deepak [ORNL; Lorenz, Matthias [ORNL; Van Berkel, Gary J [ORNL

    2014-01-01

    RATIONALE: Capture of material from a laser ablation plume into a continuous flow stream of solvent provides the means for uninterrupted sampling, transport and ionization of collected material for coupling with mass spectral analysis. Reported here is the use of vertically aligned transmission geometry laser ablation in combination with a new non-contact liquid vortex capture probe coupled with electrospray ionization for spot sampling and chemical imaging with mass spectrometry. Methods: A vertically aligned continuous flow liquid vortex capture probe was positioned directly underneath a sample surface in a transmission geometry laser ablation (355 nm, 10 Hz, 7 ns pulse width) setup to capture into solution the ablated material. The outlet of the vortex probe was coupled to the Turbo V ion source of an AB SCIEX TripleTOF 5600+ mass spectrometer. System operation and performance metrics were tested using inked patterns and thin tissue sections. Glass slides and slides designed especially for laser capture microdissection, viz., DIRECTOR slides and PEN 1.0 (polyethylene naphthalate) membrane slides, were used as sample substrates. Results: The estimated capture efficiency of laser ablated material was 24%, which was enabled by the use of a probe with large liquid surface area (~ 2.8 mm2) and with gravity to help direct ablated material vertically down towards the probe. The swirling vortex action of the liquid surface potentially enhanced capture and dissolution of not only particulates, but also gaseous products of the laser ablation. The use of DIRECTOR slides and PEN 1.0 (polyethylene naphthalate) membrane slides as sample substrates enabled effective ablation of a wide range of sample types (basic blue 7, polypropylene glycol, insulin and cyctochrome c) without photodamage using a UV laser. Imaging resolution of about 6 m was demonstrated for stamped ink on DIRECTOR slides based on the ability to distinguish features present both in the optical and in the

  18. A Technical Assessment of the Utility of Reverse Phase Protein Arrays for the Study of the Functional Proteome in Non-microdissected Human Breast Cancers.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Hennessy, Bryan T

    2010-12-01

    INTRODUCTION: The lack of large panels of validated antibodies, tissue handling variability, and intratumoral heterogeneity potentially hamper comprehensive study of the functional proteome in non-microdissected solid tumors. The purpose of this study was to address these concerns and to demonstrate clinical utility for the functional analysis of proteins in non-microdissected breast tumors using reverse phase protein arrays (RPPA). METHODS: Herein, 82 antibodies that recognize kinase and steroid signaling proteins and effectors were validated for RPPA. Intraslide and interslide coefficients of variability were <15%. Multiple sites in non-microdissected breast tumors were analyzed using RPPA after intervals of up to 24 h on the benchtop at room temperature following surgical resection. RESULTS: Twenty-one of 82 total and phosphoproteins demonstrated time-dependent instability at room temperature with most variability occurring at later time points between 6 and 24 h. However, the 82-protein functional proteomic "fingerprint" was robust in most tumors even when maintained at room temperature for 24 h before freezing. In repeat samples from each tumor, intratumoral protein levels were markedly less variable than intertumoral levels. Indeed, an independent analysis of prognostic biomarkers in tissue from multiple tumor sites accurately and reproducibly predicted patient outcomes. Significant correlations were observed between RPPA and immunohistochemistry. However, RPPA demonstrated a superior dynamic range. Classification of 128 breast cancers using RPPA identified six subgroups with markedly different patient outcomes that demonstrated a significant correlation with breast cancer subtypes identified by transcriptional profiling. CONCLUSION: Thus, the robustness of RPPA and stability of the functional proteomic "fingerprint" facilitate the study of the functional proteome in non-microdissected breast tumors.

  19. Laser capture microdissection of bacterial cells targeted by fluorescence in situ hybridization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schou, Kirstine Klitgaard; Mølbak, Lars; Jensen, Tim Kåre

    2005-01-01

    RNA gene PCR was performed from the dissected microcolonies, and the subsequent DNA sequence analysis identified the dissected bacterial cells as belonging to the Brachyspira aalborgi cluster 1. The advantage of this technique is the ability to combine the histological recognition of the specific bacteria......Direct cultivation-independent sequence retrieval of unidentified bacteria from histological tissue sections has been limited by the difficulty of selectively isolating specific bacteria from a complex environment. Here, a new DNA isolation approach is presented for prokaryotic cells...

  20. Microdissection and molecular manipulation of single chromosomes in woody fruit trees with small chromosomes using pomelo (Citrus grandis) as a model. I. Construction of single chromosomal DNA libraries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, D; Wu, W; Zhou, Y; Hu, Z; Lu, L

    2004-05-01

    Construction of single chromosomal DNA libraries by means of chromosome microdissection and microcloning will be useful for genomic research, especially for those species that have not been extensively studied genetically. Application of the technology of microdissection and microcloning to woody fruit plants has not been reported hitherto, largely due to the generally small sizes of metaphase chromosomes and the difficulty of chromosome preparation. The present study was performed to establish a method for single chromosome microdissection and microcloning in woody fruit species using pomelo as a model. The standard karyotype of a pomelo cultivar ( Citrus grandis cv. Guanxi) was established based on 20 prometaphase photomicrographs. According to the standard karyotype, chromosome 1 was identified and isolated with fine glass microneedles controlled by a micromanipulator. DNA fragments ranging from 0.3 kb to 2 kb were acquired from the isolated single chromosome 1 via two rounds of PCR mediated by Sau3A linker adaptors and then cloned into T-easy vectors to generate a DNA library of chromosome 1. Approximately 30,000 recombinant clones were obtained. Evaluation based on 108 randomly selected clones showed that the sizes of the cloned inserts varied from 0.5 kb to 1.5 kb with an average of 860 bp. Our research suggests that microdissection and microcloning of single small chromosomes in woody plants is feasible.

  1. Extended Field Laser Confocal Microscopy (EFLCM): Combining automated Gigapixel image capture with in silico virtual microscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flaberg, Emilie; Sabelström, Per; Strandh, Christer; Szekely, Laszlo

    2008-01-01

    Confocal laser scanning microscopy has revolutionized cell biology. However, the technique has major limitations in speed and sensitivity due to the fact that a single laser beam scans the sample, allowing only a few microseconds signal collection for each pixel. This limitation has been overcome by the introduction of parallel beam illumination techniques in combination with cold CCD camera based image capture. Using the combination of microlens enhanced Nipkow spinning disc confocal illumination together with fully automated image capture and large scale in silico image processing we have developed a system allowing the acquisition, presentation and analysis of maximum resolution confocal panorama images of several Gigapixel size. We call the method Extended Field Laser Confocal Microscopy (EFLCM). We show using the EFLCM technique that it is possible to create a continuous confocal multi-colour mosaic from thousands of individually captured images. EFLCM can digitize and analyze histological slides, sections of entire rodent organ and full size embryos. It can also record hundreds of thousands cultured cells at multiple wavelength in single event or time-lapse fashion on fixed slides, in live cell imaging chambers or microtiter plates. The observer independent image capture of EFLCM allows quantitative measurements of fluorescence intensities and morphological parameters on a large number of cells. EFLCM therefore bridges the gap between the mainly illustrative fluorescence microscopy and purely quantitative flow cytometry. EFLCM can also be used as high content analysis (HCA) instrument for automated screening processes

  2. Optimal molecular profiling of tissue and tissue components: defining the best processing and microdissection methods for biomedical applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez-Canales, Jaime; Hanson, Jeffrey C; Hipp, Jason D; Balis, Ulysses J; Tangrea, Michael A; Emmert-Buck, Michael R; Bova, G Steven

    2013-01-01

    Isolation of well-preserved pure cell populations is a prerequisite for sound studies of the molecular basis of any tissue-based biological phenomenon. This updated chapter reviews current methods for obtaining anatomically specific signals from molecules isolated from tissues, a basic requirement for productive linking of phenotype and genotype. The quality of samples isolated from tissue and used for molecular analysis is often glossed over or omitted from publications, making interpretation and replication of data difficult or impossible. Fortunately, recently developed techniques allow life scientists to better document and control the quality of samples used for a given assay, creating a foundation for improvement in this area. Tissue processing for molecular studies usually involves some or all of the following steps: tissue collection, gross dissection/identification, fixation, processing/embedding, storage/archiving, sectioning, staining, microdissection/annotation, and pure analyte labeling/identification and quantification. We provide a detailed comparison of some current tissue microdissection technologies and provide detailed example protocols for tissue component handling upstream and downstream from microdissection. We also discuss some of the physical and chemical issues related to optimal tissue processing and include methods specific to cytology specimens. We encourage each laboratory to use these as a starting point for optimization of their overall process of moving from collected tissue to high-quality, appropriately anatomically tagged scientific results. Improvement in this area will significantly increase life science quality and productivity. The chapter is divided into introduction, materials, protocols, and notes subheadings. Because many protocols are covered in each of these sections, information relating to a single protocol is not contiguous. To get the greatest benefit from this chapter, readers are advised to read through the entire

  3. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of estrogen receptor gene expression in laser microdissected prostate cancer tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walton, Thomas J; Li, Geng; McCulloch, Thomas A; Seth, Rashmi; Powe, Desmond G; Bishop, Michael C; Rees, Robert C

    2009-06-01

    Real-time quantitative RT-PCR analysis of laser microdissected tissue is considered the most accurate technique for determining tissue gene expression. The discovery of estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) has focussed renewed interest on the role of estrogen receptors in prostate cancer, yet few studies have utilized the technique to analyze estrogen receptor gene expression in prostate cancer. Fresh tissue was obtained from 11 radical prostatectomy specimens and from 6 patients with benign prostate hyperplasia. Pure populations of benign and malignant prostate epithelium were laser microdissected, followed by RNA isolation and electrophoresis. Quantitative RT-PCR was performed using primers for androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta), estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha), progesterone receptor (PGR) and prostate specific antigen (PSA), with normalization to two housekeeping genes. Differences in gene expression were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U-test. Correlation coefficients were analyzed using Spearman's test. Significant positive correlations were seen when AR and AR-dependent PSA, and ERalpha and ERalpha-dependent PGR were compared, indicating a representative population of RNA transcripts. ERbeta gene expression was significantly over-expressed in the cancer group compared with benign controls (P cancer group (P prostate cancer specimens. In concert with recent studies the findings suggest differential production of ERbeta splice variants, which may play important roles in the genesis of prostate cancer. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  4. An energetic analysis of CO2 capture on a gas turbine combining flue gas recirculation and membrane separation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Belaissaoui, Bouchra; Cabot, Gilles; Cabot, Marie-Sophie; Willson, David; Favre, Eric

    2012-01-01

    Post-combustion Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is currently intensively investigated as a key issue for the mitigation of greenhouse gases emissions. A very large number of studies is dedicated to coal power plants. In this paper, the possibility to achieve carbon capture on a gas turbine, based on a combination of flue gas recycle and membrane separation is reported. Membrane processes are effectively known to offer attractive performances in terms of energy efficiency, as soon as concentrated and/or pressure mixtures have to be treated. Two different flow schemes have been simulated and compared: flue gas recycle with air combustion and flue gas recycle with an oxygen enriched feed mixture. The energy requirement of the different processes, expressed in GJ (thermal basis) per ton of recovered CO 2 , and the size of the membrane capture process (expressed in m 2 of membrane area) have been systematically estimated for different membrane separation performances. It is shown that an overall energy requirement down to 2.6 GJ per ton can possibly be achieved when optimal operating conditions, based on oxygen enriched air (OEA) combustion together with a highly selective membrane (CO 2 /N 2 selectivity of 200) are combined. Additional possibilities in order to minimise the energy penalty of the process are discussed. -- Highlights: ► A carbon capture process for gas turbine has been investigated for the first time, with membrane separation unit. ► Air combustion systematically induces CO 2 capture specific energy requirement far above alternative capture processes. ► Remarkably, a very low energy requirement can be achieved (down to 2.6 GJ/ton) with Oxygen Enriched Air combustion. ► Target membrane selectivities and optimal oxygen content for combustion have been identified.

  5. Laser microdissection and capture of pure cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts from infarcted heart regions: perceived hyperoxia induces p21 in peri-infarct myocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuhn, Donald E; Roy, Sashwati; Radtke, Jared; Khanna, Savita; Sen, Chandan K

    2007-03-01

    Myocardial infarction caused by ischemia-reperfusion in the coronary vasculature is a focal event characterized by an infarct-core, bordering peri-infarct zone and remote noninfarct zone. Recently, we have reported the first technique, based on laser microdissection pressure catapulting (LMPC), enabling the dissection of infarction-induced biological responses in multicellular regions of the heart. Molecular mechanisms in play at the peri-infarct zone are central to myocardial healing. At the infarct site, myocytes are more sensitive to insult than robust fibroblasts. Understanding of cell-specific responses in the said zones is therefore critical. In this work, we describe the first technique to collect the myocardial tissue with a single-cell resolution. The infarcted myocardium was identified by using a truncated hematoxylin-eosin stain. Cell elements from the infarct, peri-infarct, and noninfarct zones were collected in a chaotropic RNA lysis solution with micron-level surgical precision. Isolated RNA was analyzed for quality by employing microfluidics technology and reverse transcribed to generate cDNA. Purity of the collected specimen was established by real-time PCR analyses of cell-specific genes. Previously, we have reported that the oxygen-sensitive induction of p21/Cip1/Waf1/Sdi1 in cardiac fibroblasts in the peri-infarct zone plays a vital role in myocardial remodeling. Using the novel LMPC technique developed herein, we confirmed that finding and report for the first time that the induction of p21 in the peri-infarct zone is not limited to fibroblasts but is also evident in myocytes. This work presents the first account of an analytical technique that applies the LMPC technology to study myocardial remodeling with a cell-type specific resolution.

  6. Liver Gene Expression Profiles of Rats Treated with Clofibric Acid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michel, Cécile; Desdouets, Chantal; Sacre-Salem, Béatrice; Gautier, Jean-Charles; Roberts, Ruth; Boitier, Eric

    2003-01-01

    Clofibric acid (CLO) is a peroxisome proliferator (PP) that acts through the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor α, leading to hepatocarcinogenesis in rodents. CLO-induced hepatocarcinogenesis is a multi-step process, first transforming normal liver cells into foci. The combination of laser capture microdissection (LCM) and genomics has the potential to provide expression profiles from such small cell clusters, giving an opportunity to understand the process of cancer development in response to PPs. To our knowledge, this is the first evaluation of the impact of the successive steps of LCM procedure on gene expression profiling by comparing profiles from LCM samples to those obtained with non-microdissected liver samples collected after a 1 month CLO treatment in the rat. We showed that hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and laser microdissection itself do not impact on RNA quality. However, the overall process of the LCM procedure affects the RNA quality, resulting in a bias in the gene profiles. Nonetheless, this bias did not prevent accurate determination of a CLO-specific molecular signature. Thus, gene-profiling analysis of microdissected foci, identified by H&E staining may provide insight into the mechanisms underlying non-genotoxic hepatocarcinogenesis in the rat by allowing identification of specific genes that are regulated by CLO in early pre-neoplastic foci. PMID:14633594

  7. Combining laser-assisted microdissection (LAM) and RNA-seq allows to perform a comprehensive transcriptomic analysis of epidermal cells of Arabidopsis embryo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakai, Kaori; Taconnat, Ludivine; Borrega, Nero; Yansouni, Jennifer; Brunaud, Véronique; Paysant-Le Roux, Christine; Delannoy, Etienne; Martin Magniette, Marie-Laure; Lepiniec, Loïc; Faure, Jean Denis; Balzergue, Sandrine; Dubreucq, Bertrand

    2018-01-01

    Genome-wide characterization of tissue- or cell-specific gene expression is a recurrent bottleneck in biology. We have developed a sensitive approach based on ultra-low RNA sequencing coupled to laser assisted microdissection for analyzing different tissues of the small Arabidopsis embryo. We first characterized the number of genes detected according to the quantity of tissue yield and total RNA extracted. Our results revealed that as low as 0.02 mm 2 of tissue and 50 pg of total RNA can be used without compromising the number of genes detected. The optimised protocol was used to compare the epidermal versus mesophyll cell transcriptomes of cotyledons at the torpedo-shaped stage of embryo development. The approach was validated by the recovery of well-known epidermal genes such AtML1 or AtPDF2 and genes involved in flavonoid and cuticular waxes pathways. Moreover, the interest and sensitivity of this approach were highlighted by the characterization of several transcription factors preferentially expressed in epidermal cells. This technical advance unlocks some current limitations of transcriptomic analyses and allows to investigate further and efficiently new biological questions for which only a very small amounts of cells need to be isolated. For instance, it paves the way to increasing the spatial accuracy of regulatory networks in developing small embryo of Arabidopsis or other plant tissues.

  8. RNA analysis of inner ear cells from formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) archival human temporal bone section using laser microdissection--a technical report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimura, Yurika; Kubo, Sachiho; Koda, Hiroko; Shigemoto, Kazuhiro; Sawabe, Motoji; Kitamura, Ken

    2013-08-01

    Molecular analysis using archival human inner ear specimens is challenging because of the anatomical complexity, long-term fixation, and decalcification. However, this method may provide great benefit for elucidation of otological diseases. Here, we extracted mRNA for RT-PCR from tissues dissected from archival FFPE human inner ears by laser microdissection. Three human temporal bones obtained at autopsy were fixed in formalin, decalcified by EDTA, and embedded in paraffin. The samples were isolated into spiral ligaments, outer hair cells, spiral ganglion cells, and stria vascularis by laser microdissection. RNA was extracted and heat-treated in 10 mM citrate buffer to remove the formalin-derived modification. To identify the sites where COCH and SLC26A5 mRNA were expressed, semi-nested RT-PCR was performed. We also examined how long COCH mRNA could be amplified by semi-nested RT-PCR in archival temporal bone. COCH was expressed in the spiral ligament and stria vascularis. However, SLC26A5 was expressed only in outer hair cells. The maximum base length of COCH mRNA amplified by RT-PCR was 98 bp in 1 case and 123 bp in 2 cases. We detected COCH and SLC26A5 mRNA in specific structures and cells of the inner ear from archival human temporal bone. Our innovative method using laser microdissection and semi-nested RT-PCR should advance future RNA study of human inner ear diseases. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Application of optimal design methodologies in retrofitting natural gas combined cycle power plants with CO_2 capture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pan, Ming; Aziz, Farah; Li, Baohong; Perry, Simon; Zhang, Nan; Bulatov, Igor; Smith, Robin

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • A new approach is proposed for retrofitting NGCC power plants with CO2 capture. • HTI techniques are developed for improving heat recovery in NGCC power plants. • EGR techniques are developed to increase the process overall energy efficiency. • The proposed methods are efficient for practical application. - Abstract: Around 21% of the world’s power production is based on natural gas. Energy production is considered to be the significant sources of carbon dioxide (CO_2) emissions. This has a significant effect on the global warming. Improving power plant efficiency and adding a CO_2 capture unit into power plants, have been suggested to be a promising countermeasure against global warming. This paper presents a new insight to the application of energy efficient technologies in retrofitting natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) power plants with CO_2 capture. High fidelity models of a 420 MW NGCC power plant and a CO_2 capture plant with CO_2 compression train have been built and integrated for 90% capture level. These models have been then validated by comparisons with practical operating data and literature results. The novelty of the paper is to propose optimal retrofitting strategies to minimize the efficiency penalty caused by integrating carbon capture units into the power plant, including (1) implementing heat transfer intensification techniques to increase energy saving in the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) of the power plant; (2) extracting suitable steam from the HRSG to supply the heat required by the capture process, thus on external heat is purchased; (3) employing exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) to increase the overall energy efficiency of the integrated process, which can benefit both power plant (e.g. increasing power plant efficiency) and capture process (e.g. reducing heat demands). Compared with the base case without using any integrating and retrofitting strategies, the optimal solution based on the proposed approaches

  10. Anatomical study of the pigs temporal bone by microdissection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia, Leandro de Borborema; Andrade, José Santos Cruz de; Testa, José Ricardo Gurgel

    2014-01-01

    Initial study of the pig`s temporal bone anatomy in order to enable a new experimental model in ear surgery. Dissection of five temporal bones of Sus scrofa pigs obtained from UNIFESP - Surgical Skills Laboratory, removed with hole saw to avoid any injury and stored in formaldehyde 10% for better conservation. The microdissection in all five temporal bone had the following steps: inspection of the outer part, external canal and tympanic membrane microscopy, mastoidectomy, removal of external ear canal and tympanic membrane, inspection of ossicular chain and middle ear. Anatomically it is located at the same position than in humans. Some landmarks usually found in humans are missing. The tympanic membrane of the pig showed to be very similar to the human, separating the external and the middle ear. The middle ear`s appearance is very similar than in humans. The ossicular chain is almost exactly the same, as well as the facial nerve, showing the same relationship with the lateral semicircular canal. The temporal bone of the pigs can be used as an alternative for training in ear surgery, especially due the facility to find it and its similarity with temporal bone of the humans.

  11. Laser capture microdissection of gonads from juvenile zebrafish

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Anne; Nielsen, John; Morthorst, Jane Ebsen

    2009-01-01

    was adjusted and optimised to isolate juvenile zebrafish gonads. Results: The juvenile zebrafish gonad is not morphologically distinguishable when using dehydrated cryosections on membrane slides and a specific staining method is necessary to identify the gonads. The protocol setup in this study allows......Background: Investigating gonadal gene expression is important in attempting to elucidate the molecular mechanism of sex determination and differentiation in the model species zebrafish. However, the small size of juvenile zebrafish and correspondingly their gonads complicates this type...... of investigation. Furthermore, the lack of a genetic sex marker in juvenile zebrafish prevents pooling gonads from several individuals. The aim of this study was to establish a method to isolate the gonads from individual juvenile zebrafish allowing future investigations of gonadal gene expression during sex...

  12. Extraction of bowing parameters from violin performance combining motion capture and sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoonderwaldt, E; Demoucron, M

    2009-11-01

    A method is described for measurement of a complete set of bowing parameters in violin performance. Optical motion capture was combined with sensors for accurate measurement of the main bowing parameters (bow position, bow velocity, bow acceleration, bow-bridge distance, and bow force) as well as secondary control parameters (skewness, inclination, and tilt of the bow). In addition, other performance features (moments of on/off in bow-string contact, string played, and bowing direction) were extracted. Detailed descriptions of the calculations of the bowing parameters, features, and calibrations are given. The described system is capable of measuring all bowing parameters without disturbing the player, allowing for detailed studies of musically relevant aspects of bow control and coordination of bowing parameters in bowed-string instrument performance.

  13. The Y chromosome of the Atelidae family (Platyrrhini): study by chromosome microdissection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gifalli-Iughetti, C; Koiffmann, C P

    2009-01-01

    In order to study the intergeneric variability of the Y chromosome, we describe the hybridization of the Y chromosome of Brachytelesarachnoides, obtained by microdissection, to metaphases of Atelesbelzebuthmarginatus, Lagothrixlagothricha, and Alouatta male specimens. Brachytelesarachnoides (Atelinae) has 62 chromosomes and a very small Y chromosome. Our results showed that the Brachytelesarachnoides Y chromosome probe hybridized to Lagothrixlagothricha metaphases yielding one hybridization signal on only the tiny Y chromosome, and when hybridized with Atelesbelzebuthmarginatus metaphases it yielded one hybridization signal on two thirds of the small acrocentric Y chromosome. However, no hybridization signal was observed in Alouatta metaphases (subfamily Alouattinae), a closely related genus in the Atelidae family. Furthermore, our data support a close phylogenetic relationship among Brachyteles, Ateles, and Lagothrix and their placement in the Atelinae subfamily, but exclude Alouatta from this group indicating its placement as basal to this group. Copyright 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  14. Laser-Assisted Sampling Techniques in Combination with ICP-MS: A Novel Approach for Particle Analysis at the IAEA Environmental Samples Laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dzigal, N.; Chinea-Cano, E.

    2015-01-01

    Researchers have found many applications for lasers. About two decades ago, scientists started using lasers as sample introduction instruments for mass spectrometry measurements. Similarly, lasers as micro-dissection tools have also been increasingly on demand in the fields of life sciences, materials science, forensics, etc. This presentation deals with the interception of these aforementioned laser-assisted techniques to the field of particle analysis. Historically, the use of a nanosecond laser to ablate material has been used in materials science. Recently, it has been proven that in the analysis of particulate materials the disadvantages associated with the utilization of nanosecond lasers such as overheating and melting of the sample are suppressed when using femtosecond lasers. Further, due to the length of a single laser shot, fs-LA allows a more controlled ablation to occur and therefore the sample plasma is more homogeneous and less mass-fractionation events are detected. The use of laser micro-dissection devices enables the physical segmentation of microsized artefacts previously performed by a laborious manual procedure. By combining the precision of the laser cutting inherent to the LMD technique together with a particle identification methodology, one can increase the efficiency of single particle isolation. Further, besides the increase in throughput of analyses, this combination enhances the signal-to-noise ratio by removing matrix particles effectively. Specifically, this contribution describes the use of an Olympus+MMI laser microdissection device in improving the sample preparation of environmental swipe samples and the installation of an Applied Spectra J200 fs-LA/LIBS (laser ablation/laser inducedbreakdown spectroscopy) system as a sample introduction device to a quadrupole mass spectrometer, the iCap Q from Thermofisher Scientific at the IAEA Environmental Samples Laboratory are explored. Preliminary results of the ongoing efforts for the

  15. Techno-economic process design of a commercial-scale amine-based CO_2 capture system for natural gas combined cycle power plant with exhaust gas recirculation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ali, Usman; Agbonghae, Elvis O.; Hughes, Kevin J.; Ingham, Derek B.; Ma, Lin; Pourkashanian, Mohamed

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • EGR is a way to enhance the CO_2 content with reduction in design variables and cost. • Both process and economic analyses are essential to reach the optimum design variables. • Commercial-scale NGCC with and without EGR is presented. • Process design of the amine-based CO_2 capture plant is evaluated for with and without EGR. - Abstract: Post-combustion CO_2 capture systems are gaining more importance as a means of reducing escalating greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, for natural gas-fired power generation systems, exhaust gas recirculation is a method of enhancing the CO_2 concentration in the lean flue gas. The present study reports the design and scale-up of four different cases of an amine-based CO_2 capture system at 90% capture rate with 30 wt.% aqueous solution of MEA. The design results are reported for a natural gas-fired combined cycle system with a gross power output of 650 MW_e without EGR and with EGR at 20%, 35% and 50% EGR percentage. A combined process and economic analysis is implemented to identify the optimum designs for the different amine-based CO_2 capture plants. For an amine-based CO_2 capture plant with a natural gas-fired combined cycle without EGR, an optimum liquid to gas ratio of 0.96 is estimated. Incorporating EGR at 20%, 35% and 50%, results in optimum liquid to gas ratios of 1.22, 1.46 and 1.90, respectively. These results suggest that a natural gas-fired power plant with exhaust gas recirculation will result in lower penalties in terms of the energy consumption and costs incurred on the amine-based CO_2 capture plant.

  16. High-efficiency low LCOE combined cycles for sour gas oxy-combustion with CO[subscript 2] capture

    OpenAIRE

    Chakroun, Nadim Walid; Ghoniem, Ahmed F

    2015-01-01

    The growing concerns over global warming and carbon dioxide emissions have driven extensive research into novel ways of capturing carbon dioxide in power generation plants. In this regard, oxy-fuel combustion has been considered as a promising technology. One unconventional fuel that is considered is sour gas, which is a mixture of methane, hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide. In this paper, carbon dioxide is used as the dilution medium in the combustor and different combined cycle configurat...

  17. [Using exon combined target region capture sequencing chip to detect the disease-causing genes of retinitis pigmentosa].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rong, Weining; Chen, Xuejuan; Li, Huiping; Liu, Yani; Sheng, Xunlun

    2014-06-01

    To detect the disease-causing genes of 10 retinitis pigmentosa pedigrees by using exon combined target region capture sequencing chip. Pedigree investigation study. From October 2010 to December 2013, 10 RP pedigrees were recruited for this study in Ningxia Eye Hospital. All the patients and family members received complete ophthalmic examinations. DNA was abstracted from patients, family members and controls. Using exon combined target region capture sequencing chip to screen the candidate disease-causing mutations. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing were used to confirm the disease-causing mutations. Seventy patients and 23 normal family members were recruited from 10 pedigrees. Among 10 RP pedigrees, 1 was autosomal dominant pedigrees and 9 were autosomal recessive pedigrees. 7 mutations related to 5 genes of 5 pedigrees were detected. A frameshift mutation on BBS7 gene was detected in No.2 pedigree, the patients of this pedigree combined with central obesity, polydactyly and mental handicap. No.2 pedigree was diagnosed as Bardet-Biedl syndrome finally. A missense mutation was detected in No.7 and No.10 pedigrees respectively. Because the patients suffered deafness meanwhile, the final diagnosis was Usher syndrome. A missense mutation on C3 gene related to age-related macular degeneration was also detected in No. 7 pedigrees. A nonsense mutation and a missense mutation on CRB1 gene were detected in No. 1 pedigree and a splicesite mutation on PROM1 gene was detected in No. 5 pedigree. Retinitis pigmentosa is a kind of genetic eye disease with diversity clinical phenotypes. Rapid and effective genetic diagnosis technology combined with clinical characteristics analysis is helpful to improve the level of clinical diagnosis of RP.

  18. Confocal fluorescence microscopy in a murine model of microdissection testicular sperm extraction to improve sperm retrieval.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Ryan P; Lowe, Greg J; Kavoussi, Parviz K; Steers, William D; Costabile, Raymond A; Herr, John C; Shetty, Jagathpala; Lysiak, Jeffrey J

    2012-05-01

    Microdissection testicular sperm extraction markedly improves the sperm retrieval rates in men with nonobstructive azoospermia. However, localizing sperm foci can be time-consuming and it is not always successful. Fiberoptic confocal fluorescent microscopy offers the advantage of rapid in vivo detection of fluorescently labeled sperm in the seminiferous tubules. After establishing the feasibility of fiberoptic confocal fluorescent microscopy to identify antibody labeled sperm in vivo C57/B6 mice underwent intraperitoneal injection of busulfan to induce azoospermia. During spermatogenesis reestablishment at approximately 16 weeks the mice were anesthetized and the testes were delivered through a low midline incision. Fluorescein isothiocyanate labeled antibody to intra-acrosomal protein Hs-14 was injected retrograde into a single murine rete testis. The testes were imaged in vivo with fiberoptic confocal fluorescent microscopy and sperm foci were detected. The respective seminiferous tubules were excised and squash prepared for immunofluorescence microscopy. Sperm foci were identified in the testis injected with fluorescently tagged antibody by in vivo fiberoptic confocal fluorescence microscopy. The contralateral control testis of each mouse showed no specific signal. Immunofluorescence microscopy of the excised tubules provided morphological confirmation of the presence of labeled sperm with an absence in controls. Findings were consistent in the feasibility portion of the study and in the busulfan model of nonobstructive azoospermia. Fiberoptic confocal fluorescent microscopy was feasible during microdissection testicular sperm extraction in an azoospermic mouse model to identify fluorescently labeled sperm in vivo. Translation to the clinical setting could decrease operative time and improve the sperm harvest rate. Copyright © 2012 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. A comparative kinetic RT/-PCR strategy for the quantitation of mRNAs in microdissected human renal biopsy specimens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Del Prete, D; Forino, M; Gambaro, G; D'Angelo, A; Baggio, B; Anglani, F

    1998-01-01

    Molecular biology techniques, to be applicable to a diagnostic renal biopsy specimen, should (1) be highly sensitive to be performed on a very small quantity of tissue; (2) be quantitative because they have to analyze genes normally expressed in the tissue and (3) allow the analysis of as large a number of genes as possible. Among different methods, only the reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT/-PCR) might comply with previous requisites, but the few RT/-PCR examples on renal biopsies in the literature do not allow starting RNA quantification and quality control; furthermore they have the drawback of analyzing only few genes. In an ongoing study to assess the expression of a number of genes in glomeruli and in tubulointerstitium of patients with different nephropathies, we developed a comparative RT/-PCR kinetic strategy based on the purification and quantification of total glomerular and tubulointerstitial RNA and on the use of an internal standard, the housekeeping gene G3PDH. We demonstrate that in microdissected diagnostic renal biopsies (1) glomerular and interstitial starting RNA can be quantified; (2) the G3PDH gene may be used both as an internal standard and as an indirect marker of RNA integrity; (3) as low as 28 ng of total RNA is sufficient to obtain PCR products of eight genes, and (4) it is worth to operate on microdissected biopsy specimens because of the different expression of genes in the two renal compartments.

  20. Identification of multiple mRNA and DNA sequences from small tissue samples isolated by laser-assisted microdissection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernsen, M R; Dijkman, H B; de Vries, E; Figdor, C G; Ruiter, D J; Adema, G J; van Muijen, G N

    1998-10-01

    Molecular analysis of small tissue samples has become increasingly important in biomedical studies. Using a laser dissection microscope and modified nucleic acid isolation protocols, we demonstrate that multiple mRNA as well as DNA sequences can be identified from a single-cell sample. In addition, we show that the specificity of procurement of tissue samples is not compromised by smear contamination resulting from scraping of the microtome knife during sectioning of lesions. The procedures described herein thus allow for efficient RT-PCR or PCR analysis of multiple nucleic acid sequences from small tissue samples obtained by laser-assisted microdissection.

  1. Proteomic Analysis of Laser Microdissected Melanoma Cells from Skin Organ Cultures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hood, Brian L.; Grahovac, Jelena; Flint, Melanie S.; Sun, Mai; Charro, Nuno; Becker, Dorothea; Wells, Alan; Conrads, Thomas P

    2010-01-01

    Gaining insights into the molecular events that govern the progression from melanoma in situ to advanced melanoma, and understanding how the local microenvironment at the melanoma site influences this progression, are two clinically pivotal aspects that to date are largely unexplored. In an effort to identify key regulators of the crosstalk between melanoma cells and the melanoma-skin microenvironment, primary and metastatic human melanoma cells were seeded into skin organ cultures (SOCs), and grown for two weeks. Melanoma cells were recovered from SOCs by laser microdissection and whole-cell tryptic digests analyzed by nanoflow liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with an LTQ-Orbitrap. The differential protein abundances were calculated by spectral counting, the results of which provides evidence that cell-matrix and cell-adhesion molecules that are upregulated in the presence of these melanoma cells recapitulate proteomic data obtained from comparative analysis of human biopsies of invasive melanoma and a tissue sample of adjacent, non-involved skin. This concordance demonstrates the value of SOCs for conducting proteomic investigations of the melanoma microenvironment. PMID:20459140

  2. Application of laser microdissection to identify the mycorrhizal fungi that establish arbuscules inside root cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berruti, Andrea; Borriello, Roberto; Lumini, Erica; Scariot, Valentina; Bianciotto, Valeria; Balestrini, Raffaella

    2013-01-01

    Obligate symbiotic fungi that form arbuscular mycorrhizae (AMF; belonging to the Glomeromycota phylum) are some of the most important soil microorganisms. AMFs facilitate mineral nutrient uptake from the soil, in exchange for plant-assimilated carbon, and promote water-stress tolerance and resistance to certain diseases. AMFs colonize the root by producing inter- and intra-cellular hyphae. When the fungus penetrates the inner cortical cells, it produces a complex ramified structure called arbuscule, which is considered the preferential site for nutrient exchange. Direct DNA extraction from the whole root and sequencing of ribosomal gene regions are commonly carried out to investigate intraradical AMF communities. Nevertheless, this protocol cannot discriminate between the AMFs that actively produce arbuscules and those that do not. To solve this issue, the authors have characterized the AMF community of arbusculated cells (AC) through a laser microdissection (LMD) approach, combined with sequencing-based taxa identification. The results were then compared with the AMF community that was found from whole root DNA extraction. The AMF communities originating from the LMD samples and the whole root samples differed remarkably. Five taxa were involved in the production of arbuscules, while two taxa were retrieved inside the root but not in the AC. Unexpectedly, one taxon was found in the AC, but its detection was not possible when extracting from the whole root. Thus, the LMD technique can be considered a powerful tool to obtain more precise knowledge on the symbiotically active intraradical AMF community.

  3. Application of laser microdissection to identify the mycorrhizal fungi that establish arbuscules inside root cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea eBerruti

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Obligate symbiotic fungi that form arbuscular mycorrhizae (AMF; belonging to the Glomeromycota phylum are some of the most important soil microorganisms. AMFs facilitate mineral nutrient uptake from the soil, in exchange for plant-assimilated carbon, and promote water-stress tolerance and resistance to certain diseases. AMFs colonize the root by producing inter- and intracellular hyphae. When the fungus penetrates the inner cortical cells, it produces a complex ramified structure called arbuscule, which is considered the preferential site for nutrient exchange. Direct DNA extraction from the whole root and sequencing of ribosomal gene regions are commonly carried out to investigate intraradical AMF communities. Nevertheless, this protocol cannot discriminate between the AMFs that actively produce arbuscules and those that do not. To solve this issue, the authors have characterized the AMF community of arbusculated cells through a laser microdissection (LMD approach, combined with sequencing-based taxa identification. The results were then compared with the AMF community that was found from whole root DNA extraction. The AMF communities originating from the LMD samples and the whole root samples differed remarkably. Five taxa were involved in the production of arbuscules, while two taxa were retrieved inside the root but not in the arbusculated cells. Unexpectedly, one taxon was found in the arbusculated cells, but its detection was not possible when extracting from the whole root. Thus, the LMD technique can be considered a powerful tool to obtain more precise knowledge on the symbiotically active intraradical AMF community.

  4. Combined Pressure, Temperature Contrast and Surface-Enhanced Separation of Carbon Dioxide for Post-Combustion Carbon Capture

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Zhen [Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States); Wong, Michael [Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States); Gupta, Mayank [Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States); Hirasaki, George [Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States); Cox, Kenneth [Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States)

    2016-05-01

    The Rice University research team developed a hybrid carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption process combining absorber and stripper columns using a high surface area ceramic foam gas-liquid contactor for enhanced mass transfer and utilizing waste heat for regeneration. This integrated absorber/desorber arrangement will reduce space requirements, an important factor for retrofitting existing coal-fired power plants with CO2 capture technology. Described in this report, we performed an initial analysis to estimate the technical and economic feasibility of the process. A one-dimensional (1D) CO2 absorption column was fabricated to measure the hydrodynamic and mass transfer characteristics of the ceramic foam. A bench-scale prototype was constructed to implement the complete CO2 separation process and tested to study various aspects of fluid flow in the process. A model was developed to simulate the two-dimensional (2D) fluid flow and optimize the CO2 capture process. Test results were used to develop a final technoeconomic analysis and identify the most appropriate absorbent as well as optimum operating conditions to minimize capital and operating costs. Finally, a technoeconomic study was performed to assess the feasibility of integrating the process into a 600 megawatt electric (MWe) coal-fired power plant. With process optimization, $82/MWh of COE can be achieved using our integrated absorber/desorber CO2 capture technology, which is very close to DOE's target that no more than a 35% increase in COE with CCS. An environmental, health, and safety (EH&S) assessment of the capture process indicated no significant concern in terms of EH&S effects or legislative compliance.

  5. Desulfovibrio bacterial species are increased in ulcerative colitis.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Rowan, Fiachra

    2012-02-01

    BACKGROUND: Debate persists regarding the role of Desulfovibrio subspecies in ulcerative colitis. Combined microscopic and molecular techniques enable this issue to be investigated by allowing precise enumeration of specific bacterial species within the colonic mucous gel. The aim of this study was to combine laser capture microdissection and quantitative polymerase chain reaction to determine Desulfovibrio copy number in crypt-associated mucous gel in health and in acute and chronic ulcerative colitis. METHODS: Colonic mucosal biopsies were harvested from healthy controls (n = 19) and patients with acute (n = 10) or chronic (n = 10) ulcerative colitis. Crypt-associated mucous gel was obtained by laser capture microdissection throughout the colon. Pan-bacterial 16S rRNA and Desulfovibrio copy number\\/mm were obtained by polymerase chain reaction at each locus. Bacterial copy numbers were interrogated for correlation with location and disease activity. Data were evaluated using a combination of ordinary linear methods and linear mixed-effects models to cater for multiple interactions. RESULTS: Desulfovibrio positivity was significantly increased in acute and chronic ulcerative colitis at multiple levels within the colon, and after normalization with total bacterial signal, the relative Desulfovibrio load was increased in acute colitis compared with controls. Desulfovibrio counts did not significantly correlate with age, disease duration, or disease activity but interlevel correlations were found in adjacent colonic segments in the healthy control and chronic ulcerative colitis groups. CONCLUSION: The presence of Desulfovibrio subspecies is increased in ulcerative colitis and the data presented suggest that these bacteria represent an increased percentage of the colonic microbiome in acute ulcerative colitis.

  6. Screening of metal-organic frameworks for carbon dioxide capture from flue gas using a combined experimental and modeling approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yazaydin, A Ozgür; Snurr, Randall Q; Park, Tae-Hong; Koh, Kyoungmoo; Liu, Jian; Levan, M Douglas; Benin, Annabelle I; Jakubczak, Paulina; Lanuza, Mary; Galloway, Douglas B; Low, John J; Willis, Richard R

    2009-12-30

    A diverse collection of 14 metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) was screened for CO(2) capture from flue gas using a combined experimental and modeling approach. Adsorption measurements are reported for the screened MOFs at room temperature up to 1 bar. These data are used to validate a generalized strategy for molecular modeling of CO(2) and other small molecules in MOFs. MOFs possessing a high density of open metal sites are found to adsorb significant amounts of CO(2) even at low pressure. An excellent correlation is found between the heat of adsorption and the amount of CO(2) adsorbed below 1 bar. Molecular modeling can aid in selection of adsorbents for CO(2) capture from flue gas by screening a large number of MOFs.

  7. Iron transport, deposition and bioavailability in the wheat and barley grain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Borg, Søren; Brinch-Pedersen, Henrik; Tauris, Birgitte

    2009-01-01

    will briefly review existing knowledge on the distribution and transport pathways of iron in the two small grained cereals, barley and wheat, and focus on the efforts made to increase the iron content in cereals in general. However, mineral content is not the only factor of relevance for improving......). The nutritional impact of increasing mineral content accordingly has to be seen in the context of mineral bioavailability. Finally, we will briefly report on recent data from barley, where laser capture microdissection of the different grain tissues combined with gene expression profiling has provided some...

  8. Human corneal epithelial subpopulations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Søndergaard, Chris Bath

    2013-01-01

    Corneal epithelium is being regenerated throughout life by limbal epithelial stem cells (LESCs) believed to be located in histologically defined stem cell niches in corneal limbus. Defective or dysfunctional LESCs result in limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) causing pain and decreased visual acuity...... subpopulations in human corneal epithelium using a combination of laser capture microdissection and RNA sequencing for global transcriptomic profiling. We compared dissociation cultures, using either expansion on γ-irradiated NIH/3T3 feeder cells in serum-rich medium or expansion directly on plastic in serum...

  9. Redistribution of ionotropic glutamate receptors detected by laser microdissection of the rat dentate gyrus 48 h following LTP induction in vivo.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeremy T T Kennard

    Full Text Available The persistence and input specificity of long-term potentiation (LTP make it attractive as a mechanism of information storage. In its initial phase, both in vivo and in vitro studies have shown that LTP is associated with increased membrane localization of AMPA receptor subunits, but the molecular basis of LTP maintenance over the long-term is still unclear. We have previously shown that expression of AMPA and NMDA receptor subunits is elevated in whole homogenates prepared from dentate gyrus 48 h after LTP induction in vivo. In the present study, we utilized laser microdissection (LMD techniques to determine whether AMPA and NMDA receptor upregulation occurs specifically in the stimulated regions of the dentate gyrus dendritic arbor. Receptor proteins GluN1, GluA1 and GluA2, as well as postsynaptic density protein of 95 kDa and tubulin were detected by Western blot analysis in microdissected samples. Gradients of expression were observed for GluN1 and GluA2, decreasing from the inner to the outer zones of the molecular layer, and were independent of LTP. When induced at medial perforant path synapses, LTP was associated with an apparent specific redistribution of GluA1 and GluN1 to the middle molecular layer that contains these synapses. These data indicate that glutamate receptor proteins are delivered specifically to dendritic regions possessing LTP-expressing synapses, and that these changes are preserved for at least 48 h.

  10. Attentional capture under high perceptual load.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cosman, Joshua D; Vecera, Shaun P

    2010-12-01

    Attentional capture by abrupt onsets can be modulated by several factors, including the complexity, or perceptual load, of a scene. We have recently demonstrated that observers are less likely to be captured by abruptly appearing, task-irrelevant stimuli when they perform a search that is high, as opposed to low, in perceptual load (Cosman & Vecera, 2009), consistent with perceptual load theory. However, recent results indicate that onset frequency can influence stimulus-driven capture, with infrequent onsets capturing attention more often than did frequent onsets. Importantly, in our previous task, an abrupt onset was present on every trial, and consequently, attentional capture might have been affected by both onset frequency and perceptual load. In the present experiment, we examined whether onset frequency influences attentional capture under conditions of high perceptual load. When onsets were presented frequently, we replicated our earlier results; attentional capture by onsets was modulated under conditions of high perceptual load. Importantly, however, when onsets were presented infrequently, we observed robust capture effects. These results conflict with a strong form of load theory and, instead, suggest that exposure to the elements of a task (e.g., abrupt onsets) combines with high perceptual load to modulate attentional capture by task-irrelevant information.

  11. Thermal neutron capture cross sections of tellurium isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomandl, I.; Honzatko, J.; Egidy, T. von; Wirth, H.-F.; Belgya, T.; Lakatos, M.; Szentmiklosi, L.; Revay, Zs.; Molnar, G.L.; Firestone, R.B.; Bondarenko, V.

    2003-01-01

    New values for thermal neutron capture cross sections of the tellurium isotopes 122 Te, 124 Te, 125 Te, 126 Te, 128 Te, and 130 Te are reported. These values are based on a combination of newly determined partial γ-ray cross sections obtained from experiments on targets contained natural Te and γ intensities per capture of individual Te isotopes. Isomeric ratios for the thermal neutron capture on the even tellurium isotopes are also given

  12. Thermal neutron capture cross sections of tellurium isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomandl, I.; Honzatko, J.; Egidy, T. von; Wirth, H.-F.; Belgya, T.; Lakatos, M.; Szentmiklosi, L.; Revay, Zs.; Molnar, G.L.; Firestone, R.B.; Bondarenko, V.

    2004-01-01

    New values for thermal neutron capture cross sections of the tellurium isotopes 122Te, 124Te, 125Te, 126Te, 128Te, and 130Te are reported. These values are based on a combination of newly determined partial g-ray cross sections obtained from experiments on targets contained natural Te and gamma intensities per capture of individual Te isotopes. Isomeric ratios for the thermal neutron capture on the even tellurium isotopes are also given

  13. Thermal neutron capture cross sections of tellurium isotopes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tomandl, I.; Honzatko, J.; von Egidy, T.; Wirth, H.-F.; Belgya, T.; Lakatos, M.; Szentmiklosi, L.; Revay, Zs.; Molnar, G.L.; Firestone, R.B.; Bondarenko, V.

    2004-03-01

    New values for thermal neutron capture cross sections of the tellurium isotopes 122Te, 124Te, 125Te, 126Te, 128Te, and 130Te are reported. These values are based on a combination of newly determined partial g-ray cross sections obtained from experiments on targets contained natural Te and gamma intensities per capture of individual Te isotopes. Isomeric ratios for the thermal neutron capture on the even tellurium isotopes are also given.

  14. Analysis of Combined Cycle Power Plants with Chemical Looping Reforming of Natural Gas and Pre-Combustion CO2 Capture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shareq Mohd Nazir

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a gas-fired combined cycle power plant subjected to a pre-combustion CO2 capture method has been analysed under different design conditions and different heat integration options. The power plant configuration includes the chemical looping reforming (CLR of natural gas (NG, water gas shift (WGS process, CO2 capture and compression, and a hydrogen fuelled combined cycle to produce power. The process is denoted as a CLR-CC process. One of the main parameters that affects the performance of the process is the pressure for the CLR. The process is analysed at different design pressures for the CLR, i.e., 5, 10, 15, 18, 25 and 30 bar. It is observed that the net electrical efficiency increases with an increase in the design pressure in the CLR. Secondly, the type of steam generated from the cooling of process streams also effects the net electrical efficiency of the process. Out of the five different cases including the base case presented in this study, it is observed that the net electrical efficiency of CLR-CCs can be improved to 46.5% (lower heating value of NG basis by producing high-pressure steam through heat recovery from the pre-combustion process streams and sending it to the Heat Recovery Steam Generator in the power plant.

  15. Comparative Tissue Proteomics of Microdissected Specimens Reveals Novel Candidate Biomarkers of Bladder Cancer*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Chien-Lun; Chung, Ting; Wu, Chih-Ching; Ng, Kwai-Fong; Yu, Jau-Song; Tsai, Cheng-Han; Chang, Yu-Sun; Liang, Ying; Tsui, Ke-Hung; Chen, Yi-Ting

    2015-01-01

    More than 380,000 new cases of bladder cancer are diagnosed worldwide, accounting for ∼150,200 deaths each year. To discover potential biomarkers of bladder cancer, we employed a strategy combining laser microdissection, isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation labeling, and liquid chromatography-tandem MS (LC-MS/MS) analysis to profile proteomic changes in fresh-frozen bladder tumor specimens. Cellular proteins from four pairs of surgically resected primary bladder cancer tumor and adjacent nontumorous tissue were extracted for use in two batches of isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation experiments, which identified a total of 3220 proteins. A DAVID (database for annotation, visualization and integrated discovery) analysis of dysregulated proteins revealed that the three top-ranking biological processes were extracellular matrix organization, extracellular structure organization, and oxidation-reduction. Biological processes including response to organic substances, response to metal ions, and response to inorganic substances were highlighted by up-expressed proteins in bladder cancer. Seven differentially expressed proteins were selected as potential bladder cancer biomarkers for further verification. Immunohistochemical analyses showed significantly elevated levels of three proteins—SLC3A2, STMN1, and TAGLN2—in tumor cells compared with noncancerous bladder epithelial cells, and suggested that TAGLN2 could be a useful tumor tissue marker for diagnosis (AUC = 0.999) and evaluating lymph node metastasis in bladder cancer patients. ELISA results revealed significantly increased urinary levels of both STMN1 and TAGLN2 in bladder cancer subgroups compared with control groups. In comparisons with age-matched hernia urine specimens, urinary TAGLN2 in bladder cancer samples showed the largest fold change (7.13-fold), with an area-under-the-curve value of 0.70 (p < 0.001, n = 205). Overall, TAGLN2 showed the most significant

  16. Enrichment and Identification of the Most Abundant Zinc Binding Proteins in Developing Barley Grains by Zinc-IMAC Capture and Nano LC-MS/MS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giuseppe Dionisio

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Zinc accumulates in the embryo, aleurone, and subaleurone layers at different amounts in cereal grains. Our hypothesis is that zinc could be stored bound, not only to low MW metabolites/proteins, but also to high MW proteins as well. Methods: In order to identify the most abundant zinc binding proteins in different grain tissues, we microdissected barley grains into (1 seed coats; (2 aleurone/subaleurone; (3 embryo; and (4 endosperm. Initial screening for putative zinc binding proteins from the different tissue types was performed by fractionating proteins according to solubility (Osborne fractionation, and resolving those via Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE followed by polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF membrane blotting and dithizone staining. Selected protein fractions were subjected to Zn2+-immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography, and the captured proteins were identified using nanoscale liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (nanoLC-MS/MS. Results: In the endosperm, the most abundant zinc binding proteins were the storage protein B-hordeins, gamma-, and D-hordeins, while in the embryo, 7S globulins storage proteins exhibited zinc binding. In the aleurone/subaleurone, zinc affinity captured proteins were late abundant embryogenesis proteins, dehydrins, many isoforms of non-specific lipid transfer proteins, and alpha amylase trypsin inhibitor. Conclusions: We have shown evidence that abundant barley grain proteins have been captured by Zn-IMAC, and their zinc binding properties in relationship to the possibility of zinc storage is discussed.

  17. Chromosome microdissection and cloning in human genome and genetic disease analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kao, Faten; Yu, Jingwei

    1991-01-01

    A procedure has been described for microdissection and microcloning of human chromosomal DNA sequences in which universal amplification of the dissected fragments by Mbo I linker adaptor and polymerase chain reaction is used. A very large library comprising 700,000 recombinant plasmid microclones from 30 dissected chromosomes of human chromosome 21 was constructed. Colony hybridization showed that 42% of the clones contained repetitive sequences and 58% contained single or low-copy sequences. The insert sizes generated by complete Mbo I cleavage ranged from 50 to 1,100 base pairs with a mean of 416 base pairs. Southern blot analysis of microclones from the library confirmed their human origin and chromosome 21 specificity. Some of these clones have also been regionally mapped to specific sites of chromosome 21 by using a regional mapping panel of cell hybrids. This chromosome microtechnology can generate large numbers of microclones with unique sequences from defined chromosomal regions and can be used for processes such as (i) isolating corresponding yeast artificial chromosome clones with large inserts, (ii) screening various cDNA libraries for isolating expressed sequences, and (iii) constructing region-specific libraries of the entire human genome. The studies described here demonstrate the power of this technology for high-resolution genome analysis and explicate their use in an efficient search for disease-associated genes localized to specific chromosomal regions

  18. Embedded enzymes catalyse capture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kentish, Sandra

    2018-05-01

    Membrane technologies for carbon capture can offer economic and environmental advantages over conventional amine-based absorption, but can suffer from limited gas flux and selectivity to CO2. Now, a membrane based on enzymes embedded in hydrophilic pores is shown to exhibit combined flux and selectivity that challenges the state of the art.

  19. [Effectiveness of FTA Elute® indicating cartridge in combination with hybrid capture 2 for cervical cancer screening].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Feng; Zhang, Xi; Wang, Shaoming; Hu, Shangying; Chen, Wen; Zhao, Fanghui; He, Wei; Zhang, Yuqing; Qiao, Youlin

    2015-02-01

    To evaluate the effectiveness of FTA Elute® Cartridge (GE healthcare, Kent, UK) in combination with hybrid capture 2 (HC2) testing for cervical cancer screening. From May to June 2012, 412 women aged 25 to 65 years in Jiangxi Tonggu were enrolled in the study. We used pathological outcome as the gold standard, and the accuracy of the FTA card in combination with HC2 testing was investigated from both physician- and self-sampling, respectively. Physician sampling using the FTA card in combination with HC2 testing showed a comparable sensitivity (12/13) with the liquid based medium, but a higher specificity 69.5% (266/383) vs (77.8%, 298/383) (P FTA card in combination with HC2 testing with liquid based medium was 10/13 vs 8/13(P = 0.625) and (62.3%, 238/382) vs (75.7%, 289/382) (P FTA and liquid-based sampling medium was 86.1% (340/395) and 79.5% (314/395). For physician-collected samples used for HC2 testing to detect CIN2+, the accuracy of the FTA card was superior to that of the liquid-based medium (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) = 0.898, 95%CI:0.838-0.958). FTA Elute® cartridge in combination with HC2 testing is a promising method of specimen transport for cervical cancer screening programs with a good precision.With further optimization, it could become an effective method for cervical cancer screening in various economic levels of areas.

  20. Single Cell Immuno-Laser Microdissection Coupled to Label-Free Proteomics to Reveal the Proteotypes of Human Brain Cells After Ischemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Berrocoso, Teresa; Llombart, Víctor; Colàs-Campàs, Laura; Hainard, Alexandre; Licker, Virginie; Penalba, Anna; Ramiro, Laura; Simats, Alba; Bustamante, Alejandro; Martínez-Saez, Elena; Canals, Francesc; Sanchez, Jean-Charles; Montaner, Joan

    2018-01-01

    Cerebral ischemia entails rapid tissue damage in the affected brain area causing devastating neurological dysfunction. How each component of the neurovascular unit contributes or responds to the ischemic insult in the context of the human brain has not been solved yet. Thus, the analysis of the proteome is a straightforward approach to unraveling these cell proteotypes. In this study, post-mortem brain slices from ischemic stroke patients were obtained corresponding to infarcted (IC) and contralateral (CL) areas. By means of laser microdissection, neurons and blood brain barrier structures (BBB) were isolated and analyzed using label-free quantification. MS data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD003519. Ninety proteins were identified only in neurons, 260 proteins only in the BBB and 261 proteins in both cell types. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that repair processes, mainly related to synaptic plasticity, are outlined in microdissected neurons, with nonexclusive important functions found in the BBB. A total of 30 proteins showing p 2 between IC and CL areas were considered meaningful in this study: 13 in neurons, 14 in the BBB and 3 in both cell types. Twelve of these proteins were selected as candidates and analyzed by immunohistofluorescence in independent brains. The MS findings were completely verified for neuronal SAHH2 and SRSF1 whereas the presence in both cell types of GABT and EAA2 was only validated in neurons. In addition, SAHH2 showed its potential as a prognostic biomarker of neurological improvement when analyzed early in the plasma of ischemic stroke patients. Therefore, the quantitative proteomes of neurons and the BBB (or proteotypes) after human brain ischemia presented here contribute to increasing the knowledge regarding the molecular mechanisms of ischemic stroke pathology and highlight new proteins that might represent putative biomarkers of brain ischemia or therapeutic targets. © 2018 by The American Society for

  1. A powerful method for transcriptional profiling of specific cell types in eukaryotes: laser-assisted microdissection and RNA sequencing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marc W Schmid

    Full Text Available The acquisition of distinct cell fates is central to the development of multicellular organisms and is largely mediated by gene expression patterns specific to individual cells and tissues. A spatially and temporally resolved analysis of gene expression facilitates the elucidation of transcriptional networks linked to cellular identity and function. We present an approach that allows cell type-specific transcriptional profiling of distinct target cells, which are rare and difficult to access, with unprecedented sensitivity and resolution. We combined laser-assisted microdissection (LAM, linear amplification starting from <1 ng of total RNA, and RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq. As a model we used the central cell of the Arabidopsis thaliana female gametophyte, one of the female gametes harbored in the reproductive organs of the flower. We estimated the number of expressed genes to be more than twice the number reported previously in a study using LAM and ATH1 microarrays, and identified several classes of genes that were systematically underrepresented in the transcriptome measured with the ATH1 microarray. Among them are many genes that are likely to be important for developmental processes and specific cellular functions. In addition, we identified several intergenic regions, which are likely to be transcribed, and describe a considerable fraction of reads mapping to introns and regions flanking annotated loci, which may represent alternative transcript isoforms. Finally, we performed a de novo assembly of the transcriptome and show that the method is suitable for studying individual cell types of organisms lacking reference sequence information, demonstrating that this approach can be applied to most eukaryotic organisms.

