WorldWideScience

Sample records for carotenoid-triggered energy dissipation

  1. Structural Determinats Underlying Photoprotection in the Photoactive Orange Carotenoid Protein of Cyanobacteria

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wilson, Adjele; Kinney, James N.; Zwart, Petrus H.; Punginelli, Claire; D' Haene, Sandrine; Perreau, Francois; Klein, Michael G.; Kirilovsky, Diana; Kerfeld, Cheryl

    2010-04-01

    The photoprotective processes of photosynthetic organisms involve the dissipation of excess absorbed light energy as heat. Photoprotection in cyanobacteria is mechanistically distinct from that in plants; it involves the Orange Carotenoid Protein (OCP), a water-soluble protein containing a single carotenoid. The OCP is a new member of the family of blue light photoactive proteins; blue-green light triggers the OCP-mediated photoprotective response. Here we report structural and functional characterization of the wildtype and two mutant forms of the OCP, from the model organism Synechocystis PCC6803. The structural analysis provides highresolution detail of the carotenoidprotein interactions that underlie the optical properties of the OCP, unique among carotenoid-proteins in binding a single pigment per polypeptide chain. Collectively, these data implicate several key amino acids in the function of the OCP and reveal that the photoconversion and photoprotective responses of the OCP to blue-green light can be decoupled.

  2. Architected squirt-flow materials for energy dissipation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Tal; Kurzeja, Patrick; Bertoldi, Katia

    2017-12-01

    In the present study we explore material architectures that lead to enhanced dissipation properties by taking advantage of squirt-flow - a local flow mechanism triggered by heterogeneities at the pore level. While squirt-flow is a known dominant source of dissipation and seismic attenuation in fluid saturated geological materials, we study its untapped potential to be incorporated in highly deformable elastic materials with embedded fluid-filled cavities for future engineering applications. An analytical investigation, that isolates the squirt-flow mechanism from other potential dissipation mechanisms and considers an idealized setting, predicts high theoretical levels of dissipation achievable by squirt-flow and establishes a set of guidelines for optimal dissipation design. Particular architectures are then investigated via numerical simulations showing that a careful design of the internal voids can lead to an increase of dissipation levels by an order of magnitude, compared with equivalent homogeneous void distributions. Therefore, we suggest squirt-flow as a promising mechanism to be incorporated in future architected materials to effectively and reversibly dissipate energy.

  3. Carotenoids in Adipose Tissue Biology and Obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonet, M Luisa; Canas, Jose A; Ribot, Joan; Palou, Andreu

    2016-01-01

    Cell, animal and human studies dealing with carotenoids and carotenoid derivatives as nutritional regulators of adipose tissue biology with implications for the etiology and management of obesity and obesity-related metabolic diseases are reviewed. Most studied carotenoids in this context are β-carotene, cryptoxanthin, astaxanthin and fucoxanthin, together with β-carotene-derived retinoids and some other apocarotenoids. Studies indicate an impact of these compounds on essential aspects of adipose tissue biology including the control of adipocyte differentiation (adipogenesis), adipocyte metabolism, oxidative stress and the production of adipose tissue-derived regulatory signals and inflammatory mediators. Specific carotenoids and carotenoid derivatives restrain adipogenesis and adipocyte hypertrophy while enhancing fat oxidation and energy dissipation in brown and white adipocytes, and counteract obesity in animal models. Intake, blood levels and adipocyte content of carotenoids are reduced in human obesity. Specifically designed human intervention studies in the field, though still sparse, indicate a beneficial effect of carotenoid supplementation in the accrual of abdominal adiposity. In summary, studies support a role of specific carotenoids and carotenoid derivatives in the prevention of excess adiposity, and suggest that carotenoid requirements may be dependent on body composition.

  4. Marine Carotenoids: Biological Functions and Commercial Applications

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vilchez, C.; Forján, E.; Cuaresma, M.; Bédmar, F.; Garbayo, I.; Vega, J.M.

    2011-01-01

    Carotenoids are the most common pigments in nature and are synthesized by all photosynthetic organisms and fungi. Carotenoids are considered key molecules for life. Light capture, photosynthesis photoprotection, excess light dissipation and quenching of singlet oxygen are among key biological

  5. A new energy transfer channel from carotenoids to chlorophylls in purple bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Jin; Tseng, Chi-Wei; Chen, Tingwei; Leng, Xia; Yin, Huabing; Cheng, Yuan-Chung; Rohlfing, Michael; Ma, Yuchen

    2017-07-10

    It is unclear whether there is an intermediate dark state between the S 2 and S 1 states of carotenoids. Previous two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy measurements support its existence and its involvement in the energy transfer from carotenoids to chlorophylls, but there is still considerable debate on the origin of this dark state and how it regulates the energy transfer process. Here we use ab initio calculations on excited-state dynamics and simulated two-dimensional electronic spectrum of carotenoids from purple bacteria to provide evidence supporting that the dark state may be assigned to a new A g + state. Our calculations also indicate that groups on the conjugation backbone of carotenoids may substantially affect the excited-state levels and the energy transfer process. These results contribute to a better understanding of carotenoid excited states.Carotenoids harvest energy from light and transfer it to chlorophylls during photosynthesis. Here, Feng et al. perform ab initio calculations on excited-state dynamics and simulated 2D electronic spectrum of carotenoids, supporting the existence of a new excited state in carotenoids.

  6. Internal swells in the tropics: Near-inertial wave energy fluxes and dissipation during CINDY

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soares, S. M.; Natarov, A.; Richards, K. J.

    2016-05-01

    A developing MJO event in the tropical Indian Ocean triggered wind disturbances that generated inertial oscillations in the surface mixed layer. Subsequent radiation of near-inertial waves below the mixed layer produced strong turbulence in the pycnocline. Linear plane wave dynamics and spectral analysis are used to explain these observations, with the ultimate goal of estimating the wave energy flux in relation to both the energy input by the wind and the dissipation by turbulence. The results indicate that the wave packets carry approximately 30-40% of the wind input of inertial kinetic energy, and propagate in an environment conducive to the occurrence of a critical level set up by a combination of vertical gradients in background relative vorticity and Doppler shifting of wave frequency. Turbulent kinetic energy dissipation measurements demonstrate that the waves lose energy as they propagate in the transition layer as well as in the pycnocline, where approaching this critical level may have dissipated approximately 20% of the wave packet energy in a single event. Our analysis, therefore, supports the notion that appreciable amounts of wind-induced inertial kinetic energy escape the surface boundary layer into the interior. However, a large fraction of wave energy is dissipated within the pycnocline, limiting its penetration into the abyssal ocean.

  7. Marine Carotenoids: Biological Functions and Commercial Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vílchez, Carlos; Forján, Eduardo; Cuaresma, María; Bédmar, Francisco; Garbayo, Inés; Vega, José M.

    2011-01-01

    Carotenoids are the most common pigments in nature and are synthesized by all photosynthetic organisms and fungi. Carotenoids are considered key molecules for life. Light capture, photosynthesis photoprotection, excess light dissipation and quenching of singlet oxygen are among key biological functions of carotenoids relevant for life on earth. Biological properties of carotenoids allow for a wide range of commercial applications. Indeed, recent interest in the carotenoids has been mainly for their nutraceutical properties. A large number of scientific studies have confirmed the benefits of carotenoids to health and their use for this purpose is growing rapidly. In addition, carotenoids have traditionally been used in food and animal feed for their color properties. Carotenoids are also known to improve consumer perception of quality; an example is the addition of carotenoids to fish feed to impart color to farmed salmon. PMID:21556162

  8. Energy dissipation mapping of cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dutta, Diganta; Palmer, Xavier-Lewis; Kim, Jinhyun; Qian, Shizhi; Stacey, Michael

    2018-02-01

    The purpose of this study is to map the energy dissipation of Jurkat cells using a single 60 nanosecond pulse electric field (NsPEF), primarily through atomic force microscopy (AFM). The phase shift is generated by the sample elements that do not have a heterogeneous surface. Monitoring and manipulating the phase shift is a powerful way for determining the dissipated energy and plotting the topography. The dissipated energy is a relative value, so the silica wafer and cover slip are given a set reference while the transmission of energy between the tip of the cantilever and cell surfaces is measured. The most important finding is that the magnitude and the number of variations in the dissipated energy change with the strength of NsPEF applied. Utilizing a single low field strength NsPEF (15kV/cm), minor changes in dissipated energy were found. The application of a single high field strength NsPEF (60kV/cm) to Jurkat cells resulted in a higher dissipated energy change versus that of in the low field strength condition. Thus, the dissipated energy from the Jurkat cells changes with the strength of NsPEF. By analyzing the forces via investigation in the tapping mode of the AFM, the stabilization of the cytoskeleton and membrane of the cell are related to the strength of NsPEF applied. Furthermore, the strength of NsPEF indicates a meaningful relationship to the survival of the Jurkat cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Magnetic Resonance Studies of Proton Loss from Carotenoid Radical Cations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kispert, Lowell D [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Focsan, A Ligia [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Konovalova, Tatyana A [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Lawrence, Jesse [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Bowman, Michael K [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Dixon, David A [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Molnar, Peter [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Deli, Jozsef [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2007-06-11

    Carotenoids, intrinsic components of reaction centers and pigment-protein complexes in photosynthetic membranes, play a photoprotective role and serve as a secondary electron donor. Before optimum use of carotenoids can be made in artificial photosynthetic systems, their robust nature in living materials requires extensive characterization of their electron transfer, radical trapping ability, stability, structure in and on various hosts, and photochemical behavior. Pulsed ENDOR and 2D-HYSCORE studies combined with DFT calculations reveal that photo-oxidation of natural zeaxanthin (I) and violaxanthin (II) on silica-alumina produces not only the carotenoid radical cations (Car•+) but also neutral radicals (#Car•) by proton loss from the methyl groups at positions 5 or 5', and possibly 9 or 9' and 13 or 13'. Notably, the proton loss favored in I at the 5 position by DFT calculations, is unfavorable in II due to the epoxide at the 5, 6 position. DFT calculations predict the isotropic methyl proton couplings of 8-10 MHz for Car•+ which agree with the ENDOR for carotenoid α-conjugated radical cations. Large α-proton hyperfine coupling constants (>10 MHz) determined from HYSCORE are assigned from the DFT calculations to neutral carotenoid radicals. Proton loss upon photolysis was also examined as a function of carotenoid polarity [Lycopene (III) versus 8'-apo-β-caroten-8'-al (IV)]; hydrogen bonding [Lutein (V) versus III]; host [silica-alumina versus MCM-41 molecular sieve]; and substituted metal in MCM-41. Loss of H+ from the 5(5'), 9(9') or 13(13') methyl positions has importance in photoprotection. Photoprotection involves nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) in which 1Ch1* decays via energy transfer to the carotenoid which returns to the ground state by thermal dissipation; or via electron transfer to form a charge transfer state (I •+…Chl•-), lower in energy than 1Chl*. Formation of I •+ results in bond

  10. Energy dissipation of slot-type flip buckets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Jian-hua; Li, Shu-fang; Ma, Fei

    2018-03-01

    The energy dissipation is a key index in the evaluation of energy dissipation elements. In the present work, a flip bucket with a slot, called the slot-type flip bucket, is theoretically and experimentally investigated by the method of estimating the energy dissipation. The theoretical analysis shows that, in order to have the energy dissipation, it is necessary to determine the sequent flow depth h 1 and the flow speed V 1 at the corresponding position through the flow depth h 2 after the hydraulic jump. The relative flow depth h 2 / h 。 is a function of the approach flow Froude number Fr 。, the relative slot width b/B 。, and the relative slot angle θ/β. The expression for estimating the energy dissipation is developed, and the maximum error is not larger than 9.21%.

  11. ENERGY DISSIPATION PROCESSES IN SOLAR WIND TURBULENCE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Y.; Wei, F. S.; Feng, X. S.; Sun, T. R.; Zuo, P. B. [SIGMA Weather Group, State Key Laboratory for Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Xu, X. J. [Space Science Institute, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao (China); Zhang, J., E-mail: yw@spaceweather.ac.cn [School of Physics, Astronomy and Computational Sciences, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MSN 3F3, Fairfax, Virginia 22030 (United States)

    2015-12-15

    Turbulence is a chaotic flow regime filled by irregular flows. The dissipation of turbulence is a fundamental problem in the realm of physics. Theoretically, dissipation ultimately cannot be achieved without collisions, and so how turbulent kinetic energy is dissipated in the nearly collisionless solar wind is a challenging problem. Wave particle interactions and magnetic reconnection (MR) are two possible dissipation mechanisms, but which mechanism dominates is still a controversial topic. Here we analyze the dissipation region scaling around a solar wind MR region. We find that the MR region shows unique multifractal scaling in the dissipation range, while the ambient solar wind turbulence reveals a monofractal dissipation process for most of the time. These results provide the first observational evidences for intermittent multifractal dissipation region scaling around a MR site, and they also have significant implications for the fundamental energy dissipation process.

  12. Magnetic Resonance Studies of Proton Loss from Carotenoid Radical Cations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kispert, Lowell D.; Focsan, A. Ligia; Konovalova, Tatyana A.; Lawrence, Jesse; Bowman, Michael K.; Dixon, David A.; Molnar, Peter; Deli, Jozsef

    2007-01-01

    Carotenoids, intrinsic components of reaction centers and pigment-protein complexes in photosynthetic membranes, play a photoprotective role and serve as a secondary electron donor. Before optimum use of carotenoids can be made in artificial photosynthetic systems, their robust nature in living materials requires extensive characterization of their electron transfer, radical trapping ability, stability, structure in and on various hosts, and photochemical behavior. Pulsed ENDOR and 2D-HYSCORE studies combined with DFT calculations reveal that photo-oxidation of natural zeaxanthin (I) and violaxanthin (II) on silica-alumina produces not only the carotenoid radical cations (Car ·+ ) but also neutral radicals ((number s ign)Car · ) by proton loss from the methyl groups at positions 5 or 5(prime), and possibly 9 or 9(prime) and 13 or 13(prime). Notably, the proton loss favored in I at the 5 position by DFT calculations, is unfavorable in II due to the epoxide at the 5, 6 position. DFT calculations predict the isotropic methyl proton couplings of 8-10 MHz for Car # center d ot# + which agree with the ENDOR for carotenoid π-conjugated radical cations. Large α-proton hyperfine coupling constants (>10 MHz) determined from HYSCORE are assigned from the DFT calculations to neutral carotenoid radicals. Proton loss upon photolysis was also examined as a function of carotenoid polarity (Lycopene (III) versus 8(prime)-apo-β-caroten-8(prime)-al (IV)); hydrogen bonding (Lutein (V) versus III); host (silica-alumina versus MCM-41 molecular sieve); and substituted metal in MCM-41. Loss of H + from the 5(5(prime)), 9(9(prime)) or 13(13(prime)) methyl positions has importance in photoprotection. Photoprotection involves nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) in which 1 Ch1* decays via energy transfer to the carotenoid which returns to the ground state by thermal dissipation; or via electron transfer to form a charge transfer state (I # center d ot# + ...Chl # center d ot# - ), lower in

  13. Mechanical energy dissipation in natural ceramic composites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayer, George

    2017-12-01

    Ceramics and glasses, in their monolithic forms, typically exhibit low fracture toughness values, but rigid natural marine ceramic and glass composites have shown remarkable resistance to mechanical failure. This has been observed in load-extension behavior by recognizing that the total area under the curve, notably the part beyond the yield point, often conveys substantial capacity to carry mechanical load. The mechanisms underlying the latter observations are proposed as defining factors for toughness that provide resistance to failure, or capability to dissipate energy, rather than fracture toughness. Such behavior is exhibited in the spicules of glass sponges and in mollusk shells. There are a number of similarities in the manner in which energy dissipation takes place in both sponges and mollusks. It was observed that crack diversion, a new form of crack bridging, creation of new surface area, and other important energy-dissipating mechanisms occur and aid in "toughening". Crack tolerance, key to energy dissipation in these natural composite materials, is assisted by promoting energy distribution over large volumes of loaded specimens by minor components of organic constituents that also serve important roles as adhesives. Viscoelastic deformation was a notable characteristic of the organic component. Some of these energy-dissipating modes and characteristics were found to be quite different from the toughening mechanisms that are utilized for more conventional structural composites. Complementary to those mechanisms found in rigid natural ceramic/organic composites, layered architectures and very thin organic layers played major roles in energy dissipation in these structures. It has been demonstrated in rigid natural marine composites that not only architecture, but also the mechanical behavior of the individual constituents, the nature of the interfaces, and interfacial bonding play important roles in energy dissipation. Additionally, the controlling

  14. Energy dissipation through wind-generated breaking waves

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    ZHANG Shuwen; CAO Ruixue; XIE Lingling

    2012-01-01

    Wave breaking is an important process that controls turbulence properties and fluxes of heat and mass in the upper oceanic layer.A model is described for energy dissipation per unit area at the ocean surface attributed to wind-generated breaking waves,in terms of ratio of energy dissipation to energy input,windgenerated wave spectrum,and wave growth rate.Also advanced is a vertical distribution model of turbulent kinetic energy,based on an exponential distribution method.The result shows that energy dissipation rate depends heavily on wind speed and sea state.Our results agree well with predictions of previous works.

  15. Carotenoids and Photosynthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hashimoto, Hideki; Uragami, Chiasa; Cogdell, Richard J

    2016-01-01

    Carotenoids are ubiquitous and essential pigments in photosynthesis. They absorb in the blue-green region of the solar spectrum and transfer the absorbed energy to (bacterio-)chlorophylls, and so expand the wavelength range of light that is able to drive photosynthesis. This is an example of singlet-singlet energy transfer, and so carotenoids serve to enhance the overall efficiency of photosynthetic light reactions. Carotenoids also act to protect photosynthetic organisms from the harmful effects of excess exposure to light. Triplet-triplet energy transfer from chlorophylls to carotenoids plays a key role in this photoprotective reaction. In the light-harvesting pigment-protein complexes from purple photosynthetic bacteria and chlorophytes, carotenoids have an additional role of structural stabilization of those complexes. In this article we review what is currently known about how carotenoids discharge these functions. The molecular architecture of photosynthetic systems will be outlined first to provide a basis from which to describe carotenoid photochemistry, which underlies most of their important functions in photosynthesis.

  16. Efficient light-harvesting using non-carbonyl carotenoids: Energy transfer dynamics in the VCP complex from Nannochloropsis oceanica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keşan, Gürkan; Litvín, Radek; Bína, David; Durchan, Milan; Šlouf, Václav; Polívka, Tomáš

    2016-04-01

    Violaxanthin-chlorophyll a protein (VCP) from Nannochloropsis oceanica is a Chl a-only member of the LHC family of light-harvesting proteins. VCP binds carotenoids violaxanthin (Vio), vaucheriaxanthin (Vau), and vaucheriaxanthin-ester (Vau-ester). Here we report on energy transfer pathways in the VCP complex. The overall carotenoid-to-Chla energy transfer has efficiency over 90%. Based on their energy transfer properties, the carotenoids in VCP can be divided into two groups; blue carotenoids with the lowest energy absorption band around 480nm and red carotenoids with absorption extended up to 530nm. Both carotenoid groups transfer energy efficiently from their S2 states, reaching efficiencies of ~70% (blue) and ~60% (red). The S1 pathway, however, is efficient only for the red carotenoid pool for which two S1 routes characterized by 0.33 and 2.4ps time constants were identified. For the blue carotenoids the S1-mediated pathway is represented only by a minor route likely involving a hot S1 state. The relaxed S1 state of blue carotenoids decays to the ground state within 21ps. Presence of a fraction of non-transferring red carotenoids with the S1 lifetime of 13ps indicates some specific carotenoid-protein interaction that must shorten the intrinsic S1 lifetime of Vio and/or Vau whose S1 lifetimes in methanol are 26 and 29ps, respectively. The VCP complex from N. oceanica is the first example of a light-harvesting complex binding only non-carbonyl carotenoids with carotenoid-to-chlorophyll energy transfer efficiency over 90%. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Effects of carotenoids on lipid bilayers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Quentin R; Mostofian, Barmak; Fuente Gomez, Gabriel; Smith, Jeremy C; Cheng, Xiaolin

    2018-01-31

    Carotenoids have been found to be important in improving the integrity of biomembranes in eukaryotes. However, the molecular details of how carotenoids modulate the physical properties of biomembranes are unknown. To this end, we have conducted a series of molecular dynamics simulations of different biologically-relevant membranes in the presence of carotenoids. The carotenoid effect on the membrane was found to be specific to the identity of the carotenoid and the composition of the membrane itself. Therefore, different classes of carotenoids produce a different effect on the membrane, and different membrane phases are affected differently by carotenoids. It is apparent from our data that carotenoids do trigger the bilayer to become thinner. The mechanism by which this occurs depends on two competing factors, the ability of the lipid tails of opposing monolayers to either (1) compress or (2) interdigitate as the bilayer condenses. Indeed, carotenoids directly influence the physical properties via these two mechanisms, thus compacting the bilayer. However, the degree to which these competing mechanisms are utilized depends on the bilayer phase and the carotenoid identity.

  18. Dissipation of Tidal Energy

    Science.gov (United States)

    2002-01-01

    The moon's gravity imparts tremendous energy to the Earth, raising tides throughout the global oceans. What happens to all this energy? This question has been pondered by scientists for over 200 years, and has consequences ranging from the history of the moon to the mixing of the oceans. Richard Ray at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. and Gary Egbert of the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Ore. studied six years of altimeter data from the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite to address this question. According to their report in the June 15 issue of Nature, about 1 terawatt, or 25 to 30 percent of the total tidal energy dissipation, occurs in the deep ocean. The remainder occurs in shallow seas, such as on the Patagonian Shelf. 'By measuring sea level with the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite altimeter, our knowledge of the tides in the global ocean has been remarkably improved,' said Richard Ray, a geophysicist at Goddard. The accuracies are now so high that this data can be used to map empirically the tidal energy dissipation. (Red areas, above) The deep-water tidal dissipation occurs generally near rugged bottom topography (seamounts and mid-ocean ridges). 'The observed pattern of deep-ocean dissipation is consistent with topographic scattering of tidal energy into internal motions within the water column, resulting in localized turbulence and mixing', said Gary Egbert an associate professor at OSU. One important implication of this finding concerns the possible energy sources needed to maintain the ocean's large-scale 'conveyor-belt' circulation and to mix upper ocean heat into the abyssal depths. It is thought that 2 terawatts are required for this process. The winds supply about 1 terawatt, and there has been speculation that the tides, by pumping energy into vertical water motions, supply the remainder. However, all current general circulation models of the oceans ignore the tides. 'It is possible that properly

  19. A Reconnection Switch to Trigger gamma-Ray Burst Jet Dissipation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McKinney, Jonathan

    2012-01-01

    Prompt gamma-ray burst (GRB) emission requires some mechanism to dissipate an ultrarelativistic jet. Internal shocks or some form of electromagnetic dissipation are candidate mechanisms. Any mechanism needs to answer basic questions, such as what is the origin of variability, what radius does dissipation occur at, and how does efficient prompt emission occur. These mechanisms also need to be consistent with how ultrarelativistic jets form and stay baryon pure despite turbulence and electromagnetic reconnection near the compact object and despite stellar entrainment within the collapsar model. We use the latest magnetohydrodynamical models of ultrarelativistic jets to explore some of these questions in the context of electromagnetic dissipation due to the slow collisional and fast collisionless reconnection mechanisms, as often associated with Sweet-Parker and Petschek reconnection, respectively. For a highly magnetized ultrarelativistic jet and typical collapsar parameters, we find that significant electromagnetic dissipation may be avoided until it proceeds catastrophically near the jet photosphere at large radii (r ∼ 10 13 -10 14 cm), by which the jet obtains a high Lorentz factor (γ ∼ 100-1000), has a luminosity of L j ∼ 10 50 -10 51 erg s -1 , has observer variability timescales of order 1s (ranging from 0.001-10s), achieves γθ j ∼ 10-20 (for opening half-angle θ j ) and so is able to produce jet breaks, and has comparable energy available for both prompt and afterglow emission. A range of model parameters are investigated and simplified scaling laws are derived. This reconnection switch mechanism allows for highly efficient conversion of electromagnetic energy into prompt emission and associates the observed prompt GRB pulse temporal structure with dissipation timescales of some number of reconnecting current sheets embedded in the jet. We hope this work helps motivate the development of self-consistent radiative compressible relativistic

  20. Identification of energy dissipation mechanisms in CNT-reinforced nanocomposites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gardea, Frank; Lagoudas, Dimitris C; Naraghi, Mohammad; Glaz, Bryan; Riddick, Jaret

    2016-01-01

    In this paper we present our recent findings on the mechanisms of energy dissipation in polymer-based nanocomposites obtained through experimental investigations. The matrix of the nanocomposite was polystyrene (PS) which was reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs). To study the mechanical strain energy dissipation of nanocomposites, we measured the ratio of loss to storage modulus for different CNT concentrations and alignments. CNT alignment was achieved via hot-drawing of PS-CNT. In addition, CNT agglomeration was studied via a combination of SEM imaging and Raman scanning. We found that at sufficiently low strains, energy dissipation in composites with high CNT alignment is not a function of applied strain, as no interfacial slip occurs between the CNTs and PS. However, below the interfacial slip strain threshold, damping scales monotonically with CNT content, which indicates the prevalence of CNT-CNT friction dissipation mechanisms within agglomerates. At higher strains, interfacial slip also contributes to energy dissipation. However, the increase in damping with strain, especially when CNT agglomerates are present, does not scale linearly with the effective interface area between CNTs and PS, suggesting a significant contribution of friction between CNTs within agglomerates to energy dissipation at large strains. In addition, for the first time, a comparison between the energy dissipation in randomly oriented and aligned CNT composites was made. It is inferred that matrix plasticity and tearing caused by misorientation of CNTs with the loading direction is a major cause of energy dissipation. The results of our research can be used to design composites with high energy dissipation capability, especially for applications where dynamic loading may compromise structural stability and functionality, such as rotary wing structures and antennas. (paper)

  1. Magnetic energy dissipation in force-free jets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choudhuri, Arnab Rai; Konigl, Arieh

    1986-01-01

    It is shown that a magnetic pressure-dominated, supersonic jet which expands or contracts in response to variations in the confining external pressure can dissipate magnetic energy through field-line reconnection as it relaxes to a minimum-energy configuration. In order for a continuous dissipation to occur, the effective reconnection time must be a fraction of the expansion time. The dissipation rate for the axisymmetric minimum-energy field configuration is analytically derived. The results indicate that the field relaxation process could be a viable mechanism for powering the synchrotron emission in extragalactic jets if the reconnection time is substantially shorter than the nominal resistive tearing time in the jet.

  2. Identification of a required for recovery of full antenna capacity in OCP-related photoprotective mechanism in cyanobacteria

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boulay, C.; Wilson, A.; D'Haene, S.; Kirilovsky, D.

    2010-01-01

    High light can be lethal for photosynthetic organisms. Similar to plants, most cyanobacteria protect themselves from high irradiance by increasing thermal dissipation of excess absorbed energy. The photoactive soluble orange carotenoid protein (OCP) is essential for the triggering of this

  3. Kinetic energy dissipation in heavy-ion collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fedotov, S.I.; Jolos, R.V.; Kartavenko, V.G.

    1979-01-01

    Kinetic energy dissipation mechanism is considered in deep inelastic heavy-ion collisions. It is shown that the significant part of the kinetic energy loss can be explained by the excitation of the nuclear matter multipole vibrations. The main contribution of the energy dissipation is given by the time dependent heavy-ion interaction potential renormalized due to the nuclear excitations, rather than by the velocity proportional frictional forces

  4. Energy and dissipated work in snow avalanches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartelt, P.; Buser, O.

    2004-12-01

    Using the results of large scale avalanche experiments at the Swiss Vallée de la Sionne test site, the energy balance of several snow avalanches is determined. Avalanches convert approximately one-seventh of their potential energy into kinetic energy. The total potential energy depends strongly on the entrained snowcover, indicating that entrainment processes cannot be ignored when predicting terminal velocities and runout distances. We find energy dissipation rates on the order of 1 GW. Fluidization of the fracture slab can be identified in the experiments as an increase in dissipation rate, thereby explaining the initial and rapid acceleration of avalanches after release. Interestingly, the dissipation rates appear to be constant along the track, although large fluctuations in internal velocity exist. Thus, we can demonstrate within the context of non-equilibrium thermodynamics that -- in space -- granular snow avalanches are irreversible, dissipative systems that minimize entropy production because they appear to reach a steady-state non-equilibrium. A thermodynamic analysis reveals that fluctuations in velocity depend on the roughness of the flow surface and viscosity of the granular system. We speculate that this property explains the transition from flowing avalanches to powder avalanches.

  5. Ultrafast time-resolved carotenoid to-bacteriochlorophyll energy transfer in LH2 complexes from photosynthetic bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cong, Hong; Niedzwiedzki, Dariusz M; Gibson, George N; LaFountain, Amy M; Kelsh, Rhiannon M; Gardiner, Alastair T; Cogdell, Richard J; Frank, Harry A

    2008-08-28

    Steady-state and ultrafast time-resolved optical spectroscopic investigations have been carried out at 293 and 10 K on LH2 pigment-protein complexes isolated from three different strains of photosynthetic bacteria: Rhodobacter (Rb.) sphaeroides G1C, Rb. sphaeroides 2.4.1 (anaerobically and aerobically grown), and Rps. acidophila 10050. The LH2 complexes obtained from these strains contain the carotenoids, neurosporene, spheroidene, spheroidenone, and rhodopin glucoside, respectively. These molecules have a systematically increasing number of pi-electron conjugated carbon-carbon double bonds. Steady-state absorption and fluorescence excitation experiments have revealed that the total efficiency of energy transfer from the carotenoids to bacteriochlorophyll is independent of temperature and nearly constant at approximately 90% for the LH2 complexes containing neurosporene, spheroidene, spheroidenone, but drops to approximately 53% for the complex containing rhodopin glucoside. Ultrafast transient absorption spectra in the near-infrared (NIR) region of the purified carotenoids in solution have revealed the energies of the S1 (2(1)Ag-)-->S2 (1(1)Bu+) excited-state transitions which, when subtracted from the energies of the S0 (1(1)Ag-)-->S2 (1(1)Bu+) transitions determined by steady-state absorption measurements, give precise values for the positions of the S1 (2(1)Ag-) states of the carotenoids. Global fitting of the ultrafast spectral and temporal data sets have revealed the dynamics of the pathways of de-excitation of the carotenoid excited states. The pathways include energy transfer to bacteriochlorophyll, population of the so-called S* state of the carotenoids, and formation of carotenoid radical cations (Car*+). The investigation has found that excitation energy transfer to bacteriochlorophyll is partitioned through the S1 (1(1)Ag-), S2 (1(1)Bu+), and S* states of the different carotenoids to varying degrees. This is understood through a consideration of the

  6. Dissipation of Wave Energy by Cohesive Sediments

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Kaihatu, James M; Sheremet, Alexandru

    2004-01-01

    Wave energy dissipation by bottom muds is studied. A dissipation mechanism which contains explicit expressions of wavenumber modification due to a viscous bottom fluid is incorporated into a nonlinear wave shoaling model...

  7. Dissipation of magnetic energy during disruptive current termination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamazaki, K.; Schmidt, G.L.

    1983-09-01

    The magnetic coupling during a disruption between the plasma and the various coil systems on the PDX tokamak has been modeled. Using measured coil currents, the model indicates that dissipation of magnetic energy in the plasma equal to 75 % of the energy stored in the poloidal field of the plasma current does occur and that coupling between the plasma and the coil systems can reduce such dissipation. In the case of PDX ohmic discharges, bolometric measurements of radiation and charge exchange, integrated over a disruption, account for 90 % of the calculated energy dissipation. (author)

  8. A Reconnection Switch to Trigger gamma-Ray Burst Jet Dissipation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McKinney, Jonathan C.; Uzdensky, Dmitri A.

    2012-03-14

    Prompt gamma-ray burst (GRB) emission requires some mechanism to dissipate an ultrarelativistic jet. Internal shocks or some form of electromagnetic dissipation are candidate mechanisms. Any mechanism needs to answer basic questions, such as what is the origin of variability, what radius does dissipation occur at, and how does efficient prompt emission occur. These mechanisms also need to be consistent with how ultrarelativistic jets form and stay baryon pure despite turbulence and electromagnetic reconnection near the compact object and despite stellar entrainment within the collapsar model. We use the latest magnetohydrodynamical models of ultrarelativistic jets to explore some of these questions in the context of electromagnetic dissipation due to the slow collisional and fast collisionless reconnection mechanisms, as often associated with Sweet-Parker and Petschek reconnection, respectively. For a highly magnetized ultrarelativistic jet and typical collapsar parameters, we find that significant electromagnetic dissipation may be avoided until it proceeds catastrophically near the jet photosphere at large radii (r {approx} 10{sup 13}-10{sup 14}cm), by which the jet obtains a high Lorentz factor ({gamma} {approx} 100-1000), has a luminosity of L{sub j} {approx} 10{sup 50}-10{sup 51} erg s{sup -1}, has observer variability timescales of order 1s (ranging from 0.001-10s), achieves {gamma}{theta}{sub j} {approx} 10-20 (for opening half-angle {theta}{sub j}) and so is able to produce jet breaks, and has comparable energy available for both prompt and afterglow emission. A range of model parameters are investigated and simplified scaling laws are derived. This reconnection switch mechanism allows for highly efficient conversion of electromagnetic energy into prompt emission and associates the observed prompt GRB pulse temporal structure with dissipation timescales of some number of reconnecting current sheets embedded in the jet. We hope this work helps motivate the

  9. Critical behavior in earthquake energy dissipation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wanliss, James; Muñoz, Víctor; Pastén, Denisse; Toledo, Benjamín; Valdivia, Juan Alejandro

    2017-09-01

    We explore bursty multiscale energy dissipation from earthquakes flanked by latitudes 29° S and 35.5° S, and longitudes 69.501° W and 73.944° W (in the Chilean central zone). Our work compares the predictions of a theory of nonequilibrium phase transitions with nonstandard statistical signatures of earthquake complex scaling behaviors. For temporal scales less than 84 hours, time development of earthquake radiated energy activity follows an algebraic arrangement consistent with estimates from the theory of nonequilibrium phase transitions. There are no characteristic scales for probability distributions of sizes and lifetimes of the activity bursts in the scaling region. The power-law exponents describing the probability distributions suggest that the main energy dissipation takes place due to largest bursts of activity, such as major earthquakes, as opposed to smaller activations which contribute less significantly though they have greater relative occurrence. The results obtained provide statistical evidence that earthquake energy dissipation mechanisms are essentially "scale-free", displaying statistical and dynamical self-similarity. Our results provide some evidence that earthquake radiated energy and directed percolation belong to a similar universality class.

  10. Energy-dissipation-model for metallurgical multi-phase-systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mavrommatis, K.T. [Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule Aachen, Aachen (Germany)

    1996-12-31

    Entropy production in real processes is directly associated with the dissipation of energy. Both are potential measures for the proceed of irreversible processes taking place in metallurgical systems. Many of these processes in multi-phase-systems could then be modelled on the basis of the energy-dissipation associated with. As this entity can often be estimated using very simple assumptions from first principles, the evolution of an overall measure of systems behaviour can be studied constructing an energy-dissipation -based model of the system. In this work a formulation of this concept, the Energy-Dissipation-Model (EDM), for metallurgical multi-phase-systems is given. Special examples are studied to illustrate the concept, and benefits as well as the range of validity are shown. This concept might be understood as complement to usual CFD-modelling of complex systems on a more abstract level but reproducing essential attributes of complex metallurgical systems. (author)

  11. Energy-dissipation-model for metallurgical multi-phase-systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mavrommatis, K T [Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule Aachen, Aachen (Germany)

    1997-12-31

    Entropy production in real processes is directly associated with the dissipation of energy. Both are potential measures for the proceed of irreversible processes taking place in metallurgical systems. Many of these processes in multi-phase-systems could then be modelled on the basis of the energy-dissipation associated with. As this entity can often be estimated using very simple assumptions from first principles, the evolution of an overall measure of systems behaviour can be studied constructing an energy-dissipation -based model of the system. In this work a formulation of this concept, the Energy-Dissipation-Model (EDM), for metallurgical multi-phase-systems is given. Special examples are studied to illustrate the concept, and benefits as well as the range of validity are shown. This concept might be understood as complement to usual CFD-modelling of complex systems on a more abstract level but reproducing essential attributes of complex metallurgical systems. (author)

  12. Femtosecond carotenoid to retinal energy transfer in xanthorhodopsin

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Polívka, Tomáš; Balashov, S.P.; Chábera, P.; Imasheva, E.S.; Yartsev, A.; Sundström, V.; Lanyi, J.K.

    2009-01-01

    Roč. 96, č. 6 (2009), s. 2268-2277 ISSN 0006-3495 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA608170604 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50510513 Keywords : energy transfer * carotenoids * femtosecond spectroscopy Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 4.390, year: 2009

  13. Energy Dissipation-Based Method for Fatigue Life Prediction of Rock Salt

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Mingming; Huang, Bingqian; Zhu, Caihui; Chen, Yunsheng; Li, Ning

    2018-05-01

    The fatigue test for rock salt is conducted under different stress amplitudes, loading frequencies, confining pressures and loading rates, from which the evaluation rule of the dissipated energy is revealed and analysed. The evolution of energy dissipation under fatigue loading is divided into three stages: the initial stage, the second stage and the acceleration stage. In the second stage, the energy dissipation per cycle remains stable and shows an exponential relation with the stress amplitude; the failure dissipated energy only depends on the mechanical behaviour of the rock salt and confining pressure, but it is immune to the loading conditions. The energy dissipation of fatigued rock salt is discussed, and a novel model for fatigue life prediction is proposed on the basis of energy dissipation. A simple model for evolution of the accumulative dissipated energy is established. Its prediction results are compared with the test results, and the proposed model is validated.

  14. If there is dissipation the particle can gain energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Carvalho, R Egydio

    2015-01-01

    In this work, we summarize two different mechanisms to gain energy from the presence of dissipation in a time-dependent non-linear system. The particles can gain energy, in the average, from two different scenarios: i) for very week dissipation with the creation of an attractor with high velocity, and ii) in the opposite limit, for very strong dissipation, the particles can also gain energy from a boundary crisis. From the thermodynamic viewpoint both results are totally acceptable. (paper)

  15. Insights into the Structural Changes Occurring upon Photoconversion in the Orange Carotenoid Protein from Broadband Two-Dimensional Electronic Spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    De Re, Eleonora; Schlau-Cohen, Gabriela S.; Leverenz, Ryan L.; Huxter, Vanessa M.; Oliver, Thomas A. A.; Mathies, Richard A.; Fleming, Graham R.

    2014-05-22

    Carotenoids play an essential role in photoprotection, interacting with other pigments to safely dissipate excess absorbed energy as heat. In cyanobacteria, the short time scale photoprotective mechanisms involve the photoactive orange carotenoid protein (OCP), which binds a single carbonyl carotenoid. Blue-green light induces the photoswitching of OCP from its ground state form (OCPO) to a metastable photoproduct (OCPR). OCPR can bind to the phycobilisome antenna and induce fluorescence quenching. The photoswitching is accompanied by structural and functional changes at the level of the protein and of the bound carotenoid. In this study, we use broadband two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy to look at the differences in excited state dynamics of the carotenoid in the two forms of OCP. Our results provide insight into the origin of the pronounced vibrational lineshape and oscillatory dynamics observed in linear absorption and 2D electronic spectroscopy of OCPO and the large inhomogeneous broadening in OCPR, with consequences for the chemical function of the two forms.

  16. Inferring energy dissipation from violation of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Shou-Wen

    2018-05-01

    The Harada-Sasa equality elegantly connects the energy dissipation rate of a moving object with its measurable violation of the Fluctuation-Dissipation Theorem (FDT). Although proven for Langevin processes, its validity remains unclear for discrete Markov systems whose forward and backward transition rates respond asymmetrically to external perturbation. A typical example is a motor protein called kinesin. Here we show generally that the FDT violation persists surprisingly in the high-frequency limit due to the asymmetry, resulting in a divergent FDT violation integral and thus a complete breakdown of the Harada-Sasa equality. A renormalized FDT violation integral still well predicts the dissipation rate when each discrete transition produces a small entropy in the environment. Our study also suggests a way to infer this perturbation asymmetry based on the measurable high-frequency-limit FDT violation.

  17. Low Energy Dissipation Nano Device Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Jenny

    2015-03-01

    The development of research on energy dissipation has been rapid in energy efficient area. Nano-material power FET is operated as an RF power amplifier, the transport is ballistic, noise is limited and power dissipation is minimized. The goal is Green-save energy by developing the Graphene and carbon nantube microwave and high performance devices. Higher performing RF amplifiers can have multiple impacts on broadly field, for example communication equipment, (such as mobile phone and RADAR); higher power density and lower power dissipation will improve spectral efficiency which translates into higher system level bandwidth and capacity for communications equipment. Thus, fundamental studies of power handling capabilities of new RF (nano)technologies can have broad, sweeping impact. Because it is critical to maximizing the power handling ability of grephene and carbon nanotube FET, the initial task focuses on measuring and understanding the mechanism of electrical breakdown. We aim specifically to determine how the breakdown voltage in graphene and nanotubes is related to the source-drain spacing, electrode material and thickness, and substrate, and thus develop reliable statistics on the breakdown mechanism and probability.

  18. Energy dissipation in multifrequency atomic force microscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valentina Pukhova

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The instantaneous displacement, velocity and acceleration of a cantilever tip impacting onto a graphite surface are reconstructed. The total dissipated energy and the dissipated energy per cycle of each excited flexural mode during the tip interaction is retrieved. The tip dynamics evolution is studied by wavelet analysis techniques that have general relevance for multi-mode atomic force microscopy, in a regime where few cantilever oscillation cycles characterize the tip–sample interaction.

  19. Highly efficient energy transfer from a carbonyl carotenoid to chlorophyll a in the main light harvesting complex of Chromera velia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durchan, Milan; Keşan, Gürkan; Slouf, Václav; Fuciman, Marcel; Staleva, Hristina; Tichý, Josef; Litvín, Radek; Bína, David; Vácha, František; Polívka, Tomáš

    2014-10-01

    We report on energy transfer pathways in the main light-harvesting complex of photosynthetic relative of apicomplexan parasites, Chromera velia. This complex, denoted CLH, belongs to the family of FCP proteins and contains chlorophyll (Chl) a, violaxanthin, and the so far unidentified carbonyl carotenoid related to isofucoxanthin. The overall carotenoid-to-Chl-a energy transfer exhibits efficiency over 90% which is the largest among the FCP-like proteins studied so far. Three spectroscopically different isofucoxanthin-like molecules were identified in CLH, each having slightly different energy transfer efficiency that increases from isofucoxanthin-like molecules absorbing in the blue part of the spectrum to those absorbing in the reddest part of spectrum. Part of the energy transfer from carotenoids proceeds via the ultrafast S2 channel of both the violaxanthin and isofucoxanthin-like carotenoid, but major energy transfer pathway proceeds via the S1/ICT state of the isofucoxanthin-like carotenoid. Two S1/ICT-mediated channels characterized by time constants of ~0.5 and ~4ps were found. For the isofucoxanthin-like carotenoid excited at 480nm the slower channel dominates, while those excited at 540nm employs predominantly the fast 0.5ps channel. Comparing these data with the excited-state properties of the isofucoxanthin-like carotenoid in solution we conclude that, contrary to other members of the FCP family employing carbonyl carotenoids, CLH complex suppresses the charge transfer character of the S1/ICT state of the isofucoxanthin-like carotenoid to achieve the high carotenoid-to-Chl-a energy transfer efficiency. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Lumley's energy cascade dissipation rate model for boundary-free turbulent shear flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duncan, B. S.

    1992-01-01

    True dissipation occurs mainly at the highest wavenumbers where the eddy sizes are comparatively small. These high wavenumbers receive their energy through the spectral cascade of energy starting with the largest eddies spilling energy into the smaller eddies, passing through each wavenumber until it is dissipated at the microscopic scale. However, a small percentage of the energy does not spill continuously through the cascade but is instantly passed to the higher wavenumbers. Consequently, the smallest eddies receive a certain amount of energy almost immediately. As the spectral energy cascade continues, the highest wavenumber needs a certain time to receive all the energy which has been transferred from the largest eddies. As such, there is a time delay, of the order of tau, between the generation of energy by the largest eddies and the eventual dissipation of this energy. For equilibrium turbulence at high Reynolds numbers, there is a wide range where energy is neither produced by the large eddies nor dissipated by viscosity, but is conserved and passed from wavenumber to higher wavenumbers. The rate at which energy cascades from one wavenumber to another is proportional to the energy contained within that wavenumber. This rate is constant and has been used in the past as a dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy. However, this is true only in steady, equilibrium turbulence. Most dissipation models contend that the production of dissipation is proportional to the production of energy and that the destruction of dissipation is proportional to the destruction of energy. In essence, these models state that the change in the dissipation rate is proportional to the change in the kinetic energy. This assumption is obviously incorrect for the case where there is no production of turbulent energy, yet energy continues to cascade from large to small eddies. If the time lag between the onset on the energy cascade to the destruction of energy at the microscale can be

  1. Complex Fluids in Energy Dissipating Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco J. Galindo-Rosales

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available The development of engineered systems for energy dissipation (or absorption during impacts or vibrations is an increasing need in our society, mainly for human protection applications, but also for ensuring the right performance of different sort of devices, facilities or installations. In the last decade, new energy dissipating composites based on the use of certain complex fluids have flourished, due to their non-linear relationship between stress and strain rate depending on the flow/field configuration. This manuscript intends to review the different approaches reported in the literature, analyses the fundamental physics behind them and assess their pros and cons from the perspective of their practical applications.

  2. estimation of ionospheric energy dissipation for the year 2012 using

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    userpc

    energy dissipation is the dominant channel of energy transfer in that year from the solar wind. This is consistent with many results found by other researchers. Keywords: Østgaard's Empirical Relation, Ionospheric Energy Dissipation, Electron. Precipitation, Joule Heating. INTRODUCTION. In the Earth's magnetosphere, the ...

  3. Quantified Energy Dissipation Rates in the Terrestrial Bow Shock. 2; Waves and Dissipation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, L. B., III; Sibeck, D. G.; Breneman, A. W.; Le Contel, O.; Cully, C.; Turner, D. L.; Angelopoulos, V.; Malaspina, D. M.

    2014-01-01

    We present the first quantified measure of the energy dissipation rates, due to wave-particle interactions, in the transition region of the Earth's collision-less bow shock using data from the Time History of Events and Macro-Scale Interactions during Sub-Storms spacecraft. Our results show that wave-particle interactions can regulate the global structure and dominate the energy dissipation of collision-less shocks. In every bow shock crossing examined, we observed both low-frequency (less than 10 hertz) and high-frequency (approximately or greater than10 hertz) electromagnetic waves throughout the entire transition region and into the magnetosheath. The low-frequency waves were consistent with magnetosonic-whistler waves. The high-frequency waves were combinations of ion-acoustic waves, electron cyclotron drift instability driven waves, electrostatic solitary waves, and whistler mode waves. The high-frequency waves had the following: (1) peak amplitudes exceeding delta B approximately equal to 10 nanoteslas and delta E approximately equal to 300 millivolts per meter, though more typical values were delta B approximately equal to 0.1-1.0 nanoteslas and delta E approximately equal to 10-50 millivolts per meter (2) Poynting fluxes in excess of 2000 microWm(sup -2) (micro-waves per square meter) (typical values were approximately 1-10 microWm(sup -2) (micro-waves per square meter); (3) resistivities greater than 9000 omega meters; and (4) associated energy dissipation rates greater than 10 microWm(sup -3) (micro-waves per cubic meter). The dissipation rates due to wave-particle interactions exceeded rates necessary to explain the increase in entropy across the shock ramps for approximately 90 percent of the wave burst durations. For approximately 22 percent of these times, the wave-particle interactions needed to only be less than or equal to 0.1 percent efficient to balance the nonlinear wave steepening that produced the shock waves. These results show that wave

  4. An estimate of energy dissipation due to soil-moisture hysteresis

    KAUST Repository

    McNamara, H.

    2014-01-01

    Processes of infiltration, transport, and outflow in unsaturated soil necessarily involve the dissipation of energy through various processes. Accounting for these energetic processes can contribute to modeling hydrological and ecological systems. The well-documented hysteretic relationship between matric potential and moisture content in soil suggests that one such mechanism of energy dissipation is associated with the cycling between wetting and drying processes, but it is challenging to estimate the magnitude of the effect in situ. The Preisach model, a generalization of the Independent Domain model, allows hysteresis effects to be incorporated into dynamical systems of differential equations. Building on earlier work using such systems with field data from the south-west of Ireland, this work estimates the average rate of hysteretic energy dissipation. Through some straightforward assumptions, the magnitude of this rate is found to be of O(10-5) W m-3. Key Points Hysteresis in soil-water dissipates energy The rate of dissipation can be estimated directly from saturation data The rate of heating caused is significant ©2013. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

  5. Intrinsic Energy Dissipation Limits in Nano and Micromechanical Resonators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iyer, Srikanth Subramanian

    Resonant microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) have enabled miniaturization of high-performance inertial sensors, radio-frequency filters, timing references and mass-based chemical sensors. Despite the increasing prevalence of MEMS resonators for these applications, the energy dissipation in these structures is not well-understood. Accurate prediction of the energy loss and the resulting quality factor (Q) has significant design implications because it is directly related to device performance metrics including sensitivity for resonant sensors, bandwidth for radio-frequency filters and phase-noise for timing references. In order to assess the future potential for MEMS resonators it is critically important to evaluate the energy dissipation limits, which will dictate the ultimate performance resonant MEMS devices can achieve. This work focuses on the derivation and evaluation of the intrinsic mechanical energy dissipation limit for single-crystal nano and micromechanical resonators due to anharmonic phonon-phonon scattering in the Akhiezer regime. The energy loss is derived using perturbation theory and the linearized Boltzmann transport equation for phonons, and includes the direction and polarization dependent mode-Gruneisen parameters in order to capture the strain-induced anharmonicity among phonon branches. Evaluation of the quality factor limit reveals that Akhiezer damping, previously thought to depend only on material properties, has a strong dependence on crystal orientation and resonant mode shape. The robust model provides a dissipation limit for all resonant modes including shear-mode vibrations, which have significantly reduced energy loss because dissipative phonon-phonon scattering is restricted to volume-preserving phonon branches, indicating that Lame or wine-glass mode resonators will have the highest upper limit on mechanical efficiency. Finally, the analytical dissipation model is integrated with commercial finite element software in order to

  6. Spectroscopic properties of the S1 state of linear carotenoids after excess energy excitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuznetsova, Valentyna; Southall, June; Cogdell, Richard J.; Fuciman, Marcel; Polívka, Tomáš

    2017-09-01

    Properties of the S1 state of neurosporene, spheroidene and lycopene were studied after excess energy excitation in the S2 state. Excitation of carotenoids into higher vibronic levels of the S2 state generates excess vibrational energy in the S1 state. The vibrationally hot S1 state relaxes faster when carotenoid is excited into the S2 state with excess energy, but the S1 lifetime remains constant regardless of which vibronic level of the S2 state is excited. The S∗ signal depends on excitation energy only for spheroidene, which is likely due to asymmetry of the molecule, facilitating conformations responsible for the S∗ signal.

  7. Energy dissipation dataset for reversible logic gates in quantum dot-cellular automata

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Newaz Bahar

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an energy dissipation dataset of different reversible logic gates in quantum-dot cellular automata. The proposed circuits have been designed and verified using QCADesigner simulator. Besides, the energy dissipation has been calculated under three different tunneling energy level at temperature T=2 K. For estimating the energy dissipation of proposed gates; QCAPro tool has been employed.

  8. Energy dissipation dataset for reversible logic gates in quantum dot-cellular automata.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bahar, Ali Newaz; Rahman, Mohammad Maksudur; Nahid, Nur Mohammad; Hassan, Md Kamrul

    2017-02-01

    This paper presents an energy dissipation dataset of different reversible logic gates in quantum-dot cellular automata. The proposed circuits have been designed and verified using QCADesigner simulator. Besides, the energy dissipation has been calculated under three different tunneling energy level at temperature T =2 K. For estimating the energy dissipation of proposed gates; QCAPro tool has been employed.

  9. Beam-to-Column Connections with Demountable Energy Dissipative Plates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vasile-Mircea Venghiac

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The behavior of steel structures subjected to seismic actions depends directly on the connections behavior. There are two current tendencies for ensuring the structural ductility: allowing the formation of plastic hinges in the beams by using reduced beam sections or reduced web sections or by ensuring the plastic hinge formation in the connection by using dissipative elements. This paper presents a new perspective regarding the energy dissipation mechanism formation within the beam-to-column connection. The design of connections capable of dissipating large amounts of energy, with an acceptable strength and ductile behavior is a real challenge for engineers. Sustainability is a big advantage for these connections. Another big advantage is the possibility of restoring the functionality of the damaged construction in a short time interval and with reduced costs. The introduction of connections with demountable energy dissipative plates can be a step forward in designing new beam-to-column connections for steel structures.

  10. Energy dissipation statistics along the Lagrangian trajectories in three-dimensional turbulent flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Jian-ping; Wang, Yong-bo; Qiu, Xiang; Xia, Yu-xian; Liu, Yu-lu

    2018-02-01

    Energy dissipation rate is relevant in the turbulent phenomenology theory, such as the classical Kolmogorov 1941 and 1962 refined similarity hypothesis. However, it is extremely difficult to retrieve experimentally or numerically. In this paper, the full energy dissipation, its proxy and the pseudo-energy dissipation rate along the Lagrangian trajectories in the three-dimensional turbulent flows are examined by using a state-of-art high resolution direct numerical simulation database with a Reynolds number Re λ = 400. It is found that the energy dissipation proxy ɛ P is more correlated with the full energy dissipation rate ɛ. The corresponding correlation coefficient ρ between the velocity gradient and e shows a Gaussian distribution. Furthermore, the coarse-grained dissipation rate is considered. The cross correlation ρ is found to be increased with the increasing of the scale τ. Finally, the hierarchical structure is extracted for the full energy dissipation rate, its proxy and the pseudo one. The results show a power-law behavior in the inertial range 10 ≤ τ/ τ η ≤ 100. The experimental scaling exponent of the full energy dissipation rate is found to be h L =0.69, agrees very well with the one found for the Eulerian velocity. The experimental values for ɛ P and ɛ S are around h L = 0.78, implying a more intermittent Lagrangian turbulence. Therefore, the intermittency parameter provided by ɛ P and ɛ S will be biased.

  11. Excited state conformational dynamics in carotenoids: dark intermediates and excitation energy transfer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beck, Warren F; Bishop, Michael M; Roscioli, Jerome D; Ghosh, Soumen; Frank, Harry A

    2015-04-15

    A consideration of the excited state potential energy surfaces of carotenoids develops a new hypothesis for the nature of the conformational motions that follow optical preparation of the S2 (1(1)Bu(+)) state. After an initial displacement from the Franck-Condon geometry along bond length alternation coordinates, it is suggested that carotenoids pass over a transition-state barrier leading to twisted conformations. This hypothesis leads to assignments for several dark intermediate states encountered in femtosecond spectroscopic studies. The Sx state is assigned to the structure reached upon the onset of torsional motions near the transition state barrier that divides planar and twisted structures on the S2 state potential energy surface. The X state, detected recently in two-dimensional electronic spectra, corresponds to a twisted structure well past the barrier and approaching the S2 state torsional minimum. Lastly, the S(∗) state is assigned to a low lying S1 state structure with intramolecular charge transfer character (ICT) and a pyramidal conformation. It follows that the bent and twisted structures of carotenoids that are found in photosynthetic light-harvesting proteins yield excited-state structures that favor the development of an ICT character and optimized energy transfer yields to (bacterio)chlorophyll acceptors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Carotenoids in Microalgae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henríquez, Vitalia; Escobar, Carolina; Galarza, Janeth; Gimpel, Javier

    Carotenoids are a class of isoprenoids synthesized by all photosynthetic organisms as well as by some non-photosynthetic bacteria and fungi with broad applications in food, feed and cosmetics, and also in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries. Microalgae represent an important source of high-value products, which include carotenoids, among others. Carotenoids play key roles in light harvesting and energy transfer during photosynthesis and in the protection of the photosynthetic apparatus against photooxidative damage. Carotenoids are generally divided into carotenes and xanthophyls, but accumulation in microalgae can also be classified as primary (essential for survival) and secondary (by exposure to specific stimuli).In this chapter, we outline the high value carotenoids produced by commercially important microalgae, their production pathways, the improved production rates that can be achieved by genetic engineering as well as their biotechnological applications.

  13. Modeling compaction-induced energy dissipation of granular HMX

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gonthier, K.A. [Lamar Univ., Beaumont, TX (US). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; Menikoff, R.; Son, S.F.; Asay, B.W. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (US)

    1998-12-31

    A thermodynamically consistent model is developed for the compaction of granular solids. The model is an extension of the single phase limit of two-phase continuum models used to describe Deflagration-to-Detonation Transition (DDT) experiments. The focus is on the energetics and dissipation of the compaction process. Changes in volume fraction are partitioned into reversible and irreversible components. Unlike conventional DDT models, the model is applicable from the quasi-static to dynamic compaction regimes for elastic, plastic, or brittle materials. When applied to the compaction of granular HMX (a brittle material), the model predicts results commensurate with experiments including stress relaxation, hysteresis, and energy dissipation. The model provides a suitable starting point for the development of thermal energy localization sub-scale models based on compaction-induced dissipation.

  14. Energy Dissipation in Sandwich Structures During Axial Compression

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Urban, Jesper

    2002-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to investigate the energy dissipation in sandwich structures during axial crushing. Axial crushing tests on six sandwich elements are described. The sandwich elements consist of a polyurethane core and E-glass/Polyester skin. The elements compare to full-scale structu......The purpose of this paper is to investigate the energy dissipation in sandwich structures during axial crushing. Axial crushing tests on six sandwich elements are described. The sandwich elements consist of a polyurethane core and E-glass/Polyester skin. The elements compare to full...

  15. Vibronic coupling explains the ultrafast carotenoid-to-bacteriochlorophyll energy transfer in natural and artificial light harvesters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Perlík, Václav; Seibt, Joachim; Šanda, František; Mančal, Tomáš [Institute of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University in Prague, Ke Karlovu 5, Prague 121 16 (Czech Republic); Cranston, Laura J.; Cogdell, Richard J. [Institute of Molecular Cell and System Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, Scotland (United Kingdom); Lincoln, Craig N.; Hauer, Jürgen, E-mail: juergen.hauer@tuwien.ac.at [Photonics Institute, Vienna University of Technology, Gusshausstrasse 27, 1040 Vienna (Austria); Savolainen, Janne [Department of Physical Chemistry II, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44780 Bochum (Germany)

    2015-06-07

    The initial energy transfer steps in photosynthesis occur on ultrafast timescales. We analyze the carotenoid to bacteriochlorophyll energy transfer in LH2 Marichromatium purpuratum as well as in an artificial light-harvesting dyad system by using transient grating and two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy with 10 fs time resolution. We find that Förster-type models reproduce the experimentally observed 60 fs transfer times, but overestimate coupling constants, which lead to a disagreement with both linear absorption and electronic 2D-spectra. We show that a vibronic model, which treats carotenoid vibrations on both electronic ground and excited states as part of the system’s Hamiltonian, reproduces all measured quantities. Importantly, the vibronic model presented here can explain the fast energy transfer rates with only moderate coupling constants, which are in agreement with structure based calculations. Counterintuitively, the vibrational levels on the carotenoid electronic ground state play the central role in the excited state population transfer to bacteriochlorophyll; resonance between the donor-acceptor energy gap and the vibrational ground state energies is the physical basis of the ultrafast energy transfer rates in these systems.

  16. Vibronic coupling explains the ultrafast carotenoid-to-bacteriochlorophyll energy transfer in natural and artificial light harvesters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perlík, Václav; Seibt, Joachim; Šanda, František; Mančal, Tomáš; Cranston, Laura J.; Cogdell, Richard J.; Lincoln, Craig N.; Hauer, Jürgen; Savolainen, Janne

    2015-01-01

    The initial energy transfer steps in photosynthesis occur on ultrafast timescales. We analyze the carotenoid to bacteriochlorophyll energy transfer in LH2 Marichromatium purpuratum as well as in an artificial light-harvesting dyad system by using transient grating and two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy with 10 fs time resolution. We find that Förster-type models reproduce the experimentally observed 60 fs transfer times, but overestimate coupling constants, which lead to a disagreement with both linear absorption and electronic 2D-spectra. We show that a vibronic model, which treats carotenoid vibrations on both electronic ground and excited states as part of the system’s Hamiltonian, reproduces all measured quantities. Importantly, the vibronic model presented here can explain the fast energy transfer rates with only moderate coupling constants, which are in agreement with structure based calculations. Counterintuitively, the vibrational levels on the carotenoid electronic ground state play the central role in the excited state population transfer to bacteriochlorophyll; resonance between the donor-acceptor energy gap and the vibrational ground state energies is the physical basis of the ultrafast energy transfer rates in these systems

  17. Non-dissipative energy capture of confined liquid in nanopores

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Baoxing; Chen, Xi [Columbia Nanomechanics Research Center, Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027 (United States); Lu, Weiyi; Zhao, Cang [Department of Structural Engineering, University of California–San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0085 (United States); Qiao, Yu, E-mail: yqiao@ucsd.edu [Department of Structural Engineering, University of California–San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0085 (United States); Program of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California–San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States)

    2014-05-19

    In the past, energy absorption of protection/damping materials is mainly based on energy dissipation, which causes a fundamental conflict between the requirements of safety/comfort and efficiency. In the current study, a nanofluidic “energy capture” system is reported, which is based on nanoporous materials and nonwetting liquid. Both molecular dynamics simulations and experiments show that as the liquid overcomes the capillary effect and infiltrates into the nanopores, the mechanical energy of a stress wave could be temporarily stored by the confined liquid phase and isolated from the wave energy transmission path. Such a system can work under a relatively low pressure for mitigating high-pressure stress waves, not necessarily involved in any energy dissipation processes.

  18. Non-dissipative energy capture of confined liquid in nanopores

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, Baoxing; Chen, Xi; Lu, Weiyi; Zhao, Cang; Qiao, Yu

    2014-01-01

    In the past, energy absorption of protection/damping materials is mainly based on energy dissipation, which causes a fundamental conflict between the requirements of safety/comfort and efficiency. In the current study, a nanofluidic “energy capture” system is reported, which is based on nanoporous materials and nonwetting liquid. Both molecular dynamics simulations and experiments show that as the liquid overcomes the capillary effect and infiltrates into the nanopores, the mechanical energy of a stress wave could be temporarily stored by the confined liquid phase and isolated from the wave energy transmission path. Such a system can work under a relatively low pressure for mitigating high-pressure stress waves, not necessarily involved in any energy dissipation processes.

  19. Genetic manipulation of carotenoid biosynthesis and photoprotection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pogson, B J; Rissler, H M

    2000-10-29

    There are multiple complementary and redundant mechanisms to provide protection against photo-oxidative damage, including non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). NPQ dissipates excess excitation energy as heat by using xanthophylls in combination with changes to the light-harvesting complex (LHC) antenna. The xanthophylls are oxygenated carotenoids that in addition to contributing to NPQ can quench singlet or triplet chlorophyll and are necessary for the assembly and stability of the antenna. We have genetically manipulated the expression of the epsilon-cyclase and beta-carotene hydroxylase carotenoid biosynthetic enzymes in Arabidopsis thaliana. The epsilon-cyclase overexpression confirmed that lut2 (lutein deficient) is a mutation in the epsilon-cyclase gene and demonstrated that lutein content can be altered at the level of mRNA abundance with levels ranging from 0 to 180% of wild-type. Also, it is clear that lutein affects the induction and extent of NPQ. The deleterious effects of lutein deficiency on NPQ in Arabidopsis and Chlamydomonas are additive, no matter what the genetic background, whether npq1 (zeaxanthin deficient), aba1 or antisense beta-hydroxylase (xanthophyll cycle pool decreased). Additionally, increasing lutein content causes a marginal, but significant, increase in the rate of induction of NPQ despite a reduction in the xanthophyll cycle pool size.

  20. Quenching Capabilities of Long-Chain Carotenoids in Light-Harvesting-2 Complexes from Rhodobacter sphaeroides with an Engineered Carotenoid Synthesis Pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dilbeck, Preston L; Tang, Qun; Mothersole, David J; Martin, Elizabeth C; Hunter, C Neil; Bocian, David F; Holten, Dewey; Niedzwiedzki, Dariusz M

    2016-06-23

    Six light-harvesting-2 complexes (LH2) from genetically modified strains of the purple photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter (Rb.) sphaeroides were studied using static and ultrafast optical methods and resonance Raman spectroscopy. These strains were engineered to incorporate carotenoids for which the number of conjugated groups (N = NC═C + NC═O) varies from 9 to 15. The Rb. sphaeroides strains incorporate their native carotenoids spheroidene (N = 10) and spheroidenone (N = 11), as well as longer-chain analogues including spirilloxanthin (N = 13) and diketospirilloxantion (N = 15) normally found in Rhodospirillum rubrum. Measurements of the properties of the carotenoid first singlet excited state (S1) in antennas from the Rb. sphaeroides set show that carotenoid-bacteriochlorophyll a (BChl a) interactions are similar to those in LH2 complexes from various other bacterial species and thus are not significantly impacted by differences in polypeptide composition. Instead, variations in carotenoid-to-BChl a energy transfer are primarily regulated by the N-determined energy of the carotenoid S1 excited state, which for long-chain (N ≥ 13) carotenoids is not involved in energy transfer. Furthermore, the role of the long-chain carotenoids switches from a light-harvesting supporter (via energy transfer to BChl a) to a quencher of the BChl a S1 excited state B850*. This quenching is manifested as a substantial (∼2-fold) reduction of the B850* lifetime and the B850* fluorescence quantum yield for LH2 housing the longest carotenoids.

  1. Energy dissipation in a finite volume of magnetic fluid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bashtovoi, V.; Motsar, A.; Reks, A., E-mail: alexfx20@yandex.ru

    2017-06-01

    This study is devoted to investigation of energy dissipation processes which happen in a magnetic fluid drop with compound magnet during its motion in cylindrical non magnetic container. The possibility of energy dissipation control by means of electromagnetic field is examined. It's found that a change of magnetic field of compound magnet can lead to both increase and decrease of oscillation decay time and relative damping factor can be varied in a range of ±35%.

  2. A comparison of various Gibbs energy dissipation correlations for predicting microbial growth yields

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, J.-S. [Laboratory of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, EPFL, CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland); Vojinovic, V. [Laboratory of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, EPFL, CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland); Patino, R. [Cinvestav-Merida, Departamento de Fisica Aplicada, Km. 6 carretera antigua a Progreso, AP 73 Cordemex, 97310 Merida, Yucatan (Mexico); Maskow, Th. [UFZ Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Environmental Microbiology, Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318 Leipzig (Germany); Stockar, U. von [Laboratory of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, EPFL, CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland)]. E-mail: urs.vonStockar@epfl.ch

    2007-06-25

    Thermodynamic analysis may be applied in order to predict microbial growth yields roughly, based on an empirical correlation of the Gibbs energy of the overall growth reaction or Gibbs energy dissipation. Due to the well-known trade-off between high biomass yield and high Gibbs energy dissipation necessary for fast growth, an optimal range of Gibbs energy dissipation exists and it can be correlated to physical characteristics of the growth substrates. A database previously available in the literature has been extended significantly in order to test such correlations. An analysis of the relationship between biomass yield and Gibbs energy dissipation reveals that one does not need a very precise estimation of the latter to predict the former roughly. Approximating the Gibbs energy dissipation with a constant universal value of -500 kJ C-mol{sup -1} of dry biomass grown predicts many experimental growth yields nearly as well as a carefully designed, complex correlation available from the literature, even though a number of predictions are grossly out of range. A new correlation for Gibbs energy dissipation is proposed which is just as accurate as the complex literature correlation despite its dramatically simpler structure.

