A comparative study of pulsed dye laser versus long pulsed Nd:YAG laser treatment in recalcitrant viral warts.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Yo Sup; Cho, Eun Byul; Park, Eun Joo; Kim, Kwang Ho; Kim, Kwang Joong

2017-08-01

Viral warts are common infectious skin disease induced by human papillomavirus (HPV). But the treatment of recalcitrant warts is still challenging. In this study, we compared the effectiveness of pulsed dye laser (PDL) and long pulsed Nd:YAG (LPNY) laser in the treatment of recalcitrant viral warts. We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients with recalcitrant warts treated with laser therapy between January 2013 and February 2016. Seventy-two patients with recalcitrant warts were evaluated. Thirty-nine patients were treated with pulsed dye laser and thirty-three patients were treated with LPNY laser. The following parameters were used: PDL (spot size, 7 mm; pulse duration, 1.5 ms; and fluence, 10-14 J/cm 2 ) and LPNY (spot size, 5 mm; pulse duration, 20 ms; and fluence, 240-300 J/cm 2 ). Complete clearance of two patients (5.1%) in PDL group, and three patients (9.1%) in LPNY group were observed without significant side effects. The patients who achieved at least 50% improvement from baseline were 20 (51.3%) in PDL and 22 (66.7%) in LPNY, respectively. This research is meaningful because we compared the effectiveness of the PDL and LPNY in the recalcitrant warts. Both PDL and LPNY laser could be used as a safe and alternative treatment for recalcitrant warts.

Arthroscopic bursectomy for recalcitrant trochanteric bursitis after hip arthroplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Hofwegen, Christopher; Baker, Champ L; Savory, Carlton G; Baker, Champ L

2013-01-01

This study evaluated the use of arthroscopic bursectomy for pain relief in patients with trochanteric bursitis after hip arthroplasty. In this retrospective case series of 12 patients undergoing arthroscopic treatment of recalcitrant trochanteric bursitis after hip arthroplasty, outcomes were assessed via phone interview with a numeric pain rating scale from 1 to 10 and were compared with preoperative pain ratings. Patients were asked the percentage of time they had painless hip function and whether they would have the surgery again. At an average 36-month follow-up (range, 4-85 months), the average numeric pain scale rating improved from 9.3 to 3.3. At an average of 62% of the time, patients had painless use of the hip. Ten of 12 patients in the study felt the pain relief gained was substantial enough to warrant having procedure again. In these patients, arthroscopic bursectomy was a viable option for patients with recalcitrant bursitis after hip arthroplasty.

Investigating commercial cellulase performances toward specific biomass recalcitrance factors using reference substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Ju, Xiaohui; Bowden, Mark; Engelhard, Mark; Zhang, Xiao

2014-05-01

Three commercial cellulase preparations, Novozymes Cellic(®) Ctec2, Dupont Accellerase(®) 1500, and DSM Cytolase CL, were evaluated for their hydrolytic activity using a set of reference biomass substrates with controlled substrate characteristics. It was found that lignin remains a significant recalcitrance factor to all the preparations, although different enzyme preparations respond to the inhibitory effect of lignin differently. Also, different types of biomass lignin can inhibit cellulase enzymes in different manners. Enhancing enzyme activity toward biomass fiber swelling is an area significantly contributing to potential improvement in cellulase performance. While the degree of polymerization of cellulose in the reference substrates did not present a major recalcitrance factor to Novozymes Cellic(®) Ctec2, cellulose crystallite has been shown to have a significant lower reactivity toward all enzyme mixtures. The presence of polysaccharide monooxygenases (PMOs) in Novozymes Ctec2 appears to enhance enzyme activity toward decrystallization of cellulose. This study demonstrated that reference substrates with controlled chemical and physical characteristics of structural features can be applied as an effective and practical strategy to identify cellulosic enzyme activities toward specific biomass recalcitrance factor(s) and provide specific targets for enzyme improvement.

Topical ketoconazole therapy in a recalcitrant case of seborrhoeic dermatitis

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Baishya B

1996-01-01

Full Text Available Ketoconazole 2% cream and 2% shampoo were found to be effective in controlling seborrhoeic dermatitis in a recalcitrant case. This topical ketoconazole therapy seems to be better than other conventional topical preparations prescribed in seborrhoeic dermatitis.

Assessing two different peroxidases´ potential for application in recalcitrant organic compound bioremediation

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Nelson Caicedo

2001-07-01

Full Text Available This work shows the promising future presented by the following enzymes: Chloroperoxidase (CPO from Caldariomyces fumago and royal palm peroxidase (Roystonea regia, PPR. These peroxidases were obtained from different sources (microbial and vegetable and used as biocatalysts for applicating them in bioremediation of recalcitrant organic compounds. Each one of the enzymes' peroxidase catalytic activity was evaluated in organic phase systems, using different model compounds such as: PAHs (pyrene and anthracene, organic-nitrogenated compounds (diphenylamine, monoaromatic phenolic molecules (guayacol and dyes (methyl orange and ABTS. The reaction systems were composed of mono-phase water mixtures and organic miscible solvent (methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl formamide, on which both peroxidases' catalytic activity was evaluated. The two enzymes' catalytic activity was observed on the evaluated substrates in most of these assays. However, PPR did not show biocatalytic oxidation for methyl orange dye and some PAHs. This enzyme did show the best tolerance to the evaluated solvents. Its catalytic activity was appreciably enhanced when low hydrophobic solvents were used. The kcat was calculated from this experimental data (as kinetic parameter leading to each enzyme's biocatalytic performance on substrates being compared.

Oxidative Copper-Enzymes are the Key for Unlocking Recalcitrant Biopolymers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, Katja Salomon

as the electron donating cofactor for the enzyme. The discovery of LPMOs and the understanding that they constitute the “first wave of attack” by microbial organisms on the most recalcitrant natural polysaccharides, highlights the need to reflect on the specific roles of LPMOs in biology. Many good and relevant...

Robotic Y-V Plasty for Recalcitrant Bladder Neck Contracture.

Science.gov (United States)

Granieri, Michael A; Weinberg, Aaron C; Sun, Jeffrey Y; Stifleman, Michael; Zhao, Lee

2018-07-01

To demonstrate the technique and the outcomes of robot assisted Y-V plasty bladder neck reconstruction (RYVBNR). We present our technique for treatment of recalcitrant bladder neck contracture (BNC) in 7 patients who underwent RYVBNR at our institution between March 2016 and September 2017. Indication for the procedure was incomplete emptying, recurrent urinary tract infections, and dysuria. On follow-up, patients were assessed for clinical success by absence of infections, symptoms, and cystoscopic evaluation. Robotic assisted dissection is performed to open the space of Retzius and mobilize the bladder. The cystoscope is passed to the level of the BNC, and Firefly technology is used to localize the BNC. The BNC is incised anteriorly, and a V-shaped bladder flap is advanced into the BNC in a Y-V plasty fashion. We place a perioperative closed suction drain, which is removed before discharge, and a 22 Fr catheter, which that will be removed in the office at approximately 2 weeks. Six men developed recalcitrant BNCs and 1 developed a recalcitrant vesicourethral anastomotic stenosis. All patients had previously undergone an endoscopic procedure. Median time for last attempt at endoscopic management to robot-assisted bladder neck repair was 4.7 months. The average number of prior attempts at endoscopic management was 2. All patients underwent RYVBNR without conversion to open surgery. The median operative time was 240 minutes, estimated blood loss was 67 mL, and length of stay was 1 day. There were no intraoperative complications. Catheters were removed in the office at a median time of 15 days. At a median follow-up of 8 months, all cases were successful with no evidence of recurrence. Only 2 patients had persistent urinary incontinence at 1 pad per day. RYVBNR with a Y-V plasty is a feasible and effective technique for managing a difficult reconstructive problem. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Omalizumab therapy for treatment of recalcitrant chronic spontaneous urticaria in an Asian population.

Science.gov (United States)

Kulthanan, Kanokvalai; Tuchinda, Papapit; Chularojanamontri, Leena; Likitwattananurak, Chayanee; Ungaksornpairote, Chanida

2017-03-01

There are limited data regarding omalizumab in the treatment of recalcitrant chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) in Asian populations. This study evaluated the effectiveness and the proper dosage of omalizumab for Asian CSU patients in a real-life setting. We retrospectively reviewed recalcitrant CSU patients seeking treatment at the Skin Allergy Clinic, Siriraj Hospital during the 3-year period. All patients were treated with omalizumab as an add-on therapy. Standard seven-day urticaria activity score (UAS7) and medication score were used to assess omalizumab response. Of 13 patients, 9 patients (70%) responded well to 150 mg omalizumab injection every month, whereas 4 patients requiring updosing to 300 mg. In the 150 mg group, one patient achieved complete symptom control without antihistamine intake. Most of them required antihistamines without prednisolone and ciclosporin. Onset of omalizumab was fast, usually within the first week. Though only two patients in the 300 mg group achieved complete absence of symptoms, ciclosporin and oral corticosteroids could be discontinued. No patients reported adverse effects. Omalizumab at an initial dosage of 150 mg was effective in the treatment of recalcitrant CSU among Asians. Updosing to 300 mg was required to achieve satisfactory outcomes.

TREHALOSE-BASED ADDITIVE IMPROVED INTER-PRIMER BINDING SITE REACTIONS FOR DNA ISOLATED FROM RECALCITRANT PLANTS

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Veronika Lancíková

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Trehalose-based (TBT-PAR additive was tested in order to optimize PCR amplification for DNA isolated from recalcitrant plants. Retrotransposon-based inter-primer binding site reactions were significantly improved with TBT-PAR solution using genomic DNA isolated from flax (Linum usitatissimum L., genotypes Kyivskyi, Bethune grown in radio-contaminated and non-radioactive remediated Chernobyl experimental fields. Additionally, similar improvements were observed using 19 recalcitrant genotypes of maize (Zea mays L. and three genotypes of yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius, Poepp. et Endl., genotypes PER05, ECU45, BOL22 grown in standard field conditions.

Differential growth responses of soil bacterial taxa to carbon substrates of varying chemical recalcitrance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goldfarb, K.C.; Karaoz, U.; Hanson, C.A.; Santee, C.A.; Bradford, M.A.; Treseder, K.K.; Wallenstein, M.D.; Brodie, E.L.

2011-04-18

Soils are immensely diverse microbial habitats with thousands of co-existing bacterial, archaeal, and fungal species. Across broad spatial scales, factors such as pH and soil moisture appear to determine the diversity and structure of soil bacterial communities. Within any one site however, bacterial taxon diversity is high and factors maintaining this diversity are poorly resolved. Candidate factors include organic substrate availability and chemical recalcitrance, and given that they appear to structure bacterial communities at the phylum level, we examine whether these factors might structure bacterial communities at finer levels of taxonomic resolution. Analyzing 16S rRNA gene composition of nucleotide analog-labeled DNA by PhyloChip microarrays, we compare relative growth rates on organic substrates of increasing chemical recalcitrance of >2,200 bacterial taxa across 43 divisions/phyla. Taxa that increase in relative abundance with labile organic substrates (i.e., glycine, sucrose) are numerous (>500), phylogenetically clustered, and occur predominantly in two phyla (Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria) including orders Actinomycetales, Enterobacteriales, Burkholderiales, Rhodocyclales, Alteromonadales, and Pseudomonadales. Taxa increasing in relative abundance with more chemically recalcitrant substrates (i.e., cellulose, lignin, or tannin-protein) are fewer (168) but more phylogenetically dispersed, occurring across eight phyla and including Clostridiales, Sphingomonadalaes, Desulfovibrionales. Just over 6% of detected taxa, including many Burkholderiales increase in relative abundance with both labile and chemically recalcitrant substrates. Estimates of median rRNA copy number per genome of responding taxa demonstrate that these patterns are broadly consistent with bacterial growth strategies. Taken together, these data suggest that changes in availability of intrinsically labile substrates may result in predictable shifts in soil bacterial composition.

My Career: Composer

Science.gov (United States)

Morganelli, Patrick

2013-01-01

In this article, the author talks about his career as a composer and offers some advice for aspiring composers. The author works as a composer in the movie industry, creating music that supports a film's story. Other composers work on television shows, and some do both television and film. The composer uses music to tell the audience what kind of…

Clinical Outcomes after Arthroscopic Release for Recalcitrant Frozen Shoulder

OpenAIRE

Ebrahimzadeh, Mohammad H; Moradi, Ali; Pour, Mostafa Khalili; Moghadam, Mohammad Hallaj; Kachooei, Amir Reza

2014-01-01

Background: To explain the role of arthroscopic release in intractable frozen shoulders. We used different questionnaires and measuring tools to understand whether arthroscopic release is the superior modality to treat patients with intractable frozen shoulders. Methods: Between 2007 and 2013, in a prospective study, we enrolled 80 patients (52 females and 28 males) with recalcitrant frozen shoulder, who underwent arthroscopic release at Ghaem Hospital, a tertiary referral center, in Mashhad,...

Visualising recalcitrance by colocalisation of cellulase, lignin and cellulose in pretreated pine biomass using fluorescence microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Donaldson, Lloyd; Vaidya, Alankar

2017-03-01

Mapping the location of bound cellulase enzymes provides information on the micro-scale distribution of amenable and recalcitrant sites in pretreated woody biomass for biofuel applications. The interaction of a fluorescently labelled cellulase enzyme cocktail with steam-exploded pine (SEW) was quantified using confocal microscopy. The spatial distribution of Dylight labelled cellulase was quantified relative to lignin (autofluorescence) and cellulose (Congo red staining) by measuring their colocalisation using Pearson correlations. Correlations were greater in cellulose-rich secondary cell walls compared to lignin-rich middle lamella but with significant variations among individual biomass particles. The distribution of cellulose in the pretreated biomass accounted for 30% of the variation in the distribution of enzyme after correcting for the correlation between lignin and cellulose. For the first time, colocalisation analysis was able to quantify the spatial distribution of amenable and recalcitrant sites in relation to the histochemistry of cellulose and lignin. This study will contribute to understanding the role of pretreatment in enzymatic hydrolysis of recalcitrant softwood biomass.

A Proteomics Sample Preparation Method for Mature, Recalcitrant Leaves of Perennial Plants

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Na, Zhang; Chengying, Lao; Bo, Wang; Dingxiang, Peng; Lijun, Liu

2014-01-01

Sample preparation is key to the success of proteomics studies. In the present study, two sample preparation methods were tested for their suitability on the mature, recalcitrant leaves of six representative perennial plants (grape, plum, pear, peach, orange, and ramie). An improved sample preparation method was obtained: Tris and Triton X-100 were added together instead of CHAPS to the lysis buffer, and a 20% TCA-water solution and 100% precooled acetone were added after the protein extraction for the further purification of protein. This method effectively eliminates nonprotein impurities and obtains a clear two-dimensional gel electrophoresis array. The method facilitates the separation of high-molecular-weight proteins and increases the resolution of low-abundance proteins. This method provides a widely applicable and economically feasible technology for the proteomic study of the mature, recalcitrant leaves of perennial plants. PMID:25028960

A proteomics sample preparation method for mature, recalcitrant leaves of perennial plants.

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Deng Gang

Full Text Available Sample preparation is key to the success of proteomics studies. In the present study, two sample preparation methods were tested for their suitability on the mature, recalcitrant leaves of six representative perennial plants (grape, plum, pear, peach, orange, and ramie. An improved sample preparation method was obtained: Tris and Triton X-100 were added together instead of CHAPS to the lysis buffer, and a 20% TCA-water solution and 100% precooled acetone were added after the protein extraction for the further purification of protein. This method effectively eliminates nonprotein impurities and obtains a clear two-dimensional gel electrophoresis array. The method facilitates the separation of high-molecular-weight proteins and increases the resolution of low-abundance proteins. This method provides a widely applicable and economically feasible technology for the proteomic study of the mature, recalcitrant leaves of perennial plants.

Teaching Composing with an Identity as a Teacher-Composer

Science.gov (United States)

Francis, Jennie

2012-01-01

I enjoy composing and feel able to write songs that I like and which feel significant to me. This has not always been the case and the change had nothing to do with my school education or my degree. Composing at secondary school did not move beyond Bach and Handel pastiche. I did not take any composing courses during my degree. What did influence…

Outcomes of treatment of nine cases of recalcitrant severe hidradenitis suppurativa with carbon dioxide laser.

Science.gov (United States)

Madan, V; Hindle, E; Hussain, W; August, P J

2008-12-01

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic and often a recalcitrant inflammatory skin condition. To present the results of carbon dioxide (CO2) laser treatment of recalcitrant HS in nine patients who had failed to improve on medical and other surgical treatments. HS lesions consisting of abscesses, sinuses and granulation tissue were completely excised using the cutting mode of a CO2 laser, leaving only healthy residual subcutaneous fat. The wounds were closed by primary intention where possible and left to granulate otherwise. Outcomes were determined by clinical review and questionnaire. Twenty-seven sites were treated in 19 sessions on nine patients. Seven procedures were performed under general anaesthesia and 12 under local. All patients rated their postoperative discomfort as less or equal to their preoperative state. Seven of the nine patients had complete remission for 12 months or longer after their last laser treatment and ceased all medications. High levels of patient satisfaction were reported with CO2 laser treatment. The main complication was axillary scar contracture in two patients but this was insufficient to limit limb movement. CO2 laser treatment should be considered as a treatment option in recalcitrant HS, where multiple medical treatments have been ineffective.

Lignin- and Hemicellulose-derived Biomass Recalcitrance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deralia, Parveen Kumar

technology bringing the multitude of chemical and physical changes, which govern the level of biomass recalcitrance. The lignocellulosic biomasses in question are wheat straw and poplar and the hydrothermal pretreatment is used as pretreatment technology. The 2D HSQC NMR and wet chemistry chemical...... degree to the biomass surface, giving a proportional increase in the specific surface area opposite to wheat straw, which has a marked increase in the specific surface area. The distinctly different chemistry of lignin and hemicellulose and different lignin migration and reorganization appear...... to be correlative, helping explain differences in enzymatic saccharification performance across the pretreatment severities and between two biomasses. The main contribution of this work to the current state-of-the-art in the field is the revelation of distinct behaviors of generation of different repolymerized...

Enhancing biogas production from recalcitrant lignocellulosic residue

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tsapekos, Panagiotis

Lignocellulosic substrates are abundant in agricultural areas around the world and lately, are utilized for biogas production in full-scale anaerobic digesters. However, the anaerobic digestion (AD) of these substrates is associated with specific difficulties due to their recalcitrant nature which...... protects them from enzymatic attack. Hence, the main purpose of this work was to define diverse ways to improve the performance of AD systems using these unconventional biomasses. Thus, mechanical and thermal alkaline pretreatments, microaeration and bioaugmentation with hydrolytic microbes were examined...... conductivity, soluble chemical oxygen demand and enzymatic hydrolysis) as a rapid way to predict the methane production. However, the precision of methane yield prediction was not high (R2

Significance of Lignin S/G Ratio in Biomass Recalcitrance of Populus trichocarpa Variants for Bioethanol Production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoo, Chang Geun [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Dumitrache, Alexandru [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Muchero, Wellington [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Natzke, Jace [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Akinosho, Hannah [Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States); Li, Mi [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Sykes, Robert W. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Brown, Steven D. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Davison, Brian [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Tuskan, Gerald A. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Pu, Yunqiao [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Ragauskas, Arthur J. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)

2017-12-11

Lignin S/G ratio has been investigated as an important factor in biomass recalcitrance to bioethanol production. Because of the complexity and variety of biomass, recalcitrance was also reportedly influenced by several other factors, such as total lignin content, degree of cellulose polymerization, etc. In addition, the effect of S/G ratio on biomass conversion is not uniform across plant species. Herein, 11 Populus trichocarpa natural variants grown under the same conditions with similar total lignin content were selected to minimize the effects of other factors. The lignin S/G ratio of the selected P. trichocarpa natural variants showed negative correlations with p-hydroxybenzoate (PB) and β–5 linkage contents, while it had positive ones with β-O-4 linkage, lignin molecular weight, and ethanol production. In conclusion, this study showed the importance of lignin S/G ratio as an independent recalcitrance factor that may aid future energy crop engineering and biomass conversion strategies.

Significance of Lignin S/G Ratio in Biomass Recalcitrance of Populus trichocarpa Variants for Bioethanol Production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoo, Chang Geun [BioEnergy; amp, Center for BioEnergy Innovation, Biosciences; UT−ORNL; Dumitrache, Alexandru [BioEnergy; amp, Center for BioEnergy Innovation, Biosciences; Muchero, Wellington [BioEnergy; amp, Center for BioEnergy Innovation, Biosciences; Natzke, Jace [BioEnergy; amp, Center for BioEnergy Innovation, Biosciences; Akinosho, Hannah [School; Li, Mi [BioEnergy; amp, Center for BioEnergy Innovation, Biosciences; UT−ORNL; Sykes, Robert W. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States; Brown, Steven D. [BioEnergy; amp, Center for BioEnergy Innovation, Biosciences; Davison, Brian [BioEnergy; amp, Center for BioEnergy Innovation, Biosciences; Tuskan, Gerald A. [BioEnergy; amp, Center for BioEnergy Innovation, Biosciences; Pu, Yunqiao [BioEnergy; amp, Center for BioEnergy Innovation, Biosciences; UT−ORNL; Ragauskas, Arthur J. [BioEnergy; amp, Center for BioEnergy Innovation, Biosciences; UT−ORNL; Department; amp, Center for Renewable

2017-12-27

Lignin S/G ratio has been investigated as an important factor in biomass recalcitrance to bioethanol production. Because of the complexity and variety of biomass, recalcitrance was also reportedly influenced by several other factors, such as total lignin content, degree of cellulose polymerization, etc. In addition, the effect of S/G ratio on biomass conversion is not uniform across plant species. Herein, 11 Populus trichocarpa natural variants grown under the same conditions with similar total lignin content were selected to minimize the effects of other factors. The lignin S/G ratio of the selected P. trichocarpa natural variants showed negative correlations with p-hydroxybenzoate (PB) and ..beta..-5 linkage contents, while it had positive ones with ..beta..-O-4 linkage, lignin molecular weight, and ethanol production. This study showed the importance of lignin S/G ratio as an independent recalcitrance factor that may aid future energy crop engineering and biomass conversion strategies.

Relationship of Plantar Fascia Thickness and Preoperative Pain, Function, and Quality of Life in Recalcitrant Plantar Fasciitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Gamba, Carlo; Sala-Pujals, Aleix; Perez-Prieto, Daniel; Ares-Vidal, Jesus; Solano-Lopez, Alberto; Gonzalez-Lucena, Gemma; Ginés-Caspedosa, Alberto

2018-04-01

The measurement of plantar fascia thickness has been advocated as a diagnostic and prognostic instrument in patients with plantar fasciitis, but there are no data relative to it in recalcitrant plantar fasciitis. The aim of the study is to evaluate the correlation between plantar fascia thickness and pain, functional score, and health perception in patients with this condition. Thirty-eight feet were studied with ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging to measure plantar fascia thickness. The visual analogue scale (VAS), American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Hindfoot Score (AOFAS), and SF-36 were then recorded for each patient. The relationship between the fascia and these scores was analyzed to evaluate the correlation of thickness with pain, functional level, and health perception of patients. In patients with recalcitrant plantar fasciitis, plantar fascia thickness did not correlate with pain (VAS), AOFAS, or any item of the SF-36. The thickness of the plantar fascia in patients with recalcitrant plantar fasciitis did not correlate with its clinical impact, and thus, we believe it should not be used in treatment planning. Level IV, case series.

The use of immunosuppressive agents in the management of recalcitrant lower limb ulcers.

Science.gov (United States)

Millen, A; Coulston, J; Brennan, J; Kennedy, T

2014-08-01

Lower limb ulcers that are resistant to standard forms of treatment place a significant burden on both patients and health services. There is no widely agreed definition of a recalcitrant ulcer but failure to heal following 6-12 months of focused treatment would identify a small group of patients with highly resistant ulceration. We describe a series of patients with recalcitrant ulceration for which immunosuppressive agents have been used. This is a case series of 13 patients who underwent immunomodulation therapy for lower limb ulcers at a tertiary referral university hospital. Regimens of immunomodulation used mainly ciclosporin and/or cyclophosphamide, with concurrent antibiotic therapy. Case notes and computer systems were analysed by two reviewers. A patient was deemed to have a success if their ulcer fully healed while on immunomodulation therapy. Over a period of eight years, from 2004-2012, 13 patients underwent immunomodulation therapy. Among these patients there were 18 ulcerated limbs. Ulcer healing occurred in 10 limbs out of 18 (55.6%) and full healing occurred in six patients (46.2%). Ulcers were present for a median of five years (range 2-40 years), with a median diameter of 7.5 cm (range 4-18 cm) before treatment. Treatment of truly recalcitrant ulceration can be very frustrating for both the patient and physician, with poor success from more standard forms of treatment. We report experience with immunomodulation therapy that suggests there may be benefit from using this treatment in a subset of patients with this debilitating disease.

Composing and Arranging Careers

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Elliott; And Others

1977-01-01

With the inspiration, the originality, the skill and craftsmanship, the business acumen, the patience, and the luck, it's possible to become a classical composer, pop/rock/country composer, jingle composer, or educational composer. Describes these careers. (Editor/RK)

β-Glucans and Resistant Starch Alter the Fermentation of Recalcitrant Fibers in Growing Pigs.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonja de Vries

Full Text Available Interactions among dietary ingredients are often assumed non-existent when evaluating the nutritive value and health effects of dietary fiber. Specific fibers can distinctly affect digestive processes; therefore, digestibility and fermentability of the complete diet may depend on fiber types present. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of readily fermentable fibers (β-glucans and resistant starch on the degradation of feed ingredients containing more persistent, recalcitrant, fibers. Six semi-synthetic diets with recalcitrant fibers from rapeseed meal (pectic polysaccharides, xyloglucans, and cellulose or corn distillers dried grain with solubles (DDGS; (glucuronoarabinoxylans and cellulose with or without inclusion of β-glucans (6% or retrograded tapioca (40% substituted for corn starch were formulated. Six ileal-cannulated pigs (BW 28±1.4 kg were assigned to the diets according to a 6×6 Latin square. β-glucan-extract increased apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD of non-glucosyl polysaccharides (accounting for ~40% of the fiber-fraction from rapeseed meal (6%-units, P10%-units, P<0.001, indicating that the large amount of resistant starch entering the hindgut was preferentially degraded over recalcitrant fibers from rapeseed meal and DDGS, possibly related to reduced hindgut-retention time following the increased intestinal bulk. Fermentation of fiber sources was not only dependent on fiber characteristics, but also on the presence of other fibers in the diet. Hence, interactions in the gastrointestinal tract among fibrous feed ingredients should be considered when evaluating their nutritive value.

Insights into cell wall structure of Sida hermaphrodita and its influence on recalcitrance.

Science.gov (United States)

Damm, Tatjana; Pattathil, Sivakumar; Günl, Markus; Jablonowski, Nicolai David; O'Neill, Malcolm; Grün, Katharina Susanne; Grande, Philipp Michael; Leitner, Walter; Schurr, Ulrich; Usadel, Björn; Klose, Holger

2017-07-15

The perennial plant Sida hermaphrodita (Sida) is attracting attention as potential energy crop. Here, the first detailed view on non-cellulosic Sida cell wall polysaccharide composition, structure and architecture is given. Cell walls were prepared from Sida stems and sequentially extracted with aqueous buffers and alkali. The structures of the quantitatively predominant polysaccharides present in each fraction were determined by biochemical characterization, glycome profiling and mass spectrometry. The amounts of glucose released by Accellerase-1500 ® treatment of the cell wall and the cell wall residue remaining after each extraction were used to assess the roles of pectin and hemicellulose in the recalcitrance of Sida biomass. 4-O-Methyl glucuronoxylan with a low proportion of side substitutions was identified as the major non-cellulosic glycan component of Sida stem cell walls. Pectic polysaccharides and xylans were found to be associated with lignin, suggesting that these polysaccharides have roles in Sida cell wall recalcitrance to enzymatic hydrolysis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Edge effects of forest gap in Pinus massoniana plantations on the decomposition of leaf litter recalcitrant components of Cinnamomum camphora and Toona ciliata.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yan; Zhang, Dan Ju; Li, Xun; Liu, Hua; Zhang, Ming Jin; Yang, Wan Qin; Zhang, Jian

2016-04-22

The objective of the study was to evaluate the dynamics of recalcitrant components during foliar litter decomposition under edge effects of forest gap in Pinus massoniana plantations in the low hilly land, Sichuan basin. A field litterbag experiment was conducted in seven forest gaps with different sizes (100, 225, 400, 625, 900, 1225, 1600 m 2 ) which were generated by thinning P. massoniana plantations. The degradation rate of four recalcitrant components, i.e., condensed tannins, total phenol, lignin and cellulose in foliar litter of two native species (Cinnamomum camphora and Toona ciliata) at the gap edge and under the closed canopy were measured. The results showed that the degradation rate of recalcitrant components in T. ciliata litter except for cellulose at the gap edge were significantly higher than that under the closed canopy. For C. camphora litter, only the degradation of lignin at the gap edge was higher than that under the closed canopy. After one-year decomposition, four recalcitrant components in two types of foliar litter exhibited an increment of degradation rate, and the degradation rate of condensed tannin was the fastest, followed by total phenol and cellulose, but the lignin degradation rate was the slowest. With the increase of gap size, except for cellulose, the degradation rate ofthe other three recalcitrant components of the T. ciliata at the edge of medium sized gaps (400 and 625 m 2 ) were significantly higher than at the edge of other gaps. However, lignin in the C. camphora litter at the 625 m 2 gap edge showed the greatest degradation rate. Both temperature and litter initial content were significantly correlated with litter recalcitrant component degradation. Our results suggested that medium sized gaps (400-625 m 2 ) had a more significant edge effect on the degradation of litter recalcitrant components in the two native species in P. massoniana plantations, however, the effect also depended on species.

Analysis of a Modern Hybrid and an Ancient Sugarcane Implicates a Complex Interplay of Factors in Affecting Recalcitrance to Cellulosic Ethanol Production.

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Viviane Guzzo de Carli Poelking

Full Text Available Abundant evidence exists to support a role for lignin as an important element in biomass recalcitrance. However, several independent studies have also shown that factors apart from lignin are also relevant and overall, the relative importance of different recalcitrance traits remains in dispute. In this study we used two genetically distant sugarcane genotypes, and performed a correlational study with the variation in anatomical parameters, cell wall composition, and recalcitrance factors between these genotypes. In addition we also tracked alterations in these characteristics in internodes at different stages of development. Significant differences in the development of the culm between the genotypes were associated with clear differential distributions of lignin content and composition that were not correlated with saccharification and fermentation yield. Given the strong influence of the environment on lignin content and composition, we hypothesized that sampling within a single plant could allow us to more easily interpret recalcitrance and changes in lignin biosynthesis than analysing variations between different genotypes with extensive changes in plant morphology and culm anatomy. The syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G ratio was higher in the oldest internode of the modern genotype, but S/G ratio was not correlated with enzymatic hydrolysis yield nor fermentation efficiency. Curiously we observed a strong positive correlation between ferulate ester level and cellulose conversion efficiency. Together, these data support the hypothesis that biomass enzymatic hydrolysis recalcitrance is governed by a quantitative heritage rather than a single trait.

Methods for increasing the biogas potential from the recalcitrant organic matter contained in manure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahring, Birgitte Kiær; Angelidaki, Irini

1998-01-01

The biogas potential of manure could be significantly increased by treatment of the recalcitrant organic matter (biofibers) contained in the manure. Several treatment methods were tested. Mechanical maceration resulted in an average increase of the biogas potential of approx. 17% as shown...