  2. Competitiveness of CO2 capture from an industrial solid oxide fuel cell combined heat and power system in the early stage of market introduction

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kuramochi, T.; Turkenburg, W.C.; Faaij, A.P.C.

    2011-01-01

    In this article, it was investigated whether potentially low-cost CO2 capture from SOFC systems could enhance the penetration of SOFC in the energy market in a highly carbon-constrained society in the mid-term future (up to year 2025). The application of 5 MWe SOFC systems for industrial combined

  3. Exergy analysis of a hydrogen fired combined cycle with natural gas reforming and membrane assisted shift reactors for CO2 capture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Atsonios, K.; Panopoulos, K.D.; Doukelis, A.; Koumanakos, A.; Kakaras, Em.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Exergy analysis of NGCC with CCS. ► WGS-MR: exergetically efficient technology for CCS, less than 2% total exergy losses. ► 10% of total exergy dissipation in the ATR. ► Optimization of ATR operation and CO 2 stream treatment. - Abstract: Hydrogen production from fossil fuels together with carbon capture has been suggested as a means of providing a carbon free power. The paper presents a comparative exergetic analysis performed on the hydrogen production from natural gas with several combinations of reactor systems: (a) oxy or air fired autothermal reforming with subsequent water gas shift reactor and (b) membrane reactor assisted with shift catalysts. The influence of reactor temperature and pressure as well as operating parameter steam-to-carbon ratio, is also studied exergetically. The results indicate optimal power plant configurations with CO 2 capture, or hydrogen delivery for industrial applications.

  4. Combining multistate capture-recapture data with tag recoveries to estimate demographic parameters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kendall, W.L.; Conn, P.B.; Hines, J.E.

    2006-01-01

    Matrix population models that allow an animal to occupy more than one state over time are important tools for population and evolutionary ecologists. Definition of state can vary, including location for metapopulation models and breeding state for life history models. For populations whose members can be marked and subsequently re-encountered, multistate mark-recapture models are available to estimate the survival and transition probabilities needed to construct population models. Multistate models have proved extremely useful in this context, but they often require a substantial amount of data and restrict estimation of transition probabilities to those areas or states subjected to formal sampling effort. At the same time, for many species, there are considerable tag recovery data provided by the public that could be modeled in order to increase precision and to extend inference to a greater number of areas or states. Here we present a statistical model for combining multistate capture-recapture data (e.g., from a breeding ground study) with multistate tag recovery data (e.g., from wintering grounds). We use this method to analyze data from a study of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) in the Atlantic Flyway of North America. Our analysis produced marginal improvement in precision, due to relatively few recoveries, but we demonstrate how precision could be further improved with increases in the probability that a retrieved tag is reported.

  5. Low-Energy Solvents For Carbon Dioxide Capture Enabled By A Combination Of Enzymes And Vacuum Regeneration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salmon, Sonja [Novozymes North America, Inc., Franklinton, NC (United States); House, Alan [Novozymes North America, Inc., Franklinton, NC (United States); Liu, Kun [Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (United States); Frimpong, Reynolds [Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (United States); Liu, Kunlei [Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (United States); Freeman, Charles [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Whyatt, Greg [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Slater, Jonathan [Doosan Babcock, Renfew (United Kingdom); Fitzgerald, David [Doosan Babcock, Renfew (United Kingdom)

    2015-08-31

    An integrated bench-scale system combining the attributes of the bio-renewable enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA) with low-enthalpy CO2 absorption solvents and vacuum regeneration was designed, built and operated for 500 hours using simulated flue gas. The objective was to develop a CO2 capture process with improved efficiency and sustainability when compared to NETL Case 10 monoethanolamine (MEA) scrubbing technology. The use of CA accelerates inter-conversion between dissolved CO2 and bicarbonate ion to enhance CO2 absorption, and the use of low enthalpy CO2 absorption solvents makes it possible to regenerate the solvent at lower temperatures relative to the reference MEA-based solvent. The vacuum regeneration-based integrated bench-scale system operated successfully for an accumulated 500 hours using aqueous 23.5 wt% K2CO3-based solvent containing 2.5 g/L enzyme to deliver an average 84% CO2 capture when operated with a 20% enzyme replenishment rate per ~7 hour steady-state run period. The total inlet gas flow was 30 standard liters per minute with 15% CO2 and 85% N2. The absorber temperature was 40°C and the stripper operated under 35 kPa pressure with an approximate 77°C stripper bottom temperature. Tests with a 30°C absorber temperature delivered >90% capture. On- and off-line operational measurements provided a full process data set, with recirculating enzyme, that allowed for enzyme replenishment and absorption/desorption kinetic parameter calculations. Dissolved enzyme replenishment and conventional process controls were demonstrated as straightforward approaches to maintain system performance. Preliminary evaluation of a novel flow-through ultrasonically enhanced regeneration system was also conducted, yet resulted in CO2 release within the range of temperature-dependent release, and further work would be needed to validate the benefits of ultrasonic enhanced stripping. A full technology assessment was completed in which four techno-economic cases for

  6. Reproducibility of Protein Identification of Selected Cell Types in Barrett's Esophagus Analyzed by Combining Laser-Capture Microdissection and Mass Spectrometry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stingl, Christoph; van Vilsteren, Frederike G. I.; Guzel, Coskun; ten Kate, Fiebo J. W.; Visser, Mike; Krishnadath, Kausilia K.; Bergman, Jacques J.; Luider, Theo M.

    2011-01-01

    Barrett's esophagus (BE) is associated with increased risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and characterized by replacement of normal esophageal squamous epithelium by columnar epithelium. These alterations are also reflected in changes in the protein-expression profiles of the cell types

  7. Transcriptional profiling of cork oak phellogenic cells isolated by laser microdissection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teixeira, Rita Teresa; Fortes, Ana Margarida; Bai, Hua; Pinheiro, Carla; Pereira, Helena

    2018-02-01

    The phenylpropanoid pathway impacts the cork quality development. In cork of bad quality, the flavonoid route is favored, whereas in good quality, cork lignin and suberin production prevails. Cork oaks develop a thick cork tissue as a protective shield that results of the continuous activity of a secondary meristem, the cork cambium, or phellogen. Most studies applied to developmental processes do not consider the cell types from which the samples were extracted. Here, laser microdissection (LM) coupled with transcript profiling using RNA sequencing (454 pyrosequencing) was applied to phellogen cells of trees producing low- and good quality cork. Functional annotation and functional enrichment analyses showed that stress-related genes are enriched in samples extracted from trees producing good quality cork (GQC). This process is under tight transcriptional (transcription factors, kinases) regulation and also hormonal control involving ABA, ethylene, and auxins. The phellogen cells collected from trees producing bad quality cork (BQC) show a consistent up-regulation of genes belonging to the flavonoid pathway as a response to stress. They also display a different modulation of cell wall genes resulting into a thinner cork layer, i.e., less meristematic activity. Based on the analysis of the phenylpropanoid pathway regulating genes, in GQC, the synthesis of lignin and suberin is promoted, whereas in BQC, the same pathway favors the biosynthesis of free phenolic compounds. This study provided new insights of how cell-specific gene expression can determine tissue and organ morphology and physiology and identified robust candidate genes that can be used in breeding programs aiming at improving cork quality.

  8. Molecular profiling of tumour budding implicates TGFβ-mediated epithelial–mesenchymal transition as a therapeutic target in oral squamous cell carcinoma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, David Hebbelstrup; Dabelsteen, Erik; Specht, Lena

    2015-01-01

    collected from oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) specimens using laser capture microdissection and examined with RNA sequencing and miRNA-qPCR arrays. Compared with cells from the central parts of the tumours, budding cells exhibited a particular gene expression signature comprising factors involved...

  9. Identification of circulating fetal cell markers by microarray analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brinch, Marie; Hatt, Lotte; Singh, Ripudaman

    2012-01-01

    identified by XY fluorescence in situ hybridization and confirmed by reverse-color fluorescence in situ hybridization were shot off microscope slides by laser capture microdissection. The expression pattern of a subset of expressed genes was compared between fetal cells and maternal blood cells using stem...

  10. ERα and ERK1/2 MAP kinase expression in microdissected stromal and epithelial endometrial cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Said Abu Alkhair Mohamed

    2014-03-01

    Total and phosphorylated levels for ERK1/2 and ERα were measured by quantitation of signals from Western blots using specific antibodies against the active and total forms of ERK1/2 and against ERα. When the level of the proteins was quantitated and normalized to β actin from microdissected stroma and epithelium, no significant difference was detected in the levels of these proteins between the two tissue compartments. There was a trend toward higher expression in the stroma vs. epithelium, respectively (active ERK1/2 0.45 ± 0.17 vs. 0.2 ± 0.65; total ERK1/2 0.54 ± 0.35 vs. 0.28 ± 0.23; ERα 0.82 ± 0.28 vs. 0.54 ± 0.18; n = 6. These data demonstrate that there are comparable levels of ERα (P = 0.41, total ERK1/2 (P = 0.18 and active ERK1/2 (P = 0.13 in the stroma and epithelium of proliferative phase endometrium with a trend toward higher expression of these proteins in the stromal compartment.

  11. Bacterial colonization of colonic crypt mucous gel and disease activity in ulcerative colitis.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Rowan, Fiachra

    2012-02-01

    OBJECTIVE: To optimize total bacterial 16S rRNA quantification in microdissected colonic crypts in healthy controls and patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and to characterize the findings with disease activity. BACKGROUND: Microscopic and molecular techniques have recently converged to allow bacterial enumeration in remote anatomic locations [eg, crypt-associated mucous gel (CAMG)]. The aims of this study were to combine laser capture microdissection (LCM) and 16S rRNA-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to determine total bacterial copy number in CAMG both in health and in UC and to characterize the findings with disease activity. METHODS: LCM was used to microdissect CAMG from colonic mucosal biopsies from controls (n = 20) and patients with acute (n = 10) or subacute (n = 10) UC. Pan-bacterial 16S rRNA copy number per millimeter square in samples from 6 locations across the large bowel was obtained by qPCR using Desulfovibrio desulfuricans as a reference strain. Copy numbers were correlated with the UC disease activity index (UCDAI) and the simple clinical colitis activity index (SCCAI). RESULTS: Bacterial colonization of CAMG was detectable in all groups. Copy numbers were significantly reduced in acute UC. In subacute colitis, there was a positive correlation between copy number and UCDAI and SCCAI in the ascending, transverse and sigmoid colon. CONCLUSIONS: This study describes a sensitive method of quantitatively assessing bacterial colonization of the colonic CAMG. A positive correlation was found between CAMG bacterial load and subacute disease activity in UC, whereas detectable bacterial load was reduced in acute UC.

  12. Microarray Cluster Analysis of Irradiated Growth Plate Zones Following Laser Microdissection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Damron, Timothy A.; Zhang Mingliang; Pritchard, Meredith R.; Middleton, Frank A.; Horton, Jason A.; Margulies, Bryan M.; Strauss, Judith A.; Farnum, Cornelia E.; Spadaro, Joseph A.

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: Genes and pathways involved in early growth plate chondrocyte recovery after fractionated irradiation were sought as potential targets for selective radiorecovery modulation. Materials and Methods: Three groups of six 5-week male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent fractionated irradiation to the right tibiae over 5 days, totaling 17.5 Gy, and then were killed at 7, 11, and 16 days after the first radiotherapy fraction. The growth plates were collected from the proximal tibiae bilaterally and subsequently underwent laser microdissection to separate reserve, perichondral, proliferative, and hypertrophic zones. Differential gene expression was analyzed between irradiated right and nonirradiated left tibia using RAE230 2.0 GeneChip microarray, compared between zones and time points and subjected to functional pathway cluster analysis with real-time polymerase chain reaction to confirm selected results. Results: Each zone had a number of pathways showing enrichment after the pattern of hypothesized importance to growth plate recovery, yet few met the strictest criteria. The proliferative and hypertrophic zones showed both the greatest number of genes with a 10-fold right/left change at 7 days after initiation of irradiation and enrichment of the most functional pathways involved in bone, cartilage, matrix, or skeletal development. Six genes confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction to have early upregulation included insulin-like growth factor 2, procollagen type I alpha 2, matrix metallopeptidase 9, parathyroid hormone receptor 1, fibromodulin, and aggrecan 1. Conclusions: Nine overlapping pathways in the proliferative and hypertrophic zones (skeletal development, ossification, bone remodeling, cartilage development, extracellular matrix structural constituent, proteinaceous extracellular matrix, collagen, extracellular matrix, and extracellular matrix part) may play key roles in early growth plate radiorecovery.

  13. Approach to magnetic neutron capture therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuznetsov, Anatoly A.; Podoynitsyn, Sergey N.; Filippov, Victor I.; Komissarova, Lubov Kh.; Kuznetsov, Oleg A.

    2005-01-01

    Purpose: The method of magnetic neutron capture therapy can be described as a combination of two methods: magnetic localization of drugs using magnetically targeted carriers and neutron capture therapy itself. Methods and Materials: In this work, we produced and tested two types of particles for such therapy. Composite ultradispersed ferro-carbon (Fe-C) and iron-boron (Fe-B) particles were formed from vapors of respective materials. Results: Two-component ultradispersed particles, containing Fe and C, were tested as magnetic adsorbent of L-boronophenylalanine and borax and were shown that borax sorption could be effective for creation of high concentration of boron atoms in the area of tumor. Kinetics of boron release into the physiologic solution demonstrate that ultradispersed Fe-B (10%) could be applied for an effective magnetic neutron capture therapy. Conclusion: Both types of the particles have high magnetization and magnetic homogeneity, allow to form stable magnetic suspensions, and have low toxicity

  14. Combining hybrid cars and synthetic fuels with electricity generation and carbon capture and storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vliet, Oscar van; Broek, Machteld van den; Turkenburg, Wim; Faaij, Andre

    2011-01-01

    We examined the co-evolution of the transportation, and electricity and heat generation sectors in the Netherlands until 2040 using a MARKAL bottom-up cost optimisation model. All scenario variants investigated indicate a switch away from crude oil-based diesel and petrol for transportation. Lowest overall CO 2 abatement cost is achieved by accommodating transportation first and using relatively expensive options for emissions reduction in electricity generation if needed. Biomass and carbon capture and storage (CCS) are used to full potential. Transportation CO 2 emissions are reduced by switching to ethanol or bio-based synthetic fuels combined with CCS, and series hybrid cars if needed. Depending on the availability of biomass and carbon storage capacity, electricity is produced from biomass, coal with CCS, or wind complemented with natural gas. Indirect greenhouse gas emissions rise to 34-54% of national emissions in 2040. The difference in annual investment required between the scenario variants with and without CO 2 emissions reductions of 68% by 2040 is 4-7 billion euro/year, or 0.5-1.2% of projected GDP. Investment costs are mostly determined by the cost of cars and electricity generation capacity. We observe competition for limited biomass supply and CO 2 storage capacity between the transportation and power sectors.

  15. Effect of bevacizumab combined with boron neutron capture therapy on local tumor response and lung metastasis

    Science.gov (United States)

    MASUNAGA, SHIN-ICHIRO; SAKURAI, YOSHINORI; TANO, KEIZO; TANAKA, HIROKI; SUZUKI, MINORU; KONDO, NATSUKO; NARABAYASHI, MASARU; WATANABE, TSUBASA; NAKAGAWA, YOSUKE; MARUHASHI, AKIRA; ONO, KOJI

    2014-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of bevacizumab on local tumor response and lung metastatic potential during boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) and in particular, the response of intratumor quiescent (Q) cells. B16-BL6 melanoma tumor-bearing C57BL/6 mice were continuously administered bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to label all proliferating (P) tumor cells. The tumors were irradiated with thermal neutron beams following the administration of a 10B-carrier [L-para-boronophenylalanine-10B (BPA) or sodium mercaptoundecahydrododecaborate-10B (BSH)], with or without the administration of bevacizumab. This was further combined with an acute hypoxia-releasing agent (nicotinamide) or mild temperature hyperthermia (MTH, 40°C for 60 min). Immediately following the irradiation, cells from certain tumors were isolated and incubated with a cytokinesis blocker. The responses of the Q cells and the total (P+Q) cell populations were assessed based on the frequency of micronuclei using immunofluorescence staining for BrdU. In other tumor-bearing mice, 17 days following irradiation, lung metastases were enumerated. Three days following bevacizumab administration, the sensitivity of the total tumor cell population following BPA-BNCT had increased more than that following BSH-BNCT. The combination with MTH, but not with nicotinamide, further enhanced total tumor cell population sensitivity. Regardless of the presence of a 10B-carrier, MTH enhanced the sensitivity of the Q cell population. Regardless of irradiation, the administration of bevacizumab, as well as nicotinamide treatment, demonstrated certain potential in reducing the number of lung metastases especially in BPA-BNCT compared with BSH-BNCT. Thus, the current study revealed that BNCT combined with bevacizumab has the potential to sensitize total tumor cells and cause a reduction in the number of lung metastases to a similar level as nicotinamide. PMID:24944637

  16. Proteomic alterations in early stage cervical cancer

    OpenAIRE

    Güzel, Coşkun; Govorukhina, Natalia; Wisman, G.B.A.; Stingl, Christoph; Dekker, Lennard; Hollema, Harry; Guryev, Victor; Horvatovich, Peter; van der Zee, Ate; Bischoff, Rainer; Luider, Theo

    2018-01-01

    Laser capture microdissection (LCM) allows the capture of cell types or well-defined structures in tissue. We compared in a semi-quantitative way the proteomes from an equivalent of 8,000 tumor cells from patients with squamous cell cervical cancer (SCC, n = 22) with healthy epithelial and stromal cells obtained from normal cervical tissue (n = 13). Proteins were enzymatically digested into peptides which were measured by high-resolution mass spectrometry and analyzed by “all-or-nothing” anal...

  17. Microdissecting the Genetic Events in Nephrogenic Rests and Wilms’ Tumor Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charles, Adrian K.; Brown, Keith W.; Berry, P. Jeremy

    1998-01-01

    Nephrogenic rests are precursor lesions associated with about 40% of Wilms’ tumors. This study identifies genetic steps occurring in the development of Wilms’ tumor. Thirty-four Wilms’ tumors with nephrogenic rests and/or areas of anaplasia were microdissected from paraffin sections to determine whether and at what stage loss of heterozygosity (LOH) occurred, using polymerase chain reaction-based polymorphic markers at 11p13, 11p15, and 16q. LOH at these loci have been identified in Wilms’ tumors and are associated with identified or putative tumor suppressor genes. Three cystic nephromas/cystic partially differentiated nephroblastomas were also examined. LOH was detected in six cases at 11p13 and in six cases at 11p15, and two of these cases had LOH at both loci. All intralobar rests showing LOH also showed LOH in the tumor. A case with a small perilobar rest showed LOH of 11p13 only in the tumor. Five cases showing LOH at 16q were identified (this was identified only in the tumor, and not in the associated rest), and three of these had recurrence of the tumor. Two cases had a WT1 mutation (one germline and the other somatic), as well as LOH in both the intralobar rest and the tumor. A cystic partially differentiated nephroblastoma showed loss at 11p13 and 11p15, as well as at 16q. This study suggests that LOH at 11p13 and 11p15 and WT1 mutations are early events but that LOH at 16q occurs late in the pathogenesis of Wilms’ tumor. Intralobar and perilobar nephrogenic rests are known to have different biological behaviors, and this study suggests that they are genetically different. A multistep model of Wilms’ tumor pathogenesis is supported by these findings. PMID:9736048

  18. Solar Electric Propulsion Triple-Satellite-Aided Capture With Mars Flyby

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patrick, Sean

    Triple-Satellite-aided-capture sequences use gravity-assists at three of Jupiter's four massive Galilean moons to reduce the DeltaV required to enter into Jupiter orbit. A triple-satellite-aided capture at Callisto, Ganymede, and Io is proposed to capture a SEP spacecraft into Jupiter orbit from an interplanetary Earth-Jupiter trajectory that employs low-thrust maneuvers. The principal advantage of this method is that it combines the ISP efficiency of ion propulsion with nearly impulsive but propellant-free gravity assists. For this thesis, two main chapters are devoted to the exploration of low-thrust triple-flyby capture trajectories. Specifically, the design and optimization of these trajectories are explored heavily. The first chapter explores the design of two solar electric propulsion (SEP), low-thrust trajectories developed using the JPL's MALTO software. The two trajectories combined represent a full Earth to Jupiter capture split into a heliocentric Earth to Jupiter Sphere of Influence (SOI) trajectory and a Joviocentric capture trajectory. The Joviocentric trajectory makes use of gravity assist flybys of Callisto, Ganymede, and Io to capture into Jupiter orbit with a period of 106.3 days. Following this, in chapter two, three more SEP low-thrust trajectories were developed based upon those in chapter one. These trajectories, devised using the high-fidelity Mystic software, also developed by JPL, improve upon the original trajectories developed in chapter one. Here, the developed trajectories are each three separate, full Earth to Jupiter capture orbits. As in chapter one, a Mars gravity assist is used to augment the heliocentric trajectories. Gravity-assist flybys of Callisto, Ganymede, and Io or Europa are used to capture into Jupiter Orbit. With between 89.8 and 137.2-day periods, the orbits developed in chapters one and two are shorter than most Jupiter capture orbits achieved using low-thrust propulsion techniques. Finally, chapter 3 presents an

  19. Program Energy of the CNRS. Topic 10 combustion and capture of CO{sub 2}. PRI 10.1. Capture by adsorption of the CO{sub 2} in thermal power plants gas and their injection in petroleum wells. Final report period 2002-2004; Programme energie du CNRS. Theme 10 combustion et capture du CO2. PRI 10.1. Capture par adsorption du CO2 dans des gaz de centrales thermiques et leur injection en puits de petrole. Rapport final periode 2002-2004

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tondeur, D

    2005-07-01

    In the framework of the global warming resulting of the greenhouse gases emission increase, the carbon dioxide capture and storage in deep underground cavities of old petroleum and gas deposits, are studied. This report presents the researches realized by the CNRS (France) in the domain: technology and knowledge assessment concerning the carbon dioxide capture and storage, active coals for the CO{sub 2} capture, methodology of thermo-economical optimization of the combined cycle, global simulation of an IGCC (Integrated gasification combined cycle) with CO{sub 2} capture and integration in the process scheme, petroleum recovery-aided by CO{sub 2} injection, storage in geological deposits. (A.L.B.)

  20. Exact capture probability analysis of GSC receivers over Rayleigh fading channel

    KAUST Repository

    Nam, Sungsik

    2010-01-01

    For third generation systems and ultrawideband systems, RAKE receivers have been introduced due to the advantage of RAKE receivers which is their ability to combine different replicas of the transmitted signal arriving at different delays in a rich multipath environment. In principle, RAKE receivers combine all resolvable paths which gives the best performance in a rich diversity environment. However, this is usually costly in terms of hardware required as the number of RAKE fingers increases. Therefore, generalized selection combining (GSC) RAKE reception was proposed and has been studied by many researcher as an alternative to the classical two fundamental diversity schemes: maximal ratio combining and selection combining. Previous work on performance analyses of GSC RAKE receivers based on the signal to noise ratio focused on the development of methodologies to derive exact closedform expressions for various performance measures. However, the remaining set of uncombined paths affect the overall performance both in terms of loss in power. Therefore, to have a full understanding of the performance of GSC RAKE receivers, we introduce in this paper the notion of capture probability, which is defined as the ratio of the captured power (essentially combined paths power) to that of the total available power. The major difficulty in these problems is to derive some joint statistics of ordered exponential variates. With this motivation in mind, we capitalize in this paper on some new order statistics results to derive exact closed-form expressions for the capture probability over independent and identically distributed Rayleigh fading channels. © 2010 IEEE.

  1. Molecular approach of the fragile chromosomal region Xq31-34 in cattle (Bos taurus by microdissection and DOP-PCR Aproximação molecular da região cromossômica frágil Xq31-34 em bovinos (Bos taurus utilizando microdissecação cromossômica e DOP-PCR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Llambí

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Fragile sites (FS are chromosomal regions where the normal compactation of chromatine is not observed. FRAXA (Fra Xq27.3, X sexual chromosome is one of the most studied FS in humans. FRAXA is an expansion of the trinucleotide CGG located in the gene FMR-1. In cattle, sites of chromosomal fragility were reported in BTAX, associated with different pathologies and fertility impairment. Chromosomal microdissection has became a valuable tool for isolating chromatine fragments. In this work, it was combined the chromosomal microdissection technique with DOP-PCR in order to carry out a molecular analysis of the fragile chromosomal region BTAXq31-34. In that region, polymorphic DNA-RAPD sequences (GC rich are present and sequences of the gene FMR-1 are missing. The results showed the usefulness of the microdissection-DOP-PCR technique for molecular characterization of fragile chromosomal sites in cattle.Os sítios frágeis (FS são regiões de cromossomo onde a compactação normal da cromatina não é realizada. O FRAXA (Fra Xq27.3, cromossomo sexual X é um dos FS mais estudados em seres humanos. O FRAXA apresenta expansão do trinucleotídeo CGG localizado no gene FMR-1. Em bovinos, existem estudos informando sobre fragilidade cromossômica em BTAX associada com diversas patologias e alterações na fertilidade. A microdissecação cromossômica é uma valiosa técnica para isolar fragmentos de cromatina. Neste trabalho, combinou-se a técnica de microdissecação de cromossomo com DOP-PCR para executar a análise molecular da região do sitio frágil cromossômico BTAXq31-34. Naquela região estão presentes seqüências do polimorfo DNA-RAPD (rico em GC, em que as seqüências do gene FMR-1 estão ausentes. Os resultados mostram a utilidade da técnica de microdissecação-DOP-PCR para a caracterização molecular de sítios frágeis cromossômicos em bovinos.

  2. The use of laser microdissection in the identification of suitable reference genes for normalization of quantitative real-time PCR in human FFPE epithelial ovarian tissue samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Jing; Li, Tao; Huang, Bangxing; Cheng, Henghui; Ding, Hui; Dong, Weihong; Xiao, Man; Liu, Ling; Wang, Zehua

    2014-01-01

    Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) is a powerful and reproducible method of gene expression analysis in which expression levels are quantified by normalization against reference genes. Therefore, to investigate the potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for epithelial ovarian cancer by qPCR, it is critical to identify stable reference genes. In this study, twelve housekeeping genes (ACTB, GAPDH, 18S rRNA, GUSB, PPIA, PBGD, PUM1, TBP, HRPT1, RPLP0, RPL13A, and B2M) were analyzed in 50 ovarian samples from normal, benign, borderline, and malignant tissues. For reliable results, laser microdissection (LMD), an effective technique used to prepare homogeneous starting material, was utilized to precisely excise target tissues or cells. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and nonparametric (Kruskal-Wallis) tests were used to compare the expression differences. NormFinder and geNorm software were employed to further validate the suitability and stability of the candidate genes. Results showed that epithelial cells occupied a small percentage of the normal ovary indeed. The expression of ACTB, PPIA, RPL13A, RPLP0, and TBP were stable independent of the disease progression. In addition, NormFinder and geNorm identified the most stable combination (ACTB, PPIA, RPLP0, and TBP) and the relatively unstable reference gene GAPDH from the twelve commonly used housekeeping genes. Our results highlight the use of homogeneous ovarian tissues and multiple-reference normalization strategy, e.g. the combination of ACTB, PPIA, RPLP0, and TBP, for qPCR in epithelial ovarian tissues, whereas GAPDH, the most commonly used reference gene, is not recommended, especially as a single reference gene.

  3. The use of laser microdissection in the identification of suitable reference genes for normalization of quantitative real-time PCR in human FFPE epithelial ovarian tissue samples.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Cai

    Full Text Available Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR is a powerful and reproducible method of gene expression analysis in which expression levels are quantified by normalization against reference genes. Therefore, to investigate the potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for epithelial ovarian cancer by qPCR, it is critical to identify stable reference genes. In this study, twelve housekeeping genes (ACTB, GAPDH, 18S rRNA, GUSB, PPIA, PBGD, PUM1, TBP, HRPT1, RPLP0, RPL13A, and B2M were analyzed in 50 ovarian samples from normal, benign, borderline, and malignant tissues. For reliable results, laser microdissection (LMD, an effective technique used to prepare homogeneous starting material, was utilized to precisely excise target tissues or cells. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA and nonparametric (Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare the expression differences. NormFinder and geNorm software were employed to further validate the suitability and stability of the candidate genes. Results showed that epithelial cells occupied a small percentage of the normal ovary indeed. The expression of ACTB, PPIA, RPL13A, RPLP0, and TBP were stable independent of the disease progression. In addition, NormFinder and geNorm identified the most stable combination (ACTB, PPIA, RPLP0, and TBP and the relatively unstable reference gene GAPDH from the twelve commonly used housekeeping genes. Our results highlight the use of homogeneous ovarian tissues and multiple-reference normalization strategy, e.g. the combination of ACTB, PPIA, RPLP0, and TBP, for qPCR in epithelial ovarian tissues, whereas GAPDH, the most commonly used reference gene, is not recommended, especially as a single reference gene.

  4. Development of Electro-Microbial Carbon Capture and Conversion Systems

    KAUST Repository

    Al Rowaihi, Israa

    2017-01-01

    to fix ca. 800 Gt (gigaton) of CO2 in the planets largest carbon-capture process. Photosynthesis combines light harvesting, charge separation, catalytic water splitting, generation of reduction equivalents (NADH), energy (ATP) production and CO2 fixation

  5. Program Energy of the CNRS. Topic 10 combustion and capture of CO2. PRI 10.1. Capture by adsorption of the CO2 in thermal power plants gas and their injection in petroleum wells. Final report period 2002-2004

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tondeur, D.

    2005-01-01

    In the framework of the global warming resulting of the greenhouse gases emission increase, the carbon dioxide capture and storage in deep underground cavities of old petroleum and gas deposits, are studied. This report presents the researches realized by the CNRS (France) in the domain: technology and knowledge assessment concerning the carbon dioxide capture and storage, active coals for the CO 2 capture, methodology of thermo-economical optimization of the combined cycle, global simulation of an IGCC (Integrated gasification combined cycle) with CO 2 capture and integration in the process scheme, petroleum recovery-aided by CO 2 injection, storage in geological deposits. (A.L.B.)

  6. Novel concepts for CO2 capture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dijkstra, J.W.; Jansen, D.

    2004-01-01

    This paper describes the possibilities for power generation with CO 2 capture using envisaged key technologies: gas turbines, membranes and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). First, the underlying programs in the Netherlands and at ECN are introduced. Then the key technologies are introduced, and concepts using these technologies are discussed. A literature overview of systems for power generation with fuel cells in combination with CO 2 capture is presented. Then a novel concept is introduced. This concept uses a water gas shift membrane reactor to convert the CO and H 2 in the SOFC anode off-gas to gain a CO 2 rich stream, which can be used for sequestration without elaborate treatment. Several implementation schemes of the technique are discussed such as atmospheric systems and hybrid SOFC-GT systems

  7. Thermodynamic modeling of NH_3-CO_2-SO_2-K_2SO_4-H_2O system for combined CO_2 and SO_2 capture using aqueous NH_3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qi, Guojie; Wang, Shujuan

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • A new application of aqueous NH_3 based combined CO_2 and SO_2 process was proposed. • A thermodynamic model simulated the heat of absorption and the K_2SO_4 precipitation. • The CO_2 content can be regenerated in a stripper with lower heat of desorption. • The SO_2 content can be removed by K_2SO_4 precipitation from the lean NH_3 solvent. - Abstract: A new application of aqueous NH_3 based post-combustion CO_2 and SO_2 combined capture process was proposed to simultaneously capture CO_2 and SO_2, and remove sulfite by solid (K_2SO_4) precipitation method. The thermodynamic model of the NH_3-CO_2-SO_2-K_2SO_4-H_2O system for the combined CO_2 and SO_2 capture process was developed and validated in this work to analyze the heat of CO_2 and SO_2 absorption in the NH_3-CO_2-SO_2-H_2O system, and the K_2SO_4 precipitation characteristics in the NH_3-CO_2-SO_2-K_2SO_4-H_2O system. The average heat of CO_2 absorption in the NH_3-CO_2-H_2O system at 40 °C is around −73 kJ/mol CO_2 in 2.5 wt% NH_3 with CO_2 loading between 0.2 and 0.5 C/N. The average heat of SO_2 absorption in the NH_3-SO_2-H_2O system at 40 °C is around −120 kJ/mol SO_2 in 2.5 wt% NH_3 with SO_2 loading between 0 and 0.5 S/N. The average heat of CO_2 absorption in the NH_3-CO_2-SO_2-H_2O system at 40 °C is 77, 68, and 58 kJ/mol CO_2 in 2.5 wt% NH_3 with CO_2 loading between 0.2 and 0.5 C/N, when SO_2 loading is 0, 0.1, 0.2 S/N, respectively. The solubility of K_2SO_4 increases with temperature, CO_2 and SO_2 loadings, but decreases with NH_3 concentration in the CO_2 and SO_2 loaded aqueous NH_3. The thermodynamic evaluation indicates that the combined CO_2 and SO_2 capture process could employ the typical absorption/regeneration process to simultaneously capture CO_2 and SO_2 in an absorber, thermally desorb CO_2 in a stripper, and feasibly remove sulfite (oxidized to sulfate) content by precipitating K_2SO_4 from the lean NH_3 solvent after the lean/rich heat exchanger.

  8. More Energy-Efficient CO2 Capture from IGCC GE Flue Gases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rakpong Peampermpool

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Carbon dioxide (CO2 emissions are one of the main reasons for the increase in greenhouse gasses in the earth’s atmosphere and carbon capture and sequestration (CCS is known as an effective method to reduce CO2 emissions on a larger scale, such as for fossil energy utilization systems. In this paper, the feasibility of capturing CO2 using cryogenic liquefaction and improving the capture rate by expansion will be discussed. The main aim was to design an energy-saving scheme for an IGCC (integrated gasification combined cycle power plant with CO2 cryogenic liquefaction capture. The experimental results provided by the authors, using the feed gas specification of a 740 MW IGCC General Electric (GE combustion power plant, demonstrated that using an orifice for further expanding the vent gas after cryogenic capture from 57 bar to 24 bar gave an experimentally observed capture rate up to 65%. The energy-saving scheme can improve the overall CO2 capture rate, and hence save energy. The capture process has also been simulated using Aspen HYSYS simulation software to evaluate its energy penalty. The results show that a 92% overall capture rate can be achieved by using an orifice.

  9. Fixation not required: characterizing oculomotor attention capture for looming stimuli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Joanna E; Neider, Mark B

    2015-10-01

    A stimulus moving toward us, such as a ball being thrown in our direction or a vehicle braking suddenly in front of ours, often represents a stimulus that requires a rapid response. Using a visual search task in which target and distractor items were systematically associated with a looming object, we explored whether this sort of looming motion captures attention, the nature of such capture using eye movement measures (overt/covert), and the extent to which such capture effects are more closely tied to motion onset or the motion itself. We replicated previous findings indicating that looming motion induces response time benefits and costs during visual search Lin, Franconeri, & Enns(Psychological Science 19(7): 686-693, 2008). These differences in response times were independent of fixation, indicating that these capture effects did not necessitate overt attentional shifts to a looming object for search benefits or costs to occur. Interestingly, we found no differences in capture benefits and costs associated with differences in looming motion type. Combined, our results suggest that capture effects associated with looming motion are more likely subserved by covert attentional mechanisms rather than overt mechanisms, and attention capture for looming motion is likely related to motion itself rather than the onset of motion.

  10. Proteomics pipeline for biomarker discovery of laser capture microdissected breast cancer tissue

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    N.Q. Liu (Ning Qing); R.B.H. Braakman (René); C. Stingl (Christoph); T.M. Luider (Theo); J.W.M. Martens (John); J.A. Foekens (John); A. Umar (Arzu)

    2012-01-01

    textabstractMass spectrometry (MS)-based label-free proteomics offers an unbiased approach to screen biomarkers related to disease progression and therapy-resistance of breast cancer on the global scale. However, multi-step sample preparation can introduce large variation in generated data, while

  11. Neutron Capture and Transmission Measurements and Resonance Parameter Analysis of Niobium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    NJ Drindak; JA Burke; G Leinweber; JA Helm; JG Hoole; RC Block; Y Danon; RE Slovacek; BE Moretti; CJ Werner; ME Overberg; SA Kolda; MJ Trbovich; DP Barry

    2005-01-01

    Epithermal neutron capture and transmission measurements were performed using the time-of-flight method at the RPI linac using metallic Nb samples. The capture measurements were made at the 25-meter flight station with a 16-section sodium iodide multiplicity detector and the transmission measurements at the 25-meter flight station with a Li-6 glass scintillation detector. Resonance parameters were determined for all resonances up to 500eV with a combined analysis of capture and transmission data using the multi-level R-matrix Bayesian code SAMMY. The present results are compared to those presented in ENDF/B-VI, updated through Release 3

  12. Monitoring Species of Concern Using Noninvasive Genetic Sampling and Capture-Recapture Methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-11-01

    RC-201205) Monitoring Species of Concern Using Noninvasive Genetic Sampling and Capture- Recapture Methods November 2016 This document has been...From - To) Apr 25 2012-Jan 31 2016 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Monitoring Species of Concern Using Noninvasive Genetic Sampling and Capture- Recapture...NGS-CR) modeling to evaluate the status of species of conservation concern . A secondary objective was to demonstrate the combination of NGS with

  13. Neutron capture therapy with thermal neutrons at IRT MIFI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zajtsev, K.N.; Portnov, A.A.; Savkin, V.A.; Kulakov, V.N.; Khokhlov, V.F.; Shejno, I.N.; Vajnson, A.A.; Kozlovskaya, N.G.; Meshcherikova, V.V.; Mitin, V.N.; Yarmonenko, S.P.

    2001-01-01

    Combined preclinical investigations into neutron capture therapy are conducted. Malignant melanoma was adopted as the line of investigation; boron-containing and gadolinium-containing preparations were used during the neutron capture therapy working off. Preparations produce secondary varying radiations when used in tumor. Dogs with spontaneous melanoma were used for the experiments. Procedures for the irradiation of dogs by neutron beam as the stage before use for the treatment of oncology patients were finished off; efficiency of neutron beam influence on normal tissues during the irradiation of dogs with melanoma (and without it) in antitumor and side effect sense was estimated [ru

  14. Synovectomy by Neutron capture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vega C, H.R.; Torres M, C.

    1998-01-01

    The Synovectomy by Neutron capture has as purpose the treatment of the rheumatoid arthritis, illness which at present does not have a definitive curing. This therapy requires a neutron source for irradiating the articulation affected. The energy spectra and the intensity of these neutrons are fundamental since these neutrons induce nuclear reactions of capture with Boron-10 inside the articulation and the freely energy of these reactions is transferred at the productive tissue of synovial liquid, annihilating it. In this work it is presented the neutron spectra results obtained with moderator packings of spherical geometry which contains in its center a Pu 239 Be source. The calculations were realized through Monte Carlo method. The moderators assayed were light water, heavy water base and the both combination of them. The spectra obtained, the average energy, the neutron total number by neutron emitted by source, the thermal neutron percentage and the dose equivalent allow us to suggest that the moderator packing more adequate is what has a light water thickness 0.5 cm (radius 2 cm) and 24.5 cm heavy water (radius 26.5 cm). (Author)

  15. Optional carbon capture

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alderson, T.; Scott, S.; Griffiths, J. [Jacobs Engineering, London (United Kingdom)

    2007-07-01

    In the case of IGCC power plants, carbon capture can be carried out before combustion. The carbon monoxide in the syngas is catalytically shifted to carbon dioxide and then captured in a standard gas absorption system. However, the insertion of a shift converter into an existing IGCC plant with no shift would mean a near total rebuild of the gasification waste heat recovery, gas treatment system and HRSG, with only the gasifier and gas turbine retaining most of their original features. To reduce the extent, cost and time taken for the revamping, the original plant could incorporate the shift, and the plant would then be operated without capture to advantage, and converted to capture mode of operation when commercially appropriate. This paper examines this concept of placing a shift converter into an IGCC plant before capture is required, and operating the same plant first without and then later with CO{sub 2} capture in a European context. The advantages and disadvantages of this 'capture ready' option are discussed. 6 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs.

  16. Fragment capture device

    Science.gov (United States)

    Payne, Lloyd R.; Cole, David L.

    2010-03-30

    A fragment capture device for use in explosive containment. The device comprises an assembly of at least two rows of bars positioned to eliminate line-of-sight trajectories between the generation point of fragments and a surrounding containment vessel or asset. The device comprises an array of at least two rows of bars, wherein each row is staggered with respect to the adjacent row, and wherein a lateral dimension of each bar and a relative position of each bar in combination provides blockage of a straight-line passage of a solid fragment through the adjacent rows of bars, wherein a generation point of the solid fragment is located within a cavity at least partially enclosed by the array of bars.

  17. Gravitational capture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bondi, H.

    1979-01-01

    In spite of the strength of gravitational focres between celestial bodies, gravitational capture is not a simple concept. The principles of conservation of linear momentum and of conservation of angular momentum, always impose severe constraints, while conservation of energy and the vital distinction between dissipative and non-dissipative systems allows one to rule out capture in a wide variety of cases. In complex systems especially those without dissipation, long dwell time is a more significant concept than permanent capture. (author)

  18. Interspecific variation in prey capture behavior by co-occurring Nepenthes pitcher plants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chin, Lijin; Chung, Arthur YC; Clarke, Charles

    2014-01-01

    Pitcher plants of the genus Nepenthes capture a wide range of arthropod prey for nutritional benefit, using complex combinations of visual and olfactory signals and gravity-driven pitfall trapping mechanisms. In many localities throughout Southeast Asia, several Nepenthes different species occur in mixed populations. Often, the species present at any given location have strongly divergent trap structures and preliminary surveys indicate that different species trap different combinations of arthropod prey, even when growing at the same locality. On this basis, it has been proposed that co-existing Nepenthes species may be engaged in niche segregation with regards to arthropod prey, avoiding direct competition with congeners by deploying traps that have modifications that enable them to target specific prey types. We examined prey capture among 3 multi-species Nepenthes populations in Borneo, finding that co-existing Nepenthes species do capture different combinations of prey, but that significant interspecific variations in arthropod prey combinations can often be detected only at sub-ordinal taxonomic ranks. In all lowland Nepenthes species examined, the dominant prey taxon is Formicidae, but montane Nepenthes trap few (or no) ants and 2 of the 3 species studied have evolved to target alternative sources of nutrition, such as tree shrew feces. Using similarity and null model analyses, we detected evidence for niche segregation with regards to formicid prey among 5 lowland, sympatric Nepenthes species in Sarawak. However, we were unable to determine whether these results provide support for the niche segregation hypothesis, or whether they simply reflect unquantified variation in heterogeneous habitats and/or ant communities in the study sites. These findings are used to propose improvements to the design of field experiments that seek to test hypotheses about targeted prey capture patterns in Nepenthes. PMID:24481246

  19. Capture ready study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Minchener, A.

    2007-07-15

    There are a large number of ways in which the capture of carbon as carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) can be integrated into fossil fuel power stations, most being applicable for both gas and coal feedstocks. To add to the choice of technology is the question of whether an existing plant should be retrofitted for capture, or whether it is more attractive to build totally new. This miscellany of choices adds considerably to the commercial risk of investing in a large power station. An intermediate stage between the non-capture and full capture state would be advantageous in helping to determine the best way forward and hence reduce those risks. In recent years the term 'carbon capture ready' or 'capture ready' has been coined to describe such an intermediate stage plant and is now widely used. However a detailed and all-encompassing definition of this term has never been published. All fossil fuel consuming plant produce a carbon dioxide gas byproduct. There is a possibility of scrubbing it with an appropriate CO{sub 2} solvent. Hence it could be said that all fossil fuel plant is in a condition for removal of its CO{sub 2} effluent and therefore already in a 'capture ready' state. Evidently, the practical reality of solvent scrubbing could cost more than the rewards offered by such as the ETS (European Trading Scheme). In which case, it can be said that although the possibility exists of capturing CO{sub 2}, it is not a commercially viable option and therefore the plant could not be described as ready for CO{sub 2} capture. The boundary between a capture ready and a non-capture ready condition using this definition cannot be determined in an objective and therefore universally acceptable way and criteria must be found which are less onerous and less potentially contentious to assess. 16 refs., 2 annexes.

  20. Microdissecção e captura a laser na investigação do gene TP53 em tecidos incluídos em parafina Laser-capture microdissection for TP53 gene analysis in paraffin-embedded tissues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shadia Muhammad Ihlaseh

    2007-02-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUÇÃO: Microdissecção e captura a laser (MCL é uma técnica de desenvolvimento recente que permite a coleta de células individuais ou pequeno conjunto de células para análise molecular. Atualmente, no Brasil, há raros microscópios para MCL, de modo que a divulgação dos procedimentos inerentes a essa técnica é oportuna para destacar seu amplo potencial para diagnóstico e investigação. OBJETIVO: Este trabalho descreve a padronização dos procedimentos de MCL e de extração de DNA de material fixado em formalina e incluído em parafina. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS: Foram estudados o éxon 8 do gene TP53 e o gene da ciclofilina em amostras de tecido normal e de neoplasias de fígado e rim provenientes de modelo de carcinogênese química induzida em rato. A extração do DNA foi comprovada por reação em cadeia da polimerase (nested-PCR. RESULTADOS: Foram padronizados os procedimentos de preparo dos cortes histológicos, de microdissecção e captura a laser e de obtenção de seqüências gênicas pela reação de nested-PCR para tecidos incluídos em parafina. Obtivemos amplificação de 48,3% das amostras para o éxon 8 do gene TP53 e 51,7% para o gene da ciclofilina. Considerando pelo menos um dos dois segmentos gênicos, foram amplificadas 79,3% das amostras. DISCUSSÃO E CONCLUSÃO: A extração de DNA de tecidos fixados em formalina e incluídos em parafina e a técnica de nested-PCR foram adequadamente padronizadas para produtos gênicos de interesse, obtidos de material coletado por MCL. Esses procedimentos podem ser úteis para a obtenção de seqüências de DNA de arquivos para análise molecular.BACKGORUND: Laser-capture micro-dissection (LCM is a recently developed procedure that provides single cells or specific cell groups for molecular analysis. Currently, there are few LCM systems in Brazil, in such a way that it is necessary to disseminate the technical procedures inherent to the methodology, and also to

  1. Comparative transcriptional survey between laser-microdissected cells from laminar abscission zone and petiolar cortical tissue during ethylene-promoted abscission in citrus leaves

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tadeo Francisco R

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Abscission is the cell separation process by which plants are able to shed organs. It has a great impact on the yield of most crop plants. At the same time, the process itself also constitutes an excellent model to study cell separation processes, since it occurs in concrete areas known as abscission zones (AZs which are composed of a specific cell type. However, molecular approaches are generally hampered by the limited area and cell number constituting the AZ. Therefore, detailed studies at the resolution of cell type are of great relevance in order to accurately describe the process and to identify potential candidate genes for biotechnological applications. Results Efficient protocols for the isolation of specific citrus cell types, namely laminar abscission zone (LAZ and petiolar cortical (Pet cells based on laser capture microdissection (LCM and for RNA microextraction and amplification have been developed. A comparative transcriptome analysis between LAZ and Pet from citrus leaf explants subjected to an in-vitro 24 h ethylene treatment was performed utilising microarray hybridization and analysis. Our analyses of gene functional classes differentially represented in ethylene-treated LAZ revealed an activation program dominated by the expression of genes associated with protein synthesis, protein fate, cell type differentiation, development and transcription. The extensive repertoire of genes associated with cell wall biosynthesis and metabolism strongly suggests that LAZ layers activate both catabolic and anabolic wall modification pathways during the abscission program. In addition, over-representation of particular members of different transcription factor families suggests important roles for these genes in the differentiation of the effective cell separation layer within the many layers contained in the citrus LAZ. Preferential expression of stress-related and defensive genes in Pet reveals that this tissue is

  2. Economic competitiveness of underground coal gasification combined with carbon capture and storage in the Bulgarian energy network

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nakaten, Natalie Christine

    2014-11-15

    Underground coal gasification (UCG) allows for exploitation of deep-seated coal seams not economically exploitable by conventional coal mining. Aim of the present study is to examine UCG economics based on coal conversion into a synthesis gas to fuel a combined cycle gas turbine power plant (CCGT) with CO2 capture and storage (CCS). Thereto, a techno-economic model is developed for UCG-CCGT-CCS costs of electricity (COE) determination which, considering sitespecific data of a selected target area in Bulgaria, sum up to 72 Euro/MWh in total. To quantify the impact of model constraints on COE, sensitivity analyses are undertaken revealing that varying geological model constraints impact COE with 0.4% to 4%, chemical with 13%, technical with 8% to 17% and market-dependent with 2% to 25%. Besides site-specific boundary conditions, UCG-CCGT-CCS economics depend on resources availability and infrastructural characteristics of the overall energy system. Assessing a model based implementation of UCG-CCGT-CCS and CCS power plants into the Bulgarian energy network revealed that both technologies provide essential and economically competitive options to achieve the EU environmental targets and a complete substitution of gas imports by UCG synthesis gas production.

  3. Economic competitiveness of underground coal gasification combined with carbon capture and storage in the Bulgarian energy network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakaten, Natalie Christine

    2014-01-01

    Underground coal gasification (UCG) allows for exploitation of deep-seated coal seams not economically exploitable by conventional coal mining. Aim of the present study is to examine UCG economics based on coal conversion into a synthesis gas to fuel a combined cycle gas turbine power plant (CCGT) with CO2 capture and storage (CCS). Thereto, a techno-economic model is developed for UCG-CCGT-CCS costs of electricity (COE) determination which, considering sitespecific data of a selected target area in Bulgaria, sum up to 72 Euro/MWh in total. To quantify the impact of model constraints on COE, sensitivity analyses are undertaken revealing that varying geological model constraints impact COE with 0.4% to 4%, chemical with 13%, technical with 8% to 17% and market-dependent with 2% to 25%. Besides site-specific boundary conditions, UCG-CCGT-CCS economics depend on resources availability and infrastructural characteristics of the overall energy system. Assessing a model based implementation of UCG-CCGT-CCS and CCS power plants into the Bulgarian energy network revealed that both technologies provide essential and economically competitive options to achieve the EU environmental targets and a complete substitution of gas imports by UCG synthesis gas production.

  4. Method for high temperature mercury capture from gas streams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Granite, Evan J [Wexford, PA; Pennline, Henry W [Bethel Park, PA

    2006-04-25

    A process to facilitate mercury extraction from high temperature flue/fuel gas via the use of metal sorbents which capture mercury at ambient and high temperatures. The spent sorbents can be regenerated after exposure to mercury. The metal sorbents can be used as pure metals (or combinations of metals) or dispersed on an inert support to increase surface area per gram of metal sorbent. Iridium and ruthenium are effective for mercury removal from flue and smelter gases. Palladium and platinum are effective for mercury removal from fuel gas (syngas). An iridium-platinum alloy is suitable for metal capture in many industrial effluent gas streams including highly corrosive gas streams.

  5. Radiative electron capture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Biggerstaff, J.A.; Appleton, B.R.; Datz, S.; Moak, C.D.; Neelavathi, V.N.; Noggle, T.S.; Ritchie, R.H.; VerBeek, H.

    1975-01-01

    Some data are presented for radiative electron capture by fast moving ions. The radiative electron capture spectrum is shown for O 8+ in Ag, along with the energy dependence of the capture cross-section. A discrepancy between earlier data, theoretical prediction, and the present data is pointed out. (3 figs) (U.S.)

  6. Rate-based modelling of combined SO2 removal and NH3 recycling integrated with an aqueous NH3-based CO2 capture process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Kangkang; Yu, Hai; Qi, Guojie; Feron, Paul; Tade, Moses; Yu, Jingwen; Wang, Shujuan

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • A rigorous, rate-based model for an NH 3 –CO 2 –SO 2 –H 2 O system was developed. • Model predictions are in good agreement with pilot plant results. • >99.9% of SO 2 was captured and >99.9% of slipped ammonia was reused. • The process is highly adaptable to the variations of SO 2 /NH 3 level, temperatures. - Abstract: To reduce the costs of controlling emissions from coal-fired power stations, we propose an advanced and effective process of combined SO 2 removal and NH 3 recycling, which can be integrated with the aqueous NH 3 -based CO 2 capture process to simultaneously achieve SO 2 and CO 2 removal, NH 3 recycling and flue gas cooling in one process. A rigorous, rate-based model for an NH 3 –CO 2 –SO 2 –H 2 O system was developed and used to simulate the proposed process. The model was thermodynamically and kinetically validated by experimental results from the open literature and pilot-plant trials, respectively. Under typical flue gas conditions, the proposed process has SO 2 removal and NH 3 reuse efficiencies of >99.9%. The process is strongly adaptable to different scenarios such as high SO 2 levels in flue gas, high NH 3 levels from the CO 2 absorber and high flue gas temperatures, and has a low energy requirement. Because the process simplifies flue gas desulphurisation and resolves the problems of NH 3 loss and SO 2 removal, it could significantly reduce the cost of CO 2 and SO 2 capture by aqueous NH 3

  7. Integrated assessment of IGCC power generation technology with carbon capture and storage (CCS)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cormos, Calin-Cristian

    2012-01-01

    IGCC (Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle) is a power generation technology in which the solid feedstock is partially oxidized with oxygen and steam to produce syngas. In a conventional IGCC design without carbon capture, the syngas is purified for dust and hydrogen sulphide removal and then it is sent to a CCGT (Combined Cycle Gas Turbine) for power generation. CCS (Carbon capture and storage) technologies are expected to play a significant role in the coming decades for reducing the greenhouse gas emissions. IGCC is one of the power generation technologies having the highest potential to capture CO 2 with low penalties in term of plant energy efficiency, capital and operational costs. This paper investigates the most important techno-economic and environmental indicators (e.g. power output, ancillary consumption, energy efficiency, CW consumption, normalised mass and energy balances and plant construction materials, capital and O and M (operational and maintenance) costs, specific CO 2 emissions, cost of electricity, CO 2 removal and avoidance costs etc.) for IGCC with CCS. Coal-based IGCC cases produce around 400–450 MW net electricity with 90% carbon capture rate. Similar IGCC plants without CCS were presented as references. Future IGCC developments for energy vectors poly-generation were also presented. -- Highlights: ► Techno-economical evaluations of coal-based IGCC power generation with CCS. ► Model development for capital, O and M, CO 2 capture costs and cash flow estimations. ► Technical and economic investigations of key plant design characteristics. ► Evaluations of carbon capture options for IGCC power generation technology.

  8. Advanced modeling and simulation of integrated gasification combined cycle power plants with CO2-capture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rieger, Mathias

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this thesis is to provide an extensive description of the correlations in some of the most crucial sub-processes for hard coal fired IGCC with carbon capture (CC-IGCC). For this purpose, process simulation models are developed for four industrial gasification processes, the CO-shift cycle, the acid gas removal unit, the sulfur recovery process, the gas turbine, the water-/steam cycle and the air separation unit (ASU). Process simulations clarify the influence of certain boundary conditions on plant operation, performance and economics. Based on that, a comparative benchmark of CC-IGCC concepts is conducted. Furthermore, the influence of integration between the gas turbine and the ASU is analyzed in detail. The generated findings are used to develop an advanced plant configuration with improved economics. Nevertheless, IGCC power plants with carbon capture are not found to be an economically efficient power generation technology at present day boundary conditions.

  9. Pre-Combustion Capture of CO2 in IGCC Plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2011-12-15

    Pre-combustion capture involves reacting a fuel with oxygen or air and/or steam to give mainly a 'synthesis gas (syngas)' or 'fuel gas' composed of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The carbon monoxide is reacted with steam in a catalytic reactor, called a shift converter, to produce CO2 and more hydrogen. CO2 is then separated, usually by a physical or chemical absorption process, resulting in a hydrogen-rich fuel which can be used in many applications, such as boilers, furnaces, gas turbines, engines and fuel cells. Pre-combustion capture is suitable for use in integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plants especially since the CO2 partial pressures in the fuel gas are higher than in the flue gas. After the introduction there follows a short discussion of the water-gas shift (WGS) reaction. This is followed by chapters on the means of CO2 capture by physical and chemical solvents, solid sorbents, and membranes. The results and conclusions of techno-economic studies are introduced followed by a look at some of the pilot and demonstration plants relevant to pre-combustion capture in IGCC plants.

  10. A bead-based western for high-throughput cellular signal transduction analyses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Treindl, Fridolin; Ruprecht, Benjamin; Beiter, Yvonne; Schultz, Silke; Döttinger, Anette; Staebler, Annette; Joos, Thomas O.; Kling, Simon; Poetz, Oliver; Fehm, Tanja; Neubauer, Hans; Kuster, Bernhard; Templin, Markus F.

    2016-01-01

    Dissecting cellular signalling requires the analysis of large number of proteins. The DigiWest approach we describe here transfers the western blot to a bead-based microarray platform. By combining gel-based protein separation with immobilization on microspheres, hundreds of replicas of the initial blot are created, thus enabling the comprehensive analysis of limited material, such as cells collected by laser capture microdissection, and extending traditional western blotting to reach proteomic scales. The combination of molecular weight resolution, sensitivity and signal linearity on an automated platform enables the rapid quantification of hundreds of specific proteins and protein modifications in complex samples. This high-throughput western blot approach allowed us to identify and characterize alterations in cellular signal transduction that occur during the development of resistance to the kinase inhibitor Lapatinib, revealing major changes in the activation state of Ephrin-mediated signalling and a central role for p53-controlled processes. PMID:27659302

  11. Sourcing of Steam and Electricity for Carbon Capture Retrofits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Supekar, Sarang D; Skerlos, Steven J

    2017-11-07

    This paper compares different steam and electricity sources for carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) retrofits of pulverized coal (PC) and natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) power plants. Analytical expressions for the thermal efficiency of these power plants are derived under 16 different CCS retrofit scenarios for the purpose of illustrating their environmental and economic characteristics. The scenarios emerge from combinations of steam and electricity sources, fuel used in each source, steam generation equipment and process details, and the extent of CO 2 capture. Comparing these scenarios reveals distinct trade-offs between thermal efficiency, net power output, levelized cost, profit, and net CO 2 reduction. Despite causing the highest loss in useful power output, bleeding steam and extracting electric power from the main power plant to meet the CCS plant's electricity and steam demand maximizes plant efficiency and profit while minimizing emissions and levelized cost when wholesale electricity prices are below 4.5 and 5.2 US¢/kWh for PC-CCS and NGCC-CCS plants, respectively. At prices higher than these higher profits for operating CCS retrofits can be obtained by meeting 100% of the CCS plant's electric power demand using an auxiliary natural gas turbine-based combined heat and power plant.