  3. A comparison of various Gibbs energy dissipation correlations for predicting microbial growth yields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, J.-S.; Vojinovic, V.; Patino, R.; Maskow, Th.; Stockar, U. von

    2007-01-01

    Thermodynamic analysis may be applied in order to predict microbial growth yields roughly, based on an empirical correlation of the Gibbs energy of the overall growth reaction or Gibbs energy dissipation. Due to the well-known trade-off between high biomass yield and high Gibbs energy dissipation necessary for fast growth, an optimal range of Gibbs energy dissipation exists and it can be correlated to physical characteristics of the growth substrates. A database previously available in the literature has been extended significantly in order to test such correlations. An analysis of the relationship between biomass yield and Gibbs energy dissipation reveals that one does not need a very precise estimation of the latter to predict the former roughly. Approximating the Gibbs energy dissipation with a constant universal value of -500 kJ C-mol -1 of dry biomass grown predicts many experimental growth yields nearly as well as a carefully designed, complex correlation available from the literature, even though a number of predictions are grossly out of range. A new correlation for Gibbs energy dissipation is proposed which is just as accurate as the complex literature correlation despite its dramatically simpler structure

  4. ENERGY DISSIPATION IN MAGNETIC NULL POINTS AT KINETIC SCALES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olshevsky, Vyacheslav; Lapenta, Giovanni; Divin, Andrey; Eriksson, Elin; Markidis, Stefano

    2015-01-01

    We use kinetic particle-in-cell and MHD simulations supported by an observational data set to investigate magnetic reconnection in clusters of null points in space plasma. The magnetic configuration under investigation is driven by fast adiabatic flux rope compression that dissipates almost half of the initial magnetic field energy. In this phase powerful currents are excited producing secondary instabilities, and the system is brought into a state of “intermittent turbulence” within a few ion gyro-periods. Reconnection events are distributed all over the simulation domain and energy dissipation is rather volume-filling. Numerous spiral null points interconnected via their spines form null lines embedded into magnetic flux ropes; null point pairs demonstrate the signatures of torsional spine reconnection. However, energy dissipation mainly happens in the shear layers formed by adjacent flux ropes with oppositely directed currents. In these regions radial null pairs are spontaneously emerging and vanishing, associated with electron streams and small-scale current sheets. The number of spiral nulls in the simulation outweighs the number of radial nulls by a factor of 5–10, in accordance with Cluster observations in the Earth's magnetosheath. Twisted magnetic fields with embedded spiral null points might indicate the regions of major energy dissipation for future space missions such as the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission

  5. Wave Dissipation on Low- to Super-Energy Coral Reefs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, D. L.

    2016-02-01

    Coral reefs are valuable, complex and bio-diverse ecosystems and are also known to be one of the most effective barriers to swell events in coastal environments. Previous research has found coral reefs to be remarkably efficient in removing most of the wave energy during the initial breaking and transformation on the reef flats. The rate of dissipation is so rapid that coral reefs have been referred to as rougher than any known coastal barrier. The dissipation of wave energy across reef flats is crucial in maintaining the relatively low-energy conditions in the back reef and lagoonal environments providing vital protection to adjacent beach or coastal regions from cyclone and storm events. A shift in the regulation of wave energy by reef flats could have catastrophic consequences ecologically, socially, and economically. This study examined the dissipation of wave energy during two swell events in Tahiti and Moorea, French Polyesia. Field sites were chosen in varying degrees of exposure and geomorphology from low-energy protected sites (Tiahura, Moorea) to super-energy sites (Teahupo'o, Tahiti). Waves were measured during two moderate to large swell events in cross reef transects using short-term high-resolution pressure transducers. Wave conditions were found to be similar in all back reef locations despite the very different wave exposure at each reef site. However, wave conditions on the reef flats were different and mirrored the variation in wave exposure with depth over the reef flat the primary regulator of reef flat wave height. These results indicate that coral reef flats evolve morphodynamically with the wave climate, which creates coral reef geomorphologies capable of dissipating wave energy that results in similar back reef wave conditions regardless of the offshore wave climate.

  6. Research on Characteristics of New Energy Dissipation With Symmetrical Structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ming, Wen; Huang, Chun-mei; Huang, Hao-wen; Wang, Xin-fang

    2018-03-01

    Utilizing good energy consumption capacity of arc steel bar, a new energy dissipation with symmetrical structure was proposed in this article. On the base of collection experimental data of damper specimen Under low cyclic reversed loading, finite element models were built by using ANSYS software, and influences of parameter change (Conduction rod diameter, Actuation plate thickness, Diameter of arc steel rod, Curved bars initial bending) on energy dissipation performance were analyzed. Some useful conclusions which can lay foundations for practical application were drawn.

  7. Cancer is an adaptation that selects in animals against energy dissipation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muller, Anthonie W J

    2017-07-01

    As cancer usually follows reproduction, it is generally assumed that cancer does not select. Graham has however argued that juvenile cancer, which precedes reproduction, could during evolution have implemented a "cancer selection" that resulted in novel traits that suppress this juvenile cancer; an example is protection against UV sunlight-induced cancer, required for the emergence of terrestrial animals from the sea. We modify the cancer selection mechanism to the posited "cancer adaptation" mechanism, in which juvenile mortality is enhanced through the diminished care received by juveniles from their (grand) parents when these suffer from cancer in old age. Moreover, it is posited that the cancer adaptation selects against germline "dissipative genes", genes that result in enhanced free energy dissipation. Cancer's progression is interpreted as a cascade at increasing scale of repeated amplification of energy dissipation, a cascade involving heat shock, the Warburg effect, the cytokine IL-6, tumours, and hypermetabolism. Disturbance of any physiological process must enhance energy dissipation if the animal remains functioning normally, what explains multicausality, why "everything gives you cancer". The hypothesis thus comprises two newly invoked partial processes-diminished (grand) parental care and dissipation amplification-and results in a "selection against enhanced energy dissipation" which gives during evolution the benefit of energy conservation. Due to this benefit, cancer would essentially be an adaptation, and not a genetic disease, as assumed in the "somatic mutation theory". Cancer by somatic mutations is only a side process. The cancer adaptation hypothesis is substantiated by (1) cancer's extancy, (2) the failure of the somatic mutation theory, (3) cancer's initiation by a high temperature, (4) the interpretation of cancer's progression as a thermal process, and (5) the interpretation of tumours as organs that implement thermogenesis. The hypothesis

  8. Energy density of a dissipative polarizable solid by a Lagrangean formalism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Englman, R.; Yahalom, A.

    2003-01-01

    A Lagrangean for the dynamics of an electromagnetic field in a dispersive and dissipative material is constructed (adapting some ideas by Bekenstein and Hannay) and an expression for the energy density that is positive is obtained from it. The expression contains extra (sink) degrees of freedom that represent dissipating modes. In simplified cases the sink modes can be eliminated to yield an energy density expression in terms of the electromagnetic fields, the polarization and the magnetization only, but which contains parameters associated with the sink modes. The method of adding extra modes can be used to set up a Lagrangean formalism for dissipative systems in general, such that will reinstate time-translation invariance and will yield a unique energy density

  9. Relationship between dynamical entropy and energy dissipation far from thermodynamic equilibrium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Jason R.; Costa, Anthony B.; Grzybowski, Bartosz A.; Szleifer, Igal

    2013-01-01

    Connections between microscopic dynamical observables and macroscopic nonequilibrium (NE) properties have been pursued in statistical physics since Boltzmann, Gibbs, and Maxwell. The simulations we describe here establish a relationship between the Kolmogorov–Sinai entropy and the energy dissipated as heat from a NE system to its environment. First, we show that the Kolmogorov–Sinai or dynamical entropy can be separated into system and bath components and that the entropy of the system characterizes the dynamics of energy dissipation. Second, we find that the average change in the system dynamical entropy is linearly related to the average change in the energy dissipated to the bath. The constant energy and time scales of the bath fix the dynamical relationship between these two quantities. These results provide a link between microscopic dynamical variables and the macroscopic energetics of NE processes. PMID:24065832

  10. Carotenoid Photoprotection in Artificial Photosynthetic Antennas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kloz, Miroslav [VU Univ., Amsterdam (Netherlands); Pillai, Smitha [Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States); Kodis, Gerdenis [Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States); Gust, Devens [Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States); Moore, Thomas A. [Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States); Moore, Ana L. [Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States); van Grondelle, Rienk [VU Univ., Amsterdam (Netherlands); Kennis, John T. M. [VU Univ., Amsterdam (Netherlands)

    2011-04-14

    A series of phthalocyanine-carotenoid dyads in which a phenylamino group links a phthalocyanine to carotenoids having 8-11 backbone double bonds were examined by visible and near-infrared femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy combined with global fitting analysis. The series of molecules has permitted investigation of the role of carotenoids in the quenching of excited states of cyclic tetrapyrroles. The transient behavior varied dramatically with the length of the carotenoid and the solvent environment. Clear spectroscopic signatures of radical species revealed photoinduced electron transfer as the main quenching mechanism for all dyads dissolved in a polar solvent (THF), and the quenching rate was almost independent of carotenoid length. However, in a nonpolar solvent (toluene), quenching rates displayed a strong dependence on the conjugation length of the carotenoid and the mechanism did not include charge separation. The lack of any rise time components of a carotenoid S1 signature in all experiments in toluene suggests that an excitonic coupling between the carotenoid S1 state and phthalocyanine Q state, rather than a conventional energy transfer process, is the major mechanism of quenching. A pronounced inhomogeneity of the system was observed and attributed to the presence of a phenyl-amino linker between phthalocyanine and carotenoids. On the basis of accumulated work on various caroteno-phthalocyanine dyads and triads, we have now identified three mechanisms of tetrapyrrole singlet excited state quenching by carotenoids in artificial systems: (i) Car-Pc electron transfer and recombination; (ii)1Pc to Car S1 energy transfer and fast internal conversion to the Car ground state; (iii) excitonic coupling between 1Pc and Car S1 and ensuing internal conversion to the ground state of the carotenoid. The dominant mechanism depends upon the exact molecular architecture and solvent environment

  11. Energy Dissipation Rate in an Agitated Crucible Containing Molten Metal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Tao; Shimasaki, Shin-ichi; Narita, Shunsuke; Taniguchi, Shoji

    2017-10-01

    The energy dissipation rate (EDR) is an important parameter for characterizing the behavior of inclusion coagulation in agitated molten metal. To clarify the inclusion coagulation mechanism, we review previous water model studies by particularly focusing on the relation between the impeller torque and the EDR of the fluid, which indicates the ratio of energy dissipated in the viscous medium to the energy inputted by the rotating impeller. In the present study, simulations coupled with experiments were performed to determine the relation between the torque and the effective EDR for water and liquid Al in crucibles with and without baffles.

  12. Dissipation and energy balance in electronic dynamics of Na clusters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vincendon, Marc; Suraud, Eric; Reinhard, Paul-Gerhard

    2017-06-01

    We investigate the impact of dissipation on the energy balance in the electron dynamics of metal clusters excited by strong electro-magnetic pulses. The dynamics is described theoretically by Time-Dependent Density-Functional Theory (TDDFT) at the level of Local Density Approximation (LDA) augmented by a self interaction correction term and a quantum collision term in Relaxation-Time Approximation (RTA). We evaluate the separate contributions to the total excitation energy, namely energy exported by electron emission, potential energy due to changing charge state, intrinsic kinetic and potential energy, and collective flow energy. The balance of these energies is studied as function of the laser parameters (frequency, intensity, pulse length) and as function of system size and charge. We also look at collisions with a highly charged ion and here at the dependence on the impact parameter (close versus distant collisions). Dissipation turns out to be small where direct electron emission prevails namely for laser frequencies above any ionization threshold and for slow electron extraction in distant collisions. Dissipation is large for fast collisions and at low laser frequencies, particularly at resonances. Contribution to the Topical Issue "Dynamics of Systems at the Nanoscale", edited by Andrey Solov'yov and Andrei Korol.

  13. Energy conversion and dissipation at dipolarization fronts: Theory, modeling and MMS observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sitnov, M. I.; Motoba, T.; Merkin, V. G.; Ohtani, S.; Cohen, I. J.; Mauk, B.; Vines, S. K.; Anderson, B. J.; Moore, T. E.; Torbert, R. B.; Giles, B. L.; Burch, J. L.

    2017-12-01

    Magnetic reconnection is one of the most important energy conversion mechanisms in space plasmas. In the classical picture it converts the energy of antiparallel magnetic fields into the kinetic and thermal energy of accelerated plasma particles in reconnection exhausts. It also involves energy dissipation near the X-line. This classical picture may be substantially modified in real space plasma configurations, such as the dayside magnetopause and the magnetotail. In particular, in the magnetotail the flows of accelerated particles may be strongly asymmetric along the tail with the domination of earthward flows. At the same time, strong energy conversion and even dissipation may occur away from the X-line, in particular, at dipolarization fronts. Here we present a theoretical picture of spontaneous magnetotail reconnection based on 3-D PIC simulations with the focus on plasma bulk flows, energy conversion and dissipation. This picture is compared with some observations from the MMS tail season. An important finding from these observations is that dipolarizations fronts may not only be regions of the total energy conversion with jE>0, but they may also be the sites of energy dissipation, both positive (jE'>0, E' is the electric field E in the system moving with one of the plasma species) and negative (jE'braking).

  14. Energy dissipators

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Vischer, D. L; Hager, Willi H; Hager, W. H

    1995-01-01

    .... the book comprises chapters in farious fields such as hydraulic jump, stilling basins, ski jumps and plunge pools but introduces also a general account on various methods of dissipation, as well...

  15. Mechanism of active transport: free energy dissipation and free energy transduction.

    OpenAIRE

    Tanford, C

    1982-01-01

    The thermodynamic pathway for "chemiosmotic" free energy transduction in active transport is discussed with an ATP-driven Ca2+ pump as an illustrative example. Two innovations are made in the analysis. (i) Free energy dissipated as heat is rigorously excluded from overall free energy bookkeeping by focusing on the dynamic equilibrium state of the chemiosmotic process. (ii) Separate chemical potential terms for free energy donor and transported ions are used to keep track of the thermodynamic ...

  16. Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Nanofluids Used for Heat Dissipation in Hybrid Green Energy Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi-Hsuan Hung

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This study was conducted to characterize carbon nanotube (CNT/water nanofluids (CNWNFs and to apply the nanofluids in a heat-dissipation system of dual green energy sources. CNTs were mixed with water in weight fractions of 0.125%, 0.25%, and 0.5% to produce nanofluids. The thermal conductivity, density, viscosity, and specific heat of the nanofluids were measured. An experimental platform consisting of a simulated dual energy source and a microchip controller was established to evaluate the heat-dissipation performance. Two indices, the heat dissipation enhancement ratio and specific heat dissipation enhancement ratio (SHDER, were defined and calculated. The CNWNFs with a CNT concentration of 0.125 wt.% were used because they exhibited the highest SHDER. The steady-state performance was evaluated at 2 flow rates, 11 hybrid flow ratios, and 3 heating ratios for a total power of 1000 W. The transient behavior of the energy sources at preset optimal temperatures was examined, and the CNWNFs exhibited average increases in stability and heat dissipation efficiency of 36.2% and 5%, respectively, compared with water. This nanofluid heat-dissipation system is expected to be integrated with real dual energy sources in the near future.

  17. Energy balance for a dissipative quantum system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, Jishad

    2014-01-01

    The role of random force in maintaining equilibrium in a dissipative quantum system is studied here. We compute the instantaneous power supplied by the fluctuating (random) force, which provides information about the work done by the random force on the quantum subsystem of interest. The quantum Langevin equation formalism is used here to verify that, at equilibrium, the work done by the fluctuating force balances the energy lost by the quantum subsystem to the heat bath. The quantum subsystem we choose to couple to the heat bath is the charged oscillator in a magnetic field. We perform the calculations using the Drude regularized spectral density of bath oscillators instead of using a strict ohmic spectral density that gives memoryless damping. We also discuss the energy balance for our dissipative quantum system and in this regard it is to be understood that the physical system is the charged magneto-oscillator coupled to the heat bath, not the uncoupled charged magneto-oscillator. (paper)

  18. Effect of angular-momentum dissipation and fluctuation on energy coherence lengths and time evolution in the dissipative collision 28Si+48Ti

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kun, S.Yu.; WITS Univ., Johannesburg; Noerenberg, W.; TH Darmstadt; Papa, M.

    1992-09-01

    We analyze the energy autocorrelation functions and the energy coherence lengths in the strongly dissipative collision 28 Si(E lab = 130 MeV) + 4 8Ti for Z=11 and 12 reaction fragments. It is found that in order to obtain a good fit of both the energy averaged angular distributions and the angular dependence of the energy coherence lengths one has to take into account (i) the dissipation and fluctuation of the relative angular momentum of the dinucleus and (ii) the contribution from direct (fast) reactions in addition to the statistical (relatively slow) interaction processes. The established angular dependence is a direct consequence of the angular-momentum dissipation-fluctuation effects on the time-space evolution of the intermediate dinucleus. (orig.)

  19. Nanomechanical dissipation at a tip-induced Kondo onset

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baruselli, Pier Paolo; Fabrizio, Michele; Tosatti, Erio

    2017-08-01

    The onset or demise of Kondo effect in a magnetic impurity on a metal surface can be triggered, as sometimes observed, by the simple mechanical nudging of a tip. Such a mechanically driven quantum phase transition must reflect in a corresponding mechanical dissipation peak; yet, this kind of signature has not been focused upon so far. Aiming at the simplest theoretical modeling, we treat the impurity as an Anderson impurity model, the tip action as a hybridization switching, and solve the problem by numerical renormalization group. Studying this model as function of temperature and magnetic field we are able to isolate the Kondo contribution to dissipation. While that is, reasonably, of the order of the Kondo energy, its temperature evolution shows a surprisingly large tail even above the Kondo temperature. The detectability of Kondo mechanical dissipation in atomic force microscopy is also discussed.

  20. Energy spectrum, dissipation, and spatial structures in reduced Hall magnetohydrodynamic

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martin, L. N.; Dmitruk, P. [Departamento de Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires and IFIBA, CONICET, Ciudad Universitaria, 1428 Buenos Aires (Argentina); Gomez, D. O. [Departamento de Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires and IFIBA, CONICET, Ciudad Universitaria, 1428 Buenos Aires (Argentina); Instituto de Astronomia y Fisica del Espacio, CONICET, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

    2012-05-15

    We analyze the effect of the Hall term in the magnetohydrodynamic turbulence under a strong externally supported magnetic field, seeing how this changes the energy cascade, the characteristic scales of the flow, and the dynamics of global magnitudes, with particular interest in the dissipation. Numerical simulations of freely evolving three-dimensional reduced magnetohydrodynamics are performed, for different values of the Hall parameter (the ratio of the ion skin depth to the macroscopic scale of the turbulence) controlling the impact of the Hall term. The Hall effect modifies the transfer of energy across scales, slowing down the transfer of energy from the large scales up to the Hall scale (ion skin depth) and carrying faster the energy from the Hall scale to smaller scales. The final outcome is an effective shift of the dissipation scale to larger scales but also a development of smaller scales. Current sheets (fundamental structures for energy dissipation) are affected in two ways by increasing the Hall effect, with a widening but at the same time generating an internal structure within them. In the case where the Hall term is sufficiently intense, the current sheet is fully delocalized. The effect appears to reduce impulsive effects in the flow, making it less intermittent.

  1. Extrema principles of entrophy production and energy dissipation in fluid mechanics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horne, W. Clifton; Karamcheti, Krishnamurty

    1988-01-01

    A survey is presented of several extrema principles of energy dissipation as applied to problems in fluid mechanics. An exact equation is derived for the dissipation function of a homogeneous, isotropic, Newtonian fluid, with terms associated with irreversible compression or expansion, wave radiation, and the square of the vorticity. By using entropy extrema principles, simple flows such as the incompressible channel flow and the cylindrical vortex are identified as minimal dissipative distributions. The principal notions of stability of parallel shear flows appears to be associated with a maximum dissipation condition. These different conditions are consistent with Prigogine's classification of thermodynamic states into categories of equilibrium, linear nonequilibrium, and nonlinear nonequilibrium thermodynamics; vortices and acoustic waves appear as examples of dissipative structures. The measurements of a typical periodic shear flow, the rectangular wall jet, show that direct measurements of the dissipative terms are possible.

  2. Stable schemes for dissipative particle dynamics with conserved energy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stoltz, Gabriel, E-mail: stoltz@cermics.enpc.fr

    2017-07-01

    This article presents a new numerical scheme for the discretization of dissipative particle dynamics with conserved energy. The key idea is to reduce elementary pairwise stochastic dynamics (either fluctuation/dissipation or thermal conduction) to effective single-variable dynamics, and to approximate the solution of these dynamics with one step of a Metropolis–Hastings algorithm. This ensures by construction that no negative internal energies are encountered during the simulation, and hence allows to increase the admissible timesteps to integrate the dynamics, even for systems with small heat capacities. Stability is only limited by the Hamiltonian part of the dynamics, which suggests resorting to multiple timestep strategies where the stochastic part is integrated less frequently than the Hamiltonian one.

  3. A dissipated energy comparison to evaluate fatigue resistance using 2-point bending

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cinzia Maggiore

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Fatigue is the main failure mode in pavement engineering. Typically, micro-cracks originate at the bottom of asphalt concrete layer due to horizontal tensile strains. Micro-cracks start to propagate towards the upper layers under repeated loading which can lead to pavement failure. Different methods are usually used to describe fatigue behavior in asphalt materials such as: phenomenological approach, fracture mechanics approach and dissipated energy approach. This paper presents a comparison of fatigue resistances calculated for different dissipated energy models using 2-point bending (2PB at IFSTTAR in Nantes. 2PB tests have been undertaken under different loading and environmental conditions in order to evaluate the properties of the mixtures (stiffness, dissipated energy, fatigue life and healing effect.

  4. Energy principles for linear dissipative systems with application to resistive MHD stability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pletzer, A.

    1997-04-01

    A formalism for the construction of energy principles for dissipative systems is presented. It is shown that dissipative systems satisfy a conservation law for the bilinear Hamiltonian provided the Lagrangian is time invariant. The energy on the other hand, differs from the Hamiltonian by being quadratic and by having a negative definite time derivative (positive power dissipation). The energy is a Lyapunov functional whose definiteness yields necessary and sufficient stability criteria. The stability problem of resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) is addressed: the energy principle for ideal MHD is generalized and the stability criterion by Tasso is shown to be necessary in addition to sufficient for real growth rates. An energy principle is found for the inner layer equations that yields the resistive stability criterion D R <0 in the incompressible limit, whereas the tearing mode criterion Δ'<0 is shown to result from the conservation law of the bilinear concomitant in the resistive layer. (author) 1 fig., 25 refs

  5. Copolymer natural latex in concrete: Dynamic evaluation through energy dissipation of polymer modified concrete

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andayani, Sih Wuri; Suratman, Rochim; Imran, Iswandi; Mardiyati

    2018-05-01

    Portland cement concrete have been used in construction due to its strength and ecomical value. But it has some limitations, such low flexural strength, low tensile strength, low chemical resistant and etc. Due to its limitations in flexural and tensile strength, Portland cement concrete more susceptible by seismic force. There are some methods for improving its limitations. Polymer addition into concrete mixture could be one of solution for improving the flexural and tensile strength, in aiming to get erthquake resistant properties. Also, the eartquake resistant could be achieved by improving energy dissipation capacity. In this research, the earthquake resistant evalution was approached from dynamic evaluation through energy dissipation capacity, after polymer addition as concrete additives. The polymers were natural latex (Indonesian naural resource) grafted with styrene and methacrylate, forming copolymer - natural latex methacrylate (KOLAM) and copolymer - natural latex styrene (KOLAS). They were added into concrete mixture resulting polymer modified concrete. The composition of polymer are 1%, 5% and 10% weight/weight of cement. The higher capacity of energy dissipation will give more capability in either absorbing or dissipating energy, and it was predicted would give better earthquake resistant.. The use of KOLAM gave better performance than KOLAS in energy dissipation capacity. It gave about 46% for addition of 1% w/w compared to Portland cement concrete. But for addition 5% w/w and 10% w/w, they gave about 7% and 5% higher energy dissipation capacity. The KOLAM addition into concrete mixture would reduce the maximum impact load with maximumabout 35% impact load reducing after 1% w/w addition. The higher concentration of KOLAM in concrete mixture, lower reducing of impact load, they were about 4% and 3% for KOLAM 5% and 10%. For KOLAS addition in any compositions, there were no positive trend either in energy dissipation capacity or impact load properties

  6. Optimal design of base isolation and energy dissipation system for nuclear power plant structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Fulin

    1991-01-01

    This paper suggests the method of optimal design of base isolation and energy dissipation system for earthquake resistant nuclear power plant structures. This method is based on dynamic analysis, shaking table tests for a 1/4 scale model, and a great number of low cycle fatigue failure tests for energy dissipating elements. A set of calculation formulas for optimal design of structures with base isolation and energy dissipation system were introduced, which are able to be used in engineering design for earthquake resistant nuclear power plant structures or other kinds of structures. (author)

  7. Decay of energy and suppression of Fermi acceleration in a dissipative driven stadium-like billiard.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Livorati, André L P; Caldas, Iberê L; Leonel, Edson D

    2012-06-01

    The behavior of the average energy for an ensemble of non-interacting particles is studied using scaling arguments in a dissipative time-dependent stadium-like billiard. The dynamics of the system is described by a four dimensional nonlinear mapping. The dissipation is introduced via inelastic collisions between the particles and the moving boundary. For different combinations of initial velocities and damping coefficients, the long time dynamics of the particles leads them to reach different states of final energy and to visit different attractors, which change as the dissipation is varied. The decay of the average energy of the particles, which is observed for a large range of restitution coefficients and different initial velocities, is described using scaling arguments. Since this system exhibits unlimited energy growth in the absence of dissipation, our results for the dissipative case give support to the principle that Fermi acceleration seems not to be a robust phenomenon.

  8. Photoprotection in an ecological context: the remarkable complexity of thermal energy dissipation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demmig-Adams, Barbara; Adams, William W

    2006-01-01

    This review places photoprotection into the context of ecology and species diversity. The focus is on photoprotection via the safe removal - as thermal energy - of excess solar energy absorbed by the light collecting system, which counteracts the formation of reactive oxygen species. An update on the surprisingly complex, multiple variations of thermal energy dissipation is presented, placing these different forms into ecological and genetic contexts. Zeaxanthin-facilitated, flexible thermal dissipation associated with the PsbS protein and controlled by the trans-thylakoid pH gradient apparently occurs ubiquitously in plants, and can become sustained (and thus less flexible) at low temperatures. Long-lived, slow-growing plants with low intrinsic capacities for photosynthesis have greater capacities for this flexible dissipation than short-lived, fast-growing species. Furthermore, potent, but inflexible (zeaxanthin-facilitated) thermal dissipation, prominent in evergreen species under prolonged environmental stress, is characterized with respect to the involvement of photosystem II core rearrangement and/or degradation as well as the absence of control by trans-thylakoid pH and, possibly, PsbS. A role of PsbS-related proteins in photoprotection is discussed.

  9. Theoretical analysis, infrared and structural investigations of energy dissipation in metals under cyclic loading

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Plekhov, O.A.; Saintier, N.; Palin-Luc, T.; Uvarov, S.V.; Naimark, O.B.

    2007-01-01

    The infrared and structural investigations of energy dissipation processes in metals subjected to cyclic loading have given impetus to the development of a new thermodynamic model with the capability of describing the energy balance under plastic deformation. The model is based on the statistical description of the mesodefect ensemble evolution and its influence on the dissipation ability of the material. Constitutive equations have been formulated for plastic and structural strains, which allow us to describe the stored and dissipated parts of energy under plastic flow. Numerical results indicate that theoretical predictions are in good agreement with the experimentally observed temperature data

  10. A field theory description of constrained energy-dissipation processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mandzhavidze, I.D.; Sisakyan, A.N.

    2002-01-01

    A field theory description of dissipation processes constrained by a high-symmetry group is given. The formalism is presented in the example of the multiple-hadron production processes, where the transition to the thermodynamic equilibrium results from the kinetic energy of colliding particles dissipating into hadron masses. The dynamics of these processes is restricted because the constraints responsible for the colour charge confinement must be taken into account. We develop a more general S-matrix formulation of the thermodynamics of nonequilibrium dissipative processes and find a necessary and sufficient condition for the validity of this description; this condition is similar to the correlation relaxation condition, which, according to Bogolyubov, must apply as the system approaches equilibrium. This situation must physically occur in processes with an extremely high multiplicity, at least if the hadron mass is nonzero. We also describe a new strong-coupling perturbation scheme, which is useful for taking symmetry restrictions on the dynamics of dissipation processes into account. We review the literature devoted to this problem

  11. Strain energy storage and dissipation rate in active cell mechanics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agosti, A.; Ambrosi, D.; Turzi, S.

    2018-05-01

    When living cells are observed at rest on a flat substrate, they can typically exhibit a rounded (symmetric) or an elongated (polarized) shape. Although the cells are apparently at rest, the active stress generated by the molecular motors continuously stretches and drifts the actin network, the cytoskeleton of the cell. In this paper we theoretically compare the energy stored and dissipated in this active system in two geometric configurations of interest: symmetric and polarized. We find that the stored energy is larger for a radially symmetric cell at low activation regime, while the polar configuration has larger strain energy when the active stress is beyond a critical threshold. Conversely, the dissipation of energy in a symmetric cell is always larger than that of a nonsymmetric one. By a combination of symmetry arguments and competition between surface and bulk stress, we argue that radial symmetry is an energetically expensive metastable state that provides access to an infinite number of lower-energy states, the polarized configurations.

  12. Evolutionary origins and functions of the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway in marine diatoms.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sacha Coesel

    Full Text Available Carotenoids are produced by all photosynthetic organisms, where they play essential roles in light harvesting and photoprotection. The carotenoid biosynthetic pathway of diatoms is largely unstudied, but is of particular interest because these organisms have a very different evolutionary history with respect to the Plantae and are thought to be derived from an ancient secondary endosymbiosis between heterotrophic and autotrophic eukaryotes. Furthermore, diatoms have an additional xanthophyll-based cycle for dissipating excess light energy with respect to green algae and higher plants. To explore the origins and functions of the carotenoid pathway in diatoms we searched for genes encoding pathway components in the recently completed genome sequences of two marine diatoms. Consistent with the supplemental xanthophyll cycle in diatoms, we found more copies of the genes encoding violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE and zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP enzymes compared with other photosynthetic eukaryotes. However, the similarity of these enzymes with those of higher plants indicates that they had very probably diversified before the secondary endosymbiosis had occurred, implying that VDE and ZEP represent early eukaryotic innovations in the Plantae. Consequently, the diatom chromist lineage likely obtained all paralogues of ZEP and VDE genes during the process of secondary endosymbiosis by gene transfer from the nucleus of the algal endosymbiont to the host nucleus. Furthermore, the presence of a ZEP gene in Tetrahymena thermophila provides the first evidence for a secondary plastid gene encoded in a heterotrophic ciliate, providing support for the chromalveolate hypothesis. Protein domain structures and expression analyses in the pennate diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum indicate diverse roles for the different ZEP and VDE isoforms and demonstrate that they are differentially regulated by light. These studies therefore reveal the ancient origins of several

  13. Evolutionary origins and functions of the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway in marine diatoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coesel, Sacha; Oborník, Miroslav; Varela, Joao; Falciatore, Angela; Bowler, Chris

    2008-08-06

    Carotenoids are produced by all photosynthetic organisms, where they play essential roles in light harvesting and photoprotection. The carotenoid biosynthetic pathway of diatoms is largely unstudied, but is of particular interest because these organisms have a very different evolutionary history with respect to the Plantae and are thought to be derived from an ancient secondary endosymbiosis between heterotrophic and autotrophic eukaryotes. Furthermore, diatoms have an additional xanthophyll-based cycle for dissipating excess light energy with respect to green algae and higher plants. To explore the origins and functions of the carotenoid pathway in diatoms we searched for genes encoding pathway components in the recently completed genome sequences of two marine diatoms. Consistent with the supplemental xanthophyll cycle in diatoms, we found more copies of the genes encoding violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE) and zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP) enzymes compared with other photosynthetic eukaryotes. However, the similarity of these enzymes with those of higher plants indicates that they had very probably diversified before the secondary endosymbiosis had occurred, implying that VDE and ZEP represent early eukaryotic innovations in the Plantae. Consequently, the diatom chromist lineage likely obtained all paralogues of ZEP and VDE genes during the process of secondary endosymbiosis by gene transfer from the nucleus of the algal endosymbiont to the host nucleus. Furthermore, the presence of a ZEP gene in Tetrahymena thermophila provides the first evidence for a secondary plastid gene encoded in a heterotrophic ciliate, providing support for the chromalveolate hypothesis. Protein domain structures and expression analyses in the pennate diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum indicate diverse roles for the different ZEP and VDE isoforms and demonstrate that they are differentially regulated by light. These studies therefore reveal the ancient origins of several components of the

  14. Seismic energy dissipation study of linear fluid viscous dampers in steel structure design

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Ras

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Energy dissipation systems in civil engineering structures are sought when it comes to removing unwanted energy such as earthquake and wind. Among these systems, there is combination of structural steel frames with passive energy dissipation provided by Fluid Viscous Dampers (FVD. This device is increasingly used to provide better seismic protection for existing as well as new buildings and bridges. A 3D numerical investigation is done considering the seismic response of a twelve-storey steel building moment frame with diagonal FVD that have linear force versus velocity behaviour. Nonlinear time history, which is being calculated by Fast nonlinear analysis (FNA, of Boumerdes earthquake (Algeria, May 2003 is considered for the analysis and carried out using the SAP2000 software and comparisons between unbraced, braced and damped structure are shown in a tabulated and graphical format. The results of the various systems are studied to compare the structural response with and without this device of the energy dissipation thus obtained. The conclusions showed the formidable potential of the FVD to improve the dissipative capacities of the structure without increasing its rigidity. It is contributing significantly to reduce the quantity of steel necessary for its general stability.

  15. Observations of turbulent energy dissipation rate in the upper ocean of the central South China Sea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, G.

    2016-02-01

    Measurements of turbulent energy dissipation rate, velocity, temperature, and salinity were obtained in the upper ocean of the central South China Sea (14.5˚N, 117.0˚E) during an experimental campaign from May 11th to 13th 2010. Dissipation rate was elevated ( 10-7 Wkg-1) at night by convection mixing and was weakened ( 10-9 Wkg-1) in daytime due to the warming stratification. Thermocline dissipation rate varied with time ( 10-9 Wkg-1 to 10-8 Wkg-1) under the influence of internal waves. Energy was transferred from the diurnal internal tides to high frequency internal waves through nonlinear wave-wave interactions. This energy cascade process was accompanied by elevated shear and enhanced dissipation, which played an important role in the turbulent mixing in thermocline. Compare with the thermocline dissipation, dissipation below the thermocline was more stable and weak ( 10-10 Wkg-1). The observed dissipation rate during the measurement was well parameterized by the MacKinnon-Gregg parameterization (a model based on a reinterpretation of wave-wave interaction theory), whereas the Gregg-Henyey parameterization was not in good agreement with the observed dissipation rate.

  16. Comparison of cumulative dissipated energy between the Infiniti and Centurion phacoemulsification systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen M

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Ming Chen,1 Erik Anderson,2 Geoffrey Hill,3 John J Chen,4 Thomas Patrianakos2 1Department of Surgery, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, 2Department of Ophthalmology, John H Stroger, Jr Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, IL, 3Department of Ophthalmology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 4Biostatistics Core, John A Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA Purpose: To compare cumulative dissipated energy between two phacoemulsification machines. Setting: An ambulatory surgical center, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. Design: Retrospective chart review. Methods: A total of 2,077 consecutive cases of cataract extraction by phacoemulsification performed by five surgeons from November 2012 to November 2014 were included in the study; 1,021 consecutive cases were performed using the Infiniti Vision System, followed by 1,056 consecutive cases performed using the Centurion Vision System. Results: The Centurion phacoemulsification system required less energy to remove a cataractous lens with an adjusted average energy reduction of 38% (5.09 percent-seconds (P<0.001 across all surgeons in comparison to the Infiniti phacoemulsification system. The reduction in cumulative dissipated energy was statistically significant for each surgeon, with a range of 29%–45% (2.25–12.54 percent-seconds (P=0.005–<0.001. Cumulative dissipated energy for both the Infiniti and Centurion systems varied directly with patient age, increasing an average of 2.38 percent-seconds/10 years. Conclusion: The Centurion phacoemulsification system required less energy to remove a cataractous lens in comparison to the Infiniti phacoemulsification system. Keywords: phacoemulsification, cumulative dissipated energy, Centurion Vision System, Infiniti Vision System

  17. ENERGY DISSIPATION AND LANDAU DAMPING IN TWO- AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL PLASMA TURBULENCE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Tak Chu; Howes, Gregory G. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 (United States); Klein, Kristopher G. [Space Science Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824 (United States); TenBarge, Jason M. [IREAP, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States)

    2016-12-01

    Plasma turbulence is ubiquitous in space and astrophysical plasmas, playing an important role in plasma energization, but the physical mechanisms leading to dissipation of the turbulent energy remain to be definitively identified. Kinetic simulations in two dimensions (2D) have been extensively used to study the dissipation process. How the limitation to 2D affects energy dissipation remains unclear. This work provides a model of comparison between two- and three-dimensional (3D) plasma turbulence using gyrokinetic simulations; it also explores the dynamics of distribution functions during the dissipation process. It is found that both 2D and 3D nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations of a low-beta plasma generate electron velocity-space structures with the same characteristics as that of the linear Landau damping of Alfvén waves in a 3D linear simulation. The continual occurrence of the velocity-space structures throughout the turbulence simulations suggests that the action of Landau damping may be responsible for the turbulent energy transfer to electrons in both 2D and 3D, and makes possible the subsequent irreversible heating of the plasma through collisional smoothing of the velocity-space fluctuations. Although, in the 2D case where variation along the equilibrium magnetic field is absent, it may be expected that Landau damping is not possible, a common trigonometric factor appears in the 2D resonant denominator, leaving the resonance condition unchanged from the 3D case. The evolution of the 2D and 3D cases is qualitatively similar. However, quantitatively, the nonlinear energy cascade and subsequent dissipation is significantly slower in the 2D case.

  18. Effects of Energy Dissipation on the Parametric Excitation of a Coupled Qubit-Cavity System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Remizov, S. V.; Zhukov, A. A.; Shapiro, D. S.; Pogosov, W. V.; Lozovik, Yu. E.

    2018-02-01

    We consider a parametrically driven system of a qubit coupled to a cavity taking into account different channels of energy dissipation. We focus on the periodic modulation of a single parameter of this hybrid system, which is the coupling constant between the two subsystems. Such a modulation is possible within the superconducting realization of qubit-cavity coupled systems, characterized by an outstanding degree of tunability and flexibility. Our major result is that energy dissipation in the cavity can enhance population of the excited state of the qubit in the steady state, while energy dissipation in the qubit subsystem can enhance the number of photons generated from vacuum. We find optimal parameters for the realization of such dissipation-induced amplification of quantum effects. Our results might be of importance for the full control of quantum states of coupled systems as well as for the storage and engineering of quantum states.

  19. Red shift in the spectrum of a chlorophyll species is essential for the drought-induced dissipation of excess light energy in a poikilohydric moss, Bryum argenteum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shibata, Yutaka; Mohamed, Ahmed; Taniyama, Koichiro; Kanatani, Kentaro; Kosugi, Makiko; Fukumura, Hiroshi

    2018-05-01

    Some mosses are extremely tolerant of drought stress. Their high drought tolerance relies on their ability to effectively dissipate absorbed light energy to heat under dry conditions. The energy dissipation mechanism in a drought-tolerant moss, Bryum argenteum, has been investigated using low-temperature picosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. The results are compared between moss thalli samples harvested in Antarctica and in Japan. Both samples show almost the same quenching properties, suggesting an identical drought tolerance mechanism for the same species with two completely different habitats. A global target analysis was applied to a large set of data on the fluorescence-quenching dynamics for the 430-nm (chlorophyll-a selective) and 460-nm (chlorophyll-b and carotenoid selective) excitations in the temperature region from 5 to 77 K. This analysis strongly suggested that the quencher is formed in the major peripheral antenna of photosystem II, whose emission spectrum is significantly broadened and red-shifted in its quenched form. Two emission components at around 717 and 725 nm were assigned to photosystem I (PS I). The former component at around 717 nm is mildly quenched and probably bound to the PS I core complex, while the latter at around 725 nm is probably bound to the light-harvesting complex. The dehydration treatment caused a blue shift of the PS I emission peak via reduction of the exciton energy flow to the pigment responsible for the 725 nm band.

  20. Impact of curved shaped energy dissipaters downstream of head structures on both water energy dissipation and irrigation water quality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ashour Mohamed A.

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Using energy dissipaters on the soled aprons downstream of head structures is the main technique for accelerating hydraulic jump formation and dissipating a great amount of the residual harmful kinetic energy occurring downstream of head structures. In this paper, an experimental study was conducted to investigate some untested shapes of curved dissipaters with different angles of curvature and arrangements from two points of view. The first is to examine its efficiency in dissipating the kinetic water energy. The second is to examine the most effective shape and arrangement obtained from the aforementioned step in enriching the flow with dissolved oxygen for enhancement of the irrigation water quality. The study was held in the irrigation and hydraulic laboratory of the Civil Department, Faculty of Engineering, Assiut University, using a movable bed tilting channel 20 m long, 30 cm wide, and 50 cm high, using 21 types of curved dissipaters with different arrangements. A total of 660 runs were carried out. Results were analysed, tabulated and graphically presented, and new formulas were introduced to estimate the energy dissipation ratio, as well as the DO concentrations. Results in general showed that the dissipater performance is more tangible in dissipating the residual energy when the curvature is in the opposite direction to that of the flow. Also, the energy loss ratio increases with an increase in curvature angle (θ, until it reaches (θ = 120°, then it decreases again. The study also showed that using three rows of dissipaters give nearly the same effect as using four rows, concerning both the relative energy dissipation and dissolved oxygen content. So, it is recommended to use three rows of the curved dissipater with the angle of curvature (θ = 120° in the opposite direction to that of the flow to obtain the maximum percentage of water energy dissipation downstream of head structures, and maximum dissolved oxygen content too

  1. Photo-excitation of carotenoids causes cytotoxicity via singlet oxygen production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshii, Hiroshi; Yoshii, Yukie; Asai, Tatsuya; Furukawa, Takako; Takaichi, Shinichi; Fujibayashi, Yasuhisa

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Some photo-excited carotenoids have photosensitizing ability. ► They are able to produce ROS. ► Photo-excited fucoxanthin can produce singlet oxygen through energy transfer. -- Abstract: Carotenoids, natural pigments widely distributed in algae and plants, have a conjugated double bond system. Their excitation energies are correlated with conjugation length. We hypothesized that carotenoids whose energy states are above the singlet excited state of oxygen (singlet oxygen) would possess photosensitizing properties. Here, we demonstrated that human skin melanoma (A375) cells are damaged through the photo-excitation of several carotenoids (neoxanthin, fucoxanthin and siphonaxanthin). In contrast, photo-excitation of carotenoids that possess energy states below that of singlet oxygen, such as β-carotene, lutein, loroxanthin and violaxanthin, did not enhance cell death. Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by photo-excited fucoxanthin or neoxanthin was confirmed using a reporter assay for ROS production with HeLa Hyper cells, which express a fluorescent indicator protein for intracellular ROS. Fucoxanthin and neoxanthin also showed high cellular penetration and retention. Electron spin resonance spectra using 2,2,6,6-tetramethil-4-piperidone as a singlet oxygen trapping agent demonstrated that singlet oxygen was produced via energy transfer from photo-excited fucoxanthin to oxygen molecules. These results suggest that carotenoids such as fucoxanthin, which are capable of singlet oxygen production through photo-excitation and show good penetration and retention in target cells, are useful as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy for skin disease.

  2. Mathematical Modeling for Energy Dissipation Behavior of Velocity ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The developed oil-pressure damper is installed with an additional Relief Valve parallel to the Throttle Valve. This is intended to obtain an adaptive control by changing the damping coefficient of this damper using changeable orifice size. In order to simulate its actual energy-dissipating behavior, a serial friction model and a ...

  3. Ultrafast Nonradiative Decay and Excitation Energy Transfer by Carotenoids in Photosynthetic Light-Harvesting Proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghosh, Soumen

    This dissertation investigates the photophysical and structural dynamics that allow carotenoids to serve as efficient excitation energy transfer donor to chlorophyll acceptors in photosynthetic light harvesting proteins. Femtosecond transient grating spectroscopy with optical heterodyne detection has been employed to follow the nonradiative decay pathways of carotenoids and excitation energy transfer to chlorophylls. It was found that the optically prepared S2 (11Bu+) state of beta-carotene decays in 12 fs fs to populate an intermediate electronic state, Sx, which then decays nonradiatively to the S 1 state. The ultrafast rise of the dispersion component of the heterodyne transient grating signal reports the formation of Sx intermediate since the rise of the dispersion signal is controlled by the loss of stimulated emission from the S2 state. These findings were extended to studies of peridinin, a carbonyl substituted carotenoid that serves as a photosynthetic light-harvesting chromophore in dinoflagellates. Numerical simulations using nonlinear response formalism and the multimode Brownian oscillator model assigned the Sx intermediate to a torsionally distorted structure evolving on the S2 potential surface. The decay of the Sx state is promoted by large amplitude out-of-plane torsional motions and is significantly retarded by solvent friction owing to the development of an intramolecular charge transfer character in peridinin. The slowing of the nonradiative decay allows the Sx state to transfer significant portion of the excitation energy to chlorophyll a acceptors in the peridinin-chlorophyll a protein. The results of heterodyne transient grating study on peridinin-chlorophyll a protein suggests two distinct energy transfer channels from peridinin to chlorophyll a: a 30 fs process involving quantum coherence and delocalized peridinin-Chl states and an incoherent, 2.5 ps process involving the distorted S2 state of peridinin. The torsional evolution on the S2

  4. Assessment of Stability and Energy Dissipation Performances of an Antifer Layer Protected Caisson

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Sedat Kabdaşlı

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The present study intends to assess the stability and energy dissipation performances of a breakwater configuration (APC protected by an antifer layer. For comparison, an ordinary caisson (OC, which was 5% wider and 10% heavier, was also investigated. Physical models were implemented and tested under regular and irregular waves; and resulting linear and angular displacements were directly measured via a photogrammetric method. Additionally, wave forces and resulting horizontal displacements were estimated both from recorded pressure data and from individual incident waves by modified Goda method. To calculate the horizontal displacement, the estimated wave force time series were directly double-integrated, whilst the theoretical method proposed by Shimosako et al. (1994 were used on the individual force values. Although OC was tested under shorter durations and had a more favorable superstructure in terms of resisting forces, the results indicated that APC was significantly more stable. Energy dissipation performance of the tested configurations were quantified in terms of spectral averaged and phase resolved reflection coefficients, whereas antifer damage ratio was measured on a block-count basis. Results indicated that the APC configuration had an enhanced performance of dissipating the wave energy; moreover, the dissipated energy directly links to antifer damage ratio.

  5. A simulation for energy dissipation in nuclear reactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mshelia, E.D.; Ngadda, Y.H.

    1989-01-01

    A model for energy dissipation is presented which demonstrates energy transfer from a collective degree of freedom, represented by free motion, into intrinsic modes, represented by four coupled oscillators. The quantum mechanical probability amplitude for internal excitation is expressed as a multiple integral of a product of translational and intrinsic wavefunctions and exactly solved analytically. Its numerical values as a function of quantities of physical interest have been calculated, represented graphically and discussed. The results show that the probability distributions are peaked. (author)

  6. Attractors of dissipative structure in three dissipative fluids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kondoh, Yoshiomi

    1993-10-01

    A general theory with use of auto-correlations for distributions is presented to derive that realization of coherent structures in general dissipative dynamic systems is equivalent to that of self-organized states with the minimum dissipation rate for instantaneously contained energy. Attractors of dissipative structure are shown to be given by eigenfunctions for dissipative dynamic operators of the dynamic system and to constitute the self-organized and self-similar decay phase. Three typical examples applied to incompressible viscous fluids, to incompressible viscous and resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) fluids and to compressible resistive MHD plasmas are presented to lead to attractors in the three dissipative fluids and to describe a common physical picture of self-organization and bifurcation of the dissipative structure. (author)

  7. Polarity-tuned energy transfer efficiency in artificial light-harvesting antennae containing carbonyl carotenoids peridinin and fucoxanthin

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Polívka, Tomáš; Pellnor, M.; Melo, E.; Pascher, T.; Sundström, V.; Osuka, A.; Naqvi, K.R.

    2007-01-01

    Roč. 111, č. 1 (2007), s. 467-476 ISSN 1932-7447 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA608170604 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50510513 Keywords : energy transfer * carotenoids Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics

  8. Dissipation in nucleus-nucleus collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santanu Pal

    1984-01-01

    This paper deals with the mechanism of one- and two-body dissipations in nucleus-nucleus collisions. The average energy transferred to nuclear excitations is calculated using a time-dependent density matrix approach with lowest-order approximations. Considering the nuclei as Fermi gases, and using a gaussian-type NN interaction as the basic perturbation, simplified expressions are obtained for energy dissipations. These expressions are quite instructive to follow a number of interesting aspects of one- and two-body dissipations. It is theoretically observed that the memory time for the two-body dissipation is significantly smaller than that of one-body dissipation. A threshold-type dependence of the transferred energy on the relative velocity between the two nuclei is also observed. This threshold velocity is found to be related with the intrinsic nucleon kinetic energy for two-body dissipation and with the nuclear size for the one-body case. This observation further suggests that the total dissipated energy is shared between the two nuclei approximately in the ratio of their masses. The physical origin of these observations is also explained. Numerical calculations further illustrate some characteristic features of one- and two-body dissipations. (orig.)

  9. The mutation of carotenoids affects the energy transfer in LH2 light harvesting complexes from Rhodobacter sphaeroides 601 at room temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Weimin; Liu Yuan; Guo Lijun; Xu Chunhe; Qian Shixiong

    2006-01-01

    Energy transfer in two kinds of peripheral antenna complexes LH2 from Rhodobacter sphaeroides 601 was studied by absorption, fluorescence emission, time-resolved fluorescence and femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy at room temperature. These two complexes are LH2 (RS601) and green carotenoid mutated LH2 (GM309). The obtained results demonstrate that: (a) compared with spheroidenes, which have ten carbon-carbon double bonds in native RS601, carotenoids in GM309 were identified as containing neurosporenes with nine carbon-carbon double bonds, which show a significant blue shift of ∼20 nm in the three absorption peaks because of the higher energy levels of neurosporene than those of spheroidene, (b) the higher energy levels of neurosporene in GM309 induce a lower B800 → B850 energy transfer rate and efficiency as compared to that in RS601 resulting from the relatively higher band gap between the donor of B800 and the bridge of the carotenoids (c) the same lifetime of the B850 excited singlet state is observed in these two LH2 complexes

  10. Numerical simulation of energy equation with viscous dissipation for compressible flow over cones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asif, M.; Chughtai, I.R.

    1998-01-01

    A finite volume discretization technique has been used to solve the energy equation with viscous dissipation. The effects of viscous heat dissipation for Mach numbers 1.5 and 2.0, at an angle of attack of 0 degree, over sharp and blunt cones have been studied. Algebraic equations have been solved using line-by-line Tda method. Supersonic flow over cones has been analyzed and discussed with and without considering the viscous dissipation effects. It has been found that the effects of viscous dissipation increase with the increase in Mach number. Viscous dissipation affects the temperature distribution of the body. However, the temperature difference in these cases was insignificant. This may be due to the fact that these analysis have been done at 0 km altitude. (author)

  11. Spectral heterogeneity and carotenoid-to-bacteriochlorophyll energy transfer in LH2 light-harvesting complexes from Allochromatium vinosum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magdaong, Nikki M; LaFountain, Amy M; Hacking, Kirsty; Niedzwiedzki, Dariusz M; Gibson, George N; Cogdell, Richard J; Frank, Harry A

    2016-02-01

    Photosynthetic organisms produce a vast array of spectral forms of antenna pigment-protein complexes to harvest solar energy and also to adapt to growth under the variable environmental conditions of light intensity, temperature, and nutrient availability. This behavior is exemplified by Allochromatium (Alc.) vinosum, a photosynthetic purple sulfur bacterium that produces different types of LH2 light-harvesting complexes in response to variations in growth conditions. In the present work, three different spectral forms of LH2 from Alc. vinosum, B800-820, B800-840, and B800-850, were isolated, purified, and examined using steady-state absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, and ultrafast time-resolved absorption spectroscopy. The pigment composition of the LH2 complexes was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography, and all were found to contain five carotenoids: lycopene, anhydrorhodovibrin, spirilloxanthin, rhodopin, and rhodovibrin. Spectral reconstructions of the absorption and fluorescence excitation spectra based on the pigment composition revealed significantly more spectral heterogeneity in these systems compared to LH2 complexes isolated from other species of purple bacteria. The data also revealed the individual carotenoid-to-bacteriochlorophyll energy transfer efficiencies which were correlated with the kinetic data from the ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopic experiments. This series of LH2 complexes allows a systematic exploration of the factors that determine the spectral properties of the bound pigments and control the rate and efficiency of carotenoid-to-bacteriochlorophyll energy transfer.

  12. Offshore heat dissipation for nuclear energy centers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bauman, H.F.

    1978-09-01

    The technical, environmental, and economic aspects of utilizing the ocean or other large water bodies for the dissipation of reject heat from Nuclear Energy Centers (NECs) were investigated. An NEC in concept is an aggregate of nuclear power plants of 10 GW(e) capacity or greater on a common site. The use of once-through cooling for large power installations offers advantages including higher thermal efficiencies, especially under summer peak-load conditions, compared to closed-cycle cooling systems. A disadvantage of once-through cooling is the potential for greater adverse impacts on the aquatic environment. A concept is presented for minimizing the impacts of such systems by placing water intake and discharge locations relatively distant from shore in deeper water than has heretofore been the practice. This technique would avoid impacts on relatively biologically productive and ecologically sensitive shallow inshore areas. The NEC itself would be set back from the shoreline so that recreational use of the shore area would not be impaired. The characteristics of a heat-dissipation system of the size required for a NEC were predicted from the known characteristics of a smaller system by applying hydraulic scaling laws. The results showed that adequate heat dissipation can be obtained from NEC-sized systems located in water of appropriate depth. Offshore intake and discharge structures would be connected to the NEC pump house on shore via tunnels or buried pipelines. Tunnels have the advantage that shoreline and beach areas would not be disturbed. The cost of an offshore heat-dissipation system depends on the characteristics of the site, particularly the distance to suitably deep water and the type of soil or rock in which water conduits would be constructed. For a favorable site, the cost of an offshore system is estimated to be less than the cost of a closed-cycle system

  13. Entropy production and energy dissipation in symmetric redox supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palma-Aramburu, N.; Santamaría-Holek, I.

    2017-08-01

    In this work we propose a theoretical model that accounts for the main features of the loading-unloading process of a symmetric redox MnO2-based supercapacitor dominated by fast electrochemical reactions at the electrodes. The model is formulated on the basis of nonequilibrium thermodynamics from which we are able to deduce generalized expressions for the electrochemical affinity, the load-voltage and the current-voltage equations that constitute generalizations of the current-overpotential and Butler-Volmer equations, and that are used to describe experimental voltagram data with good agreement. These equations allowed us to derive the behavior of the energy dissipated per cycle showing that it has a nonmonotonic behavior and that in the operation regime it follows a power-law behavior as a function of the frequency. The existence of a maximum for the energy dissipated as a function of the frequency suggests the that the corresponding optimal operation frequency should be similar in value to ωmax.

  14. Plastids and Carotenoid Accumulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Li; Yuan, Hui; Zeng, Yunliu; Xu, Qiang

    Plastids are ubiquitously present in plants and are the organelles for carotenoid biosynthesis and storage. Based on their morphology and function, plastids are classified into various types, i.e. proplastids, etioplasts, chloroplasts, amyloplasts, and chromoplasts. All plastids, except proplastids, can synthesize carotenoids. However, plastid types have a profound effect on carotenoid accumulation and stability. In this chapter, we discuss carotenoid biosynthesis and regulation in various plastids with a focus on carotenoids in chromoplasts. Plastid transition related to carotenoid biosynthesis and the different capacity of various plastids to sequester carotenoids and the associated effect on carotenoid stability are described in light of carotenoid accumulation in plants.

  15. ProCarDB: a database of bacterial carotenoids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nupur, L N U; Vats, Asheema; Dhanda, Sandeep Kumar; Raghava, Gajendra P S; Pinnaka, Anil Kumar; Kumar, Ashwani

    2016-05-26

    Carotenoids have important functions in bacteria, ranging from harvesting light energy to neutralizing oxidants and acting as virulence factors. However, information pertaining to the carotenoids is scattered throughout the literature. Furthermore, information about the genes/proteins involved in the biosynthesis of carotenoids has tremendously increased in the post-genomic era. A web server providing the information about microbial carotenoids in a structured manner is required and will be a valuable resource for the scientific community working with microbial carotenoids. Here, we have created a manually curated, open access, comprehensive compilation of bacterial carotenoids named as ProCarDB- Prokaryotic Carotenoid Database. ProCarDB includes 304 unique carotenoids arising from 50 biosynthetic pathways distributed among 611 prokaryotes. ProCarDB provides important information on carotenoids, such as 2D and 3D structures, molecular weight, molecular formula, SMILES, InChI, InChIKey, IUPAC name, KEGG Id, PubChem Id, and ChEBI Id. The database also provides NMR data, UV-vis absorption data, IR data, MS data and HPLC data that play key roles in the identification of carotenoids. An important feature of this database is the extension of biosynthetic pathways from the literature and through the presence of the genes/enzymes in different organisms. The information contained in the database was mined from published literature and databases such as KEGG, PubChem, ChEBI, LipidBank, LPSN, and Uniprot. The database integrates user-friendly browsing and searching with carotenoid analysis tools to help the user. We believe that this database will serve as a major information centre for researchers working on bacterial carotenoids.

  16. Carotenoid-protein interaction alters the S1 energy of hydroxyechinenone in the Orange Carotenoid Protein

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Polívka, Tomáš; Chábera, P.; Kerfeld, C.A.

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 1827, č. 3 (2013), s. 248-254 ISSN 0005-2728 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : orange-carotenoid protein * excited states * photoprotection Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 4.829, year: 2013

  17. Energy dissipation characteristics of sharp-edged orifice plate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ai Wanzheng

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The energy loss coefficient, relating directly to the energy dissipation ratio, is an important index of this energy dissipater. In this article, this coefficient and its affecting parameters were analyzed by theoretical considerations, and their relationships were obtained by numerical simulations. It could be concluded that the energy loss coefficient of sharp-edged orifice plate and its backflow region length were mainly dominated by the contraction ratio of the orifice plate. Sharp-edged orifice plate’s energy loss coefficient and its backflow region length all increase slightly with the increase in its thickness. When Reynolds number is in the range of 9.00×104–10.3×106, Reynolds number has little impacts on energy loss coefficient and backflow region length. Two empirical expressions, relating to backflow region length and energy loss coefficient, respectively, were presented.

  18. Bombarding energy dependence of nucleon exchange and energy dissipation in the strongly damped reaction 209Bi + 136Xe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilcke, W.W.; Schroeder, W.U.; Huizenga, J.R.; Birkelund, J.R.; Randrup, J.

    1980-01-01

    Although considerable progress has been achieved in the understanding of strongly damped reactions at energies several MeV/u above the Coulomb barrier, some important experimental results are not yet clearly understood. Among these is the degree of correlation between the nucleon exchange and the large energy losses observed. Experimental evidence suggesting nucleon exchange as described by a one-body model to be the major component of the dissipation mechanism is discussed. It is concluded that the previously unexplained bombarding energy dependence between energy loss and fragment charge dispersion can be understood on the basis of a nucleon exchange model, provided the Pauli exclusion principle is taken into account. No necessity is seen to invoke further energy dissipation mechanisms. 7 figures

  19. Minimum Energy Dissipation under Cocurrent Flow in Packed Beds

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Akramov, T.A.; Stavárek, Petr; Jiřičný, Vladimír; Staněk, Vladimír

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 50, č. 18 (2011), s. 10824-10832 ISSN 0888-5885 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA104/09/0880 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40720504 Keywords : energy dissipation * current flow * packed bed Subject RIV: CI - Industrial Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Impact factor: 2.237, year: 2011

  20. Fibrous cartilage of human menisci is less shock-absorbing and energy-dissipating than hyaline cartilage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaugler, Mario; Wirz, Dieter; Ronken, Sarah; Hafner, Mirjam; Göpfert, Beat; Friederich, Niklaus F; Elke, Reinhard

    2015-04-01

    To test meniscal mechanical properties such as the dynamic modulus of elasticity E* and the loss angle δ at two loading frequencies ω at different locations of the menisci and compare it to E* and δ of hyaline cartilage in indentation mode with spherical indenters. On nine pairs of human menisci, the dynamic E*-modulus and loss angle δ (as a measure of the energy dissipation) were determined. The measurements were performed at two different strain rates (slow sinusoidal and fast single impact) to show the strain rate dependence of the material. The measurements were compared to previous similar measurements with the same equipment on human hyaline cartilage. The resultant E* at fast indentation (median 1.16 MPa) was significantly higher, and the loss angle was significantly lower (median 10.2°) compared to slow-loading mode's E* and δ (median 0.18 MPa and 16.9°, respectively). Further, significant differences for different locations are shown. On the medial meniscus, the anterior horn shows the highest resultant dynamic modulus. In dynamic measurements with a spherical indenter, the menisci are much softer and less energy-dissipating than hyaline cartilage. Further, the menisci are stiffer and less energy-dissipating in the middle, intermediate part compared to the meniscal base. In compression, the energy dissipation of meniscus cartilage plays a minor role compared to hyaline cartilage. At high impacts, energy dissipation is less than on low impacts, similar to cartilage.

  1. Upscaling from leaf to canopy chlorophyll/carotenoid pigment based vegetation indices reveal phenology of photosynthesis in temperate evergreen and deciduous trees

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, C. Y.; Bhathena, Y.; Arain, M. A.; Ensminger, I.

    2017-12-01

    Optically derived vegetation indices have been developed to provide information about plant status including photosynthetic activity. They reflect changes in leaf pigments, which vary seasonally in pigment composition, enabling them to be used as a proxy of photosynthetic phenology. Important pigments in photosynthetic activity are carotenoids and chlorophylls, which are associated with light harvesting and energy dissipation. In temperate forests, which consist of deciduous and evergreen trees, there are difficulties resolving evergreen phenology using the most widely used index, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). NDVI works well in deciduous trees, which exhibit a "visible" phenological process of leaf growth in the spring, and leaf senescence and abscission in the autumn. Evergreen conifers stay green year-round and utilize "invisible" changes of overwintering pigment composition that NDVI cannot resolve, so carotenoid pigment sensitive vegetation indices have been suggested for evergreens. The aim of this study was to evaluate carotenoid based vegetation indices over the chlorophyll sensitive NDVI. For this purpose, we evaluated the greenness index, NDVI, and carotenoid pigment sensitive indices: photochemical reflectance index (PRI) and chlorophyll/carotenoid index (CCI) in red maple, white oak and eastern white pine for two years. We also measured leaf gas exchange and pigment concentrations. We observed that NDVI correlated with photosynthetic activity in deciduous trees, whereas PRI and CCI correlated with photosynthesis across both evergreen and deciduous trees. This pattern was consistent, upscaling from leaf- to canopy-scales indicating that the mechanisms involved in winter acclimation can be resolved at larger spatial scales. PRI and CCI detected seasonal changes in carotenoids and chlorophylls linked to photoprotection and are suitable as a proxy of photosynthetic activity. These findings have implications to improve our use and

  2. Honey bees (Apis mellifera ligustica) swing abdomen to dissipate residual flying energy landing on a wall

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Jieliang; Huang, He; Yan, Shaoze

    2017-03-01

    Whether for insects or for aircrafts, landing is one of the indispensable links in the verification of airworthiness safety. The mechanisms by which insects achieve a fast and stable landing remain unclear. An intriguing example is provided by honeybees (Apis mellifera ligustica), which use the swinging motion of their abdomen to dissipate residual flying energy and to achieve a smooth, stable, and quick landing. By using a high-speed camera, we observed that touchdown is initiated by honeybees extending their front legs or antennae and then landing softly on a wall. After touchdown, they swing the rest of their bodies until all flying energy is dissipated. We suggested a simplified model with mass-spring dampers for the body of the honeybee and revealed the mechanism of flying energy transfer and dissipation in detail. Results demonstrate that body translation and abdomen swinging help honeybees dissipate residual flying energy and orchestrate smooth landings. The initial kinetic energy of flying is transformed into the kinetic energy of the abdomen's rotary movement. Then, the kinetic energy of rotary movement is converted into thermal energy during the swinging cycle. This strategy provides more insight into the mechanism of insect flying, which further inspires better design on aerial vehicle with better landing performance.

  3. Energy method for multi-dimensional balance laws with non-local dissipation

    KAUST Repository

    Duan, Renjun

    2010-06-01

    In this paper, we are concerned with a class of multi-dimensional balance laws with a non-local dissipative source which arise as simplified models for the hydrodynamics of radiating gases. At first we introduce the energy method in the setting of smooth perturbations and study the stability of constants states. Precisely, we use Fourier space analysis to quantify the energy dissipation rate and recover the optimal time-decay estimates for perturbed solutions via an interpolation inequality in Fourier space. As application, the developed energy method is used to prove stability of smooth planar waves in all dimensions n2, and also to show existence and stability of time-periodic solutions in the presence of the time-periodic source. Optimal rates of convergence of solutions towards the planar waves or time-periodic states are also shown provided initially L1-perturbations. © 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS.

  4. Energy method for multi-dimensional balance laws with non-local dissipation

    KAUST Repository

    Duan, Renjun; Fellner, Klemens; Zhu, Changjiang

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, we are concerned with a class of multi-dimensional balance laws with a non-local dissipative source which arise as simplified models for the hydrodynamics of radiating gases. At first we introduce the energy method in the setting of smooth perturbations and study the stability of constants states. Precisely, we use Fourier space analysis to quantify the energy dissipation rate and recover the optimal time-decay estimates for perturbed solutions via an interpolation inequality in Fourier space. As application, the developed energy method is used to prove stability of smooth planar waves in all dimensions n2, and also to show existence and stability of time-periodic solutions in the presence of the time-periodic source. Optimal rates of convergence of solutions towards the planar waves or time-periodic states are also shown provided initially L1-perturbations. © 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS.