Reproducible gene targeting in recalcitrant Escherichia coli isolates

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De Greve Henri

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A number of allele replacement methods can be used to mutate bacterial genes. For instance, the Red recombinase system of phage Lambda has been used very efficiently to inactivate chromosomal genes in E. coli K-12, through recombination between regions of homology. However, this method does not work reproducibly in some clinical E. coli isolates. Findings The procedure was modified by using longer homologous regions (85 bp and 500-600 bp, to inactivate genes in the uropathogenic E. coli strain UTI89. An lrhA regulator mutant, and deletions of the lac operon as well as the complete type 1 fimbrial gene cluster, were obtained reproducibly. The modified method is also functional in other recalcitrant E. coli, like the avian pathogenic E. coli strain APEC1. The lrhA regulator and lac operon deletion mutants of APEC1 were successfully constructed in the same way as the UTI89 mutants. In other avian pathogenic E. coli strains (APEC3E, APEC11A and APEC16A it was very difficult or impossible to construct these mutants, with the original Red recombinase-based method, with a Red recombinase-based method using longer (85 bp homologous regions or with our modified protocol, using 500 - 600 bp homologous regions. Conclusions The method using 500-600 bp homologous regions can be used reliably in some clinical isolates, to delete single genes or entire operons by homologous recombination. However, it does not invariably show a greater efficiency in obtaining mutants, when compared to the original Red-mediated gene targeting method or to the gene targeting method with 85 bp homologous regions. Therefore the length of the homology regions is not the only limiting factor for the construction of mutants in these recalcitrant strains.

Carbohydrate metabolism before and after dehiscence in the recalcitrant pollen of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Carrizo García, C; Guarnieri, M; Pacini, E

2015-05-01

Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) pollen is starchy, sucrose-poor and recalcitrant, features opposite to those of several model species; therefore, some differences in carbohydrate metabolism could be expected in this species. By studying pumpkin recalcitrant pollen, the objective was to provide new biochemical evidence to improve understanding of how carbohydrate metabolism might be involved in pollen functioning in advanced stages. Four stages were analysed: immature pollen from 1 day before anthesis, mature pollen, mature pollen exposed to the environment for 7 h, and pollen rehydrated in a culture medium. Pollen viability, water and carbohydrate content and activity of enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism were quantified in each stage. Pollen viability and water content dropped quickly after dehiscence, as expected. The slight changes in carbohydrate concentration and enzyme activity during pollen maturation contrast with major changes recorded with ageing and rehydration. Pumpkin pollen seems highly active and closely related to its surrounding environment in all the stages analysed; the latter is particularly evident among insoluble sucrolytic enzymes, mainly wall-bound acid invertase, which would be the most relevant for sucrose cleavage. Each stage was characterised by a particular metabolic/enzymatic profile; some particular features, such as the minor changes during maturation, fast sucrolysis upon rehydration or sharp decrease in insoluble sucrolytic activity with ageing seem to be related to the lack of dormancy and recalcitrant nature of pumpkin pollen. © 2014 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Recalcitrant deep and shallow nodes in Aristolochia (Aristolochiaceae) illuminated using anchored hybrid enrichment.

Science.gov (United States)

Wanke, Stefan; Granados Mendoza, Carolina; Müller, Sebastian; Paizanni Guillén, Anna; Neinhuis, Christoph; Lemmon, Alan R; Lemmon, Emily Moriarty; Samain, Marie-Stéphanie

2017-12-01

Recalcitrant relationships are characterized by very short internodes that can be found among shallow and deep phylogenetic scales all over the tree of life. Adding large amounts of presumably informative sequences, while decreasing systematic error, has been suggested as a possible approach to increase phylogenetic resolution. The development of enrichment strategies, coupled with next generation sequencing, resulted in a cost-effective way to facilitate the reconstruction of recalcitrant relationships. By applying the anchored hybrid enrichment (AHE) genome partitioning strategy to Aristolochia using an universal angiosperm probe set, we obtained 231-233 out of 517 single or low copy nuclear loci originally contained in the enrichment kit, resulting in a total alignment length of 154,756bp to 160,150bp. Since Aristolochia (Piperales; magnoliids) is distantly related to any angiosperm species whose genome has been used for the plant AHE probe design (Amborella trichopoda being the closest), it serves as a proof of universality for this probe set. Aristolochia comprises approximately 500 species grouped in several clades (OTUs), whose relationships to each other are partially unknown. Previous phylogenetic studies have shown that these lineages branched deep in time and in quick succession, seen as short-deep internodes. Short-shallow internodes are also characteristic of some Aristolochia lineages such as Aristolochia subsection Pentandrae, a clade of presumably recent diversification. This subsection is here included to test the performance of AHE at species level. Filtering and subsampling loci using the phylogenetic informativeness method resolves several recalcitrant phylogenetic relationships within Aristolochia. By assuming different ploidy levels during bioinformatics processing of raw data, first hints are obtained that polyploidization contributed to the evolution of Aristolochia. Phylogenetic results are discussed in the light of current systematics and

Comparative transcriptional analysis provides new insights into the molecular basis of adventitious rooting recalcitrance in Eucalyptus.

Science.gov (United States)

de Almeida, Márcia Rodrigues; de Bastiani, Daniela; Gaeta, Marcos Letaif; de Araújo Mariath, Jorge Ernesto; de Costa, Fernanda; Retallick, Jeffrey; Nolan, Lana; Tai, Helen H; Strömvik, Martina V; Fett-Neto, Arthur Germano

2015-10-01

Adventitious rooting (AR) is essential in clonal propagation. Eucalyptus globulus is relevant for the cellulose industry due to its low lignin content. However, several useful clones are recalcitrant to AR, often requiring exogenous auxin, adding cost to clonal garden operations. In contrast, E. grandis is an easy-to-root species widely used in clonal forestry. Aiming at contributing to the elucidation of recalcitrance causes in E. globulus, we conducted a comparative analysis with these two species differing in rooting competence, combining gene expression and anatomical techniques. Recalcitrance in E. globulus is reversed by exposure to exogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), which promotes important gene expression modifications in both species. The endogenous content of IAA was significantly higher in E. grandis than in E. globulus. The cambium zone was identified as an active area during AR, concentrating the first cell divisions. Immunolocalization assay showed auxin accumulation in cambium cells, further indicating the importance of this region for rooting. We then performed a cambium zone-specific gene expression analysis during AR using laser microdissection. The results indicated that the auxin-related genes TOPLESS and IAA12/BODENLOS and the cytokinin-related gene ARR1may act as negative regulators of AR, possibly contributing to the hard-to-root phenotype of E. globulus. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

An index-based approach to assessing recalcitrance and soil carbon sequestration potential of engineered black carbons (biochars).

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Harvey, Omar R; Kuo, Li-Jung; Zimmerman, Andrew R; Louchouarn, Patrick; Amonette, James E; Herbert, Bruce E

2012-02-07

The ability of engineered black carbons (or biochars) to resist abiotic and, or biotic degradation (herein referred to as recalcitrance) is crucial to their successful deployment as a soil carbon sequestration strategy. A new recalcitrance index, the R(50), for assessing biochar quality for carbon sequestration is proposed. The R(50) is based on the relative thermal stability of a given biochar to that of graphite and was developed and evaluated with a variety of biochars (n = 59), and soot-like black carbons. Comparison of R(50), with biochar physicochemical properties and biochar-C mineralization revealed the existence of a quantifiable relationship between R(50) and biochar recalcitrance. As presented here, the R(50) is immediately applicable to pre-land application screening of biochars into Class A (R(50) ≥ 0.70), Class B (0.50 ≤ R(50) carbon sequestration classes. Class A and Class C biochars would have carbon sequestration potential comparable to soot/graphite and uncharred plant biomass, respectively, whereas Class B biochars would have intermediate carbon sequestration potential. We believe that the coupling of the R(50), to an index-based degradation, and an economic model could provide a suitable framework in which to comprehensively assess soil carbon sequestration in biochars.

Combined 595-nm and 1,064-nm laser irradiation of recalcitrant and hypertrophic port-wine stains in children and adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Alster, Tina S; Tanzi, Elizabeth L

2009-06-01

Although pulsed dye laser (PDL) treatment of port-wine stain (PWS) has long been proven safe and effective, incomplete clearance of these vascular malformations can be problematic. In addition, advanced PWS with deeper coloration and tissue hypertrophy can be particularly difficult to treat because of the superficial dermal penetration of 585- to 595-nm light. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a novel device that delivers sequential pulses of 595- and 1,064-nm wavelengths in the treatment of recalcitrant and hypertrophic PWS. Twenty-five children and adults (skin phototypes I-III) with recalcitrant or hypertrophic PWS showing incomplete clearance after 10 prior PDL treatments were included in the study. Successive treatments using a 595-nm PDL and a 1,064-nm neodymium-doped yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser were delivered at 6- to 8-week intervals. Two masked assessors determined clinical improvement of treatment areas using independent evaluation of comparative photographs at baseline and 3 months after treatment using a standard quartile grading scale. The use of dual 595-/1,064-nm wavelengths provided continued improvement of PWS that were previously recalcitrant to ongoing PDL therapy. Side effects were limited to transient erythema, edema, and mild purpura. Rare vesicle formation was observed, with no subsequent scarring or undesirable pigmentary changes. The novel dual 595-nm PDL and 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser is an effective treatment for PWS that are recalcitrant to PDL therapy alone.

Effects of some cryopreservation procedures on recalcitrant zygotic embryos of Ammocharis coranica.

Science.gov (United States)

Nomali, Z; Ngobese; Sershen; Berjak, P; Pammenter, N W

2014-01-01

Cryopreservation, the most promising method for the long-term conservation of recalcitrant (desiccation-sensitive) seed germplasm, is often associated with high viability losses. Cryo-procedures involve a sequence of steps which must be optimised to reduce the impact of the stresses. This study reports on the effects of some of the steps of cryopreservation on the recalcitrant zygotic embryos of the amaryllid, Ammocharis coranica. Embryos were subjected to cryoprotection with glycerol and/or DMSO, rapid (flash) drying, and rapid (>100 degree C s(-1)) or slow (1 degree C s(-1)) cooling. Rapid dehydration (from c. 2.7 to 0.9 g g(-1) over 60 min) and cooling had a detrimental effect on the viability of the embryos, which was exacerbated when these steps were applied sequentially. After cooling, seedling production (30%) was obtained only from embryos that had been cryoprotected with glycerol prior to drying and rapid cooling, while 30% of non-treated embryos and 70% of those that had undergone cathodic protection during flash drying produced callus. Noting that no post-cryo survival of A. coranica embryos had previously been obtained, this study identified cryoprotection with glycerol and the incorporation of cathodic protection during flash drying as promising intervention points for future studies.

Two unusual cases of severe recalcitrant hypocalcemia due to aminoglycoside-induced hypomagnesemia

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Tarun Varma

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Aminoglycoside (AMG-induced renal toxicity is well-known and may manifest with non-oliguric renal failure or renal tubular dysfunction like Fanconi-like syndrome, Barter syndrome-like syndrome or distal renal tubular acidosis (RTA. These phenomena have been described with Gentamycin and Amikacin though rarely with Kanamycin. We present two cases of pulmonary tuberculosis that were treated with Kanamycin and during the course of treatment, developed severe recalcitrant hypocalcemia along with hypomagnesemia.

Effect of temperature on the decomposition of labile and recalcitrant organic matter in Chernozem

Science.gov (United States)

Larioinova, Alla; Kvitkina, Anna; Bykhovets, Sergey; Stulin, Alexandr; Blagodatskaya, Evgenia

2017-04-01

We tested the hypothesis that the recalcitrant pool of soil organic matter (SOM) is more temperature sensitive to decomposition than the labile one. The hypothesis was verified for Chernozem soil sampled from the control (unfertilized) and fertilized with NPK experimental plots of the 50 year field experiment with maize monoculture in Voronezh Region, Russia (51o41'N, 39o15'E). The labile and recalcitrant SOM pools at 2, 12, and 22°C in a long-term (430 d) incubation experiment were traced using the method of 13C natural abundance by C3-C4 transition. Based on decomposition rate constants, the SOM pools followed the order plant residues < new (C4) SOM < old (C3) SOM, with plant residues as the most labile C pool. The hypothesis was valid only for the temperature interval of 12-22°C, where Q10 values increased in the recalcitrance order from 1.2 (plant residues) to 4.3 (C3 SOM). At low temperatures (2-12°C), the values of Q10 varied in the narrow range of 2.2-2.8 irrespective of a SOM pool. In the soil under maize monoculture fertilized with NPK, the increased decomposition of C3 SOM was observed compared to the unfertilized control. The input of new C4 carbon decreased the rate of CO2 emission during the decomposition of the old C3 SOM, i.e. induced negative priming effect (PE). To the contrast, the fertilization increased the positive PE for the C3 SOM. Along with the SOM decomposition rate constants, the magnitude of PE was also temperature dependent. The maximal negative PE in control treatment was found at the lowest temperature of 2oC, while the highest positive PE in NPK fertilized soil was observed at the highest temperature of 22oC.

Microbial enzymes for the recycling of recalcitrant petroleum-based plastics: how far are we?

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Ren; Zimmermann, Wolfgang

2017-11-01

Petroleum-based plastics have replaced many natural materials in their former applications. With their excellent properties, they have found widespread uses in almost every area of human life. However, the high recalcitrance of many synthetic plastics results in their long persistence in the environment, and the growing amount of plastic waste ending up in landfills and in the oceans has become a global concern. In recent years, a number of microbial enzymes capable of modifying or degrading recalcitrant synthetic polymers have been identified. They are emerging as candidates for the development of biocatalytic plastic recycling processes, by which valuable raw materials can be recovered in an environmentally sustainable way. This review is focused on microbial biocatalysts involved in the degradation of the synthetic plastics polyethylene, polystyrene, polyurethane and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Recent progress in the application of polyester hydrolases for the recovery of PET building blocks and challenges for the application of these enzymes in alternative plastic waste recycling processes will be discussed. © 2017 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

On polydispersity of plant biomass recalcitrance and its effects on pretreatment optimization for sugar production

Science.gov (United States)

J.Y. Zhu; Steve P. Verrill; Hao Liu; Victoria L. Herian; Xuejun Pan; Donald L. Rockwood

2011-01-01

This paper discusses a property associated with plant biomass recalcitrance to enzyme and microbial deconstructions in sugar production from cellulose and hemicelluloses. The hemicelluloses are more readily hydrolyzed to sugars than is cellulose. As a result, optimization to maximize individual glucose and hemicellulose sugar recovery is not possible. This property is...

Recalcitrant Compounds Removal in Raw Leachate and Synthetic Effluents Using the White-Rot Fungus Bjerkandera adusta

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Alessandra Bardi

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Recalcitrant compounds limit the efficiency of conventional biological processes for wastewater treatment, representing one of the major issues in the field. This study focused on the treatment of three effluents with White-Rot-Fungus (WRF Bjerkandera adusta MUT 2295 in batch tests, with biomass cultivated in attached form on polyurethane foam cubes (PUFs to test its efficiency in the removal of the target effluents’ recalcitrant fraction. Treatment efficiency of B. adusta was evaluated on landfill leachate (Canada and two solutions containing synthetic recalcitrant compounds, which were prepared with tannic and humic acid. Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD and color removal, the production of manganese peroxidases, and the consumption of a co-substrate (glucose were monitored during the experiment. Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5 and fungal dry weight were measured at the beginning and at the end of the experiment. After co-substrate addition, effluent COD was 2300 ± 85, 2545 ± 84, and 2580 ± 95 (mg/L in raw leachate and tannic and humic acids, respectively. COD removal of 48%, 61%, and 48% was obtained in raw leachate and in the synthetic effluents containing tannic and humic acids, respectively. Color removal of 49%, 25%, and 42% was detected in raw leachate and in tannic and humic acid solutions, respectively. COD and color removals were associated with the increase of fungal dry weight, which was observed in all the trials. These results encourage the use of the selected fungal strain to remove tannic acid, while further investigations are required to optimize leachate and humic acid bioremediation.

Reducing biomass recalcitrance via mild sodium carbonate pretreatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirmohamadsadeghi, Safoora; Chen, Zhu; Wan, Caixia

2016-06-01

This study examined the effects of mild sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) pretreatment on enzymatic hydrolysis of different feedstocks (i.e., corn stover, Miscanthus, and switchgrass). The results showed that sodium carbonate pretreatment markedly enhanced the sugar yields of the tested biomass feedstocks. The pretreated corn stover, Miscanthus, and switchgrass gave the glucose yields of 95.1%, 62.3%, and 81.3%, respectively, after enzymatic hydrolysis. The above glucose yields of pretreated feedstocks were 2-4 times that of untreated ones. The pretreatment also enhanced the xylose yields, 4 times for corn stover and 20 times for both Miscanthus and switchgrass. Sodium carbonate pretreatment removed 40-59% lignin from the tested feedstocks while preserving most of cellulose (sodium carbonate pretreatment was effective for reducing biomass recalcitrance and subsequently improving the digestibility of lignocellulosic biomass. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation of Plant Cell Wall Properties: A Study of Contributions from the Nanoscale to the Macroscale Impacting Cell Wall Recalcitrance

Science.gov (United States)

Crowe, Jacob Dillon

Biochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to fuel ethanol is one of a few challenging, yet opportune technologies that can reduce the consumption of petroleum-derived transportation fuels, while providing parallel reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Biomass recalcitrance, or resistance to deconstruction, is a major technical challenge that limits effective conversion of biomass to fermentable sugars, often requiring a costly thermochemical pretreatment step to improve biomass deconstruction. Biomass recalcitrance is imparted largely by the secondary cell wall, a complex polymeric matrix of cell wall polysaccharides and aromatic heteropolymers, that provides structural stability to cells and enables plant upright growth. Polymers within the cell wall can vary both compositionally and structurally depending upon plant species and anatomical fraction, and have varied responses to thermochemical pretreatments. Cell wall properties impacting recalcitrance are still not well understood, and as a result, the goal of this dissertation is to investigate structural features of the cell wall contributing to recalcitrance (1) in diverse anatomical fractions of a single species, (2) in response to diverse pretreatments, and (3) resulting from genetic modification. In the first study, feedstock cell wall heterogeneity was investigated in anatomical (stem, leaf sheaths, and leaf blades) and internode fractions of switchgrass at varying tissue maturities. Lignin content was observed as the key contributor to recalcitrance in maturing stem tissues only, with non-cellulosic substituted glucuronoarabinoxylans and pectic polysaccharides contributing to cell wall recalcitrance in leaf sheath and leaf blades. Hydroxycinnamate (i.e., saponifiable p-coumarate and ferulate) content along with xylan and pectin extractability decreased with tissue maturity, suggesting lignification is only one component imparting maturity specific cell wall recalcitrance. In the second study

Insights on the molecular mechanism for the recalcitrance of biochars: interactive effects of carbon and silicon components.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jianhua; Chen, Baoliang

2014-08-19

Few studies have investigated the effects of structural heterogeneity (particularly the interactions of silicon and carbon) on the mechanisms for the recalcitrance of biochar. In this study, the molecular mechanisms for the recalcitrance of biochars derived from rice straw at 300, 500, and 700 °C (named RS300, RS500, and RS700, respectively) were elucidated. Short-term (24 h) and long-term (240 h) oxidation kinetics experiments were conducted under different concentrations of H2O2 to distinguish the stable carbon pools in the biochars. We discovered that the stabilities of the biochars were influenced not only by their aromaticity but also through possible protection by silicon encapsulation, which is regulated by pyrolysis temperatures. The aromatic components and recalcitrance of the biochars increased with increasing pyrolysis temperatures. The morphologies of the carbon forms in all of the biochars were also greatly associated with those of silica. Silica-encapsulation protection only occurred for RS500, not for RS300 and RS700. In RS300, carbon and silica were both amorphous, and they were easily decomposed by H2O2. The separation of crystalline silica from condensed aromatic carbon in RS700 eliminated the protective role of silicon on carbon. The effect of the biochar particle size on the stability of the biochar was greatly influenced by C-Si interactions and by the oxidation intensities. A novel silicon-and-carbon-coupled framework model was proposed to guide biochar carbon sequestration.

Composability in quantum cryptography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller-Quade, Joern; Renner, Renato

2009-01-01

If we combine two secure cryptographic systems, is the resulting system still secure? Answering this question is highly nontrivial and has recently sparked a considerable research effort, in particular, in the area of classical cryptography. A central insight was that the answer to the question is yes, but only within a well-specified composability framework and for carefully chosen security definitions. In this article, we review several aspects of composability in the context of quantum cryptography. The first part is devoted to key distribution. We discuss the security criteria that a quantum key distribution (QKD) protocol must fulfill to allow its safe use within a larger security application (e.g. for secure message transmission); and we demonstrate-by an explicit example-what can go wrong if conventional (non-composable) security definitions are used. Finally, to illustrate the practical use of composability, we show how to generate a continuous key stream by sequentially composing rounds of a QKD protocol. In the second part, we take a more general point of view, which is necessary for the study of cryptographic situations involving, for example, mutually distrustful parties. We explain the universal composability (UC) framework and state the composition theorem that guarantees that secure protocols can securely be composed to larger applications. We focus on the secure composition of quantum protocols into unconditionally secure classical protocols. However, the resulting security definition is so strict that some tasks become impossible without additional security assumptions. Quantum bit commitment is impossible in the UC framework even with mere computational security. Similar problems arise in the quantum bounded storage model and we observe a trade-off between the UC and the use of the weakest possible security assumptions.

Results of operative treatment for recalcitrant retrocalcaneal bursitis and midportion Achilles tendinopathy in athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Lohrer, Heinz; Nauck, Tanja

2014-08-01

The results of operative treatment for recalcitrant midportion Achilles tendinopathy and recalcitrant retrocalcaneal bursitis were evaluated using the patient administered, disease specific, and validated VISA-A-G questionnaire. A cohort of 89 patients was prospectively followed. These patients underwent operations for sport induced midportion Achilles tendinopathy (39 procedures) or retrocalcaneal bursitis (55 procedures). Depending on the individual intraoperative findings the patients of either disease were treated with two respective operative modifications (tendon repair or no tendon repair). Preoperative and follow-up status (3, 6, and 12 months) were investigated using the VISA-A-G questionnaire. Preoperatively, the four groups scored from 37.0 ± 17.6 to 45.9 ± 15.2 (p = 0.376-0.993) on the VISA-A-G questionnaire. Six and 12 months postoperatively, the VISA-A-G scores improved significantly (p bursitis and midportion Achilles tendinopathy responded equally well to operative treatment. When repaired, additional tendon lesions did not influence this result. We demand to differentiate not only between midportion Achilles tendinopathy and retrocalcaneal bursitis but also to identify additional Achilles tendon lesions to specifically address these lesions during operative procedures.

Cam Femoroacetabular Impingement as a Possible Explanation of Recalcitrant Anterior Knee Pain

OpenAIRE

Sanchis-Alfonso, Vicente; Tey, Marc; Monllau, Joan Carles

2016-01-01

We present a case of a patient with chronic anterior knee pain (AKP) recalcitrant to conservative treatment who returned to our office for severe hip pain secondary to Cam femoroacetabular impingement (Cam FAI) at 10 months after the onset of knee pain. This case highlights the fact that the main problem is not in the patella but in the hip in some patients with AKP. We hypothesize that there is an external femoral rotation in order to avoid the impingement and therefore the hip pain in patie...

Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection With Percutaneous Needling for Recalcitrant Lateral Epicondylitis: Comparison of Tenotomy and Fenestration Techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaspar, Michael P; Motto, Michael A; Lewis, Sarah; Jacoby, Sidney M; Culp, Randall W; Lee Osterman, A; Kane, Patrick M

2017-12-01

Recalcitrant lateral epicondylitis (LE) is a common debilitating condition, with numerous treatment options of varying success. An injection of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been shown to improve LE, although it is unclear whether the method of needling used in conjunction with a PRP injection is of clinical importance. To determine whether percutaneous needle tenotomy is superior to percutaneous needle fenestration when each is combined with a PRP injection for the treatment of recalcitrant LE. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. A total of 93 patients with recalcitrant LE were treated with a PRP injection and percutaneous needle fenestration (n = 45) or percutaneous needle tenotomy (n = 48) over a 5-year study interval. Preoperative patient data, including visual analog scale for pain (VAS-P), Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH), and Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation (PRTEE) scores and grip strength, were obtained from a chart review and compared with postoperative values obtained prospectively. Secondary outcomes included the incidence of complications, need for additional interventions, return to work, and patient satisfaction. At a mean follow-up of 40 months, significant improvements in VAS-P (mean, -6.1; 95% CI, -6.8 to -5.5; P < .0001), QuickDASH (mean, -46; 95% CI, -52 to -40; P < .0001), and PRTEE (mean, -57; 95% CI, -64 to -50; P < .0001) scores and grip strength (mean, +6.1 kg; 95% CI, 4.9 to 7.3; P < .0001) were observed across the entire study cohort, with no significant differences noted between the fenestration and tenotomy groups. Nine of 45 patients (22%) underwent additional procedures to treat recurrent symptoms in the fenestration group compared with 5 of 48 patients (10%) in the tenotomy group ( P = .05). No complications occurred in any patients, and no patients expressed dissatisfaction with their treatment course. A PRP injection with concomitant percutaneous needling is an effective treatment for recalcitrant

Clinical outcomes after arthroscopic release for recalcitrant frozen shoulder.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebrahimzadeh, Mohammad H; Moradi, Ali; Pour, Mostafa Khalili; Moghadam, Mohammad Hallaj; Kachooei, Amir Reza

2014-09-01

To explain the role of arthroscopic release in intractable frozen shoulders. We used different questionnaires and measuring tools to understand whether arthroscopic release is the superior modality to treat patients with intractable frozen shoulders. Between 2007 and 2013, in a prospective study, we enrolled 80 patients (52 females and 28 males) with recalcitrant frozen shoulder, who underwent arthroscopic release at Ghaem Hospital, a tertiary referral center, in Mashhad, Iran. Before operation, all patients filled out the Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH), Constant, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), ROWE and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain questionnaires. We measured the difference in range of motion between both the normal and the frozen shoulders in each patient. The average age of the patients was 50.8±7.1 years. In 49 patients, the right shoulder was affected and in the remaining 31 the left side was affected. Before surgery, the patients were suffering from this disease on average for 11.7±10.3 months. The average time to follow-up was 47.2±6.8 months (14 to 60 months). Diabetes mellitus (38%) and history of shoulder trauma (23%) were the most common comorbidities in our patients. We did not find any significant differences between baseline characteristics of diabetics patients with non-diabetics ones. After surgery, the average time to achieve maximum pain improvement and range of motion were 3.6±2.1 and 3.6±2 months, respectively. The VAS score, constant shoulder score, Rowe score, UCLA shoulder score, and DASH score showed significant improvement in shoulder function after surgery, and shoulder range of motion improved in all directions compared to pre-operation range of motion. According to our results, arthroscopic release of recalcitrant frozen shoulder is a valuable modality in treating this disease. This method could decrease pain and improve both subjective and objective mid-term outcomes.

Clinical Outcomes after Arthroscopic Release for Recalcitrant Frozen Shoulder

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Mohammad Hosein Ebrahimzadeh

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Background: To explain the role of arthroscopic release in intractable frozen shoulders. We used different questionnaires and measuring tools to understand whether arthroscopic release is the superior modality to treat patients with intractable frozen shoulders. Methods: Between 2007 and 2013, in a prospective study, we enrolled 80 patients (52 females and 28 males with recalcitrant frozen shoulder, who underwent arthroscopic release at Ghaem Hospital, a tertiary referral center, in Mashhad, Iran. Before operation, all patients filled out the Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH, Constant, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA, ROWE and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS for pain questionnaires. We measured the difference in range of motion between both the normal and the frozen shoulders in each patient. Results: The average age of the patients was 50.8±7.1 years. In 49 patients, the right shoulder was affected and in the remaining 31 the left side was affected. Before surgery, the patients were suffering from this disease on average for 11.7±10.3 months.  The average time to follow-up was 47.2±6.8 months (14 to 60 months. Diabetes mellitus (38% and history of shoulder trauma (23% were the most common comorbidities in our patients. We did not find any significant differences between baseline characteristics of diabetics patients with non-diabetics ones. After surgery, the average time to achieve maximum pain improvement and range of motion were 3.6±2.1 and 3.6±2 months, respectively. The VAS score, constant shoulder score, Rowe score, UCLA shoulder score, and DASH score showed significant improvement in shoulder function after surgery, and shoulder range of motion improved in all directions compared to pre-operation range of motion. Conclusions: According to our results, arthroscopic release of recalcitrant frozen shoulder is a valuable modality in treating this disease. This method could decrease pain and improve both subjective and

Composing the Curriculum: Teacher Identity

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Rebecca

2012-01-01

What is composing and how is it valued? What does a good education in composing look like; what constraints hinder it and is it possible to overcome such constraints? Can composing be a personal, creative and valuable activity for the school student? What role does the teacher play in all of this? These are questions that I discuss in this…

Clinical and ultrasonographic results of ultrasonographically guided percutaneous radiofrequency lesioning in the treatment of recalcitrant lateral epicondylitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Cheng-Li; Lee, Jung-Shun; Su, Wei-Ren; Kuo, Li-Chieh; Tai, Ta-Wei; Jou, I-Ming

2011-11-01

In patients with lateral epicondylitis recalcitrant to nonsurgical treatments, surgical intervention is considered. Despite the numerous therapies reported, the current trend of treatment places particular emphasis on minimally invasive techniques. The authors present a newly developed minimally invasive procedure, ultrasonographically guided percutaneous radiofrequency thermal lesioning (RTL), and its clinical efficacy in treating recalcitrant lateral epicondylitis. Level of evidence, 4. Thirty-four patients (35 elbows), with a mean age of 52.1 years (range, 35-65 years), suffered from symptomatic lateral epicondylitis for more than 6 months and had exhausted nonoperative therapies. They were treated with ultrasonographically guided RTL. Patients were followed up at least 6 months by physical examination and 12 months by interview. The intensity of pain was recorded with a visual analog scale (VAS) score. The functional outcome was evaluated using grip strength, the upper limb Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) outcome measure, and the Modified Mayo Clinic Performance Index (MMCPI) for the elbow. The ultrasonographic findings regarding the extensor tendon origin were recorded, as were the complications. At the time of the 6-month follow-up, the average VAS score in resting (from 4.9 to 0.9), palpation (from 7.6 to 2.5), and grip (from 8.2 to 2.9) had improved significantly compared with the preoperative condition (P lateral epicondylitis was found to be a minimally invasive treatment with satisfactory results in this pilot investigation. This innovative method can be considered as an alternative treatment of recalcitrant lateral epicondylitis before further surgical intervention.

The effectiveness of long-pulse 1064 nm neoymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser for recalcitrant palmoplantar and ungual warts

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Ali Balevi

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Background and Design: Some of palmoplantar and ungual warts are resistant to conventional treatments. In this study, we aimed to investigate the efficacy of non-ablative 1064 nm long pulsed neoymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd: YAG laser treatment on recalcitrant palmoplantar and ungual warts. Materials and Methods: Sixty-three patients with recalcitrant palmar, plantar and ungual warts were included in the study. Laser is applied in 4 sessions at 4-week intervals. The study employed the Nd: YAG (80 W. The following parameters were used: spot size: 4 mm; pulse duration: 15 msec; and fluence: 150 J/cm2. Treatment responses were evaluated statistically and side effects were recorded. Results: The number of patients who were completely cleaned and partially cleaned were 37 (66% and 15 (26%, respectively. Four patients (4% did not respond to treatment. In statistical analysis, there were no significant differences in palmar, plantar or ungual sites in term of complete clearance (p=0.20, p=0.82 and p=0.94, respectively. In addition, there was no association between the number of lesions and complete clearance (p=0.97. Conclusion: Long-pulsed Nd: YAG laser, which does not affect daily activity, is a safe and alternative method and may be recommended for patients with recalcitrant palmoplantar and ungual warts.

Nanometer-scale structure of alkali-soluble bio-macromolecules of maize plant residues explains their recalcitrance in soil.

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Adani, Fabrizio; Salati, Silvia; Spagnol, Manuela; Tambone, Fulvia; Genevini, Pierluigi; Pilu, Roberto; Nierop, Klaas G J

2009-07-01

The quantity and quality of plant litter in the soil play an important role in the soil organic matter balance. Besides other pedo-climatic aspects, the content of recalcitrant molecules of plant residues and their chemical composition play a major role in the preservation of plant residues. In this study, we report that intrinsically resistant alkali-soluble bio-macromolecules extracted from maize plant (plant-humic acid) (plant-HA) contribute directly to the soil organic matter (OM) by its addition and conservation in the soil. Furthermore, we also observed that a high syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G) ratio in the lignin residues comprising the plant tissue, which modifies the microscopic structure of the alkali-soluble plant biopolymers, enhances their recalcitrance because of lower accessibility of molecules to degrading enzymes. These results are in agreement with a recent study, which showed that the humic substance of soil consists of a mixture of identifiable biopolymers obtained directly from plant tissues that are added annually by maize plant residues.