  12. Anatomic renal artery branch microdissection to facilitate zero-ischemia partial nephrectomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ng, Casey K; Gill, Inderbir S; Patil, Mukul B; Hung, Andrew J; Berger, Andre K; de Castro Abreu, Andre Luis; Nakamoto, Masahiko; Eisenberg, Manuel S; Ukimura, Osamu; Thangathurai, Duraiyah; Aron, Monish; Desai, Mihir M

    2012-01-01

    Robot-assisted and laparoscopic partial nephrectomies (PNs) for medial tumors are technically challenging even with the hilum clamped and, until now, were impossible to perform with the hilum unclamped. Evaluate whether targeted vascular microdissection (VMD) of renal artery branches allows zero-ischemia PN to be performed even for challenging medial tumors. A prospective cohort evaluation of 44 patients with renal masses who underwent robot-assisted or laparoscopic zero-ischemia PN either with anatomic VMD (group 1; n=22) or without anatomic VMD (group 2; n=22) performed by a single surgeon from April 2010 to January 2011. Zero-ischemia PN with VMD incorporates four maneuvers: (1) preoperative computed tomographic reconstruction of renal arterial branch anatomy, (2) anatomic dissection of targeted, tumor-specific tertiary or higher-order renal arterial branches, (3) neurosurgical aneurysm microsurgical bulldog clamp(s) for superselective tumor devascularization, and (4) transient, controlled reduction of blood pressure, if necessary. Baseline, perioperative, and postoperative data were collected prospectively. Group 1 tumors were larger (4.3 vs 2.6 cm; p=0.011), were more often hilar (41% vs 9%; p=0.09), were medial (59% and 23%; p=0.017), were closer to the hilum (1.46 vs 3.26 cm; p=0.0002), and had a lower C index score (2.1 vs 3.9; p=0.004) and higher RENAL nephrometry scores (7.7 vs 6.2; p=0.013). Despite greater complexity, no group 1 tumor required hilar clamping, and perioperative outcomes were similar to those of group 2: operating room time (4.7 and 4.1h), median blood loss (200 and 100ml), surgical margins for cancer (all negative), major complications (0% and 9%), and minor complications (18% and 14%). The median serum creatinine level was similar 2 mo postoperatively (1.2 and 1.3mg/dl). The study was limited by the relatively small sample size. Anatomic targeted dissection and superselective control of tumor-specific renal arterial branches facilitate

  13. Capturing Thoughts, Capturing Minds?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Janni

    2004-01-01

    Think Aloud is cost effective, promises access to the user's mind and is the applied usability technique. But 'keep talking' is difficult, besides, the multimodal interface is visual not verbal. Eye-tracking seems to get around the verbalisation problem. It captures the visual focus of attention...

  14. Quasi-linear score for capturing heterogeneous structure in biomarkers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Omae, Katsuhiro; Komori, Osamu; Eguchi, Shinto

    2017-06-19

    Linear scores are widely used to predict dichotomous outcomes in biomedical studies because of their learnability and understandability. Such approaches, however, cannot be used to elucidate biodiversity when there is heterogeneous structure in target population. Our study was focused on describing intrinsic heterogeneity in predictions. Because heterogeneity can be captured by a clustering method, integrating different information from different clusters should yield better predictions. Accordingly, we developed a quasi-linear score, which effectively combines the linear scores of clustered markers. We extended the linear score to the quasi-linear score by a generalized average form, the Kolmogorov-Nagumo average. We observed that two shrinkage methods worked well: ridge shrinkage for estimating the quasi-linear score, and lasso shrinkage for selecting markers within each cluster. Simulation studies and applications to real data show that the proposed method has good predictive performance compared with existing methods. Heterogeneous structure is captured by a clustering method. Quasi-linear scores combine such heterogeneity and have a better predictive ability compared with linear scores.

  15. Life cycle GHG assessment of fossil fuel power plants with carbon capture and storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Odeh, Naser A.; Cockerill, Timothy T.

    2008-01-01

    The evaluation of life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from power generation with carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a critical factor in energy and policy analysis. The current paper examines life cycle emissions from three types of fossil-fuel-based power plants, namely supercritical pulverized coal (super-PC), natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) and integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), with and without CCS. Results show that, for a 90% CO 2 capture efficiency, life cycle GHG emissions are reduced by 75-84% depending on what technology is used. With GHG emissions less than 170 g/kWh, IGCC technology is found to be favorable to NGCC with CCS. Sensitivity analysis reveals that, for coal power plants, varying the CO 2 capture efficiency and the coal transport distance has a more pronounced effect on life cycle GHG emissions than changing the length of CO 2 transport pipeline. Finally, it is concluded from the current study that while the global warming potential is reduced when MEA-based CO 2 capture is employed, the increase in other air pollutants such as NO x and NH 3 leads to higher eutrophication and acidification potentials

  16. Capturing and reproducing realistic acoustic scenes for hearing research

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Marschall, Marton; Buchholz, Jörg

    Accurate spatial audio recordings are important for a range of applications, from the creation of realistic virtual sound environments to the evaluation of communication devices, such as hearing instruments and mobile phones. Spherical microphone arrays are particularly well-suited for capturing....... The properties of MOA microphone layouts and processing were investigated further by considering several order combinations. It was shown that the performance for horizontal vs. elevated sources can be adjusted by varying the order combination, but that a benefit of the higher horizontal orders can only be seen...

  17. Functional Upgrading and Value Capture of Multinational Subsidiaries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Burger, Anže; Jindra, Björn; Marek, Philipp

    2018-01-01

    survey-based business function indicators with longitudinal accounting data for a representative sample of multinational subsidiaries located in six Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs), we assess the impact of functional upgrading on foreign subsidiaries' value capture. The results provide......This paper investigates the relationship between the value capture of multinational subsidiaries and functional upgrading, which is defined as a diversification of employment from primary business functions to higher value adding activities such as ICT, R&D, marketing or logistics. By combining...... robust evidence that the breadth as well as the scope of functional upgrading induces an upward shift of subsidiaries' value added. The effect of functional upgrading is stronger in the earlier phases after entry of the foreign investor, while the long-term growth trend remains unaffected....

  18. Efficient, quality-assured data capture in operational research through innovative use of open-access technology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kumar, A M V; Naik, B; Guddemane, D K

    2013-01-01

    to these issues can pose a significant bottleneck for operational research in resource-limited settings. In this article, we describe an innovative and efficient way of coordinating data capture in multicentre operational research using a combination of three open access technologies-EpiData for data capture......Ensuring quality of data during electronic data capture has been one of the most neglected components of operational research. Multicentre studies are also challenged with issues about logistics of travel, training, supervision, monitoring and troubleshooting support. Allocating resources...

  19. Hafnium Resonance Parameter Analysis Using Neutron Capture and Transmission Experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MJ Trbovich; DP Barry; RE Slovacck; Y Danon; RC Block; JA Burke; NJ Drindak; G Leinweber; RV Ballad

    2004-01-01

    The focus of this work is to determine resonance parameters for stable hafnium isotopes in the 0.005-200 eV region, with special emphasis on the overlapping 176 Hf and 178 Hf resonances near 8 eV. The large neutron cross section of hafnium, combined with its corrosion resistance and excellent mechanical properties, make it a useful material for controlling nuclear reactions. Experiments measuring neutron capture and transmission were performed at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) electron linear accelerator (LINAC) using the time of flight method. 6 Li glass scintillation detectors were used for transmission experiments at flight path lengths of 15 and 25 m. Capture experiments were done using a sixteen section NaI(Tl) multiplicity detector at a flight path length of 25 m. These experiments utilized various thicknesses of metallic and isotopically-enriched liquid samples. The liquid samples were designed to provide information on the 176 Hf and 178 Hf contributions to the 8 eV doublet without saturation. Data analysis was done using the R-matrix Bayesian code SAMMY version M6 beta. SAMMY is able to account for experimental resolution effects for each of the experimental setups at the RPI LINAC, and also can correct for multiple scattering effects in neutron capture yield data. The combined capture and transmission data analysis yielded resonance parameters for all hafnium isotopes from 0.005-200 eV. Resonance integrals were calculated along with errors for each hafnium isotope using the NJOY [1] and INTER [2] codes. The isotopic resonance integrals calculated were significantly different than previously published values; however the calculated elemental hafnium resonance integral changed very little

  20. Establishing gene models from the Pinus pinaster genome using gene capture and BAC sequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seoane-Zonjic, Pedro; Cañas, Rafael A; Bautista, Rocío; Gómez-Maldonado, Josefa; Arrillaga, Isabel; Fernández-Pozo, Noé; Claros, M Gonzalo; Cánovas, Francisco M; Ávila, Concepción

    2016-02-27

    In the era of DNA throughput sequencing, assembling and understanding gymnosperm mega-genomes remains a challenge. Although drafts of three conifer genomes have recently been published, this number is too low to understand the full complexity of conifer genomes. Using techniques focused on specific genes, gene models can be established that can aid in the assembly of gene-rich regions, and this information can be used to compare genomes and understand functional evolution. In this study, gene capture technology combined with BAC isolation and sequencing was used as an experimental approach to establish de novo gene structures without a reference genome. Probes were designed for 866 maritime pine transcripts to sequence genes captured from genomic DNA. The gene models were constructed using GeneAssembler, a new bioinformatic pipeline, which reconstructed over 82% of the gene structures, and a high proportion (85%) of the captured gene models contained sequences from the promoter regulatory region. In a parallel experiment, the P. pinaster BAC library was screened to isolate clones containing genes whose cDNA sequence were already available. BAC clones containing the asparagine synthetase, sucrose synthase and xyloglucan endotransglycosylase gene sequences were isolated and used in this study. The gene models derived from the gene capture approach were compared with the genomic sequences derived from the BAC clones. This combined approach is a particularly efficient way to capture the genomic structures of gene families with a small number of members. The experimental approach used in this study is a valuable combined technique to study genomic gene structures in species for which a reference genome is unavailable. It can be used to establish exon/intron boundaries in unknown gene structures, to reconstruct incomplete genes and to obtain promoter sequences that can be used for transcriptional studies. A bioinformatics algorithm (GeneAssembler) is also provided as a

  1. Carbon captured from the air

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keith, D.

    2008-01-01

    This article presented an innovative way to achieve the efficient capture of atmospheric carbon. A team of scientists from the University of Calgary's Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy have shown that it is possible to reduce carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) using a simple machine that can capture the trace amount of CO 2 present in ambient air at any place on the planet. The thermodynamics of capturing the small concentrations of CO 2 from the air is only slightly more difficult than capturing much larger concentrations of CO 2 from power plants. The research is significant because it offers a way to capture CO 2 emissions from transportation sources such as vehicles and airplanes, which represent more than half of the greenhouse gases emitted on Earth. The energy efficient and cost effective air capture technology could complement other approaches for reducing emissions from the transportation sector, such as biofuels and electric vehicles. Air capture differs from carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology used at coal-fired power plants where CO 2 is captured and pipelined for permanent storage underground. Air capture can capture the CO 2 that is present in ambient air and store it wherever it is cheapest. The team at the University of Calgary showed that CO 2 could be captured directly from the air with less than 100 kWhrs of electricity per tonne of CO 2 . A custom-built tower was able to capture the equivalent of 20 tonnes per year of CO 2 on a single square meter of scrubbing material. The team devised a way to use a chemical process from the pulp and paper industry to cut the energy cost of air capture in half. Although the technology is only in its early stage, it appears that CO 2 could be captured from the air with an energy demand comparable to that needed for CO 2 capture from conventional power plants, but costs will be higher. The simple, reliable and scalable technology offers an opportunity to build a commercial-scale plant. 1 fig

  2. Use of diazepam and ketamine anaesthesia in prevention of capture ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Capture or exertion myopathy (CM) is an attendant complication of manual restraint in ratites, asides physical injuries that handlers may suffer. CM arises from a combination of stress and anaerobic glycolysis during handling. This work was carried out to restrain and immobilize two ostriches (Struthio camelus) in a bid to ...

  3. Efficient, quality-assured data capture in operational research through innovative use of open-access technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, A M V; Naik, B; Guddemane, D K; Bhat, P; Wilson, N; Sreenivas, A N; Lauritsen, J M; Rieder, H L

    2013-03-21

    Ensuring quality of data during electronic data capture has been one of the most neglected components of operational research. Multicentre studies are also challenged with issues about logistics of travel, training, supervision, monitoring and troubleshooting support. Allocating resources to these issues can pose a significant bottleneck for operational research in resource-limited settings. In this article, we describe an innovative and efficient way of coordinating data capture in multicentre operational research using a combination of three open access technologies-EpiData for data capture, Dropbox for sharing files and TeamViewer for providing remote support.

  4. Capture by colour: evidence for dimension-specific singleton capture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Anthony M; Becker, Stefanie I; Remington, Roger W

    2015-10-01

    Previous work on attentional capture has shown the attentional system to be quite flexible in the stimulus properties it can be set to respond to. Several different attentional "modes" have been identified. Feature search mode allows attention to be set for specific features of a target (e.g., red). Singleton detection mode sets attention to respond to any discrepant item ("singleton") in the display. Relational search sets attention for the relative properties of the target in relation to the distractors (e.g., redder, larger). Recently, a new attentional mode was proposed that sets attention to respond to any singleton within a particular feature dimension (e.g., colour; Folk & Anderson, 2010). We tested this proposal against the predictions of previously established attentional modes. In a spatial cueing paradigm, participants searched for a colour target that was randomly either red or green. The nature of the attentional control setting was probed by presenting an irrelevant singleton cue prior to the target display and assessing whether it attracted attention. In all experiments, the cues were red, green, blue, or a white stimulus rapidly rotated (motion cue). The results of three experiments support the existence of a "colour singleton set," finding that all colour cues captured attention strongly, while motion cues captured attention only weakly or not at all. Notably, we also found that capture by motion cues in search for colour targets was moderated by their frequency; rare motion cues captured attention (weakly), while frequent motion cues did not.

  5. Materials For Gas Capture, Methods Of Making Materials For Gas Capture, And Methods Of Capturing Gas

    KAUST Repository

    Polshettiwar, Vivek

    2013-06-20

    In accordance with the purpose(s) of the present disclosure, as embodied and broadly described herein, embodiments of the present disclosure, in one aspect, relate to materials that can be used for gas (e.g., CO.sub.2) capture, methods of making materials, methods of capturing gas (e.g., CO.sub.2), and the like, and the like.

  6. Computational Modeling of Mixed Solids for CO2 CaptureSorbents

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duan, Yuhua

    2015-01-01

    Since current technologies for capturing CO2 to fight global climate change are still too energy intensive, there is a critical need for development of new materials that can capture CO2 reversibly with acceptable energy costs. Accordingly, solid sorbents have been proposed to be used for CO2 capture applications through a reversible chemical transformation. By combining thermodynamic database mining with first principles density functional theory and phonon lattice dynamics calculations, a theoretical screening methodology to identify the most promising CO2 sorbent candidates from the vast array of possible solid materials has been proposed and validated. The calculated thermodynamic properties of different classes of solid materials versus temperature and pressure changes were further used to evaluate the equilibrium properties for the CO2 adsorption/desorption cycles. According to the requirements imposed by the pre- and post- combustion technologies and based on our calculated thermodynamic properties for the CO2 capture reactions by the solids of interest, we were able to screen only those solid materials for which lower capture energy costs are expected at the desired pressure and temperature conditions. Only those selected CO2 sorbent candidates were further considered for experimental validations. The ab initio thermodynamic technique has the advantage of identifying thermodynamic properties of CO2 capture reactions without any experimental input beyond crystallographic structural information of the solid phases involved. Such methodology not only can be used to search for good candidates from existing database of solid materials, but also can provide some guidelines for synthesis new materials. In this presentation, we apply our screening methodology to mixing solid systems to adjust the turnover temperature to help on developing CO2 capture Technologies.

  7. JWST Associations overview: automated generation of combined products

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexov, Anastasia; Swade, Daryl; Bushouse, Howard; Diaz, Rosa; Eisenhamer, Jonathan; Hack, Warren; Kyprianou, Mark; Levay, Karen; Rahmani, Christopher; Swam, Mike; Valenti, Jeff

    2018-01-01

    We are presenting the design of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Data Management System (DMS) automated processing of Associations. An Association captures the relationship between exposures and higher level data products, such as combined mosaics created from dithered and tiled observations. The astronomer’s intent is captured within the Proposal Planning System (PPS) and provided to DMS as candidate associations. These candidates are converted into Association Pools and Association Generator Tables that serve as input to automated processing which create the combined data products. Association Pools are generated to capture a list of exposures that could potentially form associations and provide relevant information about those exposures. The Association Generator using definitions on groupings creates one or more Association Tables from a single input Association Pool. Each Association Table defines a set of exposures to be combined and the ruleset of the combination to be performed; the calibration software creates Associated data products based on these input tables. The initial design produces automated Associations within a proposal. Additionally this JWST overall design is conducive to eventually produce Associations for observations from multiple proposals, similar to the Hubble Legacy Archive (HLA).

  8. Interatomic Coulombic electron capture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gokhberg, K.; Cederbaum, L. S.

    2010-01-01

    In a previous publication [K. Gokhberg and L. S. Cederbaum, J. Phys. B 42, 231001 (2009)] we presented the interatomic Coulombic electron capture process--an efficient electron capture mechanism by atoms and ions in the presence of an environment. In the present work we derive and discuss the mechanism in detail. We demonstrate thereby that this mechanism belongs to a family of interatomic electron capture processes driven by electron correlation. In these processes the excess energy released in the capture event is transferred to the environment and used to ionize (or to excite) it. This family includes the processes where the capture is into the lowest or into an excited unoccupied orbital of an atom or ion and proceeds in step with the ionization (or excitation) of the environment, as well as the process where an intermediate autoionizing excited resonance state is formed in the capturing center which subsequently deexcites to a stable state transferring its excess energy to the environment. Detailed derivation of the asymptotic cross sections of these processes is presented. The derived expressions make clear that the environment assisted capture processes can be important for many systems. Illustrative examples are presented for a number of model systems for which the data needed to construct the various capture cross sections are available in the literature.

  9. Targeted Capture and High-Throughput Sequencing Using Molecular Inversion Probes (MIPs).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cantsilieris, Stuart; Stessman, Holly A; Shendure, Jay; Eichler, Evan E

    2017-01-01

    Molecular inversion probes (MIPs) in combination with massively parallel DNA sequencing represent a versatile, yet economical tool for targeted sequencing of genomic DNA. Several thousand genomic targets can be selectively captured using long oligonucleotides containing unique targeting arms and universal linkers. The ability to append sequencing adaptors and sample-specific barcodes allows large-scale pooling and subsequent high-throughput sequencing at relatively low cost per sample. Here, we describe a "wet bench" protocol detailing the capture and subsequent sequencing of >2000 genomic targets from 192 samples, representative of a single lane on the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform.

  10. Gold nanomaterials for the selective capturing and SERS diagnosis of toxins in aqueous and biological fluids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hassanain, Waleed A.; Izake, Emad L.; Schmidt, Michael Stenbæk

    2017-01-01

    the extractor nanoparticles within 5min by manipulating the pH environment of the nanoparticles. The regenerated extractor nanoparticles maintained their capture efficiency and, therefore, were re-used to capture of MC-LR from successive samples. The released purified toxin was screened within 10min on gold......A highly sensitive nanosensing method for the combined selective capture and SERS detection of Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) in blood plasma has been developed. The new method utilizes gold coated magnetic nanoparticles that are functionalized with anti MC-LR antibody Fab' fragments for the selective...... capture of MC-LR from aqueous media and blood plasma. Using an oriented immobilization approach, the Fab' fragments are covalently attached to gold surface to form a monolayer with high capture efficiency towards the toxin. After the selective capture, the purified MC-LR molecules were released from...

  11. Accounting for female reproductive cycles in a superpopulation capture-recapture framework

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Carroll, E. L.; Childerhouse, S. J.; Fewster, R. M.

    2013-01-01

    Superpopulation capture-recapture models are useful for estimating the abundance of long-lived, migratory species because they are able to account for the fluid nature of annual residency at migratory destinations. Here we extend the superpopulation POPAN model to explicitly account...... 700 whales, sampled during two sets of winter expeditions in 1995-1998 and 2006-2009. Due to differences in recapture rates between sexes, only sex-specific models were considered. The POPAN-tau models, which explicitly account for a decrease in capture probability in non-calving years, fit the female...... estimate of 1007 males (95% CL 794, 1276) and an estimated annual increase of 7% (95% CL 5%, 9%) for 1995-2009. Combined, the total superpopulation estimate for 1995-2009 was 2169 whales (95% CL 1836, 2563). Simulations suggest that failure to account for the effect of reproductive status on the capture...

  12. Carbon captured from the air

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Keith, D. [Calgary Univ., AB (Canada)

    2008-10-15

    This article presented an innovative way to achieve the efficient capture of atmospheric carbon. A team of scientists from the University of Calgary's Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy have shown that it is possible to reduce carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) using a simple machine that can capture the trace amount of CO{sub 2} present in ambient air at any place on the planet. The thermodynamics of capturing the small concentrations of CO{sub 2} from the air is only slightly more difficult than capturing much larger concentrations of CO{sub 2} from power plants. The research is significant because it offers a way to capture CO{sub 2} emissions from transportation sources such as vehicles and airplanes, which represent more than half of the greenhouse gases emitted on Earth. The energy efficient and cost effective air capture technology could complement other approaches for reducing emissions from the transportation sector, such as biofuels and electric vehicles. Air capture differs from carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology used at coal-fired power plants where CO{sub 2} is captured and pipelined for permanent storage underground. Air capture can capture the CO{sub 2} that is present in ambient air and store it wherever it is cheapest. The team at the University of Calgary showed that CO{sub 2} could be captured directly from the air with less than 100 kWhrs of electricity per tonne of CO{sub 2}. A custom-built tower was able to capture the equivalent of 20 tonnes per year of CO{sub 2} on a single square meter of scrubbing material. The team devised a way to use a chemical process from the pulp and paper industry to cut the energy cost of air capture in half. Although the technology is only in its early stage, it appears that CO{sub 2} could be captured from the air with an energy demand comparable to that needed for CO{sub 2} capture from conventional power plants, but costs will be higher. The simple, reliable and scalable technology

  13. Advanced modeling and simulation of integrated gasification combined cycle power plants with CO{sub 2}-capture

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rieger, Mathias

    2014-04-17

    The objective of this thesis is to provide an extensive description of the correlations in some of the most crucial sub-processes for hard coal fired IGCC with carbon capture (CC-IGCC). For this purpose, process simulation models are developed for four industrial gasification processes, the CO-shift cycle, the acid gas removal unit, the sulfur recovery process, the gas turbine, the water-/steam cycle and the air separation unit (ASU). Process simulations clarify the influence of certain boundary conditions on plant operation, performance and economics. Based on that, a comparative benchmark of CC-IGCC concepts is conducted. Furthermore, the influence of integration between the gas turbine and the ASU is analyzed in detail. The generated findings are used to develop an advanced plant configuration with improved economics. Nevertheless, IGCC power plants with carbon capture are not found to be an economically efficient power generation technology at present day boundary conditions.

  14. Theoretical analysis of state capture and its manifestation as a governance problem in South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maurice O. Dassah

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available State capture became topical in South Africa in March 2016 following the dismissal of the then Minister of Finance, Nhlanhla Nene, on 09 December 2015. ‘Nenegate’ revealed poor understanding of state capture among politicians and the general public. The literature indicates that state capture lacks analytical clarity as there is no clear demarcation between legitimate political lobbying and state capture created by corruption. The research question addressed in this article is: What is state capture and how is it manifested in South Africa? Firstly, it systematically unpacks the phenomenon as a type of business–state relationship distinct from influence, corruption and lobbying and outlines its types, features and essence. Secondly, the article explores state capture in contemporary South Africa. Methodology-wise, a combination of literature study and current research reports is used to illuminate the phenomenon and its manifestation. The article contributes to existing knowledge by not only clarifying a concept conflated with corruption but also analysing the manifestations of state capture in South Africa.

  15. An evaluation method on seat comfort based on optical motion capture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qing TAO

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available To research the sitting posture comfort evaluation method, through the example of comfort evaluation of the ergonomic seat and standard office seat, a methodology is introduced to evaluate the sitting posture comfort combining ergonomics theory. The proposed method is based on optical motion capture system, pressure sensor and JACK software, and TRC file is acquired by using EVART real-time capture software for identifying the spatial motion trail of human body. Then MATLAB software is used to analyze the human body motion data, and the sitting posture angle difference data for human body in different seats is acquired. TRC file is loaded into JACK software, and with the TAT REPORTER of JACK software, muscle force, moment of force and fatigue data, etc. are output, which are compared with the actual measured data from experiments, and ergonomics method is used for the evaluation. The result shows that the method of considering joint angles combining JACK software for data output is effective for evaluating sitting comfort.

  16. High expression of microRNA-625-3p is associated with poor response to first-line oxaliplatin based treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Mads Heilskov; Jensen, Niels; Tarpgaard, Line Schmidt

    2013-01-01

    The backbone of current cytotoxic treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) consists of a fluoropyrimidine together with either oxaliplatin (XELOX/FOLFOX) or irinotecan (XELIRI/FOLFIRI). With an overall objective response rate of approximately 50% for either treatment combination, a major...... analyses showed that miR-625-3p was not dysregulated between normal and cancer samples, nor was its expression associated with recurrence of stage II or III disease, indicating that miR-625-3p solely is a response marker. Finally, we also found that these miRNAs were up-regulated in oxaliplatin resistant...... unsolved problem is that no predictors of response to these treatments are available. To address this issue, we profiled 742 microRNAs in laser-capture microdissected cancer cells from responding and non-responding patients receiving XELOX/FOLFOX as first-line treatment for mCRC, and identified, among...

  17. Subtask 2.18 - Advancing CO2 Capture Technology: Partnership for CO2 Capture (PCO2C) Phase III

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kay, John; Azenkeng, Alexander; Fiala, Nathan; Jensen, Melanie; Laumb, Jason; Leroux, Kerryanne; McCollor, Donald; Stanislowski, Joshua; Tolbert, Scott; Curran, Tyler

    2016-03-31

    Industries and utilities continue to investigate ways to decrease their carbon footprint. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) can enable existing power generation facilities to meet the current national CO2 reduction goals. The Partnership for CO2 Capture Phase III focused on several important research areas in an effort to find ways to decrease the cost of capture across both precombustion and postcombustion platforms. Two flue gas pretreatment technologies for postcombustion capture, an SO2 reduction scrubbing technology from Cansolv Technologies Inc. and the Tri-Mer filtration technology that combines particulate, NOx, and SO2 control, were evaluated on the Energy & Environmental Research Center’s (EERC’s) pilot-scale test system. Pretreating the flue gas should enable more efficient, and therefore less expensive, CO2 capture. Both technologies were found to be effective in pretreating flue gas prior to CO2 capture. Two new postcombustion capture solvents were tested, one from the Korea Carbon Capture and Sequestration R&D Center (KCRC) and one from CO2 Solutions Incorporated. Both of these solvents showed the ability to capture CO2 while requiring less regeneration energy, which would reduce the cost of capture. Hydrogen separation membranes from Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation were evaluated through precombustion testing. They are composed of vanadium alloy, which is less expensive than the palladium alloys that are typically used. Their performance was comparable to that of other membranes that have been tested at the EERC. Aspen Plus® software was used to model the KCRC and CO2 Solutions solvents and found that they would result in significantly improved overall plant performance. The modeling effort also showed that the parasitic steam load at partial capture of 45% is less than half that of 90% overall capture, indicating savings that

  18. Electron capture by highly charged ions from surfaces and gases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allen, F.

    2008-01-01

    In this study highly charged ions produced in Electron Beam Ion Traps are used to investigate electron capture from surfaces and gases. The experiments with gas targets focus on spectroscopic measurements of the K-shell x-rays emitted at the end of radiative cascades following electron capture into Rydberg states of Ar 17+ and Ar 18+ ions as a function of collision energy. The ions are extracted from an Electron Beam Ion Trap at an energy of 2 keVu -1 , charge-selected and then decelerated down to 5 eVu -1 for interaction with an argon gas target. For decreasing collision energies a shift to electron capture into low orbital angular momentum capture states is observed. Comparative measurements of the K-shell x-ray emission following electron capture by Ar 17+ and Ar 18+ ions from background gas in the trap are made and a discrepancy in the results compared with those from the extraction experiments is found. Possible explanations are discussed. For the investigation of electron capture from surfaces, highly charged ions are extracted from an Electron Beam Ion Trap at energies of 2 to 3 keVu -1 , charge-selected and directed onto targets comprising arrays of nanoscale apertures in silicon nitride membranes. The highly charged ions implemented are Ar 16+ and Xe 44+ and the aperture targets are formed by focused ion beam drilling in combination with ion beam assisted thin film deposition, achieving hole diameters of 50 to 300 nm and aspect ratios of 1:5 to 3:2. After transport through the nanoscale apertures the ions pass through an electrostatic charge state analyzer and are detected. The percentage of electron capture from the aperture walls is found to be much lower than model predictions and the results are discussed in terms of a capillary guiding mechanism. (orig.)

  19. Hybrid Membrane/Absorption Process for Post-combustion CO2 Capture

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Shiguang; Shou, S.; Pyrzynski, Travis; Makkuni, Ajay; Meyer, Howard

    2013-12-31

    This report summarizes scientific/technical progress made for bench-scale membrane contactor technology for post-combustion CO2 capture from DOE Contract No. DE-FE-0004787. Budget Period 1 (BP1) membrane absorber, Budget Period 2 (BP2) membrane desorber and Budget Period 3 (BP3) integrated system and field testing studies have been completed successfully and met or exceeded the technical targets (≥ 90% CO2 removal and CO2 purity of 97% in one membrane stage). Significant breakthroughs are summarized below: BP1 research: The feasibility of utilizing the poly (ether ether ketone), PEEK, based hollow fiber contractor (HFC) in combination with chemical solvents to separate and capture at least 90% of the CO2 from simulated flue gases has been successfully established. Excellent progress has been made as we have achieved the BP1 goal: ≥ 1,000 membrane intrinsic CO2 permeance, ≥ 90% CO2 removal in one stage, ≤ 2 psi gas side pressure drop, and ≥ 1 (sec)-1 mass transfer coefficient. Initial test results also show that the CO2 capture performance, using activated Methyl Diethanol Amine (aMDEA) solvent, was not affected by flue gas contaminants O2 (~3%), NO2 (66 ppmv), and SO2 (145 ppmv). BP2 research: The feasibility of utilizing the PEEK HFC for CO2-loaded solvent regeneration has been successfully established High CO2 stripping flux, one order of magnitude higher than CO2 absorption flux, have been achieved. Refined economic evaluation based on BP1 membrane absorber and BP2 membrane desorber laboratory test data indicate that the CO2 capture costs are 36% lower than DOE’s benchmark amine absorption technology. BP3 research: A bench-scale system utilizing a membrane absorber and desorber was integrated into a continuous CO2 capture process using contactors containing 10 to 20 ft2 of membrane area. The integrated process operation was stable through a 100-hour laboratory test, utilizing a simulated flue gas stream. Greater than 90% CO2 capture combined with 97

  20. Combining EEG, MIDI, and motion capture techniques for investigating musical performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maidhof, Clemens; Kästner, Torsten; Makkonen, Tommi

    2014-03-01

    This article describes a setup for the simultaneous recording of electrophysiological data (EEG), musical data (MIDI), and three-dimensional movement data. Previously, each of these three different kinds of measurements, conducted sequentially, has been proven to provide important information about different aspects of music performance as an example of a demanding multisensory motor skill. With the method described here, it is possible to record brain-related activity and movement data simultaneously, with accurate timing resolution and at relatively low costs. EEG and MIDI data were synchronized with a modified version of the FTAP software, sending synchronization signals to the EEG recording device simultaneously with keypress events. Similarly, a motion capture system sent synchronization signals simultaneously with each recorded frame. The setup can be used for studies investigating cognitive and motor processes during music performance and music-like tasks--for example, in the domains of motor control, learning, music therapy, or musical emotions. Thus, this setup offers a promising possibility of a more behaviorally driven analysis of brain activity.

  1. Assessment of oxy-fuel, pre- and post-combustion-based carbon capture for future IGCC plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kunze, Christian; Spliethoff, Hartmut

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Hot gas cleanup is a highly favorable technology for all selected IGCC concepts. ► Proposed high pressure IGCC with membrane reactor enables direct CO 2 condensation. ► IGCC with OTM and carbonate looping enable significant synergy effects. ► Combining IGCC and oxy-fuel is technically challenging but energetically favorable. ► All selected IGCC concepts are able to realize CO 2 capture rates up to 99%. -- Abstract: Environmental damage due to the emission of greenhouse gases from conventional coal-based power plants is a growing concern. Various carbon capture strategies to minimize CO 2 emissions are currently being investigated. Unfortunately, the efficiency drop due to de-carbonization is still significant and the capture rate is limited. Therefore three future hard coal IGCC concepts are assessed here, applying emerging technologies and various carbon capture approaches. The advanced pre-combustion capture concept is based on hot gas clean-up, membrane-enhanced CO conversion and direct CO 2 condensation. The concept reached a net efficiency of 45.1% (LHV), representing an improvement of 6.46% compared to the conventional IGCC base case. The second IGCC concept, based on post-combustion capture via calcination–carbonation loops, hot gas clean-up and oxygen membranes, showed a net efficiency of 45.87% (LHV). The third IGCC concept applies hot gas clean-up and combustion of the unconverted fuel gas using pure oxygen. The oxygen is supplied by an integrated oxygen membrane. The combination of IGCC and oxy-fuel process reached a net efficiency of 45.74% (LHV). In addition to their increased efficiency, all of the concepts showed significantly improved carbon capture rates up to 99%, resulting in virtually carbon-free fossil power plants.

  2. High quality RNA isolation from Aedes aegypti midguts using laser microdissection microscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gobert Geoffrey N

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Laser microdissection microscopy (LMM has potential as a research tool because it allows precise excision of target tissues or cells from a complex biological specimen, and facilitates tissue-specific sample preparation. However, this method has not been used in mosquito vectors to date. To this end, we have developed an LMM method to isolate midgut RNA using Aedes aegypti. Results Total RNA was isolated from Ae. aegypti midguts that were either fresh-frozen or fixed with histological fixatives. Generally, fresh-frozen tissue sections are a common source of quality LMM-derived RNA; however, our aim was to develop an LMM protocol that could inactivate pathogenic viruses by fixation, while simultaneously preserving RNA from arbovirus-infected mosquitoes. Three groups (10 - 15 mosquitoes per group of female Ae. aegypti at 24 or 48-hours post-blood meal were intrathoracically injected with one of seven common fixatives (Bouin's, Carnoy's, Formoy's, Cal-Rite, 4% formalin, 10% neutral buffered formalin, or zinc formalin to evaluate their effect on RNA quality. Total RNA was isolated from the fixed abdomens using a Trizol® method. The results indicated that RNA from Carnoy's and Bouin's fixative samples was comparable to that of fresh frozen midguts (control in duplicate experiments. When Carnoy's and Bouin's were used to fix the midguts for the LMM procedure, however, Carnoy's-fixed RNA clearly showed much less degradation than Bouin's-fixed RNA. In addition, a sample of 5 randomly chosen transcripts were amplified more efficiently using the Carnoy's treated LMM RNA than Bouin's-fixed RNA in quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR assays, suggesting there were more intact target mRNAs in the Carnoy's fixed RNA. The yields of total RNA ranged from 0.3 to 19.0 ng per ~3.0 × 106 μm2 in the LMM procedure. Conclusions Carnoy's fixative was found to be highly compatible with LMM, producing high quality RNA from Ae. aegypti midguts while

  3. Application of inertial sensors and flux-gate magnetometer to real-time human body motion capture

    OpenAIRE

    Frey, William.

    1996-01-01

    Human body tracking for synthetic environment interface has become a significant human- computer interface challenge. There are several different types of motion capture systems currently available. Inherent problems, most resulting from the use of artificially-generated source signals, plague these systems. A proposed motion capture system is being developed at the Naval Postgraduate School which utilizes a combination of inertial sensors to overcome these difficulties. However, the current ...

  4. Privacy-preserving screen capture: towards closing the loop for health IT usability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooley, Joseph; Smith, Sean

    2013-08-01

    As information technology permeates healthcare (particularly provider-facing systems), maximizing system effectiveness requires the ability to document and analyze tricky or troublesome usage scenarios. However, real-world health IT systems are typically replete with privacy-sensitive data regarding patients, diagnoses, clinicians, and EMR user interface details; instrumentation for screen capture (capturing and recording the scenario depicted on the screen) needs to respect these privacy constraints. Furthermore, real-world health IT systems are typically composed of modules from many sources, mission-critical and often closed-source; any instrumentation for screen capture can rely neither on access to structured output nor access to software internals. In this paper, we present a tool to help solve this problem: a system that combines keyboard video mouse (KVM) capture with automatic text redaction (and interactively selectable unredaction) to produce precise technical content that can enrich stakeholder communications and improve end-user influence on system evolution. KVM-based capture makes our system both application-independent and OS-independent because it eliminates software-interface dependencies on capture targets. Using a corpus of EMR screenshots, we present empirical measurements of redaction effectiveness and processing latency to demonstrate system performances. We discuss how these techniques can translate into instrumentation systems that improve real-world health IT deployments. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Thermodynamic simulation of CO{sub 2} capture for an IGCC power plant using the calcium looping cycle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Y. [National Engineering Laboratory for Coal-Burning Pollutant Emission Reduction, Shandong University, Jinan (China); Zhao, C.; Ren, Q. [School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing (China)

    2011-06-15

    A CO{sub 2} capture process for an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant using the calcium looping cycle was proposed. The CO{sub 2} capture process using natural and modified limestone was simulated and investigated with the software package Aspen Plus. It incorporated a fresh feed of sorbent to compensate for the decay in CO{sub 2} capture activity during long-term cycles. The sorbent flow ratios have significant effect on the CO{sub 2} capture efficiency and net efficiency of the CO{sub 2} capture system. The IGCC power plant, using the modified limestone, exhibits higher CO{sub 2} capture efficiency than that using the natural limestone at the same sorbent flow ratios. The system net efficiency using the natural and modified limestones achieves 41.7% and 43.1%, respectively, at the CO{sub 2} capture efficiency of 90% without the effect of sulfation. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  6. Triple pulse shape discrimination and capture-gated spectroscopy in a composite heterogeneous scintillator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sharma, M., E-mail: mksharma@umich.edu [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Nattress, J. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Wilhelm, K. [Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Jovanovic, I. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States)

    2017-06-11

    We demonstrate an all-solid-state design for a composite heterogeneous scintillation detector sensitive to interactions with high-energy photons (gammas), fast neutrons, and thermal neutrons. The scintillator exhibits triple pulse shape discrimination, effectively separating electron recoils, fast neutron recoils, and neutron captures. This is accomplished by combining the properties of two distinct scintillators, whereby a 51-mm diameter, 51-mm tall cylinder of pulse shape discriminating plastic is wrapped by a 320-µm thick sheet of {sup 6}LiF:ZnS(Ag), optically coupling the scintillators to each other and to the photomultiplier tube. In this way, the sensitivity to neutron captures is achieved without the need to load the plastic scintillator with a capture agent. We demonstrate a figure of merit of up to 1.2 for fast neutrons/gammas and 5.7 for thermal neutrons/gammas. Intrinsic capture efficiency is found to be 0.46±0.05% and is in good agreement with simulation, while gamma rejection was 10{sup −6} with respect to the capture region and 10{sup −4} with respect to the recoil region using a 300 keVee threshold. Finally, we show an improvement in capture-gated neutron spectroscopy by rejecting accidental gamma coincidences using pulse shape discrimination in the plastic scintillator.

  7. Rapid suppression of testosterone secretion after capture in male American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lance, Valentine A; Elsey, Ruth M; Butterstein, George; Trosclair, Phillip L

    2004-01-15

    All reptiles studied to date show an increase in circulating corticosterone following capture. This rise in corticosterone has also been shown in a number of instances to result in a decline in reproductive steroids within hours after capture. As a result of these observations it has been considered imperative to collect blood samples as soon as possible after capture to get reliable measures of reproductive hormones. It has been claimed, however, that there is no effect of capture stress on reproductive steroids in juvenile alligators held for 2 h following capture. As we generally reject blood samples that are not collected within 15 min of capture we decided to reinvestigate the effect of short-term capture (2 h) on corticosterone and testosterone in male alligators. Four groups of alligators, ranging in size from 74 to 212 cm total length were captured in a 2-week period in May, the time of year when testosterone levels are highest. Two groups were captured during the day (eight bled at capture and again at 2 h, eight bled at 2 h only) and two at night (10 bled at capture and again at 2 h, 10 bled at 2 h only). Testosterone and corticosterone in alligators bled immediately on capture and at 2 h were not significantly different in the AM and PM samples so the results were combined (Initial bleed: corticosterone, 0.95 +/- 0.09 ng/ml, n=18; testosterone, 6.06 +/- 2.09 ng/ml, n=18. Two-hour bleed: corticosterone 15.68 +/- 1.91, n=18; testosterone, 2.75 +/- 0.79, n=18). Both the increase in corticosterone and the decline in testosterone at 2 h were significant (palligators sampled only once at 2 h were not significantly different from the 2-h values in alligators sampled twice (corticosterone 15.04 +/- 1.29, n=18; testosterone, 1.85 +/- 0.62, n=18). These results clearly demonstrate that short-term capture stress results in a significant decline in testosterone in male alligators.

  8. Ab initio Thermodynamic Approach to Identify Mixed Solid Sorbents for CO2 Capture Technology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuhua eDuan

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Because the current technologies for capturing CO2 are still too energy intensive, new materials must be developed that can capture CO2 reversibly with acceptable energy costs. At a given CO2 pressure, the turnover temperature (Tt of the reaction of an individual solid that can capture CO2 is fixed. Such Tt may be outside the operating temperature range (ΔTo for a practical capture technology. To adjust Tt to fit the practical ΔTo, in this study, three scenarios of mixing schemes are explored by combining thermodynamic database mining with first principles density functional theory and phonon lattice dynamics calculations. Our calculated results demonstrate that by mixing different types of solids, it’s possible to shift Tt to the range of practical operating temperature conditions. According to the requirements imposed by the pre- and post- combustion technologies and based on our calculated thermodynamic properties for the CO2 capture reactions by the mixed solids of interest, we were able to identify the mixing ratios of two or more solids to form new sorbent materials for which lower capture energy costs are expected at the desired pressure and temperature conditions.

  9. Measurement of the solar neutrino capture rate with gallium metal, part III

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elliott, Steven Ray

    2008-01-01

    The Russian-American experiment SAGE began to measure the solar neutrino capture rate with a target of gallium metal in December 1989. Measurements have continued with only a few brief interruptions since that time. In this article we present the experimental improvements in SAGE since its last published data summary in December 2001. Assuming the solar neutrino production rate was constant during the period of data collection, combined analysis of 168 extractions through December 2007 gives a capture rate of solar neutrinos with energy more than 233 keY of 65.4 +3.1 3.0 (stat) +2.6 -2.8 (syst) SNU. The weighted average of the results of all three Ga solar neUlrino experiments, SAGE, Gallex, and GNO, is now 66.1 ± 3.1 SNU, where statistical and systematic uncertainties have been combined in quadrature. During the recent period of data collection a new test of SAGE was made with a reactor-produced 37 Ar neutrino source. The ratio of observed to calculated rates in this experiment, combined with the measured rates in the three prior 51 Cr neutrino-source experiments with Ga, is 0.88 ± 0.05. A probable explanation for this low result is that the cross section for neutrino capture by the two lowest-lying excited states in 71 Ge has been overestimated. If we assume these cross sections are zero, then the standard solar model including neutrino oscillations predicts a total capture rate in Ga in the range of 63--67 SNU with an uncertainly of about 5%, in good agreement with experiment. We derive the current value of the pp neutrino flux produced in the Sun to be φ · pp = (6.1 ± 0.8) x 10 10 /(cm 2 s), which agrees well with the flux predicted by the standard solar model. Finally, we make several tests and show that the data are consistent with the assumption that the solar neutrino production rate is constant in time.

  10. Loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 9q22.3 in microdissected basal cell carcinomas around the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Testing Site, Kazakhstan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iwata, Kenji; Takamura, Noboru; Nakashima, Masahiro; Alipov, Gabit; Mine, Mariko; Matsumoto, Naomichi; Yoshiura, Koichiro; Prouglo, Yuriy; Sekine, Ichiro; Katayama, Ichiro; Yamashita, Shunichi

    2004-04-01

    A high incidence of skin cancers has been noted around the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Testing Site (SNTS) in Kazakhstan. Recently, basal cell carcinoma (BCC) susceptibility genes, human homolog of the Drosophila pathed gene (PTCH), and the xeroderma pigmentosa group A-complementing gene (XPA), have been cloned and localized on chromosome 9q22.3. To clarify the effect of low-dose irradiation on the occurrence of BCC, we used microdissection and polymerase chain reaction to identify loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at 9q22.3 using BCC samples obtained from this region. Ten Japanese samples were analyzed as controls. LOH with at least 1 marker was identified in 5 of 14 cases from around SNTS, whereas only 1 case with 1 marker was identified among the 10 Nagasaki cases. The total number of LOH alleles from SNTS (8 of 45) was significantly higher than the number from Nagasaki (1 of 26) (P = 0.03). The higher incidence of LOH on 9q22.3 in BCC from around SNTS suggests involvement of chronic low-dose irradiation by fallout from the test site as a factor in the cancers.

  11. Multi-objective Extremum Seeking Control for Enhancement of Wind Turbine Power Capture with Load Reduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Yan; Li, Yaoyu; Rotea, Mario A.

    2016-09-01

    The primary objective in below rated wind speed (Region 2) is to maximize the turbine's energy capture. Due to uncertainty, variability of turbine characteristics and lack of inexpensive but precise wind measurements, model-free control strategies that do not use wind measurements such as Extremum Seeking Control (ESC) have received significant attention. Based on a dither-demodulation scheme, ESC can maximize the wind power capture in real time despite uncertainty, variabilities and lack of accurate wind measurements. The existing work on ESC based wind turbine control focuses on power capture only. In this paper, a multi-objective extremum seeking control strategy is proposed to achieve nearly optimum wind energy capture while decreasing structural fatigue loads. The performance index of the ESC combines the rotor power and penalty terms of the standard deviations of selected fatigue load variables. Simulation studies of the proposed multi-objective ESC demonstrate that the damage-equivalent loads of tower and/or blade loads can be reduced with slight compromise in energy capture.

  12. Specific capture of target bacteria onto sensor surfaces for infectious disease diagnosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jong-Hoon; Inoue, Shinnosuke; Chung, Jae-Hyun; Cangelosi, Gerard A; Lee, Kyong-Hoon

    2014-01-01

    A long-sought goal for infectious disease care is a rapid and accurate diagnostic tool that is compatible with the needs of low-resource settings. To identify target biomarkers of infectious diseases, immunoassays utilizing the binding affinity between antigen and antibody have been widely used. In immunoassays, the interaction between antigen and antibody on sensor surfaces should be precisely controlled for specific identification of targets. This paper studies the specific capturing mechanisms of target bacteria onto sensor surfaces through investigation of combined effects of capillary action and binding affinity. As a model system, cells of both Escherichia coli and the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin strain of Mycobacterium bovis were used to study specific and nonspecific capturing mechanisms onto a microtip sensor. The capillary action was observed to arrange the concentrated cells onto the two-dimensional sensor surface. Due to the capillary-induced organization of target cells on the antibody-functionalized sensor surface, the number of the captured target cells was three times greater than that of the non-targeted cells. The capturing and detection capabilities varied with the width of a microtip. The specific capturing mechanism can be used to enhance the sensitivity and specificity of an immunoassay. (paper)

  13. Small Particles Intact Capture Experiment (SPICE)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishioka, Ken-Ji; Carle, G. C.; Bunch, T. E.; Mendez, David J.; Ryder, J. T.

    1994-01-01

    The Small Particles Intact Capture Experiment (SPICE) will develop technologies and engineering techniques necessary to capture nearly intact, uncontaminated cosmic and interplanetary dust particles (IDP's). Successful capture of such particles will benefit the exobiology and planetary science communities by providing particulate samples that may have survived unaltered since the formation of the solar system. Characterization of these particles may contribute fundamental data to our knowledge of how these particles could have formed into our planet Earth and, perhaps, contributed to the beginnings of life. The term 'uncontaminated' means that captured cosmic and IDP particles are free of organic contamination from the capture process and the term 'nearly intact capture' means that their chemical and elemental components are not materially altered during capture. The key to capturing cosmic and IDP particles that are organic-contamination free and nearly intact is the capture medium. Initial screening of capture media included organic foams, multiple thin foil layers, and aerogel (a silica gel); but, with the exception of aerogel, the requirements of no contamination or nearly intact capture were not met. To ensure no contamination of particles in the capture process, high-purity aerogel was chosen. High-purity aerogel results in high clarity (visual clearness), a useful quality in detection and recovery of embedded captured particles from the aerogel. P. Tsou at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) originally described the use of aerogel for this purpose and reported laboratory test results. He has flown aerogel as a 'GAS-can Lid' payload on STS-47 and is evaluating the results. The Timeband Capture Cell Experiment (TICCE), a Eureca 1 experiment, is also flying aerogel and is scheduled for recovery in late April.

  14. Imprinted NanoVelcro Microchips for Isolation and Characterization of Circulating Fetal Trophoblasts: Toward Noninvasive Prenatal Diagnostics

    OpenAIRE

    Hou, Shuang; Chen, Jie-Fu; Song, Min; Zhu, Yazhen; Jan, Yu Jen; Chen, Szu Hao; Weng, Tzu-Hua; Ling, Dean-An; Chen, Shang-Fu; Ro, Tracy; Liang, An-Jou; Lee, Tom; Jin, Helen; Li, Man; Liu, Lian

    2017-01-01

    Circulating fetal nucleated cells (CFNCs) in maternal blood offer an ideal source of fetal genomic DNA for noninvasive prenatal diagnostics (NIPD). We developed a class of nanoVelcro microchips to effectively enrich a subcategory of CFNCs, i.e., circulating trophoblasts (cTBs) from maternal blood, which can then be isolated with single-cell resolution by a laser capture microdissection (LCM) technique for downstream genetic testing. We first established a nanoimprinting fabrication process to...

  15. Continuous CO2 capture and MSWI fly ash stabilization, utilizing novel dynamic equipment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang Jianguo; Du Xuejuan; Chen Maozhe; Zhang Chang

    2009-01-01

    Novel dynamic equipment with gas in and out continuously was developed to study the capture capacity of CO 2 . Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash has a high capture rate of CO 2 in CO 2 -rich gas. Fly ash can sequester pure CO 2 rapidly, and its capacity is 16.3 g CO 2 /100 g fly ash with no water added and 21.4 g CO 2 /100 g fly ash with 20% water added. For simulated incineration gas containing 12% CO 2 , the capture rate decreased and the capacity was 13.2 g CO 2 /100 g fly ash with no water added and 18.5 g CO 2 /100 g fly ash with 20% water added. After accelerated carbonation, the C and O contents increased, indicating CO 2 capture in the fly ash; CO 2 combines with Ca(OH) 2 to form CaCO 3 , which increased the CaCO 3 content from 12.5 to 54.3%. The leaching of Pb markedly decreased from 24.48 to 0.111 mg/L. - Novel dynamic equipment designed to capture CO 2 by fly ash is more suitable for engineering application.

  16. Resource Complementarity and Value Capture in Firm Acquisitions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grimpe, Christoph; Hussinger, Katrin

    2014-01-01

    exclusion and freedom to operate in R&D. We argue that such property rights hold preemptive power allowing firms to capture the value from combining complementary technologies and to realize gains from trade in strategic factor markets. Our results for a sample of 1,428 acquisitions indicate that......—controlling for technological value—acquired preemptive power is an important determinant of the acquisition price, particularly when the acquirer is technology intensive and acquired patents are highly related to the acquirer's knowledge base....

  17. A Comparison of Grizzly Bear Demographic Parameters Estimated from Non-Spatial and Spatial Open Population Capture-Recapture Models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whittington, Jesse; Sawaya, Michael A

    2015-01-01

    Capture-recapture studies are frequently used to monitor the status and trends of wildlife populations. Detection histories from individual animals are used to estimate probability of detection and abundance or density. The accuracy of abundance and density estimates depends on the ability to model factors affecting detection probability. Non-spatial capture-recapture models have recently evolved into spatial capture-recapture models that directly include the effect of distances between an animal's home range centre and trap locations on detection probability. Most studies comparing non-spatial and spatial capture-recapture biases focussed on single year models and no studies have compared the accuracy of demographic parameter estimates from open population models. We applied open population non-spatial and spatial capture-recapture models to three years of grizzly bear DNA-based data from Banff National Park and simulated data sets. The two models produced similar estimates of grizzly bear apparent survival, per capita recruitment, and population growth rates but the spatial capture-recapture models had better fit. Simulations showed that spatial capture-recapture models produced more accurate parameter estimates with better credible interval coverage than non-spatial capture-recapture models. Non-spatial capture-recapture models produced negatively biased estimates of apparent survival and positively biased estimates of per capita recruitment. The spatial capture-recapture grizzly bear population growth rates and 95% highest posterior density averaged across the three years were 0.925 (0.786-1.071) for females, 0.844 (0.703-0.975) for males, and 0.882 (0.779-0.981) for females and males combined. The non-spatial capture-recapture population growth rates were 0.894 (0.758-1.024) for females, 0.825 (0.700-0.948) for males, and 0.863 (0.771-0.957) for both sexes. The combination of low densities, low reproductive rates, and predominantly negative population growth

  18. A Comparison of Grizzly Bear Demographic Parameters Estimated from Non-Spatial and Spatial Open Population Capture-Recapture Models.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jesse Whittington

    Full Text Available Capture-recapture studies are frequently used to monitor the status and trends of wildlife populations. Detection histories from individual animals are used to estimate probability of detection and abundance or density. The accuracy of abundance and density estimates depends on the ability to model factors affecting detection probability. Non-spatial capture-recapture models have recently evolved into spatial capture-recapture models that directly include the effect of distances between an animal's home range centre and trap locations on detection probability. Most studies comparing non-spatial and spatial capture-recapture biases focussed on single year models and no studies have compared the accuracy of demographic parameter estimates from open population models. We applied open population non-spatial and spatial capture-recapture models to three years of grizzly bear DNA-based data from Banff National Park and simulated data sets. The two models produced similar estimates of grizzly bear apparent survival, per capita recruitment, and population growth rates but the spatial capture-recapture models had better fit. Simulations showed that spatial capture-recapture models produced more accurate parameter estimates with better credible interval coverage than non-spatial capture-recapture models. Non-spatial capture-recapture models produced negatively biased estimates of apparent survival and positively biased estimates of per capita recruitment. The spatial capture-recapture grizzly bear population growth rates and 95% highest posterior density averaged across the three years were 0.925 (0.786-1.071 for females, 0.844 (0.703-0.975 for males, and 0.882 (0.779-0.981 for females and males combined. The non-spatial capture-recapture population growth rates were 0.894 (0.758-1.024 for females, 0.825 (0.700-0.948 for males, and 0.863 (0.771-0.957 for both sexes. The combination of low densities, low reproductive rates, and predominantly negative

  19. The problem of latent attentional capture: Easy visual search conceals capture by task-irrelevant abrupt onsets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaspelin, Nicholas; Ruthruff, Eric; Lien, Mei-Ching

    2016-08-01

    Researchers are sharply divided regarding whether irrelevant abrupt onsets capture spatial attention. Numerous studies report that they do and a roughly equal number report that they do not. This puzzle has inspired numerous attempts at reconciliation, none gaining general acceptance. The authors propose that abrupt onsets routinely capture attention, but the size of observed capture effects depends critically on how long attention dwells on distractor items which, in turn, depends critically on search difficulty. In a series of spatial cuing experiments, the authors show that irrelevant abrupt onsets produce robust capture effects when visual search is difficult, but not when search is easy. Critically, this effect occurs even when search difficulty varies randomly across trials, preventing any strategic adjustments of the attentional set that could modulate probability of capture by the onset cue. The authors argue that easy visual search provides an insensitive test for stimulus-driven capture by abrupt onsets: even though onsets truly capture attention, the effects of capture can be latent. This observation helps to explain previous failures to find capture by onsets, nearly all of which used an easy visual search. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  20. Study on keV-neutron capture cross sections and capture γ-ray spectra of 117,119Sn

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishiyama, J.; Igashira, M.; Ohsaki, T.; Kim, G.N.; Chung, W.C.; Ro, T.I.

    2006-01-01

    The capture cross sections and capture γ-ray spectra of 117,119 Sn were measured in an incident neutron energy region from 10 to 100 keV and at 570 keV, using a 1.5-ns pulsed neutron source by the 7 Li(p,n) 7 Be reaction and a large anti-Compton NaI(Tl) γ-ray spectrometer. A pulse-height weighting technique was applied to observed capture γ-ray pulse-height spectra to derive capture yields. The capture cross sections of 117,119 Sn were obtained with the error of about 5% by using the standard capture cross sections of 197 Au. The present cross sections were compared with previous experimental data and the evaluated values in JENDL-3.3 and ENDF/B-VI. The capture γ-ray spectra of 117,119 Sn were derived by unfolding the observed capture γ-ray pulse-height spectra. The calculations of capture cross sections and capture γ-ray spectra of 117,119 Sn were performed with the EMPIRE-II code. The calculated results were compared with the present experimental ones. (author)

  1. Quality and noise measurements in mobile phone video capture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petrescu, Doina; Pincenti, John

    2011-02-01

    The quality of videos captured with mobile phones has become increasingly important particularly since resolutions and formats have reached a level that rivals the capabilities available in the digital camcorder market, and since many mobile phones now allow direct playback on large HDTVs. The video quality is determined by the combined quality of the individual parts of the imaging system including the image sensor, the digital color processing, and the video compression, each of which has been studied independently. In this work, we study the combined effect of these elements on the overall video quality. We do this by evaluating the capture under various lighting, color processing, and video compression conditions. First, we measure full reference quality metrics between encoder input and the reconstructed sequence, where the encoder input changes with light and color processing modifications. Second, we introduce a system model which includes all elements that affect video quality, including a low light additive noise model, ISP color processing, as well as the video encoder. Our experiments show that in low light conditions and for certain choices of color processing the system level visual quality may not improve when the encoder becomes more capable or the compression ratio is reduced.