  5. Fractal and chaotic laws on seismic dissipated energy in an energy system of engineering structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Yu-Hong; Nie, Yong-An; Yan, Zong-Da; Wu, Guo-You

    1998-09-01

    Fractal and chaotic laws of engineering structures are discussed in this paper, it means that the intrinsic essences and laws on dynamic systems which are made from seismic dissipated energy intensity E d and intensity of seismic dissipated energy moment I e are analyzed. Based on the intrinsic characters of chaotic and fractal dynamic system of E d and I e, three kinds of approximate dynamic models are rebuilt one by one: index autoregressive model, threshold autoregressive model and local-approximate autoregressive model. The innate laws, essences and systematic error of evolutional behavior I e are explained over all, the short-term behavior predictability and long-term behavior probability of which are analyzed in the end. That may be valuable for earthquake-resistant theory and analysis method in practical engineering structures.

  6. Comparison of cumulative dissipated energy between the Infiniti and Centurion phacoemulsification systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Ming; Anderson, Erik; Hill, Geoffrey; Chen, John J; Patrianakos, Thomas

    2015-01-01

    To compare cumulative dissipated energy between two phacoemulsification machines. An ambulatory surgical center, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. Retrospective chart review. A total of 2,077 consecutive cases of cataract extraction by phacoemulsification performed by five surgeons from November 2012 to November 2014 were included in the study; 1,021 consecutive cases were performed using the Infiniti Vision System, followed by 1,056 consecutive cases performed using the Centurion Vision System. The Centurion phacoemulsification system required less energy to remove a cataractous lens with an adjusted average energy reduction of 38% (5.09 percent-seconds) (PInfiniti phacoemulsification system. The reduction in cumulative dissipated energy was statistically significant for each surgeon, with a range of 29%-45% (2.25-12.54 percent-seconds) (P=0.005-Infiniti and Centurion systems varied directly with patient age, increasing an average of 2.38 percent-seconds/10 years. The Centurion phacoemulsification system required less energy to remove a cataractous lens in comparison to the Infiniti phacoemulsification system.

  7. Key to Xenobiotic Carotenoids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hans-Richard Sliwka

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available A listing of carotenoids with heteroatoms (X = F, Cl, Br, I, Si, N, S, Se, Fe directly attached to the carotenoid carbon skeleton has been compiled. The 178 listed carotenoids with C,H,X atoms demonstrate that the classical division of carotenoids into hydrocarbon carotenoids (C,H and xanthophylls (C,H,O has become obsolete.

  8. Health Effects of Carotenoids during Pregnancy and Lactation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zielińska, Monika A; Wesołowska, Aleksandra; Pawlus, Beata; Hamułka, Jadwiga

    2017-08-04

    Adequate nutrition is particularly important during pregnancy since it is needed not only for maintaining the health of the mother, but also determines the course of pregnancy and its outcome, fetus development as well as the child's health after birth and during the later period of life. Data coming from epidemiological and interventions studies support the observation that carotenoids intake provide positive health effects in adults and the elderly population. These health effects are the result of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Recent studies have also demonstrated the significant role of carotenoids during pregnancy and infancy. Some studies indicate a correlation between carotenoid status and lower risk of pregnancy pathologies induced by intensified oxidative stress, but results of these investigations are equivocal. Carotenoids have been well studied in relation to their beneficial role in the prevention of preeclampsia. It is currently hypothesized that carotenoids can play an important role in the prevention of preterm birth and intrauterine growth restriction. Carotenoid status in the newborn depends on the nutritional status of the mother, but little is known about the transfer of carotenoids from the mother to the fetus. Carotenoids are among the few nutrients found in breast milk, in which the levels are determined by the mother's diet. Nutritional status of the newborn directly depends on its diet. Both mix feeding and artificial feeding may cause depletion of carotenoids since infant formulas contain only trace amounts of these compounds. Carotenoids, particularly lutein and zeaxanthin play a significant role in the development of vision and nervous system (among others, they are important for the development of retina as well as energy metabolism and brain electrical activity). Furthermore, more scientific evidence is emerging on the role of carotenoids in the prevention of disorders affecting preterm infants, who are

  9. Health Effects of Carotenoids during Pregnancy and Lactation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monika A. Zielińska

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Adequate nutrition is particularly important during pregnancy since it is needed not only for maintaining the health of the mother, but also determines the course of pregnancy and its outcome, fetus development as well as the child’s health after birth and during the later period of life. Data coming from epidemiological and interventions studies support the observation that carotenoids intake provide positive health effects in adults and the elderly population. These health effects are the result of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Recent studies have also demonstrated the significant role of carotenoids during pregnancy and infancy. Some studies indicate a correlation between carotenoid status and lower risk of pregnancy pathologies induced by intensified oxidative stress, but results of these investigations are equivocal. Carotenoids have been well studied in relation to their beneficial role in the prevention of preeclampsia. It is currently hypothesized that carotenoids can play an important role in the prevention of preterm birth and intrauterine growth restriction. Carotenoid status in the newborn depends on the nutritional status of the mother, but little is known about the transfer of carotenoids from the mother to the fetus. Carotenoids are among the few nutrients found in breast milk, in which the levels are determined by the mother’s diet. Nutritional status of the newborn directly depends on its diet. Both mix feeding and artificial feeding may cause depletion of carotenoids since infant formulas contain only trace amounts of these compounds. Carotenoids, particularly lutein and zeaxanthin play a significant role in the development of vision and nervous system (among others, they are important for the development of retina as well as energy metabolism and brain electrical activity. Furthermore, more scientific evidence is emerging on the role of carotenoids in the prevention of disorders affecting preterm

  10. Optimal control of dissipative nonlinear dynamical systems with triggers of coupled singularities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hedrih, K

    2008-01-01

    This paper analyses the controllability of motion of nonconservative nonlinear dynamical systems in which triggers of coupled singularities exist or appear. It is shown that the phase plane method is useful for the analysis of nonlinear dynamics of nonconservative systems with one degree of freedom of control strategies and also shows the way it can be used for controlling the relative motion in rheonomic systems having equivalent scleronomic conservative or nonconservative system For the system with one generalized coordinate described by nonlinear differential equation of nonlinear dynamics with trigger of coupled singularities, the functions of system potential energy and conservative force must satisfy some conditions defined by a Theorem on the existence of a trigger of coupled singularities and the separatrix in the form of 'an open a spiral form' of number eight. Task of the defined dynamical nonconservative system optimal control is: by using controlling force acting to the system, transfer initial state of the nonlinear dynamics of the system into the final state of the nonlinear dynamics in the minimal time for that optimal control task

  11. Optimal control of dissipative nonlinear dynamical systems with triggers of coupled singularities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stevanović Hedrih, K.

    2008-02-01

    This paper analyses the controllability of motion of nonconservative nonlinear dynamical systems in which triggers of coupled singularities exist or appear. It is shown that the phase plane method is useful for the analysis of nonlinear dynamics of nonconservative systems with one degree of freedom of control strategies and also shows the way it can be used for controlling the relative motion in rheonomic systems having equivalent scleronomic conservative or nonconservative system For the system with one generalized coordinate described by nonlinear differential equation of nonlinear dynamics with trigger of coupled singularities, the functions of system potential energy and conservative force must satisfy some conditions defined by a Theorem on the existence of a trigger of coupled singularities and the separatrix in the form of "an open a spiral form" of number eight. Task of the defined dynamical nonconservative system optimal control is: by using controlling force acting to the system, transfer initial state of the nonlinear dynamics of the system into the final state of the nonlinear dynamics in the minimal time for that optimal control task

  12. Study of transitory forms of carotenoids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mathis, Paul

    1970-01-01

    In order to explain the biological role of the carotenoids their transitory forms were studied with an apparatus measuring the small (∼10 -3 ) short-lived (100 ns to 1 ms) optical density variations obtained by excitation with a ruby laser. Two forms were studied: a) Triplet state 3 Car. - This state (t 1/2 ∼6 μs) is obtained not by direct excitation but by T-T energy transfer from chlorophyll, in different media (chloroplasts, pigments in solution or in micelle). Two arguments can be advanced to explain in terms of triplet energy transfer an essential biological role of carotenoids, protection against photodynamic effects: - the energy level of 3 Car is lower than that of the singlet of oxygen; - in vivo the T-T transfer from chlorophyll to the carotenoids is very fast: 30 ns.. b) Radical cation Car + . - This form is obtained by electron transfer from carotene to the triplet of Toluidine Blue, in ethanol. Car + (t 1/2 ∼200 μs) shows a strong absorption band at 910 nm. The properties of Car + are discussed in relation to other polyene derivatives and to hydrocarbon ions. Car + could be involved in certain biological electron transfers. (author) [fr

  13. Assembly of functional photosystem complexes in Rhodobacter sphaeroides incorporating carotenoids from the spirilloxanthin pathway

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chi, Shuang C.; Mothersole, David J.; Dilbeck, Preston; Niedzwiedzki, Dariusz M.; Zhang, Hao; Qian, Pu; Vasilev, Cvetelin; Grayson, Katie J.; Jackson, Philip J.; Martin, Elizabeth C.; Li, Ying; Holten, Dewey; Neil Hunter, C.

    2015-01-01

    Carotenoids protect the photosynthetic apparatus against harmful radicals arising from the presence of both light and oxygen. They also act as accessory pigments for harvesting solar energy, and are required for stable assembly of many light-harvesting complexes. In the phototrophic bacterium Rhodobacter (Rba.) sphaeroides phytoene desaturase (CrtI) catalyses three sequential desaturations of the colourless carotenoid phytoene, extending the number of conjugated carbon–carbon double bonds, N, from three to nine and producing the yellow carotenoid neurosporene; subsequent modifications produce the yellow/red carotenoids spheroidene/spheroidenone (N = 10/11). Genomic crtI replacements were used to swap the native three-step Rba. sphaeroides CrtI for the four-step Pantoea agglomerans enzyme, which re-routed carotenoid biosynthesis and culminated in the production of 2,2′-diketo-spirilloxanthin under semi-aerobic conditions. The new carotenoid pathway was elucidated using a combination of HPLC and mass spectrometry. Premature termination of this new pathway by inactivating crtC or crtD produced strains with lycopene or rhodopin as major carotenoids. All of the spirilloxanthin series carotenoids are accepted by the assembly pathways for LH2 and RC–LH1–PufX complexes. The efficiency of carotenoid-to-bacteriochlorophyll energy transfer for 2,2′-diketo-spirilloxanthin (15 conjugated C 000000000000 000000000000 000000000000 111111111111 000000000000 111111111111 000000000000 000000000000 000000000000 C bonds; N = 15) in LH2 complexes is low, at 35%. High energy transfer efficiencies were obtained for neurosporene (N = 9; 94%), spheroidene (N = 10; 96%) and spheroidenone (N = 11; 95%), whereas intermediate values were measured for lycopene (N = 11; 64%), rhodopin (N = 11; 62%) and spirilloxanthin (N = 13; 39%). The variety and stability of these novel Rba. sphaeroides antenna complexes make them useful experimental models for investigating the

  14. An Optimal Free Energy Dissipation Strategy of the MinCDE Oscillator in Regulating Symmetric Bacterial Cell Division

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Liping; Lan, Ganhui

    2015-01-01

    Sustained molecular oscillations are ubiquitous in biology. The obtained oscillatory patterns provide vital functions as timekeepers, pacemakers and spacemarkers. Models based on control theory have been introduced to explain how specific oscillatory behaviors stem from protein interaction feedbacks, whereas the energy dissipation through the oscillating processes and its role in the regulatory function remain unexplored. Here we developed a general framework to assess an oscillator’s regulation performance at different dissipation levels. Using the Escherichia coli MinCDE oscillator as a model system, we showed that a sufficient amount of energy dissipation is needed to switch on the oscillation, which is tightly coupled to the system’s regulatory performance. Once the dissipation level is beyond this threshold, unlike stationary regulators’ monotonic performance-to-cost relation, excess dissipation at certain steps in the oscillating process damages the oscillator’s regulatory performance. We further discovered that the chemical free energy from ATP hydrolysis has to be strategically assigned to the MinE-aided MinD release and the MinD immobilization steps for optimal performance, and a higher energy budget improves the robustness of the oscillator. These results unfold a novel mode by which living systems trade energy for regulatory function. PMID:26317492

  15. Strategies to enhance the excitation energy-transfer efficiency in a light-harvesting system using the intra-molecular charge transfer character of carotenoids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yukihira, Nao [Department of Applied Chemistry for Environment; School of Science and Technology; Kwansei Gakuin University; Sanda; Japan; Sugai, Yuko [Department of Applied Chemistry for Environment; School of Science and Technology; Kwansei Gakuin University; Sanda; Japan; Fujiwara, Masazumi [Department of Applied Chemistry for Environment; School of Science and Technology; Kwansei Gakuin University; Sanda; Japan; Kosumi, Daisuke [Institute of Pulsed Power Science; Kumamoto University; Kumamoto; Japan; Iha, Masahiko [South Product Co. Ltd.; Uruma-shi; Japan; Sakaguchi, Kazuhiko [Department of Chemistry; Graduate School of Science; Osaka City University; Osaka 558-8585; Japan; Katsumura, Shigeo [Department of Chemistry; Graduate School of Science; Osaka City University; Osaka 558-8585; Japan; Gardiner, Alastair T. [Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre; University of Glasgow; 126 University Place; Glasgow, G12 8QQ; UK; Cogdell, Richard J. [Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre; University of Glasgow; 126 University Place; Glasgow, G12 8QQ; UK; Hashimoto, Hideki [Department of Applied Chemistry for Environment; School of Science and Technology; Kwansei Gakuin University; Sanda; Japan

    2017-01-01

    Fucoxanthin is a carotenoid that is mainly found in light-harvesting complexes from brown algae and diatoms. Due to the presence of a carbonyl group attached to polyene chains in polar environments, excitation produces an excited intra-molecular charge transfer. This intra-molecular charge transfer state plays a key role in the highly efficient (~95%) energy-transfer from fucoxanthin to chlorophyllain the light-harvesting complexes from brown algae. In purple bacterial light-harvesting systems the efficiency of excitation energy-transfer from carotenoids to bacteriochlorophylls depends on the extent of conjugation of the carotenoids. In this study we were successful, for the first time, in incorporating fucoxanthin into a light-harvesting complex 1 from the purple photosynthetic bacterium,Rhodospirillum rubrumG9+ (a carotenoidless strain). Femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy was applied to this reconstituted light-harvesting complex in order to determine the efficiency of excitation energy-transfer from fucoxanthin to bacteriochlorophyllawhen they are bound to the light-harvesting 1 apo-proteins.

  16. Effect of the selected seismic energy dissipation capacity on the materials quantity for reinforced concrete walls

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Miguel Benjumea Royero

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Context: Regarding their design of reinforced concrete structural walls, the Colombian seismic design building code allows the engineer to select one of the three seismic energy dissipation capacity (ordinary, moderate, and special depending on the seismic hazard of the site. Despite this, it is a common practice to choose the minor requirement for the site because it is thought that selecting a higher requirement will lead to larger structural materials amounts and, therefore, cost increments.  Method: In this work, an analytical study was performed in order to determine the effect of the selected energy dissipation capacity on the quantity of materials and ductility displacement capacity of R/C walls. The study was done for a region with low seismic hazard, mainly because this permitted to explore and compare the use of the three seismic energy dissipations capacities. The effect of different parameters such as the wall total height and thickness, the tributary loaded area, and the minimum volumetric steel ratio were studied. Results: The total amount of steel required for the walls with moderate and special energy dissipation capacity corresponds, on average, to 77% and 89%, respectively, of the quantity required for walls with minimum capacity. Conclusions: it is possible to achieve reductions in the total steel required weight when adopting either moderated or special seismic energy dissipation instead of the minimum capacity.  Additionally, a significant increment in the seismic ductility displacements capacity of the wall was obtained.

  17. Heavy-ion peripheral collisions in the Fermi energy domain: fragmentation processes or dissipative collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borderie, B.; Rivet, M.F.; Tassan-Got, L.

    1990-01-01

    For several years a new field in nuclear physics has been opened by the opportunity to accelerate heavy ions through an energy domain including the Fermi energy of nucleons. This new domain has to be seen as a link between dissipative processes observed at low energies, dominated by mean field considerations, and high energy collisions for which nucleon-nucleon collisions play an important role. This paper reviews our present knowledge on peripheral collisions. A reminder of contiguous energy domains is done as well as their extension in the new field. Specific calculations are also presented. Finally a wide comparison between experiments and calculations is performed. A fast dissipative stage proves to be responsible for the dominant mechanisms involved, at least when the incident energy is lower than 50 MeV/nucleon

  18. Carotenoids in Marine Animals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maoka, Takashi

    2011-01-01

    Marine animals contain various carotenoids that show structural diversity. These marine animals accumulate carotenoids from foods such as algae and other animals and modify them through metabolic reactions. Many of the carotenoids present in marine animals are metabolites of β-carotene, fucoxanthin, peridinin, diatoxanthin, alloxanthin, and astaxanthin, etc. Carotenoids found in these animals provide the food chain as well as metabolic pathways. In the present review, I will describe marine animal carotenoids from natural product chemistry, metabolism, food chain, and chemosystematic viewpoints, and also describe new structural carotenoids isolated from marine animals over the last decade. PMID:21566799

  19. The influence of friction coefficient and wheel/rail profiles on energy dissipation in the wheel/rail contact

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Idarraga Alarcon, G.A.; Burgelman, N.D.M.; Meza Meza, J.; Toro, A.; Li, Z.

    2015-01-01

    This work investigates the energy dissipation in a wheel/rail system through friction work modeling. In order to identify the effect of the friction coefficient on the energy dissipation in the wheel/rail contact, several simulations were performed using a 3D multibody model of a railway vehicle

  20. Legume carotenoids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sri Kantha, S; Erdman, J W

    1987-01-01

    In recent years, the results of research studies have suggested a positive beneficial relationship between a vegetarian-based diet and low incidence of diseases, including coronary heart disease, cancer, obesity, dental caries, and osteoporosis. beta-Carotene has specifically been suggested as a nutrient with antitumorigenic properties. In this regard there is a need to evaluate the carotenoid content of foods. Legumes are one of the staple components of a vegetarian diet. This review specifically surveys the prevalence of carotenoids in food and forage legumes. In addition, the methods available for carotenoid analysis are discussed; factors affecting the determination of carotenoid content during maturation, germination, processing and storage are identified; research areas which have been inadequately explored are identified; and suggestions are made for future lines of investigation.

  1. Experimental analysis of mechanical joints strength by means of energy dissipation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolf, Alexander; Lafarge, Remi; Kühn, Tino; Brosius, Alexander

    2018-05-01

    Designing complex structures with the demand for weight reduction leads directly to a multi-material concept. This mixture has to be joined securely and welding, mechanical joining and the usage of adhesives are commonly used for that purpose. Sometimes also a mix of at least two materials is useful to combine the individual advantages. The challenge is the non-destructive testing of these connections because destructive testing requires a lot of preparation and expensive testing equipment. The authors show a testing method by measuring and analysing the energy dissipation in mechanical joints. Known methods are radiography, thermography and ultrasound testing. Unfortunately, the usage of these methods is difficult and often not usable in fibre-reinforced-plastics. The presented approach measures the propagation of the elastic strain wave through the joint. A defined impact strain is detected with by strain-gauges whereby the transmitter is located on one side of the joint and the receiver on the other, respectively. Because of different mechanisms, energy dissipates by passing the joint areas. Main reasons are damping caused by friction and material specific damping. Insufficient performed joints lead to an effect especially in the friction damping. By the measurement of the different strains and the resulting energy loss a statement to the connection quality is given. The possible defect during the execution of the joint can be identified by the energy loss and strain vs. time curve. After the description of the method, the authors present the results of energy dissipation measurements at a bolted assembly with different locking torques. By the adjustable tightening torques for the screw connections easily a variation of the contact pressure can be applied and analysed afterwards. The outlook will give a statement for the usability for other mechanical joints and fibre-reinforced-plastics.

  2. Key to Xenobiotic Carotenoids

    OpenAIRE

    Hans-Richard Sliwka; Vassilia Partali

    2012-01-01

    A listing of carotenoids with heteroatoms (X = F, Cl, Br, I, Si, N, S, Se, Fe) directly attached to the carotenoid carbon skeleton has been compiled. The 178 listed carotenoids with C,H,X atoms demonstrate that the classical division of carotenoids into hydrocarbon carotenoids (C,H) and xanthophylls (C,H,O) has become obsolete. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in...

  3. Anomalous dissipation and kinetic-energy distribution in pipes at very high Reynolds numbers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xi; Wei, Bo-Bo; Hussain, Fazle; She, Zhen-Su

    2016-01-01

    A symmetry-based theory is developed for the description of (streamwise) kinetic energy K in turbulent pipes at extremely high Reynolds numbers (Re's). The theory assumes a mesolayer with continual deformation of wall-attached eddies which introduce an anomalous dissipation, breaking the exact balance between production and dissipation. An outer peak of K is predicted above a critical Re of 10^{4}, in good agreement with experimental data. The theory offers an alternative explanation for the recently discovered logarithmic distribution of K. The concept of anomalous dissipation is further supported by a significant modification of the k-ω equation, yielding an accurate prediction of the entire K profile.

  4. A root specific induction of carotenoid biosynthesis contributes to ABA production upon salt stress in arabidopsis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Águila Ruiz-Sola

    Full Text Available Abscisic acid (ABA is a hormone that plays a vital role in mediating abiotic stress responses in plants. Salt exposure induces the synthesis of ABA through the cleavage of carotenoid precursors (xanthophylls, which are found at very low levels in roots. Here we show that de novo ABA biosynthesis in salt-treated Arabidopsis thaliana roots involves an organ-specific induction of the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway. Upregulation of the genes encoding phytoene synthase (PSY and other enzymes of the pathway producing ABA precursors was observed in roots but not in shoots after salt exposure. A pharmacological block of the carotenoid pathway substantially reduced ABA levels in stressed roots, confirming that an increase in carotenoid accumulation contributes to fuel hormone production after salt exposure. Treatment with exogenous ABA was also found to upregulate PSY expression only in roots, suggesting an organ-specific feedback regulation of the carotenoid pathway by ABA. Taken together, our results show that the presence of high concentrations of salt in the growth medium rapidly triggers a root-specific activation of the carotenoid pathway, probably to ensure a proper supply of ABA precursors required for a sustained production of the hormone.

  5. Dynamically controlled energy dissipation for fast magnetic vortex switching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badea, R.; Berezovsky, J.

    2017-09-01

    Manipulation of vortex states in magnetic media provides new routes towards information storage and processing technology. The typical slow relaxation times (˜100 ns) of magnetic vortex dynamics may present an obstacle to the realization of these applications. Here, we investigate how a vortex state in a ferromagnetic microdisk can be manipulated in a way that translates the vortex core while enhancing energy dissipation to rapidly damp the vortex dynamics. We use time-resolved differential magneto-optical Kerr effect microscopy to measure the motion of the vortex core in response to applied magnetic fields. We first map out how the vortex core becomes sequentially trapped by pinning sites as it translates across the disk. After applying a fast magnetic field step to translate the vortex from one pinning site to another, we observe long-lived dynamics of the vortex as it settles to the new equilibrium. We then demonstrate how the addition of a short (<10 ns) magnetic field pulse can induce additional energy dissipation, strongly damping the long-lived dynamics. A model of the vortex dynamics using the Thiele equation of motion explains the mechanism behind this effect.

  6. The DELPHI Trigger System at LEP2 Energies

    CERN Document Server

    Augustinus, A; Charpentier, P; De Wulf, J P; Fontanelli, F; Formenti, F; Gaspar, C; Gavillet, P; Goorens, R; Laugier, J P; Musico, P; Paganoni, M; Sannino, M; Valenti, G

    2003-01-01

    In this paper we describe the modifications carried out on the DELPHI trigger complex since the beginning of the high energy runs of LEP. The descriptions of the trigger configurations and performances for the 2000 data taking period are also presented.

  7. Isospin effect of coulomb interaction on momentum dissipation in intermediate energy heavy ion collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Jianye; Guo Wenjun; Li Xiguo; Xing Yongzhong

    2004-01-01

    The authors investigate the isospin effect of Coulomb interaction on the momentum dissipation or nuclear stopping in the intermediate energy heavy ion collisions by using the isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics model. The calculated results show that the Coulomb interaction induces obviously the reductions of the momentum dissipation. The authors also find that the variation amplitude of momentum dissipation induced by the Coulomb interaction depends sensitively on the form and strength of symmetry potential. However, the isospin effect of Coulomb interaction on the momentum dissipation is less than that induced by the in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross section. In this case, Coulomb interaction does not changes obviously the isospin effect of momentum dissipation induced by the in-medium two-body collision. In particular, the Coulomb interaction is preferable for standing up the isospin effect of in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross section on the momentum dissipation and reducing the isospin effect of symmetry potential on it, which is important for obtaining the feature about the sensitive dependence of momentum dissipation on the in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross section and weakly on the symmetry potential. (author)

  8. A study of energy dissipation and critical speed of granular flow in a rotating cylinder

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dragomir, Sergiu C.; Sinnott, Mathew D.; Semercigil, S. Eren; Turan, Özden F.

    2014-12-01

    Tuned vibration absorbers may improve the safety of flexible structures which are prone to excessive oscillation magnitudes under dynamic loads. A novel absorber design proposes sloshing of granular material in a rotating cylinder where the granular material is the energy dissipating agent. As the conventional dissipative elements require maintenance due to the nature of their function, the new design may represent a virtually maintenance free alternative. The angular speed of the cylinder containing particles has a critical centrifuging speed, after which particles remain permanently in contact with the walls and there can be no further dissipation. Until the critical speed, however, dissipation increases proportionally with the angular speed. It is then vital to know the value of the critical speed as the limit of dissipation. The focus of the present study is on determination of the critical centrifuge speed. This critical speed is also of practical importance in bulk-material handling rotary mills, such as dryers and crushers. Experiments and numerical simulations, using Discrete Element Method, are used to determine the critical centrifuging speed. In addition, predictions are given and guidelines are offered for the choice of material properties to maximize the energy dissipation. As a result of a parametric study, the coefficient of friction is found to have the greatest significance on the centrifuging speed.

  9. Dissipative generalized Chaplygin gas as phantom dark energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cruz, Norman; Lepe, Samuel; Pena, Francisco

    2007-01-01

    The generalized Chaplygin gas, characterized by the equation of state p=-A/ρ α , has been considered as a model for dark energy due to its dark-energy-like evolution at late times. When dissipative processes are taken into account, within the framework of the standard Eckart theory of relativistic irreversible thermodynamics, cosmological analytical solutions are found. Using the truncated causal version of the Israel-Stewart formalism, a suitable model was constructed which crosses the w=-1 barrier. The future-singularities encountered in both approaches are of a new type, and not included in the classification presented by Nojiri and Odintsov [S. Nojiri, S.D. Odintsov, Phys. Rev. D 72 (2005) 023003

  10. Dissipative generalized Chaplygin gas as phantom dark energy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cruz, Norman [Departamento de Fisica, Facultad de Ciencia, Universidad de Santiago, Casilla 307, Santiago (Chile)]. E-mail: ncruz@lauca.usach.cl; Lepe, Samuel [Instituto de Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias Basicas y Matematicas, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso, Avenida Brasil 2950, Valparaiso (Chile)]. E-mail: slepe@ucv.cl; Pena, Francisco [Departamento de Ciencias Fisicas, Facultad de Ingenieria, Ciencias y Administracion, Universidad de la Frontera, Avda. Francisco Salazar 01145, Casilla 54-D, Temuco (Chile)]. E-mail: fcampos@ufro.cl

    2007-03-15

    The generalized Chaplygin gas, characterized by the equation of state p=-A/{rho}{sup {alpha}}, has been considered as a model for dark energy due to its dark-energy-like evolution at late times. When dissipative processes are taken into account, within the framework of the standard Eckart theory of relativistic irreversible thermodynamics, cosmological analytical solutions are found. Using the truncated causal version of the Israel-Stewart formalism, a suitable model was constructed which crosses the w=-1 barrier. The future-singularities encountered in both approaches are of a new type, and not included in the classification presented by Nojiri and Odintsov [S. Nojiri, S.D. Odintsov, Phys. Rev. D 72 (2005) 023003].

  11. Energy dissipation on ion-accelerator grids during high-voltage breakdown

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Menon, M.M.; Ponte, N.S.

    1981-01-01

    The effects of stored energy in the system capacitance across the accelerator grids during high voltage vacuum breakdown are examined. Measurements were made of the current flow and the energy deposition on the grids during breakdown. It is shown that only a portion (less than or equal to 40 J) of the total stored energy (congruent to 100 J) is actually dissipated on the grids. Most of the energy is released during the formation phase of the vacuum arc and is deposited primarily on the most positive grid. Certain abnormal situations led to energy depositions of about 200 J on the grid, but the ion accelerator endured them without exhibiting any deterioration in performance

  12. Carotenoids in Energy Transfer and Quenching Processes in Pcb and Pcb-PS I Complexes from Prochlorothrix hollandica

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Durchan, Milan; Herbstová, Miroslava; Fuciman, M.; Gardian, Zdenko; Vácha, František; Polívka, Tomáš

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 114, č. 28 (2010), s. 9275-9282 ISSN 1520-6106 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA608170604; GA AV ČR IAA608170603 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50510513 Keywords : carotenoids * oxyphotobacteria * energy transfer Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 3.603, year: 2010

  13. Kinetic energy spectra, vertical resolution and dissipation in high-resolution atmospheric simulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skamarock, W. C.

    2017-12-01

    We have performed week-long full-physics simulations with the MPAS global model at 15 km cell spacing using vertical mesh spacings of 800, 400, 200 and 100 meters in the mid-troposphere through the mid-stratosphere. We find that the horizontal kinetic energy spectra in the upper troposphere and stratosphere does not converge with increasing vertical resolution until we reach 200 meter level spacing. Examination of the solutions indicates that significant inertia-gravity waves are not vertically resolved at the lower vertical resolutions. Diagnostics from the simulations indicate that the primary kinetic energy dissipation results from the vertical mixing within the PBL parameterization and from the gravity-wave drag parameterization, with smaller but significant contributions from damping in the vertical transport scheme and from the horizontal filters in the dynamical core. Most of the kinetic energy dissipation in the free atmosphere occurs within breaking mid-latitude baroclinic waves. We will briefly review these results and their implications for atmospheric model configuration and for atmospheric dynamics, specifically that related to the dynamics associated with the mesoscale kinetic energy spectrum.

  14. Pervasive nanoscale deformation twinning as a catalyst for efficient energy dissipation in a bioceramic armour

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Ling; Ortiz, Christine

    2014-05-01

    Hierarchical composite materials design in biological exoskeletons achieves penetration resistance through a variety of energy-dissipating mechanisms while simultaneously balancing the need for damage localization to avoid compromising the mechanical integrity of the entire structure and to maintain multi-hit capability. Here, we show that the shell of the bivalve Placuna placenta (~99 wt% calcite), which possesses the unique optical property of ~80% total transmission of visible light, simultaneously achieves penetration resistance and deformation localization via increasing energy dissipation density (0.290 ± 0.072 nJ μm-3) by approximately an order of magnitude relative to single-crystal geological calcite (0.034 ± 0.013 nJ μm-3). P. placenta, which is composed of a layered assembly of elongated diamond-shaped calcite crystals, undergoes pervasive nanoscale deformation twinning (width ~50 nm) surrounding the penetration zone, which catalyses a series of additional inelastic energy dissipating mechanisms such as interfacial and intracrystalline nanocracking, viscoplastic stretching of interfacial organic material, and nanograin formation and reorientation.

  15. A Single Amino Acid Substitution in an ORANGE Protein Promotes Carotenoid Overaccumulation in Arabidopsis1[OPEN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Hui; Owsiany, Katherine; Sheeja, T.E.; Zhou, Xiangjun; Rodriguez, Caroline; Li, Yongxi; Welsch, Ralf; Chayut, Noam; Yang, Yong; Thannhauser, Theodore W.; Parthasarathy, Mandayam V.; Xu, Qiang; Deng, Xiuxin; Fei, Zhangjun; Schaffer, Ari; Katzir, Nurit; Burger, Joseph; Tadmor, Yaakov; Li, Li

    2015-01-01

    Carotenoids are crucial for plant growth and human health. The finding of ORANGE (OR) protein as a pivotal regulator of carotenogenesis offers a unique opportunity to comprehensively understand the regulatory mechanisms of carotenoid accumulation and develop crops with enhanced nutritional quality. Here, we demonstrated that alteration of a single amino acid in a wild-type OR greatly enhanced its ability to promote carotenoid accumulation. Whereas overexpression of OR from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana; AtOR) or from the agronomically important crop sorghum (Sorghum bicolor; SbOR) increased carotenoid levels up to 2-fold, expression of AtORHis (R90H) or SbORHis (R104H) variants dramatically enhanced carotenoid accumulation by up to 7-fold in the Arabidopsis calli. Moreover, we found that AtORAla (R90A) functioned similarly to AtORHis to promote carotenoid overproduction. Neither AtOR nor AtORHis greatly affected carotenogenic gene expression. AtORHis exhibited similar interactions with phytoene synthase (PSY) as AtOR in posttranscriptionally regulating PSY protein abundance. AtORHis triggered biogenesis of membranous chromoplasts in the Arabidopsis calli, which shared structures similar to chromoplasts found in the curd of the orange cauliflower (Brassica oleracea) mutant. By contrast, AtOR did not cause plastid-type changes in comparison with the controls, but produced plastids containing larger and electron-dense plastoglobuli. The unique ability of AtORHis in mediating chromoplast biogenesis is responsible for its induced carotenoid overproduction. Our study demonstrates ORHis/Ala as powerful tools for carotenoid enrichment in plants, and provides insights into the mechanisms underlying ORHis-regulated carotenoid accumulation. PMID:26224804

  16. Carotenoids in Marine Animals

    OpenAIRE

    Maoka, Takashi

    2011-01-01

    Marine animals contain various carotenoids that show structural diversity. These marine animals accumulate carotenoids from foods such as algae and other animals and modify them through metabolic reactions. Many of the carotenoids present in marine animals are metabolites of β-carotene, fucoxanthin, peridinin, diatoxanthin, alloxanthin, and astaxanthin, etc. Carotenoids found in these animals provide the food chain as well as metabolic pathways. In the present review, I will describe marine a...

  17. The series elastic shock absorber: tendon elasticity modulates energy dissipation by muscle during burst deceleration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konow, Nicolai; Roberts, Thomas J

    2015-04-07

    During downhill running, manoeuvring, negotiation of obstacles and landings from a jump, mechanical energy is dissipated via active lengthening of limb muscles. Tendon compliance provides a 'shock-absorber' mechanism that rapidly absorbs mechanical energy and releases it more slowly as the recoil of the tendon does work to stretch muscle fascicles. By lowering the rate of muscular energy dissipation, tendon compliance likely reduces the risk of muscle injury that can result from rapid and forceful muscle lengthening. Here, we examine how muscle-tendon mechanics are modulated in response to changes in demand for energy dissipation. We measured lateral gastrocnemius (LG) muscle activity, force and fascicle length, as well as leg joint kinematics and ground-reaction force, as turkeys performed drop-landings from three heights (0.5-1.5 m centre-of-mass elevation). Negative work by the LG muscle-tendon unit during landing increased with drop height, mainly owing to greater muscle recruitment and force as drop height increased. Although muscle strain did not increase with landing height, ankle flexion increased owing to increased tendon strain at higher muscle forces. Measurements of the length-tension relationship of the muscle indicated that the muscle reached peak force at shorter and likely safer operating lengths as drop height increased. Our results indicate that tendon compliance is important to the modulation of energy dissipation by active muscle with changes in demand and may provide a mechanism for rapid adjustment of function during deceleration tasks of unpredictable intensity. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

  18. Energy dissipation of Alfven wave packets deformed by irregular magnetic fields in solar-coronal arches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Similon, Philippe L.; Sudan, R. N.

    1989-01-01

    The importance of field line geometry for shear Alfven wave dissipation in coronal arches is demonstrated. An eikonal formulation makes it possible to account for the complicated magnetic geometry typical in coronal loops. An interpretation of Alfven wave resonance is given in terms of gradient steepening, and dissipation efficiencies are studied for two configurations: the well-known slab model with a straight magnetic field, and a new model with stochastic field lines. It is shown that a large fraction of the Alfven wave energy flux can be effectively dissipated in the corona.

  19. Carotenoid-to-bacteriochlorophyll energy transfer through vibronic coupling in LH2 from Phaeosprillum molischianum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thyrhaug, Erling; Lincoln, Craig N; Branchi, Federico; Cerullo, Giulio; Perlík, Václav; Šanda, František; Lokstein, Heiko; Hauer, Jürgen

    2018-03-01

    The peripheral light-harvesting antenna complex (LH2) of purple photosynthetic bacteria is an ideal testing ground for models of structure-function relationships due to its well-determined molecular structure and ultrafast energy deactivation. It has been the target for numerous studies in both theory and ultrafast spectroscopy; nevertheless, certain aspects of the convoluted relaxation network of LH2 lack a satisfactory explanation by conventional theories. For example, the initial carotenoid-to-bacteriochlorophyll energy transfer step necessary on visible light excitation was long considered to follow the Förster mechanism, even though transfer times as short as 40 femtoseconds (fs) have been observed. Such transfer times are hard to accommodate by Förster theory, as the moderate coupling strengths found in LH2 suggest much slower transfer within this framework. In this study, we investigate LH2 from Phaeospirillum (Ph.) molischianum in two types of transient absorption experiments-with narrowband pump and white-light probe resulting in 100 fs time resolution, and with degenerate broadband 10 fs pump and probe pulses. With regard to the split Q x band in this system, we show that vibronically mediated transfer explains both the ultrafast carotenoid-to-B850 transfer, and the almost complete lack of transfer to B800. These results are beyond Förster theory, which predicts an almost equal partition between the two channels.

  20. Cancer Chemoprevention by Carotenoids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takuji Tanaka

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Carotenoids are natural fat-soluble pigments that provide bright coloration to plants and animals. Dietary intake of carotenoids is inversely associated with the risk of a variety of cancers in different tissues. Preclinical studies have shown that some carotenoids have potent antitumor effects both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting potential preventive and/or therapeutic roles for the compounds. Since chemoprevention is one of the most important strategies in the control of cancer development, molecular mechanism-based cancer chemoprevention using carotenoids seems to be an attractive approach. Various carotenoids, such as β-carotene, a-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, fucoxanthin, canthaxanthin and astaxanthin, have been proven to have anti-carcinogenic activity in several tissues, although high doses of β-carotene failed to exhibit chemopreventive activity in clinical trials. In this review, cancer prevention using carotenoids are reviewed and the possible mechanisms of action are described.

  1. Mechanistic aspects of carotenoid biosynthesis

    KAUST Repository

    Moïse, Alexander R.

    2014-01-08

    Carotenoid synthesis is based on the analysis of the phenotype of several mutant strains of tomato lacking carotenoid synthetic genes. Carotenoids are tetraterpenes derived through the condensation of the five-carbon (C5) universal isoprenoid precursors isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP). A recently developed concept that could explain the role of the poly-cis pathway in carotenoid synthesis is that the intermediates of this pathway have additional physiological roles that extend beyond serving as precursors of lycopene. This concept is based on the analysis of the phenotype of several mutant strains of tomato lacking carotenoid synthetic genes. The feedback regulation of early carotenoid synthetic genes in response to a block in upstream metabolism represents a paradigm shift in our understanding of the mechanism and regulation of carotenoid synthesis and of metabolic regulation in general. The molecular details of a signaling pathway that regulates carotenogenesis in response to the levels of carotenoid precursors are still unclear.

  2. Energy dissipation unveils atomic displacement in the noncontact atomic force microscopy imaging of Si(111 )-(7 ×7 )

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arai, Toyoko; Inamura, Ryo; Kura, Daiki; Tomitori, Masahiko

    2018-03-01

    The kinetic energy of the oscillating cantilever of noncontact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) at room temperature was considerably dissipated over regions between a Si adatom and its neighboring rest atom for Si(111 )-(7 ×7 ) in close proximity to a Si tip on the cantilever. However, nc-AFM topographic images showed no atomic features over those regions, which were the hollow sites of the (7 ×7 ). This energy dissipation likely originated from displacement of Si adatoms with respect to the tip over the hollow sites, leading to a lateral shift of the adatoms toward the rest atom. This interaction led to hysteresis over each cantilever oscillation cycle; when the tip was retracted, the Si adatom likely returned to its original position. To confirm the atomic processes involved in the force interactions through Si dangling bonds, the Si(111 )-(7 ×7 ) surface was partly terminated with atomic hydrogen (H) and examined by nc-AFM. When the Si adatoms and/or the rest atoms were terminated with H, the hollow sites were not bright (less dissipation) in images of the energy dissipation channels by nc-AFM. The hollow sites acted as metastable sites for Si adatoms in surface diffusion and atom manipulation; thus, the dissipation energy which is saturated on the tip likely corresponds to the difference in the potential energy between the hollow site and the Si adatom site. In this study, we demonstrated the ability of dissipation channels of nc-AFM to enable visualization of the dynamics of atoms and molecules on surfaces, which cannot be revealed by nc-AFM topographic images alone.

  3. Interrelationships between maternal carotenoid status and newborn infant macular pigment optical density and carotenoid status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henriksen, Bradley S; Chan, Gary; Hoffman, Robert O; Sharifzadeh, Mohsen; Ermakov, Igor V; Gellermann, Werner; Bernstein, Paul S

    2013-08-15

    Deposition of the macular pigment carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin in the human retina occurs early in life. In this study, we examined the interrelationships of maternal carotenoid status and newborn infant macular pigment levels and systemic carotenoid status. As a secondary measure, we also evaluated the effects of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) on carotenoid status in term newborn infants. We measured mother and infant skin carotenoids using resonance Raman spectroscopy (RRS), serum carotenoids by HPLC, and mother breast milk carotenoids by HPLC. We measured infant macular pigment levels using noninvasive blue light reflectometry. We enrolled 30 healthy term infants, their mothers, and 10 IUGR infants and their mothers. A subset of 16 infants was imaged for macular pigment optical density (MPOD). Infant serum zeaxanthin levels correlated with MPOD (r = 0.68, P = 0.007). Mother serum zeaxanthin levels correlated with infant MPOD (r = 0.59, P = 0.032). Infant and mother serum lutein did not correlate with MPOD. Mother-infant correlations were found for total serum carotenoids (r = 0.42, P = 0.020) and skin carotenoids (r = 0.48, P = 0.001). No difference was seen between IUGR infants and controls in total serum or skin carotenoids. Mothers of IUGR infants had lower total serum carotenoids (P = 0.019) and breast milk carotenoids than controls (P = 0.006). Our findings suggest that maternal zeaxanthin status may play a more important role than lutein status in macular pigment deposition in utero. Controlled trials are needed to determine whether maternal zeaxanthin prenatal supplementation can raise infant macular pigment levels and/or improve ocular function.

  4. Lipids, hemoproteins and carotenoids in alive Rhodotorula mucilaginosa cells under pesticide decomposition - Raman imaging study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pacia, Marta Z; Pukalski, Jan; Turnau, Katarzyna; Baranska, Malgorzata; Kaczor, Agnieszka

    2016-12-01

    Various species of yeasts are gaining attention as producers of nutraceuticals and biofuels and due to their capacity to biodegrade chemical waste. Rhodotorula mucilaginosa is one of the most oleaginous species of yeast, an efficient de novo carotenoid producer and was reported to be capable of decomposing of organic pesticides. In this work we studied the influence of a toxic pesticide, diazinone, on production of storage (lipids) and protective (carotenoids, hemoproteins) compounds by Rh. mucilaginosa alive cells with the help of Raman imaging. It occurred that the yeast in non-oleaginous phase and aerobic environment was rich in carotenoids and their level increased significantly under incubation with diazinone, while anaerobic environment resulted in production of both carotenoids and hemoproteins and the level of the latter decreased under the influence of the pesticide. For yeasts in oleaginous phase, it was concluded that lipid production (via triggering of NAD + accumulation and increase of the NO level) resulted in nitrosative stress leading to flavohemoprotein synthesis and was associated with the increase of the mitochondrial activity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Energy-dissipating and self-repairing SMA-ECC composite material system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Xiaopeng; Li, Mo; Song, Gangbing

    2015-01-01

    Structural component ductility and energy dissipation capacity are crucial factors for achieving reinforced concrete structures more resistant to dynamic loading such as earthquakes. Furthermore, limiting post-event residual damage and deformation allows for immediate re-operation or minimal repairs. These desirable characteristics for structural ‘resilience’, however, present significant challenges due to the brittle nature of concrete, its deformation incompatibility with ductile steel, and the plastic yielding of steel reinforcement. Here, we developed a new composite material system that integrates the unique ductile feature of engineered cementitious composites (ECC) with superelastic shape memory alloy (SMA). In contrast to steel reinforced concrete (RC) and SMA reinforced concrete (SMA-RC), the SMA-ECC beams studied in this research exhibited extraordinary energy dissipation capacity, minimal residual deformation, and full self-recovery of damage under cyclic flexural loading. We found that the tensile strain capacity of ECC, tailored up to 5.5% in this study, allows it to work compatibly with superelastic SMA. Furthermore, the distributed microcracking damage mechanism in ECC is critical for sufficient and reliable recovery of damage upon unloading. This research demonstrates the potential of SMA-ECC for improving resilience of concrete structures under extreme hazard events. (paper)

  6. A Carotenoid Health Index Based on Plasma Carotenoids and Health Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donaldson, Michael S.

    2011-01-01

    While there have been many studies on health outcomes that have included measurements of plasma carotenoids, this data has not been reviewed and assembled into a useful form. In this review sixty-two studies of plasma carotenoids and health outcomes, mostly prospective cohort studies or population-based case-control studies, are analyzed together to establish a carotenoid health index. Five cutoff points are established across the percentiles of carotenoid concentrations in populations, from the tenth to ninetieth percentile. The cutoff points (mean ± standard error of the mean) are 1.11 ± 0.08, 1.47 ± 0.08, 1.89 ± 0.08, 2.52 ± 0.13, and 3.07 ± 0.20 µM. For all cause mortality there seems to be a low threshold effect with protection above every cutoff point but the lowest. But for metabolic syndrome and cancer outcomes there tends to be significant positive health outcomes only above the higher cutoff points, perhaps as a triage effect. Based on this data a carotenoid health index is proposed with risk categories as follows: very high risk: 4 µM. Over 95 percent of the USA population falls into the moderate or high risk category of the carotenoid health index. PMID:22292108

  7. Skin Carotenoid Response to a High-Carotenoid Juice in Children: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguilar, Sheryl S; Wengreen, Heidi J; Dew, Jeffrey

    2015-11-01

    Previous studies have shown an increase in serum carotenoid status among children when fed carotenoids. This study looked at the effect and dose-response of a known amount of carotenoid consumption on change in skin carotenoid status among children. Participants were children aged 5 to 17 years from Cache County, UT (n=58). Children were randomly assigned to one of three groups: high (n=18) or low (n=18) dose of a carotenoid-rich juice (2.75 mg carotenoids/30 mL juice), or placebo juice (n=22). Children were asked to drink an assigned dose of the juice (30 to 120 mL/day) based on the weight of the child and group assignment, every day for 8 weeks. Skin carotenoids were measured every 2 weeks by resonance Raman spectroscopy. Participants were asked to maintain their usual diet throughout the study. Usual diet was assessed using three averaged 24-hour recalls; diet constancy was measured using food frequency questionnaires administered at baseline, Week 4, and Week 8. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to assess the group differences in skin carotenoid status over time. The high-dose and low-dose groups had mean±standard deviation increases in skin carotenoid status of 11,515±1,134 and 10,009±1,439 Raman intensity counts, respectively (both P values juice significantly increased skin carotenoid status over an 8-week period among children aged 5 to 17 years. The amount of carotenoids found in this amount of juice is equal to the amount found in approximately 23 to 92 g cooked carrots per day. Copyright © 2015 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Rapid Quantification of Energy Absorption and Dissipation Metrics for PPE Padding Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-22

    dampers ,   i.e.,  Hooke’s  Law  springs  and   viscous ...absorbing/dissipating materials. Input forces caused by blast pressures, determined from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis and simulation...simple  lumped-­‐ parameter  elements   –  spring,  k  (energy  storage)   –  damper ,  b  (energy  dissipa/on   Rapid

  9. Energy dissipation effects on imaging of soft materials by dynamic atomic force microscopy: A DNA-chip study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Phaner-Goutorbe, M., E-mail: magali.phaner@ec-lyon.fr [Université de Lyon, Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon (INL) UMR CNRS 5270, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, 36 Avenue Guy de Collongue, 69134 Ecully (France); Iazykov, M. [Université de Lyon, laboratoire de Physique, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46 allée d' Italie 69364 Lyon cedex 07 (France); Villey, R. [Université de Lyon, Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon (INL) UMR CNRS 5270, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, 36 Avenue Guy de Collongue, 69134 Ecully (France); Université de Lyon, laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée et Nanostructures, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Domaine Scientifique de la Doua, Bâtiment Léon Brillouin 43 boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, F 69622 Villeurbanne (France); Sicard, D.; Robach, Y. [Université de Lyon, Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon (INL) UMR CNRS 5270, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, 36 Avenue Guy de Collongue, 69134 Ecully (France)

    2013-05-01

    Using amplitude-mode AFM (AM-AFM), we have obtained valuable information during these recent years through the study of amplitude and phase shift dependence on tip–sample separation, leading to a comprehensive understanding of the interaction processes. Two imaging regimes, attractive and repulsive, have been identified and a relationship between phase and dissipative energy was established, providing information on observed material properties. Most of the previous studies have concerned model systems: either hard or soft materials. In this paper, we present the analysis of a mixed system of soft structures on a hard substrate. This is a DNA chip for biological applications consisting of oligonucleotides covalently linked by a layer of silane to a silicon substrate. A detailed study of amplitude-phase curves as a function of the tip–sample separation allowed us to define the best experimental conditions to obtain specific information: we got reliable conditions to minimize noise during topographic imaging and an understanding of the processes of energy dissipation involved in the DNA breaking for DNA arrays. By calculating the energy dissipated as a function of the amplitude of oscillation, we have demonstrated a transition from an energy dissipation process governed by localized viscoelastic interactions (due to the soft layer) to a process governed by extended irreversible deformations (due to the hard substrate). Highlights: ► Amplitude mode AFM analysis of a DNA array is presented. ► Reliable conditions for noise minimization on topographic images are presented. ► Phase, amplitude vs distance curves are analyzed for different setpoint amplitudes. ► Energy dissipation processes are described from viscoelasticity to DNA breaking.

  10. Relaxational dissipation of magnetic field energy in a rarefied plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vekshtejn, G.E.

    1987-01-01

    A mechanism of solar corona plasma heating connected with relaxation of a magnetic configuration in the corona to the state of the magnetic energy minimum at restrictions imposed by high conductivity of a medium is considered. Photospheric plasma pulsations leading to generation of longitudinal currents in the corona are in this case energy sources. The excess magnetic energy of these currents is dissipated as a result of reclosing of force lines of the magnetic field in narrow current layers. Plasmaturbulence related to the process of magnetic reclosing is phenomenologically described in this case by introducing certain characteristic time of relaxation. Such an approach permits to relate the plasma heating energy with parameters of photospheric motions in the framework of a simple model of the magnetic field

  11. Induction of Efficient Energy Dissipation in the Isolated Light-harvesting Complex of Photosystem II in the Absence of Protein Aggregation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ilioaia, C.; Johnson, M.P.; Horton, P.; Ruban, A.V.

    2008-01-01

    Under excess illumination, the Photosystem II light-harvesting antenna of higher plants has the ability to switch into an efficient photoprotective mode, allowing safe dissipation of excitation energy into heat. In this study, we show induction of the energy dissipation state, monitored by

  12. Light energy dissipation under water stress conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stuhlfauth, T.; Scheuermann, R.; Fock, H.P.

    1990-01-01

    Using 14 CO 2 gas exchange and metabolite analyses, stomatal as well as total internal CO 2 uptake and evolution were estimated. Pulse modulated fluorescence was measured during induction and steady state of photosynthesis. Leaf water potential of Digitalis lanata EHRH. plants decreased to -2.5 megapascals after withholding irrigation. By osmotic adjustment, leaves remained turgid and fully exposed to irradiance even at severe water stress. Due to the stress-induced reduction of stomatal conductance, the stomatal CO 2 exchange was drastically reduced, whereas the total CO 2 uptake and evolution were less affected. Stomatal closure induced an increase in the reassimilation of internally evolved CO 2 . This CO 2 -recycling consumes a significant amount of light energy in the form of ATP and reducing equivalents. As a consequence, the metabolic demand for light energy is only reduced by about 40%, whereas net photosynthesis is diminished by about 70% under severe stress conditions. By CO 2 recycling, carbon flux, enzymatic substrate turnover and consumption of light energy were maintained at high levels, which enabled the plant to recover rapidly after rewatering. In stressed D. lanata plants a variable fluorescence quenching mechanism, termed coefficient of actinic light quenching, was observed. Besides water conservation, light energy dissipation is essential and involves regulated metabolic variations

  13. Carotenoids of human colostrum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patton, S; Canfield, L M; Huston, G E; Ferris, A M; Jensen, R G

    1990-03-01

    Colostrum, the initial postpartum secretion of the breast, ordinarily has a distinct yellow color due to carotenoids of its fat globules. This pigmentation progressively diminishes as milk production increases during the first week of lactation. Identity of these carotenoids was investigated by means of thin-layer chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography and spectral analysis. Alpha- and beta-carotene, lycopene and beta-cryptoxanthin were revealed as major chromogens. A component corresponding to lutein and/or zeaxanthin was also detected by both chromatographic techniques. Extracts of 23 saponified colostrum samples from 10 donors revealed considerable variation in total carotenoid concentration (0.34-7.57 micrograms/ml of colostrum). Multiparous mothers had greater mean colostrum carotenoid concentrations than did the primiparae, 2.18 +/- 1.94 vs 1.14 +/- 1.32 micrograms/ml, respectively. Seven of the eight primiparous donors' samples had little or no yellow color. These findings imply a difference in carotenoid transport by breasts that have lactated as compared to those that have not. The interrelation of carotenoids, lactation and breast cancer is discussed.

  14. Efficient light-harvesting using non-carbonyl carotenoids: Energy transfer dynamics in the VCP complex from Nannochloropsis oceanica

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kesan, G.; Litvín, Radek; Bína, David; Durchan, Milan; Šlouf, V.; Polívka, Tomáš

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 1857, č. 4 (2016), s. 370-379 ISSN 0005-2728 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP205/11/1164; GA ČR GBP501/12/G055; GA ČR(CZ) GP14-01377P Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : Carotenoids * Energy transfer * Light-harvesting complex Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 4.932, year: 2016

  15. Energy Dissipation and Dynamics in Large Guide Field Turbulence Driven Reconnection at the Magnetopause

    Science.gov (United States)

    TenBarge, J. M.; Shay, M. A.; Sharma, P.; Juno, J.; Haggerty, C. C.; Drake, J. F.; Bhattacharjee, A.; Hakim, A.

    2017-12-01

    Turbulence and magnetic reconnection are the primary mechanisms responsible for the conversion of stored magnetic energy into particle energy in many space and astrophysical plasmas. The magnetospheric multiscale mission (MMS) has given us unprecedented access to high cadence particle and field data of turbulence and magnetic reconnection at earth's magnetopause. The observations include large guide field reconnection events generated within the turbulent magnetopause. Motivated by these observations, we present a study of large guide reconnection using the fully kinetic Eulerian Vlasov-Maxwell component of the Gkeyll simulation framework, and we also employ and compare with gyrokinetics to explore the asymptotically large guide field limit. In addition to studying the configuration space dynamics, we leverage the recently developed field-particle correlations to diagnose the dominant sources of dissipation and compare the results of the field-particle correlation to other energy dissipation measures.

  16. Dynamic shear-lag model for understanding the role of matrix in energy dissipation in fiber-reinforced composites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Junjie; Zhu, Wenqing; Yu, Zhongliang; Wei, Xiaoding

    2018-07-01

    Lightweight and high impact performance composite design is a big challenge for scientists and engineers. Inspired from well-known biological materials, e.g., the bones, spider silk, and claws of mantis shrimp, artificial composites have been synthesized for engineering applications. Presently, the design of ballistic resistant composites mainly emphasizes the utilization of light and high-strength fibers, whereas the contribution from matrix materials receives less attention. However, recent ballistic experiments on fiber-reinforced composites challenge our common sense. The use of matrix with "low-grade" properties enhances effectively the impact performance. In this study, we establish a dynamic shear-lag model to explore the energy dissipation through viscous matrix materials in fiber-reinforced composites and the associations of energy dissipation characteristics with the properties and geometries of constituents. The model suggests that an enhancement in energy dissipation before the material integrity is lost can be achieved by tuning the shear modulus and viscosity of a matrix. Furthermore, our model implies that an appropriately designed staggered microstructure, adopted by many natural composites, can repeatedly activate the energy dissipation process and thus improve dramatically the impact performance. This model demonstrates the role of matrix in energy dissipation, and stimulates new advanced material design concepts for ballistic applications. Biological composites found in nature often possess exceptional mechanical properties that man-made materials haven't be able to achieve. For example, it is predicted that a pencil thick spider silk thread can stop a flying Boeing airplane. Here, by proposing a dynamic shear-lag model, we investigate the relationships between the impact performance of a composite with the dimensions and properties of its constituents. Our analysis suggests that the impact performance of fiber-reinforced composites could improve

  17. Investigation of energy dissipation in meat with an experimental ultrasonic device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stasiak, D.M.; Dolatowski, Z.

    2000-01-01

    The phenomena concomitant with acoustic energy dissipation in meat were studied. An experimental ultrasonic device (25-37 kHz, 2 W/square cm) was applied. Measurements of meat temperature in ultrasonic field showed the temperature rise significant for technological reasons. In this respect the changes in water absorption ability and acidity of meat were also examined

  18. Dissipative relativistic hydrodynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Imshennik, V.S.; Morozov, Yu.I.

    1989-01-01

    Using the comoving reference frame in the general non-inertial case, the relativistic hydrodynamics equations are derived with an account for dissipative effects in the matter. From the entropy production equation, the exact from for the dissipative tensor components is obtained. As a result, the closed system of equations of dissipative relativistic hydrodynamics is obtained in the comoving reference frame as a relativistic generalization of the known Navier-Stokes equations for Lagrange coordinates. Equations of relativistic hydrodynamics with account for dissipative effects in the matter are derived using the assocoated reference system in general non-inertial case. True form of the dissipative tensor components is obtained from entropy production equation. Closed system of equations for dissipative relativistic hydrodynamics is obtained as a result in the assocoated reference system (ARS) - relativistic generalization of well-known Navier-Stokes equations for Lagrange coordinates. Equation system, obtained in this paper for ARS, may be effectively used in numerical models of explosive processes with 10 51 erg energy releases which are characteristic for flashes of supernovae, if white dwarf type compact target suggested as presupernova

  19. Mate choice for a male carotenoid-based ornament is linked to female dietary carotenoid intake and accumulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Toomey Matthew B

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The coevolution of male traits and female mate preferences has led to the elaboration and diversification of sexually selected traits; however the mechanisms that mediate trait-preference coevolution are largely unknown. Carotenoid acquisition and accumulation are key determinants of the expression of male sexually selected carotenoid-based coloration and a primary mechanism maintaining the honest information content of these signals. Carotenoids also influence female health and reproduction in ways that may alter the costs and benefits of mate choice behaviours and thus provide a potential biochemical link between the expression of male traits and female preferences. To test this hypothesis, we manipulated the dietary carotenoid levels of captive female house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus and assessed their mate choice behavior in response to color-manipulated male finches. Results Females preferred to associate with red males, but carotenoid supplementation did not influence the direction or strength of this preference. Females receiving a low-carotenoid diet were less responsive to males in general, and discrimination among the colorful males was positively linked to female plasma carotenoid levels at the beginning of the study when the diet of all birds was carotenoid-limited. Conclusions Although female preference for red males was not influenced by carotenoid intake, changes in mating responsiveness and discrimination linked to female carotenoid status may alter how this preference is translated into choice. The reddest males, with the most carotenoid rich plumage, tend to pair early in the breeding season. If carotenoid-related variations in female choice behaviour shift the timing of pairing, then they have the potential to promote assortative mating by carotenoid status and drive the evolution of carotenoid-based male plumage coloration.

  20. Dietary factors that affect carotenoid bioavailability

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hof, van het K.H.

    1999-01-01

    Carotenoids are thought to contribute to the beneficial effects of increased vegetable consumption. To better understand the potential benefits of carotenoids, we investigated the bioavailability of carotenoids from vegetables and dietary factors which might influence carotenoid

  1. Modification of carotenoid levels by abscission agents and expression of carotenoid biosynthetic genes in 'valencia' sweet orange.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alferez, Fernando; Pozo, Luis V; Rouseff, Russell R; Burns, Jacqueline K

    2013-03-27

    The effect of 5-chloro-3-methyl-4-nitro-1H-pyrazole (CMNP) and ethephon on peel color, flavedo carotenoid gene expression, and carotenoid accumulation was investigated in mature 'Valencia' orange ( Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) fruit flavedo at three maturation stages. Abscission agent application altered peel color. CMNP was more effective than ethephon in promoting green-to-red (a) and blue-to-yellow (b) color at the middle and late maturation stages and total carotenoid changes at all maturation stages. Altered flow of carotenoid precursors during maturation due to abscission agents was suggested by changes in phytoene desaturase (Pds) and ζ-carotene desaturase (Zds) gene expression. However, each abscission agent affected downstream expression differentially. Ethephon application increased β-carotene hydroxilase (β-Chx) transcript accumulation 12-fold as maturation advanced from the early to middle and late stages. CMNP markedly increased β- and ε-lycopene cyclase (Lcy) transcript accumulation 45- and 15-fold, respectively, at midmaturation. Patterns of carotenoid accumulation in flavedo were supported in part by gene expression changes. CMNP caused greater accumulation of total flavedo carotenoids at all maturation stages when compared with ethephon or controls. In general, CMNP treatment increased total red carotenoids more than ethephon or the control but decreased total yellow carotenoids at each maturation stage. In control fruit flavedo, total red carotenoids increased and yellow carotenoids decreased as maturation progressed. Trends in total red carotenoids during maturation were consistent with measured a values. Changes in carotenoid accumulation and expression patterns in flavedo suggest that regulation of carotenoid accumulation is under transcriptional, translational, and post-translational control.

  2. Impact Vibration Attenuation for a Flexible Robotic Manipulator through Transfer and Dissipation of Energy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yushu Bian

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Due to the presence of system flexibility, impact can excite severe large amplitude vibration responses of the flexible robotic manipulator. This impact vibration exhibits characteristics of remarkable nonlinearity and strong energy. The main goal of this study is to put forward an energy-based control method to absorb and attenuate large amplitude impact vibration of the flexible robotic manipulator. The method takes advantage of internal resonance and is implemented through a vibration absorber based on the transfer and dissipation of energy. The addition of the vibration absorber to the flexible arm generates a coupling effect between vibration modes of the system. By means of analysis on 2:1 internal resonance, the exchange of energy is proven to be existent. The impact vibrational energy can be transferred from the arm to the absorber and dissipated through the damping of the absorber. The results of numerical simulations are promising and preliminarily verify that the method is feasible and can be used to combat large amplitude impact vibration of the flexible manipulator undergoing rigid motion.

  3. A photophysical control mechanism for zeaxanthin-associated radiationless energy dissipation in photosynthesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Frank, H.A.; Cua, A. [Connecticut Univ., Storrs, CT (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Young, A. [Johns Moores Univ., Liverpool (United Kingdom). School of Biological and Earth Sciences; Gosztola, D.; Wasielewski, M.R. [Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)

    1994-09-01

    Understanding the way in which excess solar energy is dissipated by photosynthetic membranes under high light stress is a major problem in photosynthesis studies. This paper reports femtosecond time-resolved, fast-transient optical spectroscopic analyses of three important xanthophylls: violaxanthin, antheraxanthin, zeoaxanthin. The results support the notion that the enzymatic reactions that interconvert these xanthophylls act as a kind of ``molecular gear shift`` controlling whether the molecules function as light-harvesting pigments performing forward energy transfer or as fluorescence quenchers performing reverse energy transfer.

  4. Probing dissipation mechanisms in BL Lac jets through X-ray polarimetry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tavecchio, F.; Landoni, M.; Sironi, L.; Coppi, P.

    2018-06-01

    The dissipation of energy flux in blazar jets plays a key role in the acceleration of relativistic particles. Two possibilities are commonly considered for the dissipation processes, magnetic reconnection - possibly triggered by instabilities in magnetically-dominated jets - , or shocks - for weakly magnetized flows. We consider the polarimetric features expected for the two scenarios analyzing the results of state-of-the-art simulations. For the magnetic reconnection scenario we conclude, using results from global relativistic MHD simulations, that the emission likely occurs in turbulent regions with unstructured magnetic fields, although the simulations do not allow us to draw firm conclusions. On the other hand, with local particle-in-cell simulations we show that, for shocks with a magnetic field geometry suitable for particle acceleration, the self-generated magnetic field at the shock front is predominantly orthogonal to the shock normal and becomes quasi-parallel downstream. Based on this result we develop a simplified model to calculate the frequency-dependent degree of polarization, assuming that high-energy particles are injected at the shock and cool downstream. We apply our results to HBLs, blazars with the maximum of their synchrotron output at UV-soft X-ray energies. While in the optical band the predicted degree of polarization is low, in the X-ray emission it can ideally reach 50%, especially during active/flaring states. The comparison between measurements in the optical and in the X-ray band made during active states (feasible with the planned IXPE satellite) are expected to provide valuable constraints on the dissipation and acceleration processes.

  5. Microscopic nuclear dissipation. Pt. 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yannouleas, C.; Dworzecka, M.; Griffin, J.J.

    1983-01-01

    We have formulated a microscopic, nonperturbative, time reversible model which exhibits a dissipative decay of collective motion for times short compared to the system's Poincare time. The model assumes an RPA approximate description of the initial collective state within a restricted subspace, then traces its time evolution when an additional subspace is coupled to the restricted subspace by certain simplified matrix elements. It invokes no statistical assumptions. The damping of the collective motion occurs via real transitions from the collective state to other more complicated nuclear states of the same energy. It corresponds therefore to the so called 'one-body' long mean free path limit of nuclear dissipation when the collective state describes a surface vibration. When the simplest RPA approximation is used, this process associates the dissipation with the escape width for direct particle emission to the continuum. When the more detailed second RPA is used, it associates the dissipation with the spreading width for transitions to the 2p-2h components of the nuclear compound states as well. The energy loss rate for sharp n-phonon initial states is proportional to the total collective energy, unlike the dissipation of a classical damped oscillator, where it is proportional to the kinetic energy only. However, for coherent, multi-phonon wave packets, which explicitly describe the time-dependent oscillations of the mean field, dissipation proportional only to the kinetic energy is obtained. Canonical coordinates for the collective degree of freedom are explicitly introduced and a nonlinear frictional hamiltonian to describe such systems is specified by the requirement that it yield the same time dependence for the collective motion as the microscopic model. Thus, for the first time a descriptive nonlinear hamiltonian is derived explicitly from the underlying microscopic model of a nuclear system. (orig.)

  6. Potential production of carotenoids from Neurospora

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SRI PRIATNI

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Priatni S. 2014. Review: Potential production of carotenoids from Neurospora. Nusantara Bioscience 6: 63-68. Carotenoids are abundant and widely distributed in plants, animals and microorganisms. Commercial use of carotenoids competes between microorganisms and synthetic manufacture. Carotenoids production can be increased by improving the efficiency of carotenoid synthesis in microbes. Some of the cultural and environmental stimulants are positively affecting the carotenoid content of carotenogenic strains such as Neurospora. Neurospora is a fungus that exhibits the formation of spores and conidia, the part of the cell for carotenoids biosynthesis. The Indonesian traditional fermented food, red peanut cake or oncom, especially in West Java, is produced from legume residues of Neurospora sp. This fungus has been isolated and identified as Neurospora intermedia. In order to apply this pigment for food and cosmetic colorants, encapsulation techniques of carotenoids have been developed to improve its solubility and stability.