Complete remission of recalcitrant genital warts with a combination approach of surgical debulking and oral isotretinoin in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.

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Yew, Yik Weng; Pan, Jiun Yit

2014-01-01

Genital warts in immunocompromised patients can be extensive and recalcitrant to treatment. We report a case of recalcitrant genital warts in a female patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), who achieved complete remission with a combination approach of surgical debulking and oral isotretinoin at an initial dose of 20 mg/day with a gradual taper of dose over 8 months. She had previously been treated with a combination of topical imiquimod cream and regular fortnightly liquid nitrogen. Although there was partial response, there was no complete clearance. Her condition worsened after topical imiquimod cream was stopped because of her pregnancy. She underwent a combination approach of surgical debulking and oral isotretinoin after her delivery and achieved full clearance for more than 2 years duration. Oral isotretinoin, especially in the treatment of recalcitrant genital warts, is a valuable and feasible option when other more conventional treatment methods have failed or are not possible. It can be used alone or in combination with other local or physical treatment methods. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection With Percutaneous Needling for Recalcitrant Lateral Epicondylitis: Comparison of Tenotomy and Fenestration Techniques

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Gaspar, Michael P.; Motto, Michael A.; Lewis, Sarah; Jacoby, Sidney M.; Culp, Randall W.; Lee Osterman, A.; Kane, Patrick M.

2017-01-01

Background: Recalcitrant lateral epicondylitis (LE) is a common debilitating condition, with numerous treatment options of varying success. An injection of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been shown to improve LE, although it is unclear whether the method of needling used in conjunction with a PRP injection is of clinical importance. Purpose: To determine whether percutaneous needle tenotomy is superior to percutaneous needle fenestration when each is combined with a PRP injection for the treatment of recalcitrant LE. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A total of 93 patients with recalcitrant LE were treated with a PRP injection and percutaneous needle fenestration (n = 45) or percutaneous needle tenotomy (n = 48) over a 5-year study interval. Preoperative patient data, including visual analog scale for pain (VAS-P), Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH), and Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation (PRTEE) scores and grip strength, were obtained from a chart review and compared with postoperative values obtained prospectively. Secondary outcomes included the incidence of complications, need for additional interventions, return to work, and patient satisfaction. Results: At a mean follow-up of 40 months, significant improvements in VAS-P (mean, –6.1; 95% CI, –6.8 to –5.5; P < .0001), QuickDASH (mean, –46; 95% CI, –52 to –40; P < .0001), and PRTEE (mean, –57; 95% CI, –64 to –50; P < .0001) scores and grip strength (mean, +6.1 kg; 95% CI, 4.9 to 7.3; P < .0001) were observed across the entire study cohort, with no significant differences noted between the fenestration and tenotomy groups. Nine of 45 patients (22%) underwent additional procedures to treat recurrent symptoms in the fenestration group compared with 5 of 48 patients (10%) in the tenotomy group (P = .05). No complications occurred in any patients, and no patients expressed dissatisfaction with their treatment course. Conclusion: A PRP injection

The effectiveness of combined prescription of ankle–foot orthosis and stretching program for the treatment of recalcitrant plantar fasciitis

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Rehab A.E. Sallam

2016-01-01

Combined prescription of night-stretch ankle–foot orthosis and stretching exercises for plantar flexors and fascia had greater therapeutic effects compared with each treatment alone. Stretching exercises alone are not beneficial in the treatment of recalcitrant plantar fasciitis.

The outcome of endoscopy for recalcitrant greater trochanteric pain syndrome.

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Drummond, James; Fary, Camdon; Tran, Phong

2016-11-01

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS), previously referred as trochanteric bursitis, is a debilitating condition characterised by chronic lateral hip pain. The syndrome is thought to relate to gluteal tendinopathy, with most cases responding to non-operative treatment. A number of open and endoscopic surgical techniques targeting the iliotibial band, trochanteric bursa and gluteal tendons have, however, been described for severe recalcitrant cases. We report the outcomes of one such endoscopic approach here. We retrospectively reviewed 49 patients (57 operations) who had undergone endoscopic longitudinal vertical iliotibial band release and trochanteric bursectomy. Inclusion criteria included diagnosed GTPS with a minimum of six months of non-operative treatment. Exclusion criteria included concomitant intra- or extra-articular hip pathology and previous hip surgery including total hip arthroplasty. Outcomes were assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale, Oxford hip Score and International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-33). The series included 42 females and 7 males with a mean age of 65.0 years (26.7-88.6). Mean follow-up time was 20.7 months (5.3-41.2). Eight patients had full thickness gluteal tendon tears, of which 7 were repaired. Adjuvant PRP was injected intraoperatively in 38 of 57 operations (67.2 %). At follow-up, overall mean Visual Analogue Scale values had decreased from 7.8 to 2.8 (p < 0.001), Oxford hip Scores had increased from 20.4 to 37.3 (p < 0.001) and iHOT-33 scores had increased from 23.8 to 70.2 (p < 0.001). Of the 57 operations performed, patients reported feeling very satisfied with the surgical outcome in 28 operations (49.1 %), satisfied in 17 operations (29.8 %) and less than satisfied in 12 operations (21.1 %). While the majority of patients with GTPS will improve with non-operative management, endoscopic iliotibial band release, trochanteric bursectomy and gluteal tendon repair is a safe and effective treatment for severe

Effect of the TNF-α inhibitor adalimumab in patients with recalcitrant sarcoidosis: a prospective observational study using FDG-PET

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Milman, Nils; Graudal, Niels; Loft, Annika

2012-01-01

-PET) in patients with recalcitrant sarcoidosis treated with adalimumab. Methods: Prospective 24-week observational study. Patients continued medication with steroids and antimetabolites and received adalimumab 40 mg subcutaneously every other week. Ten patients with biopsy-proven sarcoidosis (two men) were...

Medium-Term Results After Treatment of Recalcitrant Lateral Epicondylitis

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Meknas, Khaled; Al Hassoni, Thabit N.; Odden-Miland, Åshild; Castillejo, Miguel; Kartus, Jüri

2013-01-01

Background: Recalcitrant lateral epicondylitis (elbow extensor–origin tendinosis) is a common cause of elbow pain with many treatment options. In the present study, the medium-term results after open release and radiofrequency microtenotomy are reported. Hypothesis: Microtenotomy would provide long-term pain relief that was as good as the open release method. Study Design: Prospective, randomized trial. Methods: Twenty-four patients randomized to either open release or microtenotomy were assessed after 5 to 7 years. Clinical examination and dynamic infrared thermography (DIRT) of both elbows were performed preoperatively and at the medium-term follow-up. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of both elbows was performed at the medium-term follow-up. Results: Significant pain reduction was found using a visual analog scale (VAS) at the medium-term follow-up in both groups compared with the preoperative assessment (P lateral epicondylitis. The hypothesis was thus verified. PMID:26535247

On using rational enzyme redesign to improve enzyme-mediated microbial dehalogenation of recalcitrant substances in deep-subsurface environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ornstein, R.L.

1993-06-01

Heavily halogenated hydrocarbons are one of the most prevalent classes of man-made recalcitrant environmental contaminants and often make their way into subsurface environments. Biodegradation of heavily chlorinated compounds in the deep subsurface often occurs at extremely slow rates because native enzymes of indigenous microbes are unable to efficiently metabolize such synthetic substances. Cost-effective engineering solutions do not exist for dealing with disperse and recalcitrant pollutants in the deep subsurface (i.e., ground water, soils, and sediments). Timely biodegradation of heavily chlorinated compounds in the deep subsurface may be best accomplished by rational redesign of appropriate enzymes that enhance the ability of indigenous microbes to metabolize these substances. The isozyme family cytochromes P450 are catalytically very robust and are found in all aerobic life forms and may be active in may anaerobes as well. The author is attempting to demonstrate proof-of-principle rational enzyme redesign of cytochromes P450 to enhance biodehalogenation

Modified natural zeolite as heterogeneous Fenton catalyst in treatment of recalcitrants in industrial effluent

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Milton M. Arimi

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Industrial effluents with high recalcitrants should undergo post-treatment after biological treatment. The aim of this study was to use cheap and abundantly available natural materials to develop heterogeneous Fenton catalysts for the removal of colored recalcitrants in molasses distillery wastewater (MDW. The pellets of zeolite, which is naturally available in many countries, were modified by pre-treatment with sulphuric acid, nitric acid and hydrochloric acid, before embedding on them the ferrous ions. The effects of pH and temperature on heterogeneous Fenton were studied using the modified catalysts. The sulphuric acid-ferrous modified catalysts showed the highest affectivity which achieved 90% color and 60% TOC (total organic carbon removal at 150 g/L pellet catalyst dosage, 2 g/L H2O2 and 25 °C. The heterogeneous Fenton with the same catalyst caused improvement in the biodegradability of anaerobic effluent from 0.07 to 0.55. The catalyst was also applied to pre-treat the raw MDW and increased it's biodegradability by 4%. The color of the resultant anaerobic effluent was also reduced. The kinetics of total TOC removal was found to depend on operation temperature. It was best described by simultaneous first and second order kinetics model for the initial reaction and second order model for the rest of the reaction.

Leucoagaricus gongylophorus produces diverse enzymes for the degradation of recalcitrant plant polymers in leaf-cutter ant fungus gardens.

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Aylward, Frank O; Burnum-Johnson, Kristin E; Tringe, Susannah G; Teiling, Clotilde; Tremmel, Daniel M; Moeller, Joseph A; Scott, Jarrod J; Barry, Kerrie W; Piehowski, Paul D; Nicora, Carrie D; Malfatti, Stephanie A; Monroe, Matthew E; Purvine, Samuel O; Goodwin, Lynne A; Smith, Richard D; Weinstock, George M; Gerardo, Nicole M; Suen, Garret; Lipton, Mary S; Currie, Cameron R

2013-06-01

Plants represent a large reservoir of organic carbon comprised primarily of recalcitrant polymers that most metazoans are unable to deconstruct. Many herbivores gain access to nutrients in this material indirectly by associating with microbial symbionts, and leaf-cutter ants are a paradigmatic example. These ants use fresh foliar biomass as manure to cultivate gardens composed primarily of Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, a basidiomycetous fungus that produces specialized hyphal swellings that serve as a food source for the host ant colony. Although leaf-cutter ants are conspicuous herbivores that contribute substantially to carbon turnover in Neotropical ecosystems, the process through which plant biomass is degraded in their fungus gardens is not well understood. Here we present the first draft genome of L. gongylophorus, and, using genomic and metaproteomic tools, we investigate its role in lignocellulose degradation in the gardens of both Atta cephalotes and Acromyrmex echinatior leaf-cutter ants. We show that L. gongylophorus produces a diversity of lignocellulases in ant gardens and is likely the primary driver of plant biomass degradation in these ecosystems. We also show that this fungus produces distinct sets of lignocellulases throughout the different stages of biomass degradation, including numerous cellulases and laccases that likely play an important role in lignocellulose degradation. Our study provides a detailed analysis of plant biomass degradation in leaf-cutter ant fungus gardens and insight into the enzymes underlying the symbiosis between these dominant herbivores and their obligate fungal cultivar.

Leucoagaricus gongylophorus Produces Diverse Enzymes for the Degradation of Recalcitrant Plant Polymers in Leaf-Cutter Ant Fungus Gardens

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aylward, Frank O. [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Burnum-Johnson, Kristin E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Tringe, Susannah G. [Dept. of Energy Joint Genome Inst., Walnut Creek, CA (United States); Teiling, Clotilde [Roche Diagnostics, Indianapolis, IN (United States); Tremmel, Daniel [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Moeller, Joseph [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Scott, Jarrod J. [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Barry, Kerrie W. [Dept. of Energy Joint Genome Inst., Walnut Creek, CA (United States); Piehowski, Paul D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Nicora, Carrie D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Malfatti, Stephanie [Dept. of Energy Joint Genome Inst., Walnut Creek, CA (United States); Monroe, Matthew E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Purvine, Samuel O. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Goodwin, Lynne A. [Dept. of Energy Joint Genome Inst., Walnut Creek, CA (United States); Smith, Richard D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Weinstock, George [Washington Univ. School of Medicine, St. Louis, MS (United States); Gerardo, Nicole [Emory Univ., Atlanta, GA (United States); Suen, Garret [Dept. of Energy Joint Genome Inst., Walnut Creek, CA (United States); Lipton, Mary S. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Currie, Cameron R. [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Smothsonian Tropical Research Inst., Balboa (Panama)

2013-06-12

Plants represent a large reservoir of organic carbon comprised largely of recalcitrant polymers that most metazoans are unable to deconstruct. Many herbivores gain access to nutrients in this material indirectly by associating with microbial symbionts, and leaf-cutter ants are a paradigmatic example. These ants use fresh foliar biomass as manure to cultivate fungus gardens composed primarily of Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, a basidiomycetous symbiont that produces specialized hyphal swellings that serve as a food source for the host ant colony. Although leaf-cutter ants are conspicuous herbivores that contribute substantially to carbon turnover in Neotropical ecosystems, the process through which plant biomass is degraded in their fungus gardens is not well understood. Here we present the first draft genome of L. gongylophorus, and using genomic, metaproteomic, and phylogenetic tools we investigate its role in lignocellulose degradation in the fungus gardens of both Atta cephalotes and Acromyrmex echinatior leaf-cutter ants. We show that L. gongylophorus produces a diversity of lignocellulases in fungus gardens, and is likely the primary driver of plant biomass degradation in these ecosystems. We also show that this fungus produces distinct sets of lignocellulases throughout the different stages of biomass degradation, including numerous cellulases and laccases that may be playing an important but previously uncharacterized role in lignocellulose degradation. Our study provides a comprehensive analysis of plant biomass degradation in leaf-cutter ant fungus gardens and provides insight into the molecular dynamics underlying the symbiosis between these dominant herbivores and their obligate fungal cultivar.

Contralateral eye-to-eye comparison of intravitreal ranibizumab and a sustained-release dexamethasone intravitreal implant in recalcitrant diabetic macular edema

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas BJ

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Benjamin J Thomas, Yoshihiro Yonekawa, Jeremy D Wolfe, Tarek S Hassan Department of Vitreoretinal Surgery, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI, USA Objective: To compare the effects of intravitreal ranibizumab (RZB or dexamethasone (DEX intravitreal implant in cases of recalcitrant diabetic macular edema (DME.Methods: Retrospective, interventional study examining patients with symmetric bilateral, center-involved DME recalcitrant to treatment with RZB, who received DEX in one eye while the contralateral eye continued to receive RZB every 4–5 weeks for a study period of 3 months.Results: Eleven patients (22 eyes were included: mean logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (logMAR visual acuity (VA for the DEX arm improved from 0.415 (standard deviation [SD] ±0.16 to 0.261 (SD ±0.18 at final evaluation, and mean central macular thickness (CMT improved from 461 µm (SD ±156 to 356 µm (SD ±110; net decrease: 105 µm, P=0.01. Mean logMAR VA for the RZB arm improved from 0.394 (SD ±0.31 to 0.269 (SD ±0.19 at final evaluation. Mean CMT improved from 421 µm (SD ±147 to 373 µm (SD ±129; net decrease: 48 µm, P=0.26.Conclusion: A subset of recalcitrant DME patients demonstrated significant CMT reduction and VA improvement after a single DEX injection. Keywords: aflibercept, bevacizumab, central macular thickness, macular edema, dexamethasone implant, diabetic macular edema, diabetic retinopathy, ranibizumab

A pilot study to evaluate the safety and clinical performance of Leucopatch, an autologous, additive-free, platelet-rich fibrin for the treatment of recalcitrant chronic wounds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Bo; Karlsmark, Tonny; Vogensen, Hanne

2011-01-01

This prospective, uncontrolled pilot study evaluated the safety and clinical performance of Leucopatch an additive-free, autologous platelet-rich fibrin in the treatment of recalcitrant chronic wounds. Fifteen patients, with 16 lower extremity chronic wounds of varying etiologies were treated...... events. Two adverse events, one of noncompliance and one infection, were observed; neither was considered to be related to treatment. The results indicate that Leucopatch is easy to prepare and apply in the clinic, is safe, and may be a clinically effective treatment of recalcitrant chronic wounds....

Medial maxillectomy in recalcitrant sinusitis: when, why and how?

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Konstantinidis, Iordanis; Constantinidis, Jannis

2014-02-01

We reviewed all journal articles relevant to endoscopic medial maxillectomy in patients with recalcitrant chronic maxillary sinusitis in order to present all indications, the underlying pathophysiology and the developed surgical techniques. Despite the high success rate of middle meatal antrostomy, cases with persistent maxillary sinus disease exist and often need a more extended endoscopic procedure for the better control of the disease. Such surgical option uses gravity for better sinus drainage and offers better saline irrigation, local application of medications and follow-up inspection. An endoscopic medial maxillectomy and its modified forms offer a wider surgical field and access to all 'difficult' areas of the maxillary sinus. Patients with previous limited endoscopic sinus surgery or extended open surgery, cystic fibrosis, extensive mucoceles, allergic fungal sinusitis, odontogenic infections, foreign bodies and so on may suffer from recurrent disease requiring an endoscopic medial maxillectomy. Depending on the disease, various modifications of the procedure can be performed preserving the anterior buttress, nasolacrimal duct and inferior turbinate if possible.

Saccharification of recalcitrant biomass and integration options for lignocellulosic sugars from Catchlight Energy's sugar process (CLE Sugar).

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Johnway; Anderson, Dwight; Levie, Benjamin

2013-01-28

Woody biomass is one of the most abundant biomass feedstocks, besides agriculture residuals in the United States. The sustainable harvest residuals and thinnings alone are estimated at about 75 million tons/year. These forest residuals and thinnings could produce the equivalent of 5 billion gallons of lignocellulosic ethanol annually. Softwood biomass is the most recalcitrant biomass in pretreatment before an enzymatic hydrolysis. To utilize the most recalcitrant lignocellulosic materials, an efficient, industrially scalable and cost effective pretreatment method is needed. Obtaining a high yield of sugar from recalcitrant biomass generally requires a high severity of pretreatment with aggressive chemistry, followed by extensive conditioning, and large doses of enzymes. Catchlight Energy's Sugar process, CLE Sugar, uses a low intensity, high throughput variation of bisulfite pulping to pretreat recalcitrant biomass, such as softwood forest residuals. By leveraging well-proven bisulfite technology and the rapid progress of enzyme suppliers, CLE Sugar can achieve a high yield of total biomass carbohydrate conversion to monomeric lignocellulosic sugars. For example, 85.8% of biomass carbohydrates are saccharified for un-debarked Loblolly pine chips (softwood), and 94.0% for debarked maple chips (hardwood). Furan compound formation was 1.29% of biomass feedstock for Loblolly pine and 1.10% for maple. At 17% solids hydrolysis of pretreated softwood, an enzyme dose of 0.075 g Sigma enzyme mixture/g dry pretreated (unwashed) biomass was needed to achieve 8.1% total sugar titer in the hydrolysate and an overall prehydrolysate liquor plus enzymatic hydrolysis conversion yield of 76.6%. At a much lower enzyme dosage of 0.044 g CTec2 enzyme product/g dry (unwashed) pretreated softwood, hydrolysis at 17% solids achieved 9.2% total sugar titer in the hydrolysate with an overall sugar yield of 85.0% in the combined prehydrolysate liquor and enzymatic hydrolysate. CLE Sugar has

Recalcitrant Behavior of Cherrybark Oak Seed: An FT-IR Study of Desiccation Sensitivity in Quercus pagoda Raf. Acorns

Science.gov (United States)

Sharon Sowa; Kristina F. Connor

2003-01-01

The recalcitrant behavior of cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda Raf.) acorns was examined in terms of effects of moisture content on seed storage longevity and (short term) seed germination. Seed samples collected over two consecutive years were fully hydrated, then subjected to drying under ambient conditions of temperature and relative humidity on the...

Systems and synthetic biology approaches to alter plant cell walls and reduce biomass recalcitrance.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalluri, Udaya C; Yin, Hengfu; Yang, Xiaohan; Davison, Brian H

2014-12-01

Fine-tuning plant cell wall properties to render plant biomass more amenable to biofuel conversion is a colossal challenge. A deep knowledge of the biosynthesis and regulation of plant cell wall and a high-precision genome engineering toolset are the two essential pillars of efforts to alter plant cell walls and reduce biomass recalcitrance. The past decade has seen a meteoric rise in use of transcriptomics and high-resolution imaging methods resulting in fresh insights into composition, structure, formation and deconstruction of plant cell walls. Subsequent gene manipulation approaches, however, commonly include ubiquitous mis-expression of a single candidate gene in a host that carries an intact copy of the native gene. The challenges posed by pleiotropic and unintended changes resulting from such an approach are moving the field towards synthetic biology approaches. Synthetic biology builds on a systems biology knowledge base and leverages high-precision tools for high-throughput assembly of multigene constructs and pathways, precision genome editing and site-specific gene stacking, silencing and/or removal. Here, we summarize the recent breakthroughs in biosynthesis and remodelling of major secondary cell wall components, assess the impediments in obtaining a systems-level understanding and explore the potential opportunities in leveraging synthetic biology approaches to reduce biomass recalcitrance. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Evaluation of mountain beetle-infested lodgepole pine for cellulosic ethanol production by sulfite pretreatment to overcome recalcitrance of lignocellulose

Science.gov (United States)

X. Luo; R. Gleisner; S. Tian; J. Negron; W. Zhu; E. Horn; X. J. Pan; J. Y. Zhu

2010-01-01

The potentials of deteriorated mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae)-killed lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) trees for cellulosic ethanol production were evaluated using the sulfite pretreatment to overcome recalcitrance of lignocellulose (SPORL) process. The trees were harvested from two sites in the United States Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest, Colorado....

Cellulose-Hemicellulose Interactions at Elevated Temperatures Increase Cellulose Recalcitrance to Biological Conversion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mittal, Ashutosh [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Himmel, Michael E [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Kumar, Rajeev [University of California, Riverside; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; ; Smith, Micholas Dean [Oak Ridge National Laboratory; University of Tennessee; Petridis, Loukas [Oak Ridge National Laboratory; University of Tennessee; Ong, Rebecca G. [Michigan Technological University; Cai, Charles M. [University of California, Riverside; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Balan, Venkatesh [University of Houston; Dale, Bruce E. [Michigan State University; Ragauskas, Arthur J. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory; University of Tennessee; Smith, Jeremy C. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory; University of Tennessee; Wyman, Charles E. [University of California, Riverside; Oak Ridge National Laboratory

2018-01-23

It has been previously shown that cellulose-lignin droplets' strong interactions, resulting from lignin coalescence and redisposition on cellulose surface during thermochemical pretreatments, increase cellulose recalcitrance to biological conversion, especially at commercially viable low enzyme loadings. However, information on the impact of cellulose-hemicellulose interactions on cellulose recalcitrance following relevant pretreatment conditions are scarce. Here, to investigate the effects of plausible hemicellulose precipitation and re-association with cellulose on cellulose conversion, different pretreatments were applied to pure Avicel(R) PH101 cellulose alone and Avicel mixed with model hemicellulose compounds followed by enzymatic hydrolysis of resulting solids at both low and high enzyme loadings. Solids produced by pretreatment of Avicel mixed with hemicelluloses (AMH) were found to contain about 2 to 14.6% of exogenous, precipitated hemicelluloses and showed a remarkably much lower digestibility (up to 60%) than their respective controls. However, the exogenous hemicellulosic residues that associated with Avicel following high temperature pretreatments resulted in greater losses in cellulose conversion than those formed at low temperatures, suggesting that temperature plays a strong role in the strength of cellulose-hemicellulose association. Molecular dynamics simulations of hemicellulosic xylan and cellulose were found to further support this temperature effect as the xylan-cellulose interactions were found to substantially increase at elevated temperatures. Furthermore, exogenous, precipitated hemicelluloses in pretreated AMH solids resulted in a larger drop in cellulose conversion than the delignified lignocellulosic biomass containing comparably much higher natural hemicellulose amounts. Increased cellulase loadings or supplementation of cellulase with xylanases enhanced cellulose conversion for most pretreated AMH solids; however, this approach

Introduction of a leucine half-zipper engenders multiple high-quality crystals of a recalcitrant tRNA synthetase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Min; Shapiro, Ryan; Schimmel, Paul; Yang, Xiang-Lei

2010-01-01

E. coli alanyl-tRNA synthetase is recalcitrant to crystallization. A group of leucine substitutions has transformed the protein. Although Escherichia coli alanyl-tRNA synthetase was among the first tRNA synthetases to be sequenced and extensively studied by functional analysis, it has proved to be recalcitrant to crystallization. This challenge remained even for crystallization of the catalytic fragment. By mutationally introducing three stacked leucines onto the solvent-exposed side of an α-helix, an engineered catalytic fragment of the synthetase was obtained that yielded multiple high-quality crystals and cocrystals with different ligands. The engineered α-helix did not form a leucine zipper that interlocked with the same α-helix from another molecule. Instead, using the created hydrophobic spine, it interacted with other surfaces of the protein as a leucine half-zipper (LHZ) to enhance the crystal lattice interactions. The LHZ made crystal lattice contacts in all crystals of different space groups. These results illustrate the power of introducing an LHZ into helices to facilitate crystallization. The authors propose that the method can be unified with surface-entropy reduction and can be broadly used for protein-surface optimization in crystallization

MEMBRANE BIOREACTOR FOR TREATMENT OF RECALCITRANT WASTEWATERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suprihatin Suprihatin

2012-02-01

Full Text Available The low biodegradable wastewaters remain a challenge in wastewater treatment technology. The performance of membrane bioreactor systems with submerged hollow fiber micro- and ultrafiltration membrane modules were examined for purifying recalcitrant wastewaters of leachate of a municipal solid waste open dumping site and effluent of pulp and paper mill. The use of MF and UF membrane bioreactor systems showed an efficient treatment for both types wastewaters with COD reduction of 80-90%. The membrane process achieved the desirable effects of maintaining reasonably high biomass concentration and long sludge retention time, while producing a colloid or particle free effluent. For pulp and paper mill effluent a specific sludge production of 0.11 kg MLSS/kg COD removed was achieved. A permeate flux of about 5 L/m²h could be achieved with the submerged microfiltration membrane. Experiments using ultrafiltration membrane produced relatively low permeate fluxes of 2 L/m²h. By applying periodical backwash, the flux could be improved significantly. It was indicated that the particle or colloid deposition on membrane surface was suppressed by backwash, but reformation of deposit was not effectively be prevented by shear-rate effect of aeration. Particle and colloid started to accumulate soon after backwash. Construction of membrane module and operation mode played a critical role in achieving the effectiveness of aeration in minimizing deposit formation on the membrane surface.

Cam Femoroacetabular Impingement as a Possible Explanation of Recalcitrant Anterior Knee Pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchis-Alfonso, Vicente; Tey, Marc; Monllau, Joan Carles

2016-01-01

We present a case of a patient with chronic anterior knee pain (AKP) recalcitrant to conservative treatment who returned to our office for severe hip pain secondary to Cam femoroacetabular impingement (Cam FAI) at 10 months after the onset of knee pain. This case highlights the fact that the main problem is not in the patella but in the hip in some patients with AKP. We hypothesize that there is an external femoral rotation in order to avoid the impingement and therefore the hip pain in patients with Cam FAI. This functional femoral rotation could provoke a patellofemoral imbalance that may be, in theory, responsible for patellofemoral pain in this particular patient. In our case, Cam FAI resolution was related to the resolution of AKP.

Common extensor origin release in recalcitrant lateral epicondylitis - role justified?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mukundan Cibu

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract The aim of our study was to analyse the efficacy of operative management in recalcitrant lateral epicondylitis of elbow. Forty patients included in this study were referred by general practitioners with a diagnosis of tennis elbow to the orthopaedic department at a district general hospital over a five year period. All had two or more steroid injections at the tender spot, without permanent relief of pain. All subsequently underwent simple fasciotomy of the extensor origin. Of forty patients thirty five had improvement in pain and function, two had persistent symptoms and three did not perceive any improvement. Twenty five had excellent, ten had well, two had fair and three had poor outcomes (recurrent problem; pain at rest and night. Two patients underwent revision surgery. Majority of the patients had improvement in pain and function following operative treatment. In this study, an extensor fasciotomy was demonstrated to be an effective treatment for refractory chronic lateral epicondylitis; however, further studies are warranted.

The potential of the innovative SeMPAC process for enhancing the removal of recalcitrant organic micropollutants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alvarino, T., E-mail: teresa.alvarino@usc.es [Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Technology, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela (Spain); Komesli, O. [Ataturk University, Department of Environmental Engineering, 25250 Erzurum (Turkey); Middle East Technical University, Department of Environmental Engineering, 06531 Ankara (Turkey); Suarez, S., E-mail: sonia.suarez@usc.es [Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Technology, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela (Spain); Lema, J.M., E-mail: juan.lema@usc.es [Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Technology, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela (Spain); Omil, F., E-mail: francisco.omil@usc.es [Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Technology, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela (Spain)

2016-05-05

Highlights: • Complete OMPs mass balance in a combined system biological treatment plus PAC. • Improvement of the denitrification after PAC addition. • Enhancement of OMPs biotransformation after PAC addition. • Relation between hydrophobicity (log D) and sorption onto the PAC. • Progressive saturation of the activated carbon in the solid phase with the time. - Abstract: SeMPAC is an innovative process based on a membrane sequential batch reactor to which powdered activated carbon (PAC) is directly added. It was developed with the aim of obtaining a high quality effluent in terms of conventional pollutants and organic micropollutants (OMPs). High COD removal and nitrification efficiencies (>95%) were obtained already during the operation without PAC, although denitrification was enhanced by PAC addition. OMPs were followed in the solid and liquid matrixes so that biotransformation, sorption onto the sludge and adsorption onto the PAC could be assessed. Recalcitrant compounds, such as carbamazepine and diazepam, were readily removed only after PAC addition (>99%). Progressive saturation of PAC was observed, with increasing concentrations of OMPs in the solid phase. Removal efficiencies for recalcitrant compounds were used as indicators for new additions of PAC. An improvement in the moderately biodegradable OMPs removal was observed after PAC addition (e.g. fluoxetine, trimethoprim) which was attributed to the biofilm that grew onto the sorbent, as well as to adsorption onto PAC.

Children Composing and the Tonal Idiom

Science.gov (United States)

Roels, Johanna Maria; Van Petegem, Peter

2016-01-01

Existing studies have demonstrated how children compose, experiment and use their imagination within the conventions of the tonal idiom with functional harmony. However, one area of research that has hardly been explored is how tonality emerges in the compositions of children who compose by transforming their own non-musical ideas, such as their…

Adolescents' Dialogic Composing with Mobile Phones

Science.gov (United States)

Warner, Julie

2016-01-01

This 14-month study examined the phone-based composing practice of three adolescents. Given the centrality of mobile phones to youth culture, the researcher sought to create a description of the participants' composing practices with these devices. Focal participants were users of Twitter and Instagram, two social media platforms that are usually…

Revisiting the concept of recalcitrance and organic matter persistence in soils and aquatic systems: Does environment trump chemistry?

Science.gov (United States)

Marin-Spiotta, E.