  2. Search for new candidates for the neutrino-oriented mass determination by electron-capture

    CERN Multimedia

    Herfurth, F; Boehm, C; Blaum, K; Beck, D

    2008-01-01

    This proposal is part of an extended program dedicated to the neutrino-mass determination in the electron-capture sector, which aims at ultra-precise mass measurements by Penning traps in combination with cryogenic micro-calorimetry for atomic de-excitation measurements. Here, precise mass measurements with ISOLTRAP are proposed for the orbital electron-capture nuclides $^{194}$Hg and $^{202}$Pb, as well as their daughters, with the goal to determine accurately their Q-values. These values are expected to be the smallest ones among a great variety of known electron-capture precursors. Therefore, these nuclides are strong candidates for an improved electron-neutrino mass determination. We ask for 8 shifts of on-line beam at ISOLDE for mass measurements of $^{194}$Hg, $^{194}$ Au, $^{202}$Pb, and $^{202}$Tl at ISOLTRAP.

  3. Development of Electro-Microbial Carbon Capture and Conversion Systems

    KAUST Repository

    Al Rowaihi, Israa S.

    2017-05-01

    Carbon dioxide is a viable resource, if used as a raw material for bioprocessing. It is abundant and can be collected as a byproduct from industrial processes. Globally, photosynthetic organisms utilize around 6’000 TW (terawatt) of solar energy to fix ca. 800 Gt (gigaton) of CO2 in the planets largest carbon-capture process. Photosynthesis combines light harvesting, charge separation, catalytic water splitting, generation of reduction equivalents (NADH), energy (ATP) production and CO2 fixation into one highly interconnected and regulated process. While this simplicity makes photosynthetic production of commodity interesting, yet photosynthesis suffers from low energy efficiency, which translates in an extensive footprint for solar biofuels production conditions that store < 2% of solar energy. Electron transfer processes form the core of photosynthesis. At moderate light intensity, the electron transport chains reach maximum transfer rates and only work when photons are at appropriate wavelengths, rendering the process susceptible to oxidative damage, which leads to photo-inhibition and loss of efficiency. Based on our fundamental analysis of the specialized tasks in photosynthesis, we aimed to optimize the efficiency of these processes separately, then combine them in an artificial photosynthesis (AP) process that surpasses the low efficiency of natural photosynthesis. Therefore, by combining photovoltaic light harvesting with electrolytic water splitting or CO2 reduction in combination with microbiological conversion of electrochemical products to higher valuable compounds, we developed an electro-microbial carbon capture and conversion setups that capture CO2 into the targeted bioplastic; polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). Based on the type of the electrochemical products, and the microorganism that either (i) convert products formed by electrochemical reduction of CO2, e.g. formate (using inorganic cathodes), or (ii) use electrochemically produced H2 to reduce CO2

  4. Electron capture by highly charged ions from surfaces and gases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Allen, F.

    2008-01-11

    In this study highly charged ions produced in Electron Beam Ion Traps are used to investigate electron capture from surfaces and gases. The experiments with gas targets focus on spectroscopic measurements of the K-shell x-rays emitted at the end of radiative cascades following electron capture into Rydberg states of Ar{sup 17+} and Ar{sup 18+} ions as a function of collision energy. The ions are extracted from an Electron Beam Ion Trap at an energy of 2 keVu{sup -1}, charge-selected and then decelerated down to 5 eVu{sup -1} for interaction with an argon gas target. For decreasing collision energies a shift to electron capture into low orbital angular momentum capture states is observed. Comparative measurements of the K-shell x-ray emission following electron capture by Ar{sup 17+} and Ar{sup 18+} ions from background gas in the trap are made and a discrepancy in the results compared with those from the extraction experiments is found. Possible explanations are discussed. For the investigation of electron capture from surfaces, highly charged ions are extracted from an Electron Beam Ion Trap at energies of 2 to 3 keVu{sup -1}, charge-selected and directed onto targets comprising arrays of nanoscale apertures in silicon nitride membranes. The highly charged ions implemented are Ar{sup 16+} and Xe{sup 44+} and the aperture targets are formed by focused ion beam drilling in combination with ion beam assisted thin film deposition, achieving hole diameters of 50 to 300 nm and aspect ratios of 1:5 to 3:2. After transport through the nanoscale apertures the ions pass through an electrostatic charge state analyzer and are detected. The percentage of electron capture from the aperture walls is found to be much lower than model predictions and the results are discussed in terms of a capillary guiding mechanism. (orig.)

  5. Marker-Free Human Motion Capture

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grest, Daniel

    Human Motion Capture is a widely used technique to obtain motion data for animation of virtual characters. Commercial optical motion capture systems are marker-based. This book is about marker-free motion capture and its possibilities to acquire motion from a single viewing direction. The focus...

  6. Analysis of cannabinoids in laser-microdissected trichomes of medicinal Cannabis sativa using LCMS and cryogenic NMR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Happyana, Nizar; Agnolet, Sara; Muntendam, Remco; Van Dam, Annie; Schneider, Bernd; Kayser, Oliver

    2013-03-01

    Trichomes, especially the capitate-stalked glandular hairs, are well known as the main sites of cannabinoid and essential oil production of Cannabis sativa. In this study the distribution and density of various types of Cannabis sativa L. trichomes, have been investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, glandular trichomes were isolated over the flowering period (8 weeks) by laser microdissection (LMD) and the cannabinoid profile analyzed by LCMS. Cannabinoids were detected in extracts of 25-143 collected cells of capitate-sessile and capitate stalked trichomes and separately in the gland (head) and the stem of the latter. Δ(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid [THCA (1)], cannabidiolic acid [CBDA (2)], and cannabigerolic acid [CBGA (3)] were identified as most-abundant compounds in all analyzed samples while their decarboxylated derivatives, Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol [THC (4)], cannabidiol [CBD (5)], and cannabigerol [CBG (6)], co-detected in all samples, were present at significantly lower levels. Cannabichromene [CBC (8)] along with cannabinol (CBN (9)) were identified as minor compounds only in the samples of intact capitate-stalked trichomes and their heads harvested from 8-week old plants. Cryogenic nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) was used to confirm the occurrence of major cannabinoids, THCA (1) and CBDA (2), in capitate-stalked and capitate-sessile trichomes. Cryogenic NMR enabled the additional identification of cannabichromenic acid [CBCA (7)] in the dissected trichomes, which was not possible by LCMS as standard was not available. The hereby documented detection of metabolites in the stems of capitate-stalked trichomes indicates a complex biosynthesis and localization over the trichome cells forming the glandular secretion unit. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Stimulus-driven capture and contingent capture

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Theeuwes, J.; Olivers, C.N.L.; Belopolsky, A.V.

    2010-01-01

    Whether or not certain physical events can capture attention has been one of the most debated issues in the study of attention. This discussion is concerned with how goal-directed and stimulus-driven processes interact in perception and cognition. On one extreme of the spectrum is the idea that

  8. David and Goliath: potent venom of an ant-eating spider (Araneae) enables capture of a giant prey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pekár, Stano; Šedo, Onřej; Líznarová, Eva; Korenko, Stanislav; Zdráhal, Zdeněk

    2014-07-01

    It is rare to find a true predator that repeatedly and routinely kills prey larger than itself. A solitary specialised ant-eating spider of the genus Zodarion can capture a relatively giant prey. We studied the trophic niche of this spider species and investigated its adaptations (behavioural and venomic) that are used to capture ants. We found that the spider captures mainly polymorphic Messor arenarius ants. Adult female spiders captured large morphs while tiny juveniles captured smaller morphs, yet in both cases ants were giant in comparison with spider size. All specimens used an effective prey capture strategy that protected them from ant retaliation. Juvenile and adult spiders were able to paralyse their prey using a single bite. The venom glands of adults were more than 50 times larger than those of juvenile spiders, but the paralysis latency of juveniles was 1.5 times longer. This suggests that this spider species possesses very potent venom already at the juvenile stage. Comparison of the venom composition between juvenile and adult spiders did not reveal significant differences. We discovered here that specialised capture combined with very effective venom enables the capture of giant prey.

  9. Resource capture by single leaves

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Long, S.P.

    1992-05-01

    Leaves show a variety of strategies for maximizing CO{sub 2} and light capture. These are more meaningfully explained if they are considered in the context of maximizing capture relative to the utilization of water, nutrients and carbohydrates reserves. There is considerable variation between crops in their efficiency of CO{sub 2} and light capture at the leaf level. Understanding of these mechanisms indicate some ways in which efficiency of resource capture could be level cannot be meaningfully considered without simultaneous understanding of implications at the canopy level. 36 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.

  10. Capturing value from IP in a global environment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alcacer, Juan; Beukel, Karin; Cassiman, Bruno

    Executive Summary The authors argue that challenges to capturing value from know-how and reputation through the use of different IP tools will be an increasingly important matter of strategy for global enterprises. This has important implications for management practice. Global enterprises...... will need to combine different institutional, market and non-market mechanisms. The precise combination of tools will depend on the local and regional institutional and market conditions. Abstract: This paper documents the strong growth in tools used by firms to protect their intellectual property (IP......), develop their know-how, and build and maintain their reputation globally during the last decades. We focus on three tools: patents, trademarks, and industrial designs. We find that, although most IP applications come from a few countries (the United States, European Union, Japan, China, and South Korea...

  11. Neutron Capture and Transmission Measurements and Resonance Parameter Analysis of Samarium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leinweber, G.; Burke, J.A.; Knox, H.D.; Drindak, N.J.; Mesh, D.W.; Haines, W.T.; Ballad, R.V.; Block, R.C.; Slovacek, R.E.; Werner, C.J.; Trbovich, M.J.; Barry, D.P.; Sato, T.

    2001-01-01

    The purpose of the present work is to accurately measure the neutron cross sections of samarium. The most significant isotope is 149 Sm, which has a large neutron absorption cross section at thermal energies and is a 235 U fission product with a 1% yield. Its cross sections are thus of concern to reactor neutronics. Neutron capture and transmission measurements were performed by the time-of-flight technique at the Rensselaer Polytechnic institute (RPI) LINAC facility using metallic and liquid Sm samples. The capture measurements were made at the 25 meter flight station with a multiplicity-type capture detector, and the transmission total cross-section measurements were performed at 15- and 25-meter flight stations with 6 Li glass scintillation detectors. Resonance parameters were determined by a combined analysis of six experiments (three capture and three transmission) using the multi-level R-matrix Bayesian code SAMMY version M2. The significant features of this work are as follows. Dilute samples of samarium nitrate in deuterated water (D 2 O) were prepared to measure the strong resonances at 0.1 and 8 eV without saturation. Disk-shaped spectroscopic quartz cells were obtained with parallel inner surfaces to provide a uniform thickness of solution. The diluent feature of the SAMMY program was used to analyze these data. The SAMMY program also includes multiple scattering corrections to capture yield data and resolution functions specific to the RPI facility. Resonance parameters for all stable isotopes of samarium were deduced for all resonances up to 30 eV. Thermal capture cross-section and capture resonance integral calculations were made using the resultant resonance parameters and were compared to results obtained using resonance parameters from ENDF/B-VI updated through release 3. Extending the definition of the capture resonance integral to include the strong 0.1 eV resonance in 149 Sm, present measurements agree within estimated uncertainties with En

  12. Flexible Electrostatic Technology for Capture and Handling Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keys, Andrew; Bryan, Tom; Horwitz, Chris; Rakoczy, John; Waggoner, Jason

    2015-01-01

    To NASA unfunded & planned missions: This new capability to sense proximity, flexibly align to, and attractively grip and capture practically any object in space without any pre-designed physical features or added sensors or actuators will enable or enhance many of MSFC's strategic emphasis areas in space transportation, and space systems such as: 1. A Flexible Electrostatic gripper can enable the capture, gripping and releasing of an extraterrestrial sample of different minerals or a sample canister (metallic or composite) without requiring a handle or grapple fixture.(B) 2. Flexible self-aligning in-space capture/soft docking or berthing of ISS resupply vehicles, pressurized modules, or nodes for in-space assembly and shielding, radiator, and solar Array deployment for space habitats (C) 3. The flexible electrostatic gripper when combined with a simple steerable extendible boom can grip, position, and release objects of various shapes and materials with low mass and power without any prior handles or physical accommodations or surface contamination for ISS experiment experiments and in-situ repair.(F)(G) 4. The Dexterous Docking concept previously proposed to allow simple commercial resupply ships to station-keep and capture either ISS or an Exploration vehicle for supply or fluid transfer lacked a self-sensing, compliant, soft capture gripper like FETCH that could retract and attach to a CBM. (I) 5. To enable a soft capture and de-orbit of a piece of orbital debris will require self-aligning gripping and holding an object wherever possible (thermal coverings or shields of various materials, radiators, solar arrays, antenna dishes) with little or no residual power while adding either drag or active low level thrust.(K) 6. With the scalability of the FETCH technology, small satellites can be captured and handled or can incorporate FETCH gripper to dock to and handle other small vehicles and larger objects for de-orbiting or mitigating Orbital debris (L) 7. Many of

  13. Measurement of keV-neutron capture cross sections and capture gamma-ray spectra of Er isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harun-Ar-Rashid, A.K.M.; Igashira, Masayuki; Ohsaki, Toshiro

    2000-01-01

    Neutron capture cross sections and capture γ-ray spectra of 166,167, 168 Er were measured in the energy region of 10 to 550 keV. The measurements were performed with a pulsed 7 Li(p,n) 7 Be neutron source and a large anti-Compton NaI(Tl) γ-ray spectrometer. A pulse-height weighting technique and the standard capture cross sections of gold were used to derive the capture cross sections. The errors of the derived cross sections were about 5%. The present results were compared with other measurements and evaluations. The observed capture γ-ray pulse-height spectra were unfolded to obtain the corresponding γ-ray spectra. An anomalous shoulder was observed around 3 MeV in each of the capture γ-ray spectra. (author)

  14. Techniques for capturing bighorn sheep lambs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Joshua B.; Walsh, Daniel P.; Goldstein, Elise J.; Parsons, Zachary D.; Karsch, Rebekah C.; Stiver, Julie R.; Cain, James W.; Raedeke, Kenneth J.; Jenks, Jonathan A.

    2014-01-01

    Low lamb recruitment is a major challenge facing managers attempting to mitigate the decline of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), and investigations into the underlying mechanisms are limited because of the inability to readily capture and monitor bighorn sheep lambs. We evaluated 4 capture techniques for bighorn sheep lambs: 1) hand-capture of lambs from radiocollared adult females fitted with vaginal implant transmitters (VITs), 2) hand-capture of lambs of intensively monitored radiocollared adult females, 3) helicopter net-gunning, and 4) hand-capture of lambs from helicopters. During 2010–2012, we successfully captured 90% of lambs from females that retained VITs to ≤1 day of parturition, although we noted differences in capture rates between an area of high road density in the Black Hills (92–100%) of South Dakota, USA, and less accessible areas of New Mexico (71%), USA. Retention of VITs was 78% with pre-partum expulsion the main cause of failure. We were less likely to capture lambs from females that expelled VITs ≥1 day of parturition (range = 80–83%) or females that were collared without VITs (range = 60–78%). We used helicopter net-gunning at several sites in 1999, 2001–2002, and 2011, and it proved a useful technique; however, at one site, attempts to capture lambs led to lamb predation by golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos). We attempted helicopter hand-captures at one site in 1999, and they also were successful in certain circumstances and avoided risk of physical trauma from net-gunning; however, application was limited. In areas of low accessibility or if personnel lack the ability to monitor females and/or VITs for extended periods, helicopter capture may provide a viable option for lamb capture.

  15. DYNAMICS OF TIDALLY CAPTURED PLANETS IN THE GALACTIC CENTER

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trani, Alessandro A.; Bressan, Alessandro; Mapelli, Michela; Spera, Mario

    2016-01-01

    Recent observations suggest ongoing planet formation in the innermost parsec of the Galactic center. The supermassive black hole (SMBH) might strip planets or planetary embryos from their parent star, bringing them close enough to be tidally disrupted. Photoevaporation by the ultraviolet field of young stars, combined with ongoing tidal disruption, could enhance the near-infrared luminosity of such starless planets, making their detection possible even with current facilities. In this paper, we investigate the chance of planet tidal captures by means of high-accuracy N -body simulations exploiting Mikkola's algorithmic regularization. We consider both planets lying in the clockwise (CW) disk and planets initially bound to the S-stars. We show that tidally captured planets remain on orbits close to those of their parent star. Moreover, the semimajor axis of the planetary orbit can be predicted by simple analytic assumptions in the case of prograde orbits. We find that starless planets that were initially bound to CW disk stars have mild eccentricities and tend to remain in the CW disk. However, we speculate that angular momentum diffusion and scattering by other young stars in the CW disk might bring starless planets into orbits with low angular momentum. In contrast, planets initially bound to S-stars are captured by the SMBH on highly eccentric orbits, matching the orbital properties of the clouds G1 and G2. Our predictions apply not only to planets but also to low-mass stars initially bound to the S-stars and tidally captured by the SMBH.

  16. News Media Analysis of Carbon Capture and Storage and Biomass: Perceptions and Possibilities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea M. Feldpausch-Parker

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available In the US, carbon capture and storage (CCS has received most of its attention when coupled with the fossil fuel industry as a mitigation strategy for climate change. CCS, which is constituted as a broad suite of capture and sequestration technologies and techniques, does not preclude coupling with other energy industries such as bioenergy (bioenergy and CCS or BECCS. In this paper, we examined news media coverage of CCS and biomass individually in locations throughout the US where these technologies are being explored to determine how they are perceived and what possibilities lay in their coupling for climate change mitigation. From our analyses, we found that individually, both CCS and biomass are perceived generally as beneficial for energy development by the news media, though they are not often mentioned in combination. Combined references do, however, speak to their value for climate change mitigation and as an alternative to fossil fuels.

  17. Noise pollution and detaining captured persons at sea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nixon, S; Milner, R

    2014-01-01

    During the course of military operations, the UK Armed Forces may have to capture and detain individuals. International law sets down a framework for the minimum basic standards that are applicable in these circumstances, and it is the responsibility of the UK Armed Forces to understand and implement these. This case review looks at a specific example of this issue related to noise pollution and appropriate detention facilities during anti-piracy operations, and how a flexible approach combined with good understanding of the regulations ensured compliance with these basic standards.

  18. Exploring the role of natural gas power plants with carbon capture and storage as a bridge to a low-carbon future

    Science.gov (United States)

    Natural gas combined-cycle (NGCC) turbines with carbon capture and storage (CCS) can be a promising technology to reduce CO2 emissions in the electric sector. However, the high cost and energy penalties of current carbon capture devices, as well as methane leakage from natural ga...

  19. Exploratory investigations of hypervelocity intact capture spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsou, P.; Griffiths, D. J.

    1993-01-01

    The ability to capture hypervelocity projectiles intact opens a new technique available for hypervelocity research. A determination of the reactions taking place between the projectile and the capture medium during the process of intact capture is extremely important to an understanding of the intact capture phenomenon, to improving the capture technique, and to developing a theory describing the phenomenon. The intact capture of hypervelocity projectiles by underdense media generates spectra, characteristic of the material species of projectile and capture medium involved. Initial exploratory results into real-time characterization of hypervelocity intact capture techniques by spectroscopy include ultra-violet and visible spectra obtained by use of reflecting gratings, transmitting gratings, and prisms, and recorded by photographic and electronic means. Spectrometry proved to be a valuable real-time diagnostic tool for hypervelocity intact capture events, offering understanding of the interactions of the projectile and the capture medium during the initial period and providing information not obtainable by other characterizations. Preliminary results and analyses of spectra produced by the intact capture of hypervelocity aluminum spheres in polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and polyurethane (PU) foams are presented. Included are tentative emission species identifications, as well as gray body temperatures produced in the intact capture process.

  20. Studying heat integration options for steam-gas power plants retrofitted with CO2 post-combustion capture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carapellucci, Roberto; Giordano, Lorena; Vaccarelli, Maura

    2015-01-01

    Electricity generation from fossil fuels has become a focal point of energy and climate change policies due to its central role in modern economics and its leading contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is regarded by the International Energy Agency as an essential part of the technology portfolio for carbon mitigation, as it can significantly reduce CO 2 emissions while ensuring electricity generation from fossil fuel power plants. This paper studies the retrofit of natural gas combined cycles (NGCCs) with an amine-based post-combustion carbon capture system. NGCCs with differently rated capacities were analysed under the assumptions that the heat requirement of the capture system was provided via a steam extraction upstream of the low-pressure steam turbine or by an auxiliary unit that was able to reduce the power plant derating related to the energy needs of the CCS system. Different types of auxiliary units were investigated based on power plant size, including a gas turbine cogeneration plant and a supplementary firing unit or boiler fed by natural gas or biomass. Energy and economic analyses were performed in order to evaluate the impact of type and layout of retrofit option on energy, environmental and economic performance of NGCCs with the CCS system. - Highlights: • Steam-gas power plants with an amine-based CO 2 capture unit are examined. • The study concerns three combined cycles with different capacity and plant layout. • Several options to fulfil the heat requirement of the CCS system are explored. • Steam extraction significantly reduces the capacity of steam-gas power plant. • An auxiliary combined heat and power unit allows to reduce power plant derating

  1. What Determines State Capture in Poland?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stanisław Alwasiak

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: This study examines the determinants of ex-ante state capture in Poland. Methodology: In order to establish the determinants of ex-ante state capture a logistic regression is estimated. Findings: The study shows that in Poland the majority of legal acts were passed with the aim to satisfy the interest of particular groups. Furthermore, the regression analysis shows that the likelihood of state capture increases during the period of higher economic growth and local elections. The likelihood of state capture, however, declines during presidential elections. The results we attribute to different interests of political parties in the period of local and presidential elections. Finally, we fi nd that the state capture increased over the years in Poland. Additionally, we show that the EU accession did not prevent state capture in Poland. In contrast, the fi nancial crisis of 2007 resulted in a wake-up effect and the likelihood of state capture declined in Poland. Research limitations: In the study we employ proxies for state capture, yet we assume that corruption is a widespread phenomenon in Poland. However, due to its nature corruption is very diffi cult to assess and measure. Originality: The study uses a unique dataset on ex-ante state capture that was identifi ed in the legal acts that have been passed in the period 1990–2011 in Poland.

  2. Etude des erreurs d'estimation des populations par la méthode des captures successives (DeLURY, 2 captures et des captures-recaptures (PETERSEN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LAURENT M.

    1978-01-01

    Full Text Available L'estimation des populations naturelles par capture-recapture et par captures successives est souvent entachée d'erreur car, dans de nombreux cas, l'hypothèse fondamentale d'égalité des probabilités de captures pour tous les individus dans le temps et dans l'espace n'est pas respectée. Dans le cas des populations de poissons envisagés ici, les captures ont lieu par la pêche électrique. On a pu chiffrer l'ordre de grandeur des erreurs systématiques faites sur l'estimation des peuplements, en fonction des conditions particulières, biotiques et abiotiques, des différents milieux inventoriés.

  3. Enhanced CO_2 capture on graphene via N, S dual-doping

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Jieyuan; Hou, Meiling; Chen, Yanqiu; Cen, Wanglai; Chu, Yinghao; Yin, Shi

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Sluggish conjugated π bonds of graphene should be weakened to promote adsorption activity. • A charge delivery channel along S → N → CO_2 path should be prior responsible for the enhancement of CO_2 capture on graphene. • Applicative temperature range of graphene-based adsorbents for CO_2 capture is extend to about 100 °C via N, S dual-doping. - Abstract: N, S doped graphene-based materials have been recently recognized as promising adsorbents for CO_2 capture, but understanding of the adsorption mechanism at the atomic level is still limited. Herein, the local structures and promotion mechanism of CO_2 capture by N, S doped graphene were investigated by combining density functional theory and ab initio thermodynamics. A single vacancy defected graphene involving N, S dual-doping was found to be a superior adsorbent for CO_2 capture under mild conditions (<100 °C, 1 atm). The enhanced CO_2 adsorption performance should be ascribed to a charge delivery channel along the S → N → CO_2 path, leading to extra charge transfer from graphene to CO_2. It is worth mentioning that the extra charge transfer was stimulated by the unique sp"2 hybridization of pyridine N and further enhanced by S in N, S dual-doped graphene. A possible mechanism has been proposed to explain the high adsorption performance of CO_2 by N, S dual-doped graphene, which offers insights for the design of new graphene-based adsorbents.

  4. Numerical study of particle capture efficiency in fibrous filter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fan Jianhua

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Numerical simulations are performed for transport and deposition of particles over a fixed obstacle in a fluid flow. The effect of particle size and Stokes number on the particle capture efficiency is investigated using two methods. The first one is one-way coupling combining Lattice Boltzmann (LB method with Lagrangian point-like approach. The second one is two-way coupling based on the coupling between Lattice Boltzmann method and discrete element (DE method, which consider the particle influence on the fluid. Then the single fiber collection efficiency characterized by Stokes number (St are simulated by LB-DE methods. Results show that two-way coupling method is more appropriate in our case for particles larger than 8 μm. A good agreement has also been observed between our simulation results and existing correlations for single fiber collection efficiency. The numerical simulations presented in this work are useful to understand the particle transport and deposition and to predict the capture efficiency.

  5. Dynamics and control of robot for capturing objects in space

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Panfeng

    . After capturing the object, the space robot must complete the following two tasks: one is to berth the object, and the other is to re-orientate the attitude of the whole robot system for communication and power supply. Therefore, I propose a method to accomplish these two tasks simultaneously using manipulator motion only. The ultimate goal of space services is to realize the capture and manipulation autonomously. Therefore, I propose an affective approach based on learning human skill to track and capture the objects automatically in space. With human-teaching demonstration, the space robot is able to learn and abstract human tracking and capturing skill using an efficient neural-network learning architecture that combines flexible Cascade Neural Networks with Node Decoupled Extended Kalman Filtering (CNN-NDEKF). The simulation results attest that this approach is useful and feasible in tracking trajectory planning and capturing of space robot. Finally I propose a novel approach based on Genetic Algorithms (GAs) to optimize the approach trajectory of space robots in order to realize effective and stable operations. I complete the minimum-torque path planning in order to save the limited energy in space, and design the minimum jerk trajectory for the stabilization of the space manipulator and its space base. These optimal algorithms are very important and useful for the application of space robot.

  6. Three-Dimensional Inverse Opal Photonic Crystal Substrates toward Efficient Capture of Circulating Tumor Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Hongwei; Dong, Biao; Xiao, Qiaoqin; Sun, Xueke; Zhang, Xinran; Lyu, Jiekai; Yang, Yudan; Xu, Lin; Bai, Xue; Zhang, Shuang; Song, Hongwei

    2017-09-13

    Artificial fractal structures have attracted considerable scientific interest in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) detection and capture, which plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer. Herein, we designed a bionic TiO 2 inverse opal photonic crystal (IOPC) structure for highly efficient immunocapture of CTCs by combination of a magnetic Fe 3 O 4 @C6@silane nanoparticles with anti-EpCAM (antiepithelial cell adhesion molecule) and microchannel structure. Porous structure and dimension of IOPC TiO 2 can be precisely controlled for mimicking cellular components, and anti-EpCAM antibody was further modified on IOPC interface by conjugating with polydopamine (PDA). The improvement of CTCs capture efficiency reaches a surprising factor of 20 for the IOPC interface compared to that on flat glass, suggesting that the IOPCs are responsible for the dramatic enhancement of the capture efficiency of MCF-7 cells. IOPC substrate with pore size of 415 nm leads to the optimal CTCs capture efficiency of 92% with 1 mL/h. Besides the cell affinity, IOPCs also have the advantage of light scattering property which can enhance the excitation and emission light of fluorescence labels, facilitating the real-time monitoring of CTCs capture. The IOPC-based platform demonstrates excellent performance in CTCs capture, which will take an important step toward specific recognition of disease-related rare cells.

  7. Capture of Anastrepha species (Diptera: Tephritidae) with multilure traps and biolure attractants in Guatemala

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martinez, A.J.; Salinas, E.J.; Rendon, P.

    2007-01-01

    Two trapping systems were compared in a study in Guatemala during the wet season, May through Dec 2001. Trap/lure combinations consisting of green or yellow-based plastic McPhail-like traps baited with a synthetic 2-component lure (putrescine and ammonium acetate) and 300 mL of propylene glycol antifreeze as a preservative were compared to the traditional glass McPhail baited with torula yeast/borax and 300 mL of water. Both systems captured several key Anastrepha species including Anastrepha ludens Loew, A. obliqua, Macquart, A. serpentina Weidemann, A. striata Schiner, A. distincta Greene, A. fraterculus Weidemann as well as Ceratitis capitata Weidemann. Additionally, 13 other Anastrepha spp. were captured with the synthetic lure. The plastic traps captured more key flies than the McPhail trap except for A. distincta where there were no significant differences between the yellow-based plastic trap and the McPhail trap and no significant differences between any trap and lure for trapping A. fraterculus. The synthetic lure lasted 10 weeks. The sex ratio was female-biased for almost all captured key species in both systems. Moreover, there were significant numbers of captured nontarget insects in all traps; however, the captured flies in those traps with the synthetic lure were not adversely affected by these insects. Propylene glycol-based antifreeze was a superior preservative when compared to borax/water. (author) [es

  8. Incentives for early adoption of carbon capture technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Comello, Stephen; Reichelstein, Stefan

    2014-01-01

    We analyze a policy proposal for regulating the next generation of baseload electricity generation facilities in the United States. The cornerstone of this regulation is a (hypothetical) EPA mandate for an emission standard of 80 kg of CO 2 per MWh of electricity generated. The mandate would go into effect at the end of 2027 for all power generating facilities that come into operation after 2017. Fossil-fuel power plants could meet the standard by capturing between 80 and 90% of their current CO 2 emissions. While the initial cost of complying with this standard is relatively high for first-of-a-kind facilities, learning effects are projected to reduce this cost substantially by the end of 2027, provided new facilities consistently adopt carbon capture technology in the intervening years. We identify a combination of investment- and production tax credits that provide the required incentives for new facilities to be willing to comply with the standard ahead of the mandate. Due to the anticipated learning effects, the incremental cost associated with the stricter emission limit is projected to about 1.2¢ per kWh of electricity in the long run. - Highlights: • Study the cost effects of a CO 2 emission standard for natural gas power plants. • The standard requires the deployment of carbon capture technology. • Future compliance costs are reduced through learning effects. • Identify tax incentives that induce early technology adoption. • Early adoption results in relatively modest electricity cost increases

  9. Adiabatic capture and debunching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ng, K.Y.

    2012-01-01

    In the study of beam preparation for the g-2 experiment, adiabatic debunching and adiabatic capture are revisited. The voltage programs for these adiabbatic processes are derived and their properties discussed. Comparison is made with some other form of adiabatic capture program. The muon g-2 experiment at Fermilab calls for intense proton bunches for the creation of muons. A booster batch of 84 bunches is injected into the Recycler Ring, where it is debunched and captured into 4 intense bunches with the 2.5-MHz rf. The experiment requires short bunches with total width less than 100 ns. The transport line from the Recycler to the muon-production target has a low momentum aperture of ∼ ±22 MeV. Thus each of the 4 intense proton bunches required to have an emittance less than ∼ 3.46 eVs. The incoming booster bunches have total emittance ∼ 8.4 eVs, or each one with an emittance ∼ 0.1 eVs. However, there is always emittance increase when the 84 booster bunches are debunched. There will be even larger emittance increase during adiabatic capture into the buckets of the 2.5-MHz rf. In addition, the incoming booster bunches may have emittances larger than 0.1 eVs. In this article, we will concentrate on the analysis of the adiabatic capture process with the intention of preserving the beam emittance as much as possible. At this moment, beam preparation experiment is being performed at the Main Injector. Since the Main Injector and the Recycler Ring have roughly the same lattice properties, we are referring to adiabatic capture in the Main Injector instead in our discussions.

  10. Boron neutron capture therapy combined with fractionated photon irradiation for glioblastoma: A recursive partitioning analysis of BNCT patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakai, K.; Yamamoto, T.; Aiyama, H.; Takada, T.; Yoshida, F.; Kageji, T.; Kumada, H.; Isobe, T.; Endo, K.; Matsuda, M.; Tsurubuchi, T.; Shibata, Y.; Takano, S.; Mizumoto, M.; Tsuboi, K.; Matsumura, A.

    2011-01-01

    Eight patients to received Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) were selected from 33 newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients (NCT(+) group). Serial 42 glioblastoma patients (NCT(−) group) were treated without BNCT. The median OS of the NCT(+) group and NCT (−) group were 24.4 months and 14.9 months. In the high risk patients (RPA class V), the median OS of the NCT(+) group tended to be better than that of NCT(−) group. 50% of BNCT patients were RPA class V. - Highlights: ► We treated 8 patients with boron neutron capture therapy (NCT) for glioblastoma. ► We compare the overall survival between NCT including series and without NCT series. ► The median overall survival of the NCT including series was 24.4 months. ► In the high risk patients, the median OS of NCT including series tended to be better.

  11. The Generic Data Capture Facility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Connell, Edward B.; Barnes, William P.; Stallings, William H.

    1987-01-01

    The Generic Data Capture Facility, which can provide data capture support for a variety of different types of spacecraft while enabling operations costs to be carefully controlled, is discussed. The data capture functions, data protection, isolation of users from data acquisition problems, data reconstruction, and quality and accounting are addressed. The TDM and packet data formats utilized by the system are described, and the development of generic facilities is considered.

  12. Negative meson capture in hydrogen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baird, T.J.

    1977-01-01

    The processes of deexcitation and capture of negative mesons and hadrons in atomic hydrogen are investigated. Only slow collisions in which the projectile-atom relative velocity is less than one atomic unit are considered, and the motion of the incident particle is treated classically. For each classical trajectory the probability of ionizing the hydrogen atom is determined, together with the energy spectrum of the emitted electron. Ionization probabilities are calculated using the time-dependent formulation of the perturbed stationary state method. Exact two-center electronic wave functions are used for both bound and continuum states. The total ionization cross section and electron energy spectrum have been calculated for negative muons, kaons and antiprotons at incident relative velocities between 0.04 and 1.0 atomic units. The electron energy spectrum has a sharp peak for electron kinetic energies on the order of 10 -3 Rydbergs. The ionization process thus favors the emission of very slow electrons. The cross section for ionization with capture of the incident particle was calculated for relative kinetic energies greater than 1.0 Rydberg. Since ionization was found to occur with the emission of electrons of nearly zero kinetic energy, the fraction of ionizing collisions which result in capture decreases very rapidly with projectile kinetic energy. The energy distributions of slowed down muons and hadrons were also computed. These distributions were used together with the capture cross section to determine the distribution of kinetic energies at which capture takes place. It was found that most captures occur for kinetic energies slightly less than 1.0 Rydbergs with relatively little capture at thermal energies. The captured particles therefore tend to go into very large and loosely found orbits with binding energies less than 0.1 Rydbergs

  13. CAPTURED India Country Evaluation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    O'Donoghue, R.; Brouwers, J.H.A.M.

    2012-01-01

    This report provides the findings of the India Country Evaluation and is produced as part of the overall CAPTURED End Evaluation. After five years of support by the CAPTURED project the End Evaluation has assessed that results are commendable. I-AIM was able to design an approach in which health

  14. Carbon Capture and Storage

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Benson, S.M.; Bennaceur, K.; Cook, P.; Davison, J.; Coninck, H. de; Farhat, K.; Ramirez, C.A.; Simbeck, D.; Surles, T.; Verma, P.; Wright, I.

    2012-01-01

    Emissions of carbon dioxide, the most important long-lived anthropogenic greenhouse gas, can be reduced by Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). CCS involves the integration of four elements: CO 2 capture, compression of the CO2 from a gas to a liquid or a denser gas, transportation of pressurized CO 2

  15. The Skyrme-TQRPA calculations of electron capture on hot nuclei in pre-supernova environment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dzhioev, Alan A., E-mail: dzhioev@theor.jinr.ru; Vdovin, A. I., E-mail: vdovin@theor.jinr.ru [JINR, Bogoliubov Laboratory of Theoretical Physics (Russian Federation); Stoyanov, Ch., E-mail: stoyanov@inrne.bas.bg [Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy (Bulgaria)

    2016-11-15

    We combine the thermal QRPA approach with the Skyrme energy density functional theory (Skyrme–TQRPA) for modelling the process of electron capture on nuclei in supernova environment. For a sample nucleus, {sup 56}Fe, the Skyrme–TQRPA approach is applied to analyze thermal effects on the strength function of GT{sub +} transitions which dominate electron capture at E{sub e} ≤ 30 MeV. Several Skyrme interactions are used in order to verify the sensitivity of the obtained results to the Skyrme force parameters. Finite-temperature cross sections are calculated and the results are comparedwith those of the other model calculations.

  16. All-fiber 7x1 signal combiner for incoherent laser beam combining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noordegraaf, D.; Maack, M. D.; Skovgaard, P. M. W.; Johansen, J.; Becker, F.; Belke, S.; Blomqvist, M.; Laegsgaard, J.

    2011-02-01

    We demonstrate an all-fiber 7x1 signal combiner for incoherent laser beam combining. This is a potential key component for reaching several kW of stabile laser output power. The combiner couples the output from 7 single-mode (SM) fiber lasers into a single multi-mode (MM) fiber. The input signal fibers have a core diameter of 17 μm and the output MM fiber has a core diameter of 100 μm. In a tapered section light gradually leaks out of the SM fibers and is captured by a surrounding fluorine-doped cladding. The combiner is tested up to 2.5 kW of combined output power and only a minor increase in device temperature is observed. At an intermediate power level of 600 W a beam parameter product (BPP) of 2.22 mm x mrad is measured, corresponding to an M2 value of 6.5. These values are approaching the theoretical limit dictated by brightness conservation.

  17. Updated (BP3) Technical and Economic Feasibility Study - Electrochemical Membrane for Carbon Dioxide Capture and Power Generation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ghezel-Ayagh, Hossein

    2016-10-12

    This topical report summarizes the results of an updated Technical & Economic Feasibility Study (T&EFS) which was conducted in Budget Period 3 of the project to evaluate the performance and cost of the Electrochemical Membrane (ECM)-based CO2 capture system. The ECM technology is derived from commercially available inorganic membranes; the same used in FuelCell Energy’s commercial fuel cell power plants and sold under the trade name Direct FuelCell® (DFC®). The ECM stacks are utilized in the Combined Electric Power (generation) And Carbon dioxide Separation (CEPACS) systems which can be deployed as add-ons to conventional power plants (Pulverized Coal, Combined Cycle, etc.) or industrial facilities to simultaneously produce power while capturing >90% of the CO2 from the flue gas. In this study, an ECM-based CEPACS plant was designed to capture and compress >90% of the CO2 (for sequestration or beneficial use) from the flue gas of a reference 550 MW (nominal, net AC) Pulverized Coal (PC) Rankine Cycle (Subcritical steam) power plant. ECM performance was updated based on bench scale ECM stack test results. The system process simulations were performed to generate the CEPACS plant performance estimates. The performance assessment included estimation of the parasitic power consumption for CO2 capture and compression, and the efficiency impact on the PC plant. While the ECM-based CEPACS system for the 550 MW PC plant captures 90% of CO2 from the flue gas, it generates additional (net AC) power after compensating for the auxiliary power requirements of CO2 capture and compression. An equipment list, ECM stacks packaging design, and CEPACS plant layout were developed to facilitate the economic analysis. Vendor quotes were also solicited. The economic feasibility study included estimation of CEPACS plant capital cost, cost of electricity (COE) analyses and estimation of cost per ton of CO2 captured. The incremental COE for the ECM-based CO2 capture is expected to meet

  18. Giant resonance effects in radiative capture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Snover, K.A.

    1979-01-01

    The technique of capture reaction studies of giant resonance properties is described, and a number of examples are given. Most of the recent work of interest has been in proton capture, in part because of the great utility (and availability) of polarized beams; most of the discussion concerns this reaction. Alpha capture, which has been a useful tool for exploring isoscalar E2 strength, and neutron capture are, however, also treated. 46 references, 14 figures

  19. Evaluation of a target region capture sequencing platform using monogenic diabetes as a study-model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gao, Rui; Liu, Yanxia; Gjesing, Anette Marianne Prior

    2014-01-01

    Monogenic diabetes is a genetic disease often caused by mutations in genes involved in beta-cell function. Correct sub-categorization of the disease is a prerequisite for appropriate treatment and genetic counseling. Target-region capture sequencing is a combination of genomic region enrichment...... and next generation sequencing which might be used as an efficient way to diagnose various genetic disorders. We aimed to develop a target-region capture sequencing platform to screen 117 selected candidate genes involved in metabolism for mutations and to evaluate its performance using monogenic diabetes...

  20. Motion Capturing Emotions

    OpenAIRE

    Wood Karen; Cisneros Rosemary E.; Whatley Sarah

    2017-01-01

    The paper explores the activities conducted as part of WhoLoDancE: Whole Body Interaction Learning for Dance Education which is an EU-funded Horizon 2020 project. In particular, we discuss the motion capture sessions that took place at Motek, Amsterdam as well as the dancers’ experience of being captured and watching themselves or others as varying visual representations through the HoloLens. HoloLens is Microsoft’s first holographic computer that you wear as you would a pair of glasses. The ...

  1. Use of pulsed-neutron capture logs to identify steam breakthrough

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Masse, P.J.; Gosney, T.C.; Long, D.L.

    1991-01-01

    This paper reports on identification of steam-breakthrough zones in a stacked sand/shale sequence with variable lateral continuity which is difficult. Such identification, however, would allow the modification of field operations to enhance recovery through improved vertical sweep and heat injection. Twenty pulsed-neutron capture (PNC) logs were run to identify the steam-breakthrough zone(s) in a seven-pattern area of Mobil's Middle expansion (MIDX) Steamflood Project in the South Belridge field. These PNC data were combined with data from recent replacement wells and a detailed geologic analysis. Evaluation of this combined information allowed identification of potential steam-breakthrough zone(s), and operations were modified to reduce and eliminate steam breakthrough

  2. The impacts of CO2 capture technologies on transboundary air pollution in the Netherlands

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Harmelen, T.; Van Horssen, A.; Van Gijlswijk, R.; Koornneef, J.; Ramirez Ramirez, A.

    2008-05-01

    The objective of the inventory phase 1 of the project on the title subject is two-fold: (1) to assess the impacts of different CO2 capture technologies on transboundary air pollution in the Netherlands in 2020. Other possible environmental impacts such as toxic emissions and safety are considered qualitatively; and (2) to provide recommendations for further research in the in-depth phase 2 in order to address the current knowledge gaps found in this area. The inventory summarises all (public) available information that is relevant for transboundary air pollution and presents it in understandable terms for environmental experts and policymakers who are not CCS (carbon dioxide capture and storage) experts. The project surveys the present scientific literature and interviews key players in the carbon capture community in the Netherlands to present the current insights and state of capture technology, particularly with respect to transboundary air pollution. This has been done taking into account the angles of both research and policy needs. The information gathered is combined with scenario information for the year 2020 on carbon capture technology and transboundary air pollution in order to sketch ranges of possible impacts of carbon capture technologies in the Netherlands in this year. Chapter 2 explains the methodology and the research process taken in the project. Chapter 3 introduces the different capture technologies in the form a structured description. Chapter 4 describes the results of the assessment of capture technologies in terms of a comparative analysis and a what-if emission scenario analysis for the Netherlands. Chapter 5 closes the report with conclusions and recommendations for further research

  3. Tissue-based metabolite profiling and qualitative comparison of two species of Achyranthes roots by use of UHPLC-QTOF MS and laser micro-dissection

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Yogini Jaiswal; Zhitao Liang; Alan Ho; Hubiao Chen; Leonard Williams; Zhongzhen Zhao

    2018-01-01

    Achyranthes bidentata and Achyranthes aspera are saponin and steroid rich medicinal plants, used extensively for therapeutic treatments in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda. A. bidentata is reported to be one of the rare and extensively exploited medicinal plant species that face the issue of being endangered. Finding qualitative substitute with identical phyto-constituents contributing to similar composition and pharmacological benefits wil help in reducing the burden of exploitation of the natural habitats of such plants. In the present study, a comparative metabolite analysis of the whole drug and specific tissues isolated by laser micro-dissection (LMD) was carried out for both the selected species, by use of ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF MS). The results of the study indicate that the cortex and the medullary ray tissues are rich in their content of steroidal and saponin con-stituents such as (25S)-inokosterone-20,22-acetonide, ginsenoside Ro, bidentatoside II and achyranthoside B. Metabolite profiling of the whole tissues of both the species indicates presence of identical constituents. Thus, it is inferred that A. bidentata and A. aspera can be used as qualitative substitutes for each other.

  4. Capture and Anaesthesia of Wild Mongolian Equids – the Przewalski’s Horse ( Equus ferus przewalskii and Khulan ( E. hemionus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chris Walzer

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available Science-based conservation efforts in general, and wide-ranging equid conservation speci fi cally, of- ten require capture and subsequent handling of the subject animal. Safe and animal-welfare appropriate wild equid capture and anaesthesia is a complex operation necessitating a multitude of skills that require appropriate veterinary training. The agent of choice for wild equid capture and anaesthesia is the potent opiate ethorphine in combination with speci fi c opiate antagonists that allow for the complete reversal of the anaesthetic effects. The recommended dosage for a healthy, wild adult Przewalski’s horse is 2.5- 3.0 mg ethorphine, 10 mg of the alpha2-agonist detomidine and 10 mg of the opioid agonist-antagonist butorphanol. In Przewalski’s horses ethorphine is reversed with the opioid antagonist naltrexone (200 mg. In khulan procedures anaesthesia was induced with a combination of 4.4 mg Ethorphine, 10 mg Detomidine and 10 mg Buthorphanol. Anaesthesia was reversed with the opioid antagonist-agonist di- prenorphine or a combination of 200 mg naltrexone and the alpha2-antagonist 20 mg atipamezole. All equids were standing and alert approximately two minutes following administration of the antagonists.

  5. A survey of the Carbon Capture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jokrllova, J.; Cik, G.; Takacova, A.; Smolinska, M.

    2014-01-01

    The concentration of carbon dioxide, one of the most important representatives of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continues to rise. Fossil fuels burned in thermal power plants currently represent 80% of total energy production around the world and are the largest point sources of CO 2 , accounting for approximately 40% of total CO 2 emissions. There are several options for reducing CO 2 emissions: reducing demand, improving production efficiency and carbon capture and storage (CCS, carbon capture and storage). Capture and storage of carbon dioxide is generally a three-step process: 1 st Capture and compression of combustion products, 2 nd transport (mostly pipeline) and 3 rd utilization (eg. production of urea, beverage industry, production of dry ice, etc.). Technologies for CO 2 capturing used in power plants burning fossil fuels can be divided into four groups, each of which requires a completely different approach to CO 2 capture.

  6. US Spacesuit Knowledge Capture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chullen, Cinda; Thomas, Ken; McMann, Joe; Dolan, Kristi; Bitterly, Rose; Lewis, Cathleen

    2011-01-01

    The ability to learn from both the mistakes and successes of the past is vital to assuring success in the future. Due to the close physical interaction between spacesuit systems and human beings as users, spacesuit technology and usage lends itself rather uniquely to the benefits realized from the skillful organization of historical information; its dissemination; the collection and identification of artifacts; and the education of those in the field. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), other organizations and individuals have been performing United States (U.S.) Spacesuit Knowledge Capture since the beginning of space exploration. Avenues used to capture the knowledge have included publication of reports; conference presentations; specialized seminars; and classes usually given by veterans in the field. More recently the effort has been more concentrated and formalized whereby a new avenue of spacesuit knowledge capture has been added to the archives in which videotaping occurs engaging both current and retired specialists in the field presenting technical scope specifically for education and preservation of knowledge. With video archiving, all these avenues of learning can now be brought to life with the real experts presenting their wealth of knowledge on screen for future learners to enjoy. Scope and topics of U.S. spacesuit knowledge capture have included lessons learned in spacesuit technology, experience from the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and Shuttle programs, hardware certification, design, development and other program components, spacesuit evolution and experience, failure analysis and resolution, and aspects of program management. Concurrently, U.S. spacesuit knowledge capture activities have progressed to a level where NASA, the National Air and Space Museum (NASM), Hamilton Sundstrand (HS) and the spacesuit community are now working together to provide a comprehensive closed-looped spacesuit knowledge capture system which includes

  7. Continuum capture in the three-body problem

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sellin, I.A.

    1980-01-01

    The three-body problem, especially the problem of electron capture to the continuum in heavy particle collisions is reviewed. Major topics covered include: second born-induced asymmetry in electron capture to the continuum; historical context, links to other tests of atomic scattering theory; experiments characterizing the velocity distribution of ECC electrons; other atomic physics tests of high velocity Born expansions; atom capture; capture by positrons; and pion capture to the continuum

  8. Capture of organic iodides from nuclear waste by metal-organic framework-based molecular traps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Baiyan; Dong, Xinglong; Wang, Hao; Ma, Dingxuan; Tan, Kui; Jensen, Stephanie; Deibert, Benjamin J; Butler, Joseph; Cure, Jeremy; Shi, Zhan; Thonhauser, Timo; Chabal, Yves J; Han, Yu; Li, Jing

    2017-09-07

    Effective capture of radioactive organic iodides from nuclear waste remains a significant challenge due to the drawbacks of current adsorbents such as low uptake capacity, high cost, and non-recyclability. We report here a general approach to overcome this challenge by creating radioactive organic iodide molecular traps through functionalization of metal-organic framework materials with tertiary amine-binding sites. The molecular trap exhibits a high CH 3 I saturation uptake capacity of 71 wt% at 150 °C, which is more than 340% higher than the industrial adsorbent Ag 0 @MOR under identical conditions. These functionalized metal-organic frameworks also serve as good adsorbents at low temperatures. Furthermore, the resulting adsorbent can be recycled multiple times without loss of capacity, making recyclability a reality. In combination with its chemical and thermal stability, high capture efficiency and low cost, the adsorbent demonstrates promise for industrial radioactive organic iodides capture from nuclear waste. The capture mechanism was investigated by experimental and theoretical methods.Capturing radioactive organic iodides from nuclear waste is important for safe nuclear energy usage, but remains a significant challenge. Here, Li and co-workers fabricate a stable metal-organic framework functionalized with tertiary amine groups that exhibits high capacities for radioactive organic iodides uptake.

  9. Capture of organic iodides from nuclear waste by metal-organic framework-based molecular traps

    KAUST Repository

    Li, Baiyan

    2017-09-01

    Effective capture of radioactive organic iodides from nuclear waste remains a significant challenge due to the drawbacks of current adsorbents such as low uptake capacity, high cost, and non-recyclability. We report here a general approach to overcome this challenge by creating radioactive organic iodide molecular traps through functionalization of metal-organic framework materials with tertiary amine-binding sites. The molecular trap exhibits a high CH3I saturation uptake capacity of 71 wt% at 150 °C, which is more than 340% higher than the industrial adsorbent Ag0@MOR under identical conditions. These functionalized metal-organic frameworks also serve as good adsorbents at low temperatures. Furthermore, the resulting adsorbent can be recycled multiple times without loss of capacity, making recyclability a reality. In combination with its chemical and thermal stability, high capture efficiency and low cost, the adsorbent demonstrates promise for industrial radioactive organic iodides capture from nuclear waste. The capture mechanism was investigated by experimental and theoretical methods.Capturing radioactive organic iodides from nuclear waste is important for safe nuclear energy usage, but remains a significant challenge. Here, Li and co-workers fabricate a stable metal-organic framework functionalized with tertiary amine groups that exhibits high capacities for radioactive organic iodides uptake.

  10. CO(2) capture properties of alkaline earth metal oxides and hydroxides: A combined density functional theory and lattice phonon dynamics study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duan, Yuhua; Sorescu, Dan C

    2010-08-21

    By combining density functional theory and lattice phonon dynamics, the thermodynamic properties of CO(2) absorption/desorption reactions with alkaline earth metal oxides MO and hydroxides M(OH)(2) (where M=Be,Mg,Ca,Sr,Ba) are analyzed. The heats of reaction and the chemical potential changes of these solids upon CO(2) capture reactions have been calculated and used to evaluate the energy costs. Relative to CaO, a widely used system in practical applications, MgO and Mg(OH)(2) systems were found to be better candidates for CO(2) sorbent applications due to their lower operating temperatures (600-700 K). In the presence of H(2)O, MgCO(3) can be regenerated into Mg(OH)(2) at low temperatures or into MgO at high temperatures. This transition temperature depends not only on the CO(2) pressure but also on the H(2)O pressure. Based on our calculated results and by comparing with available experimental data, we propose a general computational search methodology which can be used as a general scheme for screening a large number of solids for use as CO(2) sorbents.

  11. Capture of irregular satellites at Jupiter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nesvorný, David; Vokrouhlický, David; Deienno, Rogerio

    2014-01-01

    The irregular satellites of outer planets are thought to have been captured from heliocentric orbits. The exact nature of the capture process, however, remains uncertain. We examine the possibility that irregular satellites were captured from the planetesimal disk during the early solar system instability when encounters between the outer planets occurred. Nesvorný et al. already showed that the irregular satellites of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune were plausibly captured during planetary encounters. Here we find that the current instability models present favorable conditions for capture of irregular satellites at Jupiter as well, mainly because Jupiter undergoes a phase of close encounters with an ice giant. We show that the orbital distribution of bodies captured during planetary encounters provides a good match to the observed distribution of irregular satellites at Jupiter. The capture efficiency for each particle in the original transplanetary disk is found to be (1.3-3.6) × 10 –8 . This is roughly enough to explain the observed population of jovian irregular moons. We also confirm Nesvorný et al.'s results for the irregular satellites of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

  12. CO2 Capture and Reuse

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thambimuthu, K.; Gupta, M.; Davison, J.

    2003-01-01

    CO2 capture and storage including its utilization or reuse presents an opportunity to achieve deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from fossil energy use. The development and deployment of this option could significantly assist in meeting a future goal of achieving stabilization of the presently rising atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases. CO2 capture from process streams is an established concept that has achieved industrial practice. Examples of current applications include the use of primarily, solvent based capture technologies for the recovery of pure CO2 streams for chemical synthesis, for utilization as a food additive, for use as a miscible agent in enhanced oil recovery operations and removal of CO2 as an undesired contaminant from gaseous process streams for the production of fuel gases such as hydrogen and methane. In these applications, the technologies deployed for CO2 capture have focused on gas separation from high purity, high pressure streams and in reducing (or oxygen deficient) environments, where the energy penalties and cost for capture are moderately low. However, application of the same capture technologies for large scale abatement of greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel use poses significant challenges in achieving (at comparably low energy penalty and cost) gas separation in large volume, dilute concentration and/or low pressure flue gas streams. This paper will focus on a review of existing commercial methods of CO2 capture and the technology stretch, process integration and energy system pathways needed for their large scale deployment in fossil fueled processes. The assessment of potential capture technologies for the latter purpose will also be based on published literature data that are both 'transparent' and 'systematic' in their evaluation of the overall cost and energy penalties of CO2 capture. In view of the of the fact that many of the existing commercial processes for CO2 capture have seen applications in

  13. Integrating Algae with Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage (ABECCS) Increases Sustainability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beal, Colin M.; Archibald, Ian; Huntley, Mark E.; Greene, Charles H.; Johnson, Zackary I.

    2018-03-01

    Bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS) has been proposed to reduce atmospheric CO2 concentrations, but concerns remain about competition for arable land and freshwater. The synergistic integration of algae production, which does not require arable land or freshwater, with BECCS (called "ABECCS") can reduce CO2 emissions without competing with agriculture. This study presents a technoeconomic and life-cycle assessment for colocating a 121-ha algae facility with a 2,680-ha eucalyptus forest for BECCS. The eucalyptus biomass fuels combined heat and power (CHP) generation with subsequent amine-based carbon capture and storage (CCS). A portion of the captured CO2 is used for growing algae and the remainder is sequestered. Biomass combustion supplies CO2, heat, and electricity, thus increasing the range of sites suitable for algae cultivation. Economic, energetic, and environmental impacts are considered. The system yields as much protein as soybeans while generating 61.5 TJ of electricity and sequestering 29,600 t of CO2 per year. More energy is generated than consumed and the freshwater footprint is roughly equal to that for soybeans. Financial break-even is achieved for product value combinations that include 1) algal biomass sold for 1,400/t (fishmeal replacement) with a 68/t carbon credit and 2) algal biomass sold for 600/t (soymeal replacement) with a 278/t carbon credit. Sensitivity analysis shows significant reductions to the cost of carbon sequestration are possible. The ABECCS system represents a unique technology for negative emissions without reducing protein production or increasing water demand, and should therefore be included in the suite of technologies being considered to address global sustainability.

  14. Thermodynamic analysis of CO2 capture processes for power plants

    OpenAIRE

    Biyouki, Zeinab Amrollahi

    2014-01-01

    This thesis work presents an evaluation of various processes for reducing CO2 emissions from natural-gas-fired combined cycle (NGCC) power plants. The scope of the thesis is to focus mainly on post-combustion chemical absorption for NGCC. For the post-combustion capture plant, an important interface is the steam extraction from the steam turbine in order to supply the heat for solvent regeneration. The steam extraction imposes a power production penalty. The thesis includes analysis and compa...