  7. Dissipation of 'dark energy' by cortex in knowledge retrieval.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Capolupo, Antonio; Freeman, Walter J; Vitiello, Giuseppe

    2013-03-01

    We have devised a thermodynamic model of cortical neurodynamics expressed at the classical level by neural networks and at the quantum level by dissipative quantum field theory. Our model is based on features in the spatial images of cortical activity newly revealed by high-density electrode arrays. We have incorporated the mechanism and necessity for so-called dark energy in knowledge retrieval. We have extended the model first using the Carnot cycle to define our measures for energy, entropy and temperature, and then using the Rankine cycle to incorporate criticality and phase transitions. We describe the dynamics of two interactive fields of neural activity that express knowledge, one at high and the other at low energy density, and the two operators that create and annihilate the fields. We postulate that the extremely high density of energy sequestered briefly in cortical activity patterns can account for the vividness, richness of associations, and emotional intensity of memories recalled by stimuli. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. A case study of the energy dissipation of the gravity wave field based on satellite altimeter measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, N. E.; Parsons, C. L.; Long, S. R.; Bliven, L. F.

    1983-01-01

    Wave breaking is proposed as the primary energy dissipation mechanism for the gravity wave field. The energy dissipation rate is calculated based on the statistical model proposed by Longuet-Higgins (1969) with a modification of the breaking criterion incorporating the surface stress according to Phillips and Banner (1974). From this modified model, an analytic expression is found for the wave attenuation rate and the half-life time of the wave field which depend only on the significant slope of the wave field and the ratio of friction velocity to initial wave phase velocity. These expressions explain why the freshly generated wave field does not last long, but why swells are capable of propagating long distances without substantial change in energy density. It is shown that breaking is many orders of magnitude more effective in dissipating wave energy than the molecular viscosity, if the significant slope is higher than 0.01. Limited observational data from satellite and laboratory are used to compare with the analytic results, and show good agreement.

  9. Hydrophilic Carotenoids: Recent Progress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Attila Agócs

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Carotenoids are substantially hydrophobic antioxidants. Hydrophobicity is this context is rather a disadvantage, because their utilization in medicine as antioxidants or in food chemistry as colorants would require some water dispersibility for their effective uptake or use in many other ways. In the past 15 years several attempts were made to synthetize partially hydrophilic carotenoids. This review compiles the recently synthetized hydrophilic carotenoid derivatives.

  10. Observations of the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate in the upper central South China Sea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Chang-Rong; Chen, Gui-Ying; Shang, Xiao-Dong

    2017-05-01

    Measurements of the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate ( ɛ), velocity, temperature, and salinity were obtained for the upper ocean of the central South China Sea (14.5° N, 117.0° E) during an experimental campaign from May 11 to 13, 2010. Dissipation in the diurnal mixed layer showed a diurnal variability that was strongly affected by the surface buoyancy flux. Dissipation was enhanced ( ɛ ˜ 10-7 W kg-1) at night due to the convective mixing and was weakened ( ɛ ˜ 10-9 W kg-1) in daytime due to the stratification. Dissipation in the thermocline varied with time under the influence of internal waves. Shear from high-frequency internal waves (period ˜8 h) played an important role in enhancing the turbulent mixing in the thermocline. In the period of strong high-frequency internal waves, the shear from high-frequency internal waves became strong and the depth-averaged ɛ in the thermocline was elevated by almost one order of magnitude. Compared with the dissipation in the thermocline, dissipation below was weaker (the time-averaged ɛ ˜ 10-10 W kg-1). The observation indicates that the dissipation rates during the measurements can be parameterized by the MacKinnon-Gregg model that is widely used in the continental shelf but are not in agreement with the Gregg-Henyey model used for the open ocean.

  11. Energy dissipation during an explosion in a porous elasto-plastic medium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lovetskii, E.E.; Maslennikov, A.M.; Fetisov, V.S.

    1979-01-01

    A study is made of the redistribution of energy from camouflage blasting in a saturated porous medium. The study is undertaken with the aid of a numerical solution to a system of hydrodynamic equations, that account for shear strength of the substance under investigation. A study is made of the energy characteristics of explosion, their dynamic development, the influence of strength parameters of the medium, and porosity on these characteristics. A mechanism that is associated with the impact compression of matter is identified as the basic mechanism of energy dissipation for dry porous media. Water saturation of pores brings the energy characteristics of the explosion close to the explosion in a monolith. 12 references, 5 figures, 1 table.

  12. Differences in carotenoid accumulation among three feeder-cricket species: implications for carotenoid delivery to captive insectivores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogilvy, Victoria; Fidgett, Andrea L; Preziosi, Richard F

    2012-01-01

    There are a limited number of feeder-invertebrates available to feed captive insectivores, and many are deficient in certain nutrients. Gut-loading is used to increase the diversity of nutrients present in the captive insectivore diet; however, little is known about delivery of carotenoids via gut-loading. Carotenoids may influence health and reproduction due to their roles in immune and antioxidant systems. We assessed interspecific variation in carotenoid accumulation and retention in three feeder-cricket species (Gryllus bimaculatus, Gryllodes sigillatus and Acheta domesticus) fed one of three diets (wheat-bran, fish-food based formulated diet, and fresh fruit and vegetables). Out of the three species of feeder-cricket in the fish-food-based dietary treatment group, G. bimaculatus had the greatest total carotenoid concentration. All cricket species fed the wheat-bran diet had very low carotenoid concentrations. Species on the fish-food-based diet had intermediate carotenoid concentrations, and those on the fruit and vegetable diet had the highest concentrations. Carotenoid retention was poor across all species. Overall, this study shows that, by providing captive insectivores with G. bimaculatus crickets recently fed a carotenoid-rich diet, the quantity of carotenoids in the diet can be increased. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Light energy dissipation under water stress conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stuhlfauth, T.; Scheuermann, R.; Fock, H.P. (Universitaet Kaiserslautern (West Germany))

    1990-04-01

    Using {sup 14}CO{sub 2} gas exchange and metabolite analyses, stomatal as well as total internal CO{sub 2} uptake and evolution were estimated. Pulse modulated fluorescence was measured during induction and steady state of photosynthesis. Leaf water potential of Digitalis lanata EHRH. plants decreased to {minus}2.5 megapascals after withholding irrigation. By osmotic adjustment, leaves remained turgid and fully exposed to irradiance even at severe water stress. Due to the stress-induced reduction of stomatal conductance, the stomatal CO{sub 2} exchange was drastically reduced, whereas the total CO{sub 2} uptake and evolution were less affected. Stomatal closure induced an increase in the reassimilation of internally evolved CO{sub 2}. This CO{sub 2}-recycling consumes a significant amount of light energy in the form of ATP and reducing equivalents. As a consequence, the metabolic demand for light energy is only reduced by about 40%, whereas net photosynthesis is diminished by about 70% under severe stress conditions. By CO{sub 2} recycling, carbon flux, enzymatic substrate turnover and consumption of light energy were maintained at high levels, which enabled the plant to recover rapidly after rewatering. In stressed D. lanata plants a variable fluorescence quenching mechanism, termed coefficient of actinic light quenching, was observed. Besides water conservation, light energy dissipation is essential and involves regulated metabolic variations.

  14. ATLAS Level-1 Calorimeter Trigger: Initial Timing and Energy Calibration

    CERN Document Server

    Childers, J T; The ATLAS collaboration

    2010-01-01

    The ATLAS Level-1 Calorimeter Trigger identifies high-pT objects in the Liquid Argon and Tile Calorimeters with a fixed latency of ~2.0 µs using a hardware-based, pipelined system built with custom electronics. The Preprocessor Module conditions and digitizes about 7200 pre-summed analogue signals from the calorimeters at the LHC bunch-crossing frequency of 40 MHz, and performs bunch-crossing identification (BCID) and deposited energy measurement for each input signal. This information is passed to further processors for object classification and total energy calculation, and the results used to make the Level-1 trigger decision for the ATLAS detector. The BCID and energy measurement in the trigger depend on precise timing adjustment to achieve correct sampling of the input signal peak. Test pulses from the calorimeters were analysed to derive the initial timing and energy calibration, and first data from the LHC restart in autumn 2009 and early 2010 were used for validation and further optimization. The res...

  15. Carotenoids: biochemistry, pharmacology and treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milani, Alireza; Basirnejad, Marzieh; Shahbazi, Sepideh; Bolhassani, Azam

    2017-06-01

    Carotenoids and retinoids have several similar biological activities such as antioxidant properties, the inhibition of malignant tumour growth and the induction of apoptosis. Supplementation with carotenoids can affect cell growth and modulate gene expression and immune responses. Epidemiological studies have shown a correlation between a high carotenoid intake in the diet with a reduced risk of breast, cervical, ovarian, colorectal cancers, and cardiovascular and eye diseases. Cancer chemoprevention by dietary carotenoids involves several mechanisms, including effects on gap junctional intercellular communication, growth factor signalling, cell cycle progression, differentiation-related proteins, retinoid-like receptors, antioxidant response element, nuclear receptors, AP-1 transcriptional complex, the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and inflammatory cytokines. Moreover, carotenoids can stimulate the proliferation of B- and T-lymphocytes, the activity of macrophages and cytotoxic T-cells, effector T-cell function and the production of cytokines. Recently, the beneficial effects of carotenoid-rich vegetables and fruits in health and in decreasing the risk of certain diseases has been attributed to the major carotenoids, β-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin, crocin (/crocetin) and curcumin, due to their antioxidant effects. It is thought that carotenoids act in a time- and dose-dependent manner. In this review, we briefly describe the biological and immunological activities of the main carotenoids used for the treatment of various diseases and their possible mechanisms of action. This article is part of a themed section on Principles of Pharmacological Research of Nutraceuticals. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v174.11/issuetoc. © 2016 The British Pharmacological Society.

  16. Dissipation effects in mechanics and thermodynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Güémez, J.; Fiolhais, M.

    2016-07-01

    With the discussion of three examples, we aim at clarifying the concept of energy transfer associated with dissipation in mechanics and in thermodynamics. The dissipation effects due to dissipative forces, such as the friction force between solids or the drag force in motions in fluids, lead to an internal energy increase of the system and/or to heat transfer to the surroundings. This heat flow is consistent with the second law, which states that the entropy of the universe should increase when those forces are present because of the irreversibility always associated with their actions. As far as mechanics is concerned, the effects of the dissipative forces are included in Newton’s equations as impulses and pseudo-works.

  17. Dissipation of Alfven waves in compressible inhomogeneous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malara, F.; Primavera, L.; Veltri, P.

    1997-01-01

    In weakly dissipative media governed by the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) equations, any efficient mechanism of energy dissipation requires the formation of small scales. Using numerical simulations, we study the properties of Alfven waves propagating in a compressible inhomogeneous medium, with an inhomogeneity transverse to the direction of wave propagation. Two dynamical effects, energy pinching and phase mixing, are responsible for the small-scales formation, similarly to the incompressible case. Moreover, compressive perturbations, slow waves and a static entropy wave are generated; the former are subject to steepening and form shock waves, which efficiently dissipate their energy, regardless of the Reynolds number. Rough estimates show that the dissipation times are consistent with those required to dissipate Alfven waves of photospheric origin inside the solar corona

  18. Excitation energy transfer from the bacteriochlorophyll Soret band to carotenoids in the LH2 light-harvesting complex from Ectothiorhodospira haloalkaliphila is negligible.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Razjivin, A P; Lukashev, E P; Kompanets, V O; Kozlovsky, V S; Ashikhmin, A A; Chekalin, S V; Moskalenko, A A; Paschenko, V Z

    2017-09-01

    Pathways of intramolecular conversion and intermolecular electronic excitation energy transfer (EET) in the photosynthetic apparatus of purple bacteria remain subject to debate. Here we experimentally tested the possibility of EET from the bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) Soret band to the singlet S 2 level of carotenoids using femtosecond pump-probe measurements and steady-state fluorescence excitation and absorption measurements in the near-ultraviolet and visible spectral ranges. The efficiency of EET from the Soret band of BChl to S 2 of the carotenoids in light-harvesting complex LH2 from the purple bacterium Ectothiorhodospira haloalkaliphila appeared not to exceed a few percent.

  19. Carotenoid fluorescence in Dunaliella salina

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kleinegris, D.M.M.; Es, van M.A.; Janssen, M.G.J.; Brandenburg, W.A.; Wijffels, R.H.

    2010-01-01

    Dunaliella salina is a halotolerant green alga that is well known for its carotenoid producing capacity. The produced carotenoids are mainly stored in lipid globules. For various research purposes, such as production and extraction kinetics, we would like to determine and/or localise the carotenoid

  20. How important is the friction model on the modeling of energy dissipation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lopez Arteaga, I.; Nijmeijer, H.

    2005-01-01

    Frictional forces arising from the relative motion of two contacting surfaces are a well-known source of energy dissipation. Sometimes this is an unwanted effect of the design, but it can also be intentionally used to increase the damping of a certain system in a simple and cost-effective way. In an

  1. High-energy harmonic mode-locked 2 μm dissipative soliton fiber lasers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Nan; Tang, Yulong; Xu, Jianqiu

    2015-01-01

    High-pulse-energy harmonic mode-locking in 2 μm Tm-doped fiber lasers (TDFLs) is realized, for the first time, by using a short piece of anomalous dispersion gain fiber and the dissipative soliton mode-locking mechanism. Appropriately designing the cavity dispersion map and adjusting the cavity gain, stable harmonic mode-locking of the dissipative soliton TDFL from the 2nd to the 4th order is achieved, with the pulsing repetition rates and pulse energy being 43.4, 65.1, 86.8 MHz, and 6.27, 4.32 and 3.29 nJ, respectively. The harmonic laser pulse has a pulse width of ∼30 ps and a center wavelength of ∼1929 nm with a spectral bandwidth of ∼3.26 nm, giving a highly chirped laser pulse. Two types of soliton molecules are also observed in this laser system. (letter)

  2. Carotenoid accumulation and carotenogenic gene expression during fruit development in novel interspecific inbred squash lines and their parents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakkanong, Korakot; Yang, Jing Hua; Zhang, Ming Fang

    2012-06-13

    Carotenoid levels and composition during squash fruit development were compared in Cucurbita moschata , Cucurbita maxima , and two lines of their interspecific inbred lines, namely, Maxchata1 and Maxchata2. Eight genes associated with carotenoid biosynthesis were analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR. The two squash species and their interspecific inbred lines exhibited different qualitative and quantitative carotenoid profiles and regulatory mechanisms. C. moschata had the lowest total carotenoid content and mainly accumulated α-carotene and β-carotene, as expected in a fruit with pale-orange flesh. Low carotenoid content in this species was probably due to the comparatively low expression of all genes investigated, especially PSY1 gene, compared to the other squashes. The predominant carotenoids in C. maxima were violaxanthin and lutein, which produced a corresponding yellow flesh color in mature fruit. The relationship between the expression of the CHYB and ZEP genes may result in almost equal concentrations of violaxanthin and lutein in C. maxima at fruit ripening. In contrast, their interspecific inbred lines principally accumulated lutein and β-carotene, leading to orange flesh color. The PSY1 gene exhibited higher expression levels at earlier stages of fruit development in the Maxchata lines, potentially triggering the increased carotenoid accumulation seen in these fruits. Likewise, the higher transcription level of CHYB gene observed in the two interspecific inbred lines might be correlated with high lutein in these hybrids. However, this study could not explain the observed β-carotene accumulation on the basis of gene expression.

  3. Convexity and Weighted Integral Inequalities for Energy Decay Rates of Nonlinear Dissipative Hyperbolic Systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alabau-Boussouira, Fatiha

    2005-01-01

    This work is concerned with the stabilization of hyperbolic systems by a nonlinear feedback which can be localized on a part of the boundary or locally distributed. We show that general weighted integral inequalities together with convexity arguments allow us to produce a general semi-explicit formula which leads to decay rates of the energy in terms of the behavior of the nonlinear feedback close to the origin. This formula allows us to unify for instance the cases where the feedback has a polynomial growth at the origin, with the cases where it goes exponentially fast to zero at the origin. We also give three other significant examples of nonpolynomial growth at the origin. We also prove the optimality of our results for the one-dimensional wave equation with nonlinear boundary dissipation. The key property for obtaining our general energy decay formula is the understanding between convexity properties of an explicit function connected to the feedback and the dissipation of energy

  4. [Carotenoids: 1. Metabolism and physiology].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faure, H; Fayol, V; Galabert, C; Grolier, P; Le Moël, G; Steghens, J P; Van Kappel, A; Nabet, F

    1999-01-01

    Carotenoids are a family of pigments with at least 600 members. They derive from lycopene after steps of cyclisation, dehydrogenation and oxidation. It is their chemical structure that determines their physiochemical properties and, in part, their biological activities. About 50 carotenoids can be found in human diet and about 20 of them have been found in plasma and tissues. There is no RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for carotenoids. Quantities of carotenoids in diet are difficult to estimate, partly because methods used for the establishment of food composition tables were not specific and sensitive enough. Also, given values do not always take into account variations due to season and region of culture. Absorption of beta-carotene in humans has been the subject of numerous studies but only very little is known about other carotenoids. In general, absorption depends on bioavailability from the food matrix and solubility in micelles. After absorption through passive diffusion, carotenoids follow the chylomicrons metabolism. They are taken up by the liver and released in the blood stream in lipoproteins (VLDL). Carotenoids with no-substituted beta-ionone cycles (alpha and beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin) have provitamin A activity. Highest activity has been found for all-trans beta-carotene. Not all steps of vitamin A biosynthesis and metabolism of other carotenoids have been clarified yet. Besides their provitamin A activity, carotenoids have numerous biological functions. They are efficient scavengers of free radicals, particularly of 1O2. In vitro they have been shown to protect LDL. However, results in vivo are inconsistent. Other functions include enhancement of gap junctions, immunomodulation and regulation of enzyme activity involved in carcinogenesis.

  5. Biologically active polymers from spontaneous carotenoid oxidation: a new frontier in carotenoid activity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James B Johnston

    Full Text Available In animals carotenoids show biological activity unrelated to vitamin A that has been considered to arise directly from the behavior of the parent compound, particularly as an antioxidant. However, the very property that confers antioxidant activity on some carotenoids in plants also confers susceptibility to oxidative transformation. As an alternative, it has been suggested that carotenoid oxidative breakdown or metabolic products could be the actual agents of activity in animals. However, an important and neglected aspect of the behavior of the highly unsaturated carotenoids is their potential to undergo addition of oxygen to form copolymers. Recently we reported that spontaneous oxidation of ß-carotene transforms it into a product dominated by ß-carotene-oxygen copolymers. We now report that the polymeric product is biologically active. Results suggest an overall ability to prime innate immune function to more rapidly respond to subsequent microbial challenges. An underlying structural resemblance to sporopollenin, found in the outer shell of spores and pollen, may allow the polymer to modulate innate immune responses through interactions with the pattern recognition receptor system. Oxygen copolymer formation appears common to all carotenoids, is anticipated to be widespread, and the products may contribute to the health benefits of carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables.

  6. The concentration gradient flow battery as electricity storage system: Technology potential and energy dissipation

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Egmond, W. J.; Saakes, M.; Porada, S.; Meuwissen, T.; Buisman, C. J. N.; Hamelers, H. V. M.

    2016-09-01

    Unlike traditional fossil fuel plants, the wind and the sun provide power only when the renewable resource is available. To accommodate large scale use of renewable energy sources for efficient power production and utilization, energy storage systems are necessary. Here, we introduce a scalable energy storage system which operates by performing cycles during which energy generated from renewable resource is first used to produce highly concentrated brine and diluate, followed up mixing these two solutions in order to generate power. In this work, we present theoretical results of the attainable energy density as function of salt type and concentration. A linearized Nernst-Planck model is used to describe water, salt and charge transport. We validate our model with experiments over wide range of sodium chloride concentrations (0.025-3 m) and current densities (-49 to +33 A m-2). We find that depending on current density, charge and discharge steps have significantly different thermodynamic efficiency. In addition, we show that at optimal current densities, mechanisms of energy dissipation change with salt concentration. We find the highest thermodynamic efficiency at low concentrate concentrations. When using salt concentrations above 1 m, water and co-ion transport contribute to high energy dissipation due to irreversible mixing.

  7. Frictional systems under periodic loads — History-dependence, non-uniqueness and energy dissipation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barber, J R

    2012-01-01

    Nominally static contacts such as bolted or shrink-fit joints typically experience regions of microslip when subjected to oscillatory loading. This results in energy dissipation, reflected as apparent hysteretic damping of the system, and also may cause the initiation of fretting fatigue cracks. Early theoretical studies of the Hertzian contact problem by Cattaneo and Mindlin were confirmed experimentally by Johnson, who identified signs of fretting damage in the slip annulus predicted by the theory. For many years, tribologists assumed that Melan's theorem in plasticity could be extended to frictional systems — i.e. that if there exists a state of residual stress associated with frictional slip that is sufficient to prevent periodic slip in the steady state, then the system will shake down, regardless of the initial condition. However, we now know that this is true only if there is no coupling between the normal and tangential loading problems, as will be the case notably when contact occurs on a symmetry plane. For all other cases, periodic loading scenarios can be devised such that shakedown occurs for some initial conditions and not for others. The initial condition here might be determined by the assembly protocol — e.g. the order in which a set of bolts is tightened — or by the exact loading path before the steady cycle is attained. This non-uniqueness of the steady state persists at load amplitudes above the shakedown limit, in which case there is always some dissipation, but the dissipation per cycle (and hence both the effective damping and the susceptibility to fretting damage) depends on the initial conditions. This implies that fretting fatigue experiments need to follow a well-defined assembly protocol if reproducible results are to be obtained. We shall also present results showing that when both normal and tangential forces vary in time, the energy dissipation is very sensitive to the relative phase of the oscillatory components, being greatest

  8. Recent progress and application on seismic isolation energy dissipation and control for structures in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Fulin; Tan, Ping

    2018-01-01

    China is a country where 100% of the territory is located in a seismic zone. Most of the strong earthquakes are over prediction. Most fatalities are caused by structural collapse. Earthquakes not only cause severe damage to structures, but can also damage non-structural elements on and inside of facilities. This can halt city life, and disrupt hospitals, airports, bridges, power plants, and other infrastructure. Designers need to use new techniques to protect structures and facilities inside. Isolation, energy dissipation and, control systems are more and more widely used in recent years in China. Currently, there are nearly 6,500 structures with isolation and about 3,000 structures with passive energy dissipation or hybrid control in China. The mitigation techniques are applied to structures like residential buildings, large or complex structures, bridges, underwater tunnels, historical or cultural relic sites, and industrial facilities, and are used for retrofitting of existed structures. This paper introduces design rules and some new and innovative devices for seismic isolation, energy dissipation and hybrid control for civil and industrial structures. This paper also discusses the development trends for seismic resistance, seismic isolation, passive and active control techniques for the future in China and in the world.

  9. Dissipation of solar energy in landscape - controlled by management of water and vegetation

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Pokorný, Jan

    2001-01-01

    Roč. 24, - (2001), s. 641-645 ISSN 0960-1481 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KSK6005114 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z6005908 Keywords : Solar energy dissipation * vegetation * production -evapotranspiration Subject RIV: DA - Hydrology ; Limnology Impact factor: 0.224, year: 2001

  10. On the effects of surrogacy of energy dissipation in determining the intermittency exponent in fully developed turbulence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cleve, J.; Greiner, M.; Sreenivasan, K. R.

    2003-03-01

    The two-point correlation function of the energy dissipation, obtained from a one-point time record of an atmospheric boundary layer, reveals a rigorous power law scaling with intermittency exponent μ approx 0.20 over almost the entire inertial range of scales. However, for the related integral moment, the power law scaling is restricted to the upper part of the inertial range only. This observation is explained in terms of the operational surrogacy of the construction of energy dissipation, which influences the behaviour of the correlation function for small separation distances.

  11. What are carotenoids signaling? Immunostimulatory effects of dietary vitamin E, but not of carotenoids, in Iberian green lizards

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kopena, Renata; López, Pilar; Martín, José

    2014-12-01

    In spite that carotenoid-based sexual ornaments are one of the most popular research topics in sexual selection of animals, the antioxidant and immunostimulatory role of carotenoids, presumably signaled by these colorful ornaments, is still controversial. It has been suggested that the function of carotenoids might not be as an antioxidant per se, but that colorful carotenoids may indirectly reflect the levels of nonpigmentary antioxidants, such as melatonin or vitamin E. We experimentally fed male Iberian green lizards ( Lacerta schreiberi) additional carotenoids or vitamin E alone, or a combination of carotenoids and vitamin E dissolved in soybean oil, whereas a control group only received soybean oil. We examined the effects of the dietary supplementations on phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-induced skin-swelling immune response and body condition. Lizards that were supplemented with vitamin E alone or a combination of vitamin E and carotenoids had greater immune responses than control lizards, but animals supplemented with carotenoids alone had lower immune responses than lizards supplemented with vitamin E and did not differ from control lizards. These results support the hypothesis that carotenoids in green lizards are not effective as immunostimulants, but that they may be visually signaling the immunostimulatory effects of non-pigmentary vitamin E. In contrast, lizards supplemented with carotenoids alone have higher body condition gains than lizards in the other experimental groups, suggesting that carotenoids may be still important to improve condition.

  12. Genetic dissection in a mouse model reveals interactions between carotenoids and lipid metabolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palczewski, Grzegorz; Widjaja-Adhi, M Airanthi K; Amengual, Jaume; Golczak, Marcin; von Lintig, Johannes

    2016-09-01

    Carotenoids affect a rich variety of physiological functions in nature and are beneficial for human health. However, knowledge about their biological action and the consequences of their dietary accumulation in mammals is limited. Progress in this research field is limited by the expeditious metabolism of carotenoids in rodents and the confounding production of apocarotenoid signaling molecules. Herein, we established a mouse model lacking the enzymes responsible for carotenoid catabolism and apocarotenoid production, fed on either a β-carotene- or a zeaxanthin-enriched diet. Applying a genome wide microarray analysis, we assessed the effects of the parent carotenoids on the liver transcriptome. Our analysis documented changes in pathways for liver lipid metabolism and mitochondrial respiration. We biochemically defined these effects, and observed that β-carotene accumulation resulted in an elevation of liver triglycerides and liver cholesterol, while zeaxanthin accumulation increased serum cholesterol levels. We further show that carotenoids were predominantly transported within HDL particles in the serum of mice. Finally, we provide evidence that carotenoid accumulation influenced whole-body respiration and energy expenditure. Thus, we observed that accumulation of parent carotenoids interacts with lipid metabolism and that structurally related carotenoids display distinct biological functions in mammals. Copyright © 2016 by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  13. Ductile crack growth simulation from near crack tip dissipated energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marie, S.; Chapuliot, S.

    2000-01-01

    A method to calculate ductile tearing in both small scale fracture mechanics specimens and cracked components is presented. This method is based on an estimation of the dissipated energy calculated near the crack tip. Firstly, the method is presented. It is shown that a characteristic parameter G fr can be obtained, relevant to the dissipated energy in the fracture process. The application of the method to the calculation of side grooved crack tip (CT) specimens of different sizes is examined. The value of G fr is identified by comparing the calculated and experimental load line displacement versus crack extension curve for the smallest CT specimen. With this identified value, it is possible to calculate the global behaviour of the largest specimen. The method is then applied to the calculation of a pipe containing a through-wall thickness crack subjected to a bending moment. This pipe is made of the same material as the CT specimens. It is shown that it is possible to simulate the global behaviour of the structure including the prediction of up to 90-mm crack extension. Local terms such as the equivalent stress or the crack tip opening angle are found to be constant during the crack extension process. This supports the view that G fr controls the fields in the vicinity near the crack tip. (orig.)

  14. Genetic dissection in a mouse model reveals interactions between carotenoids and lipid metabolism[S

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palczewski, Grzegorz; Widjaja-Adhi, M. Airanthi K.; Amengual, Jaume; Golczak, Marcin; von Lintig, Johannes

    2016-01-01

    Carotenoids affect a rich variety of physiological functions in nature and are beneficial for human health. However, knowledge about their biological action and the consequences of their dietary accumulation in mammals is limited. Progress in this research field is limited by the expeditious metabolism of carotenoids in rodents and the confounding production of apocarotenoid signaling molecules. Herein, we established a mouse model lacking the enzymes responsible for carotenoid catabolism and apocarotenoid production, fed on either a β-carotene- or a zeaxanthin-enriched diet. Applying a genome wide microarray analysis, we assessed the effects of the parent carotenoids on the liver transcriptome. Our analysis documented changes in pathways for liver lipid metabolism and mitochondrial respiration. We biochemically defined these effects, and observed that β-carotene accumulation resulted in an elevation of liver triglycerides and liver cholesterol, while zeaxanthin accumulation increased serum cholesterol levels. We further show that carotenoids were predominantly transported within HDL particles in the serum of mice. Finally, we provide evidence that carotenoid accumulation influenced whole-body respiration and energy expenditure. Thus, we observed that accumulation of parent carotenoids interacts with lipid metabolism and that structurally related carotenoids display distinct biological functions in mammals. PMID:27389691

  15. Molecular Factors Controlling Photosynthetic Light Harvesting by Carotenoids

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Polívka, Tomáš; Frank, H.A.

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 43, č. 8 (2010), s. 1125-1134 ISSN 0001-4842 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50510513 Keywords : carotenoids * energy transfer * photosynthesis * light-harvesting Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 21.840, year: 2010

  16. Lane-changing behavior and its effect on energy dissipation using full velocity difference model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jian; Ding, Jian-Xun; Shi, Qin; Kühne, Reinhart D.

    2016-07-01

    In real urban traffic, roadways are usually multilane with lane-specific velocity limits. Most previous researches are derived from single-lane car-following theory which in the past years has been extensively investigated and applied. In this paper, we extend the continuous single-lane car-following model (full velocity difference model) to simulate the three-lane-changing behavior on an urban roadway which consists of three lanes. To meet incentive and security requirements, a comprehensive lane-changing rule set is constructed, taking safety distance and velocity difference into consideration and setting lane-specific speed restriction for each lane. We also investigate the effect of lane-changing behavior on distribution of cars, velocity, headway, fundamental diagram of traffic and energy dissipation. Simulation results have demonstrated asymmetric lane-changing “attraction” on changeable lane-specific speed-limited roadway, which leads to dramatically increasing energy dissipation.

  17. A modal approach to modeling spatially distributed vibration energy dissipation.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Segalman, Daniel Joseph

    2010-08-01

    The nonlinear behavior of mechanical joints is a confounding element in modeling the dynamic response of structures. Though there has been some progress in recent years in modeling individual joints, modeling the full structure with myriad frictional interfaces has remained an obstinate challenge. A strategy is suggested for structural dynamics modeling that can account for the combined effect of interface friction distributed spatially about the structure. This approach accommodates the following observations: (1) At small to modest amplitudes, the nonlinearity of jointed structures is manifest primarily in the energy dissipation - visible as vibration damping; (2) Correspondingly, measured vibration modes do not change significantly with amplitude; and (3) Significant coupling among the modes does not appear to result at modest amplitudes. The mathematical approach presented here postulates the preservation of linear modes and invests all the nonlinearity in the evolution of the modal coordinates. The constitutive form selected is one that works well in modeling spatially discrete joints. When compared against a mathematical truth model, the distributed dissipation approximation performs well.

  18. Highly efficient energy transfer from a carbonyl carotenoid to chlorophyll a in the main light harvesting complex of Chromera velia

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Durchan, Milan; Kesan, G.; Šlouf, M.; Fuciman, M.; Staleva, H.; Tichý, Josef; Litvín, Radek; Bína, David; Vácha, František; Polívka, Tomáš

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 1837, č. 10 (2014), s. 1748-1755 ISSN 0005-2728 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP205/11/1164; GA ČR GBP501/12/G055 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : Energy transfer * Light-harvesting * Carbonyl carotenoids Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 5.353, year: 2014

  19. Elimination of polarity in the carotenoid terminus promotes the exposure of B850-binding sites (Tyr 44, 45) and ANS-mediated energy transfer in LH2 complexes of Rhodobacter sphaeroides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yuan; Wu, Yongqiang; Xu, Chunhe

    2004-12-10

    Carotenoids in the peripheral light-harvesting complexes (LH2) of the green mutant (GM309) of Rhodobacter sphaeroides were identified as containing neurosporenes, which lack the polar CH(3)O group, compared to spheroidenes in native-LH2 of R. sphaeroides 601. After LH2 complexes were treated with 1-anilino-8-naphthalene sulfonate (ANS), new energy transfer pathways from ANS or tryptophan to carotenoids were discovered in both native- and GM309-LH2. The carotenoid fluorescence intensity of GM309-LH2 was greater than that of native-LH2 when bound with ANS, suggesting that the elimination of polarity in the neurosporene increases the energy transfer from ANS to carotenoid. The fact that two alpha-tyrosines (alpha-Tyr 44, 45, B850-binding sites) in each alpha-apoprotein of GM309-LH2 were more easily modified than those of native-LH2 by N-acetylimidazole (NAI) indicates that the elimination of polarity in the neurosporene terminus increases the exposure of these sites to solution.

  20. Carotenoid-enriched transgenic corn delivers bioavailable carotenoids to poultry and protects them against coccidiosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nogareda, Carmina; Moreno, Jose A; Angulo, Eduardo; Sandmann, Gerhard; Portero, Manuel; Capell, Teresa; Zhu, Changfu; Christou, Paul

    2016-01-01

    Carotenoids are health-promoting organic molecules that act as antioxidants and essential nutrients. We show that chickens raised on a diet enriched with an engineered corn variety containing very high levels of four key carotenoids (β-carotene, lycopene, zeaxanthin and lutein) are healthy and accumulate more bioavailable carotenoids in peripheral tissues, muscle, skin and fat, and more retinol in the liver, than birds fed on standard corn diets (including commercial corn supplemented with colour additives). Birds were challenged with the protozoan parasite Eimeria tenella and those on the high-carotenoid diet grew normally, suffered only mild disease symptoms (diarrhoea, footpad dermatitis and digital ulcers) and had lower faecal oocyst counts than birds on the control diet. Our results demonstrate that carotenoid-rich corn maintains poultry health and increases the nutritional value of poultry products without the use of feed additives. © 2015 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Spatial Inhomogeneity of Kinetic and Magnetic Dissipations in Thermal Convection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hotta, H. [Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Chiba university, 1-33 Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba, 263-8522 (Japan)

    2017-08-20

    We investigate the inhomogeneity of kinetic and magnetic dissipations in thermal convection using high-resolution calculations. In statistically steady turbulence, the injected and dissipated energies are balanced. This means that a large amount of energy is continuously converted into internal energy via dissipation. As in thermal convection, downflows are colder than upflows and the inhomogeneity of the dissipation potentially changes the convection structure. Our investigation of the inhomogeneity of the dissipation shows the following. (1) More dissipation is seen around the bottom of the calculation domain, and this tendency is promoted with the magnetic field. (2) The dissipation in the downflow is much larger than that in the upflow. The dissipation in the downflow is more than 80% of the total at maximum. This tendency is also promoted with the magnetic field. (3) Although 2D probability density functions of the kinetic and magnetic dissipations versus the vertical velocity are similar, the kinetic and magnetic dissipations are not well correlated. Our result suggests that the spatial inhomogeneity of the dissipation is significant and should be considered when modeling a small-scale strong magnetic field generated with an efficient small-scale dynamo for low-resolution calculations.

  2. Effect of carotenoid supplementation on plasma carotenoids, inflammation and visual development in preterm infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubin, L P; Chan, G M; Barrett-Reis, B M; Fulton, A B; Hansen, R M; Ashmeade, T L; Oliver, J S; Mackey, A D; Dimmit, R A; Hartmann, E E; Adamkin, D H

    2012-06-01

    Dietary carotenoids (lutein, lycopene and β-carotene) may be important in preventing or ameliorating prematurity complications. Little is known about carotenoid status or effects of supplementation. This randomized controlled multicenter trial compared plasma carotenoid levels among preterm infants (n=203, lutein, lycopene and β-carotene with human milk (HM)-fed term infants. We assessed safety and health. Plasma carotenoid levels were higher in the supplemented group at all time points (Plutein levels correlated with the full field electroretinogram-saturated response amplitude in rod photoreceptors (r=0.361, P=0.05). The supplemented group also showed greater rod photoreceptor sensitivity (least squares means 6.1 vs 4.1; Plutein on preterm retina health and maturation.

  3. Carotenoids and Carotenoid Esters of Red and Yellow Physalis (Physalis alkekengi L. and P. pubescens L.) Fruits and Calyces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wen, Xin; Hempel, Judith; Schweiggert, Ralf M; Ni, Yuanying; Carle, Reinhold

    2017-08-02

    Carotenoid profiles of fruits and calyces of red (Physalis alkekengi L.) and yellow (P. pubescens L.) Physalis were characterized by HPLC-DAD-APCI-MS n . Altogether 69 carotenoids were detected in red Physalis, thereof, 45 were identified. In yellow Physalis, 40 carotenoids were detected and 33 were identified. Zeaxanthin esters with various fatty acids were found to be the most abundant carotenoids in red Physalis, accounting for 51-63% of total carotenoids, followed by β-cryptoxanthin esters (16-24%). In yellow Physalis, mainly free carotenoids such as lutein and β-carotene were found. Total carotenoid contents ranged between 19.8 and 21.6 mg/100 g fresh red Physalis fruits and 1.28-1.38 mg/100 g fresh yellow Physalis fruits, demonstrating that Physalis fruits are rich sources of dietary carotenoids. Yellow Physalis calyces contained only 153-306 μg carotenoids/g dry weight, while those of red Physalis contained substantially higher amounts (14.6-17.6 mg/g dry weight), thus possibly exhibiting great potential as a natural source for commercial zeaxanthin extraction.

  4. Relative Entropy, Interaction Energy and the Nature of Dissipation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bernard Gaveau

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Many thermodynamic relations involve inequalities, with equality if a process does not involve dissipation. In this article we provide equalities in which the dissipative contribution is shown to involve the relative entropy (a.k.a. Kullback-Leibler divergence. The processes considered are general time evolutions both in classical and quantum mechanics, and the initial state is sometimes thermal, sometimes partially so. By calculating a transport coefficient we show that indeed—at least in this case—the source of dissipation in that coefficient is the relative entropy.

  5. Carotenoid metabolism in plants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carotenoids are mostly C40 terpenoids, a class of hydrocarbons that participate in various biological processes in plants, such as photosynthesis, photomorphogenesis, photoprotection, and development. Carotenoids also serve as precursors for two plant hormones and a diverse set of apocarotenoids. Th...

  6. Plasma carotenoid concentrations of infants are increased by feeding a milk-based infant formula supplemented with carotenoids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mackey, Amy D; Albrecht, Daniel; Oliver, Jeffery; Williams, Timberly; Long, Amy C; Price, Pamela T

    2013-06-01

    Human milk is the gold standard of infant nutrition and is a source of important substances, including carotenoids. Infant formulas are designed to mimic the composition and/or performance of human milk, although currently carotenoids are not routinely added to US infant formulas. The aim of this study was to assess plasma concentrations of β-carotene, lutein and lycopene 56 days after feeding infants milk-based infant formula without (CTRL) or with different concentrations of added carotenoids (L1 and L2). Plasma carotenoid concentrations increased in infants fed carotenoid-supplemented formulas as compared with the control formula with no added carotenoids. At study day 56, infants fed the supplemented formulas (L1 and L2) had mean plasma lutein, β-carotene and lycopene concentrations that were within the range of a concurrent group of human milk-fed infants (HM). Anthropometric measurements were comparable among all study groups. Plasma carotenoid concentrations of infants fed the supplemented formulas were within the range of the HM group and are consistent with reported plasma carotenoid ranges in human milk-fed infants. The experimental formulas were well tolerated and anthropometric measurements were comparable among all study groups. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

  7. Dissipative heavy-ion collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feldmeier, H.T.

    1985-01-01

    This report is a compilation of lecture notes of a series of lectures held at Argonne National Laboratory in October and November 1984. The lectures are a discussion of dissipative phenomena as observed in collisions of atomic nuclei. The model is based on a system which has initially zero temperature and the initial energy is kinetic and binding energy. Collisions excite the nuclei, and outgoing fragments or the compound system deexcite before they are detected. Brownian motion is used to introduce the concept of dissipation. The master equation and the Fokker-Planck equation are derived. 73 refs., 59 figs

  8. ATLAS level-1 calorimeter trigger hardware: initial timing and energy calibration

    CERN Document Server

    Childers, JT; The ATLAS collaboration

    2010-01-01

    The ATLAS Level-1 Calorimeter Trigger identifies high-pT objects in the Liquid Argon and Tile Calorimeters with a fixed latency of up to 2.4 microseconds using a hardware-based, pipelined system built with custom electronics. The Preprocessor Module conditions and digitizes about 7200 pre-summed analogue signals from the calorimeters at the LHC bunch-crossing frequency of 40 MHz, and performs bunch-crossing identification (BCID) and deposited energy measurement for each input signal. This information is passed to further processors for object classification and total energy calculation, and the results are used to make the Level-1 trigger decision for the ATLAS detector. The BCID and energy measurement in the trigger depend on precise timing adjustments to achieve correct sampling of the input signal peak. Test pulses from the calorimeters were analysed to derive the initial timing and energy calibration, and first data from the LHC restart in autumn 2009 and early 2010 were used for validation and further op...

  9. Energy dissipation in the process of ternary fission in heavy nuclear reaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Xian; Wang Chengqian; Yan Shiwei

    2015-01-01

    We studied the evolution of the collective motion, interaction potential, the total kinetic and excitation energies in ternary fissions of 197 Au + 197 Au system at 15 MeV/u, and discussed energy dissipation of this reaction. Through the comparison with energy-angle correlation data in binary fissions, we preliminarily concluded that the rst fission of ternary fission was an extreme deep-inelastic process. We further analyzed the correlation of the total kinetic energy with impact parameters in both binary and ternary reactions, and found that the total energy of binary reactions systems was lost about 150 MeV more than ternary fission with small impact parameters, and with larger impact parameters the total energy of ternary reactions were lost 300 MeV more than binary reactions. (authors)

  10. Biological roles of fungal carotenoids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avalos, Javier; Carmen Limón, M

    2015-08-01

    Carotenoids are terpenoid pigments widespread in nature, produced by bacteria, fungi, algae and plants. They are also found in animals, which usually obtain them through the diet. Carotenoids in plants provide striking yellow, orange or red colors to fruits and flowers, and play important metabolic and physiological functions, especially relevant in photosynthesis. Their functions are less clear in non-photosynthetic microorganisms. Different fungi produce diverse carotenoids, but the mutants unable to produce them do not exhibit phenotypic alterations in the laboratory, apart of lack of pigmentation. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the functional basis for carotenoid production in fungi. Different lines of evidence support a protective role of carotenoids against oxidative stress and exposure to visible light or UV irradiation. In addition, the carotenoids are intermediary products in the biosynthesis of physiologically active apocarotenoids or derived compounds. This is the case of retinal, obtained from the symmetrical oxidative cleavage of β-carotene. Retinal is the light-absorbing prosthetic group of the rhodopsins, membrane-bound photoreceptors present also in many fungal species. In Mucorales, β-carotene is an intermediary in the synthesis of trisporoids, apocarotenoid derivatives that include the sexual hormones the trisporic acids, and they are also presumably used in the synthesis of sporopollenin polymers. In conclusion, fungi have adapted their ability to produce carotenoids for different non-essential functions, related with stress tolerance or with the synthesis of physiologically active by-products.

  11. Antioxidant effects of carotenoids

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bast, A.; Haenen, G.R.M.M.; Berg, R. van den; Berg, H. van den

    1998-01-01

    Surprisingly, neither the precise pharmacological effect nor the toxicological profile is usually established for food components. Carotenoids are no exception in this regard. Only limited insight into the pharmacology and toxicology of carotenoids exists. It is known that the antioxidant action of

  12. Structures and Analysis of Carotenoid Molecules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez-Amaya, Delia B

    Modifications of the usual C40 linear and symmetrical carotenoid skeleton give rise to a wide array of structures of carotenes and xanthophylls in plant tissues. These include acyclic, monocyclic and dicyclic carotenoids, along with hydroxy and epoxy xanthophylls and apocarotenoids. Carotenols can be unesterified or esterified (monoester) in one or two (diester) hydroxyl groups with fatty acids. E-Z isomerization increases the array of possible plant carotenoids even further. Screening and especially quantitative analysis are being carried out worldwide. Visible absorption spectrometry and near infrared reflectance spectroscopy have been used for the initial estimation of the total carotenoid content or the principal carotenoid content when large numbers of samples needed to be analyzed within a short time, as would be the case in breeding programs. Although inherently difficult, quantitative analysis of the individual carotenoids is essential. Knowledge of the sources of errors and means to avoid them has led to a large body of reliable quantitative compositional data on carotenoids. Reverse-phase HPLC with a photodiode array detector has been the preferred analytical technique, but UHPLC is increasingly employed. HPLC-MS has been used mainly for identification and NMR has been useful in unequivocally identifying geometric isomers.

  13. Storage functions for dissipative linear systems are quadratic state functions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Trentelman, Harry L.; Willems, Jan C.

    1997-01-01

    This paper deals with dissipative dynamical systems. Dissipative dynamical systems can be used as models for physical phenomena in which energy exchange with their environment plays a role. In a dissipative dynamical system, the book-keeping of energy is done via the supply rate and a storage

  14. The effects of dietary carotenoid supplementation and retinal carotenoid accumulation on vision-mediated foraging in the house finch.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew B Toomey

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: For many bird species, vision is the primary sensory modality used to locate and assess food items. The health and spectral sensitivities of the avian visual system are influenced by diet-derived carotenoid pigments that accumulate in the retina. Among wild House Finches (Carpodacus mexicanus, we have found that retinal carotenoid accumulation varies significantly among individuals and is related to dietary carotenoid intake. If diet-induced changes in retinal carotenoid accumulation alter spectral sensitivity, then they have the potential to affect visually mediated foraging performance. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In two experiments, we measured foraging performance of house finches with dietarily manipulated retinal carotenoid levels. We tested each bird's ability to extract visually contrasting food items from a matrix of inedible distracters under high-contrast (full and dimmer low-contrast (red-filtered lighting conditions. In experiment one, zeaxanthin-supplemented birds had significantly increased retinal carotenoid levels, but declined in foraging performance in the high-contrast condition relative to astaxanthin-supplemented birds that showed no change in retinal carotenoid accumulation. In experiments one and two combined, we found that retinal carotenoid concentrations predicted relative foraging performance in the low- vs. high-contrast light conditions in a curvilinear pattern. Performance was positively correlated with retinal carotenoid accumulation among birds with low to medium levels of accumulation (∼0.5-1.5 µg/retina, but declined among birds with very high levels (>2.0 µg/retina. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results suggest that carotenoid-mediated spectral filtering enhances color discrimination, but that this improvement is traded off against a reduction in sensitivity that can compromise visual discrimination. Thus, retinal carotenoid levels may be optimized to meet the visual demands of specific

  15. Peripheral collisions in Ar induced reactions between 27 and 44 A.MeV: study of energy dissipation by measuring the correlated neutron multiplicities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guerreau, D.; Doubre, H.; Galin, J.; Pouthas, J.; Jahnke, U.; Jiang, D.X.; Lott, B.; Jacquet, D.

    1988-01-01

    A 4 π detector measuring the neutron multiplicities has been used to investigate the energy dissipation during peripheral collisions in Ar induced reactions around the Fermi Energy. Besides the persistance of direct transfer reactions for the most peripheral collisions, there are strong evidences for the occurrence of quite large energy dissipation, a clear signature for the one body friction to still play a major role at these intermediate energies

  16. UV-induced changes in antioxidant capacities of selected carotenoids toward lecithin in aqueous solution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cvetkovic, Dragan [Faculty of Technology, University of Nish, Bulevar oslobodjenja 124, 16000 Leskovac (Serbia); Markovic, Dejan [Faculty of Technology, University of Nish, Bulevar oslobodjenja 124, 16000 Leskovac (Serbia)], E-mail: markovic57@info-net.co.yu

    2008-01-15

    Antioxidant action of four selected carotenoids (two carotenes, {beta}-carotene and lycopene, and two xanthophylls, lutein and neoxanthin) on UV-induced lecithin lipid peroxidation in aqueous solution has been studied by thiobarbituric acid (TBA) test. TBA test is based on absorbance measurements of complex formed between malondialdehyde, secondary product of lipid peroxidation and thiobarbituric acid, at 532 nm. The antioxidant capacities of investigated carotenoids appeared to be strongly affected by UV-action. High energy input of the involved UV-photons plays major governing role, though a certain impact of the carotenoid structures cannot be neglected. The results suggest a minor remained contribution of selected carotenoids to prevention of lecithin peroxidation in the studied system as a result of UV-irradiation.

  17. UV-induced changes in antioxidant capacities of selected carotenoids toward lecithin in aqueous solution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cvetkovic, Dragan; Markovic, Dejan

    2008-01-01

    Antioxidant action of four selected carotenoids (two carotenes, β-carotene and lycopene, and two xanthophylls, lutein and neoxanthin) on UV-induced lecithin lipid peroxidation in aqueous solution has been studied by thiobarbituric acid (TBA) test. TBA test is based on absorbance measurements of complex formed between malondialdehyde, secondary product of lipid peroxidation and thiobarbituric acid, at 532 nm. The antioxidant capacities of investigated carotenoids appeared to be strongly affected by UV-action. High energy input of the involved UV-photons plays major governing role, though a certain impact of the carotenoid structures cannot be neglected. The results suggest a minor remained contribution of selected carotenoids to prevention of lecithin peroxidation in the studied system as a result of UV-irradiation.

  18. UV-induced changes in antioxidant capacities of selected carotenoids toward lecithin in aqueous solution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cvetkovic, Dragan; Markovic, Dejan

    2008-01-01

    Antioxidant action of four selected carotenoids (two carotenes, β-carotene and lycopene, and two xanthophylls, lutein and neoxanthin) on UV-induced lecithin lipid peroxidation in aqueous solution has been studied by thiobarbituric acid (TBA) test. TBA test is based on absorbance measurements of complex formed between malondialdehyde, secondary product of lipid peroxidation and thiobarbituric acid, at 532 nm. The antioxidant capacities of investigated carotenoids appeared to be strongly affected by UV-action. High energy input of the involved UV-photons plays major governing role, though a certain impact of the carotenoid structures cannot be neglected. The results suggest a minor remained contribution of selected carotenoids to prevention of lecithin peroxidation in the studied system as a result of UV-irradiation

  19. Carotenoids from Haloarchaea and Their Potential in Biotechnology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodrigo-Baños, Montserrat; Garbayo, Inés; Vílchez, Carlos; Bonete, María José; Martínez-Espinosa, Rosa María

    2015-01-01

    The production of pigments by halophilic archaea has been analysed during the last half a century. The main reasons that sustains this research are: (i) many haloarchaeal species possess high carotenoids production availability; (ii) downstream processes related to carotenoid isolation from haloarchaea is relatively quick, easy and cheap; (iii) carotenoids production by haloarchaea can be improved by genetic modification or even by modifying several cultivation aspects such as nutrition, growth pH, temperature, etc.; (iv) carotenoids are needed to support plant and animal life and human well-being; and (v) carotenoids are compounds highly demanded by pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food markets. Several studies about carotenoid production by haloarchaea have been reported so far, most of them focused on pigments isolation or carotenoids production under different culture conditions. However, the understanding of carotenoid metabolism, regulation, and roles of carotenoid derivatives in this group of extreme microorganisms remains mostly unrevealed. The uses of those haloarchaeal pigments have also been poorly explored. This work summarises what has been described so far about carotenoids production by haloarchaea and their potential uses in biotechnology and biomedicine. In particular, new scientific evidence of improved carotenoid production by one of the better known haloarchaeon (Haloferax mediterranei) is also discussed. PMID:26308012

  20. Carotenoids from Haloarchaea and Their Potential in Biotechnology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodrigo-Baños, Montserrat; Garbayo, Inés; Vílchez, Carlos; Bonete, María José; Martínez-Espinosa, Rosa María

    2015-08-25

    The production of pigments by halophilic archaea has been analysed during the last half a century. The main reasons that sustains this research are: (i) many haloarchaeal species possess high carotenoids production availability; (ii) downstream processes related to carotenoid isolation from haloarchaea is relatively quick, easy and cheap; (iii) carotenoids production by haloarchaea can be improved by genetic modification or even by modifying several cultivation aspects such as nutrition, growth pH, temperature, etc.; (iv) carotenoids are needed to support plant and animal life and human well-being; and (v) carotenoids are compounds highly demanded by pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food markets. Several studies about carotenoid production by haloarchaea have been reported so far, most of them focused on pigments isolation or carotenoids production under different culture conditions. However, the understanding of carotenoid metabolism, regulation, and roles of carotenoid derivatives in this group of extreme microorganisms remains mostly unrevealed. The uses of those haloarchaeal pigments have also been poorly explored. This work summarises what has been described so far about carotenoids production by haloarchaea and their potential uses in biotechnology and biomedicine. In particular, new scientific evidence of improved carotenoid production by one of the better known haloarchaeon (Haloferax mediterranei) is also discussed.

  1. The energy spectrum of electromagnetic normal modes in dissipative media: modes between two metal half spaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sernelius, Bo E

    2008-01-01

    The energy spectrum of electromagnetic normal modes plays a central role in the theory of the van der Waals and Casimir interaction. Here we study the modes in connection with the van der Waals interaction between two metal half spaces. Neglecting dissipation leads to distinct normal modes with real-valued frequencies. Including dissipation seems to have the effect that these distinct modes move away from the real axis into the complex frequency plane. The summation of the zero-point energies of these modes render a complex-valued result. Using the contour integration, resulting from the use of the generalized argument principle, gives a real-valued and different result. We resolve this contradiction and show that the spectrum of true normal modes forms a continuum with real frequencies

  2. Photon echo spectroscopy reveals structure-dynamics relationships in carotenoids

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Christensson, N.; Polívka, Tomáš; Yartsev, A.; Pullerits, T.

    2009-01-01

    Roč. 79, č. 24 (2009), s. 1-14 ISSN 1098-0121 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50510513 Keywords : electron correlations * energy gap * excited states * carotenoids Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 3.475, year: 2009

  3. Ultrafast time-resolved absorption spectroscopy of geometric isomers of carotenoids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niedzwiedzki, Dariusz M.; Sandberg, Daniel J.; Cong, Hong; Sandberg, Megan N.; Gibson, George N.; Birge, Robert R.; Frank, Harry A.

    2009-01-01

    The structures of a number of stereoisomers of carotenoids have been revealed in three-dimensional X-ray crystallographic investigations of pigment-protein complexes from photosynthetic organisms. Despite these structural elucidations, the reason for the presence of stereoisomers in these systems is not well understood. An important unresolved issue is whether the natural selection of geometric isomers of carotenoids in photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes is determined by the structure of the protein binding site or by the need for the organism to accomplish a specific physiological task. The association of cis isomers of a carotenoid with reaction centers and trans isomers of the same carotenoid with light-harvesting pigment-protein complexes has led to the hypothesis that the stereoisomers play distinctly different physiological roles. A systematic investigation of the photophysics and photochemistry of purified, stable geometric isomers of carotenoids is needed to understand if a relationship between stereochemistry and biological function exists. In this work we present a comparative study of the spectroscopy and excited state dynamics of cis and trans isomers of three different open-chain carotenoids in solution. The molecules are neurosporene (n = 9), spheroidene (n = 10), and spirilloxanthin (n = 13), where n is the number of conjugated π-electron double bonds. The spectroscopic experiments were carried out on geometric isomers of the carotenoids purified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and then frozen to 77 K to inhibit isomerization. The spectral data taken at 77 K provide a high resolution view of the spectroscopic differences between geometric isomers. The kinetic data reveal that the lifetime of the lowest excited singlet state of a cis-isomer is consistently shorter than that of its corresponding all-trans counterpart despite the fact that the excited state energy of the cis molecule is typically higher than that of the trans

  4. Light-induced energetic decoupling as a mechanism for phycobilisome-related energy dissipation in red algae: a single molecule study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lu-Ning Liu

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Photosynthetic organisms have developed multiple protective mechanisms to prevent photodamage in vivo under high-light conditions. Cyanobacteria and red algae use phycobilisomes (PBsomes as their major light-harvesting antennae complexes. The orange carotenoid protein in some cyanobacteria has been demonstrated to play roles in the photoprotective mechanism. The PBsome-itself-related energy dissipation mechanism is still unclear. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, single-molecule spectroscopy is applied for the first time on the PBsomes of red alga Porphyridium cruentum, to detect the fluorescence emissions of phycoerythrins (PE and PBsome core complex simultaneously, and the real-time detection could greatly characterize the fluorescence dynamics of individual PBsomes in response to intense light. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our data revealed that strong green-light can induce the fluorescence decrease of PBsome, as well as the fluorescence increase of PE at the first stage of photobleaching. It strongly indicated an energetic decoupling occurring between PE and its neighbor. The fluorescence of PE was subsequently observed to be decreased, showing that PE was photobleached when energy transfer in the PBsomes was disrupted. In contrast, the energetic decoupling was not observed in either the PBsomes fixed with glutaraldehyde, or the mutant PBsomes lacking B-PE and remaining b-PE. It was concluded that the energetic decoupling of the PBsomes occurs at the specific association between B-PE and b-PE within the PBsome rod. Assuming that the same process occurs also at the much lower physiological light intensities, such a decoupling process is proposed to be a strategy corresponding to PBsomes to prevent photodamage of the photosynthetic reaction centers. Finally, a novel photoprotective role of gamma-subunit-containing PE in red algae was discussed.

  5. Absorption of Vitamin A and Carotenoids by the Enterocyte: Focus on Transport Proteins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emmanuelle Reboul

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Vitamin A deficiency is a public health problem in most developing countries, especially in children and pregnant women. It is thus a priority in health policy to improve preformed vitamin A and/or provitamin A carotenoid status in these individuals. A more accurate understanding of the molecular mechanisms of intestinal vitamin A absorption is a key step in this direction. It was long thought that β-carotene (the main provitamin A carotenoid in human diet, and thus all carotenoids, were absorbed by a passive diffusion process, and that preformed vitamin A (retinol absorption occurred via an unidentified energy-dependent transporter. The discovery of proteins able to facilitate carotenoid uptake and secretion by the enterocyte during the past decade has challenged established assumptions, and the elucidation of the mechanisms of retinol intestinal absorption is in progress. After an overview of vitamin A and carotenoid fate during gastro-duodenal digestion, our focus will be directed to the putative or identified proteins participating in the intestinal membrane and cellular transport of vitamin A and carotenoids across the enterocyte (i.e., Scavenger Receptors or Cellular Retinol Binding Proteins, among others. Further progress in the identification of the proteins involved in intestinal transport of vitamin A and carotenoids across the enterocyte is of major importance for optimizing their bioavailability.

  6. Testing Procedures for High Output Fluid Viscous Dampers Used in Building and Bridge Structures to Dissipate Seismic Energy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Douglas P. Taylor

    1995-01-01

    Full Text Available Today's economic climate demands that conversion of military technology for commerical applications be a part of an aerospace and defense company's strategic planning. Toward this goal, a successful defense conversion has occurred recently with the application of high capacity fluid damping devices from the defense community for use as seismic energy dissipation elements in commercial buildings, bridges, and related structures. These products have been used by the military for many years for attenuation of weapons grade shock, typically applied to shipboard equipment or land based strategic weapons. Commercial energy dissipation devices historically have involved heavy yielding sections or hysteretic joints.

  7. ATLAS level-1 calorimeter trigger hardware: initial timing and energy calibration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Childers, J T

    2011-01-01

    The ATLAS Level-1 Calorimeter Trigger identifies high-pT objects in the Liquid Argon and Tile Calorimeters with a fixed latency of up to 2.5μs using a hardware-based, pipelined system built with custom electronics. The Preprocessor Module conditions and digitizes about 7200 pre-summed analogue signals from the calorimeters at the LHC bunch-crossing frequency of 40 MHz, and performs bunch-crossing identification (BCID) and deposited energy measurement for each input signal. This information is passed to further processors for object classification and total energy calculation, and the results are used to make the Level-1 trigger decision for the ATLAS detector. The BCID and energy measurement in the trigger depend on precise timing adjustments to achieve correct sampling of the input signal peak. Test pulses from the calorimeters were analysed to derive the initial timing and energy calibration, and first data from the LHC restart in autumn 2009 and early 2010 were used for validation and further optimization. The results from these calibration measurements are presented.

  8. A randomised controlled intervention study investigating the efficacy of carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables and extra-virgin olive oil on attenuating sarcopenic symptomology in overweight and obese older adults during energy intake restriction: protocol paper.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villani, Anthony; Wright, Hattie; Slater, Gary; Buckley, Jonathan

    2018-01-05

    Weight loss interventions have not been advocated for overweight/obese older adults due to potential loss of skeletal muscle and strength impacting on physical function with potential loss of independence. Carotenoids and polyphenols are inversely associated with sarcopenic symptomology. This paper reports the protocol of a study evaluating the efficacy of a high-protein, energy restricted diet rich in carotenoids and polyphenols on body composition, muscle strength, physical performance and quality of life in overweight and obese older adults. This randomised controlled clinical trial will recruit community-dwelling, healthy overweight and obese older adults (≥60 years) for a 12-week weight loss intervention. Seventy-three participants will be recruited and randomized to an energy restricted (~30% restriction), isocaloric diet (30% protein; 30% carbohydrate; 40% fat) enriched with either: a) 375 g/d of high carotenoid vegetables, 300 g/d high carotenoid fruit, and 40-60 ml extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO); or b) 375 g/d of lower carotenoid vegetables, 300 g/d lower carotenoid fruit, and 40-60 ml Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) based oil. All participants will receive individual dietary counselling each fortnight for the duration of the study and will be asked to maintain their habitual level of physical activity throughout the study. The primary outcome will be appendicular skeletal muscle (ASM) assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Secondary outcomes will include body weight, fat-free mass (FFM), fat mass (FM), muscle strength (Isometric hand-grip strength), physical performance (Short Physical Performance Battery), physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire) and health related quality of life (SF-36). Outcomes will be measured at baseline and at week 12. The results of this study will provide a novel insight relating to the potential influence of high carotenoid and polyphenol intakes on attenuation of ASM during

  9. Diabatic emission of neutrons: A probe for the energy dissipation mechanism in nucleus-nucleus collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noerenberg, W.; Cassing, W.

    1984-05-01

    The precompound emission of neutrons in central nucleus-nucleus collisions is investigated within the framework of dissipative diabatic dynamics. For 92 Mo + 92 Mo at bombarding energies between 7.5 and 20 MeV/u the differential neutron multiplicities dMsub(n)/dEsub(n) are estimated from the decay of highly excited diabatic single-particle states. The energy spectra have an almost exponential high-energy tail with effective temperatures up to 10 MeV for 20 MeV/u bombarding energy. (orig.)

  10. Individual carotenoid content of SRM 1548 total diet and influence of storage temperature, lyophilization, and irradiation on dietary carotenoids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Craft, N.E.; Wise, S.A.

    1993-01-01

    A modified version of the AOAC procedure for the extraction of carotenoids from mixed feeds was coupled with an isocratic reversed-phase liquid chromatography (LC) method to measure individual carotenoids in SRM 1548 total diet and in a high-carotenoid mixed diet (HCMD). The major carotenoids identified in SRM 1548 were lycopene, beta-carotene, lutein, alpha-carotene, and zeaxanthin in descending order of concentration. The concentration of all carotenoids in SRM 1548 decreased as storage temperature increased. Significant differences in carotenoid concentrations occurred between -80 and 4 degrees C storage temperatures. Lyophilization of the HCMD significantly decreased beta-carotene and lycopene concentrations and produced an apparent increase in xanthophyll concentrations. Exposure to gamma-irradiation significantly decreased alpha-carotene and beta-carotene concentrations and led to an apparent increase in P-cryptoxanthin. SRM 1548 was found to be unsuitable for use as a reference material for carotenoid measurements, while HCMD has greater potential as a reference material

  11. Marine Carotenoids and Cardiovascular Risk Markers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lorenza Speranza

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Marine carotenoids are important bioactive compounds with physiological activities related to prevention of degenerative diseases.found principally in plants, with potential antioxidant biological properties deriving from their chemical structure and interaction with biological membranes. They are substances with very special and remarkable properties that no other groups of substances possess and that form the basis of their many, varied functions and actions in all kinds of living organisms. The potential beneficial effects of marine carotenoids have been studied particularly in astaxanthin and fucoxanthin as they are the major marine carotenoids. Both these two carotenoids show strong antioxidant activity attributed to quenching singlet oxygen and scavenging free radicals. The potential role of these carotenoids as dietary anti-oxidants has been suggested to be one of the main mechanisms for their preventive effects against cancer and inflammatory diseases. The aim of this short review is to examine the published studies concerning the use of the two marine carotenoids, astaxanthin and fucoxanthin, in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

  12. Occurrence and biosynthesis of carotenoids in phytoplankton.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Jim Junhui; Lin, Shaoling; Xu, Wenwen; Cheung, Peter Chi Keung

    2017-09-01

    Naturally occurring carotenoids are important sources of antioxidants, anti-cancer compounds and anti-inflammatory agents and there is thus considerable market demand for their pharmaceutical applications. Carotenoids are widely distributed in marine and freshwater organisms including microalgae, phytoplankton, crustaceans and fish, as well as in terrestrial plants and birds. Recently, phytoplankton-derived carotenoids have received much attention due to their abundance, rapid rate of biosynthesis and unique composition. The carotenoids that accumulate in particular phytoplankton phyla are synthesized by specific enzymes and play unique physiological roles. This review focuses on studies related to the occurrence of carotenoids in different phytoplankton phyla and the molecular aspects of their biosynthesis. Recent biotechnological advances in the isolation and characterization of some representative carotenoid synthases in phytoplankton are also discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Dissipative processes in 18O + 9Be and 18O + 181Ta reactions at Fermi energies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Erdemchimeg, B.; Mikhailova, T.I.; Artyukh, A.G.; Kaminski, G.; Sereda, Yu.M.; Erdemchimeg, B.; Kaminski, G.; Sereda, Yu.M.; Colonna, M.; Di Toro, M.; Wolter, H.H.

    2010-01-01

    A study of peripheral nuclear collisions at Fermi energies with transport models is presented. It is motivated by experiments devoted to studying of isotopic yields in the reactions 18 O on 9 Be and 181 Ta at E/A = 35 MeV measured at very forward angles. The data show a two-component structure, one centered at beam velocity ('direct component') and another at lower velocities ('dissipative component'). It is shown that the transport calculations describe the general features of the dissipative component of the reaction. In our calculations we take into account the evaporation of the excited, primary projectile-like residues due to statistical decay. This improves the comparison of the results of the calculations with experiment. We find substantially different behavior of the dissipative component in the reactions with light and heavy target.