2014-12-01

Most ecological models of decomposition rely on plant litter chemistry. However, growing evidence suggests that the chemical composition of organic matter (OM) is not a good predictor of its eventual fate in terrestrial or aquatic environments. New data on variable decomposition rates of select organic compounds challenge concepts of chemical recalcitrance, i.e. the inherent ability of certain molecular structures to resist biodegradation. The role of environmental or "ecosystem" properties on influencing decomposition dates back to some of the earliest research on soil OM. Despite early recognition that the physical and aqueous matrices are critical in determining the fate of organic compounds, the prevailing paradigm hinges on intrinsic chemical properties as principal predictors of decay rate. Here I build upon recent reviews and discuss new findings that contribute to three major transformations in our understanding of OM persistence: (1) a shift away from an emphasis on chemical recalcitrance as a primary predictor of turnover, (2) new interpretations of radiocarbon ages which challenge predictions of reactivity, and (3) the recognition that most detrital OM accumulating in soils and in water has been microbially processed. Predictions of OM persistence due to aromaticity are challenged by high variability in lignin and black C turnover observed in terrestrial and aquatic environments. Contradictions in the behavior of lignin are, in part, influenced by inconsistent methodologies among research communities. Even black C, long considered to be one of the most recalcitrant components of OM, is susceptible to biodegradation, challenging predictions of the stability of aromatic structures. At the same time, revised interpretations of radiocarbon data suggest that organic compounds can acquire long mean residence times by various mechanisms independent of their molecular structure. Understanding interactions between environmental conditions and biological

Universally composable protocols with relaxed set-up assumptions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barak, Boaz; Canetti, Ran; Nielsen, Jesper Buus

2004-01-01

A desirable goal for cryptographic protocols is to guarantee security when the protocol is composed with other protocol instances. Universally composable (UC) protocols provide this guarantee in a strong sense: A protocol remains secure even when composed concurrently with an unbounded number of ...

High-volume image-guided injection for recalcitrant medial collateral ligament injuries of the knee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drumm, O.; Chan, O.; Malliaras, P.; Morrissey, D.; Maffulli, N.

2014-01-01

Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of a novel injection technique in the management of recalcitrant medial collateral ligament (MCL) injuries of the knee. Materials and methods: The injection, comprising 10 ml local anaesthetic with 25–50 mg hydrocortisone, is directed beneath the periosteal attachment of the MCL. Twenty-eight patients who received the intervention were asked to complete a questionnaire, a visual analogue scale (VAS) and the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective knee form to quantify symptoms pre-injection and at follow-up. Data were assessed using descriptive statistics. Further analysis was conducted using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Fisher's exact test. Results: Sixty-eight percent (n = 19) of patients responded. Three patients were excluded according to the exclusion criteria. Of those studied, 37.5% (n = 6) were professional athletes. At follow-up, patients reported a mean improvement on the VAS of 75.5% (SD = 23.6). There was a significant improvement in IKDC scores (mean difference 42%, SD = 14.2) pre- and post-injection (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p < 0.001). No residual symptoms were reported by 50% (n = 8) of patients, and a further 37.5% (n = 6) of patients had improved. Of those patients who played sport, two-thirds (n = 10) had returned to their previous level of sport at follow-up, including all of the professional athletes. Conclusion: Periosteal high-volume image-guided injection is a useful treatment for recalcitrant MCL injury. Results are encouraging, particularly amongst the professional athletes studied

Cam Femoroacetabular Impingement as a Possible Explanation of Recalcitrant Anterior Knee Pain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vicente Sanchis-Alfonso

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We present a case of a patient with chronic anterior knee pain (AKP recalcitrant to conservative treatment who returned to our office for severe hip pain secondary to Cam femoroacetabular impingement (Cam FAI at 10 months after the onset of knee pain. This case highlights the fact that the main problem is not in the patella but in the hip in some patients with AKP. We hypothesize that there is an external femoral rotation in order to avoid the impingement and therefore the hip pain in patients with Cam FAI. This functional femoral rotation could provoke a patellofemoral imbalance that may be, in theory, responsible for patellofemoral pain in this particular patient. In our case, Cam FAI resolution was related to the resolution of AKP.

Intralesional immunotherapy with tuberculin purified protein derivative (PPD) in recalcitrant wart: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial including an extra group of candidates for cryotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Amirnia, Mehdi; Khodaeiani, Effat; Fouladi, Daniel F; Masoudnia, Sima

2016-01-01

Due to paucity of randomized clinical trials, intralesional immunotherapy has not been yet accepted as a standard therapeutic method. To examine the efficacy and safety of intralesional immunotherapy with tuberculin purified protein derivative (PPD) for treating recalcitrant wart. In this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial, a total of 69 patients with recalcitrant warts received either intralesional PPD antigen (n = 35) or intralesional saline (n = 34) for six times at 2-week intervals. A third group of candidates for cryotherapy (n = 33) was also included. The decrease in lesion size (good: complete response, intermediate: 50-99% improvement, poor: PPD patients; 0%, 14.7% and 85.3% of the placebo patients and 18.2%, 33.3% and 48.5% of the cryotherapy patients, respectively (PPD versus placebo: p PPD versus cryotherapy: p PPD group. The recurrence rate was 8.6%, 5.9% and 24.2% in the PPD, placebo and cryotherapy groups, respectively (p > 0.05). Intralesional immunotherapy with PPD antigen is highly effective and safe for treating recalcitrant warts. IRCT201407089844N3 in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT).

Music and emotion-a composer's perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Douek, Joel

2013-01-01

This article takes an experiential and anecdotal look at the daily lives and work of film composers as creators of music. It endeavors to work backwards from what practitioners of the art and craft of music do instinctively or unconsciously, and try to shine a light on it as a conscious process. It examines the role of the film composer in his task to convey an often complex set of emotions, and communicate with an immediacy and universality that often sit outside of common language. Through the experiences of the author, as well as interviews with composer colleagues, this explores both concrete and abstract ways in which music can bring meaning and magic to words and images, and as an underscore to our daily lives.

Composer: Authoring Tool for iTV Programs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R.L. Guimarães (Rodrigo); R.M.R. Costa; L.F.G. Soares

2008-01-01

htmlabstractThis paper presents Composer, an authoring tool to help creating interactive TV programs for the Brazilian Terrestrial Digital TV System. In Composer, several abstractions are defined creating different document views (structural, temporal, layout and textual). One of these views, the

Successful treatment of recalcitrant nonunions with combined magnetic field stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Longo, J A

1997-01-01

Nonunions and delayed unions have been classically defined by Bassett as an arrest of the fracture healing process at an intermediary stage of repair, at which time the fracture gap is bridged by fibrocartilage. It is estimated that approximately 10-20 % of long bone fractures in the United States will result in delayed unions when compared to the average rate of healing for the location and type of fracture. Many of these will go on to a nonunion if biological or biomechanical factors are not optimized to enhance healing. Additional commorbities such as smoking, ethanol abuse, malnutrition, malabsorption and altered neurologic conditions can contribute to delayed unions or nonunions. Even despite appropriate and aggressive early management of long bone fractures, a certain percentage still lack progression of healing and go on to nonunion. Classical surgical management of nonunions includes obtaininjg fracture stabilization with ORIF techniques and bone grafting, with reported clinical successes ranging from 50-80%. Those that fail to achieve union despite classical management are indeed recalcitrant nonunions.

Affective evolutionary music composition with MetaCompose

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scirea, Marco; Togelius, Julian; Eklund, Peter

2017-01-01

This paper describes the MetaCompose music generator, a compositional, extensible framework for affective music composition. In this context ‘affective’ refers to the music generator’s ability to express emotional information. The main purpose of MetaCompose is to create music in real-time that can...

Neurosyphilis in Anglo-American Composers and Jazz Musicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Breitenfeld, Darko; Kust, Davor; Breitenfeld, Tomislav; Prpić, Marin; Lucijanić, Marko; Zibar, Davor; Hostić, Vedran; Franceschi, Maja; Bolanča, Ante

2017-09-01

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted, systemic disease caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum. The most common mechanism of transmission is sexual intercourse. Although there are several hypotheses, the exact origin of the disease remains unknown. Newly published evidence suggests that the hypothesis supporting the theory of the American origin of the disease is the valid one. Among 1500 analyzed pathographies of composers and musicians, data on ten Anglo-American composers and jazz musicians having suffered from neurosyphilis (tertiary stage of the disease) were extracted for this report. In this group of Anglo-American composers and musicians, most of them died from progressive paralysis while still in the creative phase of life. Additionally, diagnoses of eleven other famous neurosyphilitic composers, as well as basic biographic data on ten less known composers that died from neurosyphilis-progressive paralysis are also briefly mentioned. In conclusion, neurosyphilis can cause serious neurological damage, as well as permanent disability or death, preventing further work and skill improvement.

FeelSound : Collaborative Composing of Acoustic Music

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fikkert, Wim; Hakvoort, Michiel; van der Vet, Paul; Nijholt, Anton

2009-01-01

FeelSound is a multi-user application for collaboratively composing music in an entertaining way. Up to four composers can jointly create acoustic music on a top-projection multitouch sensitive table. The notes of an acoustic instrument are represented on a harmonic table and, by drawing shapes on

Composing Interfering Abstract Protocols

Science.gov (United States)

2016-04-01

Tecnologia , Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal. This document is a companion technical report of the paper, “Composing Interfering Abstract...a Ciência e Tecnologia (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) through the Carnegie Mellon Portugal Program under grant SFRH / BD / 33765

The effectiveness of topical colloidal silver in recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis: a randomized crossover control trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, John R; Krishnan, Rohin; Rotenberg, Brian W; Sowerby, Leigh J

2017-11-25

Recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis without polyposis (CRSsP) is a challenging condition to manage as traditional medical therapies and surgery fail to provide satisfactory clinical improvements. Colloidal silver (CS), a widely used naturopathic agent, has recently shown anti-biofilm properties both in vitro and within a rhinosinusitis animal model. To date, no trials involving humans have been published in world literature. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of CS as a topical nasal spray in patients with refractory CRSsP. A prospective cohort study was conducted using a convenience sample of 20 randomized patients with crossover methodology, comparing nasal sprays with CS versus saline. Patients sprayed twice daily for six weeks with the first intervention and then switched to the second for the next six weeks, with measurements made at baseline and each time point. Primary outcomes were changes in SNOT-22 and Lund-Kennedy (LK) endoscopic scores. All analysis was non-parametric and was conducted using STATA 14. Twenty-two patients were enrolled in the study with 20 completing the entire protocol. Mean 6-week change in SNOT-22 scores were -2.8 and 1.0 for saline and CS, respectively (p = 0.373). Similarly, mean 6-week change in LK scores were -1.4 and -1.1 for saline and CS, respectively (p = 0.794). Significant period effects were observed with the SNOT-22 score between the randomized groups. No participants experienced negative health effects directly attributable to the administration of intranasal CS. Commercially available CS nasal spray did not demonstrate any meaningful subjective or objective improvements in patients with recalcitrant CRSsP. NCT02403479 . Registered on March 1, 2015.

Fungal post-treatment of pulp mill effluents for the removal of recalcitrant pollutants.

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega-Clemente, Alfredo; Caffarel-Méndez, S; Ponce-Noyola, M T; Barrera-Córtes, J; Poggi-Varaldo, Héctor M

2009-03-01

The objective of this work was to evaluate the post-treatment of an anaerobic recalcitrant effluent (anaerobically-treated weak black liquor, AnE) in an aerobic, upflow reactor packed with "biocubes" of Trametes versicolor immobilized onto small cubes of holm oak wood. The treated effluent (named anaerobic effluent; AnE) from an anaerobic fluidized bed reactor was fed to an up-flow aerobic fungal packed bed reactor (PBR). Two HRT were tested in this unit, namely 5 and 2.5days; the PBR operated 60days at 5-day HRT and 35days at 2.5-day HRT. The aerobic packed bench scale reactor was a glass column 1.5L total geometric volume containing 0.75L biocubes of T. versicolor immobilized onto holm oak wood small cubes of 5mm side. The reactor was operated at 25 degrees C. The pH of the AnE was adjusted to 4.5 before feeding; no carbohydrates or other soluble carbon source was supplemented. The fungal packed bed bioreactor averaged organic matter removals of 30% and 32% COD basis, during an experimental run of 60days at 5-day HRT and 35days at 2.5-day HRT, respectively. Colour and ligninoids contents were removed at higher percentages (69% and 54% respectively, average of both HRT). There was no significant difference between reactor performance at 5- and 2.5-day HRT, so, operation at 2.5-day HRT is recommended since reactor throughput is double. Activity of manganese peroxidase and laccase was found during the entire operation of the fungal PBR whereas lignin peroxidase activity practically disappeared in the second operation period. In general, enzyme activities were higher in the first period of operation (5-day HRT) than at 2.5-day HRT. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the few works that demonstrated extended performance (3months) of a fungal bioreactor for the treatment of a recalcitrant wastewater with no supplementation of glucose or other expensive, soluble carbohydrate.

The COMPOSE Project

Science.gov (United States)

Balletta, P.; Biagini, M.; Gallinaro, G.; Vernucci, A.

2003-07-01

This paper provides an overview of the on-going project COMPOSE, an EC co-funded project aiming to define, specify and validate an innovative mobile-services scenario in support of travellers, and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new proposed location-based value-added services. COMPOSE is supported by organisations belonging to numerous categories covering, as a whole, the entire value-chain of infomobility services provision to the final user. The project team comprises, in addition to the affiliations of the authors, also Teleatlas (NL), ARS T&TT (NL), Alcatel-Bell Space (B), Skysoft (P), Hitech Marketing (A) and MobileGis (IR). The paper describes the services that will be offered to users, encompassing both the pre-trip and the on-trip framework, presents the overall hybrid system architecture also including a via-satellite component based upon the Wideband-CDMA (W-CDMA) technique adopted in UMTS, discusses the access solutions envisaged for that component permitting multiple feeder-link stations to share the CDMA multiplex capacity by directly transmitting their codes to the satellite, and illustrates the results of some computer simulations intended to assess the performance of said access solutions, with regard to the effects of the inevitable up- link frequency errors and transponder non-linearity.

A Time-Composable Operating System for the Patmos Processor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ziccardi, Marco; Schoeberl, Martin; Vardanega, Tullio

2015-01-01

-composable operating system, on top of a time-composable processor, facilitates incremental development, which is highly desirable for industry. This paper makes a twofold contribution. First, we present enhancements to the Patmos processor to allow achieving time composability at the operating system level. Second......, we extend an existing time-composable operating system, TiCOS, to make best use of advanced Patmos hardware features in the pursuit of time composability.......In the last couple of decades we have witnessed a steady growth in the complexity and widespread of real-time systems. In order to master the rising complexity in the timing behaviour of those systems, rightful attention has been given to the development of time-predictable computer architectures...

Rates of Water Loss and Uptake in Recalcitrant Fruits of Quercus Species Are Determined by Pericarp Anatomy

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Ke; Daws, Matthew I.; Stuppy, Wolfgang; Zhou, Zhe-Kun; Pritchard, Hugh W.

2012-01-01

Desiccation-sensitive recalcitrant seeds and fruits are killed by the loss of even moderate quantities of water. Consequently, minimizing the rate of water loss may be an important ecological factor and evolutionary driver by reducing the risk of mortality during post-dispersal dry-spells. For recalcitrant fruits of a range of Quercus species, prolonged drying times have been observed previously. However, the underlying mechanism(s) for this variation is unknown. Using nine Quercus species we investigated the major route(s) of water flow into and out of the fruits and analysed the relative importance of the different pericarp components and their anatomy on water uptake/loss. During imbibition (rehydration), the surface area of the cupule scar and the frequency and area of the vascular bundles contained therein were significantly correlated with the rates of water uptake across the scar. The vascular bundles serving the apex of the fruit were a minor contributor to overall water. Further, the rate of water uptake across the remainder of the pericarp surface was significantly correlated with the thickness of the vascularised inner layer in the pericarp. Fruits of Q. franchetii and Q. schottkyana dried most slowly and had a comparatively small scar surface area with few vascular bundles per unit area. These species inhabit drier regions than the other species studied, suggesting these anatomical features may have ecological value by reducing the risk of desiccation stress. However, this remains to be tested in the field. PMID:23071795

Intracellular ice and cell survival in cryo-exposed embryonic axes of recalcitrant seeds of Acer saccharinum: an ultrastructural study of factors affecting cell and ice structures

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Wesley-Smith, J

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Cryopreservation is the only long-term conservation strategy available for germplasm of recalcitrant-seeded species. Efforts to cryopreserve this form of germplasm are hampered by potentially lethal intracellular freezing events; thus...

The Ulster Cycle: Cultural Significance for Irish Composers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angela Goff

2017-10-01

Full Text Available For more than three hundred years, Irish composers have engaged with tales from early Irish saga-literature which comprises four main series: Mythological, Ulster and Fenian cycles as well as the Cycle of Kings. This literary corpus dates from 600–1200 CE and is amongst the oldest in Europe. The fragmented history of the literature reveals a continuity of tradition in that the ancient sagas evolved from the oral Irish tradition, were gradually recorded in Irish, and kept alive in modern times through translation into the English language. The timelessness and social impact of these sagas, centuries after they were documented, resonate with Irish composers through the identification of local features and/or universal themes of redemption, triumph or tragedy depicted in the literature. The focus here is on sagas from the Ulster Cycle as they have been most celebrated by Irish composers; the majority of which have been composed since Thomas Kinsella’s successful translation of the Táin Bó Cuailnge in 1969. How the composers chose to embrace the Irish past lies in each composer’s execution of the peculiar local and universal themes exhibited in the sagas. The aim of this article is to initiate an interdisciplinary discussion of the cultural significance of this literary corpus for Irish composers by exploring an area of Irish musicological discourse that has not been hitherto documented. A brief literary background to the Ulster Cycle leads to a discussion of what prompted the composers to engage with Ulster Cycle themes at a particular time in their respective careers. An exploration of the various stylistic features employed in selected works sheds light on the cultural ideologies that prevailed in Ireland at the time of their respective composition.

Aeration to improve biogas production by recalcitrant feedstock

Science.gov (United States)

Much agricultural waste is largely composed of polymers such as lignin and complex carbohydrates that are slowly or nearly completely non-degradable in anaerobic environments. An example of such a waste is chicken litter in which wood chips, rice hulls, and sawdust are commonly employed bedding mate...

An Area Efficient Composed CORDIC Architecture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

AGUIRRE-RAMOS, F.

2014-05-01

Full Text Available This article presents a composed architecture for the CORDIC algorithm. CORDIC is a widely used technique to calculate basic trigonometric functions using only additions and shifts. This composed architecture combines an initial coarse stage to approximate sine and cosine functions, and a second stage to finely tune those values while CORDIC operates on rotation mode. Both stages contribute to shorten the algorithmic steps required to fully execute the CORDIC algorithm. For comparison purposes, the Xilinx CORDIC logiCORE IP and previously reported research are used. The proposed architecture aims at reducing hardware resources usage as its key objective.

Biofilm-Related Infections: Bridging the Gap between Clinical Management and Fundamental Aspects of Recalcitrance toward Antibiotics

Science.gov (United States)

Lebeaux, David; Ghigo, Jean-Marc

2014-01-01

SUMMARY Surface-associated microbial communities, called biofilms, are present in all environments. Although biofilms play an important positive role in a variety of ecosystems, they also have many negative effects, including biofilm-related infections in medical settings. The ability of pathogenic biofilms to survive in the presence of high concentrations of antibiotics is called “recalcitrance” and is a characteristic property of the biofilm lifestyle, leading to treatment failure and infection recurrence. This review presents our current understanding of the molecular mechanisms of biofilm recalcitrance toward antibiotics and describes how recent progress has improved our capacity to design original and efficient strategies to prevent or eradicate biofilm-related infections. PMID:25184564

Recalcitrant soil organic matter : how useful is radiocarbon for estimating its amount and variability?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tate, K.; Parshotam, A.; Scott, Neal

1997-01-01

The role of the terrestrial biosphere in the global carbon (C) cycle is poorly understood because of the complex biology underlying C storage, the spatial variability of vegetation and soils, and the effects of land use. Little is known about the nature, amount and variability of recalcitrant C in soils, despite the importance of determining whether soils behave as sources or sinks of CO 2 . 14 C dating indicates that most soils contain this very stable C fraction, with turnover times of millennia. The amount of this fraction, named the Inert Organic Matter (IOM) in one model, is estimated indirectly using the 'bomb' 14 C content of soil. In nine New Zealand grassland and forest ecosystems, amounts of IOM-C ranged between 0.03 to 2.9 kg C m -2 (1-18% of soil C to 0.25m depth). A decomposable C fraction, considered to be more susceptible to the effects of climate and land use, was estimated by subtracting the IOM-C fraction from the total soil organic C. Turnover times ranged between 8 and 36 years, and were inversely related to mean annual temperature (R 2 0.91, P 13 C NMR and pyrolysis-mass spectrometry as alkyl C. Paradoxically, for some ecosystems, the variation in IOM-C appears to be best explained by differences in soil hydrological conditions rather than by the accumulation of a discrete C fraction. Thus characterisation of environmental factors that constrain decomposition could be most useful for explaining the differences observed in IOM across different ecosystems, climates and soils. Despite the insights the modelling approach using 'bomb' 14 C provides into mechanisms for organic matter stabilisation, on theoretical grounds the validity of using 14 C measurements to estimate a recalcitrant C fraction that by definition contains no 14 C is questionable. We conclude that more rigorous models are needed with pools that can be experimentally verified, to improve understanding of the spatial variability of soil C storage. (author)

A pilot study to evaluate the safety and clinical performance of Leucopatch, an autologous, additive-free, platelet-rich fibrin for the treatment of recalcitrant chronic wounds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Bo; Karlsmark, Tonny; Vogensen, Hanne

2011-01-01

This prospective, uncontrolled pilot study evaluated the safety and clinical performance of Leucopatch an additive-free, autologous platelet-rich fibrin in the treatment of recalcitrant chronic wounds. Fifteen patients, with 16 lower extremity chronic wounds of varying etiologies were treated...

Knowledge Uncertainty and Composed Classifier

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Klimešová, Dana; Ocelíková, E.

2007-01-01

Roč. 1, č. 2 (2007), s. 101-105 ISSN 1998-0140 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : Boosting architecture * contextual modelling * composed classifier * knowledge management, * knowledge * uncertainty Subject RIV: IN - Informatics, Computer Science

Tracing the long-term microbial production of recalcitrant fluorescent dissolved organic matter in seawater

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Linda; Stedmon, Colin A.; Granskog, Mats A.

2014-01-01

The majority of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the ocean is resistant to microbial degradation, yet its formation remains poorly understood. The fluorescent fraction of DOM can be used to trace the formation of recalcitrant DOM (RDOM). A long-term (> 1 year) experiment revealed 27–52% removal...... of dissolved organic carbon and a nonlinear increase in RDOM fluorescence associated with microbial turnover of semilabile DOM. This fluorescence was also produced using glucose as the only initial carbon source, suggesting that degradation of prokaryote remnants contributes to RDOM. Our results indicate...... that the formation of a fluorescent RDOM component depends on the bioavailability of the substrate: the less labile, the larger the production of fluorescent RDOM relative to organic carbon remineralized. The anticipated increase in microbial carbon demand due to ocean warming can potentially forcemicrobes...

Small Composers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holgersen, Sven-Erik; Bruun, Peter; Tjagvad, Mette

2018-01-01

the study: What expectations do the class teacher and the professional musicians have to the creative practice, i.e. to the collaboration and to the musical outcome? To which extent do the collaborating partners share a common understanding of the aim, content and method of the workshop? How do the roles......The present chapter discusses roles and responsibilities of the collaborating partners in a creative music workshop called Small Composers. The aim is to be attentive to a number of potential alterations implicated by the collaborating partners’ different backgrounds. The following questions guided...... and responsibilities of the collaborating partners become visible through the practice? How do the professional identities of the teacher and the musicians become visible and what are the implications for the workshop as a musical community of practice?...

Composing chaotic music from the letter m

Science.gov (United States)

Sotiropoulos, Anastasios D.

Chaotic music is composed from a proposed iterative map depicting the letter m, relating the pitch, duration and loudness of successive steps. Each of the two curves of the letter m is based on the classical logistic map. Thus, the generating map is xn+1 = r xn(1/2 - xn) for xn between 0 and 1/2 defining the first curve, and xn+1 = r (xn - 1/2)(1 - xn) for xn between 1/2 and 1 representing the second curve. The parameter r which determines the height(s) of the letter m varies from 2 to 16, the latter value ensuring fully developed chaotic solutions for the whole letter m; r = 8 yielding full chaotic solutions only for its first curve. The m-model yields fixed points, bifurcation points and chaotic regions for each separate curve, as well as values of the parameter r greater than 8 which produce inter-fixed points, inter-bifurcation points and inter-chaotic regions from the interplay of the two curves. Based on this, music is composed from mapping the m- recurrence model solutions onto actual notes. The resulting musical score strongly depends on the sequence of notes chosen by the composer to define the musical range corresponding to the range of the chaotic mathematical solutions x from 0 to 1. Here, two musical ranges are used; one is the middle chromatic scale and the other is the seven- octaves range. At the composer's will and, for aesthetics, within the same composition, notes can be the outcome of different values of r and/or shifted in any octave. Compositions with endings of non-repeating note patterns result from values of r in the m-model that do not produce bifurcations. Scores of chaotic music composed from the m-model and the classical logistic model are presented.

16 CFR 303.24 - Pile fabrics and products composed thereof.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Pile fabrics and products composed thereof... CONGRESS RULES AND REGULATIONS UNDER THE TEXTILE FIBER PRODUCTS IDENTIFICATION ACT § 303.24 Pile fabrics and products composed thereof. The fiber content of pile fabrics or products composed thereof may be...

Grammar for College Writing: A Sentence-Composing Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Killgallon, Don; Killgallon, Jenny

2010-01-01

Across America, in thousands of classrooms, from elementary school to high school, the time-tested sentence-composing approach has given students tools to become better writers. Now the authors present a much anticipated sentence-composing grammar worktext for college writing. This book presents a new and easier way to understand grammar: (1) Noun…

Ultrasound therapy for recalcitrant diabetic foot ulcers: results of a randomized, double-blind, controlled, multicenter study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ennis, William J; Foremann, Phil; Mozen, Neal; Massey, Joi; Conner-Kerr, Teresa; Meneses, Patricio

2005-08-01

An estimated 15% of patients with diabetes will develop a foot ulcer sometime in their life, making them 30 to 40 times more likely to undergo amputation due to a non-healing foot ulcer than the non-diabetic population. To determine the safety and efficacy of a new, non-contact, kilohertz ultrasound therapy for the healing of recalcitrant diabetic foot ulcers - as well as to evaluate the impact on total closure and quantitative bacterial cultures and the effect on healing of various levels of sharp/surgical debridement - a randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled, multicenter study was conducted in hospital-based and private wound care clinics. Patients (55 met criteria for efficacy analysis) received standard of care, which included products that provide a moist environment, offloading diabetic shoes and socks, debridement, wound evaluation, and measurement. The "therapy" was either active 40 KHz ultrasound delivered by a saline mist or a "sham device" which delivered a saline mist without the use of ultrasound. After 12 weeks of care, the proportion of wounds healed (defined as complete epithelialization without drainage) in the active ultrasound therapy device group was significantly higher than that in the sham control group (40.7% versus 14.3%, P = 0.0366, Fisher's exact test). The ultrasound treatment was easy to use and no difference in the number and type of adverse events between the two treatment groups was noted. Of interest, wounds were debrided at baseline followed by a quantitative culture biopsy. The results of these cultures demonstrated a significant bioburden (greater than 10(5)) in the majority of cases, despite a lack of clinical signs of infection. Compared to control, this therapeutic modality was found to increase the healing rate of recalcitrant, diabetic foot ulcers.

Birth Location, Migration and Clustering of Important Composers: Historical Patterns

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borowiecki, Karol; O’Hagan, John

2010-01-01

and 1899. This information is compiled from the large, Grove Music Online (2009) encyclopedia. There is also some discussion of the biases evident in choosing “significant” composers. The data show a marked level ofmigration of important composers going back many centuries suggesting that the phenomenon......This article examines the 522 most important composers in the last 800 years, as identified by Charles Murray (2003), in terms of their birth location and migration. It also examines detailed patterns of migration and tendencies to cluster in certain cities for those composers born between 1750...

Composing art songs based on Igbo traditional music:concept and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Composing modern African art music from the African stock has drawn the attention of many African and non-African composers and scholars alike in recent times. The common interest to decipher the creative concept and process of the new works emerging from the attempts of African composers at creative continuum of ...

Composers on stage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Groth, Sanne Krogh

A trend on the scene of contemporary music is composers going on stage, performing their pieces themselves. Within a discourse of popular music, this is more the rule than exception, but when it comes to the context of contemporary scored music, the historical and aesthetic context differs......, and something quite different is undergoing. This paper intends to discuss three examples of performances in which the composer’s appearance on stage was an important part of the piece, - both when it came to the role as a performer and as an individual person – as representer and presenter. The paper intends...

Adalimumab treatment for severe recalcitrant chronic plaque psoriasis.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Ryan, C

2012-02-01

AIM: To assess the efficacy and safety profile of adalimumab in patients with severe, recalcitrant chronic plaque psoriasis, and to assess short-term overlapping of other systemic treatment with adalimumab to prevent flaring of disease. METHODS: This was a retrospective study comprising 39 patients with chronic plaque psoriasis treated with adalimumab between October 2005 and January 2008. All had failed treatment with other systemic agents, including biological therapies in 59% of patients. Patients were started on adalimumab 40 mg weekly or fortnightly, as clinically indicated. Severity of psoriasis was assessed by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). Therapeutic response was assessed by 75% improvement on PASI (PASI 75). All adverse events were recorded. RESULTS: Results were analysed separately for those treated with adalimumab only and those on combination treatment. PASI 75 was achieved in 38% (8 of 21 patients at week 16), 62% (13 of 21 patients) at week 24, 69% (9 of 13 patients) at week 48% and 71% (5 of 7 patients) at week 72 in the adalimumab-only group, compared with 56% (5 of 9 patients) at week 16, 50% (4 of 8 patients) at week 24, 80% (4 of 5 patients) at week 48% and 67% (2 of 3 patients) at week 72 in the combined group. Of the 39 patients, 15 (38%) achieved a PASI of 0 at some point in their treatment. Adalimumab was well tolerated; 38% of patients experienced side-effects, which were generally mild. CONCLUSION: Adalimumab was effective in a group of patients with psoriasis refractory to other systemic therapies, including biological treatments, and was well tolerated.

Genetic Engineering of Energy Crops to Reduce Recalcitrance and Enhance Biomass Digestibility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monika Yadav

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Bioenergy, biofuels, and a range of valuable chemicals may be extracted from the abundantly available lignocellulosic biomass. To reduce the recalcitrance imposed by the complex cell wall structure, genetic engineering has been proposed over the years as a suitable solution to modify the genes, thereby, controlling the overall phenotypic expression. The present review provides a brief description of the plant cell wall structure and its compositional array i.e., lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, wall proteins, and pectin, along with their effect on biomass digestibility. Also, this review discusses the potential to increase biomass by gene modification. Furthermore, the review highlights the potential genes associated with the regulation of cell wall structure, which can be targeted for achieving energy crops with desired phenotypes. These genetic approaches provide a robust and assured method to bring about the desired modifications in cell wall structure, composition, and characteristics. Ultimately, these genetic modifications pave the way for achieving enhanced biomass yield and enzymatic digestibility of energy crops, which is crucial for maximizing the outcomes of energy crop breeding and biorefinery applications.

Outcomes of recalcitrant idiopathic epistaxis in children: Septoplasty as a surgical treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Levi, Jessica M; McKee-Cole, Katherine M; Barth, Patrick C; Brody, Robert M; Reilly, James S

2016-12-01

Our objective was to measure short- and long-term outcomes of children presenting with recalcitrant idiopathic epistaxis. The study was an 11-year (2000-2011) retrospective chart review of children evaluated and treated for epistaxis. A retrospective review of patients with diagnostic International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code 784.7 (epistaxis) and 21.5/21.88 (septoplasty) was completed reviewing age at presentation, type of surgery, and number of bleeding events prior to and after surgery. In our cohort, almost 100% of children with idiopathic recurrent epistaxis responded to topical treatments. About 0.2% were refractory (20/9239), and 90% of those (18/20) resolved with either a traditional septoplasty (14/20) or modified septoplasty (6/20) without cartilage excision, with a mean follow-up of 35 months. One of the patients who did not show resolution was found to have Von Willebrand disease, which likely contributed to this outcome. Septoplasty surgery, with or without cartilage removal, appears beneficial for refractory idiopathic epistaxis in children. 4 Laryngoscope, 126:2833-2837, 2016. © 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Performance Evaluation of AOP/Biological Hybrid System for Treatment of Recalcitrant Organic Compounds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stanford S. Makgato

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Process water from nuclear fuel recovery unit operations contains a variety of toxic organic compounds. The use of decontamination reagents such as CCl4 together with phenolic tar results in wastewater with a high content of chlorophenols. In this study, the extent of dehalogenation of toxic aromatic compounds was evaluated using a photolytic advanced oxidation process (AOP followed by biodegradation in the second stage. A hard-to-degrade toxic pollutant, 4-chlorophenol (4-CP, was used to represent a variety of recalcitrant aromatic pollutants in effluent from the nuclear industry. A UV-assisted AOP/bioreactor system demonstrated a great potential in treatment of nuclear process wastewater and this was indicated by high removal efficiency (>98% under various 4-CP concentrations. Adding hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 as a liquid catalyst further improved biodegradation rate but the effect was limited by the scavenging of OH• radicals under high concentrations of H2O2.