  15. Confusion noise from LISA capture sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barack, Leor; Cutler, Curt

    2004-01-01

    Captures of compact objects (COs) by massive black holes (MBHs) in galactic nuclei will be an important source for LISA, the proposed space-based gravitational wave (GW) detector. However, a large fraction of captures will not be individually resolvable - either because they are too distant, have unfavorable orientation, or have too many years to go before final plunge - and so will constitute a source of 'confusion noise', obscuring other types of sources. In this paper we estimate the shape and overall magnitude of the GW background energy spectrum generated by CO captures. This energy spectrum immediately translates to a spectral density S h capt (f) for the amplitude of capture-generated GWs registered by LISA. The overall magnitude of S h capt (f) is linear in the CO capture rates, which are rather uncertain; therefore we present results for a plausible range of rates. S h capt (f) includes the contributions from both resolvable and unresolvable captures, and thus represents an upper limit on the confusion noise level. We then estimate what fraction of S h capt (f) is due to unresolvable sources and hence constitutes confusion noise. We find that almost all of the contribution to S h capt (f) coming from white dwarf and neutron star captures, and at least ∼30% of the contribution from black hole captures, is from sources that cannot be individually resolved. Nevertheless, we show that the impact of capture confusion noise on the total LISA noise curve ranges from insignificant to modest, depending on the rates. Capture rates at the high end of estimated ranges would raise LISA's overall (effective) noise level [fS h eff (f)] 1/2 by at most a factor ∼2 in the frequency range 1-10 mHz, where LISA is most sensitive. While this slightly elevated noise level would somewhat decrease LISA's sensitivity to other classes of sources, we argue that, overall, this would be a pleasant problem for LISA to have: It would also imply that detection rates for CO captures

  16. Nuclear muon capture

    CERN Document Server

    Mukhopadhyay, N C

    1977-01-01

    Our present knowledge of the nuclear muon capture reactions is surveyed. Starting from the formation of the muonic atom, various phenomena, having a bearing on the nuclear capture, are reviewed. The nuclear reactions are then studied from two angles-to learn about the basic muon+nucleon weak interaction process, and to obtain new insights on the nuclear dynamics. Future experimental prospects with the newer generation muon 'factories' are critically examined. Possible modification of the muon+nucleon weak interaction in complex nuclei remains the most important open problem in this field. (380 refs).

  17. Candidate exome capture identifies mutation of SDCCAG8 as the cause of a retinal-renal ciliopathy.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Otto, E.A.; Hurd, T.W.; Airik, R.; Chaki, M.; Zhou, W.; Stoetzel, C.; Patil, S.B.; Levy, S.; Ghosh, A.K.; Murga-Zamalloa, C.A.; Reeuwijk, J. van; Letteboer, S.J.F.; Sang, L.; Giles, R.H.; Liu, Q.; Coene, K.L.M.; Estrada-Cuzcano, A.; Collin, R.W.J.; McLaughlin, H.M.; Held, S.; Kasanuki, J.M.; Ramaswami, G.; Conte, J.; Lopez, I.; Washburn, J.; Macdonald, J.; Hu, J.; Yamashita, Y.; Maher, E.R.; Guay-Woodford, L.M.; Neumann, H.P.; Obermuller, N.; Koenekoop, R.K.; Bergmann, C.; Bei, X.; Lewis, R.A.; Katsanis, N.; Lopes, V.; Williams, D.S.; Lyons, R.H.; Dang, C.V.; Brito, D.A.; Dias, M.B.; Zhang, X.; Cavalcoli, J.D.; Nurnberg, G.; Nurnberg, P.; Pierce, E.A.; Jackson, P.K.; Antignac, C.; Saunier, S.; Roepman, R.; Dollfus, H.; Khanna, H.; Hildebrandt, F.

    2010-01-01

    Nephronophthisis-related ciliopathies (NPHP-RC) are recessive disorders that feature dysplasia or degeneration occurring preferentially in the kidney, retina and cerebellum. Here we combined homozygosity mapping with candidate gene analysis by performing 'ciliopathy candidate exome capture' followed

  18. Superior capture of CO2 achieved by introducing extra-framework cations into N-doped microporous carbon

    KAUST Repository

    Zhao, Yunfeng; Liu, Xin; Yao, Kexin; Zhao, Lan; Han, Yu

    2012-01-01

    We designed and prepared a novel microporous carbon material (KNC-A-K) for selective CO2 capture. The combination of a high N-doping concentration (>10 wt %) and extra-framework cations, which were introduced into carbonaceous sorbents

  19. Foot-and-mouth disease virus persists in the light zone of germinal centres.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicholas Juleff

    Full Text Available Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV is one of the most contagious viruses of animals and is recognised as the most important constraint to international trade in animals and animal products. Two fundamental problems remain to be understood before more effective control measures can be put in place. These problems are the FMDV "carrier state" and the short duration of immunity after vaccination which contrasts with prolonged immunity after natural infection. Here we show by laser capture microdissection in combination with quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemical analysis and corroborate by in situ hybridization that FMDV locates rapidly to, and is maintained in, the light zone of germinal centres following primary infection of naïve cattle. We propose that maintenance of non-replicating FMDV in these sites represents a source of persisting infectious virus and also contributes to the generation of long-lasting antibody responses against neutralising epitopes of the virus.

  20. Analysis of Temporal-spatial Co-variation within Gene Expression Microarray Data in an Organogenesis Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ehler, Martin; Rajapakse, Vinodh; Zeeberg, Barry; Brooks, Brian; Brown, Jacob; Czaja, Wojciech; Bonner, Robert F.

    The gene networks underlying closure of the optic fissure during vertebrate eye development are poorly understood. We used a novel clustering method based on Laplacian Eigenmaps, a nonlinear dimension reduction method, to analyze microarray data from laser capture microdissected (LCM) cells at the site and developmental stages (days 10.5 to 12.5) of optic fissure closure. Our new method provided greater biological specificity than classical clustering algorithms in terms of identifying more biological processes and functions related to eye development as defined by Gene Ontology at lower false discovery rates. This new methodology builds on the advantages of LCM to isolate pure phenotypic populations within complex tissues and allows improved ability to identify critical gene products expressed at lower copy number. The combination of LCM of embryonic organs, gene expression microarrays, and extracting spatial and temporal co-variations appear to be a powerful approach to understanding the gene regulatory networks that specify mammalian organogenesis.

  1. Nucleic acid hybridization assays employing dA-tailed capture probes. II. Advanced multiple capture methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hunsaker, W.R.; Badri, H.; Lombardo, M.; Collins, M.L.

    1989-01-01

    A fourth capture is added to the reversible target capture procedure. This results in an improved radioisotopic detection limit of 7.3 x 10(-21) mol of target. In addition, the standard triple capture method is converted into a nonradioactive format with a detection limit of under 1 amol of target. The principal advantage of nonradioactive detection is that the entire assay can be performed in about 1 h. Nucleic acids are released from cells in the presence of the (capture probe) which contains a 3'-poly(dA) sequence and the (labeled probe) which contains a detectable nonradioactive moiety such as biotin. After a brief hybridization in solution, the target is captured on oligo(dT) magnetic particles. The target is further purified from sample impurities and excess labeled probe by recapture either once or twice more on fresh magnetic particles. The highly purified target is then concentrated to 200 nl by recapture onto a poly(dT) nitrocellulose filter and rapidly detected with streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase using bromochloroindolyl phosphate and nitroblue tetrazolium. Using this procedure, as little as 0.25 amol of a target plasmid has been detected nonradioactively in crude samples in just 1 h without prior purification of the DNA and RNA. Finally, a new procedure called background capture is introduced to complement the background-reducing power of RTC

  2. Environmental and thermodynamic evaluation of CO2 capture, transport and storage with and without enhanced resource recovery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iribarren, Diego; Petrakopoulou, Fontina; Dufour, Javier

    2013-01-01

    This study evaluates the environmental and thermodynamic performance of six coal-fired power plants with CO 2 capture and storage. The technologies examined are post-combustion capture using monoethanolamine, membrane separation, cryogenic fractionation and pressure swing adsorption, pre-combustion capture through coal gasification, and capture performing conventional oxy-fuel combustion. The incorporation of CO 2 capture is evaluated both on its own and in combination with CO 2 transport and geological storage, with and without beneficial use. Overall, we find that pre-combustion CO 2 capture and post-combustion through membrane separation present relatively low life-cycle environmental impacts and high exergetic efficiencies. When accounting for transport and storage, the environmental impacts increase and the efficiencies decrease. However, a better environmental performance can be achieved for CO 2 capture, transport and storage when incorporating beneficial use through enhanced oil recovery. The performance with enhanced coal-bed methane recovery, on the other hand, depends on the impact categories evaluated. The incorporation of methane recovery results in a better thermodynamic performance, when compared to the incorporation of oil recovery. The cumulative energy demand shows that the integration of enhanced resource recovery strategies is necessary to attain favourable life-cycle energy balances. - Highlights: ► Evaluation of six different CO 2 capture technologies for coal-fired power plants. ► Calculation of life-cycle environmental impacts and exergetic efficiencies. ► Suitability of post-combustion capture with membrane separation. ► Suitability of pre-combustion capture through coal gasification. ► Improved performance when incorporating enhanced resource recovery

  3. Comparative approach to capture bacterial diversity in coastal waters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Na, Hyunsoo; Kim, Ok-Sun; Yoon, Suk-hwan

    2011-01-01

    Despite the revolutionary advancements in DNA sequencing technology and cultivation techniques, few studies have been done to directly compare these methods. In this study, a 16S rRNA gene-based, integrative approach combining culture-independent techniques with culture-dependent methods was taken...... to investigate the bacterial community structure of coastal seawater collected from the Yellow Sea, Korea. For culture-independent studies, we used the latest model pyrosequencer, Roche/454 Genome Sequencer FLX Titanium. Pyrosequencing captured a total of 52 phyla including 27 candidate divisions from the water...

  4. The Effectiveness of Classroom Capture Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ford, Maire B.; Burns, Colleen E.; Mitch, Nathan; Gomez, Melissa M.

    2012-01-01

    The use of classroom capture systems (systems that capture audio and video footage of a lecture and attempt to replicate a classroom experience) is becoming increasingly popular at the university level. However, research on the effectiveness of classroom capture systems in the university classroom has been limited due to the recent development and…

  5. Contingent orienting or contingent capture: a size singleton matching the target-distractor size relation cannot capture attention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Feng; Yin, Yue; Qi, Yue; Zhang, Kan

    2014-08-01

    In the present study, we examined whether a peripheral size-singleton distractor that matches the target-distractor size relation can capture attention and disrupt central target identification. Three experiments consistently showed that a size singleton that matches the target-distractor size relation cannot capture attention when it appears outside of the attentional window, even though the same size singleton produces a cuing effect. In addition, a color singleton that matches the target color, instead of a size singleton that matches the target-distractor size relation, captures attention when it is outside of the attentional window. Thus, a size-relation-matched distractor is much weaker than a color-matched distractor in capturing attention and cannot capture attention when the distractor appears outside of the attentional window.

  6. Multifunctional Nanotechnology-Enabled Sensors for Rapid Capture and Detection of Pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mustafa, Fatima; Hassan, Rabeay Y A; Andreescu, Silvana

    2017-09-15

    Nanomaterial-based sensing approaches that incorporate different types of nanoparticles (NPs) and nanostructures in conjunction with natural or synthetic receptors as molecular recognition elements provide opportunities for the design of sensitive and selective assays for rapid detection of contaminants. This review summarizes recent advancements over the past ten years in the development of nanotechnology-enabled sensors and systems for capture and detection of pathogens. The most common types of nanostructures and NPs, their modification with receptor molecules and integration to produce viable sensing systems with biorecognition, amplification and signal readout are discussed. Examples of all-in-one systems that combine multifunctional properties for capture, separation, inactivation and detection are also provided. Current trends in the development of low-cost instrumentation for rapid assessment of food contamination are discussed as well as challenges for practical implementation and directions for future research.

  7. Capture cross sections on unstable nuclei

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tonchev, A. P.; Escher, J. E.; Scielzo, N.; Bedrossian, P.; Ilieva, R. S.; Humby, P.; Cooper, N.; Goddard, P. M.; Werner, V.; Tornow, W.; Rusev, G.; Kelley, J. H.; Pietralla, N.; Scheck, M.; Savran, D.; Löher, B.; Yates, S. W.; Crider, B. P.; Peters, E. E.; Tsoneva, N.; Goriely, S.

    2017-09-01

    Accurate neutron-capture cross sections on unstable nuclei near the line of beta stability are crucial for understanding the s-process nucleosynthesis. However, neutron-capture cross sections for short-lived radionuclides are difficult to measure due to the fact that the measurements require both highly radioactive samples and intense neutron sources. Essential ingredients for describing the γ decays following neutron capture are the γ-ray strength function and level densities. We will compare different indirect approaches for obtaining the most relevant observables that can constrain Hauser-Feshbach statistical-model calculations of capture cross sections. Specifically, we will consider photon scattering using monoenergetic and 100% linearly polarized photon beams. Challenges that exist on the path to obtaining neutron-capture cross sections for reactions on isotopes near and far from stability will be discussed.

  8. Capture cross sections on unstable nuclei

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tonchev A.P.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Accurate neutron-capture cross sections on unstable nuclei near the line of beta stability are crucial for understanding the s-process nucleosynthesis. However, neutron-capture cross sections for short-lived radionuclides are difficult to measure due to the fact that the measurements require both highly radioactive samples and intense neutron sources. Essential ingredients for describing the γ decays following neutron capture are the γ-ray strength function and level densities. We will compare different indirect approaches for obtaining the most relevant observables that can constrain Hauser-Feshbach statistical-model calculations of capture cross sections. Specifically, we will consider photon scattering using monoenergetic and 100% linearly polarized photon beams. Challenges that exist on the path to obtaining neutron-capture cross sections for reactions on isotopes near and far from stability will be discussed.

  9. Enhanced CO{sub 2} capture on graphene via N, S dual-doping

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Jieyuan; Hou, Meiling [College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University (China); Chen, Yanqiu [Institute of New Energy and Low Carbon Technology, Sichuan University (China); Cen, Wanglai [Institute of New Energy and Low Carbon Technology, Sichuan University (China); National Engineering Research Center for Flue Gas Desulfurization (China); Chu, Yinghao, E-mail: chuyinghao@scu.edu.cn [College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University (China); National Engineering Research Center for Flue Gas Desulfurization (China); Yin, Shi, E-mail: yinshi_scu@foxmail.com [College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University (China)

    2017-03-31

    Highlights: • Sluggish conjugated π bonds of graphene should be weakened to promote adsorption activity. • A charge delivery channel along S → N → CO{sub 2} path should be prior responsible for the enhancement of CO{sub 2} capture on graphene. • Applicative temperature range of graphene-based adsorbents for CO{sub 2} capture is extend to about 100 °C via N, S dual-doping. - Abstract: N, S doped graphene-based materials have been recently recognized as promising adsorbents for CO{sub 2} capture, but understanding of the adsorption mechanism at the atomic level is still limited. Herein, the local structures and promotion mechanism of CO{sub 2} capture by N, S doped graphene were investigated by combining density functional theory and ab initio thermodynamics. A single vacancy defected graphene involving N, S dual-doping was found to be a superior adsorbent for CO{sub 2} capture under mild conditions (<100 °C, 1 atm). The enhanced CO{sub 2} adsorption performance should be ascribed to a charge delivery channel along the S → N → CO{sub 2} path, leading to extra charge transfer from graphene to CO{sub 2}. It is worth mentioning that the extra charge transfer was stimulated by the unique sp{sup 2} hybridization of pyridine N and further enhanced by S in N, S dual-doped graphene. A possible mechanism has been proposed to explain the high adsorption performance of CO{sub 2} by N, S dual-doped graphene, which offers insights for the design of new graphene-based adsorbents.

  10. Noise characterization of weighting schemes for combination of multiple exposures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kirk, Kristian; Andersen, Hans Jørgen

    2006-01-01

    A method for capturing high intensity dynamic range scenes with a low dynamic range camera consists in taking a series of images with different exposure settings and combining these into a single high dynamic range image. The combined image values are found by weighted averaging of values from...

  11. Improved method for extraction and detection of Helicobacter pylori DNA in formalin-fixed paraffin embedded gastric biopsies using laser micro-dissection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loayza, María Fernanda; Villavicencio, Fernando Xavier; Santander, Stephanie Carolina; Baldeón, Manuel; Ponce, Lourdes Karina; Salvador, Iván; Vivar Díaz, Nicolás

    2015-01-01

    To assess the molecular events exerted by Helicobacter pylori interacting directly with gastric epithelial cells, an improved procedure for microbial DNA isolation from stained hematoxilin-eosin gastric biopsies was developed based on laser micro-dissection (LM) [1]. Few articles have described the use of LM to select and detect H. pylori genome from formalin-fixed paraffin embedded gastric tissue [2]. To improve the yield and quality of DNA isolated from H. pylori contacting intestinal epithelial cells, the following conditions were established after modification of the QIAamp DNA Micro kit. •Use of at least 25 cut sections of 10-20 μm of diameter and 3 μm thick with more than 10 bacteria in each cut.•Lysis with 30 μL of tissue lysis buffer and 20 μL of proteinase K (PK) with the tube in an upside-down position.•The use of thin purification columns with 35 μL of elution buffer. The mean of DNA concentration obtained from 25 LM cut sections was 1.94± 0 .16 ng/μL, and it was efficiently amplified with qPCR in a Bio Rad iCycler instrument. The LM can improve the sample selection and DNA extraction for molecular analysis of H. pylori associated with human gastric epithelium.

  12. Theory of inelastic multiphonon scattering and carrier capture by defects in semiconductors: Application to capture cross sections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barmparis, Georgios D.; Puzyrev, Yevgeniy S.; Zhang, X.-G.; Pantelides, Sokrates T.

    2015-12-01

    Inelastic scattering and carrier capture by defects in semiconductors are the primary causes of hot-electron-mediated degradation of power devices, which holds up their commercial development. At the same time, carrier capture is a major issue in the performance of solar cells and light-emitting diodes. A theory of nonradiative (multiphonon) inelastic scattering by defects, however, is nonexistent, while the theory for carrier capture by defects has had a long and arduous history. Here we report the construction of a comprehensive theory of inelastic scattering by defects, with carrier capture being a special case. We distinguish between capture under thermal equilibrium conditions and capture under nonequilibrium conditions, e.g., in the presence of an electrical current or hot carriers where carriers undergo scattering by defects and are described by a mean free path. In the thermal-equilibrium case, capture is mediated by a nonadiabatic perturbation Hamiltonian, originally identified by Huang and Rhys and by Kubo, which is equal to linear electron-phonon coupling to first order. In the nonequilibrium case, we demonstrate that the primary capture mechanism is within the Born-Oppenheimer approximation (adiabatic transitions), with coupling to the defect potential inducing Franck-Condon electronic transitions, followed by multiphonon dissipation of the transition energy, while the nonadiabatic terms are of secondary importance (they scale with the inverse of the mass of typical atoms in the defect complex). We report first-principles density-functional-theory calculations of the capture cross section for a prototype defect using the projector-augmented wave, which allows us to employ all-electron wave functions. We adopt a Monte Carlo scheme to sample multiphonon configurations and obtain converged results. The theory and the results represent a foundation upon which to build engineering-level models for hot-electron degradation of power devices and the performance

  13. Does imminent threat capture and hold attention?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koster, Ernst H W; Crombez, Geert; Van Damme, Stefaan; Verschuere, Bruno; De Houwer, Jan

    2004-09-01

    According to models of attention and emotion, threat captures and holds attention. In behavioral tasks, robust evidence has been found for attentional holding but not for attentional capture by threat. An important explanation for the absence of attentional capture effects is that the visual stimuli used posed no genuine threat. The present study investigated whether visual cues that signal an aversive white noise can elicit attentional capture and holding effects. Cues presented in an attentional task were simultaneously provided with a threat value through an aversive conditioning procedure. Response latencies showed that threatening cues captured and held attention. These results support recent views on attention to threat, proposing that imminent threat captures attention in everyone. (c) 2004 APA, all rights reserved

  14. Modulation of shark prey capture kinematics in response to sensory deprivation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gardiner, Jayne M; Atema, Jelle; Hueter, Robert E; Motta, Philip J

    2017-02-01

    The ability of predators to modulate prey capture in response to the size, location, and behavior of prey is critical to successful feeding on a variety of prey types. Modulating in response to changes in sensory information may be critical to successful foraging in a variety of environments. Three shark species with different feeding morphologies and behaviors were filmed using high-speed videography while capturing live prey: the ram-feeding blacktip shark, the ram-biting bonnethead, and the suction-feeding nurse shark. Sharks were examined intact and after sensory information was blocked (olfaction, vision, mechanoreception, and electroreception, alone and in combination), to elucidate the contribution of the senses to the kinematics of prey capture. In response to sensory deprivation, the blacktip shark demonstrated the greatest amount of modulation, followed by the nurse shark. In the absence of olfaction, blacktip sharks open the jaws slowly, suggestive of less motivation. Without lateral line cues, blacktip sharks capture prey from greater horizontal angles using increased ram. When visual cues are absent, blacktip sharks elevate the head earlier and to a greater degree, allowing them to overcome imprecise position of the prey relative to the mouth, and capture prey using decreased ram, while suction remains unchanged. When visual cues are absent, nurse sharks open the mouth wider, extend the labial cartilages further, and increase suction while simultaneously decreasing ram. Unlike some bony fish, neither species switches feeding modalities (i.e. from ram to suction or vice versa). Bonnetheads failed to open the mouth when electrosensory cues were blocked, but otherwise little to no modulation was found in this species. These results suggest that prey capture may be less plastic in elasmobranchs than in bony fishes, possibly due to anatomical differences, and that the ability to modulate feeding kinematics in response to available sensory information varies

  15. Recent development of capture of CO2

    CERN Document Server

    Chavez, Rosa Hilda

    2014-01-01

    "Recent Technologies in the capture of CO2" provides a comprehensive summary on the latest technologies available to minimize the emission of CO2 from large point sources like fossil-fuel power plants or industrial facilities. This ebook also covers various techniques that could be developed to reduce the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere. The contents of this book include chapters on oxy-fuel combustion in fluidized beds, gas separation membrane used in post-combustion capture, minimizing energy consumption in CO2 capture processes through process integration, characterization and application of structured packing for CO2 capture, calcium looping technology for CO2 capture and many more. Recent Technologies in capture of CO2 is a valuable resource for graduate students, process engineers and administrative staff looking for real-case analysis of pilot plants. This eBook brings together the research results and professional experiences of the most renowned work groups in the CO2 capture field...

  16. Updated (BP3) Technical and Economic Feasibility Study - Electrochemical Membrane for Carbon Dioxide Capture and Power Generation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ghezel-Ayagh, Hossein [FuelCell Energy, Inc., Danbury, CT (United States)

    2017-12-21

    This topical report summarizes the results of an updated Technical & Economic Feasibility Study (T&EFS) which was conducted in Budget Period 3 of the project to evaluate the performance and cost of the Electrochemical Membrane (ECM)-based CO2 capture system. The ECM technology is derived from commercially available inorganic membranes; the same used in FuelCell Energy’s commercial fuel cell power plants and sold under the trade name Direct FuelCell® (DFC®). The ECM stacks are utilized in the Combined Electric Power (generation) And Carbon dioxide Separation (CEPACS) systems which can be deployed as add-ons to conventional power plants (Pulverized Coal, Combined Cycle, etc.) or industrial facilities to simultaneously produce power while capturing >90% of the CO2 from the flue gas. In this study, an ECM-based CEPACS plant was designed to capture and compress >90% of the CO2 (for sequestration or beneficial use) from the flue gas of a reference 550 MW (nominal, net AC) Pulverized Coal (PC) Rankine Cycle (Subcritical steam) power plant. ECM performance was updated based on bench scale ECM stack test results. The system process simulations were performed to generate the CEPACS plant performance estimates. The performance assessment included estimation of the parasitic power consumption for CO2 capture and compression, and the efficiency impact on the PC plant. While the ECM-based CEPACS system for the 550 MW PC plant captures 90% of CO2 from the flue gas, it generates additional (net AC) power after compensating for the auxiliary power requirements of CO2 capture and compression. An equipment list, ECM stacks packaging design, and CEPACS plant layout were developed to facilitate the economic analysis. Vendor quotes were also solicited. The economic feasibility study included estimation of CEPACS plant capital cost, cost of electricity (COE) analyses and estimation of cost per ton of CO2

  17. Gadolinium as an element for neutron capture therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brugger, R.M.; Liu, H.B.; Laster, B.H.; Gordon, C.R.; Greenberg, D.D.; Warkentien, L.S.

    1992-01-01

    At BNL, preparations are being made to test in vitro compounds containing Gd and compare their response to the response of GD-DTPA to determine if one or several compounds can be located that enter the cells and enhance the Auger effect. Two similar rotators with positions for cell vials that have been constructed for these tests. The first rotator is made of only paraffin which simulates healthy tissue and provides control curves. The second rotator has 135 ppM of Gd-157 in the paraffin to simulate a Gd loaded tumor. Cells are irradiated in vials in the paraffin rotator and in the Gd-paraffin rotator at the epithermal beam of the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor (BMRR). This produces an irradiation similar to what a patient would receive In an actual treatment. A combination of irradiations are made with both rotators; with no Gd compound or IdUrd In the cell media, with only Gd compound in the cell media and with both Gd compound and IdUrd in the cell media. The first set shows the effects of gamma rays from the H(n,gamma) reaction and the prompt gamma rays from capture of neutrons by Gd. The second set shows if there is any effect of Gd being in the cell media or inside the cells, i.e., an Auger effect. The third set shows the effect of enhancement by the IdUrd produced by the gamma rays from neutrons captured by either H or Gd. The fourth set combines all of the reactions and enhancements. Preliminary calculations and physical measurements of the doses that the cells will receive In these rotators have been made

  18. Analysis of hybrid membrane and chemical absorption systems for CO2 capture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Binns, Michael; Oh, Se-Young; Kwak, Dong-Hun; Kim, Jin-Kuk

    2015-01-01

    Amine-based absorption of CO 2 is currently the industry standard technology for capturing CO 2 emitted from power plants, refineries and other large chemical plants. However, more recently there have been a number of competing technologies under consideration, including the use of membranes for CO 2 separation and purification. We constructed and analyzed two different hybrid configurations combining and connecting chemical absorption with membrane separation. For a particular flue gas which is currently treated with amine-based chemical absorption at a pilot plant we considered and tested how membranes could be integrated to improve the performance of the CO 2 capture. In particular we looked at the CO 2 removal efficiency and the energy requirements. Sensitivity analysis was performed varying the size of the membranes and the solvent flow rate

  19. Economic and Environmental Assessment of Natural Gas Plants with Carbon Capture and Storage (NGCC-CCS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    The CO2 intensity of electricity produced by state-of-the-art natural gas combined-cycle turbines (NGCC) isapproximately one-third that of the U.S. fleet of existing coal plants. Compared to new nuclear plants and coal plantswith integrated carbon capture, NGCC has a lower invest...

  20. Enzymes in CO2 Capture

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fosbøl, Philip Loldrup; Gladis, Arne; Thomsen, Kaj

    The enzyme Carbonic Anhydrase (CA) can accelerate the absorption rate of CO2 into aqueous solutions by several-fold. It exist in almost all living organisms and catalyses different important processes like CO2 transport, respiration and the acid-base balances. A new technology in the field...... of carbon capture is the application of enzymes for acceleration of typically slow ternary amines or inorganic carbonates. There is a hidden potential to revive currently infeasible amines which have an interesting low energy consumption for regeneration but too slow kinetics for viable CO2 capture. The aim...... of this work is to discuss the measurements of kinetic properties for CA promoted CO2 capture solvent systems. The development of a rate-based model for enzymes will be discussed showing the principles of implementation and the results on using a well-known ternary amine for CO2 capture. Conclusions...

  1. Partial radiative capture of resonance neutrons; Capture radiative partielle des neutrons de resonance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Samour, C [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1969-07-01

    The radiative capture of resonance neutrons has been studied near the Saclay linac between 0.5 and 700 eV with time-of-flight method and a Ge(Li) detector. {sup 195}Pt + n and {sup 183}W + n allow the study of the distribution of partial radiative widths and their eventual correlation and also the variation of < {gamma}{sub {gamma}{sub i}} > with E{sub {gamma}}. The mean values of Ml and El transition intensities are compared in several tin isotopes. Interference effects, either between resonances or between direct capture and resonant capture are found in {sup 195}Pt + n, {sup 197}Au + n and {sup 59}Co + n. The excited level schemes of a great deal of nuclei are obtained and compared with theoretical predictions. This study has been completed by an analysis of thermal spectrum. (author) [French] La capture radiative des neutrons de resonance a ete etudiee pres de l'accelerateur lineaire de Saclay entre 0,5 et 700 eV a l'aide de la methode du temps-de-vol et d'un detecteur Ge(Li). Les noyaux {sup 195}Pt + n et {sup 183}W + n permettent l'analyse de la distribution de resonance en resonance des largeurs radiatives partielles {gamma}{sub {gamma}{sub i}} et de leur eventuelle correlation, ainsi que l'etude de la variation de < {gamma}{sub {gamma}{sub i}} > en fonction de E{sub {gamma}}. Les intensites moyennes des transitions Ml et El sont comparees pour quelques isotopes de l'etain. Des effets d'interference, soit entre resonances, soit entre capture directe et capture resonnante sont mis en evidence dans {sup 195}Pt + n, {sup 197}Au + n et {sup 59}Co + n. Enfin les schemas des etats excites d'un grand nombre de noyaux sont obtenus et compares avec les predictions theoriques. Cette etude a ete completee par une analyse des spectres thermiques. (auteur)

  2. Partial radiative capture of resonance neutrons; Capture radiative partielle des neutrons de resonance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Samour, C. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1969-07-01

    The radiative capture of resonance neutrons has been studied near the Saclay linac between 0.5 and 700 eV with time-of-flight method and a Ge(Li) detector. {sup 195}Pt + n and {sup 183}W + n allow the study of the distribution of partial radiative widths and their eventual correlation and also the variation of < {gamma}{sub {gamma}{sub i}} > with E{sub {gamma}}. The mean values of Ml and El transition intensities are compared in several tin isotopes. Interference effects, either between resonances or between direct capture and resonant capture are found in {sup 195}Pt + n, {sup 197}Au + n and {sup 59}Co + n. The excited level schemes of a great deal of nuclei are obtained and compared with theoretical predictions. This study has been completed by an analysis of thermal spectrum. (author) [French] La capture radiative des neutrons de resonance a ete etudiee pres de l'accelerateur lineaire de Saclay entre 0,5 et 700 eV a l'aide de la methode du temps-de-vol et d'un detecteur Ge(Li). Les noyaux {sup 195}Pt + n et {sup 183}W + n permettent l'analyse de la distribution de resonance en resonance des largeurs radiatives partielles {gamma}{sub {gamma}{sub i}} et de leur eventuelle correlation, ainsi que l'etude de la variation de < {gamma}{sub {gamma}{sub i}} > en fonction de E{sub {gamma}}. Les intensites moyennes des transitions Ml et El sont comparees pour quelques isotopes de l'etain. Des effets d'interference, soit entre resonances, soit entre capture directe et capture resonnante sont mis en evidence dans {sup 195}Pt + n, {sup 197}Au + n et {sup 59}Co + n. Enfin les schemas des etats excites d'un grand nombre de noyaux sont obtenus et compares avec les predictions theoriques. Cette etude a ete completee par une analyse des spectres thermiques. (auteur)

  3. DPD is a molecular determinant of capecitabine efficacy in colorectal cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vallböhmer, Daniel; Yang, Dong Yun; Kuramochi, Hidekazu

    2007-01-01

    in this study and treated with single agent capecitabine. The intratumoral mRNA levels of DPD, TP and TS were assessed from paraffin-embedded tissue samples using laser-capture-microdissection methods and quantitative real-time PCR. There were 20 women and 17 men with a median age of 61 years (range 49...... was inevaluable in 7 patients). Higher gene expression levels of DPD were associated with resistance to capecitabine (P=0.032; Kruskal-Wallis test). Patients with a lower mRNA amount of DPD (...

  4. Selection of reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR expression studies of microdissected reproductive tissues in apomictic and sexual Boechera

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amiteye Samuel

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Apomixis, a natural form of asexual seed production in plants, is considered to have great biotechnological potential for agriculture. It has been hypothesised that de-regulation of the sexual developmental pathway could trigger apomictic reproduction. The genus Boechera represents an interesting model system for understanding apomixis, having both sexual and apomictic genotypes at the diploid level. Quantitative qRT-PCR is the most extensively used method for validating genome-wide gene expression analyses, but in order to obtain reliable results, suitable reference genes are necessary. In this work we have evaluated six potential reference genes isolated from a 454 (FLX derived cDNA library of Boechera. RNA from live microdissected ovules and anthers at different developmental stages, as well as vegetative tissues of apomictic and sexual Boechera, were used to validate the candidates. Results Based on homologies with Arabidopsis, six genes were selected from a 454 cDNA library of Boechera: RPS18 (Ribosomal sub protein 18, Efalpha1 (Elongation factor 1 alpha, ACT 2 (Actin2, UBQ (polyubiquitin, PEX4 (Peroxisomal ubiquitin conjugating enzyme and At1g09770.1 (Arabidopsis thaliana cell division cycle 5. Total RNA was extracted from 17 different tissues, qRT-PCRs were performed, and raw Ct values were analyzed for primer efficiencies and gene ratios. The geNorm and normFinder applications were used for selecting the most stable genes among all tissues and specific tissue groups (ovule, anthers and vegetative tissues in both apomictic and sexual plants separately. Our results show that BoechRPS18, BoechEfα1, BoechACT2 and BoechUBQ were the most stable genes. Based on geNorm, the combinations of BoechRPS18 and BoechEfα1 or BoechUBQ and BoechEfα1 were the most stable in the apomictic plant, while BoechRPS18 and BoechACT2 or BoechUBQ and BoechACT2 performed best in the sexual plant. When subgroups of tissue samples were analyzed

  5. The National Carbon Capture Center at the Power Systems Development Facility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None, None

    2014-12-30

    The National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC) at the Power Systems Development Facility supports the Department of Energy (DOE) goal of promoting the United States’ energy security through reliable, clean, and affordable energy produced from coal. Work at the NCCC supports the development of new power technologies and the continued operation of conventional power plants under CO2 emission constraints. The NCCC includes adaptable slipstreams that allow technology development of CO2 capture concepts using coal-derived syngas and flue gas in industrial settings. Because of the ability to operate under a wide range of flow rates and process conditions, research at the NCCC can effectively evaluate technologies at various levels of maturity and accelerate their development path to commercialization. During its first contract period, from October 1, 2008, through December 30, 2014, the NCCC designed, constructed, and began operation of the Post-Combustion Carbon Capture Center (PC4). Testing of CO2 capture technologies commenced in 2011, and through the end of the contract period, more than 25,000 hours of testing had been achieved, supporting a variety of technology developers. Technologies tested included advanced solvents, enzymes, membranes, sorbents, and associated systems. The NCCC continued operation of the existing gasification facilities, which have been in operation since 1996, to support the advancement of technologies for next-generation gasification processes and pre-combustion CO2 capture. The gasification process operated for 13 test runs, supporting over 30,000 hours combined of both gasification and pre-combustion technology developer testing. Throughout the contract period, the NCCC incorporated numerous modifications to the facilities to accommodate technology developers and increase test capabilities. Preparations for further testing were ongoing to continue advancement of the most promising technologies for

  6. From 2D fluidic array screening to 3D bacterial capturing structures in a point of care system for sepsis diagnosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shahbazi, Mohammad-Ali; Kant, Krishna; Kaplinsky, Joseph John

    2017-01-01

    A combined 2D microfluidic-microarray high throughput approach is reported to identify universal bacterial capturing ligands that can be tethered on the surface of 3D sponges fabricated by different methods for concentrating of bacterial targets in diagnosis devices. The developed platform allows...... between the solid surface and ligands. 3D sponges and micropillars are modified with the most potent capturing molecule to assess their bacterial capturing in real blood samples. Next, the 3D structures are placed into a chip with an immense potential to recognize bacteria through imaging and fluorescence...

  7. Multivalency at Interfaces: Supramolecular Carbohydrate-Functionalized Graphene Derivatives for Bacterial Capture, Release, and Disinfection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qi, Zhenhui; Bharate, Priya; Lai, Chian-Hui; Ziem, Benjamin; Böttcher, Christoph; Schulz, Andrea; Beckert, Fabian; Hatting, Benjamin; Mülhaupt, Rolf; Seeberger, Peter H; Haag, Rainer

    2015-09-09

    A supramolecular carbohydrate-functionalized two-dimensional (2D) surface was designed and synthesized by decorating thermally reduced graphene sheets with multivalent sugar ligands. The formation of host-guest inclusions on the carbon surface provides a versatile strategy, not only to increase the intrinsic water solubility of graphene-based materials, but more importantly to let the desired biofunctional binding groups bind to the surface. Combining the vital recognition role of carbohydrates and the unique 2D large flexible surface area of the graphene sheets, the addition of multivalent sugar ligands makes the resulting carbon material an excellent platform for selectively wrapping and agglutinating Escherichia coli (E. coli). By taking advantage of the responsive property of supramolecular interactions, the captured bacteria can then be partially released by adding a competitive guest. Compared to previously reported scaffolds, the unique thermal IR-absorption properties of graphene derivatives provide a facile method to kill the captured bacteria by IR-laser irradiation of the captured graphene-sugar-E. coli complex.

  8. Electron capture and stellar collapse

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chung, K.C.

    1979-01-01

    In order, to investigate the function of electron capture in the phenomenon of pre-supernovae gravitacional collapse, an hydrodynamic caculation was carried out, coupling capture, decay and nuclear reaction equation system. A star simplified model (homogeneous model) was adopted using fermi ideal gas approximation for tthe sea of free electrons and neutrons. The non simplified treatment from quasi-static evolution to collapse is presented. The capture and beta decay rates, as wellas neutron delayed emission, were calculated by beta decay crude theory, while the other reaction rates were determined by usual theories. The preliminary results are presented. (M.C.K.) [pt

  9. Proton capture by magnetic monopoles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olaussen, K.; Olsen, H.A.; Oeverboe, I.; Osland, P.

    1983-09-01

    In the Kazama-Yang approximation, the lowest monopole-proton bound states have binding energies of 938 MeV, 263 keV, 105 eV, and 0.04 eV. The cross section for radiative capture to these states is for velocities β = 10 -5 - 10 -3 found to be of the order of 10 -28 - 10 -26 cm 2 . For the state that has a binding energy of 263 keV, the capture length in water is 171 x (β/10 -4 )sup(0.48) m. Observation of photons from the capture process would indicate the presence of monopoles. (orig.)

  10. CHAOTIC CAPTURE OF NEPTUNE TROJANS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nesvorny, David; Vokrouhlicky, David

    2009-01-01

    Neptune Trojans (NTs) are swarms of outer solar system objects that lead/trail planet Neptune during its revolutions around the Sun. Observations indicate that NTs form a thick cloud of objects with a population perhaps ∼10 times more numerous than that of Jupiter Trojans and orbital inclinations reaching ∼25 deg. The high inclinations of NTs are indicative of capture instead of in situ formation. Here we study a model in which NTs were captured by Neptune during planetary migration when secondary resonances associated with the mean-motion commensurabilities between Uranus and Neptune swept over Neptune's Lagrangian points. This process, known as chaotic capture, is similar to that previously proposed to explain the origin of Jupiter's Trojans. We show that chaotic capture of planetesimals from an ∼35 Earth-mass planetesimal disk can produce a population of NTs that is at least comparable in number to that inferred from current observations. The large orbital inclinations of NTs are a natural outcome of chaotic capture. To obtain the ∼4:1 ratio between high- and low-inclination populations suggested by observations, planetary migration into a dynamically excited planetesimal disk may be required. The required stirring could have been induced by Pluto-sized and larger objects that have formed in the disk.

  11. Reactive or proactive approach towards sustainability? A conceptual framework based on sustainable business models to increase stakeholders' sustainable value capture

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rosati, Francesco; Morioka, Sandra; Monteiro de Carvalho, Marly

    2016-01-01

    and challenging companies to seek for business opportunities with an entrepreneurial attitude to help solving sustainable development challenges. By combining both approaches, organizations have the opportunity to increase sustainable value capture by its stakeholders, acting on their institutional responsibility...... as instrument to help companies describe, analyze, manage and communicate their sustainable value proposition, creation, delivery and capture mechanism. In particular, this research focuses on value capture dynamics, aiming to explore how companies can increase their contribution to sustainable development...... sustainability. In this sense, a proactive approach to foster sustainable value capture can complement the reactive approach by delivering value beyond stakeholders' expectations. In this case, companies use their capabilities to identify opportunities to create and deliver sustainable value that stakeholders...

  12. Comparative estimation of efficiency of playing method at perfection of technique of fight for the capture of young judoists

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Musakhanov A.K.

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The questions of efficiency of mastering of technique of fight are considered for a capture for young judoists. Directions are selected the use of methods of the strictly regulated exercise and playing methods. In research 28 judoists took part in age 8-10 years. Duration of experiment two weeks. In one group of youths conducted game on snatching out of ribbons (clothes-pins and bandages, fastened on the kimono of opponent. In the second group work of taking of basic captures and educational meetings was conducted on a task on taking of capture. The training program contained playing methods and methods of the strictly regulated exercise. Comparison of the trainings programs defined specificity of their affecting development of different indexes of technique of fight for a capture. Recommended in training on the technique of fight for a capture the combined use of methods of the strictly regulated exercise and playing methods.

  13. Fish welfare in capture fisheries

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Veldhuizen, L.J.L.; Berentsen, P.B.M.; Boer, de I.J.M.; Vis, van de J.W.; Bokkers, E.A.M.

    2018-01-01

    Concerns about the welfare of production animals have extended from farm animals to fish, but an overview of the impact of especially capture fisheries on fish welfare is lacking. This review provides a synthesis of 85 articles, which demonstrates that research interest in fish welfare in capture

  14. Analysis of capture-recapture data

    CERN Document Server

    McCrea, Rachel S

    2014-01-01

    An important first step in studying the demography of wild animals is to identify the animals uniquely through applying markings, such as rings, tags, and bands. Once the animals are encountered again, researchers can study different forms of capture-recapture data to estimate features, such as the mortality and size of the populations. Capture-recapture methods are also used in other areas, including epidemiology and sociology.With an emphasis on ecology, Analysis of Capture-Recapture Data covers many modern developments of capture-recapture and related models and methods and places them in the historical context of research from the past 100 years. The book presents both classical and Bayesian methods.A range of real data sets motivates and illustrates the material and many examples illustrate biometry and applied statistics at work. In particular, the authors demonstrate several of the modeling approaches using one substantial data set from a population of great cormorants. The book also discusses which co...

  15. Neutron capture at the s-process branching points $^{171}$Tm and $^{204}$Tl

    CERN Multimedia

    Branching points in the s-process are very special isotopes for which there is a competition between the neutron capture and the subsequent b-decay chain producing the heavy elements beyond Fe. Typically, the knowledge on the associated capture cross sections is very poor due to the difficulty in obtaining enough material of these radioactive isotopes and to measure the cross section of a sample with an intrinsic activity; indeed only 2 out o the 21 ${s}$-process branching points have ever been measured by using the time-of-flight method. In this experiment we aim at measuring for the first time the capture cross sections of $^{171}$Tm and $^{204}$Tl, both of crucial importance for understanding the nucleosynthesis of heavy elements in AGB stars. The combination of both (n,$\\gamma$) measurements on $^{171}$Tm and $^{204}$Tl will allow one to accurately constrain neutron density and the strength of the 13C(α,n) source in low mass AGB stars. Additionally, the cross section of $^{204}$Tl is also of cosmo-chrono...

  16. Measurements of neutron induced capture and fission reactions on $^{233}$ U (EAR1)

    CERN Multimedia

    The $^{233}$U plays the essential role of ssile nucleus in the Th-U fuel cycle, which has been proposed as a safer and cleaner alternative to the U-Pu fuel cycle. Considered the scarce data available to assess the capture cross section, a measurement was proposed and successfully performed at the n_TOF facility at CERN using the 4$\\pi$ Total Absorp- tion Calorimeter (TAC). The measurement was extremely dicult due to the need to accurately distinguish between capture and fission $\\gamma$-rays without any additional discrim-ination tool and the measured capture cross section showed a signicant disagreement in magnitude when compared with the ENDF/B-VII.1 library despite the agreement in shape. We propose a new measurement that is aimed at providing a higher level of dis-crimination between competing nuclear reactions, to extend the neutron energy range and to obtain more precise and accurate data, thus fullling the demands of the "NEA High Priority Nuclear Data Request List". The setup is envisaged as a combin...

  17. Interspecific variation in prey capture behavior by co-occurring Nepenthes pitcher plants: evidence for resource partitioning or sampling-scheme artifacts?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chin, Lijin; Chung, Arthur Y C; Clarke, Charles

    2014-01-01

    Pitcher plants of the genus Nepenthes capture a wide range of arthropod prey for nutritional benefit, using complex combinations of visual and olfactory signals and gravity-driven pitfall trapping mechanisms. In many localities throughout Southeast Asia, several Nepenthes different species occur in mixed populations. Often, the species present at any given location have strongly divergent trap structures and preliminary surveys indicate that different species trap different combinations of arthropod prey, even when growing at the same locality. On this basis, it has been proposed that co-existing Nepenthes species may be engaged in niche segregation with regards to arthropod prey, avoiding direct competition with congeners by deploying traps that have modifications that enable them to target specific prey types. We examined prey capture among 3 multi-species Nepenthes populations in Borneo, finding that co-existing Nepenthes species do capture different combinations of prey, but that significant interspecific variations in arthropod prey combinations can often be detected only at sub-ordinal taxonomic ranks. In all lowland Nepenthes species examined, the dominant prey taxon is Formicidae, but montane Nepenthes trap few (or no) ants and 2 of the 3 species studied have evolved to target alternative sources of nutrition, such as tree shrew feces. Using similarity and null model analyses, we detected evidence for niche segregation with regards to formicid prey among 5 lowland, sympatric Nepenthes species in Sarawak. However, we were unable to determine whether these results provide support for the niche segregation hypothesis, or whether they simply reflect unquantified variation in heterogeneous habitats and/or ant communities in the study sites. These findings are used to propose improvements to the design of field experiments that seek to test hypotheses about targeted prey capture patterns in Nepenthes.

  18. Field Testing of Cryogenic Carbon Capture

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sayre, Aaron [Sustainable Energy Solutions, LLC; Frankman, Dave [Sustainable Energy Solutions, LLC; Baxter, Andrew [Sustainable Energy Solutions, LLC; Stitt, Kyler [Sustainable Energy Solutions, LLC; Baxter, Larry [Sustainable Energy Solutions, LLC; Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT (United States)

    2017-07-17

    Sustainable Energy Solutions has been developing Cryogenic Carbon Capture™ (CCC) since 2008. In that time two processes have been developed, the External Cooling Loop and Compressed Flue Gas Cryogenic Carbon Capture processes (CCC ECL™ and CCC CFG™ respectively). The CCC ECL™ process has been scaled up to a 1TPD CO2 system. In this process the flue gas is cooled by an external refrigerant loop. SES has tested CCC ECL™ on real flue gas slip streams from subbituminous coal, bituminous coal, biomass, natural gas, shredded tires, and municipal waste fuels at field sites that include utility power stations, heating plants, cement kilns, and pilot-scale research reactors. The CO2 concentrations from these tests ranged from 5 to 22% on a dry basis. CO2 capture ranged from 95-99+% during these tests. Several other condensable species were also captured including NO2, SO2 and PMxx at 95+%. NO was also captured at a modest rate. The CCC CFG™ process has been scaled up to a .25 ton per day system. This system has been tested on real flue gas streams including subbituminous coal, bituminous coal and natural gas at field sites that include utility power stations, heating plants, and pilot-scale research reactors. CO2 concentrations for these tests ranged from 5 to 15% on a dry basis. CO2 capture ranged from 95-99+% during these tests. Several other condensable species were also captured including NO2, SO2 and PMxx at 95+%. NO was also captured at 90+%. Hg capture was also verified and the resulting effluent from CCC CFG™ was below a 1ppt concentration. This paper will focus on discussion of the capabilities of CCC, the results of field testing and the future steps surrounding the development of this technology.

  19. Enhanced Cell Capture on Functionalized Graphene Oxide Nanosheets through Oxygen Clustering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bardhan, Neelkanth M; Kumar, Priyank V; Li, Zeyang; Ploegh, Hidde L; Grossman, Jeffrey C; Belcher, Angela M; Chen, Guan-Yu

    2017-02-28

    With the global rise in incidence of cancer and infectious diseases, there is a need for the development of techniques to diagnose, treat, and monitor these conditions. The ability to efficiently capture and isolate cells and other biomolecules from peripheral whole blood for downstream analyses is a necessary requirement. Graphene oxide (GO) is an attractive template nanomaterial for such biosensing applications. Favorable properties include its two-dimensional architecture and wide range of functionalization chemistries, offering significant potential to tailor affinity toward aromatic functional groups expressed in biomolecules of interest. However, a limitation of current techniques is that as-synthesized GO nanosheets are used directly in sensing applications, and the benefits of their structural modification on the device performance have remained unexplored. Here, we report a microfluidic-free, sensitive, planar device on treated GO substrates to enable quick and efficient capture of Class-II MHC-positive cells from murine whole blood. We achieve this by using a mild thermal annealing treatment on the GO substrates, which drives a phase transformation through oxygen clustering. Using a combination of experimental observations and MD simulations, we demonstrate that this process leads to improved reactivity and density of functionalization of cell capture agents, resulting in an enhanced cell capture efficiency of 92 ± 7% at room temperature, almost double the efficiency afforded by devices made using as-synthesized GO (54 ± 3%). Our work highlights a scalable, cost-effective, general approach to improve the functionalization of GO, which creates diverse opportunities for various next-generation device applications.

  20. Materials For Gas Capture, Methods Of Making Materials For Gas Capture, And Methods Of Capturing Gas

    KAUST Repository

    Polshettiwar, Vivek; Patil, Umesh

    2013-01-01

    In accordance with the purpose(s) of the present disclosure, as embodied and broadly described herein, embodiments of the present disclosure, in one aspect, relate to materials that can be used for gas (e.g., CO.sub.2) capture, methods of making

  1. Automated full matrix capture for industrial processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Roy H.; Pierce, S. Gareth; Collison, Ian; Dutton, Ben; Dziewierz, Jerzy; Jackson, Joseph; Lardner, Timothy; MacLeod, Charles; Morozov, Maxim

    2015-03-01

    Full matrix capture (FMC) ultrasound can be used to generate a permanent re-focusable record of data describing the geometry of a part; a valuable asset for an inspection process. FMC is a desirable acquisition mode for automated scanning of complex geometries, as it allows compensation for surface shape in post processing and application of the total focusing method. However, automating the delivery of such FMC inspection remains a significant challenge for real industrial processes due to the high data overhead associated with the ultrasonic acquisition. The benefits of NDE delivery using six-axis industrial robots are well versed when considering complex inspection geometries, but such an approach brings additional challenges to scanning speed and positional accuracy when combined with FMC inspection. This study outlines steps taken to optimize the scanning speed and data management of a process to scan the diffusion bonded membrane of a titanium test plate. A system combining a KUKA robotic arm and a reconfigurable FMC phased array controller is presented. The speed and data implications of different scanning methods are compared, and the impacts on data visualization quality are discussed with reference to this study. For the 0.5 m2 sample considered, typical acquisitions of 18 TB/m2 were measured for a triple back wall FMC acquisition, illustrating the challenge of combining high data throughput with acceptable scanning speeds.

  2. Cycle development and design for CO2 capture from flue gas by vacuum swing adsorption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jun; Webley, Paul A

    2008-01-15

    CO2 capture and storage is an important component in the development of clean power generation processes. One CO2 capture technology is gas-phase adsorption, specifically pressure (or vacuum) swing adsorption. The complexity of these processes makes evaluation and assessment of new adsorbents difficult and time-consuming. In this study, we have developed a simple model specifically targeted at CO2 capture by pressure swing adsorption and validated our model by comparison with data from a fully instrumented pilot-scale pressure swing adsorption process. The model captures nonisothermal effects as well as nonlinear adsorption and nitrogen coadsorption. Using the model and our apparatus, we have designed and studied a large number of cycles for CO2 capture. We demonstrate that by careful management of adsorption fronts and assembly of cycles based on understanding of the roles of individual steps, we are able to quickly assess the effect of adsorbents and process parameters on capture performance and identify optimal operating regimes and cycles. We recommend this approach in contrast to exhaustive parametric studies which tend to depend on specifics of the chosen cycle and adsorbent. We show that appropriate combinations of process steps can yield excellent process performance and demonstrate how the pressure drop, and heat loss, etc. affect process performance through their effect on adsorption fronts and profiles. Finally, cyclic temperature profiles along the adsorption column can be readily used to infer concentration profiles-this has proved to be a very useful tool in cyclic function definition. Our research reveals excellent promise for the application of pressure/vacuum swing adsorption technology in the arena of CO2 capture from flue gases.

  3. Measurements of neutron-induced capture and fission reactions on $^{235}$ U: cross sections and ${\\alpha}$ ratios, photon strength functions and prompt ${\\gamma}$-ray from fission

    CERN Multimedia

    We propose to measure the neutron-induced capture cross section of the fissile isotope $^{235}$U using a fission tagging set-up. This new set-up has been tested successfully in 2010 and combines the n_TOF 4${\\pi}$ Total Absorption Calorimeter (TAC) with MicroMegas (MGAS) fission detectors. It has been proven that such a combination of detectors allows distinguishing with very good reliability the electromagnetic cascades from the capture reactions from dominant ${\\gamma}$-ray background coming from the fission reactions. The accurate discrimination of the fission background is the main challenge in the neutron capture cross section measurements of fissile isotopes. The main results from the measurement will be the associated capture cross section and ${\\alpha}$ ratio in the resolved (0.3-2250 eV) and unresolved (2.25-30 keV) resonance regions. According to the international benchmarks and as it is mentioned in the NEA High Priority Request List (HPRL), the 235U(n,${\\gamma}$) cross section is of utmost impo...

  4. Device of capturing for radioactive corrosion products

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohara, Atsushi; Fukushima, Kimichika.

    1984-01-01

    Purpose: To increase the area of contact between the capturing materials for the radioactive corrosion products contained in the coolants and the coolants by producing stirred turbulent flows in the coolant flow channel of LMFBR type reactors. Constitution: Constituent materials for the nuclear fuel elements or the reactor core structures are activated under the neutron irradiation, corroded and transferred into the coolants. While capturing devices made of pure metal nickel are used for the elimination of the corrosion products, since the coolants form laminar flows due to the viscosity thereof near the surface of the capturing materials, the probability that the corrosion products in the coolants flowing through the middle portion of the channel contact the capturing materials is reduced. In this invention, rotating rolls and flow channels in which the balls are rotated are disposed at the upstream of the capturing device to forcively disturb the flow of the liquid sodium, whereby the radioactive corrosion products can effectively be captured. (Kamimura, M.)

  5. Packet Capture Solutions: PcapDB Benchmark for High-Bandwidth Capture, Storage, and Searching

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Steinfadt, Shannon Irene [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Ferrell, Paul Steven [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2017-03-21

    PcapDB stands alone when looking at the overall field of competitors, from the cost-effective COTS hardware, to the efficient utilization of disk space that enables a longer packet history. A scalable, 100GbE-enabled system that indexes every packet and indexes flow data without complicated load-balancing requirements. The Transport Layer search and indexing approach led to patent-pending flow indexing technology, providing a specialized database system specifically optimized around providing fast flow searches. While there are a plethora of options in network packet capture, there are very few that are able to effectively manage capture rates of more than 10 Gb/s, distributed capture and querying, and a responsive user interface. By far, the primary competitor in the market place is Endace and DeepSee; in addition to meeting the technical requirements we set out in this document, they provide technical support and a fully 'appliance like' system. In terms of cost, however, our experience has been that the yearly maintenance charges alone outstrip the entire hardware cost of solutions like PcapDB. Investment in cyber security research and development is a large part of what has enabled us to build the base of knowlegable workers needed to defend government resources in the rapidly evolving cyber security landscape. We believe projects like Bro, WireCap, and Farm do more than just fill temporary gaps in our capabilities. They give allow us to build the firm foundation needed to tackle the next generation of cyber challenges. PcapDB was built with loftier ambitions than simply solving the packet capture of a single lab site, but instead to provide a robust, scaleable packet capture solution to the DOE complex and beyond.

  6. Measurements of neutron capture cross sections

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakajima, Yutaka

    1984-01-01

    A review of measurement techniques for the neutron capture cross sections is presented. Sell transmission method, activation method, and prompt gamma-ray detection method are described using examples of capture cross section measurements. The capture cross section of 238 U measured by three different prompt gamma-ray detection methods (large liquid scintillator, Moxon-Rae detector, and pulse height weighting method) are compared and their discrepancies are resolved. A method how to derive the covariance is described. (author)

  7. Study of excited states in 48Ti, 49Ti and 50Ti by means of radiative neutron capture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruyl, J.F.A.G.

    1983-12-01

    The γ radiation produced by thermal neutron capture in a natural Ti target and in enriched 47 Ti and 49 Ti targets has been investigated. In the analysis 57 excited states of 48 Ti, 28 of 49 Ti and 31 of 50 Ti have been identified. The values for the 48 Ti and 49 Ti neutron binding energy agree with previous data, the value for 50 Ti differs by five standard deviations. The nature of the neutron capture mechanism has been investigated by comparing the present results with those from previous (d,p) work. It appears that in 47 Ti capture proceeds through a doorway state and that the potential capture mechanism is valid for 48 Ti and 49 Ti. The Fermi gas model gives a good representation of the nuclear level density in all three nuclei. From a measurement of the γ-ray circular polarization resulting from the capture of polarized neutrons, combined with previous (d,p) work, the spins of five 49 Ti levels could be determined, and those of 13 other 49 Ti levels could be confirmed. The combination of nuclear orientation measurements and circular polarization measurements had yielded the unambiguous determination of the spins of one 48 Ti state and of five 50 Ti states. Further spin and parity determinations for six 48 Ti and for five 50 Ti states have been obtained from the analysis of the identified branches together with the results of previous experiments. Shell-model calculations, which yielded excitation energies, branching ratios, lifetimes and (d,p) spectroscopic factors, give a good representation of the experimental data for the low-lying states in both even-even nuclei. (Auth.)

  8. The Role of Relational Information in Contingent Capture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, Stefanie I.; Folk, Charles L.; Remington, Roger W.

    2010-01-01

    On the contingent capture account, top-down attentional control settings restrict involuntary attentional capture to items that match the features of the search target. Attention capture is involuntary, but contingent on goals and intentions. The observation that only target-similar items can capture attention has usually been taken to show that…

  9. Magnetic Capture of a Molecular Biomarker from Synovial Fluid in a Rat Model of Knee Osteoarthritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yarmola, Elena G; Shah, Yash; Arnold, David P; Dobson, Jon; Allen, Kyle D

    2016-04-01

    Biomarker development for osteoarthritis (OA) often begins in rodent models, but can be limited by an inability to aspirate synovial fluid from a rodent stifle (similar to the human knee). To address this limitation, we have developed a magnetic nanoparticle-based technology to collect biomarkers from a rodent stifle, termed magnetic capture. Using a common OA biomarker--the c-terminus telopeptide of type II collagen (CTXII)--magnetic capture was optimized in vitro using bovine synovial fluid and then tested in a rat model of knee OA. Anti-CTXII antibodies were conjugated to the surface of superparamagnetic iron oxide-containing polymeric particles. Using these anti-CTXII particles, magnetic capture was able to estimate the level of CTXII in 25 μL aliquots of bovine synovial fluid; and under controlled conditions, this estimate was unaffected by synovial fluid viscosity. Following in vitro testing, anti-CTXII particles were tested in a rat monoiodoacetate model of knee OA. CTXII could be magnetically captured from a rodent stifle without the need to aspirate fluid and showed tenfold changes in CTXII levels from OA-affected joints relative to contralateral control joints. Combined, these data demonstrate the ability and sensitivity of magnetic capture for post-mortem analysis of OA biomarkers in the rat.