  14. LED power efficiency of biomass, fatty acid, and carotenoid production in Nannochloropsis microalgae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Ruijuan; Thomas-Hall, Skye R; Chua, Elvis T; Eltanahy, Eladl; Netzel, Michael E; Netzel, Gabriele; Lu, Yinghua; Schenk, Peer M

    2018-03-01

    The microalga Nannochloropsis produces high-value omega-3-rich fatty acids and carotenoids. In this study the effects of light intensity and wavelength on biomass, fatty acid, and carotenoid production with respect to light output efficiency were investigated. Similar biomass and fatty acid yields were obtained at high light intensity (150 μmol m -2  s -1 ) LEDs on day 7 and low light intensity (50 μmol m -2  s -1 ) LEDs on day 11 during cultivation, but the power efficiencies of biomass and fatty acid (specifically eicosapentaenoic acid) production were higher for low light intensity. Interestingly, low light intensity enhanced both, carotenoid power efficiency of carotenoid biosynthesis and yield. White LEDs were neither advantageous for biomass and fatty acid yields, nor the power efficiency of biomass, fatty acid, and carotenoid production. Noticeably, red LED resulted in the highest biomass and fatty acid power efficiency, suggesting that LEDs can be fine-tuned to grow Nannochloropsis algae more energy-efficiently. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Incorporation of [1-C14] Isopentenyl Pyrophosphate into Carotenoids and Homo carotenoids using a Cell-free Preparation of Micrococcus Luteus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Wandawi, H.

    1998-01-01

    The early steps up to the formation of acyclic unsaturated carotenes (e.g.,phytoene to lycopene) are presumed to be common to the biosynthesis of all carotenoids with 40 or more carbon atoms, nevertheless, no direct evidence so far available to confirm this for homo carotenoids (c 45 and c 50 carotenoids). In the present study, an active cell-free preparation was obtained from diphenylamine-inhibited cells of Micrococcus Iuteus and found to be capable to incorporate radioactivity from Isopentenyl pyrophosphate (labelled with C-14)into carotenoids and homo carotenoids, providing for the first time a direct evidence which suggests that both carotenoids and homo carotenoids are sharing the same biological origin. Furthermore, the technique developed in this study may be considered as a valuable method for preparation of biological-active labelled compounds which may have some advantages over conventional chemical syntheses methods

  16. Performance of the CMS Jets and Missing Transverse Energy Trigger at LHC Run 2

    CERN Document Server

    Nachtman, Jane; Dordevic, Milos; Kaya, Mithat; Kaya, Ozlem; Kirschenmann, Henning; Zhang, Fengwangdong

    2017-01-01

    In preparation for collecting proton-proton collisions from the LHC at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV and rate of 40MHz with increasing instantaneous luminosity, the CMS collaboration prepared an array of triggers utilizing jets and missing transverse energy for searches for new physics at the energy frontier as well as for SM precision measurements. The CMS trigger system must be able to sift through the collision events in order to extract events of interest at a rate of 1kHz, applying sophisticated algorithms adapted for fast and effective operation. Particularly important is the calibration of the trigger objects, as corrections to the measured energy may be substantial. Equally important is the development of improved reconstruction algorithms to mitigate negative effects due to high numbers of overlapping proton-proton collisions and increased levels of beam-related effects. Work by the CMS collaboration on upgrading the high-level trigger for jets and missing transverse energy for the upgraded LHC o...

  17. Non-existence of global solutions to generalized dissipative Klein-Gordon equations with positive energy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maxim Olegovich Korpusov

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available In this article the initial-boundary-value problem for generalized dissipative high-order equation of Klein-Gordon type is considered. We continue our study of nonlinear hyperbolic equations and systems with arbitrary positive energy. The modified concavity method by Levine is used for proving blow-up of solutions.

  18. Dissipative light-bullets in the filamentation of femtosecond pulses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Porras, M.A.; Gonzalo, I.

    2010-01-01

    Complete text of publication follows. With the growing interest in filamentation in solid and liquid media, the regime of filamentation with anomalous dispersion is receiving more attention. In this work we show that basics aspects of the filament dynamics in this regime can be explained in terms of a novel type of light-bullet, which is not of solitary or of conical types, but a wave-packet that maximizes the energy dissipation into the medium while remaining localized and stationary in propagation. We first show that a nonlinear optical medium at a given carrier wave length at which dispersion is anomalous, supports 'dissipative' light-bullets, i.e., waves localized in space and time and that propagate without change as a result of a balance between nonlinear compression and nonlinear absorption. Among them, the particular dissipative light-bullet with the highest possible dissipation is unique in a given medium, in the sense that all its properties are fixed by the properties of the medium at the carrier wave length. In this light-bullet, self-focusing continuously transports energy towards the pulse center by an amount that just compensates for the nonlinear losses. Figure 1(a) shows the radial profiles of the dissipative light-bullets that maximizes energy dissipation for several orders of multi-photon absorption responsible for the nonlinear losses. We have also found that this dissipative light-bullet tends to be spontaneously formed in the filamentary dynamics in media with anomalous dispersion. Figure 1(b) shows the peak intensity, the total energy and losses of a pulse that undergoes self-focusing and filamentation in an ideal medium with only Kerr nonlinearity and multi-photon absorption. This simple model reproduces the particularly long filament 'segments' and the 'burst' observed in experiments and in more accurate simulations. The peak intensity in the filament is identical to that of the dissipative light-bullet with maximum dissipation, and the

  19. Tidal pressure induced neutrino emission as an energy dissipation mechanism in binary pulsar systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lamoreaux, S.K.; Ignatovich, V.K.

    1995-01-01

    We briefly review possible systematic limitations to the inferred General Relativity tests in binary pulsar systems, then propose a new mechanism whereby orbital energy can drive the electron-proton vs. neutron density away from equilibrium, and the concomitant neutrino (or antineutrino) emission represents an orbital energy dissipation. Of the total orbital energy loss rate, we estimate the fractional contribution of this mechanism as 8x10 -6 , whereas the observational accuracy is at the level of 7x10 -3 , and agrees with the predicted rate of gravitational radiation. 10 refs

  20. Energy dissipation mechanism revealed by spatially resolved Raman thermometry of graphene/hexagonal boron nitride heterostructure devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Daehee; Kim, Hanul; Yun, Wan Soo; Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi; Rho, Heesuk; Bae, Myung-Ho

    2018-04-01

    Understanding the energy transport by charge carriers and phonons in two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals heterostructures is essential for the development of future energy-efficient 2D nanoelectronics. Here, we performed in situ spatially resolved Raman thermometry on an electrically biased graphene channel and its hBN substrate to study the energy dissipation mechanism in graphene/hBN heterostructures. By comparing the temperature profile along the biased graphene channel with that along the hBN substrate, we found that the thermal boundary resistance between the graphene and hBN was in the range of (1-2) ~ × 10-7 m2 K W-1 from ~100 °C to the onset of graphene break-down at ~600 °C in air. Consideration of an electro-thermal transport model together with the Raman thermometry conducted in air showed that a doping effect occurred under a strong electric field played a crucial role in the energy dissipation of the graphene/hBN device up to T ~ 600 °C.

  1. Microscopic theory of one-body dissipation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koonin, S.E.; Randrup, J.; Hatch, R.; Kolomietz, V.

    1977-01-01

    A microscopic theory is developed for nuclear collective motion in the limit of a long nuclear mean-free path. Linear response techniques are applied to an independent particle model and expressions for the collective kinetic energy and rate of energy dissipation are obtained. For leptodermous systems, these quantities are characterized by mass and dissipation kernels coupling the velocities at different points on the nuclear surface. In a classical treatment, the kernels are given in terms of nucleon trajectories within the nuclear shape. In a quantal treatment, the dissipation kernel is related to the nuclear Green function. The spatial and thermal properties of the kernels are investigated. Corrections for the diffuseness of the potential and shell effects are also discussed. (Auth.)

  2. Stability of bacterial carotenoids in the presence of iron in a model of the gastric compartment - comparison with dietary reference carotenoids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sy, Charlotte; Dangles, Olivier; Borel, Patrick; Caris-Veyrat, Catherine

    2015-04-15

    Recently isolated spore-forming pigmented marine bacteria, Bacillus indicus HU36 and Bacillus firmus GB1 are sources of carotenoids (∼fifteen distinct yellow and orange pigments and ∼thirteen distinct pink pigments, respectively). They are glycosides of oxygenated lycopene derivatives (apo-lycopenoids) and are assumed to be more heat- and gastric-stable than common carotenoids. In this study, the oxidation by O2 of the bacterial carotenoids was initiated by free iron (Fe(II) and Fe(III)) or by heme iron (metmyoglobin) in a mildly acidic aqueous solution mimicking the gastro-intestinal compartment and compared to the oxidation of the common dietary carotenoids β-carotene, lycopene and astaxanthin. Under these conditions, all bacterial carotenoids appear more stable in the presence of heme iron vs. free iron. Carotenoid autoxidation initiated by Fe(II) is relatively fast and likely involves reactive oxygen-iron species derived from Fe(II) and O2. By contrast, the corresponding reaction with Fe(III) is kinetically blocked by the slow preliminary reduction of Fe(III) into Fe(II) by the carotenoids. The stability of carotenoids toward autoxidation increases as follows: β-carotenecarotenoids react more quickly than reference carotenoids with Fe(III), but much more slowly than the reference carotenoids with Fe(II). This reaction is correlated with the structure of the carotenoids, which can have opposite effects in a micellar system: bacterial carotenoids with electro-attracting terminal groups have a lower reducing capacity than β-carotene and lycopene. However, their polar head favours their location close to the interface of micelles, in closer contact with oxidative species. Kinetic analyses of the iron-induced autoxidation of astaxanthin and HU36 carotenoids has been performed and gives insights in the underlying mechanisms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Carotenoids Database: structures, chemical fingerprints and distribution among organisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yabuzaki, Junko

    2017-01-01

    To promote understanding of how organisms are related via carotenoids, either evolutionarily or symbiotically, or in food chains through natural histories, we built the Carotenoids Database. This provides chemical information on 1117 natural carotenoids with 683 source organisms. For extracting organisms closely related through the biosynthesis of carotenoids, we offer a new similarity search system 'Search similar carotenoids' using our original chemical fingerprint 'Carotenoid DB Chemical Fingerprints'. These Carotenoid DB Chemical Fingerprints describe the chemical substructure and the modification details based upon International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) semi-systematic names of the carotenoids. The fingerprints also allow (i) easier prediction of six biological functions of carotenoids: provitamin A, membrane stabilizers, odorous substances, allelochemicals, antiproliferative activity and reverse MDR activity against cancer cells, (ii) easier classification of carotenoid structures, (iii) partial and exact structure searching and (iv) easier extraction of structural isomers and stereoisomers. We believe this to be the first attempt to establish fingerprints using the IUPAC semi-systematic names. For extracting close profiled organisms, we provide a new tool 'Search similar profiled organisms'. Our current statistics show some insights into natural history: carotenoids seem to have been spread largely by bacteria, as they produce C30, C40, C45 and C50 carotenoids, with the widest range of end groups, and they share a small portion of C40 carotenoids with eukaryotes. Archaea share an even smaller portion with eukaryotes. Eukaryotes then have evolved a considerable variety of C40 carotenoids. Considering carotenoids, eukaryotes seem more closely related to bacteria than to archaea aside from 16S rRNA lineage analysis. : http://carotenoiddb.jp. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  4. Dissipative quantum dynamics and nonlinear sigma-model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tarasov, V.E.

    1992-01-01

    Sedov variational principle which is the generalization of the least action principle for the dissipative and irreversible processes and the classical dissipative mechanics in the phase space is considered. Quantum dynamics for the dissipative and irreversible processes is constructed. As an example of the dissipative quantum theory the nonlinear two-dimensional sigma-model is considered. The conformal anomaly of the energy momentum tensor trace for closed bosonic string on the affine-metric manifold is investigated. The two-loop metric beta-function for nonlinear dissipative sigma-model was calculated. The results are compared with the ultraviolet two-loop conterterms for affine-metric sigma model. 71 refs

  5. New high-energy phenomena in aircraft triggered lightning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

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

    2016-01-01

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

  6. Photoprotection by carotenoids of Plantago media photosynthetic apparatus in natural conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golovko, Tamara; Dymova, Olga; Zakhozhiy, Ilya; Dalke, Igor; Tabalenkova, Galina

    2012-01-01

    The study of daily changes in photosynthetic rate, of energy used in photochemical and non-photochemical processes, and of carotenoid composition aimed at evaluating the role of xanthophyll cycle (XC) in protection of hoary plantain plants (Plantago media) in nature. The leaves of sun plants differed from shade plants in terms of CO(2) exchange rate and photosynthetic pigments content. The total pool XC pigments and the conversion state increased from morning to midday in sun plants. An increase in zeaxanthin content occurred concomitantly with the violaxanthin decrease. About 80% violaxanthin was involved in conversion. The maximum of zeaxanthin in XC pigments pool was 60%. The conversion state of XC was twice as lower in shade plants than that in sun plants. The photosynthesis of sun leaves was depressed strongly at midday, but changes of maximum quantum yield of PS2 (F(v)/F(m)) were not apparent at that time. The coefficient qN (non-photochemical quenching) in the sun leaves changed strongly, from 0.3 to 0.9 as irradiance increased. The direct relation between heat dissipation and the conversion state of XC in plantain leaves was revealed. Thus, plantain leaves were found to be resistant to excess solar radiation due to activation of qN mechanisms associated with the XC de-epoxidation.

  7. A molecular genetic analysis of carotenoid biosynthesis and the effects of carotenoid mutations on other photosynthetic genes in Rhodobacter capsulatus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Armstrong, G.A.

    1989-04-01

    The nine known R. capsulatus carotenoid genes are contained within the 46 kilobase (kb) photosynthesis gene cluster. An 11 kb subcluster containing eight of these genes has been cloned and its nucleotide sequence determined. A new gene, crtK, has been located in the middle of the subcluster. The carotenoid gene cluster contains sequences homologous to Escherichia coli ..omega../sup 70/ promoters, rho-independent transcription terminators, and prokaryotic transcriptional factor binding sites. The phenotypes and genotypes of ten transposon Tn5.7 insertion mutations within the carotenoid gene cluster have been analyzed, by characterization of the carotenoids accumulated and high resolution mapping of the Tn5.7 insertions. The enzymatic blockages in previously uncharacterized early carotenoid mutants have been determined using a new in vitro synthesis system, suggesting specific roles for the CrtB and CrtE gene products. The expression of six of the eight carotenoid genes in the cluster is induced upon the shift from dark chemoheterotrophic to anaerobic photosynthetic growth. The magnitude of the induction is equivalent to that of genes encoding structural photosynthesis polypeptides, although the carotenoid genes are induced earlier after the growth shift. Different means of regulating photosynthesis genes in R. capsulatus are discussed, and a rationale for the temporal pattern of expression of the carotenoid genes during photosynthetic adaptation is presented. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences of the two dehydrogenases of the R. capsulatus carotenoid biosynthesis pathway reveals two regions of strong similarity. The effect of carotenoid mutations on the photosynthetic phenotype has been studied by examining growth rates, pigments, pigment-protein complexes and gene expression for a complete set of carotenoid mutants. 161 refs.

  8. A molecular genetic analysis of carotenoid biosynthesis and the effects of carotenoid mutations on other photosynthetic genes in Rhodobacter capsulatus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Armstrong, G.A.

    1989-04-01

    The nine known R. capsulatus carotenoid genes are contained within the 46 kilobase (kb) photosynthesis gene cluster. An 11 kb subcluster containing eight of these genes has been cloned and its nucleotide sequence determined. A new gene, crtK, has been located in the middle of the subcluster. The carotenoid gene cluster contains sequences homologous to Escherichia coli ω 70 promoters, rho-independent transcription terminators, and prokaryotic transcriptional factor binding sites. The phenotypes and genotypes of ten transposon Tn5.7 insertion mutations within the carotenoid gene cluster have been analyzed, by characterization of the carotenoids accumulated and high resolution mapping of the Tn5.7 insertions. The enzymatic blockages in previously uncharacterized early carotenoid mutants have been determined using a new in vitro synthesis system, suggesting specific roles for the CrtB and CrtE gene products. The expression of six of the eight carotenoid genes in the cluster is induced upon the shift from dark chemoheterotrophic to anaerobic photosynthetic growth. The magnitude of the induction is equivalent to that of genes encoding structural photosynthesis polypeptides, although the carotenoid genes are induced earlier after the growth shift. Different means of regulating photosynthesis genes in R. capsulatus are discussed, and a rationale for the temporal pattern of expression of the carotenoid genes during photosynthetic adaptation is presented. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences of the two dehydrogenases of the R. capsulatus carotenoid biosynthesis pathway reveals two regions of strong similarity. The effect of carotenoid mutations on the photosynthetic phenotype has been studied by examining growth rates, pigments, pigment-protein complexes and gene expression for a complete set of carotenoid mutants. 161 refs

  9. Resonance Raman Spectroscopic Evaluation of Skin Carotenoids as a Biomarker of Carotenoid Status for Human Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayne, Susan T.; Cartmel, Brenda; Scarmo, Stephanie; Jahns, Lisa; Ermakov, Igor V.; Gellermann, Werner

    2013-01-01

    Resonance Raman Spectroscopy (RRS) is a non-invasive method that has been developed to assess carotenoid status in human tissues including human skin in vivo. Skin carotenoid status has been suggested as a promising biomarker for human studies. This manuscript describes research done relevant to the development of this biomarker, including its reproducibility, validity, feasibility for use in field settings, and factors that affect the biomarker such as diet, smoking, and adiposity. Recent studies have evaluated the response of the biomarker to controlled carotenoid interventions, both supplement-based and dietary [e.g., provision of a high-carotenoid fruit and vegetable (F/V)-enriched diet], demonstrating consistent response to intervention. The totality of evidence supports the use of skin carotenoid status as an objective biomarker of F/V intake, although in the cross-sectional setting, diet explains only some of the variation in this biomarker. However, this limitation is also a strength in that skin carotenoids may effectively serve as an integrated biomarker of health, with higher status reflecting greater F/V intake, lack of smoking, and lack of adiposity. Thus, this biomarker holds promise as both a health biomarker and an objective indicator of F/V intake, supporting its further development and utilization for medical and public health purposes. PMID:23823930

  10. Latin American food sources of carotenoids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez-Amaya, D B

    1999-09-01

    Latin America has a wide variety of carotenogenic foods, notable for the diversity and high levels of carotenoids. A part of this natural wealth has been analyzed. Carrot, red palm oil and some cultivars of squash and pumpkin are sources of both beta-carotene and alpha-carotene. beta-carotene is the principal carotenoid of the palm fruits burití, tucumã and bocaiuva, other fruits such as loquat, marolo and West Indian cherry, and sweet potato. Buriti also has high amounts of alpha-carotene and gamma-carotene. beta-Cryptoxanthin is the major carotenoid in caja, nectarine, orange-fleshed papaya, orange, peach, tangerine and the tree tomato. Lycopene predominates in tomato, red-fleshed papaya, guava, pitanga and watermelon. Pitanga also has substantial amounts of beta-cryptoxanthin, gamma-carotene and rubixanthin. Zeaxanthin, principal carotenoid of corn, is also predominant only in piquí. delta-Carotene is the main carotenoid of the peach palm and zeta-carotene of passion fruit. Lutein and beta-carotene, in high concentrations, are encountered in the numerous leafy vegetables of the region, as well as in other green vegetables and in some varieties of squash and pumpkin. Violaxanthin is the principal carotenoid of mango and mamey and is also found in appreciable amounts in green vegetables. Quantitative, in some cases also qualitative, differences exist among cultivars of the same food. Generally, carotenoids are in greater concentrations in the peel than in the pulp, increase considerably during ripening and are in higher levels in foods produced in hot places. Other Latin America indigenous carotenogenic foods must be investigated before they are supplanted by introduced crops, which are often poorer sources of carotenoids.

  11. Carotenoid accumulation in the tissues of zebra finches: predictors of integumentary pigmentation and implications for carotenoid allocation strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGraw, Kevin J; Toomey, Matthew B

    2010-01-01

    Carotenoid pigments produce the bright yellow to red ornamental colors of many animals, especially birds, and must ultimately be derived from the diet. However, they are also valuable for many physiological functions (e.g., antioxidants, immunostimulants, photoprotection, visual tuning, yolk nourishment to embryos), and as a result they are present in numerous internal body tissues (e.g., liver, adipose tissue, retina) whose carotenoid types and amounts are rarely studied in the context of color acquisition. Because male and female animals typically place different priorities on fitness-enhancing activities (e.g., gametic investment in females, sexual attraction in males), carotenoid allocation may track such investment patterns in the two sexes, and we can test for such sex-specific priorities of carotenoids by assessing body-tissue distributions of these pigments. We used high-performance liquid chromatography to identify and quantify carotenoid pigments from the plasma, liver, adipose tissue, and retina as well as the beak and legs of male and female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), a species in which males display sexually attractive, red, carotenoid-based beak coloration and females also display some (albeit a less rich orange) beak color. To our knowledge, this is the first study of the predictors of carotenoid-based leg coloration-another potentially important visual signal-in this species. The same suite of dietary (e.g., lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin) and metabolically derived (e.g., dehydrolutein, anhydrolutein) yellow and orange carotenoids was present in plasma, liver, and adipose tissue of both sexes. Retina contained two different metabolites (astaxanthin and galloxanthin) that serve specific functions in association with unique photoreceptor types in the eye. Beaks were enriched with four red ketocarotenoid derivatives in both sexes (alpha-doradexanthin, adonirubin, astaxanthin, and canthaxanthin), while the carotenoid profile of legs

  12. An Experimental Study on the Shear Hysteresis and Energy Dissipation of the Steel Frame with a Trapezoidal-Corrugated Steel Plate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shon, Sudeok; Yoo, Mina; Lee, Seungjae

    2017-03-06

    The steel frame reinforced with steel shear wall is a lateral load resisting system and has higher strength and shear performance than the concrete shear wall system. Especially, using corrugated steel plates in these shear wall systems improves out-of-plane stiffness and flexibility in the deformation along the corrugation. In this paper, a cyclic loading test of this steel frame reinforced with trapezoidal-corrugated steel plate was performed to evaluate the structural performance. The hysteresis behavior and the energy dissipation capacity of the steel frame were also compared according to the corrugated direction of the plate. For the test, one simple frame model without the wall and two frame models reinforced with the plate are considered and designed. The test results showed that the model reinforced with the corrugated steel plate had a greater accumulated energy dissipation capacity than the experimental result of the non-reinforced model. Furthermore, the energy dissipation curves of two reinforced frame models, which have different corrugated directions, produced similar results.

  13. The intake of carotenoids in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Leth, Torben; Jakobsen, Jette; Andersen, N. L.

    2000-01-01

    To estimate the intake of carotenoids in the Danish population Danish fruits and vegetables were screened with an HPLC method consisting of extraction with ethanol:tetrahydrofuran, separation by reversed phase HPLC with the mobile phase acetonitril:methanol:dichlormethan, triethylamin, BHT...... in the foods the mean intake and intake distribution of the carotenoids were calculated. Carrots and tomatoes have both high contents of carotenoids (8,450 mu g/100 g alpha- + beta-carotene and 4,790 mu g/100 g lycopene, respectively) and high intakes (19 and 15 g/day, respectively) and were responsible for 47......% and 32%, respectively, of the mean intake of carotenoids of 4.8 mg/day A median value of 4.1 mg/day was found indicating skewed intake distributions. The difference between men and women was 0.4 mg/day (p carotenoids, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein and lycopene, contributed...

  14. Carotenoids intake and asthma prevalence in Thai children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanguansak Rerksuppaphol

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Several antioxidant nutrients have been described to inversely correlate with asthma. In order to quantify the intake of these substances, it is possible to measure skin levels by Raman spectroscopy, a novel non-invasive technique that can also be used in children. This cross-sectional school-based study involved 423 children from a rural area of Thailand. Asthmatic children were diagnosed according to a Health Interview for Asthma Control questionnaire. Skin carotenoid levels were measured with Raman spectroscopy. Demographic data were obtained by directly interviewing children and their parents, whereas anthropometric parameters were measured by trained staff. Intake of carotenoids, vitamin A and C were evaluated by a food frequency questionnaire. Overall incidence of asthma in Thai schoolchildren (aged 3.5-17.8 years was 17.3%. There was no significant difference in dietary intake of carotenoids and vitamin A and C, and skin carotenoid level between asthmatic and nonasthmatic children. Skin carotenoid level significantly correlated with all carotenoids and vitamin A intake (P<0.05. Carotenoids and vitamin A and C intakes, and skin carotenoid levels were not associated with the risk of asthma in Thai children. Skin carotenoids correlated with all carotenoids and vitamin A intake in mild to moderate degrees. Raman spectroscopy was confirmed to be a useful tool to determine antioxidant skin levels.

  15. Sudden viscous dissipation in compressing plasma turbulence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davidovits, Seth; Fisch, Nathaniel

    2015-11-01

    Compression of a turbulent plasma or fluid can cause amplification of the turbulent kinetic energy, if the compression is fast compared to the turnover and viscous dissipation times of the turbulent eddies. The consideration of compressing turbulent flows in inviscid fluids has been motivated by the suggestion that amplification of turbulent kinetic energy occurred on experiments at the Weizmann Institute of Science Z-Pinch. We demonstrate a sudden viscous dissipation mechanism whereby this amplified turbulent kinetic energy is rapidly converted into thermal energy, which further increases the temperature, feeding back to further enhance the dissipation. Application of this mechanism in compression experiments may be advantageous, if the plasma can be kept comparatively cold during much of the compression, reducing radiation and conduction losses, until the plasma suddenly becomes hot. This work was supported by DOE through contract 67350-9960 (Prime # DOE DE-NA0001836) and by the DTRA.

  16. Energy dissipation/transfer and stable attitude of spatial on-orbit tethered system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Weipeng; Song, Mingzhe; Deng, Zichen

    2018-01-01

    For the Tethered Satellite System, the coupling between the platform system and the solar panel is a challenge in the dynamic analysis. In this paper, the coupling dynamic behaviors of the Tethered Satellite System that is idealized as a planar flexible damping beam-spring-mass composite system are investigated via a structure-preserving method. Considering the coupling between the plane motion of the system, the oscillation of the spring and the transverse vibration of the beam, the dynamic model of the composite system is established based on the Hamiltonian variational principle. A symplectic dimensionality reduction method is proposed to decouple the dynamic system into two subsystems approximately. Employing the complex structure-preserving approach presented in our previous work, numerical iterations are performed between the two subsystems with weak damping to study the energy dissipation/transfer in the composite system, the effect of the spring stiffness on the energy distribution and the effect of the particle mass on the stability of the composite system. The numerical results show that: the energy transfer approach is uniquely determined by the initial attitude angle, while the energy dissipation speed is mainly depending on the initial attitude angle and the spring stiffness besides the weak damping. In addition, the mass ratio between the platform system and the solar panel determines the stable state as well as the time needed to reach the stable state of the composite system. The numerical approach presented in this paper provides a new way to deal with the coupling dynamic system and the conclusions obtained give some useful advices on the overall design of the Tethered Satellite System.

  17. Effect of dissipation on dynamical fusion thresholds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sierk, A.J.

    1986-01-01

    The existence of dynamical thresholds to fusion in heavy nuclei (A greater than or equal to 200) due to the nature of the potential-energy surface is shown. These thresholds exist even in the absence of dissipative forces, due to the coupling between the various collective deformation degrees of freedom. Using a macroscopic model of nuclear shape dynamics, It is shown how three different suggested dissipation mechanisms increase by varying amounts the excitation energy over the one-dimensional barrier required to cause compound-nucleus formation. The recently introduced surface-plus-window dissipation may give a reasonable representation of experimental data on fusion thresholds, in addition to properly describing fission-fragment kinetic energies and isoscalar giant multipole widths. Scaling of threshold results to asymmetric systems is discussed. 48 refs., 10 figs

  18. Analytical study of dissipative solitary waves

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dini, Fatemeh [Department of Physics, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Emamzadeh, Mehdi Molaie [Department of Physics, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Khorasani, Sina [School of Electrical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, PO Box 11365-363, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Bobin, Jean Louis [Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris (France); Amrollahi, Reza [Department of Physics, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Sodagar, Majid [School of Electrical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, PO Box 11365-363, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Khoshnegar, Milad [School of Electrical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, PO Box 11365-363, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2008-02-15

    In this paper, the analytical solution to a new class of nonlinear solitons is presented with cubic nonlinearity, subject to a dissipation term arising as a result of a first-order derivative with respect to time, in the weakly nonlinear regime. Exact solutions are found using the combination of the perturbation and Green's function methods up to the third order. We present an example and discuss the asymptotic behavior of the Green's function. The dissipative solitary equation is also studied in the phase space in the non-dissipative and dissipative forms. Bounded and unbounded solutions of this equation are characterized, yielding an energy conversation law for non-dissipative waves. Applications of the model include weakly nonlinear solutions of terahertz Josephson plasma waves in layered superconductors and ablative Rayleigh-Taylor instability.

  19. Dissipation, intermittency, and singularities in incompressible turbulent flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Debue, P.; Shukla, V.; Kuzzay, D.; Faranda, D.; Saw, E.-W.; Daviaud, F.; Dubrulle, B.

    2018-05-01

    We examine the connection between the singularities or quasisingularities in the solutions of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equation (INSE) and the local energy transfer and dissipation, in order to explore in detail how the former contributes to the phenomenon of intermittency. We do so by analyzing the velocity fields (a) measured in the experiments on the turbulent von Kármán swirling flow at high Reynolds numbers and (b) obtained from the direct numerical simulations of the INSE at a moderate resolution. To compute the local interscale energy transfer and viscous dissipation in experimental and supporting numerical data, we use the weak solution formulation generalization of the Kármán-Howarth-Monin equation. In the presence of a singularity in the velocity field, this formulation yields a nonzero dissipation (inertial dissipation) in the limit of an infinite resolution. Moreover, at finite resolutions, it provides an expression for local interscale energy transfers down to the scale where the energy is dissipated by viscosity. In the presence of a quasisingularity that is regularized by viscosity, the formulation provides the contribution to the viscous dissipation due to the presence of the quasisingularity. Therefore, our formulation provides a concrete support to the general multifractal description of the intermittency. We present the maps and statistics of the interscale energy transfer and show that the extreme events of this transfer govern the intermittency corrections and are compatible with a refined similarity hypothesis based on this transfer. We characterize the probability distribution functions of these extreme events via generalized Pareto distribution analysis and find that the widths of the tails are compatible with a similarity of the second kind. Finally, we make a connection between the topological and the statistical properties of the extreme events of the interscale energy transfer field and its multifractal properties.

  20. Energy Dissipation in the Upper Atmospheres of TRAPPIST-1 Planets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Ofer; Glocer, Alex; Garraffo, Cecilia; Drake, Jeremy J.; Bell, Jared M.

    2018-03-01

    We present a method to quantify the upper limit of the energy transmitted from the intense stellar wind to the upper atmospheres of three of the TRAPPIST-1 planets (e, f, and g). We use a formalism that treats the system as two electromagnetic regions, where the efficiency of the energy transmission between one region (the stellar wind at the planetary orbits) to the other (the planetary ionospheres) depends on the relation between the conductances and impedances of the two regions. Since the energy flux of the stellar wind is very high at these planetary orbits, we find that for the case of high transmission efficiency (when the conductances and impedances are close in magnitude), the energy dissipation in the upper planetary atmospheres is also very large. On average, the Ohmic energy can reach 0.5–1 W m‑2, about 1% of the stellar irradiance and 5–15 times the EUV irradiance. Here, using constant values for the ionospheric conductance, we demonstrate that the stellar wind energy could potentially drive large atmospheric heating in terrestrial planets, as well as in hot Jupiters. More detailed calculations are needed to assess the ionospheric conductance and to determine more accurately the amount of heating the stellar wind can drive in close-orbit planets.

  1. Carotenoids

    Science.gov (United States)

    This short article indicated that greater understanding of the biological functions of carotenoids mediated via their oxidative metabolites through their effects on these important cellular pathways and molecular targets, as well as their significance to cancer prevention, is needed. In considering ...

  2. The Role of Carotenoids in Human Skin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Theognosia Vergou

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available The human skin, as the boundary organ between the human body and the environment, is under the constant influence of free radicals (FR, both from the outside in and from the inside out. Carotenoids are known to be powerful antioxidant substances playing an essential role in the reactions of neutralization of FR (mainly reactive oxygen species ROS. Carotenoid molecules present in the tissue are capable of neutralizing several attacks of FR, especially ROS, and are then destroyed. Human skin contains carotenoids, such as α-, γ-, β-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene and their isomers, which serve the living cells as a protection against oxidation. Recent studies have reported the possibility to investigate carotenoids in human skin quickly and non-invasively by spectroscopic means. Results obtained from in-vivo studies on human skin have shown that carotenoids are vital components of the antioxidative protective system of the human skin and could serve as marker substances for the overall antioxidative status. Reflecting the nutritional and stress situation of volunteers, carotenoids must be administered by means of antioxidant-rich products, e.g., in the form of fruit and vegetables. Carotenoids are degraded by stress factors of any type, inter alia, sun radiation, contact with environmental hazards, illness, etc. The kinetics of the accumulation and degradation of carotenoids in the skin have been investigated.

  3. Energy dissipation of rockfalls by coppice structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Ciabocco

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this work is to develop elements to improve understanding of the behaviour of a coppice in relation to the phenomenon of falling boulders. The first section proposes an amendment to the equation for calculating the index which describes the probability of impact between a rock and plants in managed coppice forests. A study was carried out, using models to calculate the kinetic energy of a falling boulder along a slope considering the kinetic energy dissipated during the impact with the structure of forest plants managed by coppice. The output of the simulation models were then compared with the real dynamics of falling boulders in field tests using digital video.

    It emerged from an analysis of the results of this comparison that a modification to the 1989 Gsteiger equation was required, in order to calculate the "Average Distance between Contacts" (ADC. To this purpose, the concept of "Structure of Interception", proposed in this paper, was developed, valid as a first approach for describing the differences in the spatial distribution of stems between coppice and forest. This study also aims to provide suggestions for forestry management, in order to maintain or increase the protective capacity of a coppice managed with conventional techniques for the area studied, modifying the dendrometric characteristics.

  4. Dissipative Continuous Spontaneous Localization (CSL) model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smirne, Andrea; Bassi, Angelo

    2015-08-05

    Collapse models explain the absence of quantum superpositions at the macroscopic scale, while giving practically the same predictions as quantum mechanics for microscopic systems. The Continuous Spontaneous Localization (CSL) model is the most refined and studied among collapse models. A well-known problem of this model, and of similar ones, is the steady and unlimited increase of the energy induced by the collapse noise. Here we present the dissipative version of the CSL model, which guarantees a finite energy during the entire system's evolution, thus making a crucial step toward a realistic energy-conserving collapse model. This is achieved by introducing a non-linear stochastic modification of the Schrödinger equation, which represents the action of a dissipative finite-temperature collapse noise. The possibility to introduce dissipation within collapse models in a consistent way will have relevant impact on the experimental investigations of the CSL model, and therefore also on the testability of the quantum superposition principle.

  5. Serum carotenoid concentrations in postmenopausal women from the United States with and without osteoporosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Zhifang; Zhang, Zhumin; Penniston, Kristina L; Binkley, Neil; Tanumihardjo, Sherry A

    2008-05-01

    Antioxidant defenses may be compromised in osteoporotic women. Little is known about fruit and vegetable or carotenoid consumption among postmenopausal women. The primary carotenoids in human serum are alpha- and beta-carotene, lycopene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin. This study investigated the interrelationships among serum carotenoid concentrations, fruit and vegetable intake, and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women (n = 59, 62.7 +/- 8.8 y). Bone density was assessed by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and osteoporosis diagnosis was based upon T-scores. Serum samples (n = 53) and three-day diet records (n = 49) were analyzed. Logistic regression analyzed differences between carotenoids after adjusting for serum retinol; supplement usage; milk, yogurt, fruit, and vegetable intake; and body mass index (BMI). Pearson statistics correlated carotenoids with specific fruit or vegetable intake. Serum lycopene concentrations were lower in the osteoporosis group than controls (p = 0.03). Beta-cryptoxanthin intake was higher in the osteoporosis group (p = 0.0046). Total fruit and vegetable intakes were correlated with serum lycopene and beta-cryptoxanthin (p = 0.03, 0.006, respectively). Serum alpha-carotene concentration was associated with carrot intake, and zeaxanthin and beta-cryptoxanthin with lettuce intake. Carotenoids that may have beneficial skeletal effects are lower in women with osteoporosis. Research is needed to identify potential protective mechanisms or utilization of carotenoids during osteoporosis.

  6. Estimates of anelastic dissipation in the Earth's torsional modes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. CAPUTO

    1966-06-01

    Full Text Available The decay of the amplitude of the free modes of the
    Earth is a potential source of information on the mechanism of dissipation
    of the elastic energy of the Earth.
    However there are serious difficulties in the interpretation of the decay;
    they are caused by several facts. One is the limited length of the significant
    part of the record which prohibits to identify the splitting of all the modes
    caused by the Earth rotation and also to follow the pattern in its rotation;
    another reason is the coupling between modes, caused by the inhomogenities
    and the flattening of the Earth, which can transfer energy from one mode
    to another. The results available are therefore very few and of poor accuracy.
    In order to seek new information on the mechanism of dissipation of
    the elastic energy we solve a generalized form of the equation of elastodynamic
    in which we have introduced some unspecified operators to represent
    the dissipation of the elastic energy. By confronting these operators with
    the observations we would hope to find informations on the mechanism
    of dissipation. Unfortunately the laws of variation of Q with frequency,
    found by various authors who were using different observations, are not in
    agreement and are very uncertain. Therefore we can only estimate the
    average values of the parameters of the supposed mechanisms of dissipation.
    We analyze also the dissipation of energy due to viscous frictions at
    the core mantle boundary. This dissipation would be negligible even for
    viscosities of the core up to 1010 poise

  7. Energy-Based Design Criterion of Dissipative Bracing Systems for the Seismic Retrofit of Frame Structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gloria Terenzi

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Direct sizing criteria represent useful tools in the design of dissipative bracing systems for the advanced seismic protection of existing frame structures, especially when incorporated dampers feature a markedly non-linear behaviour. An energy-based procedure is proposed herein to this aim, focusing attention on systems including fluid viscous devices. The procedure starts by assuming prefixed reduction factors of the most critical response parameters in current conditions, which are evaluated by means of a conventional elastic finite element analysis. Simple formulas relating the reduction factors to the equivalent viscous damping ratio of the dampers, ξeq, are proposed. These formulas allow calculating the ξeq values that guarantee the achievement of the target factors. Finally, the energy dissipation capacity of the devices is deduced from ξeq, finalizing their sizing process. A detailed description of the procedure is presented in the article, by distinguishing the cases where the prevailing structural deficiencies are represented by poor strength of the constituting members, from the cases having excessive horizontal displacements. A demonstrative application to the retrofit design of a reinforced concrete gym building is then offered to explicate the steps of the sizing criterion in practice, as well as to evaluate the enhancement of the seismic response capacities generated by the installation of the dissipative system.

  8. Carotenoid Metabolism in Plants: The Role of Plastids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Tianhu; Yuan, Hui; Cao, Hongbo; Yazdani, Mohammad; Tadmor, Yaakov; Li, Li

    2018-01-08

    Carotenoids are indispensable to plants and critical in human diets. Plastids are the organelles for carotenoid biosynthesis and storage in plant cells. They exist in various types, which include proplastids, etioplasts, chloroplasts, amyloplasts, and chromoplasts. These plastids have dramatic differences in their capacity to synthesize and sequester carotenoids. Clearly, plastids play a central role in governing carotenogenic activity, carotenoid stability, and pigment diversity. Understanding of carotenoid metabolism and accumulation in various plastids expands our view on the multifaceted regulation of carotenogenesis and facilitates our efforts toward developing nutrient-enriched food crops. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the impact of various types of plastids on carotenoid biosynthesis and accumulation, and discuss recent advances in our understanding of the regulatory control of carotenogenesis and metabolic engineering of carotenoids in light of plastid types in plants. Copyright © 2017 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Scaling of normalized mean energy and scalar dissipation rates in a turbulent channel flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abe, Hiroyuki; Antonia, Robert Anthony

    2011-05-01

    Non-dimensional parameters for the mean energy and scalar dissipation rates Cɛ and Cɛθ are examined using direct numerical simulation (DNS) data obtained in a fully developed turbulent channel flow with a passive scalar (Pr = 0.71) at several values of the Kármán (Reynolds) number h+. It is shown that Cɛ and Cɛθ are approximately equal in the near-equilibrium region (viz., y+ = 100 to y/h = 0.7) where the production and dissipation rates of either the turbulent kinetic energy or scalar variance are approximately equal and the magnitudes of the diffusion terms are negligibly small. The magnitudes of Cɛ and Cɛθ are about 2 and 1 in the logarithmic and outer regions, respectively, when h+ is sufficiently large. The former value is about the same for the channel, pipe, and turbulent boundary layer, reflecting the similarity between the mean velocity and temperature distributions among these three canonical flows. The latter value is, on the other hand, about twice as large as in homogeneous isotropic turbulence due to the existence of the large-scale u structures in the channel. The behaviour of Cɛ and Cɛθ impacts on turbulence modeling. In particular, the similarity between Cɛ and Cɛθ leads to a simple relation for the scalar variance to turbulent kinetic energy time-scale ratio, an important ingredient in the eddy diffusivity model. This similarity also yields a relation between the Taylor and Corrsin microscales and analogous relations, in terms of h+, for the Taylor microscale Reynolds number and Corrsin microscale Peclet number. This dependence is reasonably well supported by both the DNS data at small to moderate h+ and the experimental data of Comte-Bellot [Ph. D. thesis (University of Grenoble, 1963)] at larger h+. It does not however apply to a turbulent boundary layer where the mean energy dissipation rate, normalized on either wall or outer variables, is about 30% larger than for the channel flow.

  10. Fast atom bombardment tandem mass spectrometry of carotenoids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    van Breeman, R.B. [Univ. of Illinois, Chicago, IL (United States); Schmitz, H.H.; Schwartz, S.J. [North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States)

    1995-02-01

    Positive ion fast atom bombardment (FAB) tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS) using a double-focusing mass spectrometer with linked scanning at constant B/E and high-energy collisionally activated dissociation (CAD) was used to differentiate 17 different cartenoids, including {beta}-apo-8{prime}- carotenal, astaxanthin, {alpha}-carotene, {beta}-carotene, {gamma}-carotene, {zeta}-carotene, canthaxanthin, {beta}-cryptoxanthin, isozeaxanthin bis (pelargonate), neoxanthin, neurosporene, nonaprene, lutein, lycopene, phytoene, phytofluene, and zeaxanthin. The carotenoids were either synthetic or isolated from plant tissues. The use of FAB ionization minimized degradation or rearrangement of the carotenoid structures due to the inherent thermal instability generally ascribed to these compounds. Instead of protonated molecules, both polar xanthophylls and nonpolar carotenes formed molecular ions, M{sup {center_dot}+}, during FAB ionization. Following collisionally activated dissociation, fragment ions of selected molecular ion precursors showed structural features indicative of the presence of hydroxyl groups, ring systems, ester groups, and aldehyde groups and the extent of aliphatic polyene conjugation. The fragmentation patterns observed in the mass spectra herein may be used as a reference for the structural determination of carotenoids isolated from plant and animal tissues. 18 refs., 4 figs.

  11. Level-1 jets and energy sums trigger performance with part of the 2017 dataset

    CERN Document Server

    CMS Collaboration

    2017-01-01

    After the first long shutdown, the LHC has restarted at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The LHC is expected to achieve an instantaneous luminosity larger than $10^{34} cm^{-2}s^{-1}$ and an average peak number of pile-up interactions of at least 40. The CMS Level-1 trigger architecture has undergone a full upgrade in order to maintain and improve the trigger performance under these new conditions. It will allow CMS to keep the trigger rate under control and to avoid a significant increase in trigger thresholds that would have a negative impact on the CMS physics programme. This note includes studies of the performance of the jets and energy sums as defined in the calorimeter trigger upgrade.

  12. Optimizing the microstructure of dissipative materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andreassen, Erik; Lazarov, Boyan Stefanov; Jensen, Jakob Søndergaard

    the material’s loss factor, however, only for large wave lengths (small wave numbers) and constant material parameters (Andreasen et al., 2012). An alternative way to determine the material’s loss factor is to consider the material’s band diagram (Sigalas and Economou, 1992), from which the loss factor can......The aim of this work is to present a method to design material microstructures with high dissipation using topology optimization. In order to compute the macroscopic energy dissipation in periodic structures, we focus both on capturing the physical dissipation mechanism and to find the effective...... from experimental results in (Schaedler, 2011), where a highly energy absorbing material, constructed from structural elements with a small cross sectional area but large area moment of inertia, is presented. Furthermore, the applicability of multiscale finite element methods (Efendiev, 2009...

  13. Comparison of cumulative dissipated energy between the Infiniti and Centurion phacoemulsification systems

    OpenAIRE

    Chen, Ming; Anderson, Erik; Hill, Geoffrey; Chen, John J; Patrianakos, Thomas

    2015-01-01

    Ming Chen,1 Erik Anderson,2 Geoffrey Hill,3 John J Chen,4 Thomas Patrianakos2 1Department of Surgery, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, 2Department of Ophthalmology, John H Stroger, Jr Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, IL, 3Department of Ophthalmology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 4Biostatistics Core, John A Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA Purpose: To compare cumulative dissipated energy between two phacoemulsification mac...

  14. An Event-Triggered Online Energy Management Algorithm of Smart Home: Lyapunov Optimization Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei Fan

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available As an important component of the smart grid on the user side, a home energy management system is the core of optimal operation for a smart home. In this paper, the energy scheduling problem for a household equipped with photovoltaic devices was investigated. An online energy management algorithm based on event triggering was proposed. The Lyapunov optimization method was adopted to schedule controllable load in the household. Without forecasting related variables, real-time decisions were made based only on the current information. Energy could be rapidly regulated under the fluctuation of distributed generation, electricity demand and market price. The event-triggering mechanism was adopted to trigger the execution of the online algorithm, so as to cut down the execution frequency and unnecessary calculation. A comprehensive result obtained from simulation shows that the proposed algorithm could effectively decrease the electricity bills of users. Moreover, the required computational resource is small, which contributes to the low-cost energy management of a smart home.

  15. Influence of chemical disorder on energy dissipation and defect evolution in concentrated solid solution alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Yanwen; Wang, Lumin; Caro, Alfredo; Weber, William J.; Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

    2015-01-01

    A long-standing objective in materials research is to understand how energy is dissipated in both the electronic and atomic subsystems in irradiated materials, and how related non-equilibrium processes may affect defect dynamics and microstructure evolution. Here we show that alloy complexity in concentrated solid solution alloys having both an increasing number of principal elements and altered concentrations of specific elements can lead to substantial reduction in the electron mean free path and thermal conductivity, which has a significant impact on energy dissipation and consequentially on defect evolution during ion irradiation. Enhanced radiation resistance with increasing complexity from pure nickel to binary and to more complex quaternary solid solutions is observed under ion irradiation up to an average damage level of 1 displacement per atom. Understanding how materials properties can be tailored by alloy complexity and their influence on defect dynamics may pave the way for new principles for the design of radiation tolerant structural alloys

  16. How plasmas dissipate: cascade and the production of internal energy and entropy in weakly collisional plasma turbulence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matthaeus, W. H.; Yang, Y.; Servidio, S.; Parashar, T.; Chasapis, A.; Roytershteyn, V.

    2017-12-01

    Turbulence cascade transfers energy from large scale to small scale but what happens once kinetic scales are reached? In a collisional medium, viscosity and resistivity remove fluctuation energy in favor of heat. In the weakly collisional solar wind, (or corona, m-sheath, etc.), the sequence of events must be different. Heating occurs, but through what mechanisms? In standard approaches, dissipation occurs though linear wave modes or instabilities and one seeks to identify them. A complementary view is that cascade leads to several channels of energy conversion, interchange and spatial rearrangement that collectively leads to production of internal energy. Channels may be described using compressible MHD & multispecies Vlasov Maxwell formulations. Key steps are: Conservative rearrangement of energy in space; Parallel incompressible and compressible cascades - conservative rearrangment in scale; electromagnetic work on particles that drives flows, both macroscopic and microscopic; and pressure-stress interactions, both compressive and shear-like, that produces internal energy. Examples given from MHD, PIC simulations and MMS observations. A more subtle issue is how entropy is related to this degeneration (or, "dissipation") of macroscopic, fluid-scale fluctuations. We discuss this in terms of Boltzmann and thermodynamic entropies, and velocity space effects of collisions.

  17. Raman spectroscopy application in frozen carrot cooked in different ways and the relationship with carotenoids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camorani, Paolo; Chiavaro, Emma; Cristofolini, Luigi; Paciulli, Maria; Zaupa, Maria; Visconti, Attilio; Fogliano, Vincenzo; Pellegrini, Nicoletta

    2015-08-30

    Raman spectroscopy, in its confocal micro-Raman variation, has been recently proposed as a spatially resolved method to identify carotenoids in various food matrices, being faster, non-destructive, and avoiding sample extraction, but no data are present in the literature concerning its application to the evaluation of carotenoid pattern changes after thermal treatment of carrots. The effect of three cooking methods (i.e. boiling, steaming and microwaving) was evaluated on frozen carrot, comparing changes on carotenoid profiles measured by means of Raman spectroscopy with their high-performance liquid chromatographic determination and colour. A more pronounced detrimental effect on carotenoids was detected in steamed carrots, in accordance with colour data. Conversely, boiling and, to a lesser extent, microwaving caused an increase in carotenoid concentration. Cooking procedures affected the Raman spectral features of carotenoids, causing a shift of vibration frequencies towards a higher energy, increase in the spectral baseline and peak intensities as well as a broadening of their width, probably in relation to the thermal degradation of longer carotenoids (i.e. the all-trans form) and the isomerization process. In particular, steamed samples showed a significantly higher increase of centre frequency, in accordance with a more pronounced isomerization and changes in colour parameters. This work showed that the evolution of Raman spectral parameters could provide information on carotenoid bioaccessibility for carrots cooked using various methods. This paves the way for a future use of this technique to monitor and optimize cooking processes aimed at maximizing carotenoid bioaccessibility and bioavailability. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

  18. Effect of the sagittal ankle angle at initial contact on energy dissipation in the lower extremity joints during a single-leg landing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jinkyu; Song, Yongnam; Shin, Choongsoo S

    2018-05-01

    During landing, the ankle angle at initial contact (IC) exhibits relatively wide individual variation compared to the knee and hip angles. However, little is known about the effect of different IC ankle angles on energy dissipation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between individual ankle angles at IC and energy dissipation in the lower extremity joints. Twenty-seven adults performed single-leg landings from a 0.3-m height. Kinetics and kinematics of the lower extremity joints were measured. The relationship between ankle angles at IC and negative work, range of motion, the time to peak ground reaction force, and peak loading rate were analyzed. The ankle angle at IC was positively correlated with ankle negative work (r = 0.80, R 2  = 0.64, p angle was negatively correlated with hip negative work (r = -0.46, R 2  = 0.21, p = 0.01) and the contribution of the hip to total negative work (r = -0.61, R 2  = 0.37, p angle at IC. The ankle angle at IC was positively correlated with total negative work (r = 0.50, R 2  = 0.25, p angle at IC increased, such that the ankle energy dissipation increased and redistributed the energy dissipation in the ankle and hip joints. Further, these results suggest that increased ankle energy dissipation with a higher IC plantar flexion angle may be a potential landing technique for reducing the risk of injury to the anterior cruciate ligament and hip musculature. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Cavitation instability as a trigger of aneurysm rupture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Volokh, K Y

    2015-10-01

    Aneurysm formation and growth is accompanied by microstructural alterations in the arterial wall. Particularly, the loss of elastin may lead to tissue disintegration and appearance of voids or cavities at the micron scale. Unstable growth and coalescence of voids may be a predecessor and trigger for the onset of macroscopic cracks. In the present work, we analyze the instability of membrane (2D) and bulk (3D) voids under hydrostatic tension by using two experimentally calibrated constitutive models of abdominal aortic aneurysm enhanced with energy limiters. The limiters provide the saturation value for the strain energy, which indicates the maximum energy that can be stored and dissipated by an infinitesimal material volume. We find that the unstable growth of voids can start when the critical stress is considerably less than the aneurysm strength. Moreover, this critical stress may even approach the arterial wall stress in the physiological range. This finding suggests that cavitation instability can be a rational indicator of the aneurysm rupture.

  20. Dissipative Solitons that Cannot be Trapped

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pardo, Rosa; Perez-Garcia, Victor M.

    2006-01-01

    We show that dissipative solitons in systems with high-order nonlinear dissipation cannot survive in the presence of trapping potentials of the rigid wall or asymptotically increasing type. Solitons in such systems can survive in the presence of a weak potential but only with energies out of the interval of existence of linear quantum mechanical stationary states

  1. Dissipation in a Quantum Wire: Fact and Fantasy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Das, Mukunda P.; Green, Frederick

    2008-01-01

    Where, and how, does energy dissipation of electrical energy take place in a ballistic wire? Fully two decades after the advent of the transmissive phenomenology of electrical conductance, this deceptively simple query remains unanswered. We revisit the quantum kinetic basis of dissipation and show its power to give a definitive answer to our query. Dissipation leaves a clear, quantitative trace in the non-equilibrium current noise of a quantum point contact; this signature has already been observed in the laboratory. We then highlight the current state of accepted understandings in the light of well-known yet seemingly contradictory measurements. The physics of mesoscopic transport rests not in coherent carrier transmission through a perfect and dissipationless metallic channel, but explicitly in their dissipative inelastic scattering at the wire's interfaces and adjacent macroscopic leads.

  2. Solid-phase extraction of carotenoids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Yao; Hu, Yumin; Huang, Ke; Yin, Shi'an; Chen, Bo; Yao, Shouzhuo

    2009-07-24

    In this work, solid-phase extraction (SPE) trapping performance of lutein and beta-carotene, which were used as the model molecules of carotenoids, was investigated. The absorption, elution, and enrichment of carotenoids on SPE cartridges with four different sorbents, i.e. C(30), C(18), diol, and silica, were compared respectively with the help of frontal analysis technique. The high retentions of both lutein and beta-carotene were achieved on the C(18) and C(30) cartridges. The diol and silica cartridges only had good retention for lutein. The optimized SPE method for sample pretreatment for the carotenoids analysis was obtained after the investigation of trapping performance. The method was applied successfully to the analysis of biological sample, i.e. serum and human breast milk. The recovery, accuracy, and precision of SPE method comparing with those of traditional liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) method for the sample pretreatment for the analysis of carotenoids owned a number of advantages such as rapid, no chloroform used, and accurate versus LLE.

  3. Power injected in dissipative systems and the fluctuation theorem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aumaître, S.; Fauve, S.; McNamara, S.; Poggi, P.

    We consider three examples of dissipative dynamical systems involving many degrees of freedom, driven far from equilibrium by a constant or time dependent forcing. We study the statistical properties of the injected and dissipated power as well as the fluctuations of the total energy of these systems. The three systems under consideration are: a shell model of turbulence, a gas of hard spheres colliding inelastically and excited by a vibrating piston, and a Burridge-Knopoff spring-block model. Although they involve different types of forcing and dissipation, we show that the statistics of the injected power obey the ``fluctuation theorem" demonstrated in the case of time reversible dissipative systems maintained at constant total energy, or in the case of some stochastic processes. Although this may be only a consequence of the theory of large deviations, this allows a possible definition of ``temperature" for a dissipative system out of equilibrium. We consider how this ``temperature" scales with the energy and the number of degrees of freedom in the different systems under consideration.

  4. Log-Normal Turbulence Dissipation in Global Ocean Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pearson, Brodie; Fox-Kemper, Baylor

    2018-03-01

    Data from turbulent numerical simulations of the global ocean demonstrate that the dissipation of kinetic energy obeys a nearly log-normal distribution even at large horizontal scales O (10 km ) . As the horizontal scales of resolved turbulence are larger than the ocean is deep, the Kolmogorov-Yaglom theory for intermittency in 3D homogeneous, isotropic turbulence cannot apply; instead, the down-scale potential enstrophy cascade of quasigeostrophic turbulence should. Yet, energy dissipation obeys approximate log-normality—robustly across depths, seasons, regions, and subgrid schemes. The distribution parameters, skewness and kurtosis, show small systematic departures from log-normality with depth and subgrid friction schemes. Log-normality suggests that a few high-dissipation locations dominate the integrated energy and enstrophy budgets, which should be taken into account when making inferences from simplified models and inferring global energy budgets from sparse observations.

  5. Dynamical Origin of Highly Efficient Energy Dissipation in Soft Magnetic Nanoparticles for Magnetic Hyperthermia Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Min-Kwan; Sim, Jaegun; Lee, Jae-Hyeok; Kim, Miyoung; Kim, Sang-Koog

    2018-05-01

    We explore robust magnetization-dynamic behaviors in soft magnetic nanoparticles in single-domain states and find their related high-efficiency energy-dissipation mechanism using finite-element micromagnetic simulations. We also make analytical derivations that provide deeper physical insights into the magnetization dynamics associated with Gilbert damping parameters under applications of time-varying rotating magnetic fields of different strengths and frequencies and static magnetic fields. Furthermore, we find that the mass-specific energy-dissipation rate at resonance in the steady-state regime changes remarkably with the strength of rotating fields and static fields for given damping constants. The associated magnetization dynamics are well interpreted with the help of the numerical calculation of analytically derived explicit forms. The high-efficiency energy-loss power can be obtained using soft magnetic nanoparticles in the single-domain state by tuning the frequency of rotating fields to the resonance frequency; what is more, it is controllable via the rotating and static field strengths for a given intrinsic damping constant. We provide a better and more efficient means of achieving specific loss power that can be implemented in magnetic hyperthermia applications.

  6. Thermal degradation kinetics of all-trans and cis-carotenoids in a light-induced model system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Ya-Dong; Huang, Wu-Yang; Li, Da-Jing; Song, Jiang-Feng; Liu, Chun-Quan; Wei, Qiu-Yu; Zhang, Min; Yang, Qiu-Ming

    2018-01-15

    Thermal degradation kinetics of lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, β-carotene was studied at 25, 35, and 45°C in a model system. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of all-trans- and cis-carotenoids were conducted using HPLC-DAD-MS technologies. Kinetic and thermodynamic parameters were calculated by non-linear regression. A total of 29 geometrical isomers and four oxidation products were detected, including all-trans-, keto compounds, mono-cis- and di-cis-isomers. Degradations of all-trans-lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, and β-carotene were described by a first-order kinetic model, with the order of rate constants as k β -carotene >k β -cryptoxanthin >k lutein >k zeaxanthin . Activation energies of zeaxanthin, lutein, β-cryptoxanthin, and β-carotene were 65.6, 38.9, 33.9, and 8.6kJ/moL, respectively. cis-carotenoids also followed with the first-order kinetic model, but they did not show a defined sequence of degradation rate constants and activation energies at different temperatures. A possible degradation pathway of four carotenoids was identified to better understand the mechanism of carotenoid degradation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Quantum dissipation of a simple conservative system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ibeh, G. J.; Mshelia, E. D.

    2014-01-01

    A model of quantum dissipative system is presented. Here dissipation of energy is demonstrated as based on the coupling of a free translational motion of a centre of mass to a harmonic oscillator. The two-dimensional arrangement of two coupled particles of different masses is considered.

  8. State space approach for the vibration of nanobeams based on the nonlocal thermoelasticity theory without energy dissipation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zenkour, A. M.; Alnefaie, K. A.; Abu-Hamdeh, N. H.; Aljinaid, A. A.; Aifanti, E. C. [King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia); Abouelregal, A. E. [Mansoura University, Mansoura (Egypt)

    2015-07-15

    In this article, an Euler-Bernoulli beam model based upon nonlocal thermoelasticity theory without energy dissipation is used to study the vibration of a nanobeam subjected to ramp-type heating. Classical continuum theory is inherently size independent, while nonlocal elasticity exhibits size dependence. Among other things, this leads to a new expression for the effective nonlocal bending moment as contrasted to its classical counterpart. The thermal problem is addressed in the context of the Green-Naghdi (GN) theory of heat transport without energy dissipation. The governing partial differential equations are solved in the Laplace transform domain by the state space approach of modern control theory. Inverse of Laplace transforms are computed numerically using Fourier expansion techniques. The effects of nonlocality and ramping time parameters on the lateral vibration, temperature, displacement and bending moment are discussed.

  9. Atomic-scale luminescence measurement and theoretical analysis unveiling electron energy dissipation at a p-type GaAs(110) surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Imada, Hiroshi; Miwa, Kuniyuki; Jung, Jaehoon; Shimizu, Tomoko K; Kim, Yousoo; Yamamoto, Naoki

    2015-01-01

    Luminescence of p-type GaAs was induced by electron injection from the tip of a scanning tunnelling microscope into a GaAs(110) surface. Atomically-resolved photon maps revealed a significant reduction in luminescence intensity at surface electronic states localized near Ga atoms. Theoretical analysis based on first principles calculations and a rate equation approach was performed to describe the perspective of electron energy dissipation at the surface. Our study reveals that non-radiative recombination through the surface states (SS) is a dominant process for the electron energy dissipation at the surface, which is suggestive of the fast scattering of injected electrons into the SS. (paper)

  10. Memory effects in dissipative nucleus-nucleus collision

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yadav, H.L.; Agarwal, K.C.

    2002-01-01

    A macroscopic dynamical model within the framework of a multidimensional Fokker-Planck equation is employed for a theoretical description of low-energy dissipative collisions between two heavy nuclei. The effect of two-body collisions leading to intrinsic equilibrium has been treated phenomenologically using the basic concepts of dissipative diabatic dynamics. The heavy-ion reaction 86 Kr(8.18 MeV/u) + 166 Er has been as a prototype to study and demonstrate the memory effects for dissipation and diffusion processes. Our calculated results for the deflection angle, angular distributions dσ/dθ cm , energy distributions dσ/dΔΕ, and element distributions dσ/dΖ illustrate a remarkable dependence on the memory effects and are consistent with the experimental data

  11. Tidal dissipation in the subsurface ocean of Enceladus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsuyama, I.; Hay, H.; Nimmo, F.; Kamata, S.

    2017-12-01

    Icy satellites of the outer solar system have emerged as potential habitable worlds due to the presence of subsurface oceans. As a long-term energy source, tidal heating in these oceans can influence the survivability of subsurface oceans, and the thermal, rotational, and orbital evolution of these satellites. Additionally, the spatial and temporal variation of tidal heating has implications for the interior structure and spacecraft observations. Previous models for dissipation in thin oceans are not generally applicable to icy satellites because either they ignore the presence of an overlying solid shell or use a thin shell membrane approximation. We present a new theoretical treatment for tidal dissipation in thin oceans with overlying shells of arbitrary thickness and apply it to Enceladus. The shell's resistance to ocean tides increases with shell thickness, reducing tidal dissipation as expected. Both the magnitude of energy dissipation and the resonant ocean thicknesses decrease as the overlying shell thickness increases, as previously shown using a membrane approximation. In contrast to previous work based on the traditional definition of the tidal quality factor, Q, our new definition is consistent with higher energy dissipation for smaller Q, and introduces a lower limit on Q. The dissipated power and tides are not in phase with the forcing tidal potential due to the delayed ocean response. The phase lag depends on the Rayleigh friction coefficient and ocean and shell thicknesses, which implies that phase lag observations can be used to constrain these parameters. Eccentricity heating produces higher dissipation near the poles, while obliquity heating produces higher dissipation near the equator, in contrast to the dissipation patterns in the shell. The time-averaged surface distribution of tidal heating can generate lateral shell thickness variations, providing an additional constraint on the Rayleigh friction coefficient. Explaining the endogenic power

  12. Epoxy cracking in the epoxy-impregnated superconducting winding: nonuniform dissipation of stress energy in a wire-epoxy matrix model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsukamoto, O.; Iwasa, Y.

    1985-01-01

    The authors present the epoxy-crack-induced temperature data of copper wires imbedded in wire-epoxy resin composite model at 4.2 K. The experimental results show that the epoxy-crackinduced temperature rise is higher in the copper wires than in the epoxy matrix, indicating that in stress-induced wire-epoxy failure, stress energy stored in the wire-epoxy matrix is preferrentially dissipated in the wire. A plausible mechanism of the nonuniform dissipation is presented

  13. Screening and Selection of High Carotenoid Producing in Vitro Tomato Cell Culture Lines for [13C]-Carotenoid Production

    OpenAIRE

    Engelmann, Nancy J.; Campbell, Jessica K.; Rogers, Randy B.; Rupassara, S. Indumathie; Garlick, Peter J.; Lila, Mary Ann; Erdman, John W.

    2010-01-01

    Isotopically labeled tomato carotenoids, phytoene, phytofluene, and lycopene, are needed for mammalian bioavailability and metabolism research but are currently commercially unavailable. The goals of this work were to establish and screen multiple in vitro tomato cell lines for carotenoid production, test the best producers with or without the bleaching herbicides, norflurazon and 2-(4-chlorophenyl-thio)-triethylamine (CPTA), and to use the greatest carotenoid accumulator for in vitro 13C-lab...

  14. Photolysis of carotenoids in chloroform: enhanced yields of carotenoid radical cations in the presence of a tryptophan ester

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Agamey, Ali; Burke, Marc; Edge, Ruth; Land, Edward J.; McGarvey, David J.; Truscott, T. George

    2005-01-01

    The presence of an acetyl tryptophan ester gives rise to enhanced yields of carotenoid radical cations in chloroform following 355 nm laser excitation of the carotenoid, even though the tryptophan does not absorb at this wavelength. The increase is attributed to positive charge transfer from semi-oxidized tryptophan itself generated by light absorbed by the carotenoid. The mechanism of these radical processes has been elucidated by pulse radiolysis studies

  15. Compaction shock dissipation in low density granular explosive

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rao, Pratap T.; Gonthier, Keith A., E-mail: gonthier@me.lsu.edu; Chakravarthy, Sunada [Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803 (United States)

    2016-06-14

    The microstructure of granular explosives can affect dissipative heating within compaction shocks that can trigger combustion and initiate detonation. Because initiation occurs over distances that are much larger than the mean particle size, homogenized (macroscale) theories are often used to describe local thermodynamic states within and behind shocks that are regarded as the average manifestation of thermodynamic fields at the particle scale. In this paper, mesoscale modeling and simulation are used to examine how the initial packing density of granular HMX (C{sub 4}H{sub 8}N{sub 8}O{sub 8}) C{sub 4}H{sub 8}N{sub 8}O{sub 8} having a narrow particle size distribution influences dissipation within resolved, planar compaction shocks. The model tracks the evolution of thermomechanical fields within large ensembles of particles due to pore collapse. Effective shock profiles, obtained by averaging mesoscale fields over space and time, are compared with those given by an independent macroscale compaction theory that predicts the variation in effective thermomechanical fields within shocks due to an imbalance between the solid pressure and a configurational stress. Reducing packing density is shown to reduce the dissipation rate within shocks but increase the integrated dissipated work over shock rise times, which is indicative of enhanced sensitivity. In all cases, dissipated work is related to shock pressure by a density-dependent power law, and shock rise time is related to pressure by a power law having an exponent of negative one.