Photodynamic therapy combined with antivascular endothelial growth factor treatment for recalcitrant chronic central serous chorioretinopathy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asahi MG

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Masumi G Asahi,1 Andrew T Chon,1 Esmeralda Gallemore,1 Ron P Gallemore1,2 1Clinical Research Department, Retina Macula Institute, Torrance, CA, USA; 2Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA Purpose: To determine whether combination photodynamic therapy (PDT and antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF therapy is effective in the management of chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC recalcitrant to conventional therapy. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of eight patients with chronic CSC unresponsive to topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, focal photocoagulation, anti-VEGF alone, or PDT alone. All patients were evaluated with a full ophthalmic examination, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT, fluorescein angiography (FA, and most with indocyanine green angiography (ICGA followed by treatment with half-fluence PDT and intravitreal anti-VEGF injection (seven bevacizumab, one aflibercept. Patients were seen in follow-up 1 month after treatment. Results: All eight patients achieved complete resolution in subretinal fluid following combination treatment. Average duration of CSC prior to initiation of combination therapy was 7.5 months. Mean central macular thickness on OCT decreased significantly from 401.2±52.7 µm to 297.9±18.2 µm (p=0.0010 by 4 months after treatment (1.63±1.18 months. Seven of eight patients were followed up for an average of 13 months with no recurrence during that time. One case recurred at 8 months and was treated with repeat combination at that time. Frank choroidal neovascularization (CNV was not identified in these cases on FA or ICGA studies. Eight of eight patients showed significant improvement in vision from a logMAR of 0.1125±0.099 to 0.0125±0.064 (p=0.019. Conclusion: Combination PDT and anti-VEGF is effective for chronic CSC which has failed conventional therapy. Associated CNV and/or inflammation may be reasons for greater success in

Old and stable soil organic matter is not necessarily chemically recalcitrant: Implications for modeling concepts and temperature sensitivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kleber, M.; Nico, P.S.; Plante, A.; Filley, T.; Kramer, M.; Swanston, C.; Sollins, P.

2010-03-01

Soil carbon turnover models generally divide soil carbon into pools with varying intrinsic decomposition rates. Although these decomposition rates are modified by factors such as temperature, texture, and moisture, they are rationalized by assuming chemical structure is a primary controller of decomposition. In the current work, we use near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy in combination with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and alkaline cupric oxide (CuO) oxidation to explore this assumption. Specifically, we examined material from the 2.3-2.6 kg L{sup -1} density fraction of three soils of different type (Oxisol, Alfisol, Inceptisol). The density fraction with the youngest {sup 14}C age (Oxisol, 107 years) showed the highest relative abundance of aromatic groups and the lowest O-alkyl C/aromatic C ratio as determined by NEXAFS. Conversely, the fraction with the oldest C (Inceptisol, 680 years) had the lowest relative abundance of aromatic groups and highest O-alkyl C/aromatic C ratio. This sample also had the highest proportion of thermally labile materials as measured by DSC, and the highest ratio of substituted fatty acids to lignin phenols as indicated by CuO oxidation. Therefore, the organic matter of the Inceptisol sample, with a {sup 14}C age associated with 'passive' pools of carbon (680 years), had the largest proportion of easily metabolizable organic molecules with low thermodynamic stability, whereas the organic matter of the much younger Oxisol sample (107 years) had the highest proportion of supposedly stable organic structures considered more difficult to metabolize. Our results demonstrate that C age is not necessarily related to molecular structure or thermodynamic stability, and we suggest that soil carbon models would benefit from viewing turnover rate as codetermined by the interaction between substrates, microbial actors, and abiotic driving variables. Furthermore, assuming that old carbon is composed

Dimensions of the Composing Process.

Science.gov (United States)

Freedman, Aviva

As a by-product of a study concerning how university level writers develop new genres of discourse, a study was undertaken to examine what factors or dimensions affect the composing process of university writers. Six undergraduate students at Carleton University in Ottawa participated, making available to researchers information about how they…

Gene Composer in a structural genomics environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lorimer, Don; Raymond, Amy; Mixon, Mark; Burgin, Alex; Staker, Bart; Stewart, Lance

2011-01-01

For structural biology applications, protein-construct engineering is guided by comparative sequence analysis and structural information, which allow the researcher to better define domain boundaries for terminal deletions and nonconserved regions for surface mutants. A database software application called Gene Composer has been developed to facilitate construct design. The structural genomics effort at the Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease (SSGCID) requires the manipulation of large numbers of amino-acid sequences and the underlying DNA sequences which are to be cloned into expression vectors. To improve efficiency in high-throughput protein structure determination, a database software package, Gene Composer, has been developed which facilitates the information-rich design of protein constructs and their underlying gene sequences. With its modular workflow design and numerous graphical user interfaces, Gene Composer enables researchers to perform all common bioinformatics steps used in modern structure-guided protein engineering and synthetic gene engineering. An example of the structure determination of H1N1 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase PB2 subunit is given

Can those organic micro-pollutants that are recalcitrant in activated sludge treatment be removed from wastewater by biofilm reactors (slow sand filters)?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Escolà Casas, Mònica; Bester, Kai

2015-01-01

The degradation of seven compounds which are usually recalcitrant in classical activated sludge treatment (e.g., diclofenac, propranolol, iopromide, iohexol, iomeprol tebuconazole and propiconazole) was studied in a biofilm reactor (slow sand filtration). This reactor was used to treat real effluent-wastewater at different flow rates (hydraulic loadings) under aerobic conditions so removal and degradation kinetics of these recalcitrant compounds were calculated. With the hydraulic loading rate of 0.012 m 3 m 2 h −1 the reactor removed 41, 94, 58, 57 and 85% of diclofenac, propranolol, iopromide, iohexol and iomeprol respectively. For these compounds the removal efficiency was dependent on hydraulic residence-times. Only 59 and 21% of the incoming tebuconazole and propiconazole respectively were removed but their removal did not depend on hydraulic residence time. Biofilm reactors are thus efficient in removing micro-pollutants and could be considered as an option for advanced treatment in small wastewater treatment plants. - Highlights: • A biofilm reactor (biofilter) can remove micro-pollutants from WWTP effluent. • Sorption could be excluded as the dominant removal mechanism. • Biodegradation was responsible for removing seven compounds. • The removal efficiency was usually proportional to the hydraulic residence-time. • Single first-order removal rates apply for most compounds

Can those organic micro-pollutants that are recalcitrant in activated sludge treatment be removed from wastewater by biofilm reactors (slow sand filters)?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Escolà Casas, Mònica; Bester, Kai, E-mail: kb@dmu.dk

2015-02-15

The degradation of seven compounds which are usually recalcitrant in classical activated sludge treatment (e.g., diclofenac, propranolol, iopromide, iohexol, iomeprol tebuconazole and propiconazole) was studied in a biofilm reactor (slow sand filtration). This reactor was used to treat real effluent-wastewater at different flow rates (hydraulic loadings) under aerobic conditions so removal and degradation kinetics of these recalcitrant compounds were calculated. With the hydraulic loading rate of 0.012 m{sup 3} m{sup 2} h{sup −1} the reactor removed 41, 94, 58, 57 and 85% of diclofenac, propranolol, iopromide, iohexol and iomeprol respectively. For these compounds the removal efficiency was dependent on hydraulic residence-times. Only 59 and 21% of the incoming tebuconazole and propiconazole respectively were removed but their removal did not depend on hydraulic residence time. Biofilm reactors are thus efficient in removing micro-pollutants and could be considered as an option for advanced treatment in small wastewater treatment plants. - Highlights: • A biofilm reactor (biofilter) can remove micro-pollutants from WWTP effluent. • Sorption could be excluded as the dominant removal mechanism. • Biodegradation was responsible for removing seven compounds. • The removal efficiency was usually proportional to the hydraulic residence-time. • Single first-order removal rates apply for most compounds.

Management of recalcitrant oral pemphigus vulgaris with CO 2 laser - Report of two cases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bhardwaj Ashu

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Laser has been used efficiently for treatment of oral lichen planus, leukoplakia, aphthous ulcers and oral manifestations of HIV. Two cases of recalcitrant oral pemphigus vulgaris that were successfully treated with CO 2 laser are described. The patients had been treated by a dermatologist with pulse therapy of methyl prednisolone and cyclophosphamide over a period of 6 to 8 months, but the clinical course was characterized by episodes of painful flare-ups and nonresponsiveness. The patients were extremely uncomfortable with recurrent oral lesions. CO 2 laser at low power was used to irradiate the lesions. It was shown to be effective in relieving pain and healing of lesions, with nonrecurrence. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of such a treatment of oral pemphigus vulgaris. Further clinical studies are warranted to confirm efficacy and to optimize the treatment protocol.

Composability-Centered Convolutional Neural Network Pruning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen, Xipeng [North Carolina State University; Guan, Hui [North Carolina State University; Lim, Seung-Hwan [ORNL; Patton, Robert M. [ORNL

2018-02-01

This work studies the composability of the building blocks ofstructural CNN models (e.g., GoogleLeNet and Residual Networks) in thecontext of network pruning. We empirically validate that a networkcomposed of pre-trained building blocks (e.g. residual blocks andInception modules) not only gives a better initial setting fortraining, but also allows the training process to converge at asignificantly higher accuracy in much less time. Based on thatinsight, we propose a {\\em composability-centered} design for CNNnetwork pruning. Experiments show that this new scheme shortens theconfiguration process in CNN network pruning by up to 186.8X forResNet-50 and up to 30.2X for Inception-V3, and meanwhile, the modelsit finds that meet the accuracy requirement are significantly morecompact than those found by default schemes.

An Approach for Composing Services Based on Environment Ontology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guangjun Cai

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Service-oriented computing is revolutionizing the modern computing paradigms with its aim to boost software reuse and enable business agility. Under this paradigm, new services are fabricated by composing available services. The problem arises as how to effectively and efficiently compose heterogeneous services facing the high complexity of service composition. Based on environment ontology, this paper introduces a requirement-driven service composition approach. We propose the algorithms to decompose the requirement, the rules to deduct the relation between services, and the algorithm for composing service. The empirical results and the comparison with other services’ composition methodologies show that this approach is feasible and efficient.

Are Composers Different? Historical Evidence on Conflict-induced Migration (1816-1997)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borowiecki, Karol

2012-01-01

In this paper we explore whether, and to what extent, the incidence of war affects the migration intensity of 164 prominent classical composers born after 1800. We model the aggregate stock of composers in a country and find that periods of war correspond negatively with the number of artists. We...... also find that conflict-induced migration intensity is considerably higher for composers than for the overall population and demonstrate that the share of composers in the overall population drops due to the incidence of war. We further find that the observed outmigration substantially diminishes...

VisComposer: A Visual Programmable Composition Environment for Information Visualization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Honghui Mei

2018-03-01

Full Text Available As the amount of data being collected has increased, the need for tools that can enable the visual exploration of data has also grown. This has led to the development of a variety of widely used programming frameworks for information visualization. Unfortunately, such frameworks demand comprehensive visualization and coding skills and require users to develop visualization from scratch. An alternative is to create interactive visualization design environments that require little to no programming. However, these tools only supports a small portion of visual forms.We present a programmable integrated development environment (IDE, VisComposer, that supports the development of expressive visualization using a drag-and-drop visual interface. VisComposer exposes the programmability by customizing desired components within a modularized visualization composition pipeline, effectively balancing the capability gap between expert coders and visualization artists. The implemented system empowers users to compose comprehensive visualizations with real-time preview and optimization features, and supports prototyping, sharing and reuse of the effects by means of an intuitive visual composer. Visual programming and textual programming integrated in our system allow users to compose more complex visual effects while retaining the simplicity of use. We demonstrate the performance of VisComposer with a variety of examples and an informal user evaluation. Keywords: Information Visualization, Visualization authoring, Interactive development environment

Stroke, music, and creative output: Alfred Schnittke and other composers.

Science.gov (United States)

Zagvazdin, Yuri

2015-01-01

Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998), a celebrated Russian composer of the twentieth century, suffered from several strokes which affected his left cerebral hemisphere. The disease, however, did not diminish his musical talent. Moreover, he stated that his illness in a way facilitated his work. The composer showed amazingly high productivity after his first and second injuries of the central nervous system. The main topic of this chapter is the effect of strokes on Schnittke's output, creativity, and style of music. A brief biography of the composer with the chronology of his brain hemorrhages is included. In addition, the influence of cerebrovascular lesions on creative potential of other prominent composers such as Benjamin Britten, Jean Langlais, Vissarion Shebalin, Igor Stravinsky, and Ira Randall Thompson is discussed. © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Studies in Composing Hydrogen Atom Wavefunctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Putnam, Lance Jonathan; Kuchera-Morin, JoAnn; Peliti, Luca

2015-01-01

We present our studies in composing elementary wavefunctions of a hydrogen-like atom and identify several relationships between physical phenomena and musical composition that helped guide the process. The hydrogen-like atom accurately describes some of the fundamental quantum mechanical phenomen...

Outcome of Boyd-McLeod procedure for recalcitrant lateral epicondylitis of elbow.

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, V R M; Satheesan, K S; Bayliss, N

2011-08-01

Various surgical procedures including percutaneous and open release and arthroscopic procedures have been described to treat recalcitrant tennis elbow. We present the outcome of Boyd-McLeod surgical procedure for tennis elbow resistant to non-operative treatment in twenty-seven patients (twenty-nine limbs). Boyd McLeod procedure involves excision of the proximal portion of the annular ligament, release of the origin of the extensor muscles, excision of the bursa if present, and excision of the synovial fringe. The average time interval from the onset of symptoms of tennis elbow until surgery was 28 months (range 8-72 months). Of those patients, 91% reported complete relief of symptoms with return to full normal activities including sports. Average post-operative time for return to professional/recreational activity was 5 weeks. One case developed pain secondary to ectopic bone formation after surgery, which settled after excision, and in another there was no pain relief with Boyd McLeod procedure. Two patients had scar tenderness that did not affect the final outcome. We conclude that Boyd-McLeod procedure is an effective treatment option in patients with resistant lateral epicondylitis.

Degradation and intermediates of diclofenac as instructive example for decomposition of recalcitrant pharmaceuticals by hydroxyl radicals generated with pulsed corona plasma in water.

Science.gov (United States)

Banaschik, Robert; Jablonowski, Helena; Bednarski, Patrick J; Kolb, Juergen F

2018-01-15

Seven recalcitrant pharmaceutical residues (diclofenac, 17α-ethinylestradiol, carbamazepine, ibuprofen, trimethoprim, diazepam, diatrizoate) were decomposed by pulsed corona plasma generated directly in water. The detailed degradation pathway was investigated for diclofenac and 21 intermediates could be identified in the degradation cascade. Hydroxyl radicals have been found primarily responsible for decomposition steps. By spin trap enhanced electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR), OH-adducts and superoxide anion radical adducts were detected and could be distinguished applying BMPO as a spin trap. The increase of concentrations of adducts follows qualitatively the increase of hydrogen peroxide concentrations. Hydrogen peroxide is eventually consumed in Fenton-like processes but the concentration is continuously increasing to about 2mM for a plasma treatment of 70min. Degradation of diclofenac is inversely following hydrogen peroxide concentrations. No qualitative differences between byproducts formed during plasma treatment or due to degradation via Fenton-induced processes were observed. Findings on degradation kinetics of diclofenac provide an instructive understanding of decomposition rates for recalcitrant pharmaceuticals with respect to their chemical structure. Accordingly, conclusions can be drawn for further development and a first risk assessment of the method which can also be applied towards other AOPs that rely on the generation of hydroxyl radicals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Composing Interactive Dance Pieces for the MotionComposer, a device for Persons with Disabilities

OpenAIRE

Bergsland, Andreas; Wechsler, Robert

2015-01-01

The authors have developed a new hardware/software device for persons with disabilities (the MotionComposer), and in the process created a number of interactive dance pieces for non- disabled professional dancers. The paper briefly describes the hardware and motion tracking software of the device before going into more detail concerning the mapping strategies and sound design applied to three interactive dance pieces. The paper concludes by discussing a particular philosophy championing trans...

Composers on Stage: Ambiguous Authorship in Contemporary Music Performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Groth, Sanne Krogh

2016-01-01

In recent years, workflows within the field of contemporary classical music have changed drastically. Increasingly, composers are active in the process of creating and co-creating performances, not only the auditory dimensions but also the visual design and theatrical staging. The practice has...... but involving themselves in other ways. The article explores the ambivalent authorship at stake in these performances, arguing that they appear to be projects that reveal the processes of musical performance in ways that undermine the Romantic idea of the composer while concurrently celebrating that very same...... idea through their exposition and staging of the composer. The examples used to illustrate my argument are analyses of All the Time (Hodkinson, 2001), Buenos Aires (Steen-Andersen 2014) and Ord for Ord (Rønsholdt, 2014)...

Ultrasonic Percutaneous Tenotomy for Recalcitrant Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy: Sustainability and Sonographic Progression at 3 Years.

Science.gov (United States)

Seng, Chusheng; Mohan, P Chandra; Koh, Suang Bee Joyce; Howe, Tet Sen; Lim, Yee Gen; Lee, Brian P; Morrey, Bernard F

2016-02-01

percutaneous ultrasonic tenotomy provided sustained pain relief and functional improvement for recalcitrant tennis elbow at 3-year follow-up. It is one of the few procedures to demonstrate positive sonographic evidence of tissue-healing response and is an attractive alternative to surgical intervention for definitive treatment of recalcitrant elbow tendinopathy. © 2015 The Author(s).

A Comparison of Radiofrequency-Based Microtenotomy and Arthroscopic Release of the Extensor Carpi Radialis Brevis Tendon in Recalcitrant Lateral Epicondylitis: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jae-Hoo; Park, In; Hyun, Hwan-Sub; Shin, Sang-Jin

2018-01-20

To compare the clinical effects of radiofrequency (RF)-based microtenotomy and arthroscopic release of the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) tendon in patients with recalcitrant lateral epicondylitis through a prospective randomized controlled study. A total of 46 patients were randomly assigned to receive arthroscopic release (group A, 24 patients) or RF-based microtenotomy (group B, 22 patients). The visual analog scale (VAS) score for pain, flexion-extension arc, operation time, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire (DASH), Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS), and grip power of groups A and B were compared during the recovery phases for up to 2 postoperative years. Both groups showed statistically significant functional improvement compared with their preoperative grip strength and DASH, VAS, and MEPS scores at 2 years after surgery (P lateral epicondylitis provided clinical outcomes comparable with those from arthroscopic release of ECRB tendon during the recovery phase. RF-based microtenotomy is considered as one of the surgical procedures for treating recalcitrant lateral epicondylitis, with the advantages of reliable elbow functional restoration and significantly shorter operation time. Level I, prospective randomized trial. Copyright © 2017 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of Restoration of Soil in a Humid Tropical Region on Storage of Organic Carbon in a Recalcitrant Pool

Science.gov (United States)

Jyoti Nath, Arun; Brahma, Biplab; Lal, Rattan; Das, Ashesh Kumar

2017-04-01

Quantifying soil organic carbon (SOC) changes through restoration of degraded lands is important to assessing the changes in soil properties. However, SOC measures all C fractions and its assessment is not adequate to distinguish between the more dynamic or active C (AC) fractions and the recalcitrant or passive C (PC) form. SOC fractions comprising of the recalcitrant pools have been suggested as a driver for long term soil C sink management. Therefore, the present study was undertaken at a site within the North Eastern India (NEI) region with an objective to explore whether or not SOC fractions change with restoration of degraded lands under humid tropical climate. An age-chronosequence study was established comprising of four different aged rubber plantations (6, 15, 27 and 34 yr. old) planted on Imperata grasslands. The site was selected to study changes in the different fractions of SOC and total SOC stock, and the data were compared with that of a native forest. The data indicated that the SOC stock increased from 106 Mg ha-1 under 6 yr. to 130 Mg ha-1 under 34 yr. old plantations. The SOC stock after 34 yr. of plantation was 20% higher than that under Imperata grassland, but was 34% lower than that under the native forest soil. With respect to lability of C fractions, proportion of AC pool decreased linearly with increase in plantation age from 59 % under 6 yr to 33 % under 34 yr. old plantations. In contrast, proportion of PC pool increased from 41 % of SOC stock under 6 yr. to 67 % of SOC under 34 yr. old plantations, suggesting the significant role of old aged plantation in C sink management.

William Byrd: Political and Recusant Composer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ariel Foshay Bacon

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Amidst the pendulum of political and religious upheaval that pervaded England throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth century, William Byrd stands as one of the best loved and lauded composers. Byrd succeeded in the secular and sacred realms, contributing great works to the Anglican Church, popularizing the English madrigal and producing prolific amounts of sacred music. However, in a time where one’s religious beliefs were often linked with political loyalty, Byrd defied his monarch’s established and enforced Protestant religion, composing politically charged music for recusant use in clandestine Catholic Church services. His themes were aligned with the Jesuit mission and his texts were often drawn from the lips of martyred Catholics at the gallows; their last words forever immortalized by Byrd for the furthering of the Jesuit cause and the Counter-Reformation. The examination of sources by prominent Byrd scholars, an analyses of Byrd’s ‘political’ compositions and a study of the social and historical background are used to place Byrd within the appropriate context, prove his recusant and political leanings, and analyze his precarious relationship with the English monarch, Elizabeth I. It is shown that Byrd could not have proceeded with his recusant practices, personally or musically, had it not been for his status as a composer, as well as Byrd’s shrewdness in procuring diplomatic relationships with high persons at court and with Queen Elizabeth I through the Chapel Royal. Finally, Byrd’s success at writing for the Anglican Church service and popular secular music showcased his ability to take a moderate stance in situations that benefitted his status with the crown

The Movement of Air, the Breath of Meaning: Aurality and Multimodal Composing

Science.gov (United States)

Selfe, Cynthia L.

2009-01-01

Rhetoric and composition's increasing attention to multimodal composing involves challenges that go beyond issues of access to digital technologies and electronic composing environments. As a specific case study, this article explores the history of aural composing modalities (speech, music, sound) and examines how they have been understood and…

The Composer's Program Note for Newly Written Classical Music: Content and Intentions.

Science.gov (United States)

Blom, Diana M; Bennett, Dawn; Stevenson, Ian

2016-01-01

In concerts of western classical music the provision of a program note is a widespread practice dating back to the 18th century and still commonly in use. Program notes tend to inform listeners and performers about historical context, composer biographical details, and compositional thinking. However, the scant program note research conducted to date reveals that program notes may not foster understanding or enhance listener enjoyment as previously assumed. In the case of canonic works, performers and listeners may already be familiar with much of the program note information. This is not so in the case of newly composed works, which formed the basis of the exploratory study reported here. This article reports the views of 17 living contemporary composers on their writing of program notes for their own works. In particular, the study sought to understand the intended recipient, role and the content of composer-written program notes. Participating composers identified three main roles for their program notes: to shape a performer's interpretation of the work; to guide, engage or direct the listener and/or performer; and as collaborative mode of communication between the composer, performer, and listener. For some composers, this collaboration was intended to result in "performative listening" in which listeners were actively engaged in bringing each composition to life. This was also described as a form of empathy that results in the co-construction of the musical experience. Overall, composers avoided giving too much personal information and they provided performers with more structural information. However, composers did not agree on whether the same information should be provided to both performers and listeners. Composers' responses problematize the view of a program note as a simple statement from writer to recipient, indicating instead a more complex set of relations at play between composer, performer, listener, and the work itself. These relations are

16 CFR 300.26 - Pile fabrics and products composed thereof.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Pile fabrics and products composed thereof... CONGRESS RULES AND REGULATIONS UNDER THE WOOL PRODUCTS LABELING ACT OF 1939 Labeling § 300.26 Pile fabrics and products composed thereof. The fiber content of pile fabrics or products made thereof may be...

The Links between Handwriting and Composing for Y6 Children

Science.gov (United States)

Medwell, Jane; Strand, Steve; Wray, David

2009-01-01

Although handwriting is often considered a matter of presentation, a substantial body of international research suggests that the role of handwriting in children's composing has been neglected. Automaticity in handwriting is now seen as of key importance in composing but this proposition is relatively untested in the UK and the assumption has been…

Immobilization of biogenic Pd(0) in anaerobic granular sludge for the biotransformation of recalcitrant halogenated pollutants in UASB reactors.

Science.gov (United States)

Pat-Espadas, Aurora M; Razo-Flores, Elías; Rangel-Mendez, J Rene; Ascacio-Valdes, Juan A; Aguilar, Cristobal N; Cervantes, Francisco J

2015-10-19

The capacity of anaerobic granular sludge to reduce Pd(II), using ethanol as electron donor, in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor was demonstrated. Results confirmed complete reduction of Pd(II) and immobilization as Pd(0) in the granular sludge. The Pd-enriched sludge was further evaluated regarding biotransformation of two recalcitrant halogenated pollutants: 3-chloro-nitrobenzene (3-CNB) and iopromide (IOP) in batch and continuous operation in UASB reactors. The superior removal capacity of the Pd-enriched biomass when compared with the control (not exposed to Pd) was demonstrated in both cases. Results revealed 80 % of IOP removal efficiency after 100 h of incubation in batch experiments performed with Pd-enriched biomass whereas only 28 % of removal efficiency was achieved in incubations with biomass lacking Pd. The UASB reactor operated with the Pd-enriched biomass achieved 81 ± 9.5 % removal efficiency of IOP and only 61 ± 8.3 % occurred in the control reactor lacking Pd. Regarding 3-CNB, it was demonstrated that biogenic Pd(0) promoted both nitro-reduction and dehalogenation resulting in the complete conversion of 3-CNB to aniline while in the control experiment only nitro-reduction was documented. The complete biotransformation pathway of both contaminants was proposed by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) analysis evidencing a higher degree of nitro-reduction and dehalogenation of both contaminants in the experiments with Pd-enriched anaerobic sludge as compared with the control. A biotechnological process is proposed to recover Pd(II) from industrial streams and to immobilize it in anaerobic granular sludge. The Pd-enriched biomass is also proposed as a biocatalyst to achieve the biotransformation of recalcitrant compounds in UASB reactors.

Combination treatment of extensive and recalcitrant alopecia areata with oral and topical steroids with topical minoxidil: An open-label study of efficacy and safety in pediatric patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vivek Kumar Dey

2016-01-01

Conclusion: Finding an effective and safe treatment regimen for AA, especially in children is difficult. Our regimen allows for more rapid lowering of oral doses with maintaining the cosmetic response and minimizing the side effects. Therefore, a trial course of this regiment would seem to be a reasonable approach for nearly hopeless but highly motivated pediatric patients of extensive and recalcitrant AA.

Rice straw as a feedstock for biofuels: Availability, recalcitrance, and chemical properties: Rice straw as a feedstock for biofuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Satlewal, Alok [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Joint Inst. for Biological Sciences, Biosciences Division; Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Faridabad (India), Dept. of Bioenergy, DBT-IOC Centre for Advanced Bioenergy Research, Research and Development Centre; Agrawal, Ruchi [Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Faridabad (India), Dept. of Bioenergy, DBT-IOC Centre for Advanced Bioenergy Research, Research and Development Centre; Bhagia, Samarthya [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Das, Parthapratim [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Ragauskas, Arthur J. [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

2017-10-17

The surplus availability of rice straw, its limited usage and environment pollution caused by inefficient burning has fostered research for its valorization to biofuels. This review elucidates the current status of rice straw potential around the globe along with recent advances in revealing the critical factors responsible for its recalcitrance and chemical properties. The role and accumulation of high silica content in rice straw has been elucidated with its impact on enzymatic hydrolysis in a biorefinery environment. The correlation of different pretreatment approaches in modifying the physiochemical properties of rice straw and improving the enzymatic accessibility has also been discussed. This study highlights new challenges, resolutions and opportunities for rice straw based biorefineries.

Component Composability Issues in Object-Oriented Programming

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aksit, Mehmet; Tekinerdogan, B.

1997-01-01

Building software from reusable components is considered important in reducing development costs. Object-oriented languages such as C++, Smalltalk and Java, however, are not capable of expressing certain aspects of applications in a composable way. Software engineers may experience difficulties in

XVII CENTURY TURKISH DIVAN POETS WHOSE WORKS HAVE BEEN COMPOSED

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehmet Nuri PARMAKSIZ

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Classical Turkish poetry and classical Turkish music have been inseparable art branches for centuries. The best examples of music and poems created in the same periods have been the most prominent proof of this. One of these periods without doubt have been 17th century. It has been observed that composers demand divan poetry of 17thand 18thcentury greatly. Mystical poems constitute most of the poems composed in these centuries. Almost all of the poems in the divans of some mystic divan poets have been composed. In this study, the poets in the mentioned century have been determined and then the poems in the new and previous repertoires of these poets have been tried to reveal with screening and comparasion methods .

Novel Ultrathin Membranes Composed of Organic Ions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chaban, Vitaly V.; Verspeek, Bram; Khandelia, Himanshu

2013-01-01

of artificial bilayers composed of long-chained organic ions, such as dodecyltrimethylammonium (DMA(+)) and perfluorooctaonate (PFO-). Various ratios of DMA/PFO surfactants result in bilayers of different stability, thickness, area per molecule, and density profiles. In our quest for water filtration, we...

A Framework For Efficient Homomorphic Universally Composable Commitments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

David, Bernardo Machado

primitives and protocols while retaining security guarantees. Moreover, commitments with homomorphic properties enable significantly more efficient constructions of protocols for applications such as zero knowledge proofs, two-party computation through garbled circuits and multiparty computation. However......, achieving universal composability for commitment schemes often sacrifices both concrete and asymptotic efficiency, specially if homomorphic properties are required. In this thesis we bridge the gap between stand alone and universally composable commitment schemes, for which we achieve optimal efficiency...... related to a statistical security parameter as a setup. The rest of our constructions leverage secret sharing and coding theory techniques, including a novel method for verifying that a large number of strings are codewords of a given linear code with linear complexity....

Composable local memory organisation for streaming applications on embedded MPSoCs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ambrose, J.; Molnos, A.; Nelson, A.; Cotofana, S.; Goossens, K.G.W.; Juurlink, B.

2011-01-01

Multi-Processor Systems on a Chip (MPSoCs) are suitable platforms for the implementation of complex embedded applications. An MPSoC is composable if the functional and temporal behaviour of each application is independent of the absence or presence of other applications. Composability is required

Conflict-induced Migration of Composers: An Individual-level Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borowiecki, Karol Jan

2013-01-01

Research on the causes of conflict-induced migration is hindered by the lack of adequately disaggregated data. The underlying study overcomes this problem by employment of historical data on 164 prominent classical composers born after 1800. We analyze the impact of war on the probability to emig...... responses to war based on individual’s quality. While the better composers are more likely to emigrate in times of peace, it is not so anymore if a war breaks out. In times of war, all artists are affected by war and are prone to emigrate....

Systems and Methods for Composable Analytics

Science.gov (United States)

2014-04-29

simplistic module that performs a mathematical operation on two numbers. The most important method is the Execute() method. This will get called when it is...addition, an input control is also specified in the example below. In this example, the mathematical operator can only be chosen from a preconfigured...approaches. Some of the industries that could benefit from Composable Analytics include pharmaceuticals, health care, insurance, actuaries , and

Q&A: The AI composer

Science.gov (United States)

Spinney, Laura

2017-09-01

Computer scientist Luc Steels uses artificial intelligence to explore the origins and evolution of language. He is best known for his 1999-2001 Talking Heads Experiment, in which robots had to construct a language from scratch to communicate with each other. Now Steels, who works at the Free University of Brussels (VUB), has composed an opera based on the legend of Faust, with a twenty-first-century twist. He talks about Mozart as a nascent computer programmer, how music maps onto language, and the blurred boundaries of a digitized world.