  10. Endothelial cell capture of heparin-binding growth factors under flow.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bing Zhao

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Circulation is an important delivery method for both natural and synthetic molecules, but microenvironment interactions, regulated by endothelial cells and critical to the molecule's fate, are difficult to interpret using traditional approaches. In this work, we analyzed and predicted growth factor capture under flow using computer modeling and a three-dimensional experimental approach that includes pertinent circulation characteristics such as pulsatile flow, competing binding interactions, and limited bioavailability. An understanding of the controlling features of this process was desired. The experimental module consisted of a bioreactor with synthetic endothelial-lined hollow fibers under flow. The physical design of the system was incorporated into the model parameters. The heparin-binding growth factor fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2 was used for both the experiments and simulations. Our computational model was composed of three parts: (1 media flow equations, (2 mass transport equations and (3 cell surface reaction equations. The model is based on the flow and reactions within a single hollow fiber and was scaled linearly by the total number of fibers for comparison with experimental results. Our model predicted, and experiments confirmed, that removal of heparan sulfate (HS from the system would result in a dramatic loss of binding by heparin-binding proteins, but not by proteins that do not bind heparin. The model further predicted a significant loss of bound protein at flow rates only slightly higher than average capillary flow rates, corroborated experimentally, suggesting that the probability of capture in a single pass at high flow rates is extremely low. Several other key parameters were investigated with the coupling between receptors and proteoglycans shown to have a critical impact on successful capture. The combined system offers opportunities to examine circulation capture in a straightforward quantitative manner that

  11. CAPTURE OF TROJANS BY JUMPING JUPITER

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nesvorný, David; Vokrouhlický, David; Morbidelli, Alessandro

    2013-01-01

    Jupiter Trojans are thought to be survivors of a much larger population of planetesimals that existed in the planetary region when planets formed. They can provide important constraints on the mass and properties of the planetesimal disk, and its dispersal during planet migration. Here, we tested a possibility that the Trojans were captured during the early dynamical instability among the outer planets (aka the Nice model), when the semimajor axis of Jupiter was changing as a result of scattering encounters with an ice giant. The capture occurs in this model when Jupiter's orbit and its Lagrange points become radially displaced in a scattering event and fall into a region populated by planetesimals (that previously evolved from their natal transplanetary disk to ∼5 AU during the instability). Our numerical simulations of the new capture model, hereafter jump capture, satisfactorily reproduce the orbital distribution of the Trojans and their total mass. The jump capture is potentially capable of explaining the observed asymmetry in the number of leading and trailing Trojans. We find that the capture probability is (6-8) × 10 –7 for each particle in the original transplanetary disk, implying that the disk contained (3-4) × 10 7 planetesimals with absolute magnitude H disk ∼ 14-28 M Earth , is consistent with the mass deduced from recent dynamical simulations of the planetary instability.

  12. Gas hydrate formation process for pre-combustion capture of carbon dioxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Hyun Ju; Lee, Ju Dong; Linga, Praveen; Englezos, Peter; Kim, Young Seok; Lee, Man Sig; Kim, Yang Do

    2010-01-01

    In this study, gas hydrate from CO 2 /H 2 gas mixtures with the addition of tetrahydrofuran (THF) was formed in a semi-batch stirred vessel at various pressures and temperatures to investigate the CO 2 separation/recovery properties. This mixture is of interest to CO 2 separation and recovery from Integrated Gasification Combine Cycle (IGCC) power plants. During hydrate formation the gas uptake was determined and composition changes in the gas phase were obtained by gas chromatography. The impact of THF on hydrate formation from the CO 2 /H 2 was observed. The addition of THF significantly reduced the equilibrium formation conditions. 1.0 mol% THF was found to be the optimum concentration for CO 2 capture based on kinetic experiments. The present study illustrates the concept and provides thermodynamic and kinetic data for the separation/recovery of CO 2 (pre-combustion capture) from a fuel gas (CO 2 /H 2 ) mixture.

  13. Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction combined with gas chromatography-electron capture detection for the determination of polychlorinated biphenyls in soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu Jia; Fu Lingyan; Zhao Xinna; Liu Xiujuan; Wang Huili; Wang Xuedong; Dai Liyan

    2009-01-01

    In this article, dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) and gas chromatography-electron capture detection (GC-ECD) were presented for the extraction and determination of five polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in soil samples. Acetone was used as extraction solvent for the extraction of PCBs from soil samples. In DLLME, the target analytes in the extraction solvent were rapidly transferred from the acetone extract to chlorobenzene when the extraction process began. The main advantages of this method are quick speed, high enrichment factor, high recovery and good repeatability. Under the optimum conditions, the method yields a linear calibration curve in the concentration range from 2 to 2000 μg kg -1 for PCB 52, and 0.4 to 400 μg kg -1 for other target analytes. Coefficients of correlation (r 2 ) ranged from 0.9993 to 0.9999. The repeatability was tested by spiking soil samples at a concentration level of 10 μg kg -1 for PCBs. The relative standard deviations (RSDs, n = 11) varied between 2.2% and 6.4%. The limits of detection (LODs), based on signal-to-noise (S/N) of 3, were between 0.20 and 0.50 μg kg -1 . The relative recoveries of the five PCBs from soil S1, S2 and S3 at spiking levels of 10, 20 and 50 μg kg -1 were in the range of 88.70-103.8%, 82.50-106.3% and 82.30-113.6%, respectively. Therefore, DLLME combined with GC-ECD can be successfully applied for the determination of trace PCB residues in real soil samples.

  14. Synovectomy by Neutron capture; Sinovectomia por captura de neutrones

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vega C, H.R.; Torres M, C. [Centro Regional de Estudios Nucleares, Universidad Autonoma de Zacatecas, C. Cipres 10, Fracc. La Penuela, 98000 Zacatecas (Mexico)

    1998-12-31

    The Synovectomy by Neutron capture has as purpose the treatment of the rheumatoid arthritis, illness which at present does not have a definitive curing. This therapy requires a neutron source for irradiating the articulation affected. The energy spectra and the intensity of these neutrons are fundamental since these neutrons induce nuclear reactions of capture with Boron-10 inside the articulation and the freely energy of these reactions is transferred at the productive tissue of synovial liquid, annihilating it. In this work it is presented the neutron spectra results obtained with moderator packings of spherical geometry which contains in its center a Pu{sup 239} Be source. The calculations were realized through Monte Carlo method. The moderators assayed were light water, heavy water base and the both combination of them. The spectra obtained, the average energy, the neutron total number by neutron emitted by source, the thermal neutron percentage and the dose equivalent allow us to suggest that the moderator packing more adequate is what has a light water thickness 0.5 cm (radius 2 cm) and 24.5 cm heavy water (radius 26.5 cm). (Author)

  15. Attentional capture by masked colour singletons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ansorge, Ulrich; Horstmann, Gernot; Worschech, Franziska

    2010-09-15

    We tested under which conditions a colour singleton of which an observer is unaware captures attention. To prevent visual awareness of the colour singleton, we used backward masking. We find that a masked colour singleton cue captures attention if it matches the observer's goal to search for target colours but not if it is task-irrelevant. This is also reflected in event-related potentials to the visible target: the masked goal-matching cue elicits an attentional potential (N2pc) in a target search task. By contrast, a non-matching but equally strong masked colour singleton cue failed to elicit a capture effect and an N2pc. Results are discussed with regard to currently pertaining conceptions of attentional capture by colour singletons. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Pilot testing of a membrane system for postcombustion CO2 capture

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Merkel, Tim [Membrane Technology And Research, Incorporated, Newark, CA (United States); Kniep, Jay [Membrane Technology And Research, Incorporated, Newark, CA (United States); Wei, Xiaotong [Membrane Technology And Research, Incorporated, Newark, CA (United States); Carlisle, Trevor [Membrane Technology And Research, Incorporated, Newark, CA (United States); White, Steve [Membrane Technology And Research, Incorporated, Newark, CA (United States); Pande, Saurabh [Membrane Technology And Research, Incorporated, Newark, CA (United States); Fulton, Don [Membrane Technology And Research, Incorporated, Newark, CA (United States); Watson, Robert [Membrane Technology And Research, Incorporated, Newark, CA (United States); Hoffman, Thomas [Membrane Technology And Research, Incorporated, Newark, CA (United States); Freeman, Brice [Membrane Technology And Research, Incorporated, Newark, CA (United States); Baker, Richard [Membrane Technology And Research, Incorporated, Newark, CA (United States)

    2015-09-30

    This final report summarizes work conducted for the U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory (DOE) to scale up an efficient post-combustion CO2 capture membrane process to the small pilot test stage (award number DE-FE0005795). The primary goal of this research program was to design, fabricate, and operate a membrane CO2 capture system to treat coal-derived flue gas containing 20 tonnes CO2/day (20 TPD). Membrane Technology and Research (MTR) conducted this project in collaboration with Babcock and Wilcox (B&W), the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), WorleyParsons (WP), the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC), Enerkem (EK), and the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC). In addition to the small pilot design, build and slipstream testing at NCCC, other project efforts included laboratory membrane and module development at MTR, validation field testing on a 1 TPD membrane system at NCCC, boiler modeling and testing at B&W, a techno-economic analysis (TEA) by EPRI/WP, a case study of the membrane technology applied to a ~20 MWe power plant by ISTC, and an industrial CO2 capture test at an Enerkem waste-to-biofuel facility. The 20 TPD small pilot membrane system built in this project successfully completed over 1,000 hours of operation treating flue gas at NCCC. The Polaris™ membranes used on this system demonstrated stable performance, and when combined with over 10,000 hours of operation at NCCC on a 1 TPD system, the risk associated with uncertainty in the durability of postcombustion capture membranes has been greatly reduced. Moreover, next-generation Polaris membranes with higher performance and lower cost were validation tested on the 1 TPD system. The 20 TPD system also demonstrated successful operation of a new low-pressure-drop sweep module that will reduce parasitic energy losses at full scale by as much as 10 MWe. In modeling and pilot boiler testing, B&W confirmed the

  17. Capture analysis of element content of a substance with other neutron methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kurbanov, B.I.

    2004-01-01

    Full text: Neutron analysis method of determining element composition have found wide range of applications in industry thanks to different types of interaction of neutron with substances /1/. With the aim of widening the range of problems to be solved, on the basis of the device /2/ for determining the element content of substance, possibilities of combining the method based on the use of neutron capture gamma-ray spectrometry with other neutron methods, in particular neutron activation analysis and neutron absorption analysis were studied. In this radionuclide source ( 252 Cf) with the yield of 1,5 x 10 7 neutron/sec is used. By means of using neutron capture gamma radiation spectrometry the possibilities of determining some elements (H, B, N, S etc. ), which are not determined by very widely used method, activation analysis. These elements can be determined by both the semiconductor and scintillation detectors with parameters fitting the manufacturing requirements. And for a number of elements ( B, Cl, Cd, Sm, Gd) very high limits of determination ( up to 10- 5 %) are possible using semiconductor Ge (Li) -detectors with high resolution. Possibility of determination of some 'well' activated elements ( K, Al, Fe, Mn, Ti, Sc etc.) in samples of ore and products of their processing using the neutron-activation analysis. For 1 hour of irradiation on the experimental device quite accurate analytical peak, of these elements are obtained, allowing to determine them qualitatively. However, with decreasing neutron yield of radionuclide source it becomes more difficult to achieve the necessary parameters both in neutron capture and activation analysis. Experimental works on determination of some elements with large cross-sections of capture ( B, Cd, Sm ) by absorption of neutrons in the investigated substance, i.e. using the neutron absorption analysis method with absence of other large capture cross section elements in the samples being studied

  18. Immunohistochemical Markers Distinguishing Cholangiocellular Carcinoma (CCC) from Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) Discovered by Proteomic Analysis of Microdissected Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Padden, Juliet; Ahrens, Maike; Kälsch, Julia; Bertram, Stefanie; Megger, Dominik A; Bracht, Thilo; Eisenacher, Martin; Kocabayoglu, Peri; Meyer, Helmut E; Sipos, Bence; Baba, Hideo A; Sitek, Barbara

    2016-03-01

    Cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCC) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are two highly aggressive cancer types that arise from epithelial cells of the pancreatobiliary system. Owing to their histological and morphological similarity, differential diagnosis between CCC and metastasis of PDAC located in the liver frequently proves an unsolvable issue for pathologists. The detection of biomarkers with high specificity and sensitivity for the differentiation of these tumor types would therefore be a valuable tool. Here, we address this problem by comparing microdissected CCC and PDAC tumor cells from nine and eleven cancer patients, respectively, in a label-free proteomics approach. The novel biomarker candidates were subsequently verified by immunohistochemical staining of 73 CCC, 78 primary, and 18 metastatic PDAC tissue sections. In the proteome analysis, we found 180 proteins with a significantly differential expression between CCC and PDAC cells (p value 2). Nine candidate proteins were chosen for an immunohistochemical verification out of which three showed very promising results. These were the annexins ANXA1, ANXA10, and ANXA13. For the correct classification of PDAC, ANXA1 showed a sensitivity of 84% and a specificity of 85% and ANXA10 a sensitivity of 90% at a specificity of 66%. ANXA13 was higher abundant in CCC. It presented a sensitivity of 84% at a specificity of 55%. In metastatic PDAC tissue ANXA1 and ANXA10 showed similar staining behavior as in the primary PDAC tumors (13/18 and 17/18 positive, respectively). ANXA13, however, presented positive staining in eight out of eighteen secondary PDAC tumors and was therefore not suitable for the differentiation of these from CCC. We conclude that ANXA1 and ANXA10 are promising biomarker candidates with high diagnostic values for the differential diagnosis of intrahepatic CCC and metastatic liver tumors deriving from PDAC. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  19. Accumulation and Decay of Visual Capture and the Ventriloquism Aftereffect Caused by Brief Audio-Visual Disparities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bosen, Adam K.; Fleming, Justin T.; Allen, Paul D.; O’Neill, William E.; Paige, Gary D.

    2016-01-01

    Visual capture and the ventriloquism aftereffect resolve spatial disparities of incongruent auditory-visual (AV) objects by shifting auditory spatial perception to align with vision. Here, we demonstrated the distinct temporal characteristics of visual capture and the ventriloquism aftereffect in response to brief AV disparities. In a set of experiments, subjects localized either the auditory component of AV targets (A within AV) or a second sound presented at varying delays (1-20s) after AV exposure (A2 after AV). AV targets were trains of brief presentations (1 or 20), covering a ±30° azimuthal range, and with ±8° (R or L) disparity. We found that the magnitude of visual capture generally reached its peak within a single AV pair and did not dissipate with time, while the ventriloquism aftereffect accumulated with repetitions of AV pairs and dissipated with time. Additionally, the magnitude of the auditory shift induced by each phenomenon was uncorrelated across listeners and visual capture was unaffected by subsequent auditory targets, indicating that visual capture and the ventriloquism aftereffect are separate mechanisms with distinct effects on auditory spatial perception. Our results indicate that visual capture is a ‘sample-and-hold’ process that binds related objects and stores the combined percept in memory, whereas the ventriloquism aftereffect is a ‘leaky integrator’ process that accumulates with experience and decays with time to compensate for cross-modal disparities. PMID:27837258

  20. Laser microdissection reveals that transcripts for five plant and one fungal phosphate transporter genes are contemporaneously present in arbusculated cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balestrini, Raffaella; Gómez-Ariza, Jorge; Lanfranco, Luisa; Bonfante, Paola

    2007-09-01

    The establishment of a symbiotic interaction between plant roots and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi requires both partners to undergo significant morphological and physiological modifications which eventually lead to reciprocal beneficial effects. Extensive changes in gene expression profiles recently have been described in transcriptomic studies that have analyzed the whole mycorrhizal root. However, because root colonization by AM fungi involves different cell types, a cell-specific gene expression pattern is likely to occur. We have applied the laser microdissection (LMD) technology to investigate expression profiles of both plant and fungal genes in Lycopersicon esculentum roots colonized by Glomus mosseae. A protocol to harvest arbuscule-containing cells from paraffin sections of mycorrhizal roots has been developed using a Leica AS LMD system. RNA of satisfactory quantity and quality has been extracted for molecular analysis. Transcripts for plant phosphate transporters (LePTs), selected as molecular markers for a functional symbiosis, have been detected by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assays and associated to distinct cell types, leading to novel insights into the distribution of LePT mRNAs. In fact, the transcripts of the five phosphate transporters (PTs) have been detected contemporaneously in the same arbusculated cell population, unlike from the neighboring noncolonized cells. In addition, fungal H(+)ATPase (GmHA5) and phosphate transporter (GmosPT) mRNAs were found exclusively in arbusculated cells. The discovery that five plant and one fungal PT genes are consistently expressed inside the arbusculated cells provides a new scenario for plant-fungus nutrient exchanges.

  1. Constant-parameter capture-recapture models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brownie, C.; Hines, J.E.; Nichols, J.D.

    1986-01-01

    Jolly (1982, Biometrics 38, 301-321) presented modifications of the Jolly-Seber model for capture-recapture data, which assume constant survival and/or capture rates. Where appropriate, because of the reduced number of parameters, these models lead to more efficient estimators than the Jolly-Seber model. The tests to compare models given by Jolly do not make complete use of the data, and we present here the appropriate modifications, and also indicate how to carry out goodness-of-fit tests which utilize individual capture history information. We also describe analogous models for the case where young and adult animals are tagged. The availability of computer programs to perform the analysis is noted, and examples are given using output from these programs.

  2. Exact capture probability analysis of GSC receivers over i.n.d. Rayleigh fading channels

    KAUST Repository

    Nam, Sungsik

    2013-07-01

    A closed-form expression of the capture probability of generalized selection combining (GSC) RAKE receivers was introduced in [1]. The idea behind this new performance metric is to quantify how the remaining set of uncombined paths affects the overall performance both in terms of loss in power and increase in interference levels. In this previous work, the assumption was made that the fading is both independent and identically distributed from path to path. However, the average strength of each path is different in reality. In order to derive a closed-form expression of the capture probability over independent and non-identically distributed (i.n.d.) fading channels, we need to derive the joint statistics of ordered non-identical exponential variates. With this motivation in mind, we first provide in this paper some new order statistics results in terms of both moment generating function (MGF) and probability density function (PDF) expressions under an i.n.d. assumption and then derive a new exact closed-form expression for the capture probability GSC RAKE receivers in this more realistic scenario. © 2013 IEEE.

  3. AMUC: Associated Motion capture User Categories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norman, Sally Jane; Lawson, Sian E M; Olivier, Patrick; Watson, Paul; Chan, Anita M-A; Dade-Robertson, Martyn; Dunphy, Paul; Green, Dave; Hiden, Hugo; Hook, Jonathan; Jackson, Daniel G

    2009-07-13

    The AMUC (Associated Motion capture User Categories) project consisted of building a prototype sketch retrieval client for exploring motion capture archives. High-dimensional datasets reflect the dynamic process of motion capture and comprise high-rate sampled data of a performer's joint angles; in response to multiple query criteria, these data can potentially yield different kinds of information. The AMUC prototype harnesses graphic input via an electronic tablet as a query mechanism, time and position signals obtained from the sketch being mapped to the properties of data streams stored in the motion capture repository. As well as proposing a pragmatic solution for exploring motion capture datasets, the project demonstrates the conceptual value of iterative prototyping in innovative interdisciplinary design. The AMUC team was composed of live performance practitioners and theorists conversant with a variety of movement techniques, bioengineers who recorded and processed motion data for integration into the retrieval tool, and computer scientists who designed and implemented the retrieval system and server architecture, scoped for Grid-based applications. Creative input on information system design and navigation, and digital image processing, underpinned implementation of the prototype, which has undergone preliminary trials with diverse users, allowing identification of rich potential development areas.

  4. The Role of Natural Gas Power Plants with Carbon Capture and Storage in a Low-Carbon Future

    Science.gov (United States)

    Natural gas combined-cycle (NGCC) turbines with carbon capture and storage (CCS) are a promising technology for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the electric sector. However, the high cost and efficiency penalties associated with CCS, as well as methane leakage from nat...

  5. Physiological reactions to capture in hibernating brown bears.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Alina L; Singh, Navinder J; Fuchs, Boris; Blanc, Stéphane; Friebe, Andrea; Laske, Timothy G; Frobert, Ole; Swenson, Jon E; Arnemo, Jon M

    2016-01-01

    Human disturbance can affect animal life history and even population dynamics. However, the consequences of these disturbances are difficult to measure. This is especially true for hibernating animals, which are highly vulnerable to disturbance, because hibernation is a process of major physiological changes, involving conservation of energy during a resource-depleted time of year. During the winters of 2011-15, we captured 15 subadult brown bears ( Ursus arctos ) and recorded their body temperatures ( n  = 11) and heart rates ( n = 10) before, during and after capture using biologgers. We estimated the time for body temperature and heart rate to normalize after the capture event. We then evaluated the effect of the captures on the pattern and depth of hibernation and the day of den emergence by comparing the body temperature of captured bears with that of undisturbed subadult bears ( n  = 11). Both body temperature and heart rate increased during capture and returned to hibernation levels after 15-20 days. We showed that bears required 2-3 weeks to return to hibernation levels after winter captures, suggesting high metabolic costs during this period. There were also indications that the winter captures resulted in delayed den emergence.

  6. Capture of Planetesimals into a Circumterrestrial Swarm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weidenschilling, S. J.

    1985-01-01

    The lunar origin model considered in this report involves processing of protolunar material through a circumterrestrial swarm of particles. Once such a swarm has formed, it can gain mass by capturing infalling planetesimals and ejecta from giant impacts on the Earth, although the angular momentum supply from these sources remains a problem. The first stage of formation of a geocentric swarm by capture of planetesimals from initially heliocentric orbits is examined. The only plausible capture mechanism that is not dependent on very low approach velocities is the mutual collision of planetesimals passing within Earth's sphere of influence. The dissipation of energy in inelastic collisions or accretion events changes the value of the Jacobi parameter, allowing capture into bound geocentric orbits. This capture scenario was tested directly by many body numerical integration of planetesimal orbits in near Earth space.

  7. Understanding Motion Capture for Computer Animation

    CERN Document Server

    Menache, Alberto

    2010-01-01

    The power of today's motion capture technology has taken animated characters and special effects to amazing new levels of reality. And with the release of blockbusters like Avatar and Tin-Tin, audiences continually expect more from each new release. To live up to these expectations, film and game makers, particularly technical animators and directors, need to be at the forefront of motion capture technology. In this extensively updated edition of Understanding Motion Capture for Computer Animation and Video Games, an industry insider explains the latest research developments in digital design

  8. Active Traffic Capture for Network Forensics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slaviero, Marco; Granova, Anna; Olivier, Martin

    Network traffic capture is an integral part of network forensics, but current traffic capture techniques are typically passive in nature. Under heavy loads, it is possible for a sniffer to miss packets, which affects the quality of forensic evidence.

  9. The Environmental Protection Agency in the Early Trump Administration: Prelude to Regulatory Capture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dillon, Lindsey; Sellers, Christopher; Underhill, Vivian; Shapiro, Nicholas; Ohayon, Jennifer Liss; Sullivan, Marianne; Brown, Phil; Harrison, Jill; Wylie, Sara

    2018-04-01

    We explore and contextualize changes at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the first 6 months of the Trump administration, arguing that its pro-business direction is enabling a form of regulatory capture. We draw on news articles, public documents, and a rapid response, multisited interview study of current and retired EPA employees to (1) document changes associated with the new administration, (2) contextualize and compare the current pro-business makeover with previous ones, and (3) publicly convey findings in a timely manner. The lengthy, combined experience of interviewees with previous Republican and Democratic administrations made them valuable analysts for assessing recent shifts at the Scott Pruitt-led EPA and the extent to which these shifts steer the EPA away from its stated mission to "protect human and environmental health." Considering the extent of its pro-business leanings in the absence of mitigating power from the legislative branch, we conclude that its regulatory capture has become likely-more so than at similar moments in the agency's 47-year history. The public and environmental health consequences of regulatory capture of the EPA will probably be severe and far-reaching.

  10. Carbon Dioxide Capture and Transportation Options in the Illinois Basin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    M. Rostam-Abadi; S. S. Chen; Y. Lu

    2004-09-30

    This report describes carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) capture options from large stationary emission sources in the Illinois Basin, primarily focusing on coal-fired utility power plants. The CO{sub 2} emissions data were collected for utility power plants and industrial facilities over most of Illinois, southwestern Indiana, and western Kentucky. Coal-fired power plants are by far the largest CO{sub 2} emission sources in the Illinois Basin. The data revealed that sources within the Illinois Basin emit about 276 million tonnes of CO2 annually from 122 utility power plants and industrial facilities. Industrial facilities include 48 emission sources and contribute about 10% of total emissions. A process analysis study was conducted to review the suitability of various CO{sub 2} capture technologies for large stationary sources. The advantages and disadvantages of each class of technology were investigated. Based on these analyses, a suitable CO{sub 2} capture technology was assigned to each type of emission source in the Illinois Basin. Techno-economic studies were then conducted to evaluate the energy and economic performances of three coal-based power generation plants with CO{sub 2} capture facilities. The three plants considered were (1) pulverized coal (PC) + post combustion chemical absorption (monoethanolamine, or MEA), (2) integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) + pre-combustion physical absorption (Selexol), and (3) oxygen-enriched coal combustion plants. A conventional PC power plant without CO2 capture was also investigated as a baseline plant for comparison. Gross capacities of 266, 533, and 1,054 MW were investigated at each power plant. The economic study considered the burning of both Illinois No. 6 coal and Powder River Basin (PRB) coal. The cost estimation included the cost for compressing the CO{sub 2} stream to pipeline pressure. A process simulation software, CHEMCAD, was employed to perform steady-state simulations of power generation systems

  11. A simple and cost-effective method of DNA extraction from small formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue for molecular oncologic testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snow, Anthony N; Stence, Aaron A; Pruessner, Jonathan A; Bossler, Aaron D; Ma, Deqin

    2014-01-01

    Extraction of DNA from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue is a critical step in molecular oncologic testing. As molecular oncology testing becomes more important for prognostic and therapeutic decision making and tissue specimens become smaller due to earlier detection of suspicious lesions and the use of fine needle aspiration methods for tissue collection, it becomes more challenging for the typical molecular pathology laboratory to obtain reliable test results. We developed a DNA extraction method to obtain sufficient quantity and high quality genomic DNA from limited FFPE tissue for molecular oncology testing using a combination of H&E stained slides, a matrix capture method and the Qiagen DNA column. THREE DNA EXTRACTION METHODS WERE COMPARED: our standard procedure of manually scraping tissue from unstained slides followed by DNA extraction using the QIAamp FFPE column (Qiagen, Valencia, CA), a glue capture method (Pinpoint Solution, Zymo Research Corp, Inc) on H&E stained slides followed by DNA extraction using either the QIAamp column or the column included with the Pinpoint kit (Zymo Research). The DNA extraction protocol was optimized. Statistical analysis was performed using the paired two-sample student's t-test. The combination of the matrix capture method with the QIAamp column gave an equivalent amount of DNA as our standard extraction method using the unstained slides and a 4.6-fold higher DNA yield than using the Zymo column included in the Pinpoint Slide Solution kit. Several molecular tests were performed and DNA purified using the new method gave the same results as for the previous methods. Using H&E stained slides allows visual confirmation of tumor cells during microdissection. The Pinpoint solution made removal of specific tissue from the slides easier and reduced the risk of contamination and tissue loss. This DNA extraction method is simple, cost-effective, and blends with our current workflow requiring no additional equipment.

  12. Alignment in double capture processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moretto-Capelle, P.; Benhenni, M.; Bordenave-Montesquieu, A.; Benoit-Cattin, P.; Gleizes, A.

    1993-01-01

    The electron spectra emitted when a double capture occurs in N 7+ +He and Ne 8+ +He systems at 10 qkeV collisional energy, allow us to determine the angular distributions of the 3 ell 3 ell ' lines through a special spectra fitting procedure which includes interferences between neighbouring states. It is found that the doubly excited states populated in double capture processes are generally aligned

  13. Sublethal effects of catch-and-release fishing: measuring capture stress, fish impairment, and predation risk using a condition index

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, Matthew D.; Patino, Reynaldo; Tolan, J.M.; Strauss, R.E.; Diamond, S.

    2009-01-01

    The sublethal effects of simulated capture of red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) were analysed using physiological responses, condition indexing, and performance variables. Simulated catch-and-release fishing included combinations of depth of capture and thermocline exposure reflective of environmental conditions experienced in the Gulf of Mexico. Frequency of occurrence of barotrauma and lack of reflex response exhibited considerable individual variation. When combined into a single condition or impairment index, individual variation was reduced, and impairment showed significant increases as depth increased and with the addition of thermocline exposure. Performance variables, such as burst swimming speed (BSS) and simulated predator approach distance (AD), were also significantly different by depth. BSSs and predator ADs decreased with increasing depth, were lowest immediately after release, and were affected for up to 15 min, with longer recovery times required as depth increased. The impairment score developed was positively correlated with cortisol concentration and negatively correlated with both BSS and simulated predator AD. The impairment index proved to be an efficient method to estimate the overall impairment of red snapper in the laboratory simulations of capture and shows promise for use in field conditions, to estimate release mortality and vulnerability to predation.

  14. CO2 capture from IGCC gas streams using the AC-ABC process

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nagar, Anoop [SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (United States); McLaughlin, Elisabeth [SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (United States); Hornbostel, Marc [SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (United States); Krishnan, Gopala [SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (United States); Jayaweera, Indira [SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (United States)

    2017-02-16

    The objective of this project was to develop a novel, low-cost CO2 capture process from pre-combustion gas streams. The bench-scale work was conducted at the SRI International. A 0.15-MWe integrated pilot plant was constructed and operated for over 700 hours at the National Carbon Capture Center, Wilsonville, AL. The AC-ABC (ammonium carbonate-ammonium bicarbonate) process for capture of CO2 and H2S from the pre-combustion gas stream offers many advantages over Selexol-based technology. The process relies on the simple chemistry of the NH3-CO2-H2O-H2S system and on the ability of the aqueous ammoniated solution to absorb CO2 at near ambient temperatures and to release it as a high-purity, high-pressure gas at a moderately elevated regeneration temperature. It is estimated the increase in cost of electricity (COE) with the AC-ABC process will be ~ 30%, and the cost of CO2 captured is projected to be less than $27/metric ton of CO2 while meeting 90% CO2 capture goal. The Bechtel Pressure Swing Claus (BPSC) is a complementary technology offered by Bechtel Hydrocarbon Technology Solutions, Inc. BPSC is a high-pressure, sub-dew-point Claus process that allows for nearly complete removal of H2S from a gas stream. It operates at gasifier pressures and moderate temperatures and does not affect CO2 content. When coupled with AC-ABC, the combined technologies allow a nearly pure CO2 stream to be captured at high pressure, something which Selexol and other solvent-based technologies cannot achieve.

  15. Near-term deployment of carbon capture and sequestration from biorefineries in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchez, Daniel L; Johnson, Nils; McCoy, Sean T; Turner, Peter A; Mach, Katharine J

    2018-05-08

    Capture and permanent geologic sequestration of biogenic CO 2 emissions may provide critical flexibility in ambitious climate change mitigation. However, most bioenergy with carbon capture and sequestration (BECCS) technologies are technically immature or commercially unavailable. Here, we evaluate low-cost, commercially ready CO 2 capture opportunities for existing ethanol biorefineries in the United States. The analysis combines process engineering, spatial optimization, and lifecycle assessment to consider the technical, economic, and institutional feasibility of near-term carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). Our modeling framework evaluates least cost source-sink relationships and aggregation opportunities for pipeline transport, which can cost-effectively transport small CO 2 volumes to suitable sequestration sites; 216 existing US biorefineries emit 45 Mt CO 2 annually from fermentation, of which 60% could be captured and compressed for pipeline transport for under $25/tCO 2 A sequestration credit, analogous to existing CCS tax credits, of $60/tCO 2 could incent 30 Mt of sequestration and 6,900 km of pipeline infrastructure across the United States. Similarly, a carbon abatement credit, analogous to existing tradeable CO 2 credits, of $90/tCO 2 can incent 38 Mt of abatement. Aggregation of CO 2 sources enables cost-effective long-distance pipeline transport to distant sequestration sites. Financial incentives under the low-carbon fuel standard in California and recent revisions to existing federal tax credits suggest a substantial near-term opportunity to permanently sequester biogenic CO 2 This financial opportunity could catalyze the growth of carbon capture, transport, and sequestration; improve the lifecycle impacts of conventional biofuels; support development of carbon-negative fuels; and help fulfill the mandates of low-carbon fuel policies across the United States. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

  16. System and process for capture of H.sub.2S from gaseous process streams and process for regeneration of the capture agent

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heldenbrant, David J; Koech, Phillip K; Rainbolt, James E; Bearden, Mark D; Zheng, Feng

    2014-02-18

    A system and process are disclosed for selective removal and recovery of H.sub.2S from a gaseous volume, e.g., from natural gas. Anhydrous organic, sorbents chemically capture H.sub.2S gas to form hydrosulfide salts. Regeneration of the capture solvent involves addition of an anti-solvent that releases the captured H.sub.2S gas from the capture sorbent. The capture sorbent and anti-solvent are reactivated for reuse, e.g., by simple distillation.

  17. Trade-off in emissions of acid gas pollutants and of carbon dioxide in fossil fuel power plants with carbon capture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tzimas, Evangelos; Mercier, Arnaud; Cormos, Calin-Cristian; Peteves, Stathis D.

    2007-01-01

    This paper investigates the impact of capture of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from fossil fuel power plants on the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO X ) and sulphur oxides (SO X ), which are acid gas pollutants. This was done by estimating the emissions of these chemical compounds from natural gas combined cycle and pulverized coal plants, equipped with post-combustion carbon capture technology for the removal of CO 2 from their flue gases, and comparing them with the emissions of similar plants without CO 2 capture. The capture of CO 2 is not likely to increase the emissions of acid gas pollutants from individual power plants; on the contrary, some NO X and SO X will also be removed during the capture of CO 2 . The large-scale implementation of carbon capture is however likely to increase the emission levels of NO X from the power sector due to the reduced efficiency of power plants equipped with capture technologies. Furthermore, SO X emissions from coal plants should be decreased to avoid significant losses of the chemicals that are used to capture CO 2 . The increase in the quantity of NO X emissions will be however low, estimated at 5% for the natural gas power plant park and 24% for the coal plants, while the emissions of SO X from coal fired plants will be reduced by as much as 99% when at least 80% of the CO 2 generated will be captured

  18. Sub-barrier capture with quantum diffusion approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scheid W.

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available With the quantum diffusion approach the behavior of capture cross sections and mean-square angular momenta of captured systems are revealed in the reactions with deformed and spherical nuclei at sub-barrier energies. With decreasing bombarding energy under the barrier the external turning point of the nucleus-nucleus potential leaves the region of short-range nuclear interaction and action of friction. Because of this change of the regime of interaction, an unexpected enhancement of the capture cross section is found at bombarding energies far below the Coulomb barrier. This effect is shown its worth in the dependence of mean-square angular momentum on the bombarding energy. From the comparison of calculated capture cross sections and experimental capture or fusion cross sections the importance of quasifission near the entrance channel is demonstrated for the actinidebased reactions and reactions with medium-heavy nuclei at extreme sub-barrier energies.

  19. Global gene analysis of oocytes from early stages in human folliculogenesis shows high expression of novel genes in reproduction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Markholt, Sara; Grøndahl, M L; Ernst, Erik

    2012-01-01

    The pool of primordial follicles in humans is laid down during embryonic development and follicles can remain dormant for prolonged intervals, often decades, until individual follicles resume growth. The mechanisms that induce growth and maturation of primordial follicles are poorly understood...... but follicles once activated either continue growth or undergo atresia. We have isolated pure populations of oocytes from human primordial, intermediate and primary follicles using laser capture micro-dissection microscopy and evaluated the global gene expression profiles by whole-genome microarray analysis......) and the mitochondrial-encoded ATPase6 (ATP6). Thus, the present study provides not only a technique to capture and perform transcriptome analysis of the sparse material of human oocytes from the earliest follicle stages but further includes a comprehensive basis for our understanding of the regulatory factors...

  20. Accelerated Detection of Viral Particles by Combining AC Electric Field Effects and Micro-Raman Spectroscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew Robert Tomkins

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available A detection method that combines electric field-assisted virus capture on antibody-decorated surfaces with the “fingerprinting” capabilities of micro-Raman spectroscopy is demonstrated for the case of M13 virus in water. The proof-of-principle surface mapping of model bioparticles (protein coated polystyrene spheres captured by an AC electric field between planar microelectrodes is presented with a methodology for analyzing the resulting spectra by comparing relative peak intensities. The same principle is applied to dielectrophoretically captured M13 phage particles whose presence is indirectly confirmed with micro-Raman spectroscopy using NeutrAvidin-Cy3 as a labeling molecule. It is concluded that the combination of electrokinetically driven virus sampling and micro-Raman based signal transduction provides a promising approach for time-efficient and in situ detection of viruses.

  1. Accelerated detection of viral particles by combining AC electric field effects and micro-Raman spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomkins, Matthew Robert; Liao, David Shiqi; Docoslis, Aristides

    2015-01-08

    A detection method that combines electric field-assisted virus capture on antibody-decorated surfaces with the "fingerprinting" capabilities of micro-Raman spectroscopy is demonstrated for the case of M13 virus in water. The proof-of-principle surface mapping of model bioparticles (protein coated polystyrene spheres) captured by an AC electric field between planar microelectrodes is presented with a methodology for analyzing the resulting spectra by comparing relative peak intensities. The same principle is applied to dielectrophoretically captured M13 phage particles whose presence is indirectly confirmed with micro-Raman spectroscopy using NeutrAvidin-Cy3 as a labeling molecule. It is concluded that the combination of electrokinetically driven virus sampling and micro-Raman based signal transduction provides a promising approach for time-efficient and in situ detection of viruses.

  2. Knowledge Capture and Acquisition Mechanisms at Kisii University

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nemwel Aming'a

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Knowledge management and knowledge assets have gained much prominence in recent years and are said to improve organizational performance. Knowledge capture and acquisition mechanisms enhance organizational memory and performance. However, knowledge capture and acquisition mechanisms in higher education institutions are not well known. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge capture and acquisition mechanisms at Kisii University. This was a case study in which data were collected through interviews and questionnaires. Purposive sampling was used to determine interview participants while questionnaire respondents were selected through stratified random sampling. Qualitative and quantitative data were analysed using SPSS® student version 14; it revealed that there were various knowledge capture and acquisition mechanisms at Kisii University. It was also established that the University encountered various challenges in knowledge capture and acquisition and lacked some essential knowledge capture and acquisition mechanisms. In this regard, this study proposed knowledge capture and acquisition guidelines that may be adopted by the University to enhance its organizational memory and performance.

  3. Cellulose-Supported Ionic Liquids for Low-Cost Pressure Swing CO{sub 2} Capture

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reed, Daniel G.; Dowson, George R. M.; Styring, Peter, E-mail: p.styring@sheffield.ac.uk [UK Centre for Carbon Dioxide Utilisation, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield (United Kingdom)

    2017-07-07

    Reducing the cost of capturing CO{sub 2} from point source emitters is a major challenge facing carbon capture, utilization, and storage. While solid ionic liquids (SoILs) have been shown to allow selective and rapid CO{sub 2} capture by pressure swing separation of flue gases, expectations of their high cost hinders their potential application. Cellulose is found to be a reliable, cheap, and sustainable support for a range of SoILs, reducing the total sorbent cost by improving the efficiency of the ionic liquid (IL) through increased ionic surface area that results from coating. It was also found that cellulose support imparts surface characteristics, which increased total sorbent uptake. Combined, these effects allowed a fourfold to eightfold improvement in uptake per gram of IL for SoILs that have previously shown high uptake and a 9- to 39-fold improvement for those with previously poor uptake. This offers the potential to drastically reduce the amount of IL required to separate a given gas volume. Furthermore, the fast kinetics are retained, with adsorb–desorb cycles taking place over a matter of seconds. This means that rapid cycling can be achieved, which results in high cumulative separation capacity relative to a conventional temperature swing process. The supported materials show an optimum at 75% cellulose:25% IL as a result of even coating of the cellulose surface. The projected reduction in plant size and operational costs represents a potentially ground-breaking step forward in carbon dioxide capture technologies.

  4. Proton capture resonance studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mitchell, G.E. [North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (United States) 27695]|[Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, North Carolina (United States) 27708; Bilpuch, E.G. [Duke University, Durham, North Carolina (United States) 27708]|[Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, North Carolina (United States) 27708; Bybee, C.R. [North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (United States) 27695]|[Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, North Carolina (United States) 27708; Cox, J.M.; Fittje, L.M. [Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee (United States) 38505]|[Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, North Carolina (United States) 27708; Labonte, M.A.; Moore, E.F.; Shriner, J.D. [North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (United States) 27695]|[Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, North Carolina (United States) 27708; Shriner, J.F. Jr. [Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee (United States) 38505]|[Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, North Carolina (United States) 27708; Vavrina, G.A. [North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (United States) 27695]|[Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, North Carolina (United States) 27708; Wallace, P.M. [Duke University, Durham, North Carolina (United States) 27708]|[Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, North Carolina (United States) 27708

    1997-02-01

    The fluctuation properties of quantum systems now are used as a signature of quantum chaos. The analyses require data of extremely high quality. The {sup 29}Si(p,{gamma}) reaction is being used to establish a complete level scheme of {sup 30}P to study chaos and isospin breaking in this nuclide. Determination of the angular momentum J, the parity {pi}, and the isospin T from resonance capture data is considered. Special emphasis is placed on the capture angular distributions and on a geometric description of these angular distributions. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}

  5. Carbon capture by hybrid separation processes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Benthum, R.J.; van Kemenade, H.P.; Brouwers, J.J.H.

    2014-01-01

    Even though there is an increasing development of carbon capture technology over the last decade, large-scale implementation is still far from common practice, mainly caused by the energy intensiveness of carbon capture processes and the lack of regulation. In absence of strict regulation, less

  6. Alignment in double capture processes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moretto-Capelle, P.; Benhenni, M.; Bordenave-Montesquieu, A.; Benoit-Cattin, P.; Gleizes, A. (IRSAMC, URA CNRS 770, Univ. Paul Sabatier, 118 rte de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse Cedex (France))

    1993-06-05

    The electron spectra emitted when a double capture occurs in N[sup 7+]+He and Ne[sup 8+]+He systems at 10 qkeV collisional energy, allow us to determine the angular distributions of the 3[ell]3[ell] [prime] lines through a special spectra fitting procedure which includes interferences between neighbouring states. It is found that the doubly excited states populated in double capture processes are generally aligned.

  7. Toward transformational carbon capture systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miller, David C. [National Energy Technology Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy, Pittsburgh PA (United States); Litynski, John T. [Office of Fossil Energy, U.S. Dept. of Energy, Washington DC (United States); Brickett, Lynn A. [National Energy Technology Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy, Pittsburgh PA (United States); Morreale, Bryan D. [National Energy Technology Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy, Pittsburgh PA (United States)

    2015-10-28

    This paper will briefly review the history and current state of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) research and development and describe the technical barriers to carbon capture. it will argue forcefully for a new approach to R&D, which leverages both simulation and physical systems at the laboratory and pilot scales to more rapidly move the best technoogies forward, prune less advantageous approaches, and simultaneously develop materials and processes.

  8. Carbon Capture: A Technology Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-10-21

    whereas laboratory-scale experiments typically seek to validate or obtain data for specific components of a system. Laboratory- and bench-scale processes...Plant,” Energy, vol. 35 (2010), pp. 841-850. E. Favre, R. Bounaceur, and D. Roizard, “ Biogas , Membranes and Carbon Dioxide Capture,” Journal of...pp. 1-49. 64 Favre, “ Biogas , Membranes.” Carbon Capture: A Technology Assessment Congressional Research Service 42 materials have pore sizes

  9. Audiovisual Capture with Ambiguous Audiovisual Stimuli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jean-Michel Hupé

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Audiovisual capture happens when information across modalities get fused into a coherent percept. Ambiguous multi-modal stimuli have the potential to be powerful tools to observe such effects. We used such stimuli made of temporally synchronized and spatially co-localized visual flashes and auditory tones. The flashes produced bistable apparent motion and the tones produced ambiguous streaming. We measured strong interferences between perceptual decisions in each modality, a case of audiovisual capture. However, does this mean that audiovisual capture occurs before bistable decision? We argue that this is not the case, as the interference had a slow temporal dynamics and was modulated by audiovisual congruence, suggestive of high-level factors such as attention or intention. We propose a framework to integrate bistability and audiovisual capture, which distinguishes between “what” competes and “how” it competes (Hupé et al., 2008. The audiovisual interactions may be the result of contextual influences on neural representations (“what” competes, quite independent from the causal mechanisms of perceptual switches (“how” it competes. This framework predicts that audiovisual capture can bias bistability especially if modalities are congruent (Sato et al., 2007, but that is fundamentally distinct in nature from the bistable competition mechanism.

  10. Review of carbon dioxide capture and storage with relevance to the South African power sector

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khalid Osman

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Carbon dioxide (CO2 emissions and their association with climate change are currently a major discussion point in government and amongst the public at large in South Africa, especially because of the country's heavy reliance on fossil fuels for electricity production. Here we review the current situation regarding CO2 emissions in the South African power generation sector, and potential process engineering solutions to reduce these emissions. Estimates of CO2 emissions are presented, with the main sources of emissions identified and benchmarked to other countries. A promising mid-term solution for mitigation of high CO2 emissions, known as CO2 capture and storage, is reviewed. The various aspects of CO2 capture and storage technology and techniques for CO2 capture from pulverised coal power plants are discussed; these techniques include processes such as gas absorption, hydrate formation, cryogenic separation, membrane usage, sorbent usage, enzyme-based systems and metal organic frameworks. The latest power plant designs which optimise CO2 capture are also discussed and include integrated gasification combined cycle, oxy-fuel combustion, integrated gasification steam cycle and chemical looping combustion. Each CO2 capture technique and plant modification is presented in terms of the conceptual idea, the advantages and disadvantages, and the extent of development and applicability in a South African context. Lastly, CO2 transportation, storage, and potential uses are also presented. The main conclusions of this review are that gas absorption using solvents is currently most applicable for CO2 capture and that enhanced coal bed methane recovery could provide the best disposal route for CO2 emissions mitigation in South Africa.

  11. Revisiting the Zingiberales: using multiplexed exon capture to resolve ancient and recent phylogenetic splits in a charismatic plant lineage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chodon Sass

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The Zingiberales are an iconic order of monocotyledonous plants comprising eight families with distinctive and diverse floral morphologies and representing an important ecological element of tropical and subtropical forests. While the eight families are demonstrated to be monophyletic, phylogenetic relationships among these families remain unresolved. Neither combined morphological and molecular studies nor recent attempts to resolve family relationships using sequence data from whole plastomes has resulted in a well-supported, family-level phylogenetic hypothesis of relationships. Here we approach this challenge by leveraging the complete genome of one member of the order, Musa acuminata, together with transcriptome information from each of the other seven families to design a set of nuclear loci that can be enriched from highly divergent taxa with a single array-based capture of indexed genomic DNA. A total of 494 exons from 418 nuclear genes were captured for 53 ingroup taxa. The entire plastid genome was also captured for the same 53 taxa. Of the total genes captured, 308 nuclear and 68 plastid genes were used for phylogenetic estimation. The concatenated plastid and nuclear dataset supports the position of Musaceae as sister to the remaining seven families. Moreover, the combined dataset recovers known intra- and inter-family phylogenetic relationships with generally high bootstrap support. This is a flexible and cost effective method that gives the broader plant biology community a tool for generating phylogenomic scale sequence data in non-model systems at varying evolutionary depths.

  12. Effects of capturing and collaring on polar bears: findings from long-term research on the southern Beaufort Sea population

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rode, Karyn D.; Pagano, Anthony M.; Bromaghin, Jeffrey F.; Atwood, Todd C.; Durner, George M.; Simac, Kristin S.; Amstrup, Steven C.

    2014-01-01

    -based research methods do not have long-term implications, and are not contributing to observed changes in body condition, reproduction or survival in the southern Beaufort Sea. Continued refinement of capture protocols, such as the use of low-impact dart rifles and reversible drug combinations, might improve polar bear response to capture and abate short-term reductions in activity and movement post-capture.

  13. Neutron Capture Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Neutron Capture Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1969-11-15

    Experimental capabilities in the field of neutron capture gamma-ray spectroscopy have expanded greatly in the last few years; this has been due in large part to the advent of high-quality Ge(Li) detectors, improvements in electronic data processing, and improvements in bent-crystal spectrometers. Previously unsuspected phenomena, such as the '5. 5-MeV1 anomaly, have appeared and new research tools, such as neutron guide tubes, have been brought into use. Equally exciting developments have occurred in the theory of neutron capture. Complex spectra have yielded to analysis after account had been taken of such effects as vibration, rotation and Coriolis forces, and the theoretical prediction of capture spectra seems to be a future possibility. In view of the International Atomic Energy Agency's close interest in this subject and the need for an international exchange of ideas to analyse and study the latest developments, the organizers of the Symposium felt that work on neutron capture gamma-ray spectroscopy had achieved such valuable and significant results that the time had come for this information to be presented, examined and discussed internationally.

  14. Neutron Capture Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Neutron Capture Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1969-01-01

    Experimental capabilities in the field of neutron capture gamma-ray spectroscopy have expanded greatly in the last few years; this has been due in large part to the advent of high-quality Ge(Li) detectors, improvements in electronic data processing, and improvements in bent-crystal spectrometers. Previously unsuspected phenomena, such as the '5. 5-MeV1 anomaly, have appeared and new research tools, such as neutron guide tubes, have been brought into use. Equally exciting developments have occurred in the theory of neutron capture. Complex spectra have yielded to analysis after account had been taken of such effects as vibration, rotation and Coriolis forces, and the theoretical prediction of capture spectra seems to be a future possibility. In view of the International Atomic Energy Agency's close interest in this subject and the need for an international exchange of ideas to analyse and study the latest developments, the organizers of the Symposium felt that work on neutron capture gamma-ray spectroscopy had achieved such valuable and significant results that the time had come for this information to be presented, examined and discussed internationally

  15. Capturing, annotating and reflecting video footage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eckardt, Max Roald; Wagner, Johannes

    A presentation of interaction field data capturing setups for uninterrupted long term capturing. Two setups were described: the AMU forklift driving school with 17 cameras and the Digital Days 2016 at University College Nord in Aalborg with 16 kameras, 14 audio recorders, and two HDMI recorders....

  16. Neutron capture cross sections of Kr

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fiebiger Stefan

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Neutron capture and β− -decay are competing branches of the s-process nucleosynthesis path at 85Kr [1], which makes it an important branching point. The knowledge of its neutron capture cross section is therefore essential to constrain stellar models of nucleosynthesis. Despite its importance for different fields, no direct measurement of the cross section of 85Kr in the keV-regime has been performed. The currently reported uncertainties are still in the order of 50% [2, 3]. Neutron capture cross section measurements on a 4% enriched 85Kr gas enclosed in a stainless steel cylinder were performed at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL using the Detector for Advanced Neutron Capture Experiments (DANCE. 85Kr is radioactive isotope with a half life of 10.8 years. As this was a low-enrichment sample, the main contaminants, the stable krypton isotopes 83Kr and 86Kr, were also investigated. The material was highly enriched and contained in pressurized stainless steel spheres.

  17. The "1"2C("1"6O,γ"2"8Si) radiative capture reaction at sub-barrier energies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goasduff, A.; Courtin, S.; Haas, F.; Lebhertz, D.; Jenkins, D.G.; Fallis, J.; Ruiz, C.; Hutcheon, D.A.; Amandruz, P.A.; Davis, C.; Hager, U.; Ottewell, D.; Ruprecht, G.

    2014-01-01

    The heavy-ion radiative capture "1"2C("1"6O,γ"2"8Si) was measured at the sub-Coulomb barrier bombarding energy E(lab) = 15.7 MeV, which corresponds to the lowest important resonance observed in the "1"2C + "1"6O fusion excitation function. Thanks to combination of the bismuth germanate (BGO) γ-ray array and the 0 degree DRAGON electromagnetic spectrometer at TRIUMF, the γ-decay spectrum from the entrance channel down to the ground state of "2"8Si was measured. Comparisons of the experimental spectrum to γ spectrum extracted from Monte-Carlo simulations of the complete setup suggest a J"π = 2"+ spin-parity assignment to the entrance channel and yield the radiative capture cross section σ(RC) = 0.22 ± 0.04 μb. Combining this present spin assignment with previous data on radiative capture, a J (J + 1) systematics was constructed, and it indicated a moment of inertia commensurate with the "1"2C+"1"6O grazing angular momentum. Strong dipole transitions are observed from the entrance channel to T = 1 states around 11.5 MeV and are found to result from enhanced M1_I_V transitions to states exhausting a large part of the M1 sum rule built on the ground state of "2"8Si. This specific decay was also reported at bombarding energies close to the Coulomb barrier in our previous study of the "1"2C("1"2C,γ"2"4Mg) heavy-ion radiative capture reaction. Similarities between both systems are investigated. (authors)

  18. Improved Visual Hook Capturing and Tracking for Precision Hoisting of Tower Crane

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yanming Li

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available To maintain safe operation of the tower crane, it is important to monitor the activities of the hook system. Visual monitoring and image recognition are the optimum methods for crane hook tracking and precision hoisting. High real-time performance and low computation requirements are required for tower crane hook capturing and tracking system which is implemented on the embedded Advanced RISC Machines (ARM processor or Microcontrol Unit (MCU. Using the lift rope of a tower crane as the target object, a new high-performance hook tracking method suitble for ARM processor or MCU applications is presented. The features of the lifting process are analyzed, and an improved progressive probabilistic Hough transform (IPPHT algorithm is proposed which canreduce capturing time by up to 80%. Combining color histogram with a binary search algorithm, an adaptive zooming method for precise hoisting is presented. Using this method the optimum zoom scale can be achieved within a few iterations.

  19. Integrated CO{sub 2} Capture and Utilization Using Non-Thermal Plasmolysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moss, Matthew, E-mail: mmoss1@sheffield.ac.uk; Reed, Daniel G.; Allen, Ray W. K.; Styring, Peter [UK Centre for Carbon Dioxide Utilisation, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield (United Kingdom)

    2017-08-02

    In this work, two simple processes for carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) such as capture and utilization have been combined to form a whole systems approach to carbon capture and utilization (CCU). The first stage utilizes a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system, which offers many benefits over current amine technologies. It was found that high selectivity can be achieved with rapid adsorption/desorption times while employing a cheap, durable sorbent that exhibits no sorbent losses and is easily regenerated by simple pressure drops. The PSA system is capable of capturing and upgrading the CO{sub 2} concentration of a waste gas stream from 12.5% to a range of higher purities. As many CCU end processes have some tolerance toward impurities in the feed, in the form of nitrogen (N{sub 2}), for example, this is highly advantageous for this PSA system since CO{sub 2} purities in excess of 80% can be achieved with only a few steps and minimal energy input. Non-thermal plasma is one such technology that can tolerate, and even benefit from, small N{sub 2} impurities in the feed, therefore a 100% pure CO{sub 2} stream is not required. The second stage of this process deploys a nanosecond pulsed corona discharge reactor to split the captured CO{sub 2} into carbon monoxide (CO), which can then be used as a chemical feedstock for other syntheses. Corona discharge has proven industrial applications for gas cleaning and the benefit of pulsed power reduces the energy consumption of the system. The wire-in-cylinder geometry concentrates the volume of gas treated into the area of high electric field. Previous work has suggested that moderate conversions can be achieved (9%), compared to other non-thermal plasma methods, but with higher energy efficiencies (>60%).

  20. Electrofishing capture probability of smallmouth bass in streams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dauwalter, D.C.; Fisher, W.L.

    2007-01-01

    Abundance estimation is an integral part of understanding the ecology and advancing the management of fish populations and communities. Mark-recapture and removal methods are commonly used to estimate the abundance of stream fishes. Alternatively, abundance can be estimated by dividing the number of individuals sampled by the probability of capture. We conducted a mark-recapture study and used multiple repeated-measures logistic regression to determine the influence of fish size, sampling procedures, and stream habitat variables on the cumulative capture probability for smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu in two eastern Oklahoma streams. The predicted capture probability was used to adjust the number of individuals sampled to obtain abundance estimates. The observed capture probabilities were higher for larger fish and decreased with successive electrofishing passes for larger fish only. Model selection suggested that the number of electrofishing passes, fish length, and mean thalweg depth affected capture probabilities the most; there was little evidence for any effect of electrofishing power density and woody debris density on capture probability. Leave-one-out cross validation showed that the cumulative capture probability model predicts smallmouth abundance accurately. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2007.

  1. Asynchronous beating of cilia enhances particle capture rate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Yang; Kanso, Eva

    2014-11-01

    Many aquatic micro-organisms use beating cilia to generate feeding currents and capture particles in surrounding fluids. One of the capture strategies is to ``catch up'' with particles when a cilium is beating towards the overall flow direction (effective stroke) and intercept particles on the downstream side of the cilium. Here, we developed a 3D computational model of a cilia band with prescribed motion in a viscous fluid and calculated the trajectories of the particles with different sizes in the fluid. We found an optimal particle diameter that maximizes the capture rate. The flow field and particle motion indicate that the low capture rate of smaller particles is due to the laminar flow in the neighbor of the cilia, whereas larger particles have to move above the cilia tips to get advected downstream which decreases their capture rate. We then analyzed the effect of beating coordination between neighboring cilia on the capture rate. Interestingly, we found that asynchrony of the beating of the cilia can enhance the relative motion between a cilium and the particles near it and hence increase the capture rate.

  2. 'Mathematical model of K Capture and its implications'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Angus, Andrew C.