  16. Carotenoids in staple cereals: Metabolism, regulation, and genetic manipulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    shengnan zhai

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Carotenoids play a critical role in animal and human health. Animals and humans are unable to synthesize carotenoids de novo, and therefore rely upon diet as sources of these compounds. However, major staple cereals often contain only small amounts of carotenoids in their grain. Consequently, there is considerable interest in genetic manipulation of carotenoid content in cereal grain. In this review, we focus on carotenoid metabolism and regulation in non-green plant tissues, as well as genetic manipulation in staple cereals such as rice, maize, and wheat. Significant progress has been made in three aspects: (1 seven carotenogenes play vital roles in carotenoid regulation in non-green plant tissues, including DXS (1-deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate synthase influencing isoprenoid precursor supply, PSY (phytoene synthase, LCYB (β-cyclase and LCYE (ε-cyclase controlling biosynthesis, HYDB (1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E-butenyl 4-diphosphate reductase and CCDs (carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases responsible for degradation, and OR (orange conditioning sequestration sink; (2 pro-vitamin A-biofortified crops, such as rice and maize, were developed by either metabolic engineering or marker-assisted breeding; (3 QTLs for carotenoid content on chromosomes 3B, 7A, and 7B were consistently identified, eight carotenogenes including 23 loci were detected, and ten gene-specific markers for carotenoid accumulation were developed and applied in wheat improvement. A comprehensive and deeper understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of carotenoid metabolism in crops will be benefitical in improving our precision in improving carotenoid contents. Genomic selection and gene editing are emerging as transformative technologies for vitamin A biofortification.

  17. The fate of carotenoids in sediments: An overview

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sinninghe Damsté, J.S.; Koopmans, M.P.

    1997-01-01

    Despite carotenoids being abundant natural products, there are only scattered literature reports of carotenoid derivatives (mainly in the form of their 'perhydro' derivatives) in ancient sediments and petroleum. This was thought to be due to the sensitivity of carotenoids toward oxygen and their

  18. A Surface-Layer Study of the Transport and Dissipation of Turbulent Kinetic Energy and the Variances of Temperature, Humidity and CO_2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hackerott, João A.; Bakhoday Paskyabi, Mostafa; Reuder, Joachim; de Oliveira, Amauri P.; Kral, Stephan T.; Marques Filho, Edson P.; Mesquita, Michel dos Santos; de Camargo, Ricardo

    2017-11-01

    We discuss scalar similarities and dissimilarities based on analysis of the dissipation terms in the variance budget equations, considering the turbulent kinetic energy and the variances of temperature, specific humidity and specific CO_2 content. For this purpose, 124 high-frequency sampled segments are selected from the Boundary Layer Late Afternoon and Sunset Turbulence experiment. The consequences of dissipation similarity in the variance transport are also discussed and quantified. The results show that, for the convective atmospheric surface layer, the non-dimensional dissipation terms can be expressed in the framework of Monin-Obukhov similarity theory and are independent of whether the variable is temperature or moisture. The scalar similarity in the dissipation term implies that the characteristic scales of the atmospheric surface layer can be estimated from the respective rate of variance dissipation, the characteristic scale of temperature, and the dissipation rate of temperature variance.

  19. Collective processes in heavy-ion collisions with atomic nuclei. Dissipation of energy and angular momentum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuzminski, J.

    1980-01-01

    The collective processes in collision of heavy-ions with atomic nuclei are discussed. Measured data on the S+Ti collision at Esub(LAB)=105, 130 and 144 MeV have been analysed in terms of a ''fission-like'' processes which seem to be a special case of deep inelastic collisions whose total available kinetic energy is completely dissipated. Applying transport theory it was possible to introduce a ''clock'' for measuring the time scale of nuclear processes in collision of heavy-ions by measuring the FWHM of mass distribution of emitted reaction products. Experimental data on continuum gamma spectra from Cu+Au collision at Esub(LAB)=400 MeV are presented and the angular momentum dissipation in this reaction is discussed. (author)

  20. Collisionless dissipation of Langmuir turbulence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Erofeev, V.I.

    2002-01-01

    An analysis of two experimental observations of Langmuir wave collapse is performed. The corresponding experimental data are shown to give evidence against the collapse. The physical reason for preventing the collapses is found to be the nonresonant electron diffusion in momentums. In this process, plasma thermal electrons are efficiently heated at the expense of wave energy, and intense collisionless wave dissipation takes place. The basic reason of underestimation of this phenomenon in traditional theory is shown to be the substitution of real plasma by a plasma probabilistic ensemble. A theory of nonresonant electron diffusion in a single collisionless plasma is developed. It is shown that corresponding collisionless wave dissipation may arrest spectral energy transfer towards small wave numbers

  1. Kinetic energy dissipation of a tuning fork immersed in superfluid helium at different frequencies of oscillations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gritsenko, I.A.; Klokol, K.A.; Sokolov, S.S.; Sheshin, G.A.

    2016-01-01

    An experimental study is made of the drag coefficient, which is the characteristics of energy dissipation during oscillations of the tuning forks, immersed in liquid helium. The experiments were performed in the temperature range from 0.1 to 3.5 K covering both the range of a hydrodynamic flow, and the ballistic regime of transfer of thermal excitations of superfluid helium below 0.6 K. It is found that there is the frequency dependence of the drag coefficient in the hydrodynamic limit, when the main dissipation mechanism is the viscous friction of the fluid against the walls of the oscillating body at temperatures above 0.7 K. In this case, the drag coefficient is proportional to the square root of the frequency of oscillation, and its temperature dependence in He II is determined by the respective dependence of the normal component density of the normal component and the viscosity of the fluid. At lower temperatures, the dependence of drag coefficient on the frequency is not available, and the magnitude of the dissipative losses is determined only by the temperature dependence of the density of the normal component. At the same time in the entire range of temperatures value of dissipative losses depends on the geometry of the oscillating body.

  2. Coronal heating by Alfven waves dissipation in compressible nonuniform media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malara, Francesco; Primavera, Leonardo; Veltri, Pierluigi

    1996-01-01

    The possibility to produce small scales and then to efficiently dissipate energy has been studied by Malara et al. [1992b] in the case of MHD disturbances propagating in an weakly dissipative incompressible and inhomogeneous medium, for a strictly 2D geometry. We extend this work to include both compressibility and the third component for vector quantities. Numerical simulations show that, when an Alfven wave propagates in a compressible nonuniform medium, the two dynamical effects responsible for the small scales formation in the incompressible case are still at work: energy pinching and phase-mixing. These effects give rise to the formation of compressible perturbations (fast and slow waves or a static entropy wave). Some of these compressive fluctuations are subject to the steepening of the wave front and become shock waves, which are extremely efficient in dissipating their energy, their dissipation being independent of the Reynolds number. Rough estimates of the typical times the various dynamical processes take to produce small scales show that these times are consistent with those required to dissipate inside the solar corona the energy of Alfven waves of photospheric origin

  3. Carotenoids: potential allies of cardiovascular health?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Alessandra Gammone

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Carotenoids are a class of natural, fat-soluble pigments found principally in plants. They have potential antioxidant biological properties because of their chemical structure and interaction with biological membranes. Epidemiologic studies supported the hypothesis that antioxidants could be used as an inexpensive means of both primary and secondary cardiovascular disease (CVD prevention. In fact, the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (LDL in the vessels plays a key role in the development of atherosclerotic lesions. The resistance of LDL to oxidation is increased by high dietary antioxidant intake, so that carotenoids, as part of food patterns such as the Mediterranean diet, may have beneficial effects on cardiovascular health too. Further properties of carotenoids leading to a potential reduction of cardiovascular risk are represented by lowering of blood pressure, reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and markers of inflammation (such as C-reactive protein, and improvement of insulin sensitivity in muscle, liver, and adipose tissues. In addition, recent nutrigenomics studies have focused on the exceptional ability of carotenoids in modulating the expression of specific genes involved in cell metabolism. The aim of this review is to focus attention to this effect of some carotenoids to prevent CVD.

  4. Dissipative structures in magnetorotational turbulence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ross, Johnathan; Latter, Henrik N.

    2018-03-01

    Via the process of accretion, magnetorotational turbulence removes energy from a disk's orbital motion and transforms it into heat. Turbulent heating is far from uniform and is usually concentrated in small regions of intense dissipation, characterised by abrupt magnetic reconnection and higher temperatures. These regions are of interest because they might generate non-thermal emission, in the form of flares and energetic particles, or thermally process solids in protoplanetary disks. Moreover, the nature of the dissipation bears on the fundamental dynamics of the magnetorotational instability (MRI) itself: local simulations indicate that the large-scale properties of the turbulence (e.g. saturation levels, the stress-pressure relationship) depend on the short dissipative scales. In this paper we undertake a numerical study of how the MRI dissipates and the small-scale dissipative structures it employs to do so. We use the Godunov code RAMSES and unstratified compressible shearing boxes. Our simulations reveal that dissipation is concentrated in ribbons of strong magnetic reconnection that are significantly elongated in azimuth, up to a scale height. Dissipative structures are hence meso-scale objects, and potentially provide a route by which large scales and small scales interact. We go on to show how these ribbons evolve over time — forming, merging, breaking apart, and disappearing. Finally, we reveal important couplings between the large-scale density waves generated by the MRI and the small-scale structures, which may illuminate the stress-pressure relationship in MRI turbulence.

  5. Biotechnological production of carotenoids by yeasts: an overview

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Nowadays, carotenoids are valuable molecules in different industries such as chemical, pharmaceutical, poultry, food and cosmetics. These pigments not only can act as vitamin A precursors, but also they have coloring and antioxidant properties, which have attracted the attention of the industries and researchers. The carotenoid production through chemical synthesis or extraction from plants is limited by low yields that results in high production costs. This leads to research of microbial production of carotenoids, as an alternative that has shown better yields than other aforementioned. In addition, the microbial production of carotenoids could be a better option about costs, looking for alternatives like the use of low-cost substrates as agro-industrials wastes. Yeasts have demonstrated to be carotenoid producer showing an important growing capacity in several agro-industrial wastes producing high levels of carotenoids. Agro-industrial wastes provide carbon and nitrogen source necessary, and others elements to carry out the microbial metabolism diminishing the production costs and avoiding pollution from these agro-industrial wastes to the environmental. Herein, we discuss the general and applied concepts regarding yeasts carotenoid production and the factors influencing carotenogenesis using agro-industrial wastes as low-cost substrates. PMID:24443802

  6. Anisotropic Characteristics of Turbulence Dissipation in Swirling Flow: A Direct Numerical Simulation Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xingtuan Yang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This study investigates the anisotropic characteristics of turbulent energy dissipation rate in a rotating jet flow via direct numerical simulation. The turbulent energy dissipation tensor, including its eigenvalues in the swirling flows with different rotating velocities, is analyzed to investigate the anisotropic characteristics of turbulence and dissipation. In addition, the probability density function of the eigenvalues of turbulence dissipation tensor is presented. The isotropic subrange of PDF always exists in swirling flows relevant to small-scale vortex structure. Thus, with remarkable large-scale vortex breakdown, the isotropic subrange of PDF is reduced in strongly swirling flows, and anisotropic energy dissipation is proven to exist in the core region of the vortex breakdown. More specifically, strong anisotropic turbulence dissipation occurs concentratively in the vortex breakdown region, whereas nearly isotropic turbulence dissipation occurs dispersively in the peripheral region of the strong swirling flows.

  7. Experimental Study of Hysteretic Steel Damper for Energy Dissipation Capacity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel R. Teruna

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to evaluate energy absorption capacity of hysteretic steel damper for earthquake protection of structures. These types of steel dampers are fabricated from mild steel plate with different geometrical shapes on the side part, namely, straight, concave, and convex shapes. The performance of the proposed device was verified experimentally by a series of tests under increasing in-plane cyclic load. The overall test results indicated that the proposed steel dampers have similar hysteretic curves, but the specimen with convex-shaped side not only showed stable hysteretic behavior but also showed excellent energy dissipation capabilities and ductility factor. Furthermore, the load-deformation relation of these steel dampers can be decomposed into three parts, namely, skeleton curve, Bauschinger part, and elastic unloading part. The skeleton curve is commonly used to obtain the main parameters, which describe the behavior of steel damper, namely, yield strength, elastic stiffness, and postyield stiffness ratio. Moreover, the effective stiffness, effective damping ratio, cumulative plastic strain energy, and cumulative ductility factor were also derived from the results. Finally, an approximation trilinear hysteretic model was developed based on skeleton curve obtained from experimental results.

  8. Memory effects in dissipative nucleus-nucleus collision

    CERN Document Server

    Yadav, H L

    2002-01-01

    A macroscopic dynamical model within the framework of a multidimensional Fokker-Planck equation is employed for a theoretical description of low-energy dissipative collisions between two heavy nuclei. The effect of two-body collisions leading to intrinsic equilibrium has been treated phenomenologically using the basic concepts of dissipative diabatic dynamics. The heavy-ion reaction sup 8 sup 6 Kr(8.18 MeV/u) + sup 1 sup 6 sup 6 Er has been as a prototype to study and demonstrate the memory effects for dissipation and diffusion processes. Our calculated results for the deflection angle, angular distributions d sigma/d theta sub c sub m , energy distributions d sigma/d DELTA EPSILON, and element distributions d sigma/d ZETA illustrate a remarkable dependence on the memory effects and are consistent with the experimental data

  9. Marine carotenoids: Bioactivities and potential benefits to human health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chuyen, Hoang Van; Eun, Jong-Bang

    2017-08-13

    Among natural pigments, carotenoids play important roles in physiological functions. The characteristics of carotenoids and their effects on human health have been reported for a long time, but most studies have focused on carotenoids from vegetables, fruits, and other parts of higher plants. Few reports are available on carotenoids from marine sources, such as seaweeds, microalgae, and marine animals, which have attracted attention in recent decades. Hundreds of carotenoids have been identified and isolated from marine organisms and their beneficial physiological functions, such as anticancer, antiobesity, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective activities have been reported. The purpose of this review is to discuss the literature on the beneficial bioactivities of some of the most abundant marine carotenoids, including fucoxanthin, astaxanthin, cantaxanthin, peridinin, fucoxanthinol, and halocynthiaxanthin.

  10. Carotenoids from microalgae: A review of recent developments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Mengyue; Bassi, Amarjeet

    2016-12-01

    Carotenoids have been receiving increasing attention due to their potential health benefits. Microalgae are recognized as a natural source of carotenoids and other beneficial byproducts. However, the production of micro-algal carotenoids is not yet sufficiently cost-effective to compete with traditional chemical synthetic methods and other technologies such as extraction from plant based sources. This review presents the recent biotechnological developments in microalgal carotenoid production. The current technologies involved in their bioprocessing including cultivation, harvesting, extraction, and purification are discussed with a specific focus on downstream processing. The recent advances in chemical and biochemical synthesis of carotenoids are also reviewed for a better understanding of suitable and economically feasible biotechnological strategies. Some possible future directions are also proposed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. A comprehensive overview on the micro- and nano-technological encapsulation advances for enhancing the chemical stability and bioavailability of carotenoids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soukoulis, Christos; Bohn, Torsten

    2018-01-02

    Carotenoids are lipophilic secondary plant compounds, and their consumption within fruits and vegetables has been positively correlated with a decreased risk of developing several chronic diseases. However, their bioavailability is often compromised due to incomplete release from the food matrix, poor solubility and potential degradation during digestion. In addition, carotenoids in food products are prone to oxidative degradation, not only lowering the nutritional value of the product but also triggering other quality deteriorative changes, such as formation of lipid pro-oxidants (free radicals), development of discolorations or off-flavor defects. Encapsulation refers to a physicochemical process, aiming to entrap an active substance in structurally engineered micro- or nano-systems, in order to develop an effective thermodynamical and physical barrier against deteriorative environmental conditions, such as water vapor, oxygen, light, enzymes or pH. In this context, encapsulation of carotenoids has shown to be a very effective strategy to improve their chemical stability under common processing conditions including storage. In addition, encapsulation may also enhance bioavailability (via influencing bioaccessibility and absorption) of lipophilic bioactives, via modulating their release kinetics from the carrier system, solubility and interfacial properties. In the present paper, it is aimed to present the state of the art of carotenoid microencapsulation in order to enhance storability and bioavailability alike.

  12. Multinational study of major breast milk carotenoids of healthy mothers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canfield, Louise M; Clandinin, M Thomas; Davies, David P; Fernandez, Maria C; Jackson, Joan; Hawkes, Jo; Goldman, William J; Pramuk, Kathryn; Reyes, Horacio; Sablan, Benjamin; Sonobe, Tomoyoshi; Bo, Xu

    2003-06-01

    Carotenoids in serum vary between countries and within populations with evidence suggesting a qualitative relationship to diet. Breast milk carotenoids furnish a source of vitamin A and potentially provide immunoprotection and other health benefits for infants. There have been numerous studies of milk carotenoid concentrations in undernourished populations; however, carotenoid concentrations have not previously been compared in populations of well-nourished mothers. To compare concentrations of five major carotenoid groups: alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin, and lycopene in breast milk of healthy women from Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and to qualitatively compare patterns of dietary intake with milk carotenoid concentrations. Breast milk collected from healthy lactating women was analyzed for concentrations of five carotenoids and retinol and quantitated relative to total milk lipid. All determinations were performed in a single research laboratory using standardized methodology. Mothers consumed their usual diets and provided a single 24-h dietary recall. Breast milk carotenoid concentrations varied greatly among countries, with the greatest differences in beta-cryptoxanthin (approximately 9-fold) and the least in alpha-carotene and lycopene (approximately 3-fold). Breast milk retinol concentrations varied approximately 2-fold across countries. The provitamin A carotenoids alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin as a group accounted for > 50 % of the carotenoids measured. Total breast milk carotenoids were highest in Japanese and lowest in Philippine mothers. Breast milk beta-carotene concentrations were highest in Chile and lowest in the Philippines. Patterns of breast milk carotenoids were unique to each country and qualitative patterns reflected the dietary carotenoid supply.

  13. Novel approaches to estimating the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate from low- and moderate-resolution velocity fluctuation time series

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Wacławczyk

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we propose two approaches to estimating the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE dissipation rate, based on the zero-crossing method by Sreenivasan et al. (1983. The original formulation requires a fine resolution of the measured signal, down to the smallest dissipative scales. However, due to finite sampling frequency, as well as measurement errors, velocity time series obtained from airborne experiments are characterized by the presence of effective spectral cutoffs. In contrast to the original formulation the new approaches are suitable for use with signals originating from airborne experiments. The suitability of the new approaches is tested using measurement data obtained during the Physics of Stratocumulus Top (POST airborne research campaign as well as synthetic turbulence data. They appear useful and complementary to existing methods. We show the number-of-crossings-based approaches respond differently to errors due to finite sampling and finite averaging than the classical power spectral method. Hence, their application for the case of short signals and small sampling frequencies is particularly interesting, as it can increase the robustness of turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate retrieval.

  14. Intraspecific Variation in Carotenoids of Brassica oleracea var. sabellica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mageney, Vera; Baldermann, Susanne; Albach, Dirk C

    2016-04-27

    Carotenoids are best known as a source of natural antioxidants. Physiologically, carotenoids are part of the photoprotection in plants as they act as scavengers of reactive oxygen species (ROS). An important source of carotenoids in European food is Brassica oleracea. Focusing on the most abundant carotenoids, we estimated the contents of ß-carotene, (9Z)-neoxanthin, zeaxanthin, and lutein as well as those of chlorophylls a and b to assess their variability in Brassica oleracea var. sabellica. Our analyses included more than 30 cultivars categorized in five distinct sets grouped according to morphological characteristics or geographical origin. Our results demonstrated specific carotenoid patterns characteristic for American, Italian, and red-colored kale cultivars. Moreover, we demonstrated a tendency of high zeaxanthin proportions under traditional harvest conditions, which accord to low-temperature regimes. We also compared the carotenoid patterns of self-generated hybrid lines. Corresponding findings indicated that crossbreeding has a high potential for carotenoid content optimization in kale.

  15. Screening and selection of high carotenoid producing in vitro tomato cell culture lines for [13C]-carotenoid production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engelmann, Nancy J; Campbell, Jessica K; Rogers, Randy B; Rupassara, S Indumathie; Garlick, Peter J; Lila, Mary Ann; Erdman, John W

    2010-09-22

    Isotopically labeled tomato carotenoids, phytoene, phytofluene, and lycopene, are needed for mammalian bioavailability and metabolism research but are currently commercially unavailable. The goals of this work were to establish and screen multiple in vitro tomato cell lines for carotenoid production, test the best producers with or without the bleaching herbicides, norflurazon and 2-(4-chlorophenyl-thio)triethylamine (CPTA), and to use the greatest carotenoid accumulator for in vitro 13C-labeling. Different Solanum lycopersicum allelic variants for high lycopene and varying herbicide treatments were compared for carotenoid accumulation in callus and suspension culture, and cell suspension cultures of the hp-1 line were chosen for isotopic labeling. When grown with [U]-13C-glucose and treated with CPTA, hp-1 suspensions yielded highly enriched 13C-lycopene with 45% of lycopene in the M+40 form and 88% in the M+35 to M+40 isotopomer range. To the authors' knowledge this is the first report of highly enriched 13C-carotenoid production from in vitro plant cell culture.

  16. Small-scale impacts as potential trigger for landslides on small Solar system bodies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hofmann, Marc; Sierks, Holger; Blum, Jürgen

    2017-07-01

    We conducted a set of experiments to investigate whether millimetre-sized impactors impinging on a granular material at several m s-1 are able to trigger avalanches on small, atmosphereless planetary bodies. These experiments were carried out at the Zentrum für angewandte Raumfahrttechnologie und Mikrogravitation (ZARM) drop tower facility in Bremen, Germany to facilitate a reduced gravity environment. Additional data were gathered at Earth gravity levels in the laboratory. As sample materials we used a ground Howardites, Eucrites and Diogenites (HED) meteorite and the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Mars-1 Martian soil simulant. We found that this type of small-scale impact can trigger avalanches with a moderate probability, if the target material is tilted to an angle close to the angle of repose. We additionally simulated a small-scale impact using the discrete element method code esys-particle. These simulations show that energy transfer from impactor to the target material is most efficient at low- and moderate-impactor inclinations and the transferred energy is retained in particles close to the surface due to a rapid dissipation of energy in lower material layers driven by inelastic collisions. Through Monte Carlo simulations we estimate the time-scale on which small-scale impacts with the observed characteristics will trigger avalanches covering all steep slopes on the surface of a small planetary body to be of the order 105 yr.

  17. Dissipation, generalized free energy, and a self-consistent nonequilibrium thermodynamics of chemically driven open subsystems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ge, Hao; Qian, Hong

    2013-06-01

    Nonequilibrium thermodynamics of a system situated in a sustained environment with influx and efflux is usually treated as a subsystem in a larger, closed "universe." A question remains with regard to what the minimally required description for the surrounding of such an open driven system is so that its nonequilibrium thermodynamics can be established solely based on the internal stochastic kinetics. We provide a solution to this problem using insights from studies of molecular motors in a chemical nonequilibrium steady state (NESS) with sustained external drive through a regenerating system or in a quasisteady state (QSS) with an excess amount of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), and inorganic phosphate (Pi). We introduce the key notion of minimal work that is needed, W(min), for the external regenerating system to sustain a NESS (e.g., maintaining constant concentrations of ATP, ADP and Pi for a molecular motor). Using a Markov (master-equation) description of a motor protein, we illustrate that the NESS and QSS have identical kinetics as well as the second law in terms of the same positive entropy production rate. The heat dissipation of a NESS without mechanical output is exactly the W(min). This provides a justification for introducing an ideal external regenerating system and yields a free-energy balance equation between the net free-energy input F(in) and total dissipation F(dis) in an NESS: F(in) consists of chemical input minus mechanical output; F(dis) consists of dissipative heat, i.e. the amount of useful energy becoming heat, which also equals the NESS entropy production. Furthermore, we show that for nonstationary systems, the F(dis) and F(in) correspond to the entropy production rate and housekeeping heat in stochastic thermodynamics and identify a relative entropy H as a generalized free energy. We reach a new formulation of Markovian nonequilibrium thermodynamics based on only the internal kinetic equation without further

  18. Composição de carotenoides em canistel (Pouteria campechiana (Kunth Baehni Carotenoids composition of canistel (Pouteria campechiana (Kunth Baehni

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tânia da Silveira Agostini Costa

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available O canistel (P. campechiana é uma fruta nativa da América Central e México, ainda pouco conhecida no Brasil. Apresenta uma polpa amarelo-alaranjada, rica em carotenoides, que tem despertado interesse como potencial de vitamina A. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar o teor de carotenoides e o valor provitamina A na polpa de canistel, assim como os teores de umidade e lipídeos na polpa e na semente. Os carotenoides foram separados por cromatografia em coluna aberta. O conteúdo de carotenoides totais foi de 226 ± 4 μg/g. Violaxantina e neoxantina foram os carotenóides predominantes, somando 196 ± 5 μg/g. seguidos por zetacaroteno, betacaroteno 5,6-epóxido, betacaroteno e fitoflueno. A semente foi a parte do fruto que apresentou maior teor de lipídeos totais, com 4,6 ± 0,2 %, e a polpa, 0,61 ± 0,03 %. Os resultados indicam que o canistel apresenta teores de carotenóides totais muito elevados e pode ser considerado uma boa fonte de provitamina A (59 ± 6 RAE/100g, se comparado com outras frutas normalmente consumidas. No entanto, os principais carotenoides encontrados em sua polpa são destituídos de atividade provitamina A.Canistel (Pouteria campechiana is a native fruit from Central America and Mexico. This fruit still not known in Brazil, presents an orange-yellow pulp rich in carotenoids, which has attracted interest as a potential source of vitamin A. The purpose of this study was to determine the carotenoids content and pro-vitamin A values in the pulp of canistel, as well as the percentage of moisture and lipids in the pulp and seeds. Carotenoids were separated by open column chromatography. The content of total carotenoids was 226 ± 4 μg/g. Violaxantin and neoxantin were the predominant carotenoids with 196 ± 5 μg/g followed by zeta-carotene, beta-carotene 5,6-epoxide, beta-carotene and phytofluene. The seeds presented higher levels of total lipids with 4.6 ± 0.2 %, while pulp had 0.61 ± 0.03 % of total lipid. These

  19. Theory of minimum dissipation of energy for the steady state

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chu, T.K.

    1992-02-01

    The magnetic configuration of an inductively driven steady-state plasma bounded by a surface (or two adjacent surfaces) on which B·n = 0 is force-free: ∇xB = 2αB, where α is a constant, in time and in space. α is the ratio of the Poynting flux to the magnetic helicity flux at the boundary. It is also the ratio of the dissipative rates of the magnetic energy to the magnetic helicity in the plasma. The spatial extent of the configuration is noninfinitesimal. This global constraint is a result of the requirement that, for a steady-state plasma, the rate of change of the vector potential, ∂A/∂t, is constant in time and uniform in space

  20. Free energy dissipation of the spontaneous gating of a single voltage-gated potassium channel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jia-Zeng; Wang, Rui-Zhen

    2018-02-01

    Potassium channels mainly contribute to the resting potential and re-polarizations, with the potassium electrochemical gradient being maintained by the pump Na + /K + -ATPase. In this paper, we construct a stochastic model mimicking the kinetics of a potassium channel, which integrates temporal evolving of the membrane voltage and the spontaneous gating of the channel. Its stationary probability density functions (PDFs) are found to be singular at the boundaries, which result from the fact that the evolving rates of voltage are greater than the gating rates of the channel. We apply PDFs to calculate the power dissipations of the potassium current, the leakage, and the gating currents. On a physical perspective, the essential role of the system is the K + -battery charging the leakage (L-)battery. A part of power will inevitably be dissipated among the process. So, the efficiency of energy transference is calculated.

  1. Free energy dissipation of the spontaneous gating of a single voltage-gated potassium channel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jia-Zeng; Wang, Rui-Zhen

    2018-02-01

    Potassium channels mainly contribute to the resting potential and re-polarizations, with the potassium electrochemical gradient being maintained by the pump Na+/K+-ATPase. In this paper, we construct a stochastic model mimicking the kinetics of a potassium channel, which integrates temporal evolving of the membrane voltage and the spontaneous gating of the channel. Its stationary probability density functions (PDFs) are found to be singular at the boundaries, which result from the fact that the evolving rates of voltage are greater than the gating rates of the channel. We apply PDFs to calculate the power dissipations of the potassium current, the leakage, and the gating currents. On a physical perspective, the essential role of the system is the K+-battery charging the leakage (L-)battery. A part of power will inevitably be dissipated among the process. So, the efficiency of energy transference is calculated.

  2. Electron paramagnetic resonance detection of carotenoid triplet states

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frank, H.A.; Bolt, J.D.; deCosta, S.M.; Sauer, K.

    1980-01-01

    Triplet states of carotenoids have been detected by X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and are reported here for the first time. The systems in which carotenoid triplets are observed include cells of photosynthetic bacteria, isolated bacteriochlorophyll-protein complexes, and detergent micelles which contain β-carotene. It is well known that if electron transfer is blocked following the initial acceptor in the bacterial photochemical reaction center, back reaction of the primary radical pair produces a bacteriochlorophyll dimer triplet. Previous optical studies have shown that in reaction centers containing carotenoids the bacteriochlorophyll dimer triplet sensitizes the carotenoid triplet. We have observed this carotenoid triplet state by EPR in reaction centers of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides, strain 2.4.1 (wild type), which contain the carotenoid spheroidene. The zero-field splitting parameters of the triplet spectrum are /D/ = 0.0290 +- 0.0005 cm -1 and /E/ = 0.0044 +-0.0006 cm -1 , in contrast with the parameters of the bacteriochlorophyll dimer triplet, which are /D/ = 0.0189 +- 0.0004 cm -1 and /E/ = 0.0032 +- 0.004 cm -1 . Bacteriochlorophyll in a light harvesting protein complex from Rps. sphaeroides, wild type, also sensitizes carotenoid triplet formation. In whole cells the EPR spectra vary with temperature between 100 and 10 K. Carotenoid triplets also have been observed by EPR in whole cells of Rps. sphaeroides and cells of Rhodospirillum rubrum which contain the carotenoid spirilloxanthin. Attempts to observe the triplet state EPR spectrum of β-carotene in numerous organic solvents failed. However, in nonionic detergent micelles and in phospholipid bilayer vesicles β-carotene gives a triplet state spectrum with /D/ = 0.0333 +- 0.0010 cm -1 and /E/ = 0.0037 +- 0.0010 cm -1 . 6 figures, 1 table

  3. Carotenoids and retinoids: molecular aspects and health issues

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Packer, Lester

    2005-01-01

    ... are byproducts of metabolism in humans. Indeed, the presence of carotenoids in the diet and their role in human health has become a subject of unprecedented interest. Some carotenoids are called provitamin A compounds because they are precursors of retinol and retinoic acid. The type of carotenoids found in human plasma depends on the...

  4. Triplet states of carotenoids from photosynthetic bacteria studied by nanosecond ultraviolet and electron pulse irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bensasson, R.; Land, E.J.; Maudinas, B.

    1976-01-01

    Absorptions of the triplet excited states of five carotenoids (15,15'-cis phytoene, all-trans phytoene, zeta-carotene, spheroidene and spirillox-anthin), extracted from the photosynthetic bacteria Rhodopseudomonas spheroides and Rhodospirillum rubrum, have been detected in solution using pulse radiolysis and laser flash photolysis. Triplet lifetimes, extinction coefficients, lowest energy levels and quantum efficiencies of formation have been determined. Comparison of the carotenoid triplet energy levels with that of O 2 ('Δsub(g)) suggests that spirilloxanthin, spheroidene and possibly also zeta-carotene, would be expected to protect against photodynamic action caused by O 2 ('Δsub(g)), but not cis or trans phytoene. The S → T intersystem crossing efficiencies of all five polyenes were found to be low, being a few per cent or less. In their protective role these triplet states can only therefore be effectively reached via energy transfer from another triplet, except in the case of O 2 (Δsub(g)). The low crossover efficiencies also mean that light absorbed in such carotenoids in their possible role as accessory pigments would not be wasted in crossing over to the triplet state. (author)

  5. How carotenoids protect bacterial photosynthesis.

    OpenAIRE

    Cogdell, R J; Howard, T D; Bittl, R; Schlodder, E; Geisenheimer, I; Lubitz, W

    2000-01-01

    The essential function of carotenoids in photosynthesis is to act as photoprotective agents, preventing chlorophylls and bacteriochlorophylls from sensitizing harmful photodestructive reactions in the presence of oxygen. Based upon recent structural studies on reaction centres and antenna complexes from purple photosynthetic bacteria, the detailed organization of the carotenoids is described. Then with specific reference to bacterial antenna complexes the details of the photoprotective role, ...

  6. Development of a rapid, simple assay of plasma total carotenoids

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background Plasma total carotenoids can be used as an indicator of risk of chronic disease. Laboratory analysis of individual carotenoids by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is time consuming, expensive, and not amenable to use beyond a research laboratory. The aim of this research is to establish a rapid, simple, and inexpensive spectrophotometric assay of plasma total carotenoids that has a very strong correlation with HPLC carotenoid profile analysis. Results Plasma total carotenoids from 29 volunteers ranged in concentration from 1.2 to 7.4 μM, as analyzed by HPLC. A linear correlation was found between the absorbance at 448 nm of an alcohol / heptane extract of the plasma and plasma total carotenoids analyzed by HPLC, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.989. The average coefficient of variation for the spectrophotometric assay was 6.5% for the plasma samples. The limit of detection was about 0.3 μM and was linear up to about 34 μM without dilution. Correlations between the integrals of the absorption spectra in the range of carotenoid absorption and total plasma carotenoid concentration gave similar results to the absorbance correlation. Spectrophotometric assay results also agreed with the calculated expected absorbance based on published extinction coefficients for the individual carotenoids, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.988. Conclusion The spectrophotometric assay of total carotenoids strongly correlated with HPLC analysis of carotenoids of the same plasma samples and expected absorbance values based on extinction coefficients. This rapid, simple, inexpensive assay, when coupled with the carotenoid health index, may be useful for nutrition intervention studies, population cohort studies, and public health interventions. PMID:23006902

  7. Carotenoids from Marine Organisms: Biological Functions and Industrial Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Galasso

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available As is the case for terrestrial organisms, carotenoids represent the most common group of pigments in marine environments. They are generally biosynthesized by all autotrophic marine organisms, such as bacteria and archaea, algae and fungi. Some heterotrophic organisms also contain carotenoids probably accumulated from food or partly modified through metabolic reactions. These natural pigments are divided into two chemical classes: carotenes (such as lycopene and α- and β-carotene that are composed of hydrogen and carbon; xanthophylls (such as astaxanthin, fucoxanthin and lutein, which are constituted by hydrogen, carbon and oxygen. Carotenoids, as antioxidant compounds, assume a key role in the protection of cells. In fact, quenching of singlet oxygen, light capture and photosynthesis protection are the most relevant biological functions of carotenoids. The present review aims at describing (i the biological functions of carotenoids and their benefits for human health, (ii the most common carotenoids from marine organisms and (iii carotenoids having large success in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmeceutical industries, highlighting the scientific progress in marine species cultivation for natural pigments production.

  8. Functional characteristics of spirilloxanthin and keto-bearing Analogues in light-harvesting LH2 complexes from Rhodobacter sphaeroides with a genetically modified carotenoid synthesis pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niedzwiedzki, Dariusz M; Dilbeck, Preston L; Tang, Qun; Mothersole, David J; Martin, Elizabeth C; Bocian, David F; Holten, Dewey; Hunter, C Neil

    2015-01-01

    Light-harvesting 2 (LH2) complexes from a genetically modified strain of the purple photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter (Rba.) sphaeroides were studied using static and ultrafast optical methods and resonance Raman spectroscopy. Carotenoid synthesis in the Rba. sphaeroides strain was engineered to redirect carotenoid production away from spheroidene into the spirilloxanthin synthesis pathway. The strain assembles LH2 antennas with substantial amounts of spirilloxanthin (total double-bond conjugation length N=13) if grown anaerobically and of keto-bearing long-chain analogs [2-ketoanhydrorhodovibrin (N=13), 2-ketospirilloxanthin (N=14) and 2,2'-diketospirilloxanthin (N=15)] if grown semi-aerobically (with ratios that depend on growth conditions). We present the photophysical, electronic, and vibrational properties of these carotenoids, both isolated in organic media and assembled within LH2 complexes. Measurements of excited-state energy transfer to the array of excitonically coupled bacteriochlorophyll a molecules (B850) show that the mean lifetime of the first singlet excited state (S1) of the long-chain (N≥13) carotenoids does not change appreciably between organic media and the protein environment. In each case, the S1 state appears to lie lower in energy than that of B850. The energy-transfer yield is ~0.4 in LH2 (from the strain grown aerobically or semi-aerobically), which is less than half that achieved for LH2 that contains short-chain (N≤11) analogues. Collectively, the results suggest that the S1 excited state of the long-chain (N≥13) carotenoids participates little if at all in carotenoid-to-BChl a energy transfer, which occurs predominantly via the carotenoid S2 excited state in these antennas. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Carotenoids and colon cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slattery, M L; Benson, J; Curtin, K; Ma, K N; Schaeffer, D; Potter, J D

    2000-02-01

    Carotenoids have numerous biological properties that may underpin a role for them as chemopreventive agents. However, except for beta-carotene, little is known about how dietary carotenoids are associated with common cancers, including colon cancer. The objective of this study was to evaluate associations between dietary alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-cryptoxanthin and the risk of colon cancer. Data were collected from 1993 case subjects with first primary incident adenocarcinoma of the colon and from 2410 population-based control subjects. Dietary data were collected from a detailed diet-history questionnaire and nutrient values for dietary carotenoids were obtained from the US Department of Agriculture-Nutrition Coordinating Center carotenoid database (1998 updated version). Lutein was inversely associated with colon cancer in both men and women [odds ratio (OR) for upper quintile of intake relative to lowest quintile of intake: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.66, 1.04; P = 0.04 for linear trend]. The greatest inverse association was observed among subjects in whom colon cancer was diagnosed when they were young (OR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.48, 0.92; P = 0.02 for linear trend) and among those with tumors located in the proximal segment of the colon (OR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.51, 0.91; P lettuce, tomatoes, oranges and orange juice, carrots, celery, and greens. These data suggest that incorporating these foods into the diet may help reduce the risk of developing colon cancer.

  10. The D0 calorimeter trigger

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guida, J.

    1992-12-01

    The D0 calorimeter trigger system consists of many levels to make physics motivated trigger decisions. The Level-1 trigger uses hardware techniques to reduce the trigger rate from ∼ 100kHz to 200Hz. It forms sums of electromagnetic and hadronic energy, globally and in towers, along with finding the missing transverse energy. A minimum energy is set on these energy sums to pass the event. The Level-2 trigger is a set of software filters, operating in a parallel-processing microvax farm which further reduces the trigger rate to a few Hertz. These filters will reject events which lack electron candidates, jet candidates, or missing transverse energy in the event. The performance of these triggers during the early running of the D0 detector will also be discussed

  11. Improved extraction procedure for carotenoids from human milk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schweigert, F J; Hurtienne, A; Bathe, K

    2000-05-01

    An improved method for the extraction of the major carotenoids from human milk is described. Carotenoids were extracted from milk first with ethanol and n-hexane. Then, polar xanthophylls were extracted from n-hexane into ethanol/water. The remaining n-hexane was evaporated, the residue combined with the ethanolic milk fraction and the mixture briefly saponified. Carotenoids were extracted from the hydrolysate with n-hexane, combined with the polar xanthophylls from the non-saponified ethanol/water-extract and separated by HPLC. Using this method we were able to significantly improve the recovery of xanthophylls such as lutein and zeaxanthin from human milk. The recovery rate of all carotenoids was > 90%. This method might not only be of value for milk but should be especially useful in the extraction of carotenoids from human tissues such as the adipose tissue.

  12. Problems in accounting for the soft and hard components in transverse energy triggers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anjos, J.C.; Santoro, A.F.S.; Souza, M.H.G.; Escobar, C.O.

    1983-01-01

    It is argued that for a transverse energy trigger, the cancellation theorem of DeTar, Ellis and Landshoff is not valid. As a consequence, the problem of accounting for soft and hard components in this kind of trigger becomes complicated and no simple separation between them is expected. (Author) [pt

  13. TRIGGER

    CERN Multimedia

    Wesley Smith

    Level-1 Trigger Hardware and Software The hardware of the trigger components has been mostly finished. The ECAL Endcap Trigger Concentrator Cards (TCC) are in production while Barrel TCC firmware has been upgraded, and the Trigger Primitives can now be stored by the Data Concentrator Card for readout by the DAQ. The Regional Calorimeter Trigger (RCT) system is complete, and the timing is being finalized. All 502 HCAL trigger links to RCT run without error. The HCAL muon trigger timing has been equalized with DT, RPC, CSC and ECAL. The hardware and firmware for the Global Calorimeter Trigger (GCT) jet triggers are being commissioned and data from these triggers is available for readout. The GCT energy sums from rings of trigger towers around the beam pipe beam have been changed to include two rings from both sides. The firmware for Drift Tube Track Finder, Barrel Sorter and Wedge Sorter has been upgraded, and the synchronization of the DT trigger is satisfactory. The CSC local trigger has operated flawlessly u...

  14. Front-end electronics and trigger systems-Status and challenges

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spieler, Helmuth

    2007-01-01

    The past quarter century has brought about a revolution in front-end electronics for large-scale detector systems. Custom integrated circuits specifically tailored to the requirements of large detector systems have provided unprecedented performance and enabled systems that once were deemed impossible. The evolution of integrated circuit readouts in strip detectors is summarized, the present status described, and challenges posed by the sLHC and ILC are discussed. Performance requirements increase, but key considerations remain as in the past: power dissipation, material, and services. Smaller CMOS feature sizes will not reduce the power required for the desired noise levels, but will improve digital power efficiency. Significant improvements appear to be practical in more efficient power distribution. Enhanced digital electronics have provided powerful trigger processors that greatly improve the trigger efficiency. In data readout systems, they also improve data throughput, while reducing power requirements. Concurrently with new developments in high energy physics, detector systems for cosmology and astrophysics have made great strides. As an example, a large-scale readout for superconducting bolometer arrays is described

  15. Front-end electronics and trigger systems - status and challenges

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spieler, Helmuth G; Spieler, Helmuth G

    2007-01-01

    The past quarter century has brought about a revolution in front-end electronics for large-scale detector systems. Custom integrated circuits specifically tailored to the requirements of large detector systems have provided unprecedented performance and enabled systems that once were deemed impossible. The evolution of integrated circuit readouts in strip detectors is summarized, the present status described, and challenges posed by the sLHC and ILC are discussed. Performance requirements increase, but key considerations remain as in the past: power dissipation, material, and services. Smaller CMOS feature sizes will not provide the required electronic noise at lower power, but will improve digital power efficiency. Significant improvements appear to be practical in more efficient power distribution. Enhanced digital electronics have provided powerful trigger processors that greatly improve the trigger efficiency. In data readout systems they also improve data throughput, while reducing power requirements. Concurrently with new developments in high energy physics, detector systems for cosmology and astrophysics have made great strides. As an example, a large-scale readout for superconducting bolometer arrays is described

  16. A review on factors influencing bioaccessibility and bioefficacy of carotenoids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Priyadarshani, A M B

    2017-05-24

    Vitamin A deficiency is one of the most prevalent deficiency disorders in the world. As shown by many studies plant food based approaches have a real potential on prevention of vitamin A deficiency in a sustainable way. Carotenoids are important as precursors of vitamin A as well as for prevention of cancers, coronary heart diseases, age-related macular degeneration, cataract etc. Bioaccessibility and bioefficacy of carotenoids are known to be influenced by numerous factors including dietary factors such as fat, fiber, dosage of carotenoid, location of carotenoid in the plant tissue, heat treatment, particle size of food, carotenoid species, interactions among carotenoids, isomeric form and molecular linkage and subject characteristics. Therefore even when carotenoids are found in high quantities in plant foods their utilization may be unsatisfactory because some factors are known to interfere as negative effectors.

  17. Realization of a Tunable Dissipation Scale in a Turbulent Cascade using a Quantum Gas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Navon, Nir; Eigen, Christoph; Zhang, Jinyi; Lopes, Raphael; Smith, Robert; Hadzibabic, Zoran

    2017-04-01

    Many turbulent flows form so-called cascades, where excitations injected at large length scales, are transported to gradually smaller scales until they reach a dissipation scale. We initiate a turbulent cascade in a dilute Bose fluid by pumping energy at the container scale of an optical box trap using an oscillating magnetic force. In contrast to classical fluids where the dissipation scale is set by the viscosity of the fluid, the turbulent cascade of our quantum gas finishes when the particles kinetic energy exceeds the laser-trap depth. This mechanism thus allows us to effectively tune the dissipation scale where particles (and energy) are lost, and measure the particle flux in the cascade at the dissipation scale. We observe a unit power-law decay of the particle-dissipation rate with trap depth, which confirms the surprising prediction that in a wave-turbulent direct energy cascade, the particle flux vanishes in the ideal limit where the dissipation length scale tends to zero.

  18. ENERGY DISSIPATION THROUGH QUASI-STATIC TIDES IN WHITE DWARF BINARIES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Willems, B.; Deloye, C. J.; Kalogera, V.

    2010-01-01

    We present a formalism to study tidal interactions in white dwarf binaries in the limiting case of quasi-static tides, in which the tidal forcing frequencies are small, compared to the inverse of the white dwarf's dynamical timescale. The formalism is valid for arbitrary orbital eccentricities and therefore applicable to white dwarf binaries in the Galactic disk as well as globular clusters. In the quasi-static limit, the total perturbation of the gravitational potential shows a phase shift with respect to the position of the companion, the magnitude of which is determined primarily by the efficiency of energy dissipation through convective damping. We determine rates of secular evolution of the orbital elements and white dwarf rotational angular velocity for a 0.3 M sun helium white dwarf in binaries with orbital frequencies in the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) gravitational wave frequency band and companion masses ranging from 0.3 M sun to 10 5 M sun . The resulting tidal evolution timescales for the orbital semimajor axis are longer than a Hubble time, so that convective damping of quasi-static tides need not be considered in the construction of gravitational wave templates of white dwarf binaries in the LISA band. Spin-up of the white dwarf, on the other hand, can occur on timescales of less than 10 Myr, provided that the white dwarf is initially rotating with a frequency much smaller than the orbital frequency. For semi-detached white dwarf binaries spin-up can occur on timescales of less than 1 Myr. Nevertheless, the timescales remain longer than the orbital inspiral timescales due to gravitational radiation, so that the degree of asynchronism in these binaries increases. As a consequence, tidal forcing eventually occurs at forcing frequencies beyond the quasi-static tide approximation. For the shortest period binaries, energy dissipation is therefore expected to take place through dynamic tides and resonantly excited g-modes.

  19. A randomised controlled intervention study investigating the efficacy of carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables and extra-virgin olive oil on attenuating sarcopenic symptomology in overweight and obese older adults during energy intake restriction: protocol paper

    OpenAIRE

    Villani, Anthony; Wright, Hattie; Slater, Gary; Buckley, Jonathan

    2018-01-01

    Background Weight loss interventions have not been advocated for overweight/obese older adults due to potential loss of skeletal muscle and strength impacting on physical function with potential loss of independence. Carotenoids and polyphenols are inversely associated with sarcopenic symptomology. This paper reports the protocol of a study evaluating the efficacy of a high-protein, energy restricted diet rich in carotenoids and polyphenols on body composition, muscle strength, physical perfo...

  20. TRIGGER

    CERN Multimedia

    Wesley Smith

    Level-1 Trigger Hardware and Software The trigger synchronization procedures for running with cosmic muons and operating with the LHC were reviewed during the May electronics week. Firmware maintenance issues were also reviewed. Link tests between the new ECAL endcap trigger concentrator cards (TCC48) and the Regional Calorimeter Trigger have been performed. Firmware for the energy sum triggers and an upgraded tau trigger of the Global Calorimeter Triggers has been developed and is under test. The optical fiber receiver boards for the Track-Finder trigger theta links of the DT chambers are now all installed. The RPC trigger is being made more robust by additional chamber and cable shielding and also by firmware upgrades. For the CSC’s the front-end and trigger motherboard firmware have been updated. New RPC patterns and DT/CSC lookup tables taking into account phi asymmetries in the magnetic field configuration are under study. The motherboard for the new pipeline synchronizer of the Global Trigg...

  1. Study of 'Redhaven' peach and its white-fleshed mutant suggests a key role of CCD4 carotenoid dioxygenase in carotenoid and norisoprenoid volatile metabolism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tartarini Stefano

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Carotenoids are plant metabolites which are not only essential in photosynthesis but also important quality factors in determining the pigmentation and aroma of flowers and fruits. To investigate the regulation of carotenoid metabolism, as related to norisoprenoids and other volatile compounds in peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch., and the role of carotenoid dioxygenases in determining differences in flesh color phenotype and volatile composition, the expression patterns of relevant carotenoid genes and metabolites were studied during fruit development along with volatile compound content. Two contrasted cultivars, the yellow-fleshed 'Redhaven' (RH and its white-fleshed mutant 'Redhaven Bianca' (RHB were examined. Results The two genotypes displayed marked differences in the accumulation of carotenoid pigments in mesocarp tissues. Lower carotenoid levels and higher levels of norisoprenoid volatiles were observed in RHB, which might be explained by differential activity of carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase (CCD enzymes. In fact, the ccd4 transcript levels were dramatically higher at late ripening stages in RHB with respect to RH. The two genotypes also showed differences in the expression patterns of several carotenoid and isoprenoid transcripts, compatible with a feed-back regulation of these transcripts. Abamine SG - an inhibitor of CCD enzymes - decreased the levels of both isoprenoid and non-isoprenoid volatiles in RHB fruits, indicating a complex regulation of volatile production. Conclusions Differential expression of ccd4 is likely to be the major determinant in the accumulation of carotenoids and carotenoid-derived volatiles in peach fruit flesh. More in general, dioxygenases appear to be key factors controlling volatile composition in peach fruit, since abamine SG-treated 'Redhaven Bianca' fruits had strongly reduced levels of norisoprenoids and other volatile classes. Comparative functional studies of peach carotenoid

  2. Carotenoid levels in human lymphocytes, measured by Raman microspectroscopy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ramanauskaite, R B; SegersNolten, IGMJ; DeGrauw, K J; Sijtsema, N M; VanderMaas, L; Greve, J; Otto, C; Figdor, C G

    1997-01-01

    Carotenoid levels in lymphocytes obtained from peripheral blood of healthy people have been investigated by Raman microspectroscopy. We observed that carotenoids are concentrated in so-called ''Gall bodies''. The level of carotenoids in living human lymphocytes was found to be age-dependent and to

  3. Astrophysical constraints on Planck scale dissipative phenomena.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liberati, Stefano; Maccione, Luca

    2014-04-18

    The emergence of a classical spacetime from any quantum gravity model is still a subtle and only partially understood issue. If indeed spacetime is arising as some sort of large scale condensate of more fundamental objects, then it is natural to expect that matter, being a collective excitation of the spacetime constituents, will present modified kinematics at sufficiently high energies. We consider here the phenomenology of the dissipative effects necessarily arising in such a picture. Adopting dissipative hydrodynamics as a general framework for the description of the energy exchange between collective excitations and the spacetime fundamental degrees of freedom, we discuss how rates of energy loss for elementary particles can be derived from dispersion relations and used to provide strong constraints on the base of current astrophysical observations of high-energy particles.

  4. A Track Reconstructing Low-latency Trigger Processor for High-energy Physics

    CERN Document Server

    AUTHOR|(CDS)2067518

    2009-01-01

    The detection and analysis of the large number of particles emerging from high-energy collisions between atomic nuclei is a major challenge in experimental heavy-ion physics. Efficient trigger systems help to focus the analysis on relevant events. A primary objective of the Transition Radiation Detector of the ALICE experiment at the LHC is to trigger on high-momentum electrons. In this thesis, a trigger processor is presented that employs massive parallelism to perform the required online event reconstruction within 2 µs to contribute to the Level-1 trigger decision. Its three-stage hierarchical architecture comprises 109 nodes based on FPGA technology. Ninety processing nodes receive data from the detector front-end at an aggregate net bandwidth of 2.16 Tbps via 1080 optical links. Using specifically developed components and interconnections, the system combines high bandwidth with minimum latency. The employed tracking algorithm three-dimensionally reassembles the track segments found in the detector's dr...

  5. TRIGGER

    CERN Multimedia

    J. Alimena

    2013-01-01

    Trigger Strategy Group The Strategy for Trigger Evolution And Monitoring (STEAM) group is responsible for the development of future High-Level Trigger menus, as well as of its DQM and validation, in collaboration and with the technical support of the PdmV group. Taking into account the beam energy and luminosity expected in 2015, a rough estimate of the trigger rates indicates a factor four increase with respect to 2012 conditions. Assuming that a factor two can be tolerated thanks to the increase in offline storage and processing capabilities, a toy menu has been developed using the new OpenHLT workflow to estimate the transverse energy/momentum thresholds that would halve the current trigger rates. The CPU time needed to run the HLT has been compared between data taken with 25 ns and 50 ns bunch spacing, for equivalent pile-up: no significant difference was observed on the global time per event distribution at the only available data point, corresponding to a pile-up of about 10 interactions. Using th...

  6. Relativistic electrodynamics of dissipative elastic media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kranys, M.

    1980-01-01

    A phenomenological general relativistic electrodynamics is proposed for a dissipative elastic solid which is polarizable and magnetizable and whose governing equations form a hyperbolic system. Non-stationary transport equations are proposed for dissipative fluxes (and constitutive equations of electrodynamics) containing new cross-effect terms, as required for compatibility with an entropy principle expressed by a new balance equation (including a new Gibbs equation). The dynamic equations are deduced from the unified Minkowski-Abraham-Eckart energy-momentum tensor. The theory, formed by a set of 29 (reducible to 23) partial differential equations (in special relativity) governing the material behaviour of the system characterized by generalizing the constitutive equations of quasineutral media, together with Maxwell's equations, may be referred to as the electrodynamics of dissipative elastic media (or fluid). The proposed transport laws for polarization and magnetization generalize the well-known Debye law for relaxation and show the influence of shear and bulk viscosity on polarization and magentization. Besides the form of the entropy function, the free energy function in the non-stationary regime is also formulated. (auth)

  7. Low Energy 8 B Solar Neutrinos with the Wideband Intelligent Trigger at Super-Kamiokande

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elnimr, Muhammad; Super-Kamiokande Collaboration

    2017-09-01

    The water Cherenkov experiment Super-Kamiokande (SK) has accumulated a sample of ˜ 90k solar neutrino data in the past two decades. Currently, the detector measures recoil electrons from solar 8 B neutrino-electron scattering above a kinetic energy of ˜ 3.5 MeV, limited by the capacity of the software trigger, although electrons as low as 2.5 MeV can be reconstructed. The next frontier for the low energy program at Super-K is the current operation of the Wideband Intelligent Trigger (WIT) to push the trigger threshold to the event reconstruction limit of 2.5 MeV. This opens up the possibility to explore the lower energy edge of the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein (MSW) effect in the sun. In this work we will present the prelimiary analysis of the accumlated WIT data taken so far as well as future prospects.

  8. Carotenoids assist in cyanobacterial Photosystem II assembly and function

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomas eZakar

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Carotenoids (carotenes and xanthophylls are ubiquitous constituents of living organisms. They are protective agents against oxidative stresses and serve as modulators of membrane microviscosity. As antioxidants they can protect photosynthetic organisms from free radicals like reactive oxygen species that originate from water splitting, the first step of photosynthesis. We summarize the structural and functional roles of carotenoids in connection with cyanobacterial Photosystem II. Although carotenoids are hydrophobic molecules, their complexes with proteins also allow cytoplasmic localization. In cyanobacterial cells such complexes are called orange carotenoid proteins, and they protect Photosystem II and Photosystem I by preventing their overexcitation through phycobilisomes. Recently it has been observed that carotenoids are not only required for the proper functioning, but also for the structural stability of phycobilisomes.

  9. The Effects of Triggering Mechanisms on the Energy Absorption Capability of Circular Jute/Epoxy Composite Tubes under Quasi-Static Axial Loading

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sivagurunathan, Rubentheran; Lau Tze Way, Saijod; Sivagurunathan, Linkesvaran; Yaakob, Mohd. Yuhazri

    2018-01-01

    The usage of composite materials have been improving over the years due to its superior mechanical properties such as high tensile strength, high energy absorption capability, and corrosion resistance. In this present study, the energy absorption capability of circular jute/epoxy composite tubes were tested and evaluated. To induce the progressive crushing of the composite tubes, four different types of triggering mechanisms were used which were the non-trigger, single chamfered trigger, double chamfered trigger and tulip trigger. Quasi-static axial loading test was carried out to understand the deformation patterns and the load-displacement characteristics for each composite tube. Besides that, the influence of energy absorption, crush force efficiency, peak load, mean load and load-displacement history were examined and discussed. The primary results displayed a significant influence on the energy absorption capability provided that stable progressive crushing occurred mostly in the triggered tubes compared to the non-triggered tubes. Overall, the tulip trigger configuration attributed the highest energy absorption.

  10. Pulsed radiation studies of carotenoid radicals and excited states

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burke, M.

    2001-04-01

    The one-electron reduction potentials of the radical cations of five dietary carotenoids, in aqueous micellar environments, have been obtained from a pulse radiolysis study of electron transfer between the carotenoids and tryptophan radical cations as a function of pH, and lie in the range 980 to 1060 mV. The decays of the carotenoid radical cations suggest a distribution of exponential lifetimes. The radicals persist for up to about one second, depending on the medium and may re-orientate within a biological environment to react with other biomolecules, such as tyrosine, cysteine or ascorbic acid, which was indeed confirmed. Spectral information of carotenoid pigmented liposomes has been collected, subsequently pulse radiolysis was used to generate the radical cations of β-carotene, zeaxanthin and lutein, in unilamellar vesicles of dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline. The rate constants for the 'repair' of these carotenoid radical cations by water-soluble vitamin C were found to be similar (∼1 x 10 7 M -1 s -1 ) for β-carotene and zeaxanthin and somewhat lower (∼0.5 x 10 7 M -1 s -1 ) for lutein. The results are discussed in terms of the microenvironment of the carotenoids and suggest that for β-carotene, a hydrocarbon carotenoid, the radical cation is able to interact with a water-soluble species even though the parent hydrocarbon carotenoid is probably entirely in the non-polar region of the liposome. Studies investigating the ability of ingested lycopene to protect human lymphoid cells against singlet oxygen and nitrogen dioxide radical mediated cell damage have shown that a high lycopene diet is beneficial in protecting human cells against reactive oxygen species. Triplet states of carotenoids were produced in benzene solvent and their triplet lifetimes were found to depend on the concentration of the parent molecule. The rate constants obtained for ground state quenching correlate with the number of conjugated double bonds, the longer chain systems having

  11. Incorporating human-triggered earthquake risks into energy and water policies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klose, C. D.; Seeber, L.; Jacob, K. H.

    2010-12-01

    A comprehensive understanding of earthquake risks in urbanized regions requires an accurate assessment of both urban vulnerabilities and hazards from earthquakes, including ones whose timing might be affected by human activities. Socioeconomic risks associated with human-triggered earthquakes are often misconstrued and receive little scientific, legal, and public attention. Worldwide, more than 200 damaging earthquakes, associated with industrialization and urbanization, were documented since the 20th century. Geomechanical pollution due to large-scale geoengineering activities can advance the clock of earthquakes, trigger new seismic events or even shot down natural background seismicity. Activities include mining, hydrocarbon production, fluid injections, water reservoir impoundments and deep-well geothermal energy production. This type of geohazard has impacts on human security on a regional and national level. Some planned or considered future engineering projects raise particularly strong concerns about triggered earthquakes, such as for instance, sequestration of carbon dioxide by injecting it deep underground and large-scale natural gas production in the Marcellus shale in the Appalacian basin. Worldwide examples of earthquakes are discussed, including their associated losses of human life and monetary losses (e.g., 1989 Newcastle and Volkershausen earthquakes, 2001 Killari earthquake, 2006 Basel earthquake, 2010 Wenchuan earthquake). An overview is given on global statistics of human-triggered earthquakes, including depths and time delay of triggering. Lastly, strategies are described, including risk mitigation measures such as urban planning adaptations and seismic hazard mapping.

  12. Expression of carotenoid biosynthetic pathway genes and changes in carotenoids during ripening in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Namitha, Kanakapura Krishnamurthy; Archana, Surya Narayana; Negi, Pradeep Singh

    2011-04-01

    To study the expression pattern of carotenoid biosynthetic pathway genes, changes in their expression at different stages of maturity in tomato fruit (cv. Arka Ahuti) were investigated. The genes regulating carotenoid production were quantified by a dot blot method using a DIG (dioxigenin) labelling and detection kit. The results revealed that there was an increase in the levels of upstream genes of the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway such as 1-deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR), 4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl diphosphate reductase (Lyt B), phytoene synthase (PSY), phytoene desaturase (PDS) and ζ-carotene desaturase (ZDS) by 2-4 fold at the breaker stage as compared to leaf. The lycopene and β-carotene content was analyzed by HPLC at different stages of maturity. The lycopene (15.33 ± 0.24 mg per 100 g) and β-carotene (10.37 ± 0.46 mg per 100 g) content were found to be highest at 5 days post-breaker and 10 days post-breaker stage, respectively. The lycopene accumulation pattern also coincided with the color values at different stages of maturity. These studies may provide insight into devising gene-based strategies for enhancing carotenoid accumulation in tomato fruits.

  13. [Carotenoids: 2. Diseases and supplementation studies].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faure, H; Fayol, V; Galabert, C; Grolier, P; Moël, G L; Stephens, J; Nabet, F

    1999-05-01

    Inverse correlations have been found in most studies on the relationship between dietary intake and plasma concentrations of carotenoids on one side and degenerative diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases on the other side. Protective effects of carotenoids have been found for pathologies of the retina and the skin. Concentrations of these molecules in blood are lower in digestive pathologies and HIV. Short- and long-term toxicity of carotenoids was found to be low. In combination with the beneficial effects found for diets rich in carotenoids, this has initiated trials with relatively high doses of carotenoid supplements. In the study in Linxian (China) in a rural population with poor nutritional status, supplementation with beta-carotene, zinc, selenium and vitamin E lowered total mortality and mortality from stomach cancer. Other studies (ATBC, Caret.) on well-fed subjects did not show beneficial effects on mortality from cancer and cardiovascular diseases. On the contrary, higher mortality and lung cancer incidence was found in supplemented subjects that were also exposed to asbestos and cigarette smoke. In these studies, doses of supplemental beta-carotene were high and varied from 20 to 50 mg/day. One still ongoing study, called Suvimax, doses subjects for eight years with a cocktail of vitamins and minerals including 6 mg per day of beta-carotene. This supplementation with physiologically seen more "normal" doses might give clarity on the question if beta-carotene is the protective factor in fruits and vegetables.

  14. Limiting immunopathology: Interaction between carotenoids and enzymatic antioxidant defences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babin, A; Saciat, C; Teixeira, M; Troussard, J-P; Motreuil, S; Moreau, J; Moret, Y

    2015-04-01

    The release of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS) during the inflammatory response generates damages to host tissues, referred to as immunopathology, and is an important factor in ecological immunology. The integrated antioxidant system, comprising endogenous antioxidant enzymes (e.g. superoxide dismutase SOD, and catalase CAT) and dietary antioxidants (e.g. carotenoids), helps to cope with immune-mediated oxidative stress. Crustaceans store large amounts of dietary carotenoids for yet unclear reasons. While being immunostimulants and antioxidants, the interaction of these pigments with antioxidant enzymes remains unclear. Here, we tested the interaction between dietary supplementation with carotenoids and immune challenge on immune defences and the activity of the antioxidant enzymes SOD and CAT, in the amphipod crustacean Gammarus pulex. Dietary supplementation increased the concentrations of circulating carotenoids and haemocytes in the haemolymph, while the immune response induced the consumption of circulating carotenoids and a drop of haemocyte density. Interestingly, supplemented gammarids exhibited down-regulated SOD activity but high CAT activity compared to control ones. Our study reveals specific interactions of dietary carotenoids with endogenous antioxidant enzymes, and further underlines the potential importance of carotenoids in the evolution of immunity and/or of antioxidant mechanisms in crustaceans. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. [Recent knowledge about intestinal absorption and cleavage of carotenoids].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borel, P; Drai, J; Faure, H; Fayol, V; Galabert, C; Laromiguière, M; Le Moël, G

    2005-01-01

    Our knowledge about intestinal absorption and cleavage of carotenoids has rapidly grown during the last years. New facts about carotenoid absorption have emerged while some controversies about cleavage are close to end. The knowledge of the absorption and conversion processes is indispensable to understand and interpret the perturbations that can occur in the metabolism of carotenoids and vitamin A. Recently, it has been shown that the absorption of certain carotenoids is not passive - as believed for a long time - but is a facilitated process that requires, at least for lutein, the class B-type 1 scavenger receptor (SR-B1). Various epidemiological and clinical studies have shown wide variations in carotenoid absorption from one subject to another, such differences are now explained by the structure of the concerned carotenoid, by the nature of the food that is absorbed with the carotenoid, by diverse exogenous factors like the intake of medicines or interfering components, by diet factors, by genetic factors, and by the nutritional status of the subject. Recently, the precise mechanism of beta-carotene cleavage by betabeta-carotene 15,15' monooxygenase (EC 1.14.99.36) - formerly called beta-carotene 15,15' dioxygenase (ex EC 1.13.11.21) - has been discovered, and a second enzyme which cleaves asymmetrically the beta-carotene molecule has been found. beta-carotene 15,15' monooxygenase only acts on the 15,15' bond, thus forming two molecules of retinal from one molecule of beta-carotene by central cleavage. Even though the betabeta-carotene 15,15' monooxygenase is much more active on the beta-carotene molecule, a study has shown that it can act on all carotenoids. Searchers now agree that other enzymes that can catalyse an eccentric cleavage of carotenoids probably exist, but under physiological conditions the betabeta-carotene 15,15' monooxygenase is by far the most active, and it is mainly effective in the small bowel mucosa and in the liver. However the

  16. Comparative genomics reveals candidate carotenoid pathway regulators of ripening watermelon fruit

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background Many fruits, including watermelon, are proficient in carotenoid accumulation during ripening. While most genes encoding steps in the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway have been cloned, few transcriptional regulators of these genes have been defined to date. Here we describe the identification of a set of putative carotenoid-related transcription factors resulting from fresh watermelon carotenoid and transcriptome analysis during fruit development and ripening. Our goal is to both clarify the expression profiles of carotenoid pathway genes and to identify candidate regulators and molecular targets for crop improvement. Results Total carotenoids progressively increased during fruit ripening up to ~55 μg g-1 fw in red-ripe fruits. Trans-lycopene was the carotenoid that contributed most to this increase. Many of the genes related to carotenoid metabolism displayed changing expression levels during fruit ripening generating a metabolic flux toward carotenoid synthesis. Constitutive low expression of lycopene cyclase genes resulted in lycopene accumulation. RNA-seq expression profiling of watermelon fruit development yielded a set of transcription factors whose expression was correlated with ripening and carotenoid accumulation. Nineteen putative transcription factor genes from watermelon and homologous to tomato carotenoid-associated genes were identified. Among these, six were differentially expressed in the flesh of both species during fruit development and ripening. Conclusions Taken together the data suggest that, while the regulation of a common set of metabolic genes likely influences carotenoid synthesis and accumulation in watermelon and tomato fruits during development and ripening, specific and limiting regulators may differ between climacteric and non-climacteric fruits, possibly related to their differential susceptibility to and use of ethylene during ripening. PMID:24219562

  17. BAT Triggering Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLean, Kassandra M.; Fenimore, E. E.; Palmer, D. M.; BAT Team

    2006-09-01

    The Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) onboard Swift has detected and located about 160 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) in its first twenty months of operation. BAT employs two triggering systems to find GRBs: image triggering, which looks for a new point source in the field of view, and rate triggering, which looks for a significant increase in the observed counts. The image triggering system looks at 1 minute, 5 minute, and full pointing accumulations of counts in the detector plane in the energy range of 15-50 keV, with about 50 evaluations per pointing (about 40 minutes). The rate triggering system looks through 13 different time scales (from 4ms to 32s), 4 overlapping energy bins (covering 15-350 keV), 9 regions of the detector plane (from the full plane to individual quarters), and two background sampling models to search for GRBs. It evaluates 27000 trigger criteria in a second, for close to 1000 criteria. The image triggering system looks at 1, 5, and 40 minute accumulations of counts in the detector plane in the energy range of 15-50 keV. Both triggering systems are working very well with the settings from before launch and after we turned on BAT. However, we now have more than a year and a half of data to evaluate these triggering systems and tweak them for optimal performance, as well as lessons learned from these triggering systems.