The stimulating effects of the addition of glucose on denitrification and removal of recalcitrant organic compounds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dong Wang

2014-03-01

Full Text Available A laboratory scale aerobic oxidation ditch combined with an anoxic reactor was conducted to treat wastewater from a chemical industrial park in Tianjin, China. The wastewater exhibited a low biodegradability, and the results of gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS analysis showed that some recalcitrant organic components are present in the wastewater. Ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N removal efficiency of over 90% was obtained. However, the removal efficiencies of total nitrogen (TN and chemical oxygen demand (COD were below 16% and 15%, respectively. The addition of glucose to the anoxic reactor in the system increased the removal efficiencies of TN and COD to approximately 72% and 25.57%, respectively. Results of mass balance indicate that about 60% of the external carbon was consumed as electron donor for denitrification, while 40% was consumed as a substrate for co-metabolism. The optimal dose of added glucose was also investigated, which was determined at 0.35 to 1.20 (CODglucose:CODoriginal.

Composing Networks: Writing Practices on Mobile Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Swarts, Jason

2016-01-01

This article is an investigation of composing practices through which people create networks with mobile phones. By looking through the lens of actor-network theory, the author portrays the networking activity of mobile phone users as translation, what Latour describes as an infralanguage to which different disciplinary perspectives can be…

The influence of dissolved phosphorus molecular form on recalcitrance and bioavailability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Bo; Brett, Michael T.

2013-01-01

Several studies have shown Soluble Reactive Phosphorus (SRP) analyses provide a poor index of dissolved phosphorus (P) bioavailability in natural systems. We tested 21 inorganic and organic P containing compounds with series of nutrient uptake and bioavailability bioassay experiments and chemical characterizations. Our results show that in 81% of cases, these compounds did not fit the classic assumption that SRP approximately equals Bioavailable P (BAP). Many organic compounds were classified as non-reactive, but had very rapid uptake kinetics and were nearly entirely bioavailable (e.g., several nucleic acids, ATP, RNA, DNA and phosphatidylcholine). Several inorganic compounds also classified as non-reactive but had high bioavailability (i.e., sodium tripolyphosphate and phosphorus pentoxide). Conversely, apatite was operationally classified as reactive, but had low bioavailability. Due to their tendency to alias as SRP, but recalcitrance and very low bioavailability, humic-(Al/Fe)-phosphorus complexes may play an especially important role in the dissolved phosphorus dynamics of natural systems. Highlights: •We tested 21 P containing compounds with bioassay and chemical speciation. •The acid molybdate method does not consistently predict the bioavailability of P compounds. •The P in humic substances was bounded with Al/Fe and could not be taken up by algal. •A new classification scheme divided P species based on bioavailability and chemical speciation. -- SRP is a poor indicator of the bioavailability of many of P containing compounds and much of what is classified as SRP in nature could be associated with humic-metal complexes with low bioavailability

Making Judgements: Investigating the Process of Composing and Receiving Peer Feedback

Science.gov (United States)

McConlogue, Teresa

2015-01-01

Recent studies have argued that tutor feedback is failing to support students' progression. The potential for peer feedback, i.e. feedback composed by peer assessors, to support learning has been under researched. The aim of this paper was to explore a case study of a peer assessor composing and receiving peer feedback. The paper reports a case…

进化作曲研究%Research on evolutionary music composer system

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

汪镭; 郑晓妹; 申林

2014-01-01

Algorithmic composition is the most attractive research area in computer music and genetic algorithm-based evolution-ary music composer system has become a hot spot in the algorithmic composition.This paper gives a structure of evolutionary mu-sic composer system,analyzes different goals of music composer systems,and then discusses two types of evolutionary music com-poser system from the aspect of fitness function design.Finally,several instances of evolutionary music composer system are ana-lyzed.%算法作曲是计算机音乐中最具吸引力的研究领域，而基于遗传算法的进化作曲系统已成为算法作曲中的热点。给出了进化作曲系统的结构，分析了系统不同的作曲目标，从适应度函数的设计讨论了两类作曲系统。最后给出了几个作曲系统实例分析。

The Composer in the Liberal Arts College

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Elliott

2011-01-01

This essay explores the role of music composition within the curriculum of a typical small liberal arts college and the faculty composer's role(s) in facilitating the study of composition. The relationship between composition and campus performance is discussed, particularly in light of the increased emphasis on performance in formerly all-male…

Exploration of the cytotoxic effects of an insecticide, lambda cyhalothrine, on sexual exocrine function in the white rat.

Science.gov (United States)

Lebaili, N; Saadi, L; Mosbah, R; Mechri, N

2008-01-01

Many xenobiotiques (solvents, pesticides, metals heavy.....) are suspected to be responsible for the fall of the male and female fertility. The purpose of this work is to study the insecticide impact, Lambda-cyhalothrine, managed by oral way during 7 days on the rat testicles histology. Wistar rats were given distilled water (controls) or containing 15,383 mg/kg or 23,075 mg/kg of Lambda-cyhalothrine. The exposure to this insecticide induced an increase in the diameters of the seminiferous tubes. The histological of the seminiferous tubes revealed deteriorations of the germinatif epithelium: blocking of the spermatogenesis, presence of the apoptotic cells and absence of the spermatozoids in certain lumens. All these histological alterations constitute a signs of cytotoxicity of Lambda-cyhalothrine on the male fertility in the Wistar rat.

Ritornelo: composição passo a passo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvio Ferraz

2004-12-01

Full Text Available This paper intents to present the mecanism of « objects incrustation » and the « continuous variation of composition techniques » – operators that guided the composition of Ritornelo, for flute and percussion. The article also focus the relation between these strategies and an especific way to compose where sound and musical objects don’t assume the first position in the compositional plan. The technical aspects of Ritornelo’s composition are also related to a way of composing withouth a previous plan, at the same time, it doesn’t follow the cause-effect logic present ed in more tradicional musical improvisation.

Effects of simulated acid rain on germination, seedling growth and oxidative metabolism of recalcitrant-seeded Trichilia dregeana grown in its natural seed bank.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramlall, Chandika; Varghese, Boby; Ramdhani, Syd; Pammenter, Norman W; Bhatt, Arvind; Berjak, Patricia; Sershen

2015-01-01

Increased air pollution in a number of developing African countries, together with the reports of vegetation damage typically associated with acid precipitation in commercial forests in South Africa, has raised concerns over the potential impacts of acid rain on natural vegetation in these countries. Recalcitrant (i.e. desiccation sensitive) seeds of many indigenous African species, e.g. must germinate shortly after shedding and hence, may not be able to avoid exposure to acid rain in polluted areas. This study investigated the effects of simulated acid rain (rainwater with pH adjusted to pH 3.0 and 4.5 with 70:30, H2 SO4 :HNO3 ) on germination, seedling growth and oxidative metabolism in a recalcitrant-seeded African tree species Trichilia dregeana Sond., growing in its natural seed bank. The results suggest that acid rain did not compromise T. dregeana seed germination and seedling establishment significantly, relative to the control (non-acidified rainwater). However, pH 3.0 treated seedlings exhibited signs of stress typically associated with acid rain: leaf tip necrosis, abnormal bilobed leaf tips, leaf necrotic spots and chlorosis, reduced leaf chlorophyll concentration, increased stomatal density and indications of oxidative stress. This may explain why total and root biomass of pH 3.0 treated seedlings were significantly lower than the control. Acid rain also induced changes in the species composition and relative abundance of the different life forms emerging from T. dregeana's natural seed bank and in this way could indirectly impact on T. dregeana seedling establishment success. © 2014 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

Characterization of the serological biomarkers associated with Sjögren’s syndrome in patients with recalcitrant dry eye disease

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Matossian C

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Cynthia Matossian,1,2 Joan Micucci1 1Matossian Eye Associates, Doylestown, PA, USA; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA Purpose: The purpose was to characterize the biomarkers associated with Sjögren’s syndrome (SS identified in the serological samples of patients with recalcitrant dry eye disease; additionally, the modalities utilized in the treatment of dry eye disease were evaluated for subsets of patients with and without SS. Patients and methods: Data for this retrospective, single-center, pilot study were based on a chart review of 48 sequential patients with recalcitrant dry eye who were evaluated for SS via serological analysis. Data presented include the presence of the autoantibodies identified through the serological biomarker analysis and identification of the concurrent dry eye treatment modalities. Results: Eleven out of 48 patients (23% tested positive for biomarkers associated with SS. Autoantibodies for salivary protein-1, parotid secretory protein 1, and carbonic anhydrase VI, markers associated with the early development of SS, were detected in 91% (ten out of eleven of the patients who tested positive for SS, whereas 27% (three out of eleven of patients tested positive for the traditional SS markers, SS-A and/or SS-B. Common treatment modalities utilized in SS patients included omega-3 supplements (82%, topical cyclosporine (74%, and artificial tear solutions (64%, as compared to omega-3 supplements (80%, hot-mask therapy (77%, and artificial tear solutions (77%, in SS-negative patients. Conclusion: Evaluation for salivary protein-1, parotid secretory protein 1, and carbonic anhydrase VI biomarkers allows for identification of a subset of patients with biomarkers associated with SS that may not be identified through the traditional assessments (SS-A/SS-B. Earlier recognition of SS biomarkers allows for a confirmatory diagnosis and appropriate management of this

Genesis and evolution of the sonnet (chahar-pare composing in Iran

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Bbagher Sadrinia

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Persian "Sonnets" (chahar-pare or "continuous quatrains" are already mentioned briefly here and there but the emergence, evolution and the influence of the modern ottoman poetry on the inclination of Persian poets to this new poetic form have not been thoroughly discussed yet. The author of this paper, while studying the origin of this form of poetry by referring to its currency in French literature, seeks to answer the following questions: 1 – Did the Iranian poets compose sonnets under the influence of European and especially French literature? 2 – How much did the ottoman modern poetry influence the inclination of Iranian poets to this form? 3 –When did sonnet composing begin exactly and who first composed his poem in this form?    It seems that there is no doubt about the idea that this form of sonnets or continuous quatrains as a new form in Persian poetic was borrowed from the European and especially French literature, but it is disputable whether the Iranians received this form and its special rhyme scheme directly from Europeans or they got accustomed with it through an intermediary language?    From the viewpoint of the author these continuous quatrains were first considered by modern Turkish poets of Tanzimat and constitutional Revolution period such as Akif Paşa (1316 AH, and later Ibrahim Şinasi (d. 1871 CE, Ziya Paşaa (d. 1881 CE, Namik Kemal (d. 1888 CE and the poets of the next generation such as Recaizade Ekrem Beik (d. 1914 CE and Abdülhak Hamit Tarhan (d. 1937 CE Tevfik Fikret (d. 1915 CE who were familiar with french poetry and literature (Habib, 1340: 95 then this form entered Iranian literature via Turkish language and literature. On the one hand the distant priority of the Turkish modernist poets in using this form and on the other hand the familiarity of the first Iranian sonnet-composer poets such as Ja’far Xamene’i, Lahuti and Taqi Raf’at with the modern ottoman poetry and literature confirms

Arthroscopic surgical treatment of recalcitrant lateral epicondylitis - A series of 47 cases

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Alexandre Tadeu do Nascimento

Full Text Available ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the results of patients undergoing arthroscopic surgical treatment of refractory lateral epicondylitis, identifying poor prognosis factors. METHODS: A retrospective study of 44 patients (47 elbows who underwent arthroscopic debridement of the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB tendon to treat refractory lateral epicondylitis from February 2013 to February 2015, operated by a single surgeon at one center. Patients were assessed by DASH score, visual analog scale of pain (VAS, and ShortForm 36 (SF-36. The mean age at surgery was 44.4 years (32-60. The duration of symptoms prior to the surgery was approximately 2.02 years (range: 6 months to 10 years. Mean follow-up was 18.6 months (range of 6-31.9 . RESULTS: The mean postoperative DASH score was 25.9 points; mean VAS, 1.0 point at rest (all the patients with mild pain and 3.0 points at activity, of which 31 (66% cases presented mild pain, 10 (21% moderate pain, and six (13% severe pain; mean SF-36 score was 62.5. A moderate correlation was observed between duration of pain before surgery and the DASH score with the final functional outcome. No significant complications with the arthroscopic procedure were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Arthroscopic surgical treatment for recalcitrant lateral elbow epicondylitis presented good results, being effective and safe. The shorter the time of pain before surgery and the lower the preoperative DASH score, the better the prognosis.

Arthroscopic surgical treatment of recalcitrant lateral epicondylitis - A series of 47 cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Nascimento, Alexandre Tadeu do; Claudio, Gustavo Kogake

2017-01-01

To evaluate the results of patients undergoing arthroscopic surgical treatment of refractory lateral epicondylitis, identifying poor prognosis factors. A retrospective study of 44 patients (47 elbows) who underwent arthroscopic debridement of the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) tendon to treat refractory lateral epicondylitis from February 2013 to February 2015, operated by a single surgeon at one center. Patients were assessed by DASH score, visual analog scale of pain (VAS), and ShortForm 36 (SF-36). The mean age at surgery was 44.4 years (32-60). The duration of symptoms prior to the surgery was approximately 2.02 years (range: 6 months to 10 years). Mean follow-up was 18.6 months (range of 6-31.9). The mean postoperative DASH score was 25.9 points; mean VAS, 1.0 point at rest (all the patients with mild pain) and 3.0 points at activity, of which 31 (66%) cases presented mild pain, 10 (21%) moderate pain, and six (13%) severe pain; mean SF-36 score was 62.5. A moderate correlation was observed between duration of pain before surgery and the DASH score with the final functional outcome. No significant complications with the arthroscopic procedure were observed. Arthroscopic surgical treatment for recalcitrant lateral elbow epicondylitis presented good results, being effective and safe. The shorter the time of pain before surgery and the lower the preoperative DASH score, the better the prognosis.

Composable dynamic voltage and frequency scaling and power management for dataflow applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Goossens, K.G.W.; She, D.; Milutinovic, A.; Molnos, A.M.

2010-01-01

Composability means that the behaviour of an application, including its timing, is not affected by the absence or presence of other applications. It is required to be able to design, test, and verify applications independently. In this paper we define composable dynamic voltage and frequency scaling

Evaluation of the simultaneous removal of recalcitrant drugs (bezafibrate, gemfibrozil, indomethacin and sulfamethoxazole) and biodegradable organic matter from synthetic wastewater by electro-oxidation coupled with a biological system.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Nava, Odín; Ramírez-Saad, Hugo; Loera, Octavio; González, Ignacio

2016-12-01

Pharmaceutical degradation in conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) represents a challenge since municipal wastewater and hospital effluents contain pharmaceuticals in low concentrations (recalcitrant and persistent in WWTP) and biodegradable organic matter (BOM) is the main pollutant. This work shows the feasibility of coupling electro-oxidation with a biological system for the simultaneous removal of recalcitrant drugs (bezafibrate, gemfibrozil, indomethacin and sulfamethoxazole (BGIS)) and BOM from wastewater. High removal efficiencies were attained without affecting the performance of activated sludge. BGIS degradation was performed by advanced electrochemical oxidation and the activated sludge process for BOM degradation in a continuous reactor. The selected electrochemical parameters from microelectrolysis tests (1.2 L s(-1) and 1.56 mA cm(-2)) were maintained to operate a filter press laboratory reactor FM01-LC using boron-doped diamond as the anode. The low current density was chosen in order to remove drugs without decreasing BOM and chlorine concentration control, so as to avoid bulking formation in the biological process. The wastewater previously treated by FM01-LC was fed directly (without chemical modification) to the activated sludge reactor to remove 100% of BGIS and 83% of BOM; conversely, the BGIS contained in wastewater without electrochemical pre-treatment were persistent in the biological process and promoted bulking formation.

An improved Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of recalcitrant indica rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars.

Science.gov (United States)

Shri, Manju; Rai, Arti; Verma, Pankaj Kumar; Misra, Prashant; Dubey, Sonali; Kumar, Smita; Verma, Sikha; Gautam, Neelam; Tripathi, Rudra Deo; Trivedi, Prabodh Kumar; Chakrabarty, Debasis

2013-04-01

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of indica rice varieties has been quite difficult as these are recalcitrant to in vitro responses. In the present study, we established a high-efficiency Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation system of rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica) cv. IR-64, Lalat, and IET-4786. Agrobacterium strain EHA-101 harboring binary vector pIG121-Hm, containing a gene encoding for β-glucuronidase (GUS) and hygromycin resistance, was used in the transformation experiments. Manipulation of different concentrations of acetosyringone, days of co-culture period, bacterial suspension of different optical densities (ODs), and the concentrations of L-cysteine in liquid followed by solid co-culture medium was done for establishing the protocol. Among the different co-culture periods, 5 days of co-culture with bacterial cells (OD600 nm = 0.5-0.8) promoted the highest frequency of transformation (83.04 %) in medium containing L-cysteine (400 mg l(-1)). Putative transformed plants were analyzed for the presence of a transgene through genomic PCR and GUS histochemical analyses. Our results also suggest that different cultural conditions and the addition of L-cysteine in the co-culture medium improve the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation frequencies from an average of 12.82 % to 33.33 % in different indica rice cultivars.

New Innovations in Highly Ion Specific Media for Recalcitrant Waste stream Radioisotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denton, M. S.; Wilson, J.; Ahrendt, M.; Bostick, W. D.; DeSilva, F.; Meyers, P.

2006-01-01

Specialty ion specific media were examined and developed for, not only pre- and post-outage waste streams, but also for very difficult outage waste streams. This work was carried out on first surrogate waste streams, then laboratory samples of actual waste streams, and, finally, actual on-site waste streams. This study was particularly focused on PWR wastewaters such as Floor Drain Tank (FDT), Boron Waste Storage Tank (BWST), and Waste Treatment Tank (WTT, or discharge tank). Over the last half decade, or so, treatment technologies have so greatly improved and discharge levels have become so low, that certain particularly problematic isotopes, recalcitrant to current treatment skids, are all that remain prior to discharge. In reality, they have always been present, but overshadowed by the more prevalent and higher activity isotopes. Such recalcitrants include cobalt, especially Co 58 [both ionic/soluble (total dissolved solids, TDS) and colloidal (total suspended solids, TSS)] and antimony (Sb). The former is present in most FDT and BWST wastewaters, while the Sb is primarily present in BWST waste streams. The reasons Co 58 can be elusive to granulated activated carbon (GAC), ultrafiltration (UF) and ion exchange (IX) demineralizers is that it forms submicron colloids as well as has a tendency to form metal complexes with chelating agents (e.g., ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid, or EDTA). Such colloids and non-charged complexes will pass through the entire treatment skid. Antimony (Sb) on the other hand, has little or no ionic charge, and will, likewise, pass through both the filtration and de-min skids into the discharge tanks. While the latter will sometimes (the anionic vs. the cationic or neutral species) be removed on the anion bed(s), it will slough off (snow-plow effect) when a higher affinity anion (iodine slugs, etc.) comes along; thus causing effluents not meeting discharge criteria. The answer to these problems found in this study, during an actual

ANALYSING EFFICIENCY OF AGGRESSIVE ETF-COMPOSED PORTFOLIO STRATEGIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anton Zaviyalov

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The article investigates investment characteristics of Exchange Traded Funds, a unique category of mutual funds which can be traded like any common equity on any stock exchange through authorized broker companies. One can buy and sell ETFs during the entire trading session, one can open short positions using ETFs and trade on margin. ETF price is determined by supply and demand and due to arbitrage, prices are very close to net asset values (NAV. ETFs attract both individual and institutional investors because they combine the benefits of open-end and closed-end funds. The article explores the results of statistical research to find a principal opportunity to implement an "aggressive" ETF-composed portfolio strategy which can secure stable above-market returns. To put it otherwise, the research aims to test the market efficiency hypothesis in the sector of ETF-composed portfolios. The research methodology centers on statistically testing the null hypothesis whether the average S&P500 return and each of the ETF-composed portfolio strategies average returns are equal to zero. To test such a hypothesis one should perform t-tests with several significance levels. If the null hypothesis is rejected on a certain significance level, this would mean that the average return of the portfolio strategy is significantly different from the average return of the S&P500 index. Based on the results of the t-tests, one can conclude whether the above-mentioned market segment is inefficient or partially inefficient, which would mean one can find an "aggressive"strategy to secure stable above-market returns.

Reuse of recalcitrant-rich anaerobic effluent as dilution water after enhancement of biodegradability by Fenton processes.

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Arimi, Milton M; Zhang, Yongjun; Namango, Saul S; Geißen, Sven-Uwe

2016-03-01

Anaerobic digestion is used to treat effluents with a lot of organics, such as molasses distillery wastewater (MDW) which is the effluent of bioethanol production from molasses. The raw MDW requires a lot of dilution water before biodigestion, while the digested MDW has high level of recalcitrants which are problematic for its discharge. This study investigated ferric coagulation, Fenton, Fenton-like (with ferric ions as catalyst) processes and their combinations on the biodegradability of digested MDW. The Fenton and Fenton-like processes after coagulation increased the MDW biodegradability defined by (BOD5/COD) from 0.07 to (0.4-0.6) and saved 50% of H2O2 consumed in the classic Fenton process. The effluent from coagulation coupled to a Fenton-like process was used as dilution water for the raw MDW before the anaerobic digestion. The process was stable with volumetric loading of approx. 2.7 g COD/L/d. It resulted in increased overall biogas recovery and significantly decreased the demand for the dilution water. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nanoscale biomemory composed of recombinant azurin on a nanogap electrode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Yong-Ho; Lee, Taek; Choi, Jeong-Woo; Park, Hyung Ju; Yun, Wan Soo; Min, Junhong

2013-01-01

We fabricate a nanoscale biomemory device composed of recombinant azurin on nanogap electrodes. For this, size-controllable nanogap electrodes are fabricated by photolithography, electron beam lithography, and surface catalyzed chemical deposition. Moreover, we investigate the effect of gap distance to optimize the size of electrodes for a biomemory device and explore the mechanism of electron transfer from immobilized protein to a nanogap counter-electrode. As the distance of the nanogap electrode is decreased in the nanoscale, the absolute current intensity decreases according to the distance decrement between the electrodes due to direct electron transfer, in contrast with the diffusion phenomenon of a micro-electrode. The biomemory function is achieved on the optimized nanogap electrode. These results demonstrate that the fabricated nanodevice composed of a nanogap electrode and biomaterials provides various advantages such as quantitative control of signals and exclusion of environmental effects such as noise. The proposed bioelectronics device, which could be mass-produced easily, could be applied to construct a nanoscale bioelectronics system composed of a single biomolecule. (paper)

Genesis and evolution of the sonnet (chahar-pare composing in Iran

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Bbagher Sadrinia

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Persian "Sonnets" (chahar-pare or "continuous quatrains" are already mentioned briefly here and there but the emergence, evolution and the influence of the modern ottoman poetry on the inclination of Persian poets to this new poetic form have not been thoroughly discussed yet. The author of this paper, while studying the origin of this form of poetry by referring to its currency in French literature, seeks to answer the following questions: 1 – Did the Iranian poets compose sonnets under the influence of European and especially French literature? 2 – How much did the ottoman modern poetry influence the inclination of Iranian poets to this form? 3 –When did sonnet composing begin exactly and who first composed his poem in this form?    It seems that there is no doubt about the idea that this form of sonnets or continuous quatrains as a new form in Persian poetic was borrowed from the European and especially French literature, but it is disputable whether the Iranians received this form and its special rhyme scheme directly from Europeans or they got accustomed with it through an intermediary language?    From the viewpoint of the author these continuous quatrains were first considered by modern Turkish poets of Tanzimat and constitutional Revolution period such as Akif Paşa (1316 AH, and later Ibrahim Şinasi (d. 1871 CE, Ziya Paşaa (d. 1881 CE, Namik Kemal (d. 1888 CE and the poets of the next generation such as Recaizade Ekrem Beik (d. 1914 CE and Abdülhak Hamit Tarhan (d. 1937 CE Tevfik Fikret (d. 1915 CE who were familiar with french poetry and literature (Habib, 1340: 95 then this form entered Iranian literature via Turkish language and literature. On the one hand the distant priority of the Turkish modernist poets in using this form and on the other hand the familiarity of the first Iranian sonnet-composer poets such as Ja’far Xamene’i, Lahuti and Taqi Raf’at with the modern

A software-based technique enabling composable hierarchical preemptive scheduling for time-triggered applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nejad, A.B.; Molnos, A.; Goossens, K.G.W.

2013-01-01

Many embedded real-time applications are typically time-triggered and preemptive schedulers are used to execute tasks of such applications. Orthogonally, composable partitioned embedded platforms use preemptive time-division multiplexing mechanism to isolate applications. Existing composable systems

In fatal pursuit of immortal fame: Peer competition and early mortality of music composers.

Science.gov (United States)

Borowiecki, Karol Jan; Kavetsos, Georgios

2015-06-01

We investigate the impact of peer competition on longevity using a unique historical data set of 144 prominent music composers born in the 19th century. We approximate for peer competition measuring (a) the number or (b) the share of composers located in the same area and time, (c) the time spent in one of the main cities for classical music, and (d) the quality of fellow composers. These measures suggest that composers' longevity is reduced, if they located in agglomerations with a larger group of peers or of a higher quality. The point estimates imply that, all else equal, a one percent increase in the number of composers reduces composer longevity by ∼ 7.2 weeks. Our analysis showed that the utilized concentration measures are stronger than the personal factors in determining longevity, indicating that individuals' backgrounds have minimal impact on mitigating the effect of experienced peer pressure. The negative externality of peer competition is experienced in all cities, fairly independent of their population size. Our results are reaffirmed using an instrumental variable approach and are consistent throughout a range of robustness tests. In addition to the widely known economic benefits associated with competition, these findings suggest that significant negative welfare externalities exist as well. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Composing the theme of city to be diverse and sustainable

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Wiranegara, H. W.

2018-01-01

To give a path for developing a city needs a theme. City’s goal stated in a document of a spatial plan were too broad and insufficient detail in giving a direction. To make more detail and precise, every city has to compose a city theme. It is developed based on the potential, the uniqueness, the excellence, and the sustainability of its human resources, natural resources, and man-made resources. An integration among the three of resources which have the highest score become a theme of the city. The aim of this research was to formulate the conceptual framework to compose a city theme. The research design was the interview survey in Banda Aceh, Banjarmasin, and Kupang. Informants were the government officials, academics, figures, the private sector and public who considered related to the intended information being collected. Having set the conceptual framework, the interview directed to check the implementation in realities. The result was that the conceptual framework could accommodate the phenomenon of composing the theme of the city. Yet, it was a preliminary in nature and needed more research to get a complete result.

Rehabilitation for a child with recalcitrant anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis: case report and literature review

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Guo, Yao-Hong; Kuan, Ta-Shen; Hsieh, Pei-Chun; Lien, Wei-Chih; Chang, Chun-Kai; Lin, Yu-Ching

2014-01-01

Anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate (anti-NMDA) receptor encephalitis is a newly recognized, potentially fatal, but treatable autoimmune disease. Good outcome predictors include milder severity of symptoms, no need for intensive care unit admission, early aggressive immunotherapy, and prompt tumor removal. We report a case of a young girl aged 3 years 2 months and diagnosed as recalcitrant anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis without any underlying neoplasm. The patient had initial symptoms of behavioral changes that progressed to generalized choreoathetosis and orofacial dyskinesia, which resulted in 6 months of hospitalization in the pediatric intensive care unit. One year after initial onset of the disease, she had only achieved the developmental age of an infant aged 6–8 months in terms of gross and fine motor skills, but she resumed total independence in activities of daily living after receiving extensive immunotherapy and 28 months of rehabilitation. Our brief review will help clinical practitioners become more familiar with this disease and the unique rehabilitation programs. PMID:25473290

Composable Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling and Power Management for Dataflow Applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Goossens, Kees; She, Dongrui; Milutinovic, A.; Molnos, Anca; Lopez, S.

2010-01-01

Composability means that the behaviour of an application, including its timing, is not affected by the absence or presence of other applications. It is required to be able to design, test, and verify applications independently. In this paper we de﬿ne composable dynamic voltage and frequency scaling

Onset of superradiant instabilities in the composed Kerr-black-hole–mirror bomb

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hod, Shahar [The Ruppin Academic Center, Emeq Hefer 40250 (Israel); The Hadassah Institute, Jerusalem 91010 (Israel)

2014-09-07

It was first pointed out by Press and Teukolsky that a system composed of a spinning Kerr black hole surrounded by a reflecting mirror may develop instabilities. The physical mechanism responsible for the development of these exponentially growing instabilities is the superradiant amplification of bosonic fields confined between the black hole and the mirror. A remarkable feature of this composed black-hole–mirror-field system is the existence of a critical mirror radius, r{sub m}{sup stat}, which supports stationary (marginally-stable) field configurations. This critical (‘stationary’) mirror radius marks the boundary between stable and unstable black-hole–mirror-field configurations: composed systems whose confining mirror is situated in the region r{sub m}composed systems whose confining mirror is situated in the region r{sub m}>r{sub m}{sup stat} are unstable (that is, there are confined field modes which grow exponentially over time). In the present paper we explore this critical (marginally-stable) boundary between stable and explosive black-hole–mirror-field configurations. It is shown that the innermost (smallest) radius of the confining mirror which allows the extraction of rotational energy from a spinning Kerr black hole approaches the black-hole horizon radius in the extremal limit of rapidly-rotating black holes. We find, in particular, that this critical mirror radius (which marks the onset of superradiant instabilities in the composed system) scales linearly with the black-hole temperature.

Memory controllers for real-time embedded systems predictable and composable real-time systems

CERN Document Server

Akesson, Benny

2012-01-01

  Verification of real-time requirements in systems-on-chip becomes more complex as more applications are integrated. Predictable and composable systems can manage the increasing complexity using formal verification and simulation.  This book explains the concepts of predictability and composability and shows how to apply them to the design and analysis of a memory controller, which is a key component in any real-time system. This book is generally intended for readers interested in Systems-on-Chips with real-time applications.   It is especially well-suited for readers looking to use SDRAM memories in systems with hard or firm real-time requirements. There is a strong focus on real-time concepts, such as predictability and composability, as well as a brief discussion about memory controller architectures for high-performance computing. Readers will learn step-by-step how to go from an unpredictable SDRAM memory, offering highly variable bandwidth and latency, to a predictable and composable shared memory...

Onset of superradiant instabilities in the composed Kerr-black-hole–mirror bomb

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shahar Hod

2014-09-01

Full Text Available It was first pointed out by Press and Teukolsky that a system composed of a spinning Kerr black hole surrounded by a reflecting mirror may develop instabilities. The physical mechanism responsible for the development of these exponentially growing instabilities is the superradiant amplification of bosonic fields confined between the black hole and the mirror. A remarkable feature of this composed black-hole–mirror-field system is the existence of a critical mirror radius, rmstat, which supports stationary (marginally-stable field configurations. This critical (‘stationary’ mirror radius marks the boundary between stable and unstable black-hole–mirror-field configurations: composed systems whose confining mirror is situated in the region rmrmstat are unstable (that is, there are confined field modes which grow exponentially over time. In the present paper we explore this critical (marginally-stable boundary between stable and explosive black-hole–mirror-field configurations. It is shown that the innermost (smallest radius of the confining mirror which allows the extraction of rotational energy from a spinning Kerr black hole approaches the black-hole horizon radius in the extremal limit of rapidly-rotating black holes. We find, in particular, that this critical mirror radius (which marks the onset of superradiant instabilities in the composed system scales linearly with the black-hole temperature.

Historical Patterns Based on Automatically Extracted Data: the Case of Classical Composers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borowiecki, Karol; O'Hagan, John

2012-01-01

application that automatically extracts and processes information was developed to generate data on the birth location, occupations and importance (using word count methods) of over 12,000 composers over six centuries. Quantitative measures of the relative importance of different types of music......The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the potential for generating interesting aggregate data on certain aspect of the lives of thousands of composers, and indeed other creative groups, from large on-line dictionaries and to be able to do so relatively quickly. A purpose-built java...... and of the different music instruments over the centuries were also generated. Finally quantitative indicators of the importance of different cities over the different centuries in the lives of these composers are constructed. A range of interesting findings emerge in relation to all of these aspects of the lives...