    2000-01-01

    The mechanism of K Capture, the nuclear absorption of electron in the K shell, as induced by electricity, is explained in this article. Furthermore, a mathematical model of K Capture is formulated. Then, K Capture is applied to explain the negative results obtained by Steven Jones and the positive results obtained by Pons-Fleischmann in Deuterium Oxide Electrolysis Experiments. The most important implication of K Capture is the possibility of obtaining nuclear energy by fusion at low temperature from heavy water

  3. Comparison of Ring-Buffer-Based Packet Capture Solutions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barker, Steven Andrew [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2015-10-01

    Traditional packet-capture solutions using commodity hardware incur a large amount of overhead as packets are copied multiple times by the operating system. This overhead slows sensor systems to a point where they are unable to keep up with high bandwidth traffic, resulting in dropped packets. Incomplete packet capture files hinder network monitoring and incident response efforts. While costly commercial hardware exists to capture high bandwidth traffic, several software-based approaches exist to improve packet capture performance using commodity hardware.

  4. LASER CAPTURE MICRODISSECTION AND GENE ARRAY ANALYSIS OF PALATAL EPITHELIAL AND MESENCHYMAL CELLS EXPOSED TO TCDD

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palatal shelves from embryos exposed on gestation day (GD) 12 to either retinoic acid (RA) or 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) contact but fail to fuse. It is of interest to know if diverse agents that induce clefting via the same etiology also activate the same biochem...

  5. Transcriptome differentiation along the dorso-ventral axis in laser-captured microdissected rat hippocampal granular cell layer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, T.; Bisgaard, C.F.; Nielsen, Henrik Bjørn

    2010-01-01

    Several findings suggest a functional and anatomical differentiation along the dorso-ventral axis of the hippocampus. Lesion studies in rats have indicated that the dorsal hippocampus preferentially plays a role in spatial learning and memory, while the ventral hippocampus is involved in anxiety...... and ventral granular cell layer with a false discovery rate below 5% and with a relative change in gene expression level of 20% or more. From this pool of genes 45 genes were more than two-fold regulated, 13 genes being dorsally enriched and 32 genes being ventrally enriched. Moreover, cluster analysis based...

  6. Rethinking Combined Departments: An Argument for History and Anthropology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sluis, Ageeth; Edwards, Elise

    2013-01-01

    Many opportunities for more integrated teaching that better capture the interdisciplinary nature of contemporary scholars' work and better achieve the aims of liberal arts education still remain untapped, particularly at smaller schools where combined departments are often necessary. The disciplinary boundaries between history and sociocultural…

  7. Capture Gamma-Ray Libraries for Nuclear Applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sleaford, B.W.; Firestone, Richard B.; Summers, N.; Escher, J.; Hurst, A.; Krticka, M.; Basunia, S.; Molnar, G.; Belgya, T.; Revay, Z.; Choi, H.D.

    2010-01-01

    The neutron capture reaction is useful in identifying and analyzing the gamma-ray spectrum from an unknown assembly as it gives unambiguous information on its composition. This can be done passively or actively where an external neutron source is used to probe an unknown assembly. There are known capture gamma-ray data gaps in the ENDF libraries used by transport codes for various nuclear applications. The Evaluated Gamma-ray Activation file (EGAF) is a new thermal neutron capture database of discrete line spectra and cross sections for over 260 isotopes that was developed as part of an IAEA Coordinated Research Project. EGAF has been used to improve the capture gamma production in ENDF libraries. For medium to heavy nuclei the quasi continuum contribution to the gamma cascades is not experimentally resolved. The continuum contains up to 90% of all the decay energy an is modeled here with the statistical nuclear structure code DICEBOX. This code also provides a consistency check of the level scheme nuclear structure evaluation. The calculated continuum is of sufficient accuracy to include in the ENDF libraries. This analysis also determines new total thermal capture cross sections and provides an improved RIPL database. For higher energy neutron capture there is less experimental data available making benchmarking of the modeling codes more difficult. We use CASINO, a version of DICEBOX that is modified for this purpose. This can be used to simulate the neutron capture at incident neutron energies up to 20 MeV to improve the gamma-ray spectrum in neutron data libraries used for transport modelling of unknown assemblies.

  8. Mobile Motion Capture--MiMiC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harbert, Simeon D; Jaiswal, Tushar; Harley, Linda R; Vaughn, Tyler W; Baranak, Andrew S

    2013-01-01

    The low cost, simple, robust, mobile, and easy to use Mobile Motion Capture (MiMiC) system is presented and the constraints which guided the design of MiMiC are discussed. The MiMiC Android application allows motion data to be captured from kinematic modules such as Shimmer 2r sensors over Bluetooth. MiMiC is cost effective and can be used for an entire day in a person's daily routine without being intrusive. MiMiC is a flexible motion capture system which can be used for many applications including fall detection, detection of fatigue in industry workers, and analysis of individuals' work patterns in various environments.

  9. Individual Differences in Recovery Time From Attentional Capture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukuda, Keisuke; Vogel, Edward K.

    2015-01-01

    Working memory capacity reflects a core ability of the individual that affects performance on many cognitive tasks. Recent work has suggested that an important covariate of memory capacity is attentional control, and specifically that low-capacity individuals are more susceptible to attentional capture by distractors than high-capacity individuals are, with the latter being able to resist capture. Here, we tested an alternative account according to which all individuals are equally susceptible to attentional capture, but high-capacity individuals recover more quickly than low-capacity individuals. Using psychophysical and electrophysiological methods, we measured recovery time from attentional capture. In two experiments, we found that high- and low-capacity individuals showed equivalent attentional capture effects in the initial moments following capture, but that low-capacity individuals took much longer to recover than high-capacity individuals did. These results suggest that the poor attentional control associated with low capacity is due to slow disengagement from distractors. PMID:21310945

  10. Mercury capture by selected Bulgarian fly ashes: Influence of coal rank and fly ash carbon pore structure on capture efficiency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kostova, I.J.; Hower, J.C.; Mastalerz, Maria; Vassilev, S.V.

    2011-01-01

    Mercury capture by fly ash C was investigated at five lignite- and subbituminous-coal-burning Bulgarian power plants (Republika, Bobov Dol, Maritza East 2, Maritza East 3, and Sliven). Although the C content of the ashes is low, never exceeding 1.6%, the Hg capture on a unit C basis demonstrates that the low-rank-coal-derived fly ash carbons are more efficient in capturing Hg than fly ash carbons from bituminous-fired power plants. While some low-C and low-Hg fly ashes do not reveal any trends of Hg versus C, the 2nd and, in particular, the 3rd electrostatic precipitator (ESP) rows at the Republika power plant do have sufficient fly ash C range and experience flue gas sufficiently cool to capture measurable amounts of Hg. The Republika 3rd ESP row exhibits an increase in Hg with increasing C, as observed in other power plants, for example, in Kentucky power plants burning Appalachian-sourced bituminous coals. Mercury/C decreases with an increase in fly ash C, suggesting that some of the C is isolated from the flue gas stream and does not contribute to Hg capture. Mercury capture increases with an increase in Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and micropore surface area. The differences in Hg capture between the Bulgarian plants burning low-rank coal and high volatile bituminous-fed Kentucky power plants suggests that the variations in C forms resulting from the combustion of the different ranks also influence the efficiency of Hg capture. ?? 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

  11. Mercury capture by selected Bulgarian fly ashes: Influence of coal rank and fly ash carbon pore structure on capture efficiency

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kostova, I.J.; Hower, J.C.; Mastalerz, M.; Vassilev, S.V. [University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (United States). Center of Applied Energy Research

    2011-01-15

    Mercury capture by fly ash C was investigated at five lignite- and subbituminous-coal-burning Bulgarian power plants (Republika, Bobov Dol, Maritza East 2, Maritza East 3, and Sliven). Although the C content of the ashes is low, never exceeding 1.6%, the Hg capture on a unit C basis demonstrates that the low-rank-coal-derived fly ash carbons are more efficient in capturing Hg than fly ash carbons from bituminous-fired power plants. While some low-C and low-Hg fly ashes do not reveal any trends of Hg versus C, the 2nd and, in particular, the 3rd electrostatic precipitator (ESP) rows at the Republika power plant do have sufficient fly ash C range and experience flue gas sufficiently cool to capture measurable amounts of Hg. The Republika 3rd ESP row exhibits an increase in Hg with increasing C, as observed in other power plants, for example, in Kentucky power plants burning Appalachian-sourced bituminous coals. Mercury/C decreases with an increase in fly ash C, suggesting that some of the C is isolated from the flue gas stream and does not contribute to Hg capture. Mercury capture increases with an increase in Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and micropore surface area. The differences in Hg capture between the Bulgarian plants burning low-rank coal and high volatile bituminous-fed Kentucky power plants suggests that the variations in C forms resulting from the combustion of the different ranks also influence the efficiency of Hg capture.

  12. Screen captures to support switching attention.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gellevij, M.R.M.; van der Meij, Hans

    2002-01-01

    The study set out to validate the supportive role of screen captures for switching attention. Forty-two participants learned how to work with Microsoft Excel with a paper manual. There were three types of manuals: a textual manual, a visual manual with full-screen captures, and a visual manual with

  13. Improving Prediction Accuracy of a Rate-Based Model of an MEA-Based Carbon Capture Process for Large-Scale Commercial Deployment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaobo Luo

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Carbon capture and storage (CCS technology will play a critical role in reducing anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2 emission from fossil-fired power plants and other energy-intensive processes. However, the increment of energy cost caused by equipping a carbon capture process is the main barrier to its commercial deployment. To reduce the capital and operating costs of carbon capture, great efforts have been made to achieve optimal design and operation through process modeling, simulation, and optimization. Accurate models form an essential foundation for this purpose. This paper presents a study on developing a more accurate rate-based model in Aspen Plus® for the monoethanolamine (MEA-based carbon capture process by multistage model validations. The modeling framework for this process was established first. The steady-state process model was then developed and validated at three stages, which included a thermodynamic model, physical properties calculations, and a process model at the pilot plant scale, covering a wide range of pressures, temperatures, and CO2 loadings. The calculation correlations of liquid density and interfacial area were updated by coding Fortran subroutines in Aspen Plus®. The validation results show that the correlation combination for the thermodynamic model used in this study has higher accuracy than those of three other key publications and the model prediction of the process model has a good agreement with the pilot plant experimental data. A case study was carried out for carbon capture from a 250 MWe combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT power plant. Shorter packing height and lower specific duty were achieved using this accurate model.

  14. Novel process concept for cryogenic CO2 capture

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tuinier, M.J.

    2011-01-01

    Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is generally considered as one of the necessary methods to mitigate anthropogenic CO2 emissions to combat climate change. The costs of CCS can for a large extent be attributed to the capture process. Several post-combustion CO2 capture processes have been developed,

  15. Technology Roadmap: Carbon Capture and Storage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2013-08-01

    As long as fossil fuels and carbon-intensive industries play dominant roles in our economies, carbon capture and storage (CCS) will remain a critical greenhouse gas reduction solution. This CCS roadmap aims at assisting governments and industry in integrating CCS in their emissions reduction strategies and in creating the conditions for scaled-up deployment of all three components of the CCS chain: CO2 capture, transport and storage. To get us onto the right pathway, this roadmap highlights seven key actions needed in the next seven years to create a solid foundation for deployment of CCS starting by 2020. IEA analysis shows that CCS is an integral part of any lowest-cost mitigation scenario where long-term global average temperature increases are limited to significantly less than 4 °C, particularly for 2 °C scenarios (2DS). In the 2DS, CCS is widely deployed in both power generation and industrial applications. The total CO2 capture and storage rate must grow from the tens of megatonnes of CO2 captured in 2013 to thousands of megatonnes of CO2 in 2050 in order to address the emissions reduction challenge. A total cumulative mass of approximately 120 GtCO2 would need to be captured and stored between 2015 and 2050, across all regions of the globe.

  16. Geological Sequestration Training and Research Program in Capture and Transport: Development of the Most Economical Separation Method for CO2 Capture

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vahdat, Nader

    2013-09-30

    The project provided hands-on training and networking opportunities to undergraduate students in the area of carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and transport, through fundamental research study focused on advanced separation methods that can be applied to the capture of CO2 resulting from the combustion of fossil-fuels for power generation . The project team’s approach to achieve its objectives was to leverage existing Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) course materials and teaching methods to create and implement an annual CCS short course for the Tuskegee University community; conduct a survey of CO2 separation and capture methods; utilize data to verify and develop computer models for CO2 capture and build CCS networks and hands-on training experiences. The objectives accomplished as a result of this project were: (1) A comprehensive survey of CO2 capture methods was conducted and mathematical models were developed to compare the potential economics of the different methods based on the total cost per year per unit of CO2 avoidance; and (2) Training was provided to introduce the latest CO2 capture technologies and deployment issues to the university community.

  17. Five-dimensional black hole capture cross sections

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gooding, Cisco; Frolov, Andrei V.

    2008-01-01

    We study scattering and capture of particles by a rotating black hole in the five-dimensional spacetime described by the Myers-Perry metric. The equations of geodesic motion are integrable, and allow us to calculate capture conditions for a free particle sent towards a black hole from infinity. We introduce a three-dimensional impact parameter describing asymptotic initial conditions in the scattering problem for a given initial velocity. The capture surface in impact parameter space is a sphere for a nonrotating black hole, and is deformed for a rotating black hole. We obtain asymptotic expressions that describe such deformations for small rotational parameters, and use numerical calculations to investigate the arbitrary rotation case, which allows us to visualize the capture surface as extremal rotation is approached

  18. Carbon capture and storage (CCS)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin-Amouroux, Jean-Marie

    2016-01-01

    The author first defines what carbon capture and storage (CCS)is, describes more precisely the various technologies, methods and processes involved in carbon capture, carbon transport, and carbon geological storage. He briefly evokes the various applications and uses of CCS. In the second part, he proposes an overview of advances and deadlocks of CCS in the world, of the status of installations and projects, of the development of capture practices in the industry, of some existing and important storage sites, of some pilot installations developed by various industrial actors in different countries (26 installations in the world). He indicates power stations equipped for CCS (in Canada, USA, United-Kingdom, Netherlands, Norway, China, South Korea and United Arab Emirates). He evokes projects which have been given up or postponed. He proposes an overview of policies implemented in different countries (USA, Canada, European Union, Australia, and others) to promote CCS

  19. Auditory and Visual Capture during Focused Visual Attention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koelewijn, Thomas; Bronkhorst, Adelbert; Theeuwes, Jan

    2009-01-01

    It is well known that auditory and visual onsets presented at a particular location can capture a person's visual attention. However, the question of whether such attentional capture disappears when attention is focused endogenously beforehand has not yet been answered. Moreover, previous studies have not differentiated between capture by onsets…

  20. EVOLUTION OF PROGENITORS FOR ELECTRON CAPTURE SUPERNOVAE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takahashi, Koh; Umeda, Hideyuki; Yoshida, Takashi

    2013-01-01

    We provide progenitor models for electron capture supernovae (ECSNe) with detailed evolutionary calculation. We include minor electron capture nuclei using a large nuclear reaction network with updated reaction rates. For electron capture, the Coulomb correction of rates is treated and the contribution from neutron-rich isotopes is taken into account in each nuclear statistical equilibrium (NSE) composition. We calculate the evolution of the most massive super asymptotic giant branch stars and show that these stars undergo off-center carbon burning and form ONe cores at the center. These cores become heavier up to the critical mass of 1.367 M ☉ and keep contracting even after the initiation of O+Ne deflagration. Inclusion of minor electron capture nuclei causes convective URCA cooling during the contraction phase, but the effect on the progenitor evolution is small. On the other hand, electron capture by neutron-rich isotopes in the NSE region has a more significant effect. We discuss the uniqueness of the critical core mass for ECSNe and the effect of wind mass loss on the plausibility of our models for ECSN progenitors.

  1. Capturing Firms’ Heterogeneity through Marketing and IT Capabilities in SMEs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María A. Ramón-Jerónimo

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available To achieve sustainability, firms capable of surviving economic recessions is of key relevance; the capabilities that firms need to face dynamic environments remain an open question. In this work, a new procedure is proposed to capture firms’ heterogeneity with regard to the capabilities they possess in operating efficiently in dynamic environments. This approach enables the identification of the classes of firms that develop efficiency with a specific integration of resources. While the literature has most often measured firm capabilities using subjective measures, this study suggests the use of Data Envelopment Analysis to capture the ability to transform resources into outcomes and of Latent Class Regression to capture differences across firms that explain firms’ heterogeneity in the way they perform. By combining these two techniques, this work presents a way to identify those firms that need to invest in and develop certain capabilities. This work analyses a large dataset of manufacturing Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs extracted from the Business and Strategy survey provided by Fundación de la Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales( SEPI in Spain. The dataset used enfolds 10,960 observations from 2048 firms during the period 1994–2011. The complete dataset has been employed to calculate manufacturing firms’ efficiency. In a second step, data were cleaned to eliminate outliers, and to identify SMEs and observations with records of IT capabilities. As a result, 329 manufacturing SMEs were analysed to capture their heterogeneity. The results contribute to the current literature by explaining how manufacturing SMEs show a different need in their development of capabilities to be efficient and adapt to environmental changes. While approximately 20% of firms analysed really take advantage of recessions through their investment in R&D, the remaining 80% need to adjust their size or invest in IT capabilities to become competitive

  2. Measurements of Capture Efficiency of Range Hoods in Homes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Simone, Angela; Sherman, Max H.; Walker, Iain S.

    2015-01-01

    mapped the pollution distribution in the room, and showed that the pollutants escape more at the sides of the cooktop. These preliminary results suggest that more measurements should be conducted investigating the capture efficiency at different pollutant source temperature, size and location...... want a range hood to use little energy and have high capture efficiency to minimize the required air flow to capture the cooking pollutants. Currently there are no standards for rating range hoods for capture efficiency In this study, measurements of range hood capture efficiency were made a tight...... kitchen-room built in a laboratory chamber, and a methodology for standardizing measurement of capture efficiency was developed. The results for a wall mounted range hood, showed that up to half of the cooking pollutants were not captured at a flow rate of 230 m3/h. A more detailed set of measurements...

  3. Visual Field Asymmetry in Attentional Capture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Feng; Abrams, Richard A.

    2010-01-01

    The present study examined the spatial distribution of involuntary attentional capture over the two visual hemi-fields. A new experiment, and an analysis of three previous experiments showed that distractors in the left visual field that matched a sought-for target in color produced a much larger capture effect than identical distractors in the…

  4. Target Capture during Mos1 Transposition*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pflieger, Aude; Jaillet, Jerôme; Petit, Agnès; Augé-Gouillou, Corinne; Renault, Sylvaine

    2014-01-01

    DNA transposition contributes to genomic plasticity. Target capture is a key step in the transposition process, because it contributes to the selection of new insertion sites. Nothing or little is known about how eukaryotic mariner DNA transposons trigger this step. In the case of Mos1, biochemistry and crystallography have deciphered several inverted terminal repeat-transposase complexes that are intermediates during transposition. However, the target capture complex is still unknown. Here, we show that the preintegration complex (i.e., the excised transposon) is the only complex able to capture a target DNA. Mos1 transposase does not support target commitment, which has been proposed to explain Mos1 random genomic integrations within host genomes. We demonstrate that the TA dinucleotide used as the target is crucial both to target recognition and in the chemistry of the strand transfer reaction. Bent DNA molecules are better targets for the capture when the target DNA is nicked two nucleotides apart from the TA. They improve strand transfer when the target DNA contains a mismatch near the TA dinucleotide. PMID:24269942

  5. Salmonella capture using orbiting magnetic microbeads

    Science.gov (United States)

    Owen, Drew; Ballard, Matthew; Mills, Zachary; Hanasoge, Srinivas; Hesketh, Peter; Alexeev, Alexander

    2014-11-01

    Using three-dimensional simulations and experiments, we examine capture of salmonella from a complex fluid sample flowing through a microfluidic channel. Capture is performed using orbiting magnetic microbeads, which can easily be extracted from the system for analysis after salmonella capture. Numerical simulations are used to model the dynamics of the system, which consists of a microchannel filled with a viscous fluid, model salmonella, magnetic microbeads and a series of angled parallel ridges lining the top of the microchannel. Simulations provide a statistical measure of the ability of the system to capture target salmonella. Our modeling findings guide the design of a lab-on-a-chip experimental device to be used for the detection of salmonella from complex food samples, allowing for the detection of the bacteria at the food source and preventing the consumption of contaminated food. Such a device can be used as a generic platform for the detection of a variety of biomaterials from complex fluids. This work is supported by a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture.

  6. [Determination of short-chain chlorinated paraffins in ambient air using high-volume sampling combined with high resolutimi gas chromatography-electron capture negative ion-low resolution mass spectrometry].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Loimeng; Gao, Yuan; Hou, Xiaohong; Zhang, Haijun; Zhang, Yichi; Chen, Jiping

    2016-02-01

    An analytical method for quantifying short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) in ambient air using high-volume sampling combined with high resolution gas chromatography-electron capture negative ion-low resolution mass spectrometry ( HRGC-ECNI-LRMS) was developed. An acidified silica gel column and a basic alumina column were used to optimize the cleanup procedures. The results showed a good linearity (R2>0. 99) between the total response factors and the degree of chlorination of SCCPs in the content range of 58. 1%-63. 3%. The limits of detection (S/N ≥3) and the limits of quantification (S/N ≥ 10) were 4. 2 and 12 µg, respectively. The method detection limit (MDL) for SCCPs was 0. 34 ng/m3 (n = 7). The recoveries of SCCPs in air samples were in the range of 81. 9% to 94. 2%. It is demonstrated that the method is suitable for the quantitative analysis of SCCPs in air samples.

  7. Three-Dimensional Scaffold Chip with Thermosensitive Coating for Capture and Reversible Release of Individual and Cluster of Circulating Tumor Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Shi-Bo; Xie, Min; Chen, Yan; Xiong, Jun; Liu, Ya; Chen, Zhen; Guo, Shan; Shu, Ying; Wang, Ming; Yuan, Bi-Feng; Dong, Wei-Guo; Huang, Wei-Hua

    2017-08-01

    Tumor metastasis is attributed to circulating tumor cells (CTC) or CTC clusters. Many strategies have hitherto been designed to isolate CTCs, but there are few methods that can capture and gently release CTC clusters as efficient as single CTCs. Herein, we developed a three-dimensional (3D) scaffold chip with thermosensitive coating for high-efficiency capture and release of individual and cluster CTCs. The 3D scaffold chip successfully combines the specific recognition and physically obstructed effect of 3D scaffold structure to significantly improve cell clusters capture efficiency. Thermosensitive gelatin hydrogel uniformly coated on the scaffold dissolves at 37 °C quickly, and the captured cells are gently released from chip with high viability. Notably, this platform was applied to isolate CTCs from cancer patients' blood samples. This allows global DNA and RNA methylation analysis of collected single CTC and CTC clusters, indicating the great potential of this platform in cancer diagnosis and downstream analysis at the molecular level.

  8. Radiative electron capture by channeled ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pitarke, J.M.; Ritchie, R.H.; Tennessee Univ., Knoxville, TN

    1989-01-01

    Considerable experimental data have been accumulated relative to the emission of photons accompanying electron capture by swift, highly stripped atoms penetrating crystalline matter under channeling conditions. Recent data suggest that the photon energies may be less than that expected from simple considerations of transitions from the valence band of the solid to hydrogenic states on the moving ion. We have studied theoretically the impact parameter dependence of the radiative electron capture (REC) process, the effect of the ion's wake and the effect of capture from inner shells of the solid on the photon emission probability, using a statistical approach. Numerical comparisons of our results with experiment are made. 13 refs., 6 figs

  9. AKT capture by feline leukemia virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawamura, Maki; Umehara, Daigo; Odahara, Yuka; Miyake, Ariko; Ngo, Minh Ha; Ohsato, Yoshiharu; Hisasue, Masaharu; Nakaya, Masa-Aki; Watanabe, Shinya; Nishigaki, Kazuo

    2017-04-01

    Oncogene-containing retroviruses are generated by recombination events between viral and cellular sequences, a phenomenon called "oncogene capture". The captured cellular genes, referred to as "v-onc" genes, then acquire new oncogenic properties. We report a novel feline leukemia virus (FeLV), designated "FeLV-AKT", that has captured feline c-AKT1 in feline lymphoma. FeLV-AKT contains a gag-AKT fusion gene that encodes the myristoylated Gag matrix protein and the kinase domain of feline c-AKT1, but not its pleckstrin homology domain. Therefore, it differs structurally from the v-Akt gene of murine retrovirus AKT8. AKT may be involved in the mechanisms underlying malignant diseases in cats.

  10. Radiative muon capture on hydrogen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bertl, W.; Ahmad, S.; Chen, C.Q.; Gumplinger, P.; Hasinoff, M.D.; Larabee, A.J.; Sample, D.G.; Schott, W.; Wright, D.H.; Armstrong, D.S.; Blecher, M.; Azuelos, G.; Depommier, P.; Jonkmans, G.; Gorringe, T.P.; Henderson, R.; Macdonald, J.A.; Poutissou, J.M.; Poutissou, R.; Von Egidy, T.; Zhang, N.S.; Robertson, B.D.

    1992-01-01

    The radiative capture of negative muons by protons can be used to measure the weak induced pseudoscalar form factor. Brief arguments why this method is preferable to ordinary muon capture are given followed by a discussion of the experimental difficulties. The solution to these problems as attempted by experiment no. 452 at TRIUMF is presented together with preliminary results from the first run in August 1990. An outlook on the expected final precision and the experimental schedule is also given. (orig.)

  11. Neutron Capture Gamma-Ray Libraries for Nuclear Applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sleaford, B. W.; Summers, N.; Escher, J.; Firestone, R. B.; Basunia, S.; Hurst, A.; Krticka, M.; Molnar, G.; Belgya, T.; Revay, Z.; Choi, H. D.

    2011-01-01

    The neutron capture reaction is useful in identifying and analyzing the gamma-ray spectrum from an unknown assembly as it gives unambiguous information on its composition. This can be done passively or actively where an external neutron source is used to probe an unknown assembly. There are known capture gamma-ray data gaps in the ENDF libraries used by transport codes for various nuclear applications. The Evaluated Gamma-ray Activation file (EGAF) is a new thermal neutron capture database of discrete line spectra and cross sections for over 260 isotopes that was developed as part of an IAEA Coordinated Research Project. EGAF is being used to improve the capture gamma production in ENDF libraries. For medium to heavy nuclei the quasi continuum contribution to the gamma cascades is not experimentally resolved. The continuum contains up to 90% of all the decay energy and is modeled here with the statistical nuclear structure code DICEBOX. This code also provides a consistency check of the level scheme nuclear structure evaluation. The calculated continuum is of sufficient accuracy to include in the ENDF libraries. This analysis also determines new total thermal capture cross sections and provides an improved RIPL database. For higher energy neutron capture there is less experimental data available making benchmarking of the modeling codes more difficult. We are investigating the capture spectra from higher energy neutrons experimentally using surrogate reactions and modeling this with Hauser-Feshbach codes. This can then be used to benchmark CASINO, a version of DICEBOX modified for neutron capture at higher energy. This can be used to simulate spectra from neutron capture at incident neutron energies up to 20 MeV to improve the gamma-ray spectrum in neutron data libraries used for transport modeling of unknown assemblies.

  12. Neutron Capture Gamma-Ray Libraries for Nuclear Applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sleaford, B.W.; Firestone, R.B.; Summers, N.; Escher, J.; Hurst, A.; Krticka, M.; Basunia, S.; Molnar, G.; Belgya, T.; Revay, Z.; Choi, H.D.

    2010-01-01

    The neutron capture reaction is useful in identifying and analyzing the gamma-ray spectrum from an unknown assembly as it gives unambiguous information on its composition. this can be done passively or actively where an external neutron source is used to probe an unknown assembly. There are known capture gamma-ray data gaps in the ENDF libraries used by transport codes for various nuclear applications. The Evaluated Gamma-ray Activation file (EGAF) is a new thermal neutron capture database of discrete line spectra and cross sections for over 260 isotopes that was developed as part of an IAEA Coordinated Research project. EGAF is being used to improve the capture gamma production in ENDF libraries. For medium to heavy nuclei the quasi continuum contribution to the gamma cascades is not experimentally resolved. The continuum contains up to 90% of all the decay energy and is modeled here with the statistical nuclear structure code DICEBOX. This code also provides a consistency check of the level scheme nuclear structure evaluation. The calculated continuum is of sufficient accuracy to include in the ENDF libraries. This analysis also determines new total thermal capture cross sections and provides an improved RIPL database. For higher energy neutron capture there is less experimental data available making benchmarking of the modeling codes more difficult. They are investigating the capture spectra from higher energy neutrons experimentally using surrogate reactions and modeling this with Hauser-Feshbach codes. This can then be used to benchmark CASINO, a version of DICEBOX modified for neutron capture at higher energy. This can be used to simulate spectra from neutron capture at incident neutron energies up to 20 MeV to improve the gamma-ray spectrum in neutron data libraries used for transport modeling of unknown assemblies.

  13. Enhanced Adsorption Efficiency through Materials Design for Direct Air Capture over Supported Polyethylenimine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sayari, Abdelhamid; Liu, Qing; Mishra, Prashant

    2016-10-06

    Until recently, carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) was regarded as the most promising technology to address the alarming increase in the concentration of anthropogenic CO 2 in the atmosphere. There is now an increasing interest in carbon capture and utilization (CCU). In this context, the capture of CO 2 from air is an ideal solution to supply pure CO 2 wherever it is needed. Here, we describe innovative materials for direct air capture (DAC) with unprecedented efficiency. Polyethylenimine (PEI) was supported on PME, which is an extra-large-pore silica (pore-expanded MCM-41) with its internal surfaces fully covered by a uniform layer of readily accessible C 16 chains from cetyltrimethylammonium (CTMA + ) cations. The CTMA + layer plays a key role in enhancing the amine efficiency toward dry or humid ultradilute CO 2 (400 ppm CO 2 /N 2 ) to unprecedented levels. At the same PEI content, the amine efficiency of PEI/PME was two to four times higher than that of the corresponding calcined mesoporous silica loaded with PEI or with different combinations of C 16 chains and PEI. Under humid conditions, the amine efficiency of 40 wt % PEI/PME reached 7.31 mmolCO2 /g PEI , the highest ever reported for any supported PEI in the presence of 400 ppm CO 2 . Thus, amine accessibility, which reflects both the state of PEI dispersion and the adsorption efficiency, is intimately associated with the molecular design of the adsorbent. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Plant species and functional group combinations affect green roof ecosystem functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lundholm, Jeremy; Macivor, J Scott; Macdougall, Zachary; Ranalli, Melissa

    2010-03-12

    Green roofs perform ecosystem services such as summer roof temperature reduction and stormwater capture that directly contribute to lower building energy use and potential economic savings. These services are in turn related to ecosystem functions performed by the vegetation layer such as radiation reflection and transpiration, but little work has examined the role of plant species composition and diversity in improving these functions. We used a replicated modular extensive (shallow growing- medium) green roof system planted with monocultures or mixtures containing one, three or five life-forms, to quantify two ecosystem services: summer roof cooling and water capture. We also measured the related ecosystem properties/processes of albedo, evapotranspiration, and the mean and temporal variability of aboveground biomass over four months. Mixtures containing three or five life-form groups, simultaneously optimized several green roof ecosystem functions, outperforming monocultures and single life-form groups, but there was much variation in performance depending on which life-forms were present in the three life-form mixtures. Some mixtures outperformed the best monocultures for water capture, evapotranspiration, and an index combining both water capture and temperature reductions. Combinations of tall forbs, grasses and succulents simultaneously optimized a range of ecosystem performance measures, thus the main benefit of including all three groups was not to maximize any single process but to perform a variety of functions well. Ecosystem services from green roofs can be improved by planting certain life-form groups in combination, directly contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. The strong performance by certain mixtures of life-forms, especially tall forbs, grasses and succulents, warrants further investigation into niche complementarity or facilitation as mechanisms governing biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships in green

  15. The hybrid MPC-MINLP algorithm for optimal operation of coal-fired power plants with solvent based post-combustion CO2 capture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Norhuda Abdul Manaf

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an algorithm that combines model predictive control (MPC with MINLP optimization and demonstrates its application for coal-fired power plants retrofitted with solvent based post-combustion CO2 capture (PCC plant. The objective function of the optimization algorithm works at a primary level to maximize plant economic revenue while considering an optimal carbon capture profile. At a secondary level, the MPC algorithm is used to control the performance of the PCC plant. Two techno-economic scenarios based on fixed (capture rate is constant and flexible (capture rate is variable operation modes are developed using actual electricity prices (2011 with fixed carbon prices ($AUD 5, 25, 50/tonne-CO2 for 24 h periods. Results show that fixed operation mode can bring about a ratio of net operating revenue deficit at an average of 6% against the superior flexible operation mode.

  16. Capturing value from IP in a global environment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alcacer, Juan; Beukel, Karin; Cassiman, Bruno

    section. Global companies will need to organize cross-functional value capture teams focused on appropriating value from their know-how and reputation by combining different institutional, market, and non-market tools, depending on the institutional and business environment in a particular region.......This paper documents the strong growth in tools used by firms to protect their intellectual property (IP), develop their know-how, and build and maintain their reputation globally. We focus on three tools that have become increasingly important in the last several decades: patents, trademarks...... experiencing the most growth. These trends in applications are less evident when we study which applications are actually granted. For example, the shift in IP activity toward middle-income countries and Asia is less pronounced, and the most developed countries still lead globally. Moreover, there seems...

  17. Short-term capture of the Earth-Moon system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qi, Yi; de Ruiter, Anton

    2018-06-01

    In this paper, the short-term capture (STC) of an asteroid in the Earth-Moon system is proposed and investigated. First, the space condition of STC is analysed and five subsets of the feasible region are defined and discussed. Then, the time condition of STC is studied by parameter scanning in the Sun-Earth-Moon-asteroid restricted four-body problem. Numerical results indicate that there is a clear association between the distributions of the time probability of STC and the five subsets. Next, the influence of the Jacobi constant on STC is examined using the space and time probabilities of STC. Combining the space and time probabilities of STC, we propose a STC index to evaluate the probability of STC comprehensively. Finally, three potential STC asteroids are found and analysed.

  18. Electricity consumption and CO2 capture potential in Spain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Romeo, Luis M.; Calvo, Elena; Valero, Antonio; De Vita, Alessia

    2009-01-01

    In this paper, different electricity demand scenarios for Spain are presented. Population, income per capita, energy intensity and the contribution of electricity to the total energy demand have been taken into account in the calculations. Technological role of different generation technologies, i.e. coal, nuclear, renewable, combined cycle (CC), combined heat and power (CHP) and carbon capture and storage (CCS), are examined in the form of scenarios up to 2050. Nine future scenarios corresponding to three electrical demands and three options for new capacity: minimum cost of electricity, minimum CO 2 emissions and a criterion with a compromise between CO 2 and cost (CO 2 -cost criterion) have been proposed. Calculations show reduction in CO 2 emissions from 2020 to 2030, reaching a maximum CO 2 emission reduction of 90% in 2050 in an efficiency scenario with CCS and renewables. The contribution of CCS from 2030 is important with percentage values of electricity production around 22-28% in 2050. The cost of electricity (COE) increases up to 25% in 2030, and then this value remains approximately constant or decreases slightly.

  19. High-Rate Data-Capture for an Airborne Lidar System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valett, Susan; Hicks, Edward; Dabney, Philip; Harding, David

    2012-01-01

    A high-rate data system was required to capture the data for an airborne lidar system. A data system was developed that achieved up to 22 million (64-bit) events per second sustained data rate (1408 million bits per second), as well as short bursts (less than 4 s) at higher rates. All hardware used for the system was off the shelf, but carefully selected to achieve these rates. The system was used to capture laser fire, single-photon detection, and GPS data for the Slope Imaging Multi-polarization Photo-counting Lidar (SIMPL). However, the system has applications for other laser altimeter systems (waveform-recording), mass spectroscopy, xray radiometry imaging, high-background- rate ranging lidar, and other similar areas where very high-speed data capture is needed. The data capture software was used for the SIMPL instrument that employs a micropulse, single-photon ranging measurement approach and has 16 data channels. The detected single photons are from two sources those reflected from the target and solar background photons. The instrument is non-gated, so background photons are acquired for a range window of 13 km and can comprise many times the number of target photons. The highest background rate occurs when the atmosphere is clear, the Sun is high, and the target is a highly reflective surface such as snow. Under these conditions, the total data rate for the 16 channels combined is expected to be approximately 22 million events per second. For each photon detection event, the data capture software reads the relative time of receipt, with respect to a one-per-second absolute time pulse from a GPS receiver, from an event timer card with 0.1-ns precision, and records that information to a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) storage device. The relative time of laser pulse firings must also be read and recorded with the same precision. Each of the four event timer cards handles the throughput from four of the channels. For each detection event, a flag is

  20. A Monoclonal Antibody Based Capture ELISA for Botulinum Neurotoxin Serotype B: Toxin Detection in Food

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Larry H. Stanker

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Botulism is a serious foodborne neuroparalytic disease, caused by botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT, produced by the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Seven toxin serotypes (A–H have been described. The majority of human cases of botulism are caused by serotypes A and B followed by E and F. We report here a group of serotype B specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs capable of binding toxin under physiological conditions. Thus, they serve as capture antibodies for a sandwich (capture ELISA. The antibodies were generated using recombinant peptide fragments corresponding to the receptor-binding domain of the toxin heavy chain as immunogen. Their binding properties suggest that they bind a complex epitope with dissociation constants (KD’s for individual antibodies ranging from 10 to 48 × 10−11 M. Assay performance for all possible combinations of capture-detector antibody pairs was evaluated and the antibody pair resulting in the lowest level of detection (L.O.D., ~20 pg/mL was determined. Toxin was detected in spiked dairy samples with good recoveries at concentrations as low as 0.5 pg/mL and in ground beef samples at levels as low as 2 ng/g. Thus, the sandwich ELISA described here uses mAb for both the capture and detector antibodies (binding different epitopes on the toxin molecule and readily detects toxin in those food samples tested.

  1. A monoclonal antibody based capture ELISA for botulinum neurotoxin serotype B: toxin detection in food.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stanker, Larry H; Scotcher, Miles C; Cheng, Luisa; Ching, Kathryn; McGarvey, Jeffery; Hodge, David; Hnasko, Robert

    2013-11-18

    Botulism is a serious foodborne neuroparalytic disease, caused by botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), produced by the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Seven toxin serotypes (A-H) have been described. The majority of human cases of botulism are caused by serotypes A and B followed by E and F. We report here a group of serotype B specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) capable of binding toxin under physiological conditions. Thus, they serve as capture antibodies for a sandwich (capture) ELISA. The antibodies were generated using recombinant peptide fragments corresponding to the receptor-binding domain of the toxin heavy chain as immunogen. Their binding properties suggest that they bind a complex epitope with dissociation constants (KD's) for individual antibodies ranging from 10 to 48 × 10-11 M. Assay performance for all possible combinations of capture-detector antibody pairs was evaluated and the antibody pair resulting in the lowest level of detection (L.O.D.), ~20 pg/mL was determined. Toxin was detected in spiked dairy samples with good recoveries at concentrations as low as 0.5 pg/mL and in ground beef samples at levels as low as 2 ng/g. Thus, the sandwich ELISA described here uses mAb for both the capture and detector antibodies (binding different epitopes on the toxin molecule) and readily detects toxin in those food samples tested.

  2. Climate Strategy with CO2 Capture from the Air

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Keith, D.W. [Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB (Canada); Ha-Duong, M. [CNRS-CIRED, Campus du Jardin Tropical, 45 bis, av. de la Belle Gabrielle, 94736 Nogent sur Marne CEDEX (France); Stolaroff, J.K. [Department of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States)

    2006-01-15

    It is physically possible to capture CO2 directly from the air and immobilize it in geological structures. Air capture differs from conventional mitigation in three key aspects. First, it removes emissions from any part of the economy with equal ease or difficulty, so its cost provides an absolute cap on the cost of mitigation. Second, it permits reduction in concentrations faster than the natural carbon cycle: the effects of irreversibility are thus partly alleviated. Third, because it is weakly coupled to existing energy infrastructure, air capture may offer stronger economies of scale and smaller adjustment costs than the more conventional mitigation technologies. We assess the ultimate physical limits on the amount of energy and land required for air capture and describe two systems that might achieve air capture at prices under 200 and 500 $/tC using current technology. Like geoengineering, air capture limits the cost of a worst-case climate scenario. In an optimal sequential decision framework with uncertainty, existence of air capture decreases the need for near-term precautionary abatement. The long-term effect is the opposite; assuming that marginal costs of mitigation decrease with time while marginal climate change damages increase, then air capture increases long-run abatement. Air capture produces an environmental Kuznets curve, in which concentrations are returned to preindustrial levels.

  3. The carbon dioxide capture and geological storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2006-06-01

    This road-map proposes by the Group Total aims to inform the public on the carbon dioxide capture and geological storage. One possible means of climate change mitigation consists of storing the CO 2 generated by the greenhouse gases emission in order to stabilize atmospheric concentrations. This sheet presents the CO 2 capture from lage fossil-fueled combustion installations, the three capture techniques and the CO 2 transport options, the geological storage of the CO 2 and Total commitments in the domain. (A.L.B.)

  4. Model of electron capture in low-temperature glasses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bartczak, W.M.; Swiatla, D.; Kroh, J.

    1983-01-01

    The new model of electron capture by a statistical variety of traps in glassy matrices is proposed. The electron capture is interpreted as the radiationless transition (assisted by multiphonon emission) of the mobile electron to the localized state in the trap. The conception of 'unfair' and 'fair' traps is introduced. The 'unfair' trap captures the mobile electron by the shallow excited state. In contrast, the 'fair' trap captures the electron by the ground state. The model calculations of the statistical distributions of the occupied electron traps are presented and discussed with respect to experimental results. (author)

  5. Review of the neutron capture process in fission reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poenitz, W.P.

    1981-07-01

    The importance of the neutron capture process and the status of the more important cross section data are reviewed. The capture in fertile and fissile nuclei is considered. For thermal reactors the thermal to epithermal capture ratio for 238 U and 232 Th remains a problem though some improvements were made with more recent measurements. The capture cross section of 238 U in the fast energy range remains quite uncertain and a long standing discrepancy for the calculated versus experimental central reaction rate ratio C28/F49 persists. Capture in structural materials, fission product nuclei and the higher actinides is also considered

  6. Integration of carbon capture and sequestration and renewable resource technologies for sustainable energy supply in the transportation sector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Minsoo; Won, Wangyun; Kim, Jiyong

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Integration of carbon capture and sequestration and renewable resource technologies. • A new superstructure-based optimization model to identify the energy supply system. • Model validation via application study of the future transportation sector in Korea. - Abstract: In this study, a new design for a sustainable energy system was developed by integrating two technology frameworks: the renewable resource-based energy supply and the conventional (fossil fuel) resource-based energy production coupled with carbon capture and sequestration. To achieve this goal, a new superstructure-based optimization model was proposed using mixed-integer linear programming to identify the optimal combination of these technologies that minimizes the total daily cost, subject to various practical and logical constraints. The performance of the proposed model was validated via an application study of the future transportation sector in Korea. By considering six different scenarios that combined varying crude oil/natural gas prices and environmental regulation options, the optimal configuration of the energy supply system was identified, and the major cost drivers and their sensitivities were analyzed. It was shown that conventional resource-based energy production was preferred if crude oil and natural gas prices were low, even though environmental regulation was considered. Environmental regulation caused an increase in the total daily cost by an average of 26.4%, mainly due to CO_2 capture cost.

  7. Angular scattering in electron capture and loss D- beam formation processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coggiola, M.J.; Hodges, R.V.; Huestis, D.L.; Peterson, J.R.

    1980-01-01

    The development of high energy (> 150 keV) neutral beams for heating and fueling magnetic fusion devices depends on the ability to produce well-collimated negative ion beams. The double capture charge-exchange technique is a known, scalable method. In order to maximize the overall efficiency of the process and to achieve the desired beam characteristics, it is necessary to examine the optical qualities of the beams as well as the total efficiency of beam production. A combined modeling and experimental study of the angular scattering effects in negative ion formation and loss processes has therefore been undertaken

  8. Longitudinal capture in the radio-frequency-quadrupole structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inagaki, S.

    1980-03-01

    The radio-frequency-quadrupole (RFQ) linac structure not only can attain easily transverse focusing in the low-beta region, but also can obtain very high capture efficiency because of its low beta-lambda and low-particle rigidity. An optimization study of the zero space-charge longitudinal capture in an RFQ linac that yields configurations with large capture efficiency is described

  9. Motion Capture Technique Applied Research in Sports Technique Diagnosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhiwu LIU

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The motion capture technology system definition is described in the paper, and its components are researched, the key parameters are obtained from motion technique, the quantitative analysis are made on technical movements, the method of motion capture technology is proposed in sport technical diagnosis. That motion capture step includes calibration system, to attached landmarks to the tester; to capture trajectory, and to analyze the collected data.

  10. Negative muon capture in noble gas mixtures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hutson, R.L.; Knight, J.D.; Leon, M.; Schillaci, M.E.; Knowles, H.B.; Reidy, J.J.

    1980-01-01

    We have determined the probabilities of atomic negative muon capture in binary mixtures of the gases He, Ne, Ar, and Kr at partial pressures near five atmospheres. Relative capture rates were deduced from measured muonic X-ray yields. (orig.)

  11. Environmental Performance of Hypothetical Canadian Pre-Combustion Carbon Dioxide Capture Processes Using Life-Cycle Techniques

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lakkana Piewkhaow

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The methodology of life-cycle assessment was applied in order to evaluate the environmental performance of a hypothetical Saskatchewan lignite-fueled Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC electricity generation, with and without pre-combustion carbon dioxide (CO2 capture from a full life-cycle perspective. The emphasis here is placed on environmental performance associated with air contaminants of the comparison between IGCC systems (with and without CO2 capture and a competing lignite pulverized coal-fired electricity generating station in order to reveal which technology offers the most positive environmental effects. Moreover, ambient air pollutant modeling was also conducted by using American Meteorological Society/Environmental Protection Agency Regulatory Model (AERMOD air dispersion modeling to determine the ground-level concentration of pollutants emitted from four different electricity generating stations. This study assumes that all stations are located close to Estevan. The results showed a significant reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG emissions and acidification potential by applying both post-combustion and pre-combustion CO2 capture processes. The GHG emissions were found to have reduced by 27%–86%, and IGCC systems were found to compare favorably to pulverized coal systems. However, in other environmental impact categories, there are multiple environmental trade-offs depending on the capture technology used. In the case of post-combustion capture, it was observed that the environmental impact category of eutrophication potential, summer smog, and ozone depletion increased due to the application of the CO2 capture process and the surface mining coal operation. IGCC systems, on the other hand, showed the same tendency as the conventional coal-fired electricity generation systems, but to a lesser degree. This is because the IGCC system is a cleaner technology that produces lower pollutant emission levels than the electricity

  12. Measurement of the solar neutrino capture rate with gallium metal. III. Results for the 2002-2007 data-taking period

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdurashitov, J. N.; Gavrin, V. N.; Gorbachev, V. V.; Gurkina, P. P.; Ibragimova, T. V.; Kalikhov, A. V.; Khairnasov, N. G.; Knodel, T. V.; Mirmov, I. N.; Shikhin, A. A.; Veretenkin, E. P.; Yants, V. E.; Zatsepin, G. T.; Bowles, T. J.; Elliott, S. R.; Teasdale, W. A.; Nico, J. S.; Cleveland, B. T.; Wilkerson, J. F.

    2009-01-01

    The Russian-American experiment SAGE began to measure the solar neutrino capture rate with a target of gallium metal in December 1989. Measurements have continued with only a few brief interruptions since that time. In this article we present the experimental improvements in SAGE since its last published data summary in December 2001. Assuming the solar neutrino production rate was constant during the period of data collection, combined analysis of 168 extractions through December 2007 gives a capture rate of solar neutrinos with energy more than 233 keV of 65.4 -3.0 +3.1 (stat) -2.8 +2.6 (syst) SNU. The weighted average of the results of all three Ga solar neutrino experiments, SAGE, Gallex, and GNO, is now 66.1±3.1 SNU, where statistical and systematic uncertainties have been combined in quadrature. During the recent period of data collection a new test of SAGE was made with a reactor-produced 37 Ar neutrino source. The ratio of observed to calculated rates in this experiment, combined with the measured rates in the three prior 51 Cr neutrino-source experiments with Ga, is 0.87±0.05. A probable explanation for this low result is that the cross section for neutrino capture by the two lowest-lying excited states in 71 Ge has been overestimated. If we assume these cross sections are zero, then the standard solar model including neutrino oscillations predicts a total capture rate in Ga in the range of 63 SNU to 66 SNU with an uncertainty of about 4%, in good agreement with experiment. We derive the current value of the neutrino flux produced in the Sun by the proton-proton fusion reaction to be φ pp · =(6.0±0.8)x10 10 /(cm 2 s), which agrees well with the pp flux predicted by the standard solar model. Finally, we make several tests and show that the data are consistent with the assumption that the solar neutrino production rate is constant in time.

  13. Multiple-predators-based capture process on complex networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharafat, Rajput Ramiz; Pu Cunlai; Li Jie; Chen Rongbin; Xu Zhongqi

    2017-01-01

    The predator/prey (capture) problem is a prototype of many network-related applications. We study the capture process on complex networks by considering multiple predators from multiple sources. In our model, some lions start from multiple sources simultaneously to capture the lamb by biased random walks, which are controlled with a free parameter α . We derive the distribution of the lamb’s lifetime and the expected lifetime 〈 T 〉. Through simulation, we find that the expected lifetime drops substantially with the increasing number of lions. Moreover, we study how the underlying topological structure affects the capture process, and obtain that locating on small-degree nodes is better than on large-degree nodes to prolong the lifetime of the lamb. The dense or homogeneous network structures are against the survival of the lamb. We also discuss how to improve the capture efficiency in our model. (paper)

  14. Direct neutron capture and related mechanisms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lynn, J.E.; Raman, S.

    1990-01-01

    We consider the evidence for the role of direct and related mechanisms in neutron capture at low and medium energies. Firstly, we compare the experimental data on the thermal neutron cross sections for El transitions in light nuclei with careful estimates of direct capture. Over the full range of light nuclei with small cross sections direct capture is found to be the predominant mechanism, in some cases being remarkable accurate, but in a few showing evidence for collective effects. When resonance effects become substantial there is evidence for an important contribution from the closely related valence mechanism, but full agreement with the data in such cases appears to require the introduction of a more generalised valence model. The possibility of direct and valence mechanisms playing a role in M1 capture is studied, and it is concluded that in light nuclei at relatively low gamma ray energies, it does indeed play some role. In heavier nuclei it appears that the evidence, especially from the correlations between E1 and M1 transitions to the same final states, favours the hypothesis that the main transition strength is governed by the M1 giant resonance. 31 refs., 2 tabs

  15. P-d capture reactions in muonic molecules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Friar, J.L.

    1991-01-01

    Capture reactions for very low-energy n-d and p-d systems are calculated and compared with experiment, as are low-energy n-d and p-d scattering. We find excellent agreement for the n-d scattering lengths, but poor agreement for the p-d case, which we believe is a problem with the experimental extrapolation. The n-d radiative capture is sensitive to details of the meson-exchange currents, but reasonable models agree with the data. The latter models are in good agreement with experiment when extended to the p-d case. Our large quartet capture rate resolves a long-standing anomaly. The EO capture matrix element recently obtained from a reanalysis of internal conversion in muonic molecules is in excellent agreement with our predictions. This matrix element is very clean theoretically and provides the best test of the calculations. 33 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

  16. Feature-based attention is functionally distinct from relation-based attention: The double dissociation between color-based capture and color-relation-based capture of attention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Feng; Jiao, Jun

    2016-04-01

    The present study used a spatial blink task and a cuing task to examine the boundary between feature-based capture and relation-based capture. Feature-based capture occurs when distractors match the target feature such as target color. The occurrence of relation-based capture is contingent upon the feature relation between target and distractor (e.g., color relation). The results show that color distractors that match the target-nontarget color relation do not consistently capture attention when they appear outside of the attentional window, but distractors appearing outside the attentional window that match the target color consistently capture attention. In contrast, color distractors that best match the target-nontarget color relation but not the target color, are more likely to capture attention when they appear within the attentional window. Consistently, color cues that match the target-nontarget color relation produce a cuing effect when they appear within the attentional window, while target-color matched cues do not. Such a double dissociation between color-based capture and color-relation-based capture indicates functionally distinct mechanisms for these 2 types of attentional selection. This also indicates that the spatial blink task and the uninformative cuing task are measuring distinctive aspects of involuntary attention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  17. Contingent capture effects in temporal order judgments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Born, Sabine; Kerzel, Dirk; Pratt, Jay

    2015-08-01

    The contingent attentional capture hypothesis proposes that visual stimuli that do not possess characteristics relevant for the current task will not capture attention, irrespective of their bottom-up saliency. Typically, contingent capture is tested in a spatial cuing paradigm, comparing manual reaction times (RTs) across different conditions. However, attention may act through several mechanisms and RTs may not be ideal to disentangle those different components. In 3 experiments, we examined whether color singleton cues provoke cuing effects in temporal order judgments (TOJs) and whether they would be contingent on attentional control sets. Experiment 1 showed that color singleton cues indeed produce cuing effects in TOJs, even in a cluttered and dynamic target display containing multiple heterogeneous distractors. In Experiment 2, consistent with contingent capture, we observed reliable cuing effects only when the singleton cue matched participants' current attentional control set. Experiment 3 suggests that a sensory interaction account of the differences found in Experiment 2 is unlikely. Our results help to discern the attentional components that may play a role in contingent capture. Further, we discuss a number of other effects (e.g., reversed cuing effects) that are found in RTs, but so far have not been reported in TOJs. Those differences suggest that RTs are influenced by a multitude of mechanisms; however, not all of these mechanisms may affect TOJs. We conclude by highlighting how the study of attentional capture in TOJs provides valuable insights for the attention literature, but also for studies concerned with the perceived timing between stimuli. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  18. Directed technical change and the adoption of CO2 abatement technology. The case of CO2 capture and storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Otto, Vincent M.; Reilly, John

    2008-01-01

    This paper studies the cost-effectiveness of combining traditional environmental policy, such as CO 2 -trading schemes, and technology policy that has aims of reducing the cost and speeding the adoption of CO 2 abatement technology. For this purpose, we develop a dynamic general equilibrium model that captures empirical links between CO 2 emissions associated with energy use, directed technical change and the economy. We specify CO 2 capture and storage (CCS) as a discrete CO 2 abatement technology. We find that combining CO 2 -trading schemes with an adoption subsidy is the most effective instrument to induce adoption of the CCS technology. Such a subsidy directly improves the competitiveness of the CCS technology by compensating for its markup over the cost of conventional electricity. Yet, introducing R and D subsidies throughout the entire economy leads to faster adoption of the CCS technology as well and in addition can be cost-effective in achieving the abatement target. (author)

  19. Chemical processes in neutron capture therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, B.J.

    1975-01-01

    Research into the radiation chemical effects of neutron capture therapy are described. In the use of neutron capture therapy for the treatment of brain tumours, compounds containing an activatable nuclide are selectively concentrated within tumour tissue and irradiated with neutrons. Target compounds for use in therapy must accumulate selectively in high concentrations in the tumour and must be non toxic to the patient. The most suitable of these are the boron hydrides. Radiation dosages, resulting from neutron capture in normal tissue constituents are tabulated. As part of the program to study the radiation-induced chemical processes undergone by boron target compounds, the radiolytic degredation of boron hydride and phenyl boric acid system was investigated. No direct dependence between the yield of the transient radiolytic species and the concentration of the B-compound was observed. (author)

  20. Partial radiative capture of resonance neutrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Samour, C.

    1969-01-01

    The radiative capture of resonance neutrons has been studied near the Saclay linac between 0.5 and 700 eV with time-of-flight method and a Ge(Li) detector. 195 Pt + n and 183 W + n allow the study of the distribution of partial radiative widths and their eventual correlation and also the variation of γ i > with E γ . The mean values of Ml and El transition intensities are compared in several tin isotopes. Interference effects, either between resonances or between direct capture and resonant capture are found in 195 Pt + n, 197 Au + n and 59 Co + n. The excited level schemes of a great deal of nuclei are obtained and compared with theoretical predictions. This study has been completed by an analysis of thermal spectrum. (author) [fr

  1. Orbital electron capture measurements with an internal-source spectrometer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gerner, C.P.

    1978-01-01

    Electron-capture measurements have been performed on 131 Ba and on 106 Agsup(m). For 131 Ba the L/K-and M/L-capture rations of the allowed decay have been measured to the 1048 keV level in 131 Cs. The Qsub(EC) value, the exchange- and overlap-correction factors Xsup(L/K) and Xsup(M/L) and the reduced capture ratios have been determined. For 106 Agsup(m) the L/K-capture ratio of the allowed decay has been measured to the 2757 keV level in 106 Pd. The Q value, the exchange- and overlap-correction factor Xsup(L/K) and the reduced L/K- capture ratio have been derived. The measurements indicate that agreement between experimentally determined capture ratios and exchange-corrected theoretical predictions is fairly good, both for allowed and for first-forbidden non-unique transitions. (Auth./C.F.)

  2. Hybridization Capture Using Short PCR Products Enriches Small Genomes by Capturing Flanking Sequences (CapFlank)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tsangaras, Kyriakos; Wales, Nathan; Sicheritz-Pontén, Thomas

    2014-01-01

    , a non-negligible fraction of the resulting sequence reads are not homologous to the bait. We demonstrate that during capture, the bait-hybridized library molecules add additional flanking library sequences iteratively, such that baits limited to targeting relatively short regions (e.g. few hundred...... nucleotides) can result in enrichment across entire mitochondrial and bacterial genomes. Our findings suggest that some of the off-target sequences derived in capture experiments are non-randomly enriched, and that CapFlank will facilitate targeted enrichment of large contiguous sequences with minimal prior...