  18. Phenomenological approaches of dissipative heavy ion collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ngo, C.

    1983-09-01

    These lectures describe the properties of dissipative heavy ion collisions observed in low bombarding energy heavy ion reactions. These dissipative collisions are of two different types: fusion and deep inelastic reactions. Their main experimental properties are described on selected examples. It is shown how it is possible to give a simple interpretation to the data. A large number of phenomenological models have been developped to understand dissipative heavy ion collisions. The most important are those describing the collision by classical mechanics and friction forces, the diffusion models, and transport theories which merge both preceding approaches. A special emphasis has been done on two phenomena observed in dissipative heavy ion collisions: charge equilibratium for which we can show the existence of quantum fluctuations, and fast fission which appears as an intermediate mechanism between deep inelastic reactions and compound nucleus formation [fr

  19. Correlations Between Macular, Skin, and Serum Carotenoids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conrady, Christopher D.; Bell, James P.; Besch, Brian M.; Gorusupudi, Aruna; Farnsworth, Kelliann; Ermakov, Igor; Sharifzadeh, Mohsen; Ermakova, Maia; Gellermann, Werner; Bernstein, Paul S.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose Ocular and systemic measurement and imaging of the macular carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin have been employed extensively as potential biomarkers of AMD risk. In this study, we systematically compare dual wavelength retinal autofluorescence imaging (AFI) of macular pigment with skin resonance Raman spectroscopy (RRS) and serum carotenoid levels in a clinic-based population. Methods Eighty-eight patients were recruited from retina and general ophthalmology practices from a tertiary referral center and excluded only if they did not have all three modalities tested, had a diagnosis of macular telangiectasia (MacTel) or Stargardt disease, or had poor AFI image quality. Skin, macular, and serum carotenoid levels were measured by RRS, AFI, and HPLC, respectively. Results Skin RRS measurements and serum zeaxanthin concentrations correlated most strongly with AFI macular pigment volume under the curve (MPVUC) measurements up to 9° eccentricity relative to MPVUC or rotationally averaged macular pigment optical density (MPOD) measurements at smaller eccentricities. These measurements were reproducible and not significantly affected by cataracts. We also found that these techniques could readily identify subjects taking oral carotenoid-containing supplements. Conclusions Larger macular pigment volume AFI and skin RRS measurements are noninvasive, objective, and reliable methods to assess ocular and systemic carotenoid levels. They are an attractive alternative to psychophysical and optical methods that measure MPOD at a limited number of eccentricities. Consequently, skin RRS and MPVUC at 9° are both reasonable biomarkers of macular carotenoid status that could be readily adapted to research and clinical settings. PMID:28728169

  20. Long-lived coherence in carotenoids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Davis, J A; Cannon, E; Van Dao, L; Hannaford, P [ARC Centre of Excellence for Coherent X-ray Science, Centre for Atom Optics and Ultrafast Spectroscopy, Swinburne University of Technology, Victoria 3122 (Australia); Quiney, H M; Nugent, K A, E-mail: jdavis@swin.edu.a [ARC Centre of Excellence for Coherent X-ray Science, School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010 (Australia)

    2010-08-15

    We use two-colour vibronic coherence spectroscopy to observe long-lived vibrational coherences in the ground electronic state of carotenoid molecules, with decoherence times in excess of 1 ps. Lycopene and spheroidene were studied isolated in solution, and within the LH2 light-harvesting complex extracted from purple bacteria. The vibrational coherence time is shown to increase significantly for the carotenoid in the complex, providing further support to previous assertions that long-lived electronic coherences in light-harvesting complexes are facilitated by in-phase motion of the chromophores and surrounding proteins. Using this technique, we are also able to follow the evolution of excited state coherences and find that for carotenoids in the light-harvesting complex the (S{sub 2}|S{sub 0}) superposition remains coherent for more than 70 fs. In addition to the implications of this long electronic decoherence time, the extended coherence allows us to observe the evolution of the excited state wavepacket. These experiments reveal an enhancement of the vibronic coupling to the first vibrational level of the C-C stretching mode and/or methyl-rocking mode in the ground electronic state 70 fs after the initial excitation. These observations open the door to future experiments and modelling that may be able to resolve the relaxation dynamics of carotenoids in solution and in natural light-harvesting systems.

  1. Long-lived coherence in carotenoids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davis, J A; Cannon, E; Van Dao, L; Hannaford, P; Quiney, H M; Nugent, K A

    2010-01-01

    We use two-colour vibronic coherence spectroscopy to observe long-lived vibrational coherences in the ground electronic state of carotenoid molecules, with decoherence times in excess of 1 ps. Lycopene and spheroidene were studied isolated in solution, and within the LH2 light-harvesting complex extracted from purple bacteria. The vibrational coherence time is shown to increase significantly for the carotenoid in the complex, providing further support to previous assertions that long-lived electronic coherences in light-harvesting complexes are facilitated by in-phase motion of the chromophores and surrounding proteins. Using this technique, we are also able to follow the evolution of excited state coherences and find that for carotenoids in the light-harvesting complex the (S 2 |S 0 ) superposition remains coherent for more than 70 fs. In addition to the implications of this long electronic decoherence time, the extended coherence allows us to observe the evolution of the excited state wavepacket. These experiments reveal an enhancement of the vibronic coupling to the first vibrational level of the C-C stretching mode and/or methyl-rocking mode in the ground electronic state 70 fs after the initial excitation. These observations open the door to future experiments and modelling that may be able to resolve the relaxation dynamics of carotenoids in solution and in natural light-harvesting systems.

  2. Assessment of carotenoids in pumpkins after different home cooking conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lucia Maria Jaeger de Carvalho

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Carotenoids have antioxidant activity, but few are converted by the body into retinol, the active form of vitamin A. Among the 600 carotenoids with pro-vitamin A activity, the most common are α- and β-carotene. These carotenoids are susceptible to degradation (e.g., isomerization and oxidation during cooking. The aim of this study was to assess the total carotenoid, α- and β-carotene, and 9 and 13-Z- β-carotene isomer contents in C. moschata after different cooking processes. The raw pumpkin samples contained 236.10, 172.20, 39.95, 3.64 and 0.8610 µg.g- 1 of total carotenoids, β-carotene, α-carotene, 13-cis-β-carotene, and 9-Z-β-carotene, respectively. The samples cooked in boiling water contained 258.50, 184.80, 43.97, 6.80, and 0.77 µg.g- 1 of total carotenoids, β-carotene, α-carotene, 13-Z-β-carotene, and 9-Z-β-carotene, respectively. The steamed samples contained 280.77, 202.00, 47.09, 8.23, and 1.247 µg.g- 1 of total carotenoids, β-carotene, α-carotene,13-Z-β-carotene, and 9-Z-β-carotene, respectively. The samples cooked with added sugar contained 259.90, 168.80, 45.68, 8.31, and 2.03 µg.g- 1 of total carotenoid, β-carotene, α-carotene, 13-Z- β-carotene, and 9-Z- β-carotene, respectively. These results are promising considering that E- β-carotene has 100% pro-vitamin A activity. The total carotenoid and carotenoid isomers increased after the cooking methods, most likely as a result of a higher availability induced by the cooking processes.

  3. Laser energy-pooling processes in an optically thick Cs vapor near a dissipative surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gagne, Jean-Marie; Le Bris, Karine; Gagne, Marie-Claude

    2002-01-01

    We characterize, for the first time to our knowledge, the laser-induced backward fluorescence (retrofluorescence) spectra that result from energy-pooling collisions between Cs atoms near a dissipative thin Cs layer on a glass substrate. We resolve, experimentally and theoretically, the laser spectroscopic problem of energy-pooling processes related to the nature of the glass-metallic vapor interface. Our study focused on the integrated laser-induced retrofluorescence spectra for the 455.5-nm (7 2 P 3/2 -6 2 S 1/2 ) and 852.2-nm (6 2 P 3/2 -6 2 S 1/2 ) lines as a function of laser scanning through pumping resonance at the 852.2-nm line. We experimentally investigate the retrofluorescence from 420 to 930 nm, induced by a diode laser tuned either in the wings or in the center of the pumping resonance line. We present a detailed theoretical model of the retrofluorescence signal based on the radiative transfer equation, taking into account the evanescent wave of the excited atomic dipole strongly coupled with a dissipative surface. Based on theoretical and experimental results, we evaluate the effective nonradiative transfer rate A(bar sign) 6 2 P 3/2 →6 2 S 1/2s f for atoms in the excited 6 2 P 3/2 level located in the near-field region of the surface of the cell. Values extracted from the energy-pooling process analysis are equivalent to those found directly from the 852.2-nm resonance retrofluorescence line. We show that the effective energy-pooling coefficients k-tilde 7 2 P 3/2 and k-tilde 7 2 P 1/2 are approximately equal. The agreement between theory and experiment is remarkably good, considering the simplicity of the model

  4. Carotenoid metabolism and regulation in horticultural crops

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carotenoids are a diverse group of pigments widely distributed in nature. The vivid yellow, orange, and red colors in many horticultural crops attribute to overaccumulation of carotenoids, which contribute to a critical agronomic trait for flowers and an important quality trait for fruits and vegeta...

  5. Multi-agent system-based event-triggered hybrid control scheme for energy internet

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dou, Chunxia; Yue, Dong; Han, Qing Long

    2017-01-01

    This paper is concerned with an event-triggered hybrid control for the energy Internet based on a multi-agent system approach with which renewable energy resources can be fully utilized to meet load demand with high security and well dynamical quality. In the design of control, a multi-agent system...

  6. Dissipative hidden sector dark matter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foot, R.; Vagnozzi, S.

    2015-01-01

    A simple way of explaining dark matter without modifying known Standard Model physics is to require the existence of a hidden (dark) sector, which interacts with the visible one predominantly via gravity. We consider a hidden sector containing two stable particles charged under an unbroken U (1 )' gauge symmetry, hence featuring dissipative interactions. The massless gauge field associated with this symmetry, the dark photon, can interact via kinetic mixing with the ordinary photon. In fact, such an interaction of strength ε ˜10-9 appears to be necessary in order to explain galactic structure. We calculate the effect of this new physics on big bang nucleosynthesis and its contribution to the relativistic energy density at hydrogen recombination. We then examine the process of dark recombination, during which neutral dark states are formed, which is important for large-scale structure formation. Galactic structure is considered next, focusing on spiral and irregular galaxies. For these galaxies we modeled the dark matter halo (at the current epoch) as a dissipative plasma of dark matter particles, where the energy lost due to dissipation is compensated by the energy produced from ordinary supernovae (the core-collapse energy is transferred to the hidden sector via kinetic mixing induced processes in the supernova core). We find that such a dynamical halo model can reproduce several observed features of disk galaxies, including the cored density profile and the Tully-Fisher relation. We also discuss how elliptical and dwarf spheroidal galaxies could fit into this picture. Finally, these analyses are combined to set bounds on the parameter space of our model, which can serve as a guideline for future experimental searches.

  7. Generation of zonal flow in the Earth's dissipative ionospheric F-layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaladze, T.D.; Shad, M.; Tsamalashvili, L.V.

    2011-01-01

    Generation of zonal flow in the Earth's dissipative ionospheric F-layer is considered. Dissipation arises due to Pedersen conductivity acting as an inductive (magnetic) inhibition. It is shown that in contrast to previous investigations the zonal flow growth rate does not depend on small wave vector component of zonal flow mode, needs no instability condition and the spectral energy transferring (inverse cascade) process unconditionally takes place. -- Highlights: → Generation of zonal flow in the Earth's dissipative ionospheric F-layer is considered. → Dissipation arises due to Pedersen conductivity acting as inductive (magnetic) inhibition. → It is shown that such generation doesn't need any instability condition. → Energy transferring (inverse cascade) process takes place even for the small values of pumping intensity.

  8. Pulsed radiation studies of carotenoid radicals and excited states

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Burke, M

    2001-04-01

    The one-electron reduction potentials of the radical cations of five dietary carotenoids, in aqueous micellar environments, have been obtained from a pulse radiolysis study of electron transfer between the carotenoids and tryptophan radical cations as a function of pH, and lie in the range 980 to 1060 mV. The decays of the carotenoid radical cations suggest a distribution of exponential lifetimes. The radicals persist for up to about one second, depending on the medium and may re-orientate within a biological environment to react with other biomolecules, such as tyrosine, cysteine or ascorbic acid, which was indeed confirmed. Spectral information of carotenoid pigmented liposomes has been collected, subsequently pulse radiolysis was used to generate the radical cations of {beta}-carotene, zeaxanthin and lutein, in unilamellar vesicles of dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline. The rate constants for the 'repair' of these carotenoid radical cations by water-soluble vitamin C were found to be similar ({approx}1 x 10{sup 7} M{sup -1}s{sup -1}) for {beta}-carotene and zeaxanthin and somewhat lower ({approx}0.5 x 10{sup 7} M{sup -1}s{sup -1}) for lutein. The results are discussed in terms of the microenvironment of the carotenoids and suggest that for {beta}-carotene, a hydrocarbon carotenoid, the radical cation is able to interact with a water-soluble species even though the parent hydrocarbon carotenoid is probably entirely in the non-polar region of the liposome. Studies investigating the ability of ingested lycopene to protect human lymphoid cells against singlet oxygen and nitrogen dioxide radical mediated cell damage have shown that a high lycopene diet is beneficial in protecting human cells against reactive oxygen species. Triplet states of carotenoids were produced in benzene solvent and their triplet lifetimes were found to depend on the concentration of the parent molecule. The rate constants obtained for ground state quenching correlate with the number

  9. Generation of structurally novel short carotenoids and study of their biological activity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kim, Se Hyeuk; Kim, Moon S.; Lee, Bun Y.

    2016-01-01

    Recent research interest in phytochemicals has consistently driven the efforts in the metabolic engineering field toward microbial production of various carotenoids. In spite of systematic studies, the possibility of using C30 carotenoids as biologically functional compounds has not been explored...... thus far. Here, we generated 13 novel structures of C30 carotenoids and one C35 carotenoid, including acyclic, monocyclic, and bicyclic structures, through directed evolution and combinatorial biosynthesis, in Escherichia coli. Measurement of radical scavenging activity of various C30 carotenoid...... structures revealed that acyclic C30 carotenoids showed higher radical scavenging activity than did DL-atocopherol. We could assume high potential biological activity of the novel structures of C30 carotenoids as well, based on the neuronal differentiation activity observed for the monocyclic C30 carotenoid...

  10. Energy input and dissipation in a temperate lake during the spring transition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woolway, R. Iestyn; Simpson, John H.

    2017-08-01

    ADCP and temperature chain measurements have been used to estimate the rate of energy input by wind stress to the water surface in the south basin of Windermere. The energy input from the atmosphere was found to increase markedly as the lake stratified in spring. The efficiency of energy transfer ( Eff), defined as the ratio of the rate of working in near-surface waters ( RW) to that above the lake surface ( P 10), increased from ˜0.0013 in vertically homogenous conditions to ˜0.0064 in the first 40 days of the stratified regime. A maximum value of Eff˜0.01 was observed when, with increasing stratification, the first mode internal seiche period decreased to match the diurnal wind period of 24 h. The increase in energy input, following the onset of stratification was reflected in enhancement of the mean depth-varying kinetic energy without a corresponding increase in wind forcing. Parallel estimates of energy dissipation in the bottom boundary layer, based on determination of the structure function show that it accounts for ˜15% of RW in stratified conditions. The evolution of stratification in the lake conforms to a heating stirring model which indicates that mixing accounts for ˜21% of RW. Taken together, these estimates of key energetic parameters point the way to the development of full energy budgets for lakes and shallow seas.

  11. Generation of structurally novel short carotenoids and study of their biological activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Se H; Kim, Moon S; Lee, Bun Y; Lee, Pyung C

    2016-02-23

    Recent research interest in phytochemicals has consistently driven the efforts in the metabolic engineering field toward microbial production of various carotenoids. In spite of systematic studies, the possibility of using C30 carotenoids as biologically functional compounds has not been explored thus far. Here, we generated 13 novel structures of C30 carotenoids and one C35 carotenoid, including acyclic, monocyclic, and bicyclic structures, through directed evolution and combinatorial biosynthesis, in Escherichia coli. Measurement of radical scavenging activity of various C30 carotenoid structures revealed that acyclic C30 carotenoids showed higher radical scavenging activity than did DL-α-tocopherol. We could assume high potential biological activity of the novel structures of C30 carotenoids as well, based on the neuronal differentiation activity observed for the monocyclic C30 carotenoid 4,4'-diapotorulene on rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Our results demonstrate that a series of structurally novel carotenoids possessing biologically beneficial properties can be synthesized in E. coli.

  12. Kinetic Energy Dissipation on Labyrinth Configuration Stepped Spillway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaafar S. Maatooq

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available In present work a labyrinth (zigzag, in shape has been used to configure the steps of stepped spillway by using the physical model. This configuration does not introduce previously by investigators or in construction techniques of dams or cascades. It would be expected to improve the flow over chute. A magnifying the width path of each step to become, LT, instead of, W, will induce the interlocking between the mainstream and that spread laterally due to labyrinth path. This phenomenon leads to reduce the jet velocities near the surfaces, thus minimizing the ability of cavitation and with increasing a circulation regions the ability of air entrainment be maximized. The results were encouraging, (e.g., the reverse performance has recorded for spillway slope. From the evaluation of outcome, the average recorded of percentage profits of kinetic energy dissipation with a labyrinth shape compared with the results of traditional shape were ranged between (13- 44%. Different predictive formulas have been proposed based on iteration analysis, can be recommended for evaluation and design.

  13. A spectral chart method for estimating the mean turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Djenidi, L.; Antonia, R. A.

    2012-10-01

    We present an empirical but simple and practical spectral chart method for determining the mean turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate DNS spectra, points to this scaling being also valid at small Reynolds numbers, provided effects due to inhomogeneities in the flow are negligible. The methods avoid the difficulty associated with estimating time or spatial derivatives of the velocity fluctuations. It also avoids using the second hypothesis of K41, which implies the existence of a -5/3 inertial subrange only when the Taylor microscale Reynods number R λ is sufficiently large. The method is in fact applied to the lower wavenumber end of the dissipative range thus avoiding most of the problems due to inadequate spatial resolution of the velocity sensors and noise associated with the higher wavenumber end of this range.The use of spectral data (30 ≤ R λ ≤ 400) in both passive and active grid turbulence, a turbulent mixing layer and the turbulent wake of a circular cylinder indicates that the method is robust and should lead to reliable estimates of < \\varepsilon rangle in flows or flow regions where the first similarity hypothesis should hold; this would exclude, for example, the region near a wall.

  14. Dietary intake of carotenoids and risk of type 2 diabetes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sluijs, I.; Cadier, E.; Beulens, J. W J; van der A, D. L.; Spijkerman, A. M W; van der Schouw, Y. T.

    Background and aims: Carotenoids may reduce diabetes risk, due to their antioxidant properties. However, the association between dietary carotenoids intake and type 2 diabetes risk is still unclear. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine whether higher dietary carotenoid intakes

  15. New Insight into the Cleavage Reaction of Nostoc sp. Strain PCC 7120 Carotenoid Cleavage Dioxygenase in Natural and Nonnatural Carotenoids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heo, Jinsol; Kim, Se Hyeuk

    2013-01-01

    Carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs) are enzymes that catalyze the oxidative cleavage of carotenoids at a specific double bond to generate apocarotenoids. In this study, we investigated the activity and substrate preferences of NSC3, a CCD of Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120, in vivo and in vitro using natural and nonnatural carotenoid structures. NSC3 cleaved β-apo-8′-carotenal at 3 positions, C-13C-14, C-15C-15′, and C-13′C-14′, revealing a unique cleavage pattern. NSC3 cleaves the natural structure of carotenoids 4,4′-diaponeurosporene, 4,4′-diaponeurosporen-4′-al, 4,4′-diaponeurosporen-4′-oic acid, 4,4′-diapotorulene, and 4,4′-diapotorulen-4′-al to generate novel cleavage products (apo-14′-diaponeurosporenal, apo-13′-diaponeurosporenal, apo-10′-diaponeurosporenal, apo-14′-diapotorulenal, and apo-10′-diapotorulenal, respectively). The study of carotenoids with natural or nonnatural structures produced by using synthetic modules could provide information valuable for understanding the cleavage reactions or substrate preferences of other CCDs in vivo and in vitro. PMID:23524669

  16. Experimental estimation of the heat energy dissipated in a volume surrounding the tip of a fatigue crack

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Meneghetti

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Fatigue crack initiation and propagation involve plastic strains that require some work to be done on the material. Most of this irreversible energy is dissipated as heat and consequently the material temperature increases. The heat being an indicator of the intense plastic strains occurring at the tip of a propagating fatigue crack, when combined with the Neuber’s structural volume concept, it might be used as an experimentally measurable parameter to assess the fatigue damage accumulation rate of cracked components. On the basis of a theoretical model published previously, in this work the heat energy dissipated in a volume surrounding the crack tip is estimated experimentally on the basis of the radial temperature profiles measured by means of an infrared camera. The definition of the structural volume in a fatigue sense is beyond the scope of the present paper. The experimental crack propagation tests were carried out on hot-rolled, 6-mm-thick AISI 304L stainless steel specimens subject to completely reversed axial fatigue loading.

  17. Carotenoids from Phaffia rhodozyma : Antioxidant activity and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The main goal of this work was to establish the stability and antioxidant activity of the extracts obtained through different techniques for recovering carotenoids from Phaffia rhodozyma NRRL-Y 17268. The best conditions for extracting carotenoids through cell rupture with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) were found to be a ...

  18. Evaluating the Nature of So-Called S*-State Feature in Transient Absorption of Carotenoids in Light-Harvesting Complex 2 (LH2) from Purple Photosynthetic Bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niedzwiedzki, Dariusz M; Hunter, C Neil; Blankenship, Robert E

    2016-11-03

    Carotenoids are a class of natural pigments present in all phototrophic organisms, mainly in their light-harvesting proteins in which they play roles of accessory light absorbers and photoprotectors. Extensive time-resolved spectroscopic studies of these pigments have revealed unexpectedly complex photophysical properties, particularly for carotenoids in light-harvesting LH2 complexes from purple bacteria. An ambiguous, optically forbidden electronic excited state designated as S* has been postulated to be involved in carotenoid excitation relaxation and in an alternative carotenoid-to-bacteriochlorophyll energy transfer pathway, as well as being a precursor of the carotenoid triplet state. However, no definitive and satisfactory origin of the carotenoid S* state in these complexes has been established, despite a wide-ranging series of studies. Here, we resolve the ambiguous origin of the carotenoid S* state in LH2 complex from Rba. sphaeroides by showing that the S* feature can be seen as a combination of ground state absorption bleaching of the carotenoid pool converted to cations and the Stark spectrum of neighbor neutral carotenoids, induced by temporal electric field brought by the carotenoid cation-bacteriochlorophyll anion pair. These findings remove the need to assign an S* state, and thereby significantly simplify the photochemistry of carotenoids in these photosynthetic antenna complexes.

  19. Photodegradation of carotenoids in human subjects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roe, D.A.

    1987-01-01

    Photodegradation of vitamins in vitro is responsible for large losses of these nutrients in foods, beverages, and semisynthetic liquid formula diets. In vivo photodegradation of vitamins has been reported for riboflavin in jaundiced infants exposed to blue light and for folate in patients with chronic psoriasis given photochemotherapy. Two recent studies of normal subjects have also shown that photodegradation of carotenoids in plasma occurs with cumulative exposure of the skin to an artificial light source having maximal spectral emission in the UVA range. Females showed a larger effect of the UV light on their plasma carotenoid levels than males. These observations have identified a need for further investigation of the role of sunlight exposure as a determinant of plasma carotenoid levels and vitamin A status in human subjects

  20. Effect of viscous dissipation and radiation in an annular cone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmed, N. J. Salman; Kamangar, Sarfaraz; Khan, T. M. Yunus; Azeem

    2016-01-01

    The viscous dissipation is an effect due to which heat is generated inside the medium. The presence of radiation further complicates the heat transfer behavior inside porous medium. The present paper discusses the combined effect of viscous dissipation and radiation inside a porous medium confined in an annular cone with inner radius r_i. The viscous dissipation and radiation terms are included in the energy equation thereby solving the coupled momentum and energy equations with the help of finite element method. The results are presented in terms of isothermal and streamline indicating the thermal and fluid flow behavior of porous medium. It is found that the combination of viscous dissipation and radiation parameter and the cone angle has significant effect on the heat transfer and fluid flow behavior inside the porous medium. The fluid velocity is found to increase with the increase in Raleigh number

  1. Effect of viscous dissipation and radiation in an annular cone

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahmed, N. J. Salman; Kamangar, Sarfaraz [Centre for Energy Sciences, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603 Malaysia (Malaysia); Khan, T. M. Yunus, E-mail: yunus.tatagar@gmail.com [Centre for Energy Sciences, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603 Malaysia (Malaysia); Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, BVB College of Engineering & Technology, Hubli (India); Azeem [Dept. of Computer System & Technology, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

    2016-06-21

    The viscous dissipation is an effect due to which heat is generated inside the medium. The presence of radiation further complicates the heat transfer behavior inside porous medium. The present paper discusses the combined effect of viscous dissipation and radiation inside a porous medium confined in an annular cone with inner radius r{sub i}. The viscous dissipation and radiation terms are included in the energy equation thereby solving the coupled momentum and energy equations with the help of finite element method. The results are presented in terms of isothermal and streamline indicating the thermal and fluid flow behavior of porous medium. It is found that the combination of viscous dissipation and radiation parameter and the cone angle has significant effect on the heat transfer and fluid flow behavior inside the porous medium. The fluid velocity is found to increase with the increase in Raleigh number.

  2. Consuming High-Carotenoid Fruit and Vegetables Influences Skin Yellowness and Plasma Carotenoids in Young Women: A Single-Blind Randomized Crossover Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pezdirc, Kristine; Hutchesson, Melinda J; Williams, Rebecca L; Rollo, Megan E; Burrows, Tracy L; Wood, Lisa G; Oldmeadow, Christopher; Collins, Clare E

    2016-08-01

    Consumption of dietary carotenoids from fruits and vegetables (F/V) leads to accumulations in human skin, altering skin yellowness. The influence of the quantity of F/V consumed on skin yellowness and plasma carotenoid concentrations has not been examined previously. To compare the influence of consuming high-carotenoid-containing F/V (HCFV) (176,425 μg beta carotene/wk) vs low-carotenoid F/V (LCFV) (2,073 μg beta carotene/wk) on skin yellowness and plasma carotenoid concentrations, over 4 weeks. A single-blind randomized controlled crossover trial from October 2013 to March 2014. Thirty women were randomized to receive 7 daily servings of HCFV or LCFV for 4 weeks. Following a 2-week washout period they followed the alternate intervention. Skin color (Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage L*a*b* color space, where L* represents skin lightness and positive values of a* and b* represent degrees of redness and yellowness, respectively) was assessed by reflectance spectroscopy in both sun-exposed and nonexposed skin areas. Fasting plasma carotenoids were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, before and after each intervention period. Linear mixed models were used to determine the HCFV and LCFV response on skin color and plasma carotenoids, adjusting for intervention order, time, and interaction between baseline differences and time. There were no significant differences in mean daily fruit (P=0.42) and vegetable (P=0.17) intakes between HCFV and LCFV groups. Dietary alpha carotene, beta carotene, lutein, and beta cryptoxanthin intakes were significantly different between the two groups (Pcarotenoid concentrations were significantly higher following HCFV than LCFV over 4 weeks. Copyright © 2016 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Identification of a carotenoid oxygenase synthesizing acyclic xanthophylls: combinatorial biosynthesis and directed evolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mijts, Benjamin N; Lee, Pyung Cheon; Schmidt-Dannert, Claudia

    2005-04-01

    A carotenoid desaturase homolog from Staphylococcus aureus (CrtOx) was identified. When expressed in engineered E. coli cells synthesizing linear C(30) carotenoids, polar carotenoid products were generated, identified as aldehyde and carboxylic acid C(30) carotenoid derivatives. The major product in this engineered pathway is the fully desaturated C(30) dialdehyde carotenoid 4,4'-diapolycopen-4,4'-dial. Very low carotenoid yields were observed when CrtOx was complemented with the C(40) carotenoid lycopene pathway. But extension of an in vitro evolved pathway of the fully desaturated 2,4,2',4'-tetradehydrolycopene produced the structurally novel fully desaturated C(40) dialdehyde carotenoid 2,4,2',4'-tetradehydrolycopendial. Directed evolution of CrtOx by error-prone PCR resulted in a number of variants with higher activity on C(40) carotenoid substrates and improved product profiles. These findings may provide new biosynthetic routes to highly polar carotenoids with unique spectral properties desirable for a number of industrial and pharmaceutical applications.

  4. Dissipation in the superfluid helium film

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Turkington, R.R.; Harris-Lowe, R.F.

    1977-01-01

    We have measured the rate of energy dissipation in superfluid helium film flow in an attempt to test a recent theory due to Harris-Lowe, which predicts that for superfluid stream velocities v/sub s/ that just exceed the critical velocity v/sub c0/, the rate of dissipation is given by an equation of the form Q=C(v/sub s/-v/sub c0/)/sup 3/2/. Our experiments at 1.33 K show that the exponent, predicted to be 3/2, is 1.491 +- 0.021

  5. Carboidratos e carotenoides totais em duas variedades de mangarito

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Paula Sato Ferreira

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a composição de carboidratos e carotenoides em rizomas mãe e filhos das variedades de mangarito (Xanthosoma riedelianum pequeno e gigante. Amostras dos rizomas coletadas ao longo do ciclo cultural e após 90 dias de armazenamento foram avaliadas quanto aos teores de carboidratos e carotenoides totais. Os rizomas apresentaram aumento no teor de carboidratos, e o rizoma-mãe da variedade pequeno apresentou acréscimos lineares no teor de carotenoides, ao longo do cultivo. O armazenamento reduz os teores de carboidratos e de carotenoides totais em todos os rizomas.

  6. Cooperative and submolecular dissipation mechanisms of sliding friction in complex organic systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knorr, Daniel B; Gray, Tomoko O; Overney, René M

    2008-08-21

    Energy dissipation in single asperity sliding friction was directly linked to submolecular modes of mobility by intrinsic friction analysis, involving time-temperature superposition along with thermodynamic stress and reaction rate models. Thereby, polystyrene served as a representative tribological sample for organic and amorphous complex systems. This study reveals the significance of surface and subsurface (alpha-, beta-, and gamma-) relaxational modes, which couple under appropriate external conditions (load, temperature, and rate) with shear induced disturbances, and thus gives rise to material specific frictional dissipation. At low pressures and temperatures below the glass transition point, the phenyl pendant side groups of polystyrene, known for their preferential orientation at the free surface, were noticed to be the primary channel for dissipation of kinetic sliding-energy. While this process was found to be truly enthalpic (activation energy of 8 kcalmol), energy dissipation was shown to possess both enthalpic and cooperative entropic contributions above the loading capacity of the surface phenyl groups (9.9 kcalmol) or above the glass transition. Apparent Arrhenius activation energies of frictional dissipation of 22 and 90 kcalmol, respectively, and cooperative contributions up to 80% were found. As such, this study highlights issues critical to organic lubricant design, i.e., the intrinsic enthalpic activation barriers of mobile linker groups, the evaluation of cooperative mobility phenomena, and critical tribological parameters to access or avoid coupling between shear disturbances and molecular actuators.

  7. Effects of angular momentum dissipation on fluctuations of excitation functions in heavy-ion collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kun, S.Yu.; Noerenberg, W.; Technische Hochschule Darmstadt

    1992-02-01

    We study the effect from dissipation of relative angular momentum on fluctuations of exitations functions in dissipative heavy-ion collisions. Dissipation and fluctuation of relative angular momentum modify and smooth the time-angle localization of the roating dinuclear system. The secondary maxima in the energy correlation function of the cross-section are shifted to smaller values of the energy difference, the shift depending on the relaxation time and the diffusion coefficient for the angular-momentum dissipation. The results are illustrated for the collision 28 Si(E lab =130MeV)+ 48 Ti. (orig.)

  8. Strong tidal dissipation in Io and Jupiter from astrometric observations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lainey, Valéry; Arlot, Jean-Eudes; Karatekin, Ozgür; Van Hoolst, Tim

    2009-06-18

    Io is the volcanically most active body in the Solar System and has a large surface heat flux. The geological activity is thought to be the result of tides raised by Jupiter, but it is not known whether the current tidal heat production is sufficiently high to generate the observed surface heat flow. Io's tidal heat comes from the orbital energy of the Io-Jupiter system (resulting in orbital acceleration), whereas dissipation of energy in Jupiter causes Io's orbital motion to decelerate. Here we report a determination of the tidal dissipation in Io and Jupiter through its effect on the orbital motions of the Galilean moons. Our results show that the rate of internal energy dissipation in Io (k(2)/Q = 0.015 +/- 0.003, where k(2) is the Love number and Q is the quality factor) is in good agreement with the observed surface heat flow, and suggest that Io is close to thermal equilibrium. Dissipation in Jupiter (k(2)/Q = (1.102 +/- 0.203) x 10(-5)) is close to the upper bound of its average value expected from the long-term evolution of the system, and dissipation in extrasolar planets may be higher than presently assumed. The measured secular accelerations indicate that Io is evolving inwards, towards Jupiter, and that the three innermost Galilean moons (Io, Europa and Ganymede) are evolving out of the exact Laplace resonance.

  9. Carotenoids and carotenoid esters of orange- and yellow-fleshed mamey sapote (Pouteria sapota (Jacq.) H.E. Moore & Stearn) fruit and their post-prandial absorption in humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chacón-Ordóñez, Tania; Schweiggert, Ralf M; Bosy-Westphal, Anja; Jiménez, Víctor M; Carle, Reinhold; Esquivel, Patricia

    2017-04-15

    Although different genotypes of mamey sapote with distinct pulp colors are consumed in countries from Central to South America, in-depth knowledge on genotype-related differences of their carotenoid profile is lacking. Since the fruit was found to contain the potentially vitamin A-active keto-carotenoids sapotexanthin and cryptocapsin, we sought to qualitatively and quantitatively describe the carotenoid profile of different genotypes by HPLC-DAD-MS n . Sapotexanthin and cryptocapsin were present in all genotypes. Keto-carotenoids such as cryptocapsin, capsoneoxanthin, and their esters were most abundant in orange-fleshed fruit, whereas several carotenoid epoxides prevailed in yellow-fleshed fruit. Differing carotenoid profiles were associated with different color hues of the fruit pulp, while the widely variable carotenoid content (3.7-8.0mg/100gFW) was mainly reflected by differences in color intensity (chroma C ∗ ). Furthermore, the post-prandial absorption of sapotexanthin to human plasma was proven for the first time. Besides sapotexanthin, cryptocapsin was found to be resorbed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Transport theory of dissipative heavy-ion collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Norenberg, W.

    1979-01-01

    The lectures present the formulation of a transport theory, the derivation of a practicable transport equation (Fokker-Planck equation) and the evaluation of transport coefficients for dissipative (or deeply inelastic) heavy-ion collisions. The applicability of the theoretical concept is tested with remarkable success in the analyses of various experimental information (mass transfer, angular-momentum dissipation and energy loss). Some critical remarks on the present situation of transport theories are added. Future developments are outlined. (author)

  11. Transport theory of dissipative heavy-ion collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noerenberg, W.

    1979-03-01

    The lectures present the formulation of a transport theory, the derivation of a practicable transport equation (Fokker-Planck equation) and the evaluation of transport coefficients for dissipative (or deeply inelastic) heavyion collisions. The applicability of the theoretical concept is tested with remarkable success in the analyses of various experimental informations (mass transfer, angular-momentum dissipation and energy loss). Some critical remarks on the present situation of transport theories are added. Future developments are outlined. (orig.) [de

  12. Carotenoids and Their Isomers: Color Pigments in Fruits and Vegetables

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yueming Jiang

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Fruits and vegetables are colorful pigment-containing food sources. Owing to their nutritional benefits and phytochemicals, they are considered as ‘functional food ingredients’. Carotenoids are some of the most vital colored phytochemicals, occurring as all-trans and cis-isomers, and accounting for the brilliant colors of a variety of fruits and vegetables. Carotenoids extensively studied in this regard include β-carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin. Coloration of fruits and vegetables depends on their growth maturity, concentration of carotenoid isomers, and food processing methods. This article focuses more on several carotenoids and their isomers present in different fruits and vegetables along with their concentrations. Carotenoids and their geometric isomers also play an important role in protecting cells from oxidation and cellular damages.

  13. Food carotenoids: analysis, composition and alterations during storage and processing of foods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez-Amaya, Delia B

    2003-01-01

    Substantial progress has been achieved in recent years in refining the analytical methods and evaluating the accuracy of carotenoid data. Although carotenoid analysis is inherently difficult and continues to be error prone, more complete and reliable data are now available. Rather than expressing the analytical results as retinol equivalents, there is a tendency to present the concentrations of individual carotenoids, particularly beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, alpha-carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids found in the human plasma and considered to be important to human health in terms of the provitamin A activity and/or reduction of the risk for developing degenerative diseases. With the considerable effort directed to carotenoid analysis, many food sources have now been analyzed in different countries. The carotenoid composition of foods vary qualitatively and quantitatively. Even in a given food, compositional variability occurs because of factors such as stage of maturity, variety or cultivar, climate or season, part of the plant consumed, production practices, post-harvest handling, processing and storage of food. During processing, isomerization of trans-carotenoids, the usual configuration in nature, to the cis-forms occurs, with consequent alteration of the carotenoids' bioavailability and biological activity. Isomerization is promoted by light, heat and acids. The principal cause of carotenoid loss during processing and storage of food is enzymatic or non-enzymatic oxidation of the highly unsaturated carotenoid molecules. The occurrence and extent of oxidation depends on the presence of oxygen, metals, enzymes, unsaturated lipids, prooxidants, antioxidants; exposure to light; type and physical state of the carotenoids present; severity and duration of processing; packaging material; storage conditions. Thus, retention of carotenoids has been the major concern in the preparation, processing and storage of foods. However, in recent years

  14. Marine Carotenoids against Oxidative Stress: Effects on Human Health

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Alessandra Gammone

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Carotenoids are lipid-soluble pigments that are produced in some plants, algae, fungi, and bacterial species, which accounts for their orange and yellow hues. Carotenoids are powerful antioxidants thanks to their ability to quench singlet oxygen, to be oxidized, to be isomerized, and to scavenge free radicals, which plays a crucial role in the etiology of several diseases. Unusual marine environments are associated with a great chemical diversity, resulting in novel bioactive molecules. Thus, marine organisms may represent an important source of novel biologically active substances for the development of therapeutics. In this respect, various novel marine carotenoids have recently been isolated from marine organisms and displayed several utilizations as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. Marine carotenoids (astaxanthin, fucoxanthin, β-carotene, lutein but also the rare siphonaxanthin, sioxanthin, and myxol have recently shown antioxidant properties in reducing oxidative stress markers. This review aims to describe the role of marine carotenoids against oxidative stress and their potential applications in preventing and treating inflammatory diseases.

  15. Carotenoids as a Source of Antioxidants in the Diet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xavier, Ana Augusta Odorissi; Pérez-Gálvez, Antonio

    2016-01-01

    Carotenoids, widely distributed fat-soluble pigments, are responsible for the attractive colorations of several fruits and vegetables commonly present in our daily diet. They are particularly abundant in yellow-orange fruits (carrots, tomatoes, pumpkins, peppers, among others) and, although masked by chlorophylls, in dark green leafy vegetables. Several health benefits have been attributed to carotenoids or to foods rich in these pigments, by means of different mechanisms-of-action, including the role as provitamin A of almost 50 different carotenoids and the antioxidant activity that protects cells and tissues from damage of free radicals and singlet oxygen, providing enhancement of the immune function, protection from sunburn reactions and delaying the onset of certain types of cancer. Common food sources and the efficiency of the absorption of carotenoids, analytical approaches used for measurement of their antioxidant effect and an overview of some epidemiological studies that have been performed to assess the beneficial impact of carotenoids in human health are outlined in this chapter.

  16. Marine Carotenoids against Oxidative Stress: Effects on Human Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gammone, Maria Alessandra; Riccioni, Graziano; D'Orazio, Nicolantonio

    2015-09-30

    Carotenoids are lipid-soluble pigments that are produced in some plants, algae, fungi, and bacterial species, which accounts for their orange and yellow hues. Carotenoids are powerful antioxidants thanks to their ability to quench singlet oxygen, to be oxidized, to be isomerized, and to scavenge free radicals, which plays a crucial role in the etiology of several diseases. Unusual marine environments are associated with a great chemical diversity, resulting in novel bioactive molecules. Thus, marine organisms may represent an important source of novel biologically active substances for the development of therapeutics. In this respect, various novel marine carotenoids have recently been isolated from marine organisms and displayed several utilizations as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. Marine carotenoids (astaxanthin, fucoxanthin, β-carotene, lutein but also the rare siphonaxanthin, sioxanthin, and myxol) have recently shown antioxidant properties in reducing oxidative stress markers. This review aims to describe the role of marine carotenoids against oxidative stress and their potential applications in preventing and treating inflammatory diseases.

  17. The trigger supervisor: Managing triggering conditions in a high energy physics experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wadsworth, B.; Lanza, R.; LeVine, M.J.; Scheetz, R.A.; Videbaek, F.

    1987-01-01

    A trigger supervisor, implemented in VME-bus hardware, is described, which enables the host computer to dynamically control and monitor the trigger configuration for acquiring data from multiple detector partitions in a complex experiment

  18. Experimental basis for parameters contributing to energy dissipation in piping systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ibanez, P.; Ware, A.G.

    1985-01-01

    The paper reviews several pipe testing programs to suggest the phenomena causing energy dissipation in piping systems. Such phenomena include material damping, plasticity, collision in gaps and between pipes, water dynamics, insulation straining, coupling slippage, restraints (snubbers, struts, etc.), and pipe/structure interaction. These observations are supported by a large experimental data base. Data are available from in-situ and laboratory tests (pipe diameters up to about 20 inches, response levels from milli-g's to responses causing yielding, and from excitation wave forms including sinusoid, snapback, random, and seismic). A variety of pipe configurations have been tested, including simple, bare, straight sections and complex lines with bends, snubbers, struts, and insulation. Tests have been performed with and without water and at zero to operating pressure. Both light water reactor and LMFBR piping have been tested

  19. [Isolation and preliminary characterization of carotenoids from pink-pigmented methylotrophs].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konovalova, A M; Shylin, S O; Rokytko, P V

    2006-01-01

    An effective method was developed for complete removal of pigments from the cells and solvent mixture for further separation of pigments using thin layer chromatography on silica gel. Carotenoid samples that have been obtained in this way are of good purity for further investigations. Carotenoid pigments of pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophic bacteria Methylobacterium have been characterized. These carotenoids are represented mainly by xanthophylls, particularly hydroxycarotenoids. Strains M. fujisawaense B-3365 and M. mesophilicum B-3352 also have nonpolar carotenes in a small amount. Physico-chemical properties of carotenoids have been studied.

  20. High-Density Quantum Sensing with Dissipative First Order Transitions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raghunandan, Meghana; Wrachtrup, Jörg; Weimer, Hendrik

    2018-04-01

    The sensing of external fields using quantum systems is a prime example of an emergent quantum technology. Generically, the sensitivity of a quantum sensor consisting of N independent particles is proportional to √{N }. However, interactions invariably occurring at high densities lead to a breakdown of the assumption of independence between the particles, posing a severe challenge for quantum sensors operating at the nanoscale. Here, we show that interactions in quantum sensors can be transformed from a nuisance into an advantage when strong interactions trigger a dissipative phase transition in an open quantum system. We demonstrate this behavior by analyzing dissipative quantum sensors based upon nitrogen-vacancy defect centers in diamond. Using both a variational method and a numerical simulation of the master equation describing the open quantum many-body system, we establish the existence of a dissipative first order transition that can be used for quantum sensing. We investigate the properties of this phase transition for two- and three-dimensional setups, demonstrating that the transition can be observed using current experimental technology. Finally, we show that quantum sensors based on dissipative phase transitions are particularly robust against imperfections such as disorder or decoherence, with the sensitivity of the sensor not being limited by the T2 coherence time of the device. Our results can readily be applied to other applications in quantum sensing and quantum metrology where interactions are currently a limiting factor.

  1. High-Density Quantum Sensing with Dissipative First Order Transitions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raghunandan, Meghana; Wrachtrup, Jörg; Weimer, Hendrik

    2018-04-13

    The sensing of external fields using quantum systems is a prime example of an emergent quantum technology. Generically, the sensitivity of a quantum sensor consisting of N independent particles is proportional to sqrt[N]. However, interactions invariably occurring at high densities lead to a breakdown of the assumption of independence between the particles, posing a severe challenge for quantum sensors operating at the nanoscale. Here, we show that interactions in quantum sensors can be transformed from a nuisance into an advantage when strong interactions trigger a dissipative phase transition in an open quantum system. We demonstrate this behavior by analyzing dissipative quantum sensors based upon nitrogen-vacancy defect centers in diamond. Using both a variational method and a numerical simulation of the master equation describing the open quantum many-body system, we establish the existence of a dissipative first order transition that can be used for quantum sensing. We investigate the properties of this phase transition for two- and three-dimensional setups, demonstrating that the transition can be observed using current experimental technology. Finally, we show that quantum sensors based on dissipative phase transitions are particularly robust against imperfections such as disorder or decoherence, with the sensitivity of the sensor not being limited by the T_{2} coherence time of the device. Our results can readily be applied to other applications in quantum sensing and quantum metrology where interactions are currently a limiting factor.

  2. The role of carotenoids in human health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Elizabeth J

    2002-01-01

    Dietary carotenoids are thought to provide health benefits in decreasing the risk of disease, particularly certain cancers and eye disease. The carotenoids that have been most studied in this regard are beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. In part, the beneficial effects of carotenoids are thought to be due to their role as antioxidants. beta-Carotene may have added benefits due its ability to be converted to vitamin A. Furthermore, lutein and zeaxanthin may be protective in eye disease because they absorb damaging blue light that enters the eye. Food sources of these compounds include a variety of fruits and vegetables, although the primary sources of lycopene are tomato and tomato products. Additionally, egg yolk is a highly bioavailable source of lutein and zeaxanthin. These carotenoids are available in supplement form. However, intervention trials with large doses of beta-carotene found an adverse effect on the incidence of lung cancer in smokers and workers exposed to asbestos. Until the efficacy and safety of taking supplements containing these nutrients can be determined, current dietary recommendations of diets high in fruits and vegetables are advised.

  3. Testing the carotenoid trade-off hypothesis in the polychromatic Midas cichlid, Amphilophus citrinellus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Susan M; Nieves-Puigdoller, Katherine; Brown, Alexandria C; McGraw, Kevin J; Clotfelter, Ethan D

    2010-01-01

    Many animals use carotenoid pigments derived from their diet for coloration and immunity. The carotenoid trade-off hypothesis predicts that, under conditions of carotenoid scarcity, individuals may be forced to allocate limited carotenoids to either coloration or immunity. In polychromatic species, the pattern of allocation may differ among individuals. We tested the carotenoid trade-off hypothesis in the Midas cichlid, Amphilophus citrinellus, a species with two ontogenetic color morphs, barred and gold, the latter of which is the result of carotenoid expression. We performed a diet-supplementation experiment in which cichlids of both color morphs were assigned to one of two diet treatments that differed only in carotenoid content (beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin). We measured integument color using spectrometry, quantified carotenoid concentrations in tissue and plasma, and assessed innate immunity using lysozyme activity and alternative complement pathway assays. In both color morphs, dietary carotenoid supplementation elevated plasma carotenoid circulation but failed to affect skin coloration. Consistent with observable differences in integument coloration, we found that gold fish sequestered more carotenoids in skin tissue than barred fish, but barred fish had higher concentrations of carotenoids in plasma than gold fish. Neither measure of innate immunity differed between gold and barred fish, or as a function of dietary carotenoid supplementation. Lysozyme activity, but not complement activity, was strongly affected by body condition. Our data show that a diet low in carotenoids is sufficient to maintain both coloration and innate immunity in Midas cichlids. Our data also suggest that the developmental transition from the barred to gold morph is not accompanied by a decrease in innate immunity in this species.

  4. Workshop on data acquisition and trigger system simulations for high energy physics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1992-12-31

    This report discusses the following topics: DAQSIM: A data acquisition system simulation tool; Front end and DCC Simulations for the SDC Straw Tube System; Simulation of Non-Blocklng Data Acquisition Architectures; Simulation Studies of the SDC Data Collection Chip; Correlation Studies of the Data Collection Circuit & The Design of a Queue for this Circuit; Fast Data Compression & Transmission from a Silicon Strip Wafer; Simulation of SCI Protocols in Modsim; Visual Design with vVHDL; Stochastic Simulation of Asynchronous Buffers; SDC Trigger Simulations; Trigger Rates, DAQ & Online Processing at the SSC; Planned Enhancements to MODSEM II & SIMOBJECT -- an Overview -- R.; DAGAR -- A synthesis system; Proposed Silicon Compiler for Physics Applications; Timed -- LOTOS in a PROLOG Environment: an Algebraic language for Simulation; Modeling and Simulation of an Event Builder for High Energy Physics Data Acquisition Systems; A Verilog Simulation for the CDF DAQ; Simulation to Design with Verilog; The DZero Data Acquisition System: Model and Measurements; DZero Trigger Level 1.5 Modeling; Strategies Optimizing Data Load in the DZero Triggers; Simulation of the DZero Level 2 Data Acquisition System; A Fast Method for Calculating DZero Level 1 Jet Trigger Properties and Physics Input to DAQ Studies.

  5. Workshop on data acquisition and trigger system simulations for high energy physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    This report discusses the following topics: DAQSIM: A data acquisition system simulation tool; Front end and DCC Simulations for the SDC Straw Tube System; Simulation of Non-Blocklng Data Acquisition Architectures; Simulation Studies of the SDC Data Collection Chip; Correlation Studies of the Data Collection Circuit ampersand The Design of a Queue for this Circuit; Fast Data Compression ampersand Transmission from a Silicon Strip Wafer; Simulation of SCI Protocols in Modsim; Visual Design with vVHDL; Stochastic Simulation of Asynchronous Buffers; SDC Trigger Simulations; Trigger Rates, DAQ ampersand Online Processing at the SSC; Planned Enhancements to MODSEM II ampersand SIMOBJECT -- an Overview -- R.; DAGAR -- A synthesis system; Proposed Silicon Compiler for Physics Applications; Timed -- LOTOS in a PROLOG Environment: an Algebraic language for Simulation; Modeling and Simulation of an Event Builder for High Energy Physics Data Acquisition Systems; A Verilog Simulation for the CDF DAQ; Simulation to Design with Verilog; The DZero Data Acquisition System: Model and Measurements; DZero Trigger Level 1.5 Modeling; Strategies Optimizing Data Load in the DZero Triggers; Simulation of the DZero Level 2 Data Acquisition System; A Fast Method for Calculating DZero Level 1 Jet Trigger Properties and Physics Input to DAQ Studies

  6. Metabolism of carotenoids and apocarotenoids during ripening of raspberry fruit

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beekwilder, J; van der Meer, IM; Simicb, A

    2008-01-01

    Carotenoids are important lipophilic antioxidants in fruits. Apocarotenoids such as α-ionone and β-ionone, which are breakdown products of carotenoids, are important for the flavor characteristics of raspberry fruit, and have also been suggested to have beneficial effects on human health. Raspberry...... is one of the few fruits where fruit ripening is accompanied by the massive production of apocarotenoids. In this paper, changes in levels of carotenoids and apocarotenoids during raspberry fruit ripening are described. In addition, the isolation and characterization of a gene encoding a carotenoid...... cleavage dioxygenase (CCD), which putatively mediates the degradation of carotenoids to apocarotenoids during raspberry fruit ripening, is reported. Such information helps us to better understand how these compounds are produced in plants and may also enable us to develop novel strategies for improved...

  7. On the role of labile oxocomplexes in carotenoids antioxidant activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prokhorova, L.I.; Revina, A.A.

    2001-01-01

    Early stages of the interaction of carotenoids and molecular oxygen are studied and role of its interaction in the processes responsible for radiation resistance of carotenoids, superoxide dismutase activity to the singlet oxygen quenching. Ethanol and aqueous solutions of the carotenoids (phosphate buffer with pH 7.5) were exposed to accelerated electron flux at pulse regime and dose rate (0.7-2.0)x10 17 eV/ml imp in the dark and in case of combined effect of radiation and light. It is concluded that at the early stages of processes with the participation of carotenoids the formation of reversible complexes with charge transfer plays the important role. Properties and reaction capability of these complexes are determined by the peculiarities in chemical structure of carotenoid molecules [ru

  8. Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System Applied QSAR with Quantum Chemical Descriptors for Predicting Radical Scavenging Activities of Carotenoids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jhin, Changho; Hwang, Keum Taek

    2015-01-01

    One of the physiological characteristics of carotenoids is their radical scavenging activity. In this study, the relationship between radical scavenging activities and quantum chemical descriptors of carotenoids was determined. Adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) applied quantitative structure-activity relationship models (QSAR) were also developed for predicting and comparing radical scavenging activities of carotenoids. Semi-empirical PM6 and PM7 quantum chemical calculations were done by MOPAC. Ionisation energies of neutral and monovalent cationic carotenoids and the product of chemical potentials of neutral and monovalent cationic carotenoids were significantly correlated with the radical scavenging activities, and consequently these descriptors were used as independent variables for the QSAR study. The ANFIS applied QSAR models were developed with two triangular-shaped input membership functions made for each of the independent variables and optimised by a backpropagation method. High prediction efficiencies were achieved by the ANFIS applied QSAR. The R-square values of the developed QSAR models with the variables calculated by PM6 and PM7 methods were 0.921 and 0.902, respectively. The results of this study demonstrated reliabilities of the selected quantum chemical descriptors and the significance of QSAR models.

  9. Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System Applied QSAR with Quantum Chemical Descriptors for Predicting Radical Scavenging Activities of Carotenoids.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Changho Jhin

    Full Text Available One of the physiological characteristics of carotenoids is their radical scavenging activity. In this study, the relationship between radical scavenging activities and quantum chemical descriptors of carotenoids was determined. Adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS applied quantitative structure-activity relationship models (QSAR were also developed for predicting and comparing radical scavenging activities of carotenoids. Semi-empirical PM6 and PM7 quantum chemical calculations were done by MOPAC. Ionisation energies of neutral and monovalent cationic carotenoids and the product of chemical potentials of neutral and monovalent cationic carotenoids were significantly correlated with the radical scavenging activities, and consequently these descriptors were used as independent variables for the QSAR study. The ANFIS applied QSAR models were developed with two triangular-shaped input membership functions made for each of the independent variables and optimised by a backpropagation method. High prediction efficiencies were achieved by the ANFIS applied QSAR. The R-square values of the developed QSAR models with the variables calculated by PM6 and PM7 methods were 0.921 and 0.902, respectively. The results of this study demonstrated reliabilities of the selected quantum chemical descriptors and the significance of QSAR models.

  10. Modification of lymphocyte DNA damage by carotenoid supplementation in postmenopausal women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Xianfeng; Aldini, Giancarlo; Johnson, Elizabeth J; Rasmussen, Helen; Kraemer, Klaus; Woolf, Herb; Musaeus, Nina; Krinsky, Norman I; Russell, Robert M; Yeum, Kyung-Jin

    2006-01-01

    Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases related to aging such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. Carotenoids could be a part of a protective strategy to minimize oxidative damage in vulnerable populations, such as the elderly. Our aim was to determine the protective effect of carotenoids against DNA damage. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled intervention study was conducted. Thirty-seven healthy, nonsmoking postmenopausal women aged 50-70 y were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 groups and were instructed to consume a daily dose of mixed carotenoids (beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene; 4 mg each), 12 mg of a single carotenoid (beta-carotene, lutein, or lycopene), or placebo for 56 d. Plasma carotenoid concentrations were analyzed by using HPLC, and lymphocyte DNA damage was measured by using a single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay. At day 57, all carotenoid-supplemented groups showed significantly lower endogenous DNA damage than at baseline (P lutein, beta-carotene, and lycopene), an intake that can be achieved by diet, or a larger dose (12 mg) of individual carotenoids exerts protection against DNA damage.

  11. Carbon nanotubes within polymer matrix can synergistically enhance mechanical energy dissipation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashraf, Taimoor; Ranaiefar, Meelad; Khatri, Sumit; Kavosi, Jamshid; Gardea, Frank; Glaz, Bryan; Naraghi, Mohammad

    2018-03-01

    Safe operation and health of structures relies on their ability to effectively dissipate undesired vibrations, which could otherwise significantly reduce the life-time of a structure due to fatigue loads or large deformations. To address this issue, nanoscale fillers, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), have been utilized to dissipate mechanical energy in polymer-based nanocomposites through filler-matrix interfacial friction by benefitting from their large interface area with the matrix. In this manuscript, for the first time, we experimentally investigate the effect of CNT alignment with respect to reach other and their orientation with respect to the loading direction on vibrational damping in nanocomposites. The matrix was polystyrene (PS). A new technique was developed to fabricate PS-CNT nanocomposites which allows for controlling the angle of CNTs with respect to the far-field loading direction (misalignment angle). Samples were subjected to dynamic mechanical analysis, and the damping of the samples were measured as the ratio of the loss to storage moduli versus CNT misalignment angle. Our results defied a notion that randomly oriented CNT nanocomposites can be approximated as a combination of matrix-CNT representative volume elements with randomly aligned CNTs. Instead, our results points to major contributions of stress concentration induced by each CNT in the matrix in proximity of other CNTs on vibrational damping. The stress fields around CNTs in PS-CNT nanocomposites were studied via finite element analysis. Our findings provide significant new insights not only on vibrational damping nanocomposites, but also on their failure modes and toughness, in relation to interface phenomena.

  12. Biochemical Validation of the Older Australian’s Food Frequency Questionnaire Using Carotenoids and Vitamin E

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun S. Lai

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Background: Validation of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ is important, as inaccurate and imprecise information may affect the association between dietary exposure and health outcomes. Objective: This study assessed the validity of the Older Australian’s FFQ against plasma carotenoids and Vitamin E. Methods: A random subsample (n = 150 of 2420 participants in the Hunter Community Study, aged 55–85 years, were included. Correlations between crude and energy-adjusted FFQ estimates of carotenoids, Vitamin E, and fruit and vegetables with corresponding biomarkers were determined. Percentages of participants correctly classified in the same quartile, and in the same ± 1 quartile, by the two methods were calculated. Results: Significant correlations (P < 0.05 were observed for α-carotene (r = 0.26–0.28, β-carotene (r = 0.21–0.25, and β-cryptoxanthin (r = 0.21–0.23. Intakes of fruits and vegetables also showed similar correlations with these plasma carotenoids. Lycopene was only significantly correlated with fruit and vegetable intakes (r = 0.19–0.23. Weak correlations were observed for lutein + zeaxanthin (r = 0.12–0.16. For Vitamin E, significant correlation was observed for energy-adjusted FFQ estimate and biomarker (r = 0.20. More than 68% of individuals were correctly classified within the same or adjacent quartile, except for lutein + zeaxanthin. Conclusion: With the exception of lutein + zeaxanthin, the Older Australian’s FFQ provides reasonable rankings for individuals according to their carotenoids, Vitamin E, fruit and vegetable intakes.

  13. Biodisponibilidad de carotenoides

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    César M. Baracaldo

    1998-12-01

    Full Text Available La vitamina A y sus derivados conocidos como retinoides (de origen animal y compuestos pro-vitamina A denominados carotenoides (de origen vegetal son importantes en la prevención de cáncer, enfermedades crónicas y enfermedades relacionadas con la deficiencia de vitamina A; por tanto, es importante conocer la absorción, metabolismo, transporte y almacenamiento de estos compuestos en humanos. Debido a lo compleja que ha sido la utilización de modelos humanos para estudiar la biodisponibilidad de carotenoides de fuentes naturales y sintéticas, recientemente se han desarrollado modelos animales que permiten avances significativos en áreas de poca conocimiento. Esta revisión pretende dar la mayor información acerca de la farmacocinética y el metabolismo de este nutriente que permita a los interesados utilizar el modelo más apropiado para los fines que persiga.

  14. Influence of movement direction on levitation performance and energy dissipation in a superconducting maglev system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Chen-Guang; Yong, Hua-Dong; Zhou, You-He

    2017-11-01

    During the regular operation of a maglev system, the superconducting levitation body may move away from the working position due to the external disturbance and the curved part of the guideway. Based on the A - V formulation of magnetoquasistatic Maxwell's equations, in this paper, a two-dimensional numerical model is applied to study the influence of movement direction on a typical maglev system consisting of an infinitely long high-temperature superconductor and a guideway of two infinitely long parallel permanent magnets with opposite horizontal magnetization. After the highly nonlinear current-voltage characteristic of the superconductor is taken into account, the levitation performance change and the energy dissipation induced by the relative movement of the superconductor and the guideway are discussed. The results show that the levitation force, guidance force and power loss are strongly dependent on the movement direction and speed of the superconductor when it moves away from the working position. If the superconductor moves periodically through the working position, these three physical quantities will change periodically with time. Interestingly, the power loss drastically increases during the first cycle, and after the first cycle it starts to decrease and finally tends to a dynamic steady state. Moreover, an increase in the tilt angle of movement direction will improve the maximum levitation force and, simultaneously, enhance the energy dissipation of the maglev system.

  15. Influence of movement direction on levitation performance and energy dissipation in a superconducting maglev system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen-Guang Huang

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available During the regular operation of a maglev system, the superconducting levitation body may move away from the working position due to the external disturbance and the curved part of the guideway. Based on the A − V formulation of magnetoquasistatic Maxwell’s equations, in this paper, a two-dimensional numerical model is applied to study the influence of movement direction on a typical maglev system consisting of an infinitely long high-temperature superconductor and a guideway of two infinitely long parallel permanent magnets with opposite horizontal magnetization. After the highly nonlinear current-voltage characteristic of the superconductor is taken into account, the levitation performance change and the energy dissipation induced by the relative movement of the superconductor and the guideway are discussed. The results show that the levitation force, guidance force and power loss are strongly dependent on the movement direction and speed of the superconductor when it moves away from the working position. If the superconductor moves periodically through the working position, these three physical quantities will change periodically with time. Interestingly, the power loss drastically increases during the first cycle, and after the first cycle it starts to decrease and finally tends to a dynamic steady state. Moreover, an increase in the tilt angle of movement direction will improve the maximum levitation force and, simultaneously, enhance the energy dissipation of the maglev system.

  16. A track reconstructing low-latency trigger processor for high-energy physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cuveland, Jan de

    2009-01-01

    The detection and analysis of the large number of particles emerging from high-energy collisions between atomic nuclei is a major challenge in experimental heavy-ion physics. Efficient trigger systems help to focus the analysis on relevant events. A primary objective of the Transition Radiation Detector of the ALICE experiment at the LHC is to trigger on high-momentum electrons. In this thesis, a trigger processor is presented that employs massive parallelism to perform the required online event reconstruction within 2 μs to contribute to the Level-1 trigger decision. Its three-stage hierarchical architecture comprises 109 nodes based on FPGA technology. Ninety processing nodes receive data from the detector front-end at an aggregate net bandwidth of 2.16 Tbit/s via 1080 optical links. Using specifically developed components and interconnections, the system combines high bandwidth with minimum latency. The employed tracking algorithm three-dimensionally reassembles the track segments found in the detector's drift chambers based on explicit value comparisons, calculates the momentum of the originating particles from the course of the reconstructed tracks, and finally leads to a trigger decision. The architecture is capable of processing up to 20 000 track segments in less than 2 μs with high detection efficiency and reconstruction precision for high-momentum particles. As a result, this thesis shows how a trigger processor performing complex online track reconstruction within tight real-time requirements can be realized. The presented hardware has been built and is in continuous data taking operation in the ALICE experiment. (orig.)

  17. A track reconstructing low-latency trigger processor for high-energy physics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cuveland, Jan de

    2009-09-17

    The detection and analysis of the large number of particles emerging from high-energy collisions between atomic nuclei is a major challenge in experimental heavy-ion physics. Efficient trigger systems help to focus the analysis on relevant events. A primary objective of the Transition Radiation Detector of the ALICE experiment at the LHC is to trigger on high-momentum electrons. In this thesis, a trigger processor is presented that employs massive parallelism to perform the required online event reconstruction within 2 {mu}s to contribute to the Level-1 trigger decision. Its three-stage hierarchical architecture comprises 109 nodes based on FPGA technology. Ninety processing nodes receive data from the detector front-end at an aggregate net bandwidth of 2.16 Tbit/s via 1080 optical links. Using specifically developed components and interconnections, the system combines high bandwidth with minimum latency. The employed tracking algorithm three-dimensionally reassembles the track segments found in the detector's drift chambers based on explicit value comparisons, calculates the momentum of the originating particles from the course of the reconstructed tracks, and finally leads to a trigger decision. The architecture is capable of processing up to 20 000 track segments in less than 2 {mu}s with high detection efficiency and reconstruction precision for high-momentum particles. As a result, this thesis shows how a trigger processor performing complex online track reconstruction within tight real-time requirements can be realized. The presented hardware has been built and is in continuous data taking operation in the ALICE experiment. (orig.)

  18. Synthetic biology and metabolic engineering for marine carotenoids: new opportunities and future prospects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chonglong; Kim, Jung-Hun; Kim, Seon-Won

    2014-09-17

    Carotenoids are a class of diverse pigments with important biological roles such as light capture and antioxidative activities. Many novel carotenoids have been isolated from marine organisms to date and have shown various utilizations as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. In this review, we summarize the pathways and enzymes of carotenoid synthesis and discuss various modifications of marine carotenoids. The advances in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology for carotenoid production are also reviewed, in hopes that this review will promote the exploration of marine carotenoid for their utilizations.

  19. Non-invasive in vivo measurement of macular carotenoids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lambert, James L. (Inventor); Borchert, Mark S. (Inventor)

    2009-01-01

    A non-invasive in vivo method for assessing macular carotenoids includes performing Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) on a retina of a subject. A spatial representation of carotenoid levels in the macula based on data from the OCT of the retina can be generated.

  20. Effects of organic and conventional growth systems on the content of carotenoids in carrot roots, and on intake and plasma status of carotenoids in humans

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Søltoft, Malene; Bysted, Anette; Madsen, K. H.

    2011-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The demand for organic food products has increased during the last decades due to their probable health effects, among others. A higher content of secondary metabolites such as carotenoids in organic food products has been claimed, though not documented, to contribute to increased...... health effects of organic foods. The aim was to study the impact of organic and conventional agricultural systems on the content of carotenoids in carrots and human diets. In addition, a human cross-over study was performed, measuring the plasma status of carotenoids in humans consuming diets made from...... crops from these agricultural systems. RESULTS: The content of carotenoids in carrot roots and human diets was not significantly affected by the agricultural production system or year, despite differences in fertilisation strategy and levels. The plasma status of carotenoids increased significantly...

  1. Electroabsorption spectra of carotenoid isomers: Conformational modulation of polarizability vs. induced dipole moments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krawczyk, Stanislaw; Jazurek, Beata; Luchowski, Rafal; Wiacek, Dariusz

    2006-01-01

    Electroabsorption spectra of all-trans, 13-cis and 15-cis isomers of carotenoids violaxanthin and β-carotene frozen in organic solvents were analysed in terms of changes in permanent dipole moment, Δμ, and in the linear polarizability, Δα, on electronic excitation. The spectral range investigated covered the two carotenoid absorption bands in the VIS and UV, known to originate from differently oriented transition dipole moments. In contrast with the collinearity of the apparent Δμ with Δα in the lowest-energy allowed (VIS) transition 1A g - ->1B u + , the axis of the largest polarizability change in the UV transition 1A g - ->1A g + (''cis band'') was found to make a large angle with the transition moment, while the direction of Δμ appears to be much closer to it. These data support the view that Δμ's inferred from electrochromic spectra of carotenoids are apparent and are not induced by the local matrix field in the solvent cavity, but merely result from conformational modulation of molecular polarizability

  2. Dissipative binary collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aboufirassi, M; Angelique, J.C.; Bizard, G.; Bougault, R.; Brou, R.; Buta, A.; Colin, J.; Cussol, D.; Durand, D.; Genoux-Lubain, A.; Horn, D.; Kerambrun, A.; Laville, J.L.; Le Brun, C.; Lecolley, J.F.; Lefebvres, F.; Lopez, O.; Louvel, M.; Meslin, C.; Metivier, V.; Nakagawa, T.; Peter, J.; Popescu, R.; Regimbart, R.; Steckmeyer, J.C.; Tamain, B.; Vient, E.; Wieloch, A.; Yuasa-Nakagawa, K.

    1998-01-01

    The binary character of the heavy ion collisions at intermediate energies in the exit channel has been observed under 30 MeV/n in medium and heavy systems. Measurements in light systems at energies approaching ∼ 100 MeV/nucleon as well as in very heavy systems have allowed to extend considerably the investigations of this binary process. Thus, the study of the Pb + Au system showed that the complete charge events indicated two distinct sources: the quasi-projectile and the quasi-target. The characteristics of these two sources are rather well reproduced by a trajectory computation which takes into account the Coulomb and nuclear forces and the friction appearing from the projectile-target interaction. The Wilczynski diagram is used to probe the correlation between the kinetic energy quenching and the deflecting angle. In case of the system Pb + Au at 29 MeV/nucleon the diagram indicate dissipative binary collisions typical for low energies. This binary aspect was also detected in the systems Xe + Ag at 44 MeV/nucleon, 36 Ar + 27 Al and 64 Zn + nat Ti. Thus, it was possible to reconstruct the quasi-projectile and to study its mass and excitation energy evolution as a function of the impact parameter. The dissipative binary collisions represent for the systems and energies under considerations the main contribution to the cross section. This does not implies that there are not other processes; particularly, the more or less complete fusion is also observed but with a low cross section which decreases with the increase of bombardment energy. More exclusive measurements with the INDRA detector on quasi-symmetric systems as Ar + KCl and Xe + Sn seem to confirm the importance of the binary collisions. The two source reconstruction of the Xe + Sn data at 50 MeV/nucleon reproduces the same behaviour as that observed in the system Pb + Au at 29 MeV/nucleon

  3. No detectable carotenoid concentrations in serum of llamas and alpacas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raila, J; Schweigert, F J; Stanitznig, A; Lambacher, B; Franz, S; Baldermann, S; Wittek, T

    2017-08-01

    Carotenoids are lipid-soluble pigments and important for a variety of physiological functions. They are major dietary vitamin A precursors and act as lipophilic antioxidants in a variety of tissues and are associated with important health benefits in humans and animals. All animals must acquire carotenoids from their diet, but to our knowledge, there are no studies investigating the intestinal carotenoid absorption and their blood concentrations in New World camelids. The present study aimed to assess the serum concentrations of selected carotenoids in llamas (n = 13) and alpacas (n = 27). Serum carotenoids as well as retinol (vitamin A) and α-tocopherol (vitamin E) were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and these were unable to detect any carotenoids (α- and β-carotene, α- and β-cryptoxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene) in the samples. The concentrations of retinol in alpacas (2.89 ± 1.13 μmol/l; mean ± SD) were higher (p = 0.024) than those found in llamas (2.05 ± 0.87 μmol/l); however, the concentrations of α-tocopherol were not significantly (p = 0.166) different (llamas: 3.98 ± 1.83 μmol/l; alpacas: 4.95 ± 2.14 μmol/l). The results show that both llamas and alpacas are not able to absorb intact carotenoids, but efficiently convert provitamin A carotenoids to retinol. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  4. Carotenoid composition of human milk during the first month postpartum and the response to beta-carotene supplementation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gossage, Cynthia P; Deyhim, Mercedeh; Yamini, Sedigheh; Douglass, Larry W; Moser-Veillon, Phylis B

    2002-07-01

    Information is lacking regarding normal changes in milk carotenoid concentrations in healthy, well-nourished women during the first month of lactation. This study investigated milk carotenoid concentrations during days 4-32 postpartum and assessed the effects of maternal beta-carotene supplementation. Subjects (n = 21; aged 19-39 y) were randomly assigned to receive beta-carotene (30 mg/d) or placebo from days 4 to 32 postpartum. Each subject provided 8 diet records and 8 milk samples during the study. Diet records were analyzed for energy, macronutrients, vitamins A and E, and carotenoids. Milk samples were analyzed with HPLC for concentrations of carotenoids, retinol, and alpha-tocopherol. Data were analyzed by using repeated-measures analysis and orthogonal contrasts. No significant differences in average dietary intakes, body mass index, age, or parity were found between groups at baseline or after supplementation. Milk carotenoid concentrations decreased over time (P milk by day 32 postpartum. Milk lutein concentrations remained elevated throughout the study compared with values reported for mature milk, whereas plasma lutein concentrations decreased significantly over time. beta-carotene supplementation did not significantly change the milk concentrations of beta-carotene, the other carotenoids, retinol, or alpha-tocopherol. The lack of increase in milk beta-carotene despite supplementation suggests that transitional milk may be already nearly saturated with beta-carotene. The elevated milk lutein concentration and simultaneous decrease in plasma lutein suggest that lutein metabolism may be altered during early lactation.

  5. TRIGGER

    CERN Multimedia

    R. Carlin with contributions from D. Acosta

    2012-01-01

    Level-1 Trigger Data-taking continues at cruising speed, with high availability of all components of the Level-1 trigger. We have operated the trigger up to a luminosity of 7.6E33, where we approached 100 kHz using the 7E33 prescale column.  Recently, the pause without triggers in case of an automatic "RESYNC" signal (the "settle" and "recover" time) was reduced in order to minimise the overall dead-time. This may become very important when the LHC comes back with higher energy and luminosity after LS1. We are also preparing for data-taking in the proton-lead run in early 2013. The CASTOR detector will make its comeback into CMS and triggering capabilities are being prepared for this. Steps to be taken include improved cooperation with the TOTEM trigger system and using the LHC clock during the injection and ramp phases of LHC. Studies are being finalised that will have a bearing on the Trigger Technical Design Report (TDR), which is to be rea...

  6. Metabolic regulation of carotenoid-enriched Golden rice line

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dipak Gayen

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Vitamin A deficiency (VAD is the leading cause of blindness among children and is associated with high risk of maternal mortality. In order to enhance the bioavailability of vitamin A, high carotenoid transgenic golden rice has been developed by manipulating enzymes, such as phytoene synthase (psy and phytoene desaturase (crtI. In this study, proteome and metabolite analyses were carried out to comprehend metabolic regulation and adaptation of transgenic golden rice after the manipulation of endosperm specific carotenoid pathways. The main alteration was observed in carbohydrate metabolism pathways of the transgenic seeds. The 2D based proteomic studies demonstrated that carbohydrate metabolism-related enzymes, such as pullulanase, UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and glucose-1-phosphate adenylyl transferase, were primarily up-regulated in transgenic rice seeds. In addition, the enzyme PPDK was also elevated in transgenic seeds thus enhancing pyruvate biosynthesis, which is the precursor in the carotenoids biosynthetic pathway. GC-MS based metabolite profiling demonstrated an increase in the levels of glyceric acid, fructo-furanose, and galactose, while decrease in galactonic acid and gentiobiose in the transgenic rice compared to WT. It is noteworthy to mention that the carotenoid content, especially β-carotene level in transgenic rice (4.3 µg/g was significantly enhanced. The present study highlights the metabolic adaptation process of a transgenic golden rice line (homozygous T4 progeny of SKBR-244 after enhancing carotenoid biosynthesis. The presented information would be helpful in the development of crops enriched in carotenoids by expressing metabolic flux of pyruvate biosynthesis.

  7. Assessment of leaf carotenoids content with a new carotenoid index: Development and validation on experimental and model data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Xianfeng; Huang, Wenjiang; Kong, Weiping; Ye, Huichun; Dong, Yingying; Casa, Raffaele

    2017-05-01

    Leaf carotenoids content (LCar) is an important indicator of plant physiological status. Accurate estimation of LCar provides valuable insight into early detection of stress in vegetation. With spectroscopy techniques, a semi-empirical approach based on spectral indices was extensively used for carotenoids content estimation. However, established spectral indices for carotenoids that generally rely on limited measured data, might lack predictive accuracy for carotenoids estimation in various species and at different growth stages. In this study, we propose a new carotenoid index (CARI) for LCar assessment based on a large synthetic dataset simulated from the leaf radiative transfer model PROSPECT-5, and evaluate its capability with both simulated data from PROSPECT-5 and 4SAIL and extensive experimental datasets: the ANGERS dataset and experimental data acquired in field experiments in China in 2004. Results show that CARI was the index most linearly correlated with carotenoids content at the leaf level using a synthetic dataset (R2 = 0.943, RMSE = 1.196 μg/cm2), compared with published spectral indices. Cross-validation results with CARI using ANGERS data achieved quite an accurate estimation (R2 = 0.545, RMSE = 3.413 μg/cm2), though the RBRI performed as the best index (R2 = 0.727, RMSE = 2.640 μg/cm2). CARI also showed good accuracy (R2 = 0.639, RMSE = 1.520 μg/cm2) for LCar assessment with leaf level field survey data, though PRI performed better (R2 = 0.710, RMSE = 1.369 μg/cm2). Whereas RBRI, PRI and other assessed spectral indices showed a good performance for a given dataset, overall their estimation accuracy was not consistent across all datasets used in this study. Conversely CARI was more robust showing good results in all datasets. Further assessment of LCar with simulated and measured canopy reflectance data indicated that CARI might not be very sensitive to LCar changes at low leaf area index (LAI) value, and in these conditions soil moisture

  8. Nuclear Dissipation from Fission Time

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gontchar, I.; Morjean, M.; Basnary, S.

    2000-01-01

    Fission times, pre-scission neutron multiplicities and GDR pre-scission γ-ray multiplicities measured for uranium or thorium nuclei formed with temperatures T ∼ 1.8 MeV have been compared with calculations performed with CDSM2, a two-dimensional dynamical model combined with a statistical one. Among the three experimental approaches considered, fission times give access to the most precise pieces of information on nuclear dissipation at high excitation energy. For the temperature range under consideration, an agreement between the model and data is achieved if one-body dissipation is used with a strength factor k red ∼ 0.45 ± 0.10 applied to the wall term for the mononuclear configuration. (authors)

  9. Morphing of the Dissipative Reaction Mechanism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schroeder, W.U.; Toke, J.; Gawlikowicz, W.; Houck, M.A.; Lu, J.; Pienkowski, L.

    2003-01-01

    Important trends in the evolution of heavy-ion reaction mechanisms with bombarding energy and impact parameter are reviewed. Essential features of dissipative reactions appear preserved at E/A = 50-62 MeV, such as dissipative orbiting and multi-nucleon exchange. The relaxation of the A/Z asymmetry with impact parameter is slow. Non-equilibrium emission of light particles and clusters is an important process accompanying the evolution of the mechanism. Evidence is presented for a new mechanism of statistical cluster emission from hot, metastable primary reaction products, driven by surface entropy. These results suggest a plausible reinterpretation of multi-fragmentation. (authors)

  10. Morphing of the Dissipative Reaction Mechanism

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schroeder, W.U.; Toke, J.; Gawlikowicz, W.; Houck, M.A.; Lu, J.; Pienkowski, L. [Rochester Univ., Dept. of Chemistry, Rochester, NY (United States)

    2003-07-01

    Important trends in the evolution of heavy-ion reaction mechanisms with bombarding energy and impact parameter are reviewed. Essential features of dissipative reactions appear preserved at E/A = 50-62 MeV, such as dissipative orbiting and multi-nucleon exchange. The relaxation of the A/Z asymmetry with impact parameter is slow. Non-equilibrium emission of light particles and clusters is an important process accompanying the evolution of the mechanism. Evidence is presented for a new mechanism of statistical cluster emission from hot, metastable primary reaction products, driven by surface entropy. These results suggest a plausible reinterpretation of multi-fragmentation. (authors)

  11. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Carotenoid Biosynthesis in Chili Peppers (Capsicum spp.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María del Rocío Gómez-García

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Capsicum species produce fruits that synthesize and accumulate carotenoid pigments, which are responsible for the fruits’ yellow, orange and red colors. Chili peppers have been used as an experimental model for studying the biochemical and molecular aspects of carotenoid biosynthesis. Most reports refer to the characterization of carotenoids and content determination in chili pepper fruits from different species, cultivars, varieties or genotypes. The types and levels of carotenoids differ between different chili pepper fruits, and they are also influenced by environmental conditions. Yellow-orange colors of chili pepper fruits are mainly due to the accumulation of α- and β-carotene, zeaxanthin, lutein and β-cryptoxanthin. Carotenoids such as capsanthin, capsorubin and capsanthin-5,6-epoxide confer the red colors. Chromoplasts are the sites of carotenoid pigment synthesis and storage. According to the most accepted theory, the synthesis of carotenoids in chili peppers is controlled by three loci: c1, c2 and y. Several enzymes participating in carotenoid biosynthesis in chili pepper fruits have been isolated and characterized, and the corresponding gene sequences have been reported. However, there is currently limited information on the molecular mechanisms that regulate this biosynthetic pathway. Approaches to gain more knowledge of the regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis are discussed.

  12. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Carotenoid Biosynthesis in Chili Peppers (Capsicum spp.)

    Science.gov (United States)

    del Rocío Gómez-García, María; Ochoa-Alejo, Neftalí

    2013-01-01

    Capsicum species produce fruits that synthesize and accumulate carotenoid pigments, which are responsible for the fruits’ yellow, orange and red colors. Chili peppers have been used as an experimental model for studying the biochemical and molecular aspects of carotenoid biosynthesis. Most reports refer to the characterization of carotenoids and content determination in chili pepper fruits from different species, cultivars, varieties or genotypes. The types and levels of carotenoids differ between different chili pepper fruits, and they are also influenced by environmental conditions. Yellow-orange colors of chili pepper fruits are mainly due to the accumulation of α- and β-carotene, zeaxanthin, lutein and β-cryptoxanthin. Carotenoids such as capsanthin, capsorubin and capsanthin-5,6-epoxide confer the red colors. Chromoplasts are the sites of carotenoid pigment synthesis and storage. According to the most accepted theory, the synthesis of carotenoids in chili peppers is controlled by three loci: c1, c2 and y. Several enzymes participating in carotenoid biosynthesis in chili pepper fruits have been isolated and characterized, and the corresponding gene sequences have been reported. However, there is currently limited information on the molecular mechanisms that regulate this biosynthetic pathway. Approaches to gain more knowledge of the regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis are discussed. PMID:24065101

  13. Synthetic Biology and Metabolic Engineering for Marine Carotenoids: New Opportunities and Future Prospects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chonglong Wang

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Carotenoids are a class of diverse pigments with important biological roles such as light capture and antioxidative activities. Many novel carotenoids have been isolated from marine organisms to date and have shown various utilizations as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. In this review, we summarize the pathways and enzymes of carotenoid synthesis and discuss various modifications of marine carotenoids. The advances in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology for carotenoid production are also reviewed, in hopes that this review will promote the exploration of marine carotenoid for their utilizations.

  14. Synthetic Biology and Metabolic Engineering for Marine Carotenoids: New Opportunities and Future Prospects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chonglong; Kim, Jung-Hun; Kim, Seon-Won

    2014-01-01

    Carotenoids are a class of diverse pigments with important biological roles such as light capture and antioxidative activities. Many novel carotenoids have been isolated from marine organisms to date and have shown various utilizations as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. In this review, we summarize the pathways and enzymes of carotenoid synthesis and discuss various modifications of marine carotenoids. The advances in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology for carotenoid production are also reviewed, in hopes that this review will promote the exploration of marine carotenoid for their utilizations. PMID:25233369

  15. Carotenoids in Marine Invertebrates Living along the Kuroshio Current Coast

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoshikazu Sakagami

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Carotenoids of the corals Acropora japonica, A. secale, and A. hyacinthus, the tridacnid clam Tridacna squamosa, the crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster planci, and the small sea snail Drupella fragum were investigated. The corals and the tridacnid clam are filter feeders and are associated with symbiotic zooxanthellae. Peridinin and pyrrhoxanthin, which originated from symbiotic zooxanthellae, were found to be major carotenoids in corals and the tridacnid clam. The crown-of-thorns starfish and the sea snail D. fragum are carnivorous and mainly feed on corals. Peridinin-3-acyl esters were major carotenoids in the sea snail D. fragum. On the other hand, ketocarotenoids such as 7,8-didehydroastaxanthin and astaxanthin were major carotenoids in the crown-of-thorns starfish. Carotenoids found in these marine animals closely reflected not only their metabolism but also their food chains.

  16. Absorption of Carotenoids and Mechanisms Involved in Their Health-Related Properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cervantes-Paz, Braulio; Victoria-Campos, Claudia I; Ornelas-Paz, José de Jesús

    Carotenoids participate in the normal metabolism and function of the human body. They are involved in the prevention of several diseases, especially those related to the inflammation syndrome. Their main mechanisms of action are associated to their potent antioxidant activity and capacity to regulate the expression of specific genes and proteins. Recent findings suggest that carotenoid metabolites may explain several processes where the participation of their parent carotenoids was unclear. The health benefits of carotenoids strongly depend on their absorption and transformation during gastrointestinal digestion. The estimation of the 'bioaccessibility' of carotenoids through in vitro models have made possible the evaluation of the effect of a large number of factors on key stages of carotenoid digestion and intestinal absorption. The bioaccessibility of these compounds allows us to have a clear idea of their potential bioavailability, a term that implicitly involves the biological activity of these compounds.

  17. Utilization of Microemulsions from Rhinacanthus nasutus (L.) Kurz to Improve Carotenoid Bioavailability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Nai-Hsing; Inbaraj, Baskaran Stephen; Chen, Bing-Huei

    2016-01-01

    Carotenoids have been known to reduce the risk of several diseases including cancer and cardiovascular. However, carotenoids are unstable and susceptible to degradation. Rhinacanthus nasutus (L.) Kurz (R. nasutus), a Chinese medicinal herb rich in carotenoids, was reported to possess vital biological activities such as anti-cancer. This study intends to isolate carotenoids from R. nasutus by column chromatography, identify and quantify by HPLC-MS, and prepare carotenoid microemulsions for determination of absolute bioavailability in rats. Initially, carotenoid fraction was isolated using 250 mL ethyl acetate poured into an open-column packed with magnesium oxide-diatomaceous earth (1:3, w/w). Fourteen carotenoids including internal standard β-apo-8′-carotenal were resolved within 62 min by a YMC C30 column and gradient mobile phase of methanol-acetonitrile-water (82:14:4, v/v/v) and methylene chloride. Highly stable carotenoid microemulsions were prepared using a mixture of CapryolTM90, Transcutol®HP, Tween 80 and deionized water, with the mean particle being 10.4 nm for oral administration and 10.7 nm for intravenous injection. Pharmacokinetic study revealed that the absolute bioavailability of carotenoids in microemulsions and dispersion was 0.45% and 0.11%, respectively, while a much higher value of 6.25% and 1.57% were shown for lutein, demonstrating 4-fold enhancement in bioavailability upon incorporation of R. nasutus carotenoids into a microemulsion system. PMID:27150134

  18. Elliptical Leaf Spring Shock and Vibration Mounts with Enhanced Damping and Energy Dissipation Capabilities Using Lead Spring

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moussa Leblouba

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available We present an enhancement to the existing elliptical leaf spring (ELS for improved damping and energy dissipation capabilities. The ELS consists of a high tensile stainless steel elliptical leaf spring with polymer or rubber compound. This device is conceived as a shock and vibration isolator for equipment and lightweight structures. The enhancement to the ELS consists of a lead spring plugged vertically between the leaves (referred to as lead-rubber elliptical leaf spring (LRELS. The lead is shown to produce hysteretic damping under plastic deformations. The LRELS isolator is shown to exhibit nonlinear hysteretic behavior. In both horizontal directions, the LRELS showed symmetrical rate independent behavior but undergoes stiffening behavior under large displacements. However, in the vertical direction, the LRELS behavior is asymmetric, exhibiting softening behavior in compression and stiffening behavior in tension. Mathematical models based on the Bouc-Wen model, describing the hysteretic behavior of the proposed isolator, are developed and numerically calibrated using a series of finite element analyses. The LRELS is found to be effective in the in-plane and vertical directions. The improved damping and energy dissipation of the LRELS is provided from the hysteretic damping of the lead spring.

  19. Simultaneous electrochemical-electron spin resonance studies of carotenoid cation radicals and dications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khaled, M.; Hadjipetrou, A.; Xinhai Chen; Kispert, L.

    1989-01-01

    Carotenoids are present in the chloroplasts of photosynthetic green plants and serve as photoprotect devices and antenna pigments, and active role in the photosynthetic electron-transport chain with the carotenoid cation radical as an integral part of the electron-transfer process. The research reported herein has confirmed that carotenoid cation radicals have a lifetime that is sensitive to solvent, being longest in CH 2 Cl 2 and are best prepared electrochemically. Semiempirical AM1 and INDO calculations of the trans and cis isomers of β-carotene, canthaxanthin and β-apo-8'-carotenal cation radicals predicted the unresolved EPR line whose linewidth varies to a measurable degree with carotenoid, which subsequent experimental observations affirmed. Simultaneous electrochemical - electron spin resonance studies of carotenoid cation radicals and dications have shown the radicals detected by EPR are formed by the one electron oxidation of the carotenoid, that dimers are not formed upon decay of the radical cations and an estimate of the rate of comproportionation as a function of carotenoid can be given. The formal rate constant K' for heterogenous electron transfer rate at the electrode surface has been deduced from rotating disc experiments. Upon deuteration, and in the presence of excess β-carotene, the half-life for decay of the carotenoid radical cation increased an order of magnitude due to the reaction between diffusion carotenoid dications and carotenoids to form additional radical cations. The carotenoid diffusion coefficients deduced by chronocoulometry substantiates this measurement. The produces formed upon electrochemical studies are being studied by HPLC and the isomers formed thermally are being separated. Additional radical reactions are currently being studied by EPR and electrochemical methods

  20. Effect of Carotenoid Supplemented Formula on Carotenoid Bioaccumulation in Tissues of Infant Rhesus Macaques: A Pilot Study Focused on Lutein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sookyoung Jeon

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Lutein is the predominant carotenoid in the developing primate brain and retina, and may have important functional roles. However, its bioaccumulation pattern during early development is not understood. In this pilot study, we investigated whether carotenoid supplementation of infant formula enhanced lutein tissue deposition in infant rhesus macaques. Monkeys were initially breastfed; from 1 to 3 months of age they were fed either a formula supplemented with lutein, zeaxanthin, β-carotene and lycopene, or a control formula with low levels of these carotenoids, for 4 months (n = 2/group. All samples were analyzed by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC. Final serum lutein in the supplemented group was 5 times higher than in the unsupplemented group. All brain regions examined showed a selective increase in lutein deposition in the supplemented infants. Lutein differentially accumulated across brain regions, with highest amounts in occipital cortex in both groups. β-carotene accumulated, but zeaxanthin and lycopene were undetectable in any brain region. Supplemented infants had higher lutein concentrations in peripheral retina but not in macular retina. Among adipose sites, abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue exhibited the highest lutein level and was 3-fold higher in the supplemented infants. The supplemented formula enhanced carotenoid deposition in several other tissues. In rhesus infants, increased intake of carotenoids from formula enhanced their deposition in serum and numerous tissues and selectively increased lutein in multiple brain regions.

  1. Comparison of Energy Dissipation, Stiffness, and Damage of Structural Oriented Strand Board (OSB, Conventional Gypsum, and Viscoelastic Gypsum Shearwalls Subjected to Cyclic Loads

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew S. Blasetti

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available A key element in the seismic load resisting system of a wood framed structure is the shear wall which is typically sheathed on one side with plywood or oriented strand board (OSB and gypsum on the other. The shear capacity of gypsum sheathed shear walls is typically neglected in high seismic areas due to the susceptibility of conventional drywall screw connections to damage caused by earthquakes. The earthquake resistance of an innovative viscoelastic (VE gypsum shearwall is evaluated and compared to conventional structural and non-structural walls. Ten 8 ft × 8 ft wood framed wall specimens of three configurations [nailed-OSB, screw-gypsum, and VE polymer-gypsum] were subjected to a cyclic test protocol. The energy dissipation, stiffness, and damage characteristics of all shearwalls are reported herein. Testing results indicate the VE-gypsum walls can dissipate more energy than the OSB structural panels and 500% more energy that the conventional gypsum sheathed walls and contains a constant source of energy dissipation not seen in the structural and non-structural walls. The wall stiffness of the OSB wall degrades at a far greater rate that the VE gypsum wall and at continued cycling degrades below the VE wall stiffness. Unlike both of the conventional wall types, the VE wall showed no visible or audible signs of damage when subjected to shear displacements up to 1.

  2. Effect of carotenoid structure on excited-state dynamics of carbonyl carotenoids

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Chábera, P.; Fuciman, M.; Hříbek, P.; Polívka, Tomáš

    2009-01-01

    Roč. 11, - (2009), s. 8795-8703 ISSN 1463-9076 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA608170604 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50510513 Keywords : excited-state dynamics * carbonyl carotenoids * femtosecond spectroscopy Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 4.116, year: 2009

  3. From Carotenoids to Strigolactones

    KAUST Repository

    Jia, Kunpeng

    2017-12-13

    Strigolactones (SLs) are phytohormones that regulate different plant developmental and adaptation processes. When released into soil, SLs act as chemical signals attracting symbiotic arbuscular fungi and inducing seed germination in root parasitic weeds. SLs are carotenoid-derivatives characterized by the presence of a butenolide ring that is connected by an enol ether bridge to a less conserved, second moiety. Carotenoids are isopenoid pigments that differ in structure, number of conjugated double bonds and stereo-configuration. Genetic analysis and enzymatic studies demonstrate that SLs originate from all-trans-β-carotene in a pathway that involves the all-trans-/9-cis-β-carotene isomerase DWARF27 (D27) and the carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 7 and 8 (CCD7, 8). The CCD7-mediated, regio- and stereospecific double bond cleavage of 9-cis-β-carotene leads to a 9-cis-configured intermediate that is converted by CCD8 via a combination of reactions into the central metabolite carlactone. By catalyzing repeated oxygenation reactions that can be coupled to ring closure, CYP711 enzymes convert carlactone into tricyclic ring containing, canonical and non-canonical SLs. Mostly unknown, modifying enzymes further increase SLs diversity. In this review, we touch on carotenogenesis, provide an update on SL biosynthesis, with emphasis on the substrate specificity and reactions catalyzed by the different enzymes, and describe the regulation of the pathway.

  4. Certain aspects of the reactivity of carotenoids. Redox processes and complexation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Polyakov, Nikolay E; Leshina, Tatyana V

    2006-01-01

    The published data on the redox reactions of carotenoids, their supramolecular inclusion complexes and the composition, properties and practical application of these complexes are generalised. Special attention is given to the effect of complexation on radical processes involving carotenoids and on the antioxidant activity of carotenoids.

  5. Determination of carotenoids in yellow maize, the effects of saponification and food preparations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muzhingi, Tawanda; Yeum, Kyung-Jin; Russell, Robert M; Johnson, Elizabeth J; Qin, Jian; Tang, Guangwen

    2008-05-01

    Maize is an important staple food consumed by millions of people in many countries. Yellow maize naturally contains carotenoids which not only provide provitamin A carotenoids but also xanthophylls, which are known to be important for eye health. This study was aimed at 1) evaluating the effect of saponification during extraction of yellow maize carotenoids, 2) determining the major carotenoids in 36 genotypes of yellow maize by high-performance liquid chromatography with a C30 column, and 3) determining the effect of cooking on the carotenoid content of yellow maize. The major carotenoids in yellow maize were identified as all-trans lutein, cis-isomers of lutein, all-trans zeaxanthin, alpha- and beta-cryptoxanthin, all-trans beta-carotene, 9-cis beta-carotene, and 13-cis beta-carotene. Our results indicated that carotenoid extraction without saponification showed a significantly higher yield than that obtained using saponification. Results of the current study indicate that yellow maize is a good source of provitamin A carotenoids and xanthophylls. Cooking by boiling yellow maize at 100 degrees C for 30 minutes increased the carotenoid concentration, while baking at 450 degrees F for 25 minutes decreased the carotenoid concentrations by almost 70% as compared to the uncooked yellow maize flour.

  6. Improved analysis and visualization of friction loop data: unraveling the energy dissipation of meso-scale stick-slip motion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kokorian, Jaap; Merlijn van Spengen, W.

    2017-11-01

    In this paper we demonstrate a new method for analyzing and visualizing friction force measurements of meso-scale stick-slip motion, and introduce a method for extracting two separate dissipative energy components. Using a microelectromechanical system tribometer, we execute 2 million reciprocating sliding cycles, during which we measure the static friction force with a resolution of \

  7. Non-pro-vitamin A and pro-vitamin A carotenoids in atopy development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rühl, R

    2013-01-01

    Carotenoids are important derivatives of the human diet and occur in high concentrations in the human organism. Various carotenoids are also present in human breast milk and are transferred to breast-fed children. The alternative to breastfeeding is supplementation with an infant milk formula, but these formulas contain only a limited variety of carotenoids. Our question is: 'What is the function of various carotenoids in human nutrition with a special emphasis on child development and the development of atopy?' In this review, the mechanisms of action of the most important non-pro-vitamin A and pro-vitamin A carotenoids: α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene and retinoids are discussed. In summary, the combination of carotenoids, especially lycopene, seems to be of great importance, and exclusive usage of β-carotene in infant formula may yield in an increased atopy prevalence mediated in various target organs like the skin, lungs and immune competent cells. We conclude that the determination of novel bioactive metabolites of various carotenoids, at various stages in different organs during atopy development, might be the key to understanding the potential importance of carotenoids on atopy development. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  8. Influence of sample processing on the analysis of carotenoids in maize.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rivera, Sol; Canela, Ramon

    2012-09-21

    We performed a number of tests with the aim to develop an effective extraction method for the analysis of carotenoid content in maize seed. Mixtures of methanol-ethyl acetate (6:4, v/v) and methanol-tetrahydrofuran (1:1, v/v) were the most effective solvent systems for carotenoid extraction from maize endosperm under the conditions assayed. In addition, we also addressed sample preparation prior to the analysis of carotenoids by liquid chromatography (LC). The LC response of extracted carotenoids and standards in several solvents was evaluated and results were related to the degree of solubility of these pigments. Three key factors were found to be important when selecting a suitable injection solvent: compatibility between the mobile phase and injection solvent, carotenoid polarity and content in the matrix.

  9. High efficiency light harvesting by carotenoids in the LH2 complex from photosynthetic bacteria: unique adaptation to growth under low-light conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magdaong, Nikki M; LaFountain, Amy M; Greco, Jordan A; Gardiner, Alastair T; Carey, Anne-Marie; Cogdell, Richard J; Gibson, George N; Birge, Robert R; Frank, Harry A

    2014-09-25

    Rhodopin, rhodopinal, and their glucoside derivatives are carotenoids that accumulate in different amounts in the photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodoblastus (Rbl.) acidophilus strain 7050, depending on the intensity of the light under which the organism is grown. The different growth conditions also have a profound effect on the spectra of the bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) pigments that assemble in the major LH2 light-harvesting pigment-protein complex. Under high-light conditions the well-characterized B800-850 LH2 complex is formed and accumulates rhodopin and rhodopin glucoside as the primary carotenoids. Under low-light conditions, a variant LH2, denoted B800-820, is formed, and rhodopinal and rhodopinal glucoside are the most abundant carotenoids. The present investigation compares and contrasts the spectral properties and dynamics of the excited states of rhodopin and rhodopinal in solution. In addition, the systematic differences in pigment composition and structure of the chromophores in the LH2 complexes provide an opportunity to explore the effect of these factors on the rate and efficiency of carotenoid-to-BChl energy transfer. It is found that the enzymatic conversion of rhodopin to rhodopinal by Rbl. acidophilus 7050 grown under low-light conditions results in nearly 100% carotenoid-to-BChl energy transfer efficiency in the LH2 complex. This comparative analysis provides insight into how photosynthetic systems are able to adapt and survive under challenging environmental conditions.

  10. Excitation wavelength selection for quantitative analysis of carotenoids in tomatoes using Raman spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hara, Risa; Ishigaki, Mika; Kitahama, Yasutaka; Ozaki, Yukihiro; Genkawa, Takuma

    2018-08-30

    The difference in Raman spectra for different excitation wavelengths (532 nm, 785 nm, and 1064 nm) was investigated to identify an appropriate wavelength for the quantitative analysis of carotenoids in tomatoes. For the 532 nm-excited Raman spectra, the intensity of the peak assigned to the carotenoid has no correlation with carotenoid concentration, and the peak shift reflects carotenoid composition changing from lycopene to β-carotene and lutein. Thus, 532 nm-excited Raman spectra are useful for the qualitative analysis of carotenoids. For the 785 nm- and 1064 nm-excited Raman spectra, the peak intensity of the carotenoid showed good correlation with carotenoid concentration; thus, regression models for carotenoid concentration were developed using these Raman spectra and partial least squares regression. A regression model designed using the 785 nm-excited Raman spectra showed a better result than the 532 nm- and 1064 nm-excited Raman spectra. Therefore, it can be concluded that 785 nm is the most suitable excitation wavelength for the quantitative analysis of carotenoid concentration in tomatoes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Temperature rise due to mechanical energy dissipation in undirectional thermoplastic composites(AS4/PEEK)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Georgious, I. T.; Sun, C. T.

    1992-01-01

    The history of temperature rise due to internal dissipation of mechanical energy in insulated off-axis uniaxial specimens of the unidirectional thermoplastic composite (AS4/PEEK) has been measured. The experiment reveals that the rate of temperature rise is a polynomial function of stress amplitude: It consists of a quadratic term and a sixth power term. This fact implies that the specific heat of the composite depends on the stretching its microstructure undergoes during deformation. The Einstein theory for specific heat is used to explain the dependence of the specific heat on the stretching of the microstructure.

  12. Carotenoid-induced non-photochemical quenching in the cyanobacterial chlorophyll synthase-HliC/D complex

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Niedzwiedzki, D.M.; Tronina, T.; Liu, H.; Staleva, H.; Komenda, Josef; Sobotka, Roman; Blankenship, R.E.; Polívka, T.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 1857, č. 9 (2016), s. 1430-1439 ISSN 0005-2728 R&D Projects: GA ČR GBP501/12/G055 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : Carotenoids * Non-photochemical quenching * Energy transfer Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 4.932, year: 2016

  13. Relationship between Carotenoids, Retinol, and Estradiol Levels in Older Women

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcello Maggio

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Background. In vitro evidence suggests anti-estrogenic properties for retinol and carotenoids, supporting a chemo-preventive role of these phytochemicals in estrogen-dependent cancers. During aging there are significant reductions in retinol and carotenoid concentrations, whereas estradiol levels decline during menopause and progressively increase from the age of 65. We aimed to investigate the hypothesis of a potential relationship between circulating levels of retinol, carotenoids, and estradiol (E2 in a cohort of late post-menopausal women. Methods. We examined 512 women ≥ 65 years from the InCHIANTI study. Retinol, α-caroten, β-caroten, β-criptoxantin, lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene levels were assayed at enrollment (1998–2000 by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography. Estradiol and testosterone (T levels were assessed by Radioimmunometry (RIA and testosterone-to-estradiol ratio (T/E2, as a proxy of aromatase activity, was also calculated. General linear models adjusted for age (Model 1 and further adjusted for other confounders including Body Mass Index (BMI BMI, smoking, intake of energy, lipids, and vitamin A; C-Reactive Protein, insulin, total cholesterol, liver function, and testosterone (Model 2 were used to investigate the relationship between retinol, carotenoids, and E2 levels. To address the independent relationship between carotenoids and E2 levels, factors significantly associated with E2 in Model 2 were also included in a fully adjusted Model 3. Results. After adjustment for age, α-carotene (β ± SE = −0.01 ± 0.004, p = 0.02 and β-carotene (β ± SE = −0.07 ± 0.02, p = 0.0007 were significantly and inversely associated with E2 levels. α-Carotene was also significantly and positively associated with T/E2 ratio (β ± SE = 0.07 ± 0.03, p = 0.01. After adjustment for other confounders (Model 2, the inverse relationship between α-carotene (β ± SE = −1.59 ± 0.61, p = 0.01, β-carotene (β ± SE = −0.29

  14. Relationship between Carotenoids, Retinol, and Estradiol Levels in Older Women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maggio, Marcello; de Vita, Francesca; Lauretani, Fulvio; Bandinelli, Stefania; Semba, Richard D; Bartali, Benedetta; Cherubini, Antonio; Cappola, Anne R; Ceda, Gian Paolo; Ferrucci, Luigi

    2015-08-05

    In vitro evidence suggests anti-estrogenic properties for retinol and carotenoids, supporting a chemo-preventive role of these phytochemicals in estrogen-dependent cancers. During aging there are significant reductions in retinol and carotenoid concentrations, whereas estradiol levels decline during menopause and progressively increase from the age of 65. We aimed to investigate the hypothesis of a potential relationship between circulating levels of retinol, carotenoids, and estradiol (E2) in a cohort of late post-menopausal women. We examined 512 women ≥ 65 years from the InCHIANTI study. Retinol, α-caroten, β-caroten, β-criptoxantin, lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene levels were assayed at enrollment (1998-2000) by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography. Estradiol and testosterone (T) levels were assessed by Radioimmunometry (RIA) and testosterone-to-estradiol ratio (T/E2), as a proxy of aromatase activity, was also calculated. General linear models adjusted for age (Model 1) and further adjusted for other confounders including Body Mass Index (BMI) BMI, smoking, intake of energy, lipids, and vitamin A; C-Reactive Protein, insulin, total cholesterol, liver function, and testosterone (Model 2) were used to investigate the relationship between retinol, carotenoids, and E2 levels. To address the independent relationship between carotenoids and E2 levels, factors significantly associated with E2 in Model 2 were also included in a fully adjusted Model 3. After adjustment for age, α-carotene (β ± SE = -0.01 ± 0.004, p = 0.02) and β-carotene (β ± SE = -0.07 ± 0.02, p = 0.0007) were significantly and inversely associated with E2 levels. α-Carotene was also significantly and positively associated with T/E2 ratio (β ± SE = 0.07 ± 0.03, p = 0.01). After adjustment for other confounders (Model 2), the inverse relationship between α-carotene (β ± SE = -1.59 ± 0.61, p = 0.01), β-carotene (β ± SE = -0.29 ± 0.08, p = 0.0009), and E2 persisted whereas the

  15. Energy dissipation in fragmented geomaterials associated with impacting oscillators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khudyakov, Maxim; Pasternak, Elena; Dyskin, Arcady

    2016-04-01

    In wave propagation through fragmented geomaterials forced by periodic loadings, the elements (fragments) strike against each other when passing through the neutral position (position with zero mutual rotation), quickly damping the oscillations. Essentially the impacts act as shock absorbers albeit localised at the neutral points. In order to analyse the vibrations of and wave propagation in such structures, a differential equation of a forced harmonic oscillator was investigated, where the each time the system passes through the neutral point the velocity gets reduced by multiplying it with the restitution coefficient which characterise the impact of the fragments. In forced vibrations the impact times depend on both the forced oscillations and the restitution coefficient and form an irregular sequence. Numerical solution of the differential equation was performed using Mathematica software. Along with vibration diagrams, the dependence of the energy dissipation on the ratio of the forcing frequency to the natural frequency was obtained. For small positive values of the restitution coefficient (less than 0.5), the asymmetric oscillations were found, and the phase of the forced vibrations determined the direction of the asymmetry. Also, at some values of the forcing frequencies and the restitution coefficient chaotic behaviour was found.

  16. TRIGGER

    CERN Multimedia

    R. Arcidiacono

    2013-01-01

      In 2013 the Trigger Studies Group (TSG) has been restructured in three sub-groups: STEAM, for the development of new HLT menus and monitoring their performance; STORM, for the development of HLT tools, code and actual configurations; and FOG, responsible for the online operations of the High Level Trigger. The Strategy for Trigger Evolution And Monitoring (STEAM) group is responsible for Trigger Menu development, path timing, trigger performance studies coordination, HLT offline DQM as well as HLT release, menu and conditions validation – in collaboration and with the technical support of the PdmV group. Since the end of proton-proton data taking, the group has started preparing for 2015 data taking, with collisions at 13 TeV and 25 ns bunch spacing. The reliability of the extrapolation to higher energy is being evaluated comparing the trigger rates on 7 and 8 TeV Monte Carlo samples with the data taken in the past two years. The effect of 25 ns bunch spacing is being studied on the d...

  17. Carotenoids of Microalgae Used in Food Industry and Medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gateau, Hélène; Solymosi, Katalin; Marchand, Justine; Schoefs, Benoît

    2017-01-01

    Since the industrial revolution, the consumption of processed food increased dramatically. During processing, food material loses many of its natural properties. The simple restoration of the original properties of the processed food as well as fortification require food supplementation with compounds prepared chemically or of natural origin. The observations that natural food additives are safer and better accepted by consumers than synthetic ones have strongly increased the demand for natural compounds. Because some of them have only a low abundance or are even rare, their market price can be very high. This is the case for most carotenoids of natural origin to which this review is dedicated. The increasing demand for food additives of natural origin contributes to an accelerated depletion of traditional natural resources already threatened by intensive agriculture and pollution. To overcome these difficulties and satisfy the demand, alternative sources for natural carotenoids have to be found. In this context, photosynthetic microalgae present a very high potential because they contain carotenoids and are able to produce particular carotenoids under stress. Their potential also resides in the fact that only ten thousands of microalgal strains have been described while hundred thousands of species are predicted to exist. Carotenoids have been known for ages for their antioxidant and coloring properties, and a large body of evidence has been accumulated about their health potential. This review summarizes both the medicinal and food industry applications of microalgae with emphasis on the former. In addition, traditional and alternative microalgal sources used for industrial carotenoid extraction, the chemical and physical properties, the biosynthesis and the localization of carotenoids in algae are also briefly discussed. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  18. Carotenoid composition of strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.) fruits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delgado-Pelayo, Raúl; Gallardo-Guerrero, Lourdes; Hornero-Méndez, Dámaso

    2016-05-15

    The carotenoid composition of strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) fruits has been characterised in detail and quantified for the first time. According to the total carotenoid content (over 340 μg/g dw), mature strawberry tree berries can be classified as fruits with very high carotenoid content (>20 μg/g dw). (all-E)-Violaxanthin and 9Z-violaxanthin were found to be the major carotenoid pigments, accounting for more than 60%, responsible for the bright colour of the flesh of ripe fruits. In addition other 5,6-epoxide carotenoids, such as (all-E)-neoxanthin, (9'Z)-neoxanthin (all-E)-antheraxanthin and lutein 5,6-epoxide, together with (all-E)-lutein, (all-E)-zeaxanthin and (all-E)-β-carotene were found at high levels (>5-20 μg/g dw). The LC-MS (APCI+) analysis of the xanthophyll fraction in their native state (direct extract) revealed that most of them (>90%) were totally esterified with saturated fatty acids (capric, lauric, myristic, palmitic and stearic). Monoesters, homodiesters and heterodiesters of (all-E)-violaxanthin and 9Z-violaxanthin were the major pigments. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Development of an Interferometric Phased Array Trigger for Balloon-Borne Detection of the Highest Energy Cosmic Particles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vieregg, Abigail

    interferometric phased array trigger for these impulsive radio detectors, a new type of trigger that will improve sensitivity substantially and expedite the discovery of the highest energy particles in our universe. We have developed an 8- channel interferometric trigger board for ground-based applications that will be deployed in December 2017 with the ground-based Askaryan Radio Array (ARA) experiment at the South Pole. Preliminary Monte Carlo simulations indicate that the cosmogenic neutrino event rate will go up by a factor of 3 with the new trigger. The true power of the interferometric trigger is in scaling to large numbers of channels, and the discovery space that is only available from a balloon platform at the highest energies is extremely appealing. We will build on and extend the NASA investment in the ANITA Long Duration Balloon (LDB) mission and the many other complementary particle astrophysics LDB missions by developing the electronics required to bring a large-scale radio interferometric trigger to a balloon platform, extending the scientific reach of any future LDB or Super Pressure Balloon (SPB) mission for radio detection of the highest energy cosmic particles. We will develop an interferometric trigger system that is scalable to O(100) channels and suitable for use on a balloon platform. Under this proposal, we will: 1) Design and fabricate interferometric trigger hardware for balloon-borne cosmic particle detectors that is scalable to large numbers of channels O(100) by reducing the power consumption per channel, increasing the number of channels per board, and developing high-speed communication capability between boards. 2) Perform a trade study and inform design decisions for future balloon missions by further developing our Monte Carlo simulation and adapting it to balloon geometries.

  20. Amarginal contribution of selected carotenoids to the supression of UV-irradiation-induced lecithin peroxidation in hexane solution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    DRAGAN CVETKOVIC

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work was to study the anticipated antioxidant role of four selected carotenoids in mixtures with lecithin lipoidal compounds in hexane solution, under continuous UV-irradiation in three different ranges (UV-A, UV-B and UV-C. Two carotenes (b-carotene and licopene and two xantophylls (lutein and neoxanthin were employed to control the lipid peroxidation process generated by UV-irradiation, by scavenging the involved free radicals. The results show that while carotenoids undergo a substantial, structural dependent destruction (bleaching, which is highly dependent on energy of the UV-photons, their contribution to the expected suppression of lecithin peroxidation is of marginal importance, not exceeding a maximum of 20%. The marginal antioxidant behaviour has been attributed to a highly unordered hexane solution, where the scavenging action of the carotenoids becomes less competitive.

  1. Tissue-Specific Apocarotenoid Glycosylation Contributes to Carotenoid Homeostasis in Arabidopsis Leaves1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hübner, Michaela; Matsubara, Shizue; Beyer, Peter

    2015-01-01

    Attaining defined steady-state carotenoid levels requires balancing of the rates governing their synthesis and metabolism. Phytoene formation mediated by phytoene synthase (PSY) is rate limiting in the biosynthesis of carotenoids, whereas carotenoid catabolism involves a multitude of nonenzymatic and enzymatic processes. We investigated carotenoid and apocarotenoid formation in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) in response to enhanced pathway flux upon PSY overexpression. This resulted in a dramatic accumulation of mainly β-carotene in roots and nongreen calli, whereas carotenoids remained unchanged in leaves. We show that, in chloroplasts, surplus PSY was partially soluble, localized in the stroma and, therefore, inactive, whereas the membrane-bound portion mediated a doubling of phytoene synthesis rates. Increased pathway flux was not compensated by enhanced generation of long-chain apocarotenals but resulted in higher levels of C13 apocarotenoid glycosides (AGs). Using mutant lines deficient in carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs), we identified CCD4 as being mainly responsible for the majority of AGs formed. Moreover, changed AG patterns in the carotene hydroxylase mutants lutein deficient1 (lut1) and lut5 exhibiting altered leaf carotenoids allowed us to define specific xanthophyll species as precursors for the apocarotenoid aglycons detected. In contrast to leaves, carotenoid hyperaccumulating roots contained higher levels of β-carotene-derived apocarotenals, whereas AGs were absent. These contrasting responses are associated with tissue-specific capacities to synthesize xanthophylls, which thus determine the modes of carotenoid accumulation and apocarotenoid formation. PMID:26134165

  2. Carotenoid composition of jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), determined by HPLC-PDA-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Faria, A F; de Rosso, V V; Mercadante, A Z

    2009-06-01

    Carotenoids are pigments responsible for the yellow-reddish color of many foods and are related to important functions and physiological actions, preventing several chronic-degenerative diseases. The objective of this study was to confirm the carotenoid composition of jackfruit by high-performance liquid chromatography connected to photodiode array and mass spectrometry detectors (HPLC-PDA-MS/MS). The main carotenoids were all-trans-lutein (24-44%), all-trans-beta-carotene (24-30%), all-trans-neoxanthin (4-19%), 9-cis-neoxanthin (4-9%) and 9-cis-violaxanthin (4-10%). Either qualitative or quantitative differences, mainly related to the lutein proportion, were found among three batches of jackfruit. Since the fruits from batch A showed significantly lower contents for almost all carotenoids, it also had the lowest total carotenoid content (34.1 microg/100 g) and provitamin A value, whereas the total carotenoid ranged from 129.0 to 150.3 microg/100 g in the other batches. The provitamin A values from batches B and C were 3.3 and 4.3 microg RAE/100 g, respectively. The carotenoid composition of jackfruit was successfully determined, where 14 of the 18 identified carotenoids were reported for first time. Differences among batches may be due to genetic and/or agricultural factors.

  3. Excited state characterization of carbonyl containing carotenoids: a comparison between single and multireference descriptions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spezia, Riccardo; Knecht, Stefan; Mennucci, Benedetta

    Carotenoids can play multiple roles in biological photoreceptors thanks to their rich photophysics. In the present work, we have investigated six of the most common carbonyl containing carotenoids: Echinenone, Canthaxanthin, Astaxanthin, Fucoxanthin, Capsanthin and Capsorubin. Their excitation properties are investigated by means of a hybrid density functional theory (DFT) and multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) approach to elucidate the role of the carbonyl group: the bright transition is of {\\pi}{\\pi}* character, as expected, but the presence of a C=O moiety reduces the energy of n{\\pi}* transitions which may become closer to the {\\pi}{\\pi}* transition, in particular as the conjugation chain decreases. This can be related to the presence of a low-lying charge transfer state typical of short carbonyl- containing carotenoids. The DFT/MRCI results are finally used to benchmark single- reference time-dependent DFT-based methods: among the investigated functionals, the meta- GGA (and in particular M11L and MN12L) functionals show to perform the best for all six investigated systems.

  4. Identification of Carotenoids and Isoprenoid Quinones from Asaia lannensis and Asaia bogorensis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hubert Antolak

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the study was to identify and quantitatively assess of carotenoids and isoprenoid quinones biosynthesized by six different strains of acetic acid bacteria, belonging to genus Asaia, that are common beverage-spoiling bacteria in Europe. Bacterial cultures were conducted in a laboratory liquid culture minimal medium with 2% sucrose. Carotenoids and isoprenoid quinones were investigated using UHPLC-DAD-ESI-MS analysis. In general, tested strains of Asaia spp. were able to produce 10 carotenoids and 3 isoprenoid quinones: menaquinone-7, menaquinone-8, and ubiquinone-10. The main identified carotenoids in Asaia lannensis strains were phytofluene, neurosporene, α-carotene, while for Asaia bogorensis, neurosporene, canthaxanthin, and zeaxanthin were noted. What is more, tested Asaia spp. were able to produce myxoxanthophyll, which has so far been identified primarily in cyanobacteria. The results show that A. lannensis are characterized by statistically higher concentrations of produced carotenoids, as well as a greater variety of these compounds. We have noted that carotenoids were not only accumulated by bacterial cells, but also some strains of A. lannensis produced extracellular carotenoids.

  5. Minimum dissipative relaxed states in toroidal plasmas

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    organised equi- librium in RFP and tokamak by a deterministic approach to incompressible dissipative magnetohydrodynamics. In an earlier work Kondoh [8] formulated an energy principle including the edge plasma effects for a slightly resistive MHD ...

  6. Carotenoids from Capsicum annuum fruits: Influence of spectral quality of radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopez, M.; Candela, M.E.; Sabater, F.

    1986-01-01

    Capsicum annuum L. cv. Ramillete fruits grown in the field were covered 60 d after flowering with “white”, yellow, red and blue cellophane filters. Two other sets were left in full sunlight and under cover, respectively. After 30 d of treatment, during the ripening period, the contents of individual carotenoids were analyzed. The red radiation was the most effective to increase the carotenoid biosynthesis, but the green and blue radiations inhibited their production. Either class of filters inhibited the formation of capsanthin, the most important carotenoid in the production of red colour of the maturation, but capsorubin, the other carotenoid responsible for the maturation colour, was more enhanced in the shade and under red radiation. Neither type of radiation was so efficient in increasing the total carotenoids content as the full sun radiation

  7. Effect of carbon/nitrogen ratio on carbohydrate metabolism and light energy dissipation mechanisms in Arabidopsis thaliana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huarancca Reyes, Thais; Scartazza, Andrea; Lu, Yu; Yamaguchi, Junji; Guglielminetti, Lorenzo

    2016-08-01

    Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) nutrient sources are essential elements for metabolism, and their availability must be tightly coordinated for the optimal growth and development in plants. Plants are able to sense and respond to different C/N conditions via specific partitioning of C and N sources and the regulation of a complex cellular metabolic activity. We studied how the interaction between C and N signaling could affect carbohydrate metabolism, soluble sugar levels, photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) and the ability to drive the excess energy in Arabidopsis seedlings under moderated and disrupted C/N-nutrient conditions. Invertase and sucrose synthase activities were markedly affected by C/N-nutrient status depending on the phosphorylation status, suggesting that these enzymes may necessarily be modulated by their direct phosphorylation or phosphorylation of proteins that form complex with them in response to C/N stress. In addition, the enzymatic activity of these enzymes was also correlated with the amount of sugars, which not only act as substrate but also as signaling compounds. Analysis of chlorophyll fluorescence in plants under disrupted C/N condition suggested a reduction of electron transport rate at PSII level associated with a higher capacity for non-radiative energy dissipation in comparison with plants under moderated C/N condition. In conclusion, the tight coordination between C and N not only affects the carbohydrates metabolism and their concentration within plant tissues, but also the partitioning of the excitation energy at PSII level between radiative (electron transport) and non-radiative (heat) dissipation pathways. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  8. The ZEUS calorimeter first level trigger

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, W.H.; Ali, I.; Behrens, B.; Fordham, C.; Foudas, C.; Goussiou, A.; Jaworski, M.; Kinnel, T.; Lackey, J.; Robl, P.; Silverstein, S.; Dawson, J.W.; Krakauer, D.A.; Talaga, R.L.; Schlereth, J.L.

    1994-10-01

    The design of the ZEUS Calorimeter First Level Trigger (CFLT) is presented. The CFLT utilizes a pipelined architecture to provide trigger data for a global first leel trigger decision 5 μsec after each beam crossing, occurring every 96 nsec. The charges from 13K phototubes are summed into 1792 trigger tower pulseheights which are digitized by flash ADC's. The digital values are linearized, stored and used for sums and pattern tests. Summary data is forwarded to the Global First Level Trigger for each crossing 2 μsec after the crossing occurred. The CFLT determines the total energy, the total transverse energy, the missing energy, and the energy and number of isolated electrons and muons. It also provides information on the electromagnetic and hadronic energy deposited in various regions of the calorimeter. The CFLT has kept the experimental trigger rate below ∼200 Hz at the highest luminosity experienced at HERA. Performance studies suggest that the CFLT will keep the trigger rate below 1 kHZ against a rate of proton-beam gas interactions on the order of the 100 kHz expected at design luminosity. (orig.)

  9. TRIGGER

    CERN Multimedia

    by Wesley Smith

    2011-01-01

    Level-1 Trigger Hardware and Software After the winter shutdown minor hardware problems in several subsystems appeared and were corrected. A reassessment of the overall latency has been made. In the TTC system shorter cables between TTCci and TTCex have been installed, which saved one bunch crossing, but which may have required an adjustment of the RPC timing. In order to tackle Pixel out-of-syncs without influencing other subsystems, a special hardware/firmware re-sync protocol has been introduced in the Global Trigger. The link between the Global Calorimeter Trigger and the Global Trigger with the new optical Global Trigger Interface and optical receiver daughterboards has been successfully tested in the Electronics Integration Centre in building 904. New firmware in the GCT now allows a setting to remove the HF towers from energy sums. The HF sleeves have been replaced, which should lead to reduced rates of anomalous signals, which may allow their inclusion after this is validated. For ECAL, improvements i...

  10. TRIGGER

    CERN Multimedia

    W. Smith from contributions of C. Leonidopoulos

    2010-01-01

    Level-1 Trigger Hardware and Software Since nearly all of the Level-1 (L1) Trigger hardware at Point 5 has been commissioned, activities during the past months focused on the fine-tuning of synchronization, particularly for the ECAL and the CSC systems, on firmware upgrades and on improving trigger operation and monitoring. Periodic resynchronizations or hard resets and a shortened luminosity section interval of 23 seconds were implemented. For the DT sector collectors, an automatic power-off was installed in case of high temperatures, and the monitoring capabilities of the opto-receivers and the mini-crates were enhanced. The DTTF and the CSCTF now have improved memory lookup tables. The HCAL trigger primitive logic implemented a new algorithm providing better stability of the energy measurement in the presence of any phase misalignment. For the Global Calorimeter Trigger, additional Source Cards have been manufactured and tested. Testing of the new tau, missing ET and missing HT algorithms is underw...

  11. Spectral signatures for swash on reflective, intermediate and dissipative beaches

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hughes, Michael G; Aagaard, Troels; Baldock, Tom E

    2014-01-01

    (reflective, intermediate and dissipative), with beach gradients ranging from approximately 1:6 to 1:60 exposed to offshore significant wave heights of 0.5–3.0 m. The ratio of swash energy in the short-wave (f > 0.05 Hz) to long-wave (f ... the three beach types. Swash energy at short-wave frequencies is dominant on reflective and intermediate beaches and swash at long-wave frequencies is dominant on dissipative beaches; consistent with previously reported spectral signatures for the surf zone on these beach types. The available swash spectra...

  12. CAROTENOID RETENTION IN MINIMALLY PROCESSED BIOFORTIFIED GREEN CORN STORED UNDER RETAIL MARKETING CONDITIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natália Alves Barbosa

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Storing processed food products can cause alterations in their chemical compositions. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate carotenoid retention in the kernels of minimally processed normal and vitamin A precursor (proVA-biofortified green corn ears that were packaged in polystyrene trays covered with commercial film or in multilayered polynylon packaging material and were stored. Throughout the storage period, the carotenoids were extracted from the corn kernels using organic solvents and were quantified using HPLC. A completely factorial design including three factors (cultivar, packaging and storage period was applied for analysis. The green kernels of maize cultivars BRS1030 and BRS4104 exhibited similar carotenoid profiles, with zeaxanthin being the main carotenoid. Higher concentrations of the carotenoids lutein, β-cryptoxanthin, and β-carotene, the total carotenoids and the total vitamin A precursor carotenoids were detected in the green kernels of the biofortified BRS4104 maize. The packaging method did not affect carotenoid retention in the kernels of minimally processed green corn ears during the storage period.

  13. Carotenoids profile and total polyphenols in fruits of Pereskia aculeata Miller

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tânia da Silveira Agostini-Costa

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Pereskia aculeata Mill. (Ora-pro-nóbis is a native cactaceae from tropical America, whose leaves have high protein content. In Brazil it is found in all territorial extension between the states of Bahia and Rio Grande do Sul. Most studies have focused on chemical characterization of the leaves of this specie. The objective was to assess the carotenoids profile and the total polyphenols present in the fruits of P. aculeate. Carotenoids were determined by HPLC-PAD (high performance liquid chromatography - photodiode array detector, total polyphenols were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu and vanillin methods. Trans-β-carotene was the main carotenoid, followed by α-carotene, lutein and other minor carotenoids. It was found 64.9 ± 1.1 mg.100g-1 of gallic acid equivalent, 14.8 ± 0.2 mg.100g-1 of catechin equivalent. Carotenoid identification of P. aculeate fruits are presented here by the first time and indicate that these fruits can be researched as source of bioactive substances, especially antioxidant and provitamin A carotenoids.

  14. Free and esterified carotenoids in pigmented wheat, tritordeum and barley grains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paznocht, Luboš; Kotíková, Zora; Šulc, Miloslav; Lachman, Jaromír; Orsák, Matyáš; Eliášová, Marie; Martinek, Petr

    2018-02-01

    Carotenoids are important phytonutrients responsible for the yellow endosperm color in cereal grains. Five carotenoids, namely lutein, zeaxanthin, antheraxanthin, α- and β-carotene, were quantified by HPLC-DAD-MS in fourteen genotypes of wheat, barley and tritordeum harvested in Czechia in 2014 and 2015. The highest carotenoid contents were found in yellow-grained tritordeum HT 439 (12.16μg/gDW), followed by blue-grained wheat V1-131-15 (7.46μg/gDW), and yellow-grained wheat TA 4024 (7.04μg/gDW). Comparing carotenoid contents, blue varieties had lower whereas purple ones had the same or higher levels than conventional bread wheat. Lutein was the main carotenoid found in wheat and tritordeum while zeaxanthin dominated in barley. The majority of cereals contained considerable levels of esterified forms (up to 61%) of which lutein esters prevailed. It was assessed that cereal genotype determines the proportion of free and esterified forms. High temperatures and drought during the growing season promoted carotenoid biosynthesis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Triggering at high luminosity: fake triggers from pile-up

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, R.

    1983-01-01

    Triggers based on a cut in transverse momentum (p/sub t/) have proved to be useful in high energy physics both because they indicte that a hard constituent scattering has occurred and because they can be made quickly enough to gate electronics. These triggers will continue to be useful at high luminosities if overlapping events do not cause an excessive number of fake triggers. In this paper, I determine if this is indeed a problem at high luminosity machines

  16. Improving carotenoid extraction from tomato waste by pulsed electric fields.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elisa eLuengo

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available In this investigation, the influence of the application of Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF of different intensities (3-7 kV/cm and 0-300 μs on the carotenoid extraction from tomato peel and pulp in a mixture of hexane:acetone:ethanol was studied with the aim of increasing extraction yield or reducing the percentage of the less green solvents in the extraction medium. According to the cellular disintegration index, the optimum treatment time for the permeabilization of tomato peel and pulp at different electric field strengths was 90 µs. The PEF permeabilization of tomato pulp did not significantly increase the carotenoid extraction. However, a PEF-treatment at 5 kV/cm improved the carotenoid extraction from tomato peel by 39 % as compared with the control in a mixture of hexane:ethanol:acetone (50:25:25. Further increments of electric field from 5 to 7 kV/cm did not increase significantly the extraction of carotenoids. . The presence of acetone in the solvent mixture did not positively affect the carotenoid extraction when the tomato peels were PEF-treated. Response surface methodology was used to determine the potential of PEF for reducing the percentage of hexane in a hexane:ethanol mixture. The application of a PEF-treatment allowed reducing the hexane percentage from 45 to 30 % without affecting the carotenoid extraction yield. The antioxidant capacity of the extracts obtained from tomato peel was correlated with the carotenoid concentration and it was not affected by the PEF-treatment.

  17. Effects of egg consumption on carotenoid absorption from co-consumed, raw vegetables.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jung Eun; Gordon, Susannah L; Ferruzzi, Mario G; Campbell, Wayne W

    2015-07-01

    Dietary lipids are one of the most effective stimulators of carotenoid absorption, but very limited data exist on the impact of endogenous food sources of lipids to enhance carotenoid absorption. The co-consumption of whole egg with carotenoid-rich foods may increase overall carotenoid absorption via lipid-rich egg yolk. We designed this study to assess the effects of egg consumption on carotenoid absorption from a carotenoid-rich, raw mixed-vegetable salad. Healthy young men (n = 16) consumed the same salad (all served with 3 g canola oil) with no egg (control), 75 g scrambled whole eggs (1.5 eggs) [low egg (LE)], and 150 g scrambled whole eggs (3 eggs) [high egg (HE)] (a randomized crossover design). Control, LE, and HE meals contained 23 mg, 23.4 mg (0.4 mg from eggs), and 23.8 mg (0.8 mg from eggs) total carotenoids and 3 g, 10.5 g (7.5 g from eggs), and 18 g (15 g from eggs) total lipids, respectively. Blood was collected hourly for 10 h, and the triacylglycerol-rich lipoprotein (TRL) fraction was isolated. Total and individual carotenoid contents, including lutein, zeaxanthin , α-carotene, β-carotene, and lycopene in TRL were analyzed, and composite areas under the curve (AUCs) were calculated. The total mean (±SE) carotenoid AUC0-10h in TRL was higher for the HE meal than for LE and control meals [125.7 ± 19.4(a) compared with 44.8 ± 9.2(b) compared with 14.9 ± 5.2(b) nmol/L · 10 h, respectively (values without a common superscript letter differ); P eggs, including α-carotene, β-carotene, and lycopene, increased 3-8-fold (P cooked whole eggs is an effective way to enhance carotenoid absorption from other carotenoid-rich foods such as a raw mixed-vegetable salad. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01951313. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

  18. Biotechnological production of value-added carotenoids from microalgae: Emerging technology and prospects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wichuk, Kristine; Brynjólfsson, Sigurður; Fu, Weiqi

    2014-01-01

    We recently evaluated the relationship between abiotic environmental stresses and lutein biosynthesis in the green microalga Dunaliella salina and suggested a rational design of stress-driven adaptive evolution experiments for carotenoids production in microalgae. Here, we summarize our recent findings regarding the biotechnological production of carotenoids from microalgae and outline emerging technology in this field. Carotenoid metabolic pathways are characterized in several representative algal species as they pave the way for biotechnology development. The adaptive evolution strategy is highlighted in connection with enhanced growth rate and carotenoid metabolism. In addition, available genetic modification tools are described, with emphasis on model species. A brief discussion on the role of lights as limiting factors in carotenoid production in microalgae is also included. Overall, our analysis suggests that light-driven metabolism and the photosynthetic efficiency of microalgae in photobioreactors are the main bottlenecks in enhancing biotechnological potential of carotenoid production from microalgae.

  19. Triplet-triplet energy transfer from chlorophylls to carotenoids in two antenna complexes from dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kvíčalová, Z.; Alster, J.; Hofmann, E.; Khoroshyy, P.; Litvín, Radek; Bína, David; Polívka, Tomáš; Pšenčík, J.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 1857, č. 4 (2016), s. 341-349 ISSN 0005-2728 R&D Projects: GA ČR GBP501/12/G055 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : Dinoflagellate * Chlorophyll * Carotenoid * Triplet state Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 4.932, year: 2016

  20. Dissipative phenomena in deep inelastic heavy ion collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gross, D.H.E.; Krappe, H.J.; Lindenberger, K.H.; Lipperheide, R.; Moehring, K.

    1978-01-01

    During this meeting the following theoretical concepts for deep-inelastic heavy ion reactions were discussed: the energy transfer and friction, direct or statistical mechanisms, dissipation and fluctuation. (WL) [de