What Reader-Oriented Literary and Cognitive Theories Have to Give to Composing Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Liebman-Kleine, JoAnne

In developing an interactive model of composing, this paper discusses three groups of reader-oriented theories, each of which provides composing theorists with some research and theory to use in developing such a model. First the paper discusses the main principle of the literary reader-response theorists--that the meaning and value of texts do…

The composition of precarity: 'emerging' composers' experiences of opportunity culture in contemporary classical music.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Neil Thomas; Thwaites, Rachel

2018-02-28

This paper examines the precarious working lives of 'emerging' composers attempting to build a career in the world of new classical music in the UK. This topic is approached by considering the 'composition opportunity', success in which is seen as an important element in 'making it' in this sphere. We argue that such schemes in fact manifest a crucial tension in the nature of artistic labour, and are, at the very least, problematic in their function as conduits towards full professional identity. They may instead act to maintain the precarious working situation of composers in a neoliberal age. The working lives of artists are all too rarely illuminated, and new music composers are no exception; this survey of 47 emerging composers is the largest study of such individuals in the UK. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2018.

Composing and decomposing data types

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bahr, Patrick

2014-01-01

restrictive, disallowing subtypings that lead to more than one possible injection and should therefore be considered programming errors. Furthermore, from this refined subtyping constraint we derive a new constraint to express type isomorphism. We show how this isomorphism constraint allows us to decompose......Wouter Swierstra's data types à la carte is a technique to modularise data type definitions in Haskell. We give an alternative implementation of data types à la carte that offers more flexibility in composing and decomposing data types. To achieve this, we refine the subtyping constraint, which...... is at the centre of data types à la carte. On the one hand this refinement is more general, allowing subtypings that intuitively should hold but were not derivable beforehand. This aspect of our implementation removes previous restrictions on how data types can be combined. On the other hand our refinement is more...

Composing Music with Complex Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiaofan; Tse, Chi K.; Small, Michael

In this paper we study the network structure in music and attempt to compose music artificially. Networks are constructed with nodes and edges corresponding to musical notes and their co-occurrences. We analyze sample compositions from Bach, Mozart, Chopin, as well as other types of music including Chinese pop music. We observe remarkably similar properties in all networks constructed from the selected compositions. Power-law exponents of degree distributions, mean degrees, clustering coefficients, mean geodesic distances, etc. are reported. With the network constructed, music can be created by using a biased random walk algorithm, which begins with a randomly chosen note and selects the subsequent notes according to a simple set of rules that compares the weights of the edges, weights of the nodes, and/or the degrees of nodes. The newly created music from complex networks will be played in the presentation.

On Consensus of Star-Composed Networks with an Application of Laplacian Spectrum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Da Huang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we mainly study the performance of star-composed networks which can achieve consensus. Specifically, we investigate the convergence speed and robustness of the consensus of the networks, which can be measured by the smallest nonzero eigenvalue λ2 of the Laplacian matrix and the H2 norm of the graph, respectively. In particular, we introduce the notion of the corona of two graphs to construct star-composed networks and apply the Laplacian spectrum to discuss the convergence speed and robustness for the communication network. Finally, the performances of the star-composed networks have been compared, and we find that the network in which the centers construct a balanced complete bipartite graph has the most advantages of performance. Our research would provide a new insight into the combination between the field of consensus study and the theory of graph spectra.

Selective degradation of the recalcitrant cell wall of Scenedesmus quadricauda CASA CC202.

Science.gov (United States)

Reshma, Ragini; Arumugam, Muthu

2017-10-01

An eco-friendly cell wall digestion strategy was developed to enhance the availability of nutritionally important bio molecules of edible microalgae and exploit them for cloning, transformation, and expression of therapeutic proteins. Microalgae are the source for many nutritionally important bioactive compounds and potential drugs. Even though edible microalgae are rich in nutraceutical, bioavailability of all these molecules is very less due to their rigid recalcitrant cell wall. For example, the cell wall of Scenedesmus quadricauda CASA CC202 is made up of three layers comprising of rigid outer pectin and inner cellulosic layer separated by a thin middle layer. In the present investigation, a comprehensive method has been developed for the selective degradation of S. quadricauda CASA CC202 cell wall, by employing both mechanical and enzymatic treatments. The efficiency of cell wall removal was evaluated by measuring total reducing sugar (TRS), tannic acid-ferric chloride staining, calcoflour white staining, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. It was confirmed that the yield of TRS increased from 129.82 mg/g in 14 h from pectinase treatment alone to 352.44 mg/g by combined sonication and enzymatic treatment within 12 h. As a result, the combination method was found to be effective for the selective degradation of S. quadricauda CASA CC202 cell wall. This study will form a base for our future works, where this will help to enhance the digestibility and availability of nutraceutically important proteins.

Evaluation of biodegradation feasibility through rotary drum composting recalcitrant primary paper mill sludge.

Science.gov (United States)

Hazarika, Jayeeta; Khwairakpam, Meena

2018-04-03

Primary paper mill sludge (PPMS) is the major waste expelled from the pulp and paper industries contributing soil and water pollution through the recalcitrant organic and inorganic constituents. These pollutants can, however, be transformed into a high-value soil ameliorating material with nominal investment and time. Current study therefore evaluated the potential of rotary drum composting PPMS for 20 days to delineate an environmentally sustainable option. Five trials with proportions of PPMS, cow dung and saw dust: Trial 1 (10:0:0), Trial 2 (8:1:1), Trial 3 (7:2:1), Trial 4 (6:3:1) and Trial 5 (5:4:1) were performed for evaluation of degrading and nutritive ability along with the fate of pollutants for total mass of 150 kg. Trial 4 exhibited highest metabolic activity contributing higher temperature evolution and longer thermophilic phase (10 days) owing to optimum addition of innoculum and nitrogen through the cattle manure. Moreover, degradation of 16.8% organic matter was also best achieved in Trial 4 following up first-order kinetics. Furthermore, BOD, COD and C/N ratio also explains degradation to be maximum in trial 4 (6:3:1) with reduction of 59.3%, 60.1% and C/N ratio from 55.1 to 18 respectively, proving to be the essential determining factors. Phosphorus availability increased by around 67% in trial 4. PPMS can be thus transformed into a potential valued added product and safe for subsequent land application. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sound Computational Interpretation of Formal Encryption with Composed Keys

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Laud, P.; Corin, R.J.; In Lim, J.; Hoon Lee, D.

2003-01-01

The formal and computational views of cryptography have been related by the seminal work of Abadi and Rogaway. In their work, a formal treatment of encryption that uses atomic keys is justified in the computational world. However, many proposed formal approaches allow the use of composed keys, where

Impact of War on Individual Life-cycle Creativity: Tentative Evidence in Relation to Composers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borowiecki, Karol Jan; O'Hagan, John

2013-01-01

The relationship between conflict and individual artistic output is ambiguous, both a priori and in terms of the evidence. To address this question in relation to composers, we employ a sample of 115 prominent classical composers born after 1800 and attempt to link their annual productivity with ...

[Mental disease in two classical music composers].

Science.gov (United States)

Rempelakos, L; Poulakou-Rebelakou, E; Ploumpidis, D

2012-01-01

A study οn two neglected classical music composers suffering a not syphilitic mental disease, is attempted here, syphilis of the central nervous system being frequent in that time. A brief overview on the psychiatric ailments of many great composers reveals suicide attempts and more or less severe depression following external events. The issue of a possible relationship between mental disease and (musical) creativity can be discussed, as mood swings and a certain tendency to melancholia are frequent features of a talented brain (a fact that can also be detected in their works). The first case presented here is Hans Rott from Austria, the beloved student of Anton Bruckner, who was considered to be at least equal to his famous classmate Gustav Mahler. The great expectations of his teacher and his friends suddenly came to an end, when he suffered a crisis of schizophrenia and was hospitalized in an insane asylum in Lower Austria. The tragic psychiatric adventure of the young musician lasted almost four years. He was diagnosed as a case of "hallucinatory insanity" and "persecution mania" by the medical staff, before dying of tuberculosis, aged only 26, and having completed only one symphony and several smaller works. His name came again on surface only a century after his death, when in 1989 his Symphony in E Major was discovered and premiered with great success, permitting to its creator a posthumous recognition, among Bruckner and Mahler. The second case of mental illness is that of the Armenian Komitas Vardapet. He was an orphan who grew up in theological schools and became a monk and later a priest, though he spent some years in Berlin in order to develop his musical skills. He is considered to be an authority of Armenian ecclesiastic music, introducing polyphony in the Armenian Church's music and collecting numerous traditional songs from all parts of Armenia. In 1915, during the Armenian genocide he was deported, tortured but finally saved, due to interventions

Lejaren A. Hiller, Jr.: A Memorial Tribute to a Chemist-Composer

Science.gov (United States)

Wamser, Christian A.; Wamser, Carl C.

1996-07-01

Lejaren Hiller (1924-1994) was trained in chemistry but maintained a lifelong love of music. Like Alexander Borodin, the Russian chemist-composer, but eventually dedicated his career solely to music. His early work on the chemistry of polymers with Fred Wall at the University of Illinois introduced him to the Illiac computer, with which he did Monte Carlo calculations of polymer conformations. He promptly collaborated with Leonard Isaacson, a graduate student also associated with the Wall group, to teach the Illiac to compose music. Using a modified Monte Carlo technique to select the notes and other aspects of the music, they applied increasingly complex rules to define what constituted acceptable music. The result was their String Quartet #4, produced in 1957, often called the Illiac Suite. It is generally acknowledged as the first piece of music composed by a computer. Hiller remained a pioneer in the field of copmuter composition during his distinguished career at the University of Illinois and the State University of New York at Buffalo. This paper traces Hiller's careers in chemistry and music and examines the connections between the two.

Art Music by Caribbean Composers: Guadeloupe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gangelhoff, Christine

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Guadeloupe retains more than its colonial and cultural roots from France. It has been an Overseas Department of that country since 1946. Many of the art-musical styles of Guadeloupe are derived from the ballroom and couple-dance traditions of old, reinvented in a creole tradition: quadrilles, waltzes, biguines and mazurkas (Gerstin, 2007-2011. Two of the most influential and consumed popular music genres are gwoka and compas. The Festival Internationale Saint-Georges, held annually since 2010, was created to celebrate the music of Saint-Georges, to promote artists of colour and to perform classical music written by composers of African descent, though the main focus of the festival is classical music.

Art Music by Caribbean Composers: Guadeloupe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christine Gangelhoff

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Guadeloupe retains more than its colonial and cultural roots from France. It has been an Overseas Department of that country since 1946. Many of the art-musical styles of Guadeloupe are derived from the ballroom and couple-dance traditions of old, reinvented in a creole tradition: quadrilles, waltzes, biguines and mazurkas (Gerstin, 2007-2011. Two of the most influential and consumed popular music genres are gwoka and compas. The Festival Internationale Saint-Georges, held annually since 2010, was created to celebrate the music of Saint-Georges, to promote artists of colour and to perform classical music written by composers of African descent, though the main focus of the festival is classical music.

Composer Recognition based on 2D-Filtered Piano-Rolls

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Velarde, Gissel; Weyde, Tillman; Cancino Chacón, Carlos

2016-01-01

We propose a method for music classification based on the use of convolutional models on symbolic pitch-time representations (i.e. piano-rolls) which we apply to composer recognition. An excerpt of a piece to be classified is first sampled to a 2D pitch-time representation which is then subjected...

Teaching Effective Communication Skills with ACE: Analyzing, Composing, & Evaluating

Science.gov (United States)

Snyder, Lisa Gueldenzoph; Shwom, Barbara

2011-01-01

Most business communication classes teach students to use a writing process to compose effective documents. Students practice the process by applying it to various types of writing with various purposes-reports, presentations, bad news letters, persuasive memos, etc. However, unless students practice that process in other contexts outside of the…

Solar photocatalytic oxidation of recalcitrant natural metabolic by-products of amoxicillin biodegradation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, João H O S; Reis, Ana C; Homem, Vera; Silva, José A; Alves, Arminda; Borges, Maria T; Boaventura, Rui A R; Vilar, Vítor J P; Nunes, Olga C

2014-11-15

The contamination of the aquatic environment by non-metabolized and metabolized antibiotic residues has brought the necessity of alternative treatment steps to current water decontamination technologies. This work assessed the feasibility of using a multistage treatment system for amoxicillin (AMX) spiked solutions combining: i) a biological treatment process using an enriched culture to metabolize AMX, with ii) a solar photocatalytic system to achieve the removal of the metabolized transformation products (TPs) identified via LC-MS, recalcitrant to further biological degradation. Firstly, a mixed culture (MC) was obtained through the enrichment of an activated sludge sample collected in an urban wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Secondly, different aqueous matrices spiked with AMX were treated with the MC and the metabolic transformation products were identified. Thirdly, the efficiency of two solar assisted photocatalytic processes (TiO2/UV or Fe(3+)/Oxalate/H2O2/UV-Vis) was assessed in the degradation of the obtained TPs using a lab-scale prototype photoreactor equipped with a compound parabolic collector (CPC). Highest AMX specific biodegradation rates were obtained in buffer and urban wastewater (WW) media (0.10 ± 0.01 and 0.13 ± 0.07 g(AMX) g(biomass)(-1) h(-1), respectively). The resulting TPs, which no longer presented antibacterial activity, were identified as amoxicilloic acid (m/z = 384). The performance of the Fe(3+)/Oxalate/H2O2/UV-Vis system in the removal of the TPs from WW medium was superior to the TiO2/UV process (TPs no longer detected after 40 min (QUV = 2.6 kJ L(-1)), against incomplete TPs removal after 240 min (QUV = 14.9 kJ L(-1)), respectively). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impacts of simulated acid rain on recalcitrance of two different soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Zhongmin; Liu, Xingmei; Wu, Jianjun; Xu, Jianming

2013-06-01

Laboratory experiments were conducted to estimate the impacts of simulated acid rain (SAR) on recalcitrance in a Plinthudult and a Paleudalfs soil in south China, which were a variable and a permanent charge soil, respectively. Simulated acid rains were prepared at pH 2.0, 3.5, 5.0, and 6.0, by additions of different volumes of H2SO4 plus HNO3 at a ratio of 6 to 1. The leaching period was designed to represent 5 years of local annual rainfall (1,200 mm) with a 33 % surface runoff loss. Both soils underwent both acidification stages of (1) cation exchange and (2) mineral weathering at SAR pH 2.0, whereas only cation exchange occurred above SAR pH 3.5, i.e., weathering did not commence. The cation exchange stage was more easily changed into that of mineral weathering in the Plinthudult than in the Paleudalfs soil, and there were some K(+) and Mg(2+) ions released on the stages of mineral weathering in the Paleudalfs soil. During the leaching, the release of exchangeable base cations followed the order Ca(2+) >K(+) >Mg(2+) >Na(+) for the Plinthudult and Ca(2+) >Mg(2+) >Na(+) >K(+) for the Paleudalfs soil. The SARs above pH 3.5 did not decrease soil pH or pH buffering capacity, while the SAR at pH 2.0 decreased soil pH and the buffering capacity significantly. We conclude that acid rain, which always has a pH from 3.5 to 5.6, only makes a small contribution to the acidification of agricultural soils of south China in the short term of 5 years. Also, Paleudalfs soils are more resistant to acid rain than Plinthudult soils. The different abilities to prevent leaching by acid rain depend upon the parent materials, types of clay minerals, and soil development degrees.

Electrochemical oxidation of recalcitrant organic compounds in biologically treated municipal solid waste leachate in a flow reactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Quan, Xuejun; Cheng, Zhiliang; Chen, Bo; Zhu, Xincai

2013-10-01

Biologically-treated municipal solid waste (MSW) leachate still contains many kinds of bio-recalcitrant organic matter. A new plate and frame electrochemical reactor was designed to treat these materials under flow conditions. In the electrochemical oxidation process, NH3 and color could be easily removed by means of electro-generated chlorine/hypochlorite within 20 min. The effects of major process parameters on the removal of organic pollutants were investigated systematically. Under experimental conditions, the optimum operation parameters were current density of 65 mA/cm2, flow velocity of 2.6 cm/sec in electrode gap, and initial chloride ion concentration of 5000 mg/L. The COD in the leachate could be reduced below 100 mg/L after 1 hr of treatment. The kinetics and mechanism of COD removal were investigated by simultaneously monitoring the COD change and chlorine/hypochlorite production. The kinetics of COD removal exhibited a two-stage kinetic model, and the decrease of electro-generated chlorine/hypochlorite production was the major mechanism for the slowing down of the COD removal rate in the second stage. The narrowing of the electrode gap is beneficial for COD removal and energy consumption.

Composes organiques et activités antioxydantes de Ampelocissus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SARAH

31 juil. 2015 ... additives or the necessary supplements in the food preserving. Key words: Composed organic, activity antioxidant, Ampelocissus multistriata. INTRODUCTION. Sur le plan physiologique, les végétaux verts en cours de croissance utilisent l'énergie que leur fournit la lumière solaire captée par les feuilles.

The Nigerian Art Music Composer, His Training, Vocal Compositions ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The music arena has undergone some changes within the past decades in Nigeria; partly due to contact of Nigerians with music of the other world cultures and due to intercultural borrowings within Nigeria. This trend has been a masterminding force in the shaping of the musical arena in Nigeria with the art music composer ...

Universally composable zero-knowledge arguments and commitments from signature cards

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D. Hofheinz (Dennis); J. Müller-Quade; D. Unruh

2007-01-01

htmlabstractIn the Universal Composability framework many cryptographic tasks cannot be built from scratch. Additional \\helping" functionalities are needed to realise zero-knowledge or bit commitment. However, all the additional functionalities presented in the literature so far have to be

Semantic Service Discovery Techniques for the composable web

OpenAIRE

Fernández Villamor, José Ignacio

2013-01-01

This PhD thesis contributes to the problem of resource and service discovery in the context of the composable web. In the current web, mashup technologies allow developers reusing services and contents to build new web applications. However, developers face a problem of information flood when searching for appropriate services or resources for their combination. To contribute to overcoming this problem, a framework is defined for the discovery of services and resources. In this framework, thr...

Intellectual maturity and longevity: late-blooming composers and writers live longer than child prodigies.

Science.gov (United States)

Hafkamp, Maurits P J; Slaets, Joris P J; van Bodegom, David

2017-05-30

Life history theory links human physical and sexual development to longevity. However, there have been no studies on the association of intellectual development with longevity. This observational study investigates the relationship between the onset of intellectual maturity and lifespan through the life histories of composers and creative writers, whose intellectual development can be gauged through their compositions and writings. In these groups we model the relationship between the age at first creative work, and age at death using multilevel regression, adjusting for sex, date of birth, and nationality. Historical biographical records on 1110 musical composers and 1182 creative writers, born in the period 1400 AD through 1915 AD, were obtained from the Oxford Companion to Music and the Oxford Companion to English Literature. Composers and creative writers lived, respectively 0.16 ( p = 0.02) and 0.18 ( p < 0.01) years longer for each later year of age at first work. When completion of the first creative work is interpreted as a proxy for the onset of intellectual maturity in composers and creative writers, our findings indicate that a later onset of intellectual maturity is associated with higher longevity.

Composable power management with energy and power budgets per application

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nelson, A.; Molnos, A.M.; Goossens, K.G.W.

2011-01-01

Embedded Multiprocessor Systems-on-Chip (MPSoCs) commonly run multiple applications at once. These applications may have different time criticalities, i.e. non real-time, soft real-time, and firm or hard real-time. Application-level composability is used to provide each application with its own

Clasp Together: Composing for Mind and Machine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Harry Whalley

2015-05-01

Full Text Available This paper will explore questions of agency, control and interaction and the embodied nature of musical performance in relation to the use of human-computer interaction (HCI, through the experimental work Clasp Together (beta 2 for small ensemble and live electronics by J. Harry Whalley. This practice-led research is situated at the intersection of music neurotechnology for sound synthesis and brain-computer interfaces (BCI, and explores the use of neural patterns from Electroencephalography (EEG as a control instrument. The composition departed from the traditional composer/performer paradigm by including both non-instrumental physical gestures and cognitive or emotive instructions integrated into the score.

Re-Composing the Digital Present

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Timothy Barker

2011-05-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the temporality that is produced in some recent and historical examples of media art. In exploring works by Janet Cardiff, Dennis Del Favero, and Omer Fast, I use the philosophy of Michel Serres and Gilles Deleuze to understand the convergence of temporalities that are composed in the digital present, as one moment in time overlays another moment. Developing Serres' concept of multi-temporality and Deleuze's philosophy of time and memory into a means to understand the non-linear time presented in these works, I argue that the different compositional strategies enacted by these artists provide the aesthetic grounding to experience “temporal thickness.” From here I investigate the interactive digital artworks Frames by Grahame Weinbren and Can You See Me Now? by the artist group Blast Theory. In this investigation, I understand interaction with technology, and the way that it shapes our sensory and processual experience, as a specifically temporal and temporalizing transaction, where human movements in the present are overlayed by technological processes.

Experimental realization of suspended atomic chains composed of different atomic species

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bettini, Jefferson; Ugarte, Daniel; Sato, Fernando; Galvao, Douglas Soares; Coura, Pablo Zimmerman; Dantas, Socrates de Oliveira

2006-01-01

We report high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and molecular dynamics results of the first experimental test of suspended atomic chains composed of different atomic species formed from spontaneous stretching of metallic nanowires. (author)

Composing Models of Geographic Physical Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Hofer, Barbara; Frank, Andrew U.

Processes are central for geographic information science; yet geographic information systems (GIS) lack capabilities to represent process related information. A prerequisite to including processes in GIS software is a general method to describe geographic processes independently of application disciplines. This paper presents such a method, namely a process description language. The vocabulary of the process description language is derived formally from mathematical models. Physical processes in geography can be described in two equivalent languages: partial differential equations or partial difference equations, where the latter can be shown graphically and used as a method for application specialists to enter their process models. The vocabulary of the process description language comprises components for describing the general behavior of prototypical geographic physical processes. These process components can be composed by basic models of geographic physical processes, which is shown by means of an example.

Performance of sulphate- and selenium-reducing biochemical reactors using different ratios of labile to recalcitrant organic materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirjafari, Parissa; Baldwin, Susan A

2015-01-01

Successful operation of sulphate-reducing bioreactors using complex organic materials depends on providing a balance between more easily degrading material that achieves reasonable kinetics and low hydraulic retention times, and more slowly decomposing material that sustains performance in the long term. In this study, two organic mixtures containing the same ingredients typical of bioreactors used at mine sites (woodchips, hay and cow manure) but with different ratios of wood (recalcitrant) to hay (labile) were tested in six continuous flow bioreactors treating synthetic mine-affected water containing 600 mg/L of sulphate and 15 μg/L of selenium. The reactors were operated for short (5-6 months) and long (435-450 days) periods of time at the same hydraulic retention time of 15 days. There were no differences in the performance of the bioreactors in terms of sulphate-reduction over the short term, but the wood-rich bioreactors experienced variable and sometimes unreliable sulphate-reduction over the long term. Presence of more hay in the organic mixture was able to better sustain reliable performance. Production of dissolved organic compounds due to biodegradation within the bioreactors was detected for the first 175-230 days, after which their depletion coincided with a crash phase observed in the wood-rich bioreactors only.

Methods to Compose Sodium Fire Extinguishing Equipment on Sodium Test Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, B H; Kim, J M; Jeong, J Y; Choi, B H

2008-06-15

Sodium fire is graded 'D' and it is difficult to extinguish sodium fire. In this report, the characteristics of sodium fire and the methods composing the suitable fire extinguishing systems to suppress fire effectively were described.

Methods to Compose Sodium Fire Extinguishing Equipment on Sodium Test Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, B. H.; Kim, J. M.; Jeong, J. Y.; Choi, B. H.

2008-06-01

Sodium fire is graded 'D' and it is difficult to extinguish sodium fire. In this report, the characteristics of sodium fire and the methods composing the suitable fire extinguishing systems to suppress fire effectively were described

Can You Feel It?: Evaluation of Affective Expression in Music Generated by MetaCompose

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scirea, Marco; Eklund, Peter; Togelius, Julian

2017-01-01

-piece. Music clips including transitions and with static affective states were produced by MetaCompose and a quantitative user study was performed. Participants were tasked with annotating the perceived mood and moreover were asked to annotate in real-time changes in valence. The data collected confirms......This paper describes an evaluation conducted on the MetaCompose music generator, which is based on evolutionary computation and uses a hybrid evolutionary technique that combines FI-2POP and multi-objective optimization. The main objective of MetaCompose is to create music in real-time that can...... express different mood-states. The experiment presented here aims to evaluate: (i) if the perceived mood experienced by the participants of a music score matches intended mood the system is trying to express and (ii) if participants can identify transitions in the mood expression that occur mid...

Composing with New Technology: Teacher Reflections on Learning Digital Video

Science.gov (United States)

Bruce, David L.; Chiu, Ming Ming

2015-01-01

This study explores teachers' reflections on their learning to compose with new technologies in the context of teacher education and/or teacher professional development. English language arts (ELA) teachers (n = 240) in 15 courses learned to use digital video (DV), completed at least one DV group project, and responded to open-ended survey…

Quiet Grove in a Savage Garden: A Composer's Bicameral Reality

Science.gov (United States)

Bohlen, Donald

2004-01-01

This author, a composer, states that music has been the primal generator of his existence and the definition of living creatively; and that understanding the bicameral reality of creativity through a study of the nature of consciousness involves a symbiotic host of disciplines. In the study of the occurrence of "creativity," consciousness as well…

Bending Elasticity Modulus of Giant Vesicles Composed of Aeropyrum Pernix K1 Archaeal Lipid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia Genova

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Thermally induced shape fluctuations were used to study elastic properties of giant vesicles composed of archaeal lipids C25,25-archetidyl (glucosyl inositol and C25,25-archetidylinositol isolated from lyophilised Aeropyrum pernix K1 cells. Giant vesicles were created by electroformation in pure water environment. Stroboscopic illumination using a xenon flash lamp was implemented to remove the blur effect due to the finite integration time of the camera and to obtain an instant picture of the fluctuating vesicle shape. The mean weighted value of the bending elasticity modulus kc of the archaeal membrane determined from the measurements meeting the entire set of qualification criteria was (1.89 ± 0.18 × 10−19 J, which is similar to the values obtained for a membrane composed of the eukaryotic phospholipids SOPC (1.88 ± 0.17 × 10−19 J and POPC (2.00 ± 0.21 ´ 10−19 J. We conclude that membranes composed of archaeal lipids isolated from Aeropyrum pernix K1 cells have similar elastic properties as membranes composed of eukaryotic lipids. This fact, together with the importance of the elastic properties for the normal circulation through blood system, provides further evidence in favor of expectations that archaeal lipids could be appropriate for the design of drug delivery systems.

Hydrothermal synthesis of LiFePO4 nanorods composed of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Administrator

LiFePO4 nanorods composed of nanoparticles were synthesized from ... olivine structure; belongs to Pnma space group. ... LiFePO4 has one-dimensional (1D) channel along the ... phases of LiFePO4 ... Among the various synthesis techniques available, the .... Prosini P, Lisi M, Zane D and Pasquali M 2002 Solid State. Ion.

A service based component model for composing and exploring MPSoC platforms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tranberg-Hansen, Anders Sejer; Madsen, Jan

2008-01-01

This paper presents an abstract service based modelling method for use in performance estimation and design space exploration of Multi Processor System On Chip (MPSoC) based systems. The method provides the infrastructure for composing abstract hardware and software models of stream based systems...... which can be used to produce detailed quantitative information regarding runtime properties of a given system through simulations. The method is based on a service oriented model of computation which is a modified version of Hierarchical Coloured Petri Nets.......This paper presents an abstract service based modelling method for use in performance estimation and design space exploration of Multi Processor System On Chip (MPSoC) based systems. The method provides the infrastructure for composing abstract hardware and software models of stream based systems...

Transient phytoextraction agents: establishing criteria for the use of chelants in phytoextraction of recalcitrant metals.

Science.gov (United States)

Parra, R; Ulery, A L; Elless, M P; Blaylock, M J

2008-01-01

The phytoremediation of recalcitrant metals such as lead and uranium rely on soil amendments to enhance metal availability within the rhizosphere. Because these amendments may persist in soils, agents that not only biodegrade rapidly but also are effective in triggering metal uptake in plants are needed for metals phytoextraction to be considered as an accepted practice. In this study, several biodegradable organic acids and chelating agents were assessed to determine if these amendments can be used in an effective manner, and if their activity and use is consistent with a proposed class of soil amendments for phytoextraction, here termed transient phytoextraction agents (TPAs). A TPA is proposed as an agent that would exhibit both effectiveness in triggering plant accumulation of the targeted metal while minimizing the risk of migration through rapid degradation or inactivation of the soluble complex. Eleven candidate TPAs (acetic acid, ascorbic acid, citric acid, malic acid, oxalic acid, succinic acid, ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid, dicarboxymethylglutamic acid, nitrilotriacetic acid, BayPure CX 100, and the siderophore desferrioxamine B) were tested in batch studies to evaluate their complexation behavior using contaminated soils, with uranium and lead as the target metals. A growth chamber study was then conducted with Brassica juncea (Indian mustard), Helianthus annuus (sunflower), and Festuca arundinacea (tall fescue) grown in a lead-contaminated soil that was treated with the candidate TPAs to assess phytoextraction effectiveness. For the soils tested, citric acid, oxalic acid, and succinic acid were found to be effective complexing agents for uranium phytoextraction, whereas Baypure CX 100 and citric acid exhibited effectiveness for lead phytoextraction.

Paradigmas para o Ensino da Composição Musical nos séculos XX e XXI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liduino Pitombeira

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Neste artigo, são examinados seis textos do século XX, paradigmáticos para o ensino da composição: [1] Learning to Compose, de Larry Austin e Thomas Clark, [2] Materials and Techniques of Twentieth-Century Music, de Stefan Kostka, [3] Techniques of Twentieth-Century Composition, de Leon Dallin, [4] Creative Music Composition, de Margaret Lucy Wilkins, [5] Techniques of the Contemporary Composer, de David Cope e [6] Simple Composition, de Charles Wuorinen. Busca-se, através desse exame, sintetizar os conceitos centrais e os enfoques pedagógicos, bem como revelar conexões com a teoria e a história. Propõe-se, então, uma discussão sobre as possíveis perspectivas no ensino da composição, face ao estabelecimento cada vez maior de abordagens texturais, espectrais, ultracomplexas e sistêmicas no campo da composição musical.

The clinician's guide to composing effective business plans.

Science.gov (United States)

Ettinger, Alan B; Blondell, Catherine

2011-01-01

In today's challenging healthcare environment, clinicians need to understand the fundamentals of financial analysis, which are the underpinnings of their clinical programs, especially when seeking administrative support for new initiatives. The business plan for new clinical program initiatives is composed of diverse elements such as the mission statement, market and competitive analyses, operations plan, and financial analysis. Armed with a basic knowledge of financial analysis of clinical programs, as well as forward-looking analysis of an initiative's added value, the healthcare provider can work much more effectively with administration in developing or creating new healthcare program initiatives.

Efficient extraction of proteins from recalcitrant plant tissue for subsequent analysis by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.

Science.gov (United States)

Parkhey, Suruchi; Chandrakar, Vibhuti; Naithani, S C; Keshavkant, S

2015-10-01

Protein extraction for two-dimensional electrophoresis from tissues of recalcitrant species is quite problematic and challenging due to the low protein content and high abundance of contaminants. Proteomics in Shorea robusta is scarcely conducted due to the lack of a suitable protein preparation procedure. To establish an effective protein extraction protocol suitable for two-dimensional electrophoresis in Shorea robusta, four procedures (borate buffer/trichloroacetic acid extraction, organic solvent/trichloroacetic acid precipitation, sucrose/Tris/phenol, and organic solvent/phenol/sodium dodecyl sulfate) were evaluated. Following these, proteins were isolated from mature leaves and were analyzed for proteomics, and also for potential contaminants, widely reported to hinder proteomics. The borate buffer/trichloroacetic acid extraction had the lowest protein yield and did not result in any banding even in one-dimensional electrophoresis. In contrast, organic solvent/phenol/sodium dodecyl sulfate extraction allowed the highest protein yield. Moreover, during proteomics, organic solvent/phenol/sodium dodecyl sulfate extracted protein resolved the maximum number (144) of spots. Further, when proteins were evaluated for contaminants, significant (77-95%) reductions in the nucleic acids, phenol, and sugars were discernible with refinement in extraction procedure. Accumulated data suggested that the organic solvent/phenol/sodium dodecyl sulfate extraction was the most effective protocol for protein isolation for proteomics of Shorea robusta and can be used for plants that have a similar set of contaminants. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Western classical music development: a statistical analysis of composers similarity, differentiation and evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Georges, Patrick

2017-01-01

This paper proposes a statistical analysis that captures similarities and differences between classical music composers with the eventual aim to understand why particular composers 'sound' different even if their 'lineages' (influences network) are similar or why they 'sound' alike if their 'lineages' are different. In order to do this we use statistical methods and measures of association or similarity (based on presence/absence of traits such as specific 'ecological' characteristics and personal musical influences) that have been developed in biosystematics, scientometrics, and bibliographic coupling. This paper also represents a first step towards a more ambitious goal of developing an evolutionary model of Western classical music.

Improvement in Saccharification Yield of Mixed Rumen Enzymes by Identification of Recalcitrant Cell Wall Constituents Using Enzyme Fingerprinting.

Science.gov (United States)

Badhan, Ajay; Wang, Yu-Xi; Gruninger, Robert; Patton, Donald; Powlowski, Justin; Tsang, Adrian; McAllister, Tim A

2015-01-01

Identification of recalcitrant factors that limit digestion of forages and the development of enzymatic approaches that improve hydrolysis could play a key role in improving the efficiency of meat and milk production in ruminants. Enzyme fingerprinting of barley silage fed to heifers and total tract indigestible fibre residue (TIFR) collected from feces was used to identify cell wall components resistant to total tract digestion. Enzyme fingerprinting results identified acetyl xylan esterases as key to the enhanced ruminal digestion. FTIR analysis also suggested cross-link cell wall polymers as principal components of indigested fiber residues in feces. Based on structural information from enzymatic fingerprinting and FTIR, enzyme pretreatment to enhance glucose yield from barley straw and alfalfa hay upon exposure to mixed rumen-enzymes was developed. Prehydrolysis effects of recombinant fungal fibrolytic hydrolases were analyzed using microassay in combination with statistical experimental design. Recombinant hemicellulases and auxiliary enzymes initiated degradation of plant structural polysaccharides upon application and improved the in vitro saccharification of alfalfa and barley straw by mixed rumen enzymes. The validation results showed that microassay in combination with statistical experimental design can be successfully used to predict effective enzyme pretreatments that can enhance plant cell wall digestion by mixed rumen enzymes.

Membrane contactor/separator for an advanced ozone membrane reactor for treatment of recalcitrant organic pollutants in water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, Wai Kit; Jouët, Justine; Heng, Samuel; Yeung, King Lun; Schrotter, Jean-Christophe

2012-01-01

An advanced ozone membrane reactor that synergistically combines membrane distributor for ozone gas, membrane contactor for pollutant adsorption and reaction, and membrane separator for clean water production is described. The membrane reactor represents an order of magnitude improvement over traditional semibatch reactor design and is capable of complete conversion of recalcitrant endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in water at less than three minutes residence time. Coating the membrane contactor with alumina and hydrotalcite (Mg/Al=3) adsorbs and traps the organics in the reaction zone resulting in 30% increase of total organic carbon (TOC) removal. Large surface area coating that diffuses surface charges from adsorbed polar organic molecules is preferred as it reduces membrane polarization that is detrimental to separation. - Graphical abstract: Advanced ozone membrane reactor synergistically combines membrane distributor for ozone, membrane contactor for sorption and reaction and membrane separator for clean water production to achieve an order of magnitude enhancement in treatment performance compared to traditional ozone reactor. Highlights: ► Novel reactor using membranes for ozone distributor, reaction contactor and water separator. ► Designed to achieve an order of magnitude enhancement over traditional reactor. ► Al 2 O 3 and hydrotalcite coatings capture and trap pollutants giving additional 30% TOC removal. ► High surface area coating prevents polarization and improves membrane separation and life.

Production and characterization of laccase from Cyathus bulleri and its use in decolourization of recalcitrant textile dyes.

Science.gov (United States)

Salony; Mishra, S; Bisaria, V S

2006-08-01

Many fungi (particularly the white rot) are well suited for treatment of a broad range of textile dye effluents due to the versatility of the lignin-degrading enzymes produced by them. We have investigated decolourization of a number of recalcitrant reactive azo and acid dyes using the culture filtrate and purified laccase from the fungus Cyathus bulleri. For this, the enzyme was purified from the culture filtrate to a high specific activity of 4,022 IU mg(-1) protein, produced under optimized carbon, nitrogen and C/N ratio with induction by 2,6-dimethylaniline. The protein was characterized as a monomer of 58+/-5.0 kDa with carbohydrate content of 16% and was found to contain all three Cu(II) centres. The three internal peptide sequences showed sequence identity (80-92%) with laccases of a number of white rot fungi. Substrate specificity indicated highest catalytic efficiency (k(cat)/K(M)) on guaiacol followed by 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS). Decolourization of a number of reactive azo and acid dyes was seen with the culture filtrate of the fungus containing predominantly laccase. In spite of no observable effect of purified laccase on other dyes, the ability to decolourize these was achieved in the presence of the redox mediator ABTS, with 50% decolourization in 0.5-5.4 days.

What to Ask Women Composers: Feminist Fieldwork in Electronic Dance Music

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magdalena Olszanowski

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE This article reflects upon the research methods employed for microfemininewarfare (2012, an interactive database documentary that investigates female electronic dance music (EDM artists. The purpose of the documentary is to feature the contributions of women as composers, to show how they came to be composers and to reveal the tactics used to approach significant issues of gender in the male-dominated world of EDM. I highlight the theoretical and methodological processes that went into the making of this documentary, subtitled “exploring women’s space in electronic music”. By constructing “electronic music by women” as a category, two objectives are addressed: first, the visibility of women’s contribution to the musical tradition is heightened; and, second, it allows an exploration of the broadening of discourses about female subjectivity. This article showcases feminist research-creation and friendship-as-method as effective research methods to glean meaningful content when applied to EDM fieldwork.

Combined protein construct and synthetic gene engineering for heterologous protein expression and crystallization using Gene Composer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walchli John

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background With the goal of improving yield and success rates of heterologous protein production for structural studies we have developed the database and algorithm software package Gene Composer. This freely available electronic tool facilitates the information-rich design of protein constructs and their engineered synthetic gene sequences, as detailed in the accompanying manuscript. Results In this report, we compare heterologous protein expression levels from native sequences to that of codon engineered synthetic gene constructs designed by Gene Composer. A test set of proteins including a human kinase (P38α, viral polymerase (HCV NS5B, and bacterial structural protein (FtsZ were expressed in both E. coli and a cell-free wheat germ translation system. We also compare the protein expression levels in E. coli for a set of 11 different proteins with greatly varied G:C content and codon bias. Conclusion The results consistently demonstrate that protein yields from codon engineered Gene Composer designs are as good as or better than those achieved from the synonymous native genes. Moreover, structure guided N- and C-terminal deletion constructs designed with the aid of Gene Composer can lead to greater success in gene to structure work as exemplified by the X-ray crystallographic structure determination of FtsZ from Bacillus subtilis. These results validate the Gene Composer algorithms, and suggest that using a combination of synthetic gene and protein construct engineering tools can improve the economics of gene to structure research.

Removal of recalcitrant organic matter content in wastewater by means of AOPs aiming industrial water reuse.

Science.gov (United States)

Souza, Bianca M; Souza, Bruno S; Guimarães, Tarsila M; Ribeiro, Thiago F S; Cerqueira, Ana C; Sant'Anna, Geraldo L; Dezotti, Márcia

2016-11-01

This paper comes out from the need to provide an improvement in the current oil refinery wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) aiming to generate water for reuse. The wastewater was pretreated and collected in the WWTP after the biological treatment unit (bio-disks) followed by sand filtration. Ozonation (ozone concentration from 3.0-60 mgO 3  L -1 ), UV (power lamp from 15 to 95 W), H 2 O 2 (carbon:H 2 O 2 molar ratio of 1:1, 1:2, and 1:4), and two advanced oxidation processes (UV/O 3 and UV/H 2 O 2 ) were investigated aiming to reduce the wastewater organic matter and generate water with suitable characteristics for the reverse osmosis operation and subsequent industrial reuse. Even after the biological and filtration treatments, the oil refinery wastewater still presented an appreciable amount of recalcitrant organic matter (TOC of 12-19 mgC L -1 ) and silt density index (SDI) higher than 4, which is considered high for subsequent reverse osmosis due to membrane fouling risks. Experiments using non combined processes (O 3 , H 2 O 2 , and UV only) showed a low degree of mineralization after 60 min of reaction, although the pretreatment with ozone had promoted the oxidation of aromatic compounds originally found in the real matrix, which suggests the formation of recalcitrant compounds. When the combined processes were applied, a considerable increase in the TOC removal was observed (max of 95 % for UV/O 3 process, 55 W, 60 mgO 3  L -1 ), likely due the presence of higher amounts of reactive species, specially hydroxyl radicals, confirming the important role of these species on the photochemical degradation of the wastewater compounds. A zero-order kinetic model was fitted to the experimental data and the rate constant values (k, mgC L -1  h -1 ) ranged from 4.8 < k UV/O3  < 11 ([O 3 ] 0  = 30-60 mg L -1 ), and 8.6 < k UV/H2O2  < 11 (C:H 2 O 2 from 1:1 to 1:4). The minimum and maximum electrical energy per order (E EO ) required for 60 min of

A study of fractional Schrödinger equation composed of Jumarie ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In this paper we have derived the fractional-order Schrödinger equation composed of Jumarie fractional derivative. The solution of this fractional-order Schrödinger equation is obtained in terms of Mittag–Leffler function with complex arguments, and fractional trigonometric functions. A few important properties of the ...

The AppComposer Web application for school teachers: A platform for translating and adapting educational web applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rodriguez-Gil, Luis; Orduna, Pablo; Bollen, Lars; Govaerts, Sten; Holzer, Adrian; Gillet, Dennis; Lopez-de-Ipina, Diego; Garcia-Zubia, Javier

2015-01-01

Developing educational apps that cover a wide range of learning contexts and languages is a challenging task. In this paper, we introduce the AppComposer Web app to address this issue. The AppComposer aims at empowering teachers to easily translate and adapt existing apps that fit their educational

COMPOSE-HPC: A Transformational Approach to Exascale

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernholdt, David E [ORNL; Allan, Benjamin A. [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL); Armstrong, Robert C. [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL); Chavarria-Miranda, Daniel [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL); Dahlgren, Tamara L. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL); Elwasif, Wael R [ORNL; Epperly, Tom [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL); Foley, Samantha S [ORNL; Hulette, Geoffrey C. [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL); Krishnamoorthy, Sriram [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL); Prantl, Adrian [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL); Panyala, Ajay [Louisiana State University; Sottile, Matthew [Galois, Inc.

2012-04-01

The goal of the COMPOSE-HPC project is to 'democratize' tools for automatic transformation of program source code so that it becomes tractable for the developers of scientific applications to create and use their own transformations reliably and safely. This paper describes our approach to this challenge, the creation of the KNOT tool chain, which includes tools for the creation of annotation languages to control the transformations (PAUL), to perform the transformations (ROTE), and optimization and code generation (BRAID), which can be used individually and in combination. We also provide examples of current and future uses of the KNOT tools, which include transforming code to use different programming models and environments, providing tests that can be used to detect errors in software or its execution, as well as composition of software written in different programming languages, or with different threading patterns.

Writing as Embodied, College Football Plays as Embodied: Extracurricular Multimodal Composing

Science.gov (United States)

Rifenburg, J. Michael

2014-01-01

Recent explorations position multimodality as a largely curricular practice wherein the body typically is not figured as a potential mode of meaning making. Such a projection not only fails to acknowledge extracurricular uses of such a rhetoric but also fails to acknowledge the role of the body in and especially for composing. In hopes of…

How Music Technology Can Make Sound and Music Worlds Accessible to Student Composers in Further Education Colleges

Science.gov (United States)

Kardos, Leah

2012-01-01

I am a composer, producer, pianist and part-time music lecturer at a Further Education college where I teach composing on Music Technology courses at levels 3 (equivalent to A-level) and 4 (Undergraduate/Foundation Degree). A "Music Technology" course, distinct from a "Music" course, often attracts applicants from diverse musical backgrounds; it…

Literary context of interwar Serbian choral music composed to verses of artistic poetry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tasić Nataša D.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Choral music in Serbia between two world wars developed simultaneously in the genre fields of spiritual and folklore music, and music written to the verse of artistic poetry. Literary context of the latter genre mostly involved poetry from the period of romanticism. Apart from that, certain authors gladly wrote music to the lyric poetry of their contemporaries, and there are also examples in which composers reached out to the poetry from distant past. This paper deals with the analysis of representation of verses of certain poets in the work of musical artists. The reasons for the domination of certain thematic fields and influence of stylistic orientation of lyricists to composer's choices are some of the most significant conclusions of this text.

Prefabricated floor panels composed of fiber reinforced concrete and a steel substructure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lárusson, Lárus H.; Fischer, Gregor; Jönsson, Jeppe

2013-01-01

This paper reports on a study on prefabricated composite and modular floor deck panels composed of relatively thin fiber reinforced concrete slabs connected to steel substructures. The study focuses on the design, manufacturing, structural improvements and behavior of the floor systems during...

A Global Assessment of the Chemical Recalcitrance of Seagrass Tissues: Implications for Long-Term Carbon Sequestration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stacey M. Trevathan-Tackett

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Seagrass ecosystems have recently been identified for their role in climate change mitigation due to their globally-significant carbon sinks; yet, the capacity of seagrasses to sequester carbon has been shown to vary greatly among seagrass ecosystems. The recalcitrant nature of seagrass tissues, or the resistance to degradation back into carbon dioxide, is one aspect thought to influence sediment carbon stocks. In this study, a global survey investigated how the macromolecular chemistry of seagrass leaves, sheaths/stems, rhizomes and roots varied across 23 species from 16 countries. The goal was to understand how this seagrass chemistry might influence the capacity of seagrasses to contribute to sediment carbon stocks. Three non-destructive analytical chemical analyses were used to investigate seagrass chemistry: thermogravimetric analysis (TGA and solid state 13C-NMR and infrared spectroscopy. A strong latitudinal influence on carbon quality was found, whereby temperate seagrasses contained 5% relatively more labile carbon, and tropical seagrasses contained 3% relatively more refractory carbon. Sheath/stem tissues significantly varied across taxa, with larger morphologies typically containing more refractory carbon than smaller morphologies. Rhizomes were characterized by a higher proportion of labile carbon (16% of total organic matter compared to 8–10% in other tissues; however, high rhizome biomass production and slower remineralization in anoxic sediments will likely enhance these below-ground tissues' contributions to long-term carbon stocks. Our study provides a standardized and global dataset on seagrass carbon quality across tissue types, taxa and geography that can be incorporated in carbon sequestration and storage models as well as ecosystem valuation and management strategies.

Decolorization of a recalcitrant organic compound (Melanoidin by a novel thermotolerant yeast, Candida tropicalis RG-9

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tiwari Soni

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Sugarcane distilleries use molasses for ethanol production and generate large volume of effluent containing high biological oxygen demand (BOD and chemical oxygen demand (COD along with melanoidin pigment. Melanoidin is a recalcitrant compound that causes several toxic effects on living system, therefore, may be treated before disposal. The aim of this study was to isolate a potential thermotolerant melanoidin decolorizing yeast from natural resources, and optimized different physico-chemical and nutritional parameters. Results Total 24 yeasts were isolated from the soil samples of near by distillery site, in which isolate Y-9 showed maximum decolorization and identified as Candida tropicalis by Microbial Type Culture Collection (MTCC Chandigarh, India. The decolorization yield was expressed as the decrease in the absorbance at 475 nm against initial absorbance at the same wavelength. Uninoculated medium served as control. Yeast showed maximum decolorization (75% at 45°C using 0.2%, glucose; 0.2%, peptone; 0.05%, MgSO4; 0.01%, KH2PO4; pH-5.5 within 24 h of incubation under static condition. Decolorizing ability of yeast was also confirmed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC analysis. Conclusion The yeast strain efficiently decolorized melanoidin pigment of distillery effluent at higher temperature than the other earlier reported strains of yeast, therefore, this strain could also be used at industrial level for melanoidin decolorization as it tolerated a wide range of temperature and pH with very small amount of carbon and nitrogen sources.

Large-scale Ising-machines composed of magnetic neurons

Science.gov (United States)

Mizushima, Koichi; Goto, Hayato; Sato, Rie

2017-10-01

We propose Ising-machines composed of magnetic neurons, that is, magnetic bits in a recording track. In large-scale machines, the sizes of both neurons and synapses need to be reduced, and neat and smart connections among neurons are also required to achieve all-to-all connectivity among them. These requirements can be fulfilled by adopting magnetic recording technologies such as race-track memories and skyrmion tracks because the area of a magnetic bit is almost two orders of magnitude smaller than that of static random access memory, which has normally been used as a semiconductor neuron, and the smart connections among neurons are realized by using the read and write methods of these technologies.

The Instant Composers Pool: Music Notation and the Mediation of Improvising Agency

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schuiling, F.J.

2016-01-01

This article relates the recent development of a “relational musicology” to debates about participatory art and relational aesthetics. I present results from an ethnographic study of the Dutch improvising music collective the Instant Composers Pool, founded in 1967 and still performing. With a

Nailed timber beams with I composed section

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge Luís Nunes de Góes

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The employment of built-up timber beams, made of commercial dimensions pieces, is becoming increasingly important in timber structures in Brazil, mainly due to the ever-growing scarcity of timber elements in larger sizes. The built-up system has vast application, from beams for residential buildings to girders for small bridges. The objective of this work is the theoretical and experimental study of nailed timber beams with composed cross section I. The design procedure of EUROCODE 5/93 and NBR 7190/97 are shown and evaluated, as well as the theory about the subject matter. The experimental evaluation of the theoretical models was made by means of bending tests in prototypes of built-up timber beams. The obtained results shows that the EUROCODE 5/93 procedure is the most indicated for evaluating effective bending stiffness, normal and shear stresses as well as the load on fasteners.

Gene composer: database software for protein construct design, codon engineering, and gene synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorimer, Don; Raymond, Amy; Walchli, John; Mixon, Mark; Barrow, Adrienne; Wallace, Ellen; Grice, Rena; Burgin, Alex; Stewart, Lance

2009-04-21

To improve efficiency in high throughput protein structure determination, we have developed a database software package, Gene Composer, which facilitates the information-rich design of protein constructs and their codon engineered synthetic gene sequences. With its modular workflow design and numerous graphical user interfaces, Gene Composer enables researchers to perform all common bio-informatics steps used in modern structure guided protein engineering and synthetic gene engineering. An interactive Alignment Viewer allows the researcher to simultaneously visualize sequence conservation in the context of known protein secondary structure, ligand contacts, water contacts, crystal contacts, B-factors, solvent accessible area, residue property type and several other useful property views. The Construct Design Module enables the facile design of novel protein constructs with altered N- and C-termini, internal insertions or deletions, point mutations, and desired affinity tags. The modifications can be combined and permuted into multiple protein constructs, and then virtually cloned in silico into defined expression vectors. The Gene Design Module uses a protein-to-gene algorithm that automates the back-translation of a protein amino acid sequence into a codon engineered nucleic acid gene sequence according to a selected codon usage table with minimal codon usage threshold, defined G:C% content, and desired sequence features achieved through synonymous codon selection that is optimized for the intended expression system. The gene-to-oligo algorithm of the Gene Design Module plans out all of the required overlapping oligonucleotides and mutagenic primers needed to synthesize the desired gene constructs by PCR, and for physically cloning them into selected vectors by the most popular subcloning strategies. We present a complete description of Gene Composer functionality, and an efficient PCR-based synthetic gene assembly procedure with mis-match specific endonuclease

Gene Composer: database software for protein construct design, codon engineering, and gene synthesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mixon Mark

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To improve efficiency in high throughput protein structure determination, we have developed a database software package, Gene Composer, which facilitates the information-rich design of protein constructs and their codon engineered synthetic gene sequences. With its modular workflow design and numerous graphical user interfaces, Gene Composer enables researchers to perform all common bio-informatics steps used in modern structure guided protein engineering and synthetic gene engineering. Results An interactive Alignment Viewer allows the researcher to simultaneously visualize sequence conservation in the context of known protein secondary structure, ligand contacts, water contacts, crystal contacts, B-factors, solvent accessible area, residue property type and several other useful property views. The Construct Design Module enables the facile design of novel protein constructs with altered N- and C-termini, internal insertions or deletions, point mutations, and desired affinity tags. The modifications can be combined and permuted into multiple protein constructs, and then virtually cloned in silico into defined expression vectors. The Gene Design Module uses a protein-to-gene algorithm that automates the back-translation of a protein amino acid sequence into a codon engineered nucleic acid gene sequence according to a selected codon usage table with minimal codon usage threshold, defined G:C% content, and desired sequence features achieved through synonymous codon selection that is optimized for the intended expression system. The gene-to-oligo algorithm of the Gene Design Module plans out all of the required overlapping oligonucleotides and mutagenic primers needed to synthesize the desired gene constructs by PCR, and for physically cloning them into selected vectors by the most popular subcloning strategies. Conclusion We present a complete description of Gene Composer functionality, and an efficient PCR-based synthetic gene

Creative Thinking for 21st Century Composing Practices: Creativity Pedagogies across Disciplines

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sohui; Carpenter, Russell

2015-01-01

In this article, the authors explore the corpus of literature on creative thinking and applied creativity in higher education to help composition teacher-scholars and writing center practitioners improve the application of creativity in written, visual, and multimodal composing practices. From studies of creative thinking investigated across…

Bibliography on plutonium and its compounds; Bibliographie sur le plutonium et ses composes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dirian, J; Choquet, J [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1958-07-01

Collection of bibliographical references on plutonium and its principal compounds from 1942 to end of 1957. (author) [French] Compilation de references bibliographiques sur le plutonium et ses principaux composes de 1942 a fin 1957. (auteur)

Music and the Nature: Input of the Czech Composers

Science.gov (United States)

Nemec, Vaclav; Nemcova, Lidmila

2014-05-01

Extraordinary occasions for art of any kind - music, creative graphic and plastic arts, literature (classic, modern incl. science fiction), theatre, cinema, etc. - exist to harmonise individual personal interests with those of the humanity well-being and of the Nature and also to cultivate individual spirituality and the appropriate values. Arts can be applied as irreplaceable means for making any human being better, for improving his sense for solidarity and for increasing his ethical sensibility. An interest for the art should be cultivated already since the childhood. - How much of inspiration for numerous composers all over the world has been given by the Nature, how much of inspiration for people who by listening to such a music are increasing nobility of their behaviour as well as their friendly approach to the Nature. - Many classical music works have been written with a strong inspiration by the Nature itself from the past until today. The actual Year of the Czech Music gives the possibility to present the most famous Czech composers inspired by the Nature (selected examples only): Bedřich Smetana (1824 - 1884): At the sea shore - a concert etude for piano inspired by his stay in Göteborg (Sweden); Vltava (Moldau) - a symphonic poem from the cycle "My country" inspired by the river crossing Bohemia from the South to Prague; From the Bohemian woods and meadows - another symphonic poem from the same cycle. Antonín Dvořák (1841 - 1904): V přírodě (In the Nature) - a work for orchestra Leoš Janáček (1854 - 1928): Příhody li\\vsky Bystrou\\vsky (The Cunning Little Vixen) - an opera situated mostly in a forest. Josef Bohuslav Foerster (1859-1951): Velké širé rodné lány (Big large native fields) - a choir for men singers inspired by the nature in the region where the composer as a boy from Prague was visiting his grand-father. Vítězslav Novák (1870 - 1949): In Tatra mountains - a symphonic poem expressing the author's passion for the famous

Alphons Diepenbrock and the European world of composers at the fin-de-siècle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

van der Leeuw Gerard

2002-01-01

Full Text Available The article consists of three parts. In the first part the author gives a survey of the large artistic renewal that took place in the Netherlands around 1900. Special attention is given to "de beweging van Tachtig"(the movement of the "Tachtigers", a renewal movement in literature in which the composer Alphons Diepenbrock was involved. In the second part a short description of the life and work of this most important Dutch composer of the end of the nineteenth century is given. In his early years Diepenbrock orientated himself to composers like Wagner, especially around the First World War (in which the Netherlands remained a neutral country, and he became a fervent admirer of French art. His music is a unique synthesis of Wagner's chromaticism, the word-bound rhythms of plain-chant and the polyphonic music of the old Flemish schools of Ockeghem and Josquin. In the third part the author deals with a couple of Diepenbrock's (artistic contacts. There are highlights on Mahler, Schönberg and Debussy, primarily based on their correspondence.

THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF COMPOSING A REFERENCE BOOK OF REGIONAL TOPONYMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilyin Dmitriy Yuryevich

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the linguistic issues of composing a reference book of regional toponyms – a genre that requires special consideration in national lexicography. The assortment of these issues gave the possibility to carry out complex description of regional toponyms on the basis of semantic, functional, and orpthologuos criteria that let unify the names of Volgograd region settlements that are registered in various documents. The significance of the composed reference book is determined by several factors – the presence of local subsystems of geographical names in Russian toponymy; the inconsistency of current orthography norms on using capital letter in compound proprius names and fused-with-hyphen spelling of toponyms and off-toponym derivations; the lack of linguistically justified explanation of peculiarities of grammatical norms in the field of proper names use. The reference book of regional toponyms is based on the object description (toponymic vocabulary, principles of lexical units selection (description of spelling and grammatical properties of toponyms, encyclopedic information, the glossary (full list of toponyms of Volgograd region, typical article. The articles in the reference book are arranged in lexicographical zones with grammatical and semantic markers, lexicographical illustrations, other lexicographical labels, word etymology including. The reference book on Volgograd region toponymy is addressed to executive and administration authorities, journalists, regional ethnographers.

Magnetic properties of mosaic nanocomposites composed of nickel and cobalt nanowires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castillo-Sepúlveda, S.; Corona, R.M. [Departamento de Física, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Av. Ecuador 3493, 9170124 Santiago (Chile); Altbir, D. [Departamento de Física, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Av. Ecuador 3493, 9170124 Santiago (Chile); Center for the Development of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (CEDENNA), 9170124 Santiago (Chile); Escrig, J., E-mail: juan.escrig@usach.cl [Departamento de Física, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Av. Ecuador 3493, 9170124 Santiago (Chile); Center for the Development of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (CEDENNA), 9170124 Santiago (Chile)

2016-10-15

Mosaic nanocomposites composed of nickel and cobalt nanowires arranged in different configurations were investigated using Monte Carlo simulations and a simple model that considers single-domain structures including length corrections due to the shape anisotropy. Our results showed that for an ordered array both the coercivity and the remanence decrease linearly as a function of the concentration of nickel nanowires. Besides, we obtained that the magnetic properties of an array of a certain hard magnetic material (cobalt) will not change, unless we have more than 50% of nanowires of other soft magnetic material (nickel) in the array. In principle the second material could be other soft magnetic material, but could also be a nonmagnetic material or could even be a situation in which some of the pore arrays were not filled by electrodeposition. Therefore, our results allow us to predict the behavior of magnetic mosaic nanocomposites that are promising candidates for functional electrodes, sensors, and model catalysts. - Highlights: • Mosaic nanocomposites composed of magnetic nanowires were investigated. • Magnetic properties can be adjusted by varying the concentration of nanowires. • Our results allow us to predict the behavior of magnetic mosaic nanocomposites.

The methodology of composing the exercises system with fit balls.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Voronov N.P.

2011-02-01

Full Text Available The original methodology of composing the exercises system with fit balls was considered. More than 10 publications were analysed. On the lesson with fit balls the problem was revealed. In the experiment took part 30 students at the age from 18 till 21. All the famous exercises were systematized. As a result, a big attractiveness and assimilability of the proposed complex was revealed. The effectiveness of the complex of physical exercises with fit balls for students was proved.

Improving Students' Memory for Musical Compositions and Their Composers: Mneme that Tune!

Science.gov (United States)

Carney, Russell N.; Levin, Joel R.

2007-01-01

Students enrolled in music appreciation and music history courses may find it difficult to remember composers' names and the titles of their compositions--particularly when retrieval is prompted by corresponding classical music themes. We sought to develop and validate a mnemonic approach in which musical themes were first recoded as more concrete…

Composable Mission Framework for Rapid End-to-End Mission Design and Simulation, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The innovation proposed here is the Composable Mission Framework (CMF) a model-based software framework that shall enable seamless continuity of mission design and...

ELASTO-PLASTIC BEHAVIOR OF RC FRAMES COMPOSED OF STEEL JACKETTED RC SHORT COLUMNS AND SPANDREL WALLS

OpenAIRE

Nasruddin

2012-01-01

This experimental study is a part of the investigation on the seismic design method for Double Tubes Hybrid System (DTHS) for buildings. This structural system consists of RC core walls as the interior tube, and the exterior frames composed of RC short columns and RC spandrel walls as the exterior tube. The RC core walls are designed as the Energy Dissipation Structural Walls (EDSW), which are composed of RC coupled shear walls linked by short steel H-shaped beams as the energy dissipation de...

Sounds unheard of evolutionary algorithms as creative tools for the contemporary composer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dahlstedt, Palle

2004-01-01

Evolutionary algorithms are studied as tools for generating novel musical material in the form of musical scores and synthesized sounds. The choice of genetic representation defines a space of potential music. This space is explored using evolutionary algorithms, in search of useful musical mater...... composed with the tools described in the thesis are presented....

SU-E-T-327: The Update of a XML Composing Tool for TrueBeam Developer Mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Y; Mao, W; Jiang, S

2014-01-01

Purpose: To introduce a major upgrade of a novel XML beam composing tool to scientists and engineers who strive to translate certain capabilities of TrueBeam Developer Mode to future clinical benefits of radiation therapy. Methods: TrueBeam Developer Mode provides the users with a test bed for unconventional plans utilizing certain unique features not accessible at the clinical mode. To access the full set of capabilities, a XML beam definition file accommodating all parameters including kV/MV imaging triggers in the plan can be locally loaded at this mode, however it is difficult and laborious to compose one in a text editor. In this study, a stand-along interactive XML beam composing application, TrueBeam TeachMod, was developed on Windows platforms to assist users in making their unique plans in a WYSWYG manner. A conventional plan can be imported in a DICOM RT object as the start of the beam editing process in which trajectories of all axes of a TrueBeam machine can be modified to the intended values at any control point. TeachMod also includes libraries of predefined imaging and treatment procedures to further expedite the process. Results: The TeachMod application is a major of the TeachMod module within DICOManTX. It fully supports TrueBeam 2.0. Trajectories of all axes including all MLC leaves can be graphically rendered and edited as needed. The time for XML beam composing has been reduced to a negligible amount regardless the complexity of the plan. A good understanding of XML language and TrueBeam schema is not required though preferred. Conclusion: Creating XML beams manually in a text editor will be a lengthy error-prone process for sophisticated plans. A XML beam composing tool is highly desirable for R and D activities. It will bridge the gap between scopes of TrueBeam capabilities and their clinical application potentials

The Morel-Lavallée Lesion as a Rare Differential Diagnosis for Recalcitrant Bursitis of the Knee: Case Report and Literature Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivor S. Vanhegan

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A 72 year-old-male was referred to our institution with recalcitrant prepatellar bursitis. The injury was sustained after striking his right knee against a post whilst horse riding 9 months ago. Previous treatments included repeated aspiration and excision of the bursa with elastic compression bandaging. A diagnosis of a Morel-Lavallée internal degloving injury was made, and the lesion was satisfactorily managed by an internal quilting procedure to eliminate the potential dead space. A review of the literature reveals 29 published reports of Morel-Lavallée lesions with sufficient information for inclusion. These came from 14 separate countries with a total of 204 lesions in 195 patients. The most common anatomical location was the greater trochanter/hip (36%, followed by the thigh (24% and the pelvis (19%. Most were managed surgically with evacuation of the haematoma and necrotic tissue followed by debridement, which was