  3. Thermal Integration of CO{sub 2} Compression Processes with Coal-Fired Power Plants Equipped with Carbon Capture

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Edward Levy

    2012-06-29

    Coal-fired power plants, equipped either with oxycombustion or post-combustion CO{sub 2} capture, will require a CO{sub 2} compression system to increase the pressure of the CO{sub 2} to the level needed for sequestration. Most analyses show that CO{sub 2} compression will have a significant effect on parasitic load, will be a major capital cost, and will contribute significantly to reduced unit efficiency. This project used first principle engineering analyses and computer simulations to determine the effects of utilizing compressor waste heat to improve power plant efficiency and increase net power output of coal-fired power plants with carbon capture. This was done for units with post combustion solvent-based CO{sub 2} capture systems and for oxyfired power plants, firing bituminous, PRB and lignite coals. The thermal integration opportunities analyzed for oxycombustion capture are use of compressor waste heat to reheat recirculated flue gas, preheat boiler feedwater and predry high-moisture coals prior to pulverizing the coal. Among the thermal integration opportunities analyzed for post combustion capture systems are use of compressor waste heat and heat recovered from the stripper condenser to regenerate post-combustion CO{sub 2} capture solvent, preheat boiler feedwater and predry high-moisture coals. The overall conclusion from the oxyfuel simulations is that thermal integration of compressor heat has the potential to improve net unit heat rate by up to 8.4 percent, but the actual magnitude of the improvement will depend on the type of heat sink used and to a lesser extent, compressor design and coal rank. The simulations of a unit with a MEA post combustion capture system showed that thermal integration of either compressor heat or stripper condenser heat to preheat boiler feedwater would result in heat rate improvements from 1.20 percent to 4.19 percent. The MEA capture simulations further showed that partial drying of low rank coals, done in combination

  4. Electron-capture negative-ion mass spectrometry: a technique for environmental contaminant identification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stemmler, E.A.

    1986-01-01

    Electron capture negative ion mass spectrometry (ECNIMS) is a method used to generate negative ions in a mass spectrometer by electron-molecule reactions. This technique facilitates the sensitive and selective detection of many toxic contaminants in environmental samples. Applications of this technique have been hindered by the limited understanding of instrumental parameters, by the questionable reproducibility of negative ion mass spectra, and by the inability to interpret negative ion mass spectra. Instrumental parameters which were important to control include the ion source temperature, ion source pressure, sample concentration, and the focus lens potential. The ability to obtain reproducible spectra was demonstrated by measurement of the spectrum of decafluorotriphenylphosphine (DFTPP) over a period of one year. Negative ion fragmentation mechanisms were studied by measuring the spectra of structurally related classes of compounds and isotopically labelled compounds. These results were combined with data obtained by other researchers. Fragmentations characteristic of particular functional groups or molecular structures have been summarized. From this data set, guidelines for the interpretation of electron capture negative ion mass spectra have been developed

  5. Capturing complex human behaviors in representative sports contexts with a single camera.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duarte, Ricardo; Araújo, Duarte; Fernandes, Orlando; Fonseca, Cristina; Correia, Vanda; Gazimba, Vítor; Travassos, Bruno; Esteves, Pedro; Vilar, Luís; Lopes, José

    2010-01-01

    In the last years, several motion analysis methods have been developed without considering representative contexts for sports performance. The purpose of this paper was to explain and underscore a straightforward method to measure human behavior in these contexts. Procedures combining manual video tracking (with TACTO device) and bidimensional reconstruction (through direct linear transformation) using a single camera were used in order to capture kinematic data required to compute collective variable(s) and control parameter(s). These procedures were applied to a 1vs1 association football task as an illustrative subphase of team sports and will be presented in a tutorial fashion. Preliminary analysis of distance and velocity data identified a collective variable (difference between the distance of the attacker and the defender to a target defensive area) and two nested control parameters (interpersonal distance and relative velocity). Findings demonstrated that the complementary use of TACTO software and direct linear transformation permit to capture and reconstruct complex human actions in their context in a low dimensional space (information reduction).

  6. Electron-capture ratios in radio-active decay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pelt, J. van.

    1978-01-01

    A review of the theory of electron capture is given and expressions for the electron-capture ratios derived. Attention is paid to the calculations of exchange and overlap correction factors. The theoretical results are then compared with experimental values on the basis of two recently published compilations. The experimental set-up used in this investigation is described and the analysis of the scintillation spectra discussed. Measurements on 131 Ba, 106 Agsup(m) and 196 Au are described and values derived for the exchange and overlap corrections and for the atomic electron-capture transition energy Qsub(EC). (Auth.)

  7. Analytical applications of neutron capture gamma-rays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lindstrom, R.M.; Paul, R.L.; Anderson, D.L.; Paul, R.L.

    1997-01-01

    Field and industrial applications of neutron capture gamma-ray spectrometry with isotopic sources or neutron generators are economically important. Geochemical exploration in boreholes is done routinely with neutron probes. Coal and ores are assayed with analyzers adjacent to a conveyor belt in dozens of industrial facilities. The use of capture gamma rays for explosives detection has been described in the literature, both for scanning airline baggage and for characterizing obsolete munitions; a packaged system for the latter is available commercially. Generalizations are drawn from the history of the field, and predictions are made about the future usefulness of capture gamma rays. (author)

  8. Potassium Capture by Kaolin, Part 1: KOH

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Guoliang; Jensen, Peter Arendt; Wu, Hao

    2018-01-01

    -capture level. The effect of reaction temperature,K-concentration in the flue gas, and, thereby, molar ratio of K/(Al+Si) in reactants, gas residence time, and solid particle size on K-capture reaction was systematically investigated. Corresponding equilibrium calculations were conducted with FactSage 7.......0. The experimental results showed that kaolin reached almost full conversion to K-aluminosilicates under suspension-fired conditions at 1100–1450 °C for a residence time of 1.2 s and a particle size of D50 = 5.47 μm. The amount of potassium captured by kaolin generally followed the equilibrium at temperatures above...

  9. Formation of double galaxies by tidal capture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alladin, S.M.; Potdar, A.; Sastry, K.S.

    1975-01-01

    The conditions under which double galaxies may be formed by tidal capture are considered. Estimates for the increase in the internal energy of colliding galaxies due to tidal effects are used to determine the magnitudes Vsub(cap) and Vsub(dis) of the maximum relative velocities at infinite separation required for tidal capture and tidal disruption respectively. A double galaxy will be formed by tidal capture without tidal disruption of a component if Vsub(cap)>Vsub(i) and Vsub(cap)>Vsub(dis) where Vsub(i) is the initial relative speed of the two galaxies at infinite separation. If the two galaxies are of the same dimension, formulation of double galaxies by tidal capture is possible in a close collision either if the two galaxies do not differ much in mass and density distribution or if the more massive galaxy is less centrally concentrated than the other. If it is assumed as statistics suggest, that the mass of a galaxy is proportional to the square of its radius, it follows that the probability of the formation of double galaxies by tidal capture increases with the increase in mass of the galaxies and tidal distribution does not occur in a single collision for any distance of closest approach of the two galaxies. (Auth.)

  10. Multiple Sensor Camera for Enhanced Video Capturing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagahara, Hajime; Kanki, Yoshinori; Iwai, Yoshio; Yachida, Masahiko

    A resolution of camera has been drastically improved under a current request for high-quality digital images. For example, digital still camera has several mega pixels. Although a video camera has the higher frame-rate, the resolution of a video camera is lower than that of still camera. Thus, the high-resolution is incompatible with the high frame rate of ordinary cameras in market. It is difficult to solve this problem by a single sensor, since it comes from physical limitation of the pixel transfer rate. In this paper, we propose a multi-sensor camera for capturing a resolution and frame-rate enhanced video. Common multi-CCDs camera, such as 3CCD color camera, has same CCD for capturing different spectral information. Our approach is to use different spatio-temporal resolution sensors in a single camera cabinet for capturing higher resolution and frame-rate information separately. We build a prototype camera which can capture high-resolution (2588×1958 pixels, 3.75 fps) and high frame-rate (500×500, 90 fps) videos. We also proposed the calibration method for the camera. As one of the application of the camera, we demonstrate an enhanced video (2128×1952 pixels, 90 fps) generated from the captured videos for showing the utility of the camera.

  11. Two-step rapid sulfur capture. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1994-04-01

    The primary goal of this program was to test the technical and economic feasibility of a novel dry sorbent injection process called the Two-Step Rapid Sulfur Capture process for several advanced coal utilization systems. The Two-Step Rapid Sulfur Capture process consists of limestone activation in a high temperature auxiliary burner for short times followed by sorbent quenching in a lower temperature sulfur containing coal combustion gas. The Two-Step Rapid Sulfur Capture process is based on the Non-Equilibrium Sulfur Capture process developed by the Energy Technology Office of Textron Defense Systems (ETO/TDS). Based on the Non-Equilibrium Sulfur Capture studies the range of conditions for optimum sorbent activation were thought to be: activation temperature > 2,200 K for activation times in the range of 10--30 ms. Therefore, the aim of the Two-Step process is to create a very active sorbent (under conditions similar to the bomb reactor) and complete the sulfur reaction under thermodynamically favorable conditions. A flow facility was designed and assembled to simulate the temperature, time, stoichiometry, and sulfur gas concentration prevalent in the advanced coal utilization systems such as gasifiers, fluidized bed combustors, mixed-metal oxide desulfurization systems, diesel engines, and gas turbines.

  12. Rcapture: Loglinear Models for Capture-Recapture in R

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sophie Baillargeon

    2007-04-01

    Full Text Available This article introduces Rcapture, an R package for capture-recapture experiments. The data for analysis consists of the frequencies of the observable capture histories over the t capture occasions of the experiment. A capture history is a vector of zeros and ones where one stands for a capture and zero for a miss. Rcapture can fit three types of models. With a closed population model, the goal of the analysis is to estimate the size N of the population which is assumed to be constant throughout the experiment. The estimator depends on the way in which the capture probabilities of the animals vary. Rcapture features several models for these capture probabilities that lead to different estimators for N. In an open population model, immigration and death occur between sampling periods. The estimation of survival rates is of primary interest. Rcapture can fit the basic Cormack-Jolly-Seber and Jolly-Seber model to such data. The third type of models fitted by Rcapture are robust design models. It features two levels of sampling; closed population models apply within primary periods and an open population model applies between periods. Most models in Rcapture have a loglinear form; they are fitted by carrying out a Poisson regression with the R function glm. Estimates of the demographic parameters of interest are derived from the loglinear parameter estimates; their variances are obtained by linearization. The novel feature of this package is the provision of several new options for modeling capture probabilities heterogeneity between animals in both closed population models and the primary periods of a robust design. It also implements many of the techniques developed by R. M. Cormack for open population models.

  13. Bottom-up effects on attention capture and choice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Peschel, Anne; Orquin, Jacob Lund; Mueller Loose, Simone

    Attention processes and decision making are accepted to be closely linked together because only information that is attended to can be incorporated in the decision process. Little is known however, to which extent bottom-up processes of attention affect stimulus selection and therefore...... the information available to form a decision. Does changing one visual cue in the stimulus set affect attention towards this cue and what does that mean for the choice outcome? To address this, we conducted a combined eye tracking and choice experiment in a consumer choice setting with visual shelf simulations...... salient. The observed effect on attention also carries over into increased choice likelihood. From these results, we conclude that even small changes in the choice capture attention based on bottom-up processes. Also for eye tracking studies in other domains (e.g. search tasks) this means that stimulus...

  14. Suitability of digital camcorders for virtual reality image data capture

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Apuzzo, Nicola; Maas, Hans-Gerd

    1998-12-01

    Today's consumer market digital camcorders offer features which make them appear quite interesting devices for virtual reality data capture. The paper compares a digital camcorder with an analogue camcorder and a machine vision type CCD camera and discusses the suitability of these three cameras for virtual reality applications. Besides the discussion of technical features of the cameras, this includes a detailed accuracy test in order to define the range of applications. In combination with the cameras, three different framegrabbers are tested. The geometric accuracy potential of all three cameras turned out to be surprisingly large, and no problems were noticed in the radiometric performance. On the other hand, some disadvantages have to be reported: from the photogrammetrists point of view, the major disadvantage of most camcorders is the missing possibility to synchronize multiple devices, limiting the suitability for 3-D motion data capture. Moreover, the standard video format contains interlacing, which is also undesirable for all applications dealing with moving objects or moving cameras. Further disadvantages are computer interfaces with functionality, which is still suboptimal. While custom-made solutions to these problems are probably rather expensive (and will make potential users turn back to machine vision like equipment), this functionality could probably be included by the manufacturers at almost zero cost.

  15. Ionic-Liquid-Based CO2 Capture Systems: Structure, Interaction and Process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Shaojuan; Zhang, Xiangping; Bai, Lu; Zhang, Xiaochun; Wang, Hui; Wang, Jianji; Bao, Di; Li, Mengdie; Liu, Xinyan; Zhang, Suojiang

    2017-07-26

    The inherent structure tunability, good affinity with CO 2 , and nonvolatility of ionic liquids (ILs) drive their exploration and exploitation in CO 2 separation field, and has attracted remarkable interest from both industries and academia. The aim of this Review is to give a detailed overview on the recent advances on IL-based materials, including pure ILs, IL-based solvents, and IL-based membranes for CO 2 capture and separation from the viewpoint of molecule to engineering. The effects of anions, cations and functional groups on CO 2 solubility and selectivity of ILs, as well as the studies on degradability of ILs are reviewed, and the recent developments on functionalized ILs, IL-based solvents, and IL-based membranes are also discussed. CO 2 separation mechanism with IL-based solvents and IL-based membranes are explained by combining molecular simulation and experimental characterization. Taking into consideration of the applications and industrialization, the recent achievements and developments on the transport properties of IL fluids and the process design of IL-based processes are highlighted. Finally, the future research challenges and perspectives of the commercialization of CO 2 capture and separation with IL-based materials are posed.

  16. Sustainable Capture: Concepts for Managing Stream-Aquifer Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davids, Jeffrey C; Mehl, Steffen W

    2015-01-01

    Most surface water bodies (i.e., streams, lakes, etc.) are connected to the groundwater system to some degree so that changes to surface water bodies (either diversions or importations) can change flows in aquifer systems, and pumping from an aquifer can reduce discharge to, or induce additional recharge from streams, springs, and lakes. The timescales of these interactions are often very long (decades), making sustainable management of these systems difficult if relying only on observations of system responses. Instead, management scenarios are often analyzed based on numerical modeling. In this paper we propose a framework and metrics that can be used to relate the Theis concepts of capture to sustainable measures of stream-aquifer systems. We introduce four concepts: Sustainable Capture Fractions, Sustainable Capture Thresholds, Capture Efficiency, and Sustainable Groundwater Storage that can be used as the basis for developing metrics for sustainable management of stream-aquifer systems. We demonstrate their utility on a hypothetical stream-aquifer system where pumping captures both streamflow and discharge to phreatophytes at different amounts based on pumping location. In particular, Capture Efficiency (CE) can be easily understood by both scientists and non-scientist alike, and readily identifies vulnerabilities to sustainable stream-aquifer management when its value exceeds 100%. © 2014, National Ground Water Association.

  17. Peptide-Mediated Platelet Capture at Gold Micropore Arrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adamson, Kellie; Spain, Elaine; Prendergast, Una; Moran, Niamh; Forster, Robert J; Keyes, Tia E

    2016-11-30

    Ordered spherical cap gold cavity arrays with 5.4, 1.6, and 0.98 μm diameter apertures were explored as capture surfaces for human blood platelets to investigate the impact of surface geometry and chemical modification on platelet capture efficiency and their potential as platforms for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy of single platelets. The substrates were chemically modified with single-constituent self-assembled monolayers (SAM) or mixed SAMs comprised of thiol-functionalized arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD, a platelet integrin target) with or without 1-octanethiol (adhesion inhibitor). As expected, platelet adhesion was promoted and inhibited at RGD and alkanethiol modified surfaces, respectively. Platelet adhesion was reversible, and binding efficiency at the peptide modified substrates correlated inversely with pore diameter. Captured platelets underwent morphological change on capture, the extent of which depended on the topology of the underlying substrate. Regioselective capture of the platelets enabled study for the first time of the surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy of single blood platelets, yielding high quality Raman spectroscopy of individual platelets at 1.6 μm diameter pore arrays. Given the medical importance of blood platelets across a range of diseases from cancer to psychiatric illness, such approaches to platelet capture may provide a useful route to Raman spectroscopy for platelet related diagnostics.

  18. Integrated gasification gas combined cycle plant with membrane reactors: Technological and economical analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amelio, Mario; Morrone, Pietropaolo; Gallucci, Fausto; Basile, Angelo

    2007-01-01

    In the present work, the capture and storage of carbon dioxide from the fossil fuel power plant have been considered. The main objective was to analyze the thermodynamic performances and the technological aspects of two integrated gasification gas combined cycle plants (IGCC), as well as to give a forecast of the investment costs for the plants and the resulting energy consumptions. The first plant considered is an IGCC* plant (integrated gasification gas combined cycle plant with traditional shift reactors) characterized by the traditional water gas shift reactors and a CO 2 physical adsorption system followed by the power section. The second one is an IGCC M plant (integrated gasification gas combined cycle plant with membrane reactor) where the coal thermal input is the same as the first one, but the traditional shift reactors and the physical adsorption unit are replaced by catalytic palladium membrane reactors (CMR). In the present work, a mono-dimensional computational model of the membrane reactor was proposed to simulate and evaluate the capability of the IGCC M plant to capture carbon dioxide. The energetic performances, efficiency and net power of the IGCC* and IGCC M plants were, thus, compared, assuming as standard a traditional IGCC plant without carbon dioxide capture. The economical aspects of the three plants were compared through an economical analysis. Since the IGCC* and IGCC M plants have additional costs related to the capture and disposal of the carbon dioxide, a Carbon Tax (adopted in some countries like Sweden) proportional to the number of kilograms of carbon dioxide released in the environment was assumed. According to the economical analysis, the IGCC M plant proved to be more convenient than the IGCC* one

  19. Preclinical studies on gadolinium neutron capture therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akine, Yasuyuki

    1994-01-01

    Gadolinium neutron capture therapy is based on radiations (photons and electrons) produced in the tumor by a nuclear reaction between gadolinium and lower-energy neutrons. Studies with Chinese hamster cells have shown that the radiation effect resulting from gadolinium neutron capture reactions is mostly of low LET and that released electrons are the significant component in the over-all dose. Biological dosimetry revealed that the dose does not seem to increase in proportion to the gadolinium concentration, leading to a conclusion that there is a range of gadolinium concentrations most efficient for gadolinium neutron capture therapy. The in vivo studies with transplantable tumors in mice and rabbits have revealed that close contact between gadolinium and the cell is not necessarily required for cell inactivation and that gadolinium delivery selective to tumors is crucial. The results show that the potential of gadolinium neutron capture therapy as a therapeutic modality appears very promising. (author)

  20. Annual Report: Carbon Capture (30 September 2012)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Luebke, David; Morreale, Bryan; Richards, George; Syamlal, Madhava

    2014-04-16

    Capture of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) is a critical component in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-based processes. The Carbon Capture research to be performed is aimed at accelerating the development of efficient, cost-effective technologies which meet the post-combustion programmatic goal of capture of 90% of the CO{sub 2} produced from an existing coal-fired power plant with less than a 35% increase in the cost of electricity (COE), and the pre-combustion goal of 90% CO{sub 2} capture with less than a 10% increase in COE. The specific objective of this work is to develop innovative materials and approaches for the economic and efficient capture of CO{sub 2} from coal-based processes, and ultimately assess the performance of promising technologies at conditions representative of field application (i.e., slip stream evaluation). The Carbon Capture research includes seven core technical research areas: post-combustion solvents, sorbents, and membranes; pre-combustion solvents, sorbents, and membranes; and oxygen (O{sub 2}) production. The goal of each of these tasks is to develop advanced materials and processes that are able to reduce the energy penalty and cost of CO{sub 2} (or O{sub 2}) separation over conventional technologies. In the first year of development, materials will be examined by molecular modeling, and then synthesized and experimentally characterized at lab scale. In the second year, they will be tested further under ideal conditions. In the third year, they will be tested under realistic conditions. The most promising materials will be tested at the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC) using actual flue or fuel gas. Systems analyses will be used to determine whether or not materials developed are likely to meet the Department of Energy (DOE) COE targets. Materials which perform well and appear likely to improve in performance will be licensed for further development outside of the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL

  1. Which Fall Ascertainment Method Captures Most Falls in Pre-Frail and Frail Seniors?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teister, Corina J; Chocano-Bedoya, Patricia O; Orav, Endel J; Dawson-Hughes, Bess; Meyer, Ursina; Meyer, Otto W; Freystaetter, Gregor; Gagesch, Michael; Rizzoli, Rene; Egli, Andreas; Theiler, Robert; Kanis, John A; Bischoff-Ferrari, Heike A

    2018-06-15

    There is no consensus on most reliable falls ascertainment method. Therefore, we investigated which method captures most falls among pre-frail and frail seniors from two randomized controlled trials conducted in Zurich, Switzerland, a 18-month trial (2009-2010) including 200 community-dwelling pre-frail seniors with a prior fall and a 12-month trial (2005-2008) including 173 frail seniors with acute hip fracture. Both included the same fall ascertainment methods: monthly active-asking, daily self-report diary, and a call-in hotline. We compared number of falls reported and estimated overall and positive percent agreement between methods. Pre-frail seniors reported 499 falls (rate = 2.5/year) and frail seniors reported 205 falls (rate = 1.4/year). Most falls were reported by active-asking: 81% of falls in pre-frail, and 78% in frail seniors. Among pre-frail seniors, diaries captured additional 19% falls, while hotline added none. Among frail seniors, hotline added 16% falls, while diaries added 6%. The positive percent agreement between active-asking and diary was 100% among pre-frail and 88% among frail seniors. While monthly active-asking captures most falls in both groups, this method alone missed 19% of falls in pre-frail and 22% in frail seniors. Thus, a combination of active-asking and diaries for pre-frail, and active-asking and the hotline for frail seniors is warranted.

  2. Economic evaluation of pre-combustion CO2-capture in IGCC power plants by porous ceramic membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Franz, Johannes; Maas, Pascal; Scherer, Viktor

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Process simulations of IGCC with pre-combustion capture via membranes were done. • Most promising technology is the water–gas-shift-membrane-reactor (WGSMR). • Energetic evaluations showed minimum efficiency loss of 5.8%-points for WGSMR. • Economic evaluations identified boundary limits of membrane technology. • Cost of electricity for optimum WGSMR-case is 57 €/MW h under made assumptions. - Abstract: Pre-combustion-carbon-capture is one of the three main routes for the mitigation of CO 2 -emissions by fossil fueled power plants. Based on the data of a detailed technical evaluation of CO 2 -capture by porous ceramic membranes (CM) and ceramic membrane reactors (WGSMR) in an Integrated-Gasification-Combined-Cycle (IGCC) power plant this paper focuses on the economic effects of CO 2 -abatement. First the results of the process simulations are presented briefly. The analysis is based on a comparison with a reference IGCC without CO 2 -capture (dry syngas cooling, bituminous coal, efficiency of 47.4%). In addition, as a second reference, an IGCC process with CO 2 removal based on standard Selexol-scrubbing is taken into account. The most promising technology for CO 2 -capture by membranes in IGCC applications is the combination of a water gas shift reactor and a H 2 -selective membrane into one water gas shift membrane reactor. For the WGSRM-case efficiency losses can be limited to about 6%-points (including losses for CO 2 compression) for a CO 2 separation degree of 90%. This is a severe reduction of the efficiency loss compared to Selexol (10.3% points) or IGCC–CM (8.6% points). The economic evaluation is based on a detailed analysis of investment and operational costs. Parameters like membrane costs and lifetime, costs of CO 2 -certificates and annual operating hours are taken into account. The purpose of these evaluations is to identify the minimum cost of electricity for the different capture cases for the variation of the boundary

  3. A new approach for precise measurements of keV neutron capture cross sections: The examples of 93Nb, 103Rh, and 181Ta

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wisshak, K.; Voss, F.; Kaeppeler, F.; Reffo, G.

    1990-04-01

    A new experimental method has been implemented for precise measurements of neutron capture cross sections in the energy range from 3 to 200 keV. Neutrons are produced via the 7 Li(p,n) 7 Be reaction using a pulsed 3 MV Van de Graaff accelerator. The neutron energy is determined by the time of flight technique using flight paths of less than 1 m. Capture events are detected with the Karlsruhe 4π Barium Fluoride Detector. This detector is characterized by a resolution in gamma-ray energy of 14% at 662 keV and 7% at 2.5 MeV, a time resolution of 500 ps, and a peak efficiency of 90% at 1 MeV. Capture events are registered with ≅ 95% probability above a gamma-ray threshold of 2.5 MeV. The combined effect of the relatively short primary flight path, the 10 cm inner radius of the detector sphere, and of the low capture cross section of BaF 2 allows to discriminate the main background due to capture of sample scattered neutrons in the scintillator via time of flight, leaving part of the neutron energy range completely undisturbed. The high efficiency and good energy resolution for capture gamma-rays yields a further reduction of this background by using only the relevant energy channels for data evaluation. In the first measurements with the new detector, the neutron capture cross sections of 93 Nb, 103 Rh, and 181 Ta were determined in the energy range from 3 to 200 keV relative to gold as a standard. The cross section ratios could be determined with overall systematic uncertainties of 0.7 to 0.8%; statistical uncertainties were less than 1% in the energy range from 20 to 100 keV, if the data are combined in 20 keV wide bins. The necessary sample masses were of the order of one gram. Further improvements with respect to sensitivity and accuracy are discussed. (orig.) [de

  4. Evaluating the effectiveness of methods for capturing meetings

    OpenAIRE

    Hall, Mark John; Bermell-Garcia, Pablo; McMahon, Chris A.; Johansson, Anders; Gonzalez-Franco, Mar

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of commonly used methods to capture synchronous meetings for information and knowledge retrieval. Four methods of capture are evaluated in the form of a case study whereby a technical design meeting was captured by; (i) transcription; (ii) diagrammatic argumentation; (iii) meeting minutes; and (iv) video. The paper describes an experiment where participants undertook an information retrieval task and provided feedback on the methods. ...

  5. Auditory and visual capture during focused visual attention

    OpenAIRE

    Koelewijn, T.; Bronkhorst, A.W.; Theeuwes, J.

    2009-01-01

    It is well known that auditory and visual onsets presented at a particular location can capture a person's visual attention. However, the question of whether such attentional capture disappears when attention is focused endogenously beforehand has not yet been answered. Moreover, previous studies have not differentiated between capture by onsets presented at a nontarget (invalid) location and possible performance benefits occurring when the target location is (validly) cued. In this study, th...

  6. Capture of free-floating planets by planetary systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goulinski, Nadav; Ribak, Erez N.

    2018-01-01

    Evidence of exoplanets with orbits that are misaligned with the spin of the host star may suggest that not all bound planets were born in the protoplanetary disc of their current planetary system. Observations have shown that free-floating Jupiter-mass objects can exceed the number of stars in our Galaxy, implying that capture scenarios may not be so rare. To address this issue, we construct a three-dimensional simulation of a three-body scattering between a free-floating planet and a star accompanied by a Jupiter-mass bound planet. We distinguish between three different possible scattering outcomes, where the free-floating planet may get weakly captured after the brief interaction with the binary, remain unbound or 'kick out' the bound planet and replace it. The simulation was performed for different masses of the free-floating planets and stars, as well as different impact parameters, inclination angles and approach velocities. The outcome statistics are used to construct an analytical approximation of the cross-section for capturing a free-floating planet by fitting their dependence on the tested variables. The analytically approximated cross-section is used to predict the capture rate for these kinds of objects, and to estimate that about 1 per cent of all stars are expected to experience a temporary capture of a free-floating planet during their lifetime. Finally, we propose additional physical processes that may increase the capture statistics and whose contribution should be considered in future simulations in order to determine the fate of the temporarily captured planets.

  7. Capture Matrices Handbook

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-04-01

    materials, the affinity ligand would need identification , as well as chemistries that graft the affinity ligand onto the surface of magnetic...ACTIVE CAPTURE MATRICES FOR THE DETECTION/ IDENTIFICATION OF PHARMACEUTICALS...6 As shown in Figure 2.3-1a, the spectra exhibit similar baselines and the spectral peaks lineup . Under these circumstances, the spectral

  8. Novel markers for differentiation of lobular and ductal invasive breast carcinomas by laser microdissection and microarray analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Turashvili, Gulisa; Srovnal, Josef; Hajduch, Marian; Murray, Paul; Kolar, Zdenek; Bouchal, Jan; Baumforth, Karl; Wei, Wenbin; Dziechciarkova, Marta; Ehrmann, Jiri; Klein, Jiri; Fridman, Eduard; Skarda, Jozef

    2007-01-01

    Invasive ductal and lobular carcinomas (IDC and ILC) are the most common histological types of breast cancer. Clinical follow-up data and metastatic patterns suggest that the development and progression of these tumors are different. The aim of our study was to identify gene expression profiles of IDC and ILC in relation to normal breast epithelial cells. We examined 30 samples (normal ductal and lobular cells from 10 patients, IDC cells from 5 patients, ILC cells from 5 patients) microdissected from cryosections of ten mastectomy specimens from postmenopausal patients. Fifty nanograms of total RNA were amplified and labeled by PCR and in vitro transcription. Samples were analysed upon Affymetrix U133 Plus 2.0 Arrays. The expression of seven differentially expressed genes (CDH1, EMP1, DDR1, DVL1, KRT5, KRT6, KRT17) was verified by immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays. Expression of ASPN mRNA was validated by in situ hybridization on frozen sections, and CTHRC1, ASPN and COL3A1 were tested by PCR. Using GCOS pairwise comparison algorithm and rank products we have identified 84 named genes common to ILC versus normal cell types, 74 named genes common to IDC versus normal cell types, 78 named genes differentially expressed between normal ductal and lobular cells, and 28 named genes between IDC and ILC. Genes distinguishing between IDC and ILC are involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition, TGF-beta and Wnt signaling. These changes were present in both tumor types but appeared to be more prominent in ILC. Immunohistochemistry for several novel markers (EMP1, DVL1, DDR1) distinguished large sets of IDC from ILC. IDC and ILC can be differentiated both at the gene and protein levels. In this study we report two candidate genes, asporin (ASPN) and collagen triple helix repeat containing 1 (CTHRC1) which might be significant in breast carcinogenesis. Besides E-cadherin, the proteins validated on tissue microarrays (EMP1, DVL1, DDR1) may represent novel

  9. Broken Expectations: Violation of Expectancies, Not Novelty, Captures Auditory Attention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vachon, Francois; Hughes, Robert W.; Jones, Dylan M.

    2012-01-01

    The role of memory in behavioral distraction by auditory attentional capture was investigated: We examined whether capture is a product of the novelty of the capturing event (i.e., the absence of a recent memory for the event) or its violation of learned expectancies on the basis of a memory for an event structure. Attentional capture--indicated…

  10. Mountaineer Commerical Scale Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Deanna Gilliland; Matthew Usher

    2011-12-31

    The Final Technical documents all work performed during the award period on the Mountaineer Commercial Scale Carbon Capture & Storage project. This report presents the findings and conclusions produced as a consequence of this work. As identified in the Cooperative Agreement DE-FE0002673, AEP's objective of the Mountaineer Commercial Scale Carbon Capture and Storage (MT CCS II) project is to design, build and operate a commercial scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) system capable of treating a nominal 235 MWe slip stream of flue gas from the outlet duct of the Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) system at AEP's Mountaineer Power Plant (Mountaineer Plant), a 1300 MWe coal-fired generating station in New Haven, WV. The CCS system is designed to capture 90% of the CO{sub 2} from the incoming flue gas using the Alstom Chilled Ammonia Process (CAP) and compress, transport, inject and store 1.5 million tonnes per year of the captured CO{sub 2} in deep saline reservoirs. Specific Project Objectives include: (1) Achieve a minimum of 90% carbon capture efficiency during steady-state operations; (2) Demonstrate progress toward capture and storage at less than a 35% increase in cost of electricity (COE); (3) Store CO{sub 2} at a rate of 1.5 million tonnes per year in deep saline reservoirs; and (4) Demonstrate commercial technology readiness of the integrated CO{sub 2} capture and storage system.

  11. Muon capture in deuterium

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Ricci, P.; Truhlík, Emil; Mosconi, B.; Smejkal, J.

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 837, - (2010), s. 110-144 ISSN 0375-9474 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10480505 Keywords : Negative muon capture * Deuteron * Potential models Subject RIV: BE - Theoretical Physics Impact factor: 1.986, year: 2010

  12. Atomic capture of negative mesons in hydrogen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leon, M.

    1979-01-01

    After a brief description of the present state of theoretical understanding of atomic capture of negative mesons, a very simple model calculation of negative muon capture by the simplest atoms, hydrogen is described. Also the possibility of generalizing these results to more complicated atoms and even molecules is noted. 15 references

  13. Investigation of a combined gas-steam system with flue gas recirculation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chmielniak Tadeusz

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This article presents changes in the operating parameters of a combined gas-steam cycle with a CO2 capture installation and flue gas recirculation. Parametric equations are solved in a purpose-built mathematical model of the system using the Ebsilon Professional code. Recirculated flue gases from the heat recovery boiler outlet, after being cooled and dried, are fed together with primary air into the mixer and then into the gas turbine compressor. This leads to an increase in carbon dioxide concentration in the flue gases fed into the CO2 capture installation from 7.12 to 15.7%. As a consequence, there is a reduction in the demand for heat in the form of steam extracted from the turbine for the amine solution regeneration in the CO2 capture reactor. In addition, the flue gas recirculation involves a rise in the flue gas temperature (by 18 K at the heat recovery boiler inlet and makes it possible to produce more steam. These changes contribute to an increase in net electricity generation efficiency by 1%. The proposed model and the obtained results of numerical simulations are useful in the analysis of combined gas-steam cycles integrated with carbon dioxide separation from flue gases.

  14. Basic Research Needs for Carbon Capture: Beyond 2020

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alivisatos, Paul [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Buchanan, Michelle [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2010-03-04

    This report is based on a SC/FE workshop on Carbon Capture: Beyond 2020, held March 4–5, 2010, to assess the basic research needed to address the current technical bottlenecks in carbon capture processes and to identify key research priority directions that will provide the foundations for future carbon capture technologies. The problem of thermodynamically efficient and scalable carbon capture stands as one of the greatest challenges for modern energy researchers. The vast majority of US and global energy use derives from fossil fuels, the combustion of which results in the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. These anthropogenic emissions are now altering the climate. Although many alternatives to combustion are being considered, the fact is that combustion will remain a principal component of the global energy system for decades to come. Today’s carbon capture technologies are expensive and cumbersome and energy intensive. If scientists could develop practical and cost-effective methods to capture carbon, those methods would at once alter the future of the largest industry in the world and provide a technical solution to one of the most vexing problems facing humanity. The carbon capture problem is a true grand challenge for today’s scientists. Postcombustion CO2 capture requires major new developments in disciplines spanning fundamental theoretical and experimental physical chemistry, materials design and synthesis, and chemical engineering. To start with, the CO2 molecule itself is thermodynamically stable and binding to it requires a distortion of the molecule away from its linear and symmetric arrangement. This binding of the gas molecule cannot be too strong, however; the sheer quantity of CO2 that must be captured ultimately dictates that the capture medium must be recycled over and over. Hence the CO2 once bound, must be released with relatively little energy input. Further, the CO2 must be rapidly and selectively pulled out of a mixture

  15. Thermal, cardiorespiratory and cortisol responses of impala (Aepyceros melampus to chemical immobilisation with 4 different drug combinations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L.C.R. Meyer

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available Thermometric data loggers were surgically implanted in 15 impala (Aepyceros melampus to investigate the consequences of chemical capture. Impala were darted and chemically immobilised for 30 min with each of the following drug combinations: etorphine and azaperone; etorphine and medetomidine; thiafentanil and azaperone, and a thiafentanil medetomidine combination. During immobilisation, pulse oximeter readings, respiratory rhythm, the plane of immobilisation and plasma cortisol concentrations were measured and recorded. The impala developed an extremely high rise in body temperature, which peaked 20-30 min after reversal of the immobilisation. The magnitude of the rise in body temperature was similar for all the drug combinations (F=0.8, P=0.5, but the duration of the hyperthermia was shorter when the thiafentanil and azaperone combination was used(F=3.35, P<0.05. Changes in body temperature were related to the time that it took for ananimal to become recumbent after darting (r2 = 0.45, P = 0.006 and not to the effect of the drug combination on time to recumbency (r2 = 0.29, P = 0.46. The relationship between time to recumbency and body temperature change, and also to plasma cortisol concentration(r2=0.67,P=0.008, indicated that physiological consequences of capture were related to the duration of exposure to a stress or, and not to the pharmacology of the capture drugs. Although shorter time to recumbency in individuals resulted in the benefit of smaller stress responses and body temperature changes, those individuals were predisposed to developing hypoxia and possibly induction apnoea. When animals are chemically immobilised,reducing the thermal consequences of capture requires limiting the exposure of the animal to a psychological 'fright stress'.

  16. The relationship between action-effect monitoring and attention capture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Neeraj; Manjaly, Jaison A; Sunny, Meera Mary

    2015-02-01

    Many recent findings suggest that stimuli that are perceived to be the consequence of one's own actions are processed with priority. According to the preactivation account of intentional binding, predicted consequences are preactivated and hence receive a temporal advantage in processing. The implications of the preactivation account are important for theories of attention capture, as temporal advantage often translates to attention capture. Hence, action might modulate attention capture by feature singletons. Experiment 1 showed that a motion onset and color change captured attention only when it was preceded by an action. Experiment 2 showed that the capture occurs only with predictable, but not with unpredictable, consequences of action. Experiment 3 showed that even when half the display changed color at display transition, they were all prioritized. The results suggest that action modulates attentional control.

  17. Size matters: large objects capture attention in visual search.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Proulx, Michael J

    2010-12-23

    Can objects or events ever capture one's attention in a purely stimulus-driven manner? A recent review of the literature set out the criteria required to find stimulus-driven attentional capture independent of goal-directed influences, and concluded that no published study has satisfied that criteria. Here visual search experiments assessed whether an irrelevantly large object can capture attention. Capture of attention by this static visual feature was found. The results suggest that a large object can indeed capture attention in a stimulus-driven manner and independent of displaywide features of the task that might encourage a goal-directed bias for large items. It is concluded that these results are either consistent with the stimulus-driven criteria published previously or alternatively consistent with a flexible, goal-directed mechanism of saliency detection.

  18. The potential of renewables versus natural gas with CO2 capture and storage for power generation under CO2 constraints

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Den Broek, Machteld; Berghout, Niels; Rubin, Edward S.

    2015-01-01

    The costs of intermittent renewable energy systems (IRES) and power storage technologies are compared on a level playing field to those of natural gas combined cycle power plants with CO2 capture and storage (NGCC-CCS). To account for technological progress over time, an "experience

  19. Room-temperature ionic liquids and composite materials: platform technologies for CO(2) capture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bara, Jason E; Camper, Dean E; Gin, Douglas L; Noble, Richard D

    2010-01-19

    in natural gas sweetening. The desirable properties of RTIL solvents, such as negligible vapor pressures, thermal stability, and a large liquid range, make them interesting candidates as new materials in well-known CO(2) capture processes. Here, we focus on the use of RTILs (1) as absorbents, including in combination with amines, and (2) in the design of polymer membranes. RTIL amine solvents have many potential advantages over aqueous amines, and the versatile chemistry of imidazolium-based RTILs also allows for the generation of new types of CO(2)-selective polymer membranes. RTIL and RTIL-based composites can compete with, or improve upon, current technologies. Moreover, owing to our experience in this area, we are developing new imidazolium-based polymer architectures and thermotropic and lyotropic liquid crystals as highly tailorable materials based on and capable of interacting with RTILs.

  20. A Numerical and Experimental Study of Local Exhaust Capture Efficiency

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, U.; Breum, N. O.; Nielsen, Peter Vilhelm

    1993-01-01

    Direct capture efficiency of a local exhaust system is defined by introducing an imaginary control box surrounding the contaminant source and the exhaust opening. The imaginary box makes it possible to distinguish between contaminants directly captured and those that escape. Two methods for estim...... location is less important for the case studied. The choice of sampling strategy to obtain a representative background concentration is essential as substantial differences on direct capture efficiency are found. Recommendations are given......Direct capture efficiency of a local exhaust system is defined by introducing an imaginary control box surrounding the contaminant source and the exhaust opening. The imaginary box makes it possible to distinguish between contaminants directly captured and those that escape. Two methods...... for estimation of direct capture efficiency are given: (1) a numerical method based on the time-averaged Navier-Stokes equations for turbulent flows; and (2) a field method based on a representative background concentration. Direct capture efficiency is sensitive to the size of the control box, whereas its...

  1. Asymmetric capture of Dirac dark matter by the Sun

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blennow, Mattias; Clementz, Stefan

    2015-01-01

    Current problems with the solar model may be alleviated if a significant amount of dark matter from the galactic halo is captured in the Sun. We discuss the capture process in the case where the dark matter is a Dirac fermion and the background halo consists of equal amounts of dark matter and anti-dark matter. By considering the case where dark matter and anti-dark matter have different cross sections on solar nuclei as well as the case where the capture process is considered to be a Poisson process, we find that a significant asymmetry between the captured dark particles and anti-particles is possible even for an annihilation cross section in the range expected for thermal relic dark matter. Since the captured number of particles are competitive with asymmetric dark matter models in a large range of parameter space, one may expect solar physics to be altered by the capture of Dirac dark matter. It is thus possible that solutions to the solar composition problem may be searched for in these type of models

  2. Asymmetric capture of Dirac dark matter by the Sun

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Blennow, Mattias; Clementz, Stefan [Department of Theoretical Physics, School of Engineering Sciences, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Albanova University Center,106 91, Stockholm (Sweden)

    2015-08-18

    Current problems with the solar model may be alleviated if a significant amount of dark matter from the galactic halo is captured in the Sun. We discuss the capture process in the case where the dark matter is a Dirac fermion and the background halo consists of equal amounts of dark matter and anti-dark matter. By considering the case where dark matter and anti-dark matter have different cross sections on solar nuclei as well as the case where the capture process is considered to be a Poisson process, we find that a significant asymmetry between the captured dark particles and anti-particles is possible even for an annihilation cross section in the range expected for thermal relic dark matter. Since the captured number of particles are competitive with asymmetric dark matter models in a large range of parameter space, one may expect solar physics to be altered by the capture of Dirac dark matter. It is thus possible that solutions to the solar composition problem may be searched for in these type of models.

  3. Asymmetric capture of Dirac dark matter by the Sun

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Blennow, Mattias; Clementz, Stefan, E-mail: emb@kth.se, E-mail: scl@kth.se [Department of Theoretical Physics, School of Engineering Sciences, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Albanova University Center, 106 91, Stockholm (Sweden)

    2015-08-01

    Current problems with the solar model may be alleviated if a significant amount of dark matter from the galactic halo is captured in the Sun. We discuss the capture process in the case where the dark matter is a Dirac fermion and the background halo consists of equal amounts of dark matter and anti-dark matter. By considering the case where dark matter and anti-dark matter have different cross sections on solar nuclei as well as the case where the capture process is considered to be a Poisson process, we find that a significant asymmetry between the captured dark particles and anti-particles is possible even for an annihilation cross section in the range expected for thermal relic dark matter. Since the captured number of particles are competitive with asymmetric dark matter models in a large range of parameter space, one may expect solar physics to be altered by the capture of Dirac dark matter. It is thus possible that solutions to the solar composition problem may be searched for in these type of models.

  4. Novel process concept for cryogenic CO2 capture

    OpenAIRE

    Tuinier, M.J.

    2011-01-01

    Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is generally considered as one of the necessary methods to mitigate anthropogenic CO2 emissions to combat climate change. The costs of CCS can for a large extent be attributed to the capture process. Several post-combustion CO2 capture processes have been developed, such as scrubbing, membrane processes and pressure swing adsorption. Amine scrubbing is currently the state of the art technology, in which CO2 is being removed by contacting the flue gas with a so...

  5. How Airbnb Captures and Disseminates Value

    OpenAIRE

    Reinhold, Stephan; Dolnicar, Sara

    2017-01-01

    This chapter analyses two of the six vital business model elements, explaining the functioning of peer-to-peer accommodation networks: value capture and dissemination. The other elements are discussed in detail in Chapter 4. We focus on Airbnb because it is the international market leader. Separate business analyses are necessary for other peer-to-peer accommodation networks given that each functions in a slightly different way. In this chapter the business model value capture and value disse...

  6. A large animal model for boron neutron capture therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gavin, P.R.; Kraft, S.L.; DeHaan, C.E.; Moore, M.P.; Griebenow, M.L.

    1992-01-01

    An epithermal neutron beam is needed to treat relatively deep seated tumors. The scattering characteristics of neutrons in this energy range dictate that in vivo experiments be conducted in a large animal to prevent unacceptable total body irradiation. The canine species has proven an excellent model to evaluate the various problems of boron neutron capture utilizing an epithermal neutron beam. This paper discusses three major components of the authors study: (1) the pharmacokinetics of borocaptate sodium (NA 2 B 12 H 11 SH or BSH) in dogs with spontaneously occurring brain tumors, (2) the radiation tolerance of normal tissues in the dog using an epithermal beam alone and in combination with borocaptate sodium, and (3) initial treatment of dogs with spontaneously occurring brain tumors utilizing borocaptate sodium and an epithermal neutron beam

  7. Gadolinium neutron capture therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akine, Yasuyuki; Tokita, Nobuhiko; Tokuuye, Koichi; Satoh, Michinao; Churei, Hisahiko

    1993-01-01

    Gadolinium neutron capture therapy makes use of photons and electrons produced by nuclear reactions between gadolinium and lower-energy neutrons which occur within the tumor. The results of our studies have shown that its radiation effect is mostly of low LET and that the electrons are the significant component in the over-all dose. The dose from gadolinium neutron capture reactions does not seem to increase in proportion to the gadolinium concentration, and the Gd-157 concentration of about 100 μg/ml appears most optimal for therapy. Close contact between gadolinium and the cell is not necessarily required for cell inactivation, however, the effect of electrons released from intracellular gadolinium may be significant. Experimental studies on tumor-bearing mice and rabbits have shown that this is a very promising modality though further improvements in gadolinium delivery to tumors are needed. (author)

  8. Combining different types of scale space interest points using canonical sets

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kanters, F.M.W.; Denton, T.; Shokoufandeh, A.; Florack, L.M.J.; Haar Romenij, ter B.M.; Sgallari, F.; Murli, A.; Paragios, N.

    2007-01-01

    Scale space interest points capture important photometric and deep structure information of an image. The information content of such points can be made explicit using image reconstruction. In this paper we will consider the problem of combining multiple types of interest points used for image

  9. Magnetizable stent-grafts enable endothelial cell capture

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tefft, Brandon J. [Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (United States); Uthamaraj, Susheil [Division of Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (United States); Harburn, J. Jonathan [School of Medicine, Pharmacy and Health, Durham University, Stockton-on-Tees (United Kingdom); Hlinomaz, Ota [Department of Cardioangiology, St. Anne' s University Hospital, Brno (Czech Republic); Lerman, Amir [Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (United States); Dragomir-Daescu, Dan [Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (United States); Sandhu, Gurpreet S., E-mail: sandhu.gurpreet@mayo.edu [Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (United States)

    2017-04-01

    Emerging nanotechnologies have enabled the use of magnetic forces to guide the movement of magnetically-labeled cells, drugs, and other therapeutic agents. Endothelial cells labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) have previously been captured on the surface of magnetizable 2205 duplex stainless steel stents in a porcine coronary implantation model. Recently, we have coated these stents with electrospun polyurethane nanofibers to fabricate prototype stent-grafts. Facilitated endothelialization may help improve the healing of arteries treated with stent-grafts, reduce the risk of thrombosis and restenosis, and enable small-caliber applications. When placed in a SPION-labeled endothelial cell suspension in the presence of an external magnetic field, magnetized stent-grafts successfully captured cells to the surface regions adjacent to the stent struts. Implantation within the coronary circulation of pigs (n=13) followed immediately by SPION-labeled autologous endothelial cell delivery resulted in widely patent devices with a thin, uniform neointima and no signs of thrombosis or inflammation at 7 days. Furthermore, the magnetized stent-grafts successfully captured and retained SPION-labeled endothelial cells to select regions adjacent to stent struts and between stent struts, whereas the non-magnetized control stent-grafts did not. Early results with these prototype devices are encouraging and further refinements will be necessary in order to achieve more uniform cell capture and complete endothelialization. Once optimized, this approach may lead to more rapid and complete healing of vascular stent-grafts with a concomitant improvement in long-term device performance. - Highlights: • Magnetic stent-grafts were made from 2205 steel stents and polyurethane nanofibers. • Stent-grafts remained patent and formed a thin and uniform neointima when implanted. • Stent-grafts captured endothelial cells labeled with magnetic nanoparticles.

  10. Contingent Attentional Capture by Conceptually Relevant Images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wyble, Brad; Folk, Charles; Potter, Mary C.

    2013-01-01

    Attentional capture is an unintentional shift of visuospatial attention to the location of a distractor that is either highly salient, or relevant to the current task set. The latter situation is referred to as contingent capture, in that the effect is contingent on a match between characteristics of the stimuli and the task-defined…

  11. Selective particle and cell capture in a continuous flow using micro-vortex acoustic streaming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collins, David J; Khoo, Bee Luan; Ma, Zhichao; Winkler, Andreas; Weser, Robert; Schmidt, Hagen; Han, Jongyoon; Ai, Ye

    2017-05-16

    Acoustic streaming has emerged as a promising technique for refined microscale manipulation, where strong rotational flow can give rise to particle and cell capture. In contrast to hydrodynamically generated vortices, acoustic streaming is rapidly tunable, highly scalable and requires no external pressure source. Though streaming is typically ignored or minimized in most acoustofluidic systems that utilize other acoustofluidic effects, we maximize the effect of acoustic streaming in a continuous flow using a high-frequency (381 MHz), narrow-beam focused surface acoustic wave. This results in rapid fluid streaming, with velocities orders of magnitude greater than that of the lateral flow, to generate fluid vortices that extend the entire width of a 400 μm wide microfluidic channel. We characterize the forces relevant for vortex formation in a combined streaming/lateral flow system, and use these acoustic streaming vortices to selectively capture 2 μm from a mixed suspension with 1 μm particles and human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MDA-231) from red blood cells.

  12. Calculation of the Capture Edge in the OGMS Superconducting Separator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kozak, S.

    1998-01-01

    Many ferromagnetic particles, that should be deflected, are captured on the wall of an OGMS (Open Gradient Magnetic Separation) separator. This ferromagnetic material influences magnetic and hydrodynamic conditions in the separator working area. The problem how to calculate the capture edge can be defined as the search for the geometry of a nonlinear system at known boundary conditions. The boundary conditions on the capture edge are the function of the capture edge geometry. The experimental results of the separation recovery are given. The capture edge calculation has been performed by FLUX 2D and the results are presented. (author)

  13. Capture and fission with DANCE and NEUANCE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jandel, M.; Baramsai, B.; Bond, E.; Rusev, G.; Walker, C.; Bredeweg, T.A.; Chadwick, M.B.; Couture, A.; Fowler, M.M.; Hayes, A.; Kawano, T.; Mosby, S.; Stetcu, I.; Taddeucci, T.N.; Talou, P.; Ullmann, J.L.; Vieira, D.J.; Wilhelmy, J.B. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico (United States)

    2015-12-15

    A summary of the current and future experimental program at DANCE is presented. Measurements of neutron capture cross sections are planned for many actinide isotopes with the goal to reduce the present uncertainties in nuclear data libraries. Detailed studies of capture gamma rays in the neutron resonance region will be performed in order to derive correlated data on the de-excitation of the compound nucleus. New approaches on how to remove the DANCE detector response from experimental data and retain the correlations between the cascade gamma rays are presented. Studies on {sup 235}U are focused on quantifying the population of short-lived isomeric states in {sup 236}U after neutron capture. For this purpose, a new neutron detector array NEUANCE is under construction. It will be installed in the central cavity of the DANCE array and enable the highly efficient tagging of fission and capture events. In addition, developments of fission fragment detectors are also underway to expand DANCE capabilities to measurements of fully correlated data on fission observables. (orig.)

  14. Integration of Aqueous Two-Phase Extraction as Cell Harvest and Capture Operation in the Manufacturing Process of Monoclonal Antibodies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Axel Schmidt

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Substantial improvements have been made to cell culturing processes (e.g., higher product titer in recent years by raising cell densities and optimizing cultivation time. However, this has been accompanied by an increase in product-related impurities and therefore greater challenges in subsequent clarification and capture operations. Considering the paradigm shift towards the design of continuously operating dedicated plants at smaller scales—with or without disposable technology—for treating smaller patient populations due to new indications or personalized medicine approaches, the rising need for new, innovative strategies for both clarification and capture technology becomes evident. Aqueous two-phase extraction (ATPE is now considered to be a feasible unit operation, e.g., for the capture of monoclonal antibodies or recombinant proteins. However, most of the published work so far investigates the applicability of ATPE in antibody-manufacturing processes at the lab-scale and for the most part, only during the capture step. This work shows the integration of ATPE as a combined harvest and capture step into a downstream process. Additionally, a model is applied that allows early prediction of settler dimensions with high prediction accuracy. Finally, a reliable process development concept, which guides through the necessary steps, starting from the definition of the separation task to the final stages of integration and scale-up, is presented.

  15. Stability of a slotted ALOHA system with capture effect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onozato, Yoshikuni; Liu, Jin; Noguchi, Shoichi

    1989-02-01

    The stability of a slotted ALOHA system with capture effect is investigated under a general communication environment where terminals are divided into two groups (low-power and high-power) and the capture effect is modeled by capture probabilities. An approximate analysis is developed using catastrophe theory, in which the effects of system and user parameters on the stability are characterized by the cusp catastrophe. Particular attention is given to the low-power group, since it must bear the strain under the capture effect. The stability conditions of the two groups are given explicitly by bifurcation sets.

  16. Capacitance for carbon capture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Landskron, Kai

    2018-01-01

    Metal recycling: A sustainable, capacitance-assisted carbon capture and sequestration method (Supercapacitive Swing Adsorption) can turn scrap metal and CO 2 into metal carbonates at an attractive energy cost. (copyright 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  17. Radiative nucleon capture with quasi-separable potentials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shubhchintak; Bertulani, C A; Mukhamedzhanov, A M; Kruppa, A T

    2016-01-01

    We study radiative capture reactions using quasi-separable potentials. This procedure allows an easier treatment of non-local effects that can be extended to three-body problems. Using this technique, we calculate the neutron and proton radiative capture cross sections on 12 C. The results obtained are shown to be in good agreement with the available experimental data. (paper)

  18. Carbon Dioxide Capture and Separation Techniques for Gasification-based Power Generation Point Sources

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pennline, H.W.; Luebke, D.R.; Jones, K.L.; Morsi, B.I. (Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA); Heintz, Y.J. (Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA); Ilconich, J.B. (Parsons)

    2007-06-01

    The capture/separation step for carbon dioxide (CO2) from large-point sources is a critical one with respect to the technical feasibility and cost of the overall carbon sequestration scenario. For large-point sources, such as those found in power generation, the carbon dioxide capture techniques being investigated by the in-house research area of the National Energy Technology Laboratory possess the potential for improved efficiency and reduced costs as compared to more conventional technologies. The investigated techniques can have wide applications, but the research has focused on capture/separation of carbon dioxide from flue gas (post-combustion from fossil fuel-fired combustors) and from fuel gas (precombustion, such as integrated gasification combined cycle or IGCC). With respect to fuel gas applications, novel concepts are being developed in wet scrubbing with physical absorption; chemical absorption with solid sorbents; and separation by membranes. In one concept, a wet scrubbing technique is being investigated that uses a physical solvent process to remove CO2 from fuel gas of an IGCC system at elevated temperature and pressure. The need to define an ideal solvent has led to the study of the solubility and mass transfer properties of various solvents. Pertaining to another separation technology, fabrication techniques and mechanistic studies for membranes separating CO2 from the fuel gas produced by coal gasification are also being performed. Membranes that consist of CO2-philic ionic liquids encapsulated into a polymeric substrate have been investigated for permeability and selectivity. Finally, dry, regenerable processes based on sorbents are additional techniques for CO2 capture from fuel gas. An overview of these novel techniques is presented along with a research progress status of technologies related to membranes and physical solvents.

  19. Large Eddy Simulations of Electromagnetic Braking Effects on Argon Bubble Transport and Capture in a Steel Continuous Casting Mold

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Kai; Vanka, Surya P.; Thomas, Brian G.

    2018-06-01

    In continuous casting of steel, argon gas is often injected to prevent clogging of the nozzle, but the bubbles affect the flow pattern, and may become entrapped to form defects in the final product. Further, an electromagnetic field is frequently applied to induce a braking effect on the flow field and modify the inclusion transport. In this study, a previously validated GPU-based in-house code CUFLOW is used to investigate the effect of electromagnetic braking on turbulent flow, bubble transport, and capture. Well-resolved large eddy simulations are combined with two-way coupled Lagrangian computations of the bubbles. The drag coefficient on the bubbles is modified to account for the effects of the magnetic field. The distribution of the argon bubbles, capture, and escape rates, are presented and compared with and without the magnetic field. The bubble capture patterns are also compared with results of a previous RANS model as well as with plant measurements.

  20. The thermodynamics of direct air capture of carbon dioxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lackner, Klaus S.

    2013-01-01

    An analysis of thermodynamic constraints shows that the low concentration of carbon dioxide in ambient air does not pose stringent limits on air capture economics. The thermodynamic energy requirement is small even using an irreversible sorbent-based process. A comparison to flue gas scrubbing suggests that the additional energy requirement is small and can be supplied with low-cost energy. In general, the free energy expended in the regeneration of a sorbent will exceed the free energy of mixing, as absorption is usually not reversible. The irreversibility, which grows with the depth of scrubbing, tends to affect flue gas scrubbing more than air capture which can successfully operate while extracting only a small fraction of the carbon dioxide available in air. This is reflected in a significantly lower theoretical thermodynamic efficiency for a single stage flue gas scrubber than for an air capture device, but low carbon dioxide concentration in air still results in a larger energy demand for air capture. The energy required for capturing carbon dioxide from air could be delivered in various ways. I analyze a thermal swing and also a previously described moisture swing which is driven by the evaporation of water. While the total amount of heat supplied for sorbent regeneration in a thermal swing, in accordance with Carnot's principle, exceeds the total free energy requirement, the additional free energy required as one moves from flue gas scrubbing to air capture can be paid with an amount of additional low grade heat that equals the additional free energy requirement. Carnot's principle remains satisfied because the entire heat supplied, not just the additional amount, must be delivered at a slightly higher temperature. Whether the system is driven by water evaporation or by low grade heat, the cost of the thermodynamically-required energy can be as small as $1 to $2 per metric ton of carbon dioxide. Thermodynamics does not pose a practical constraint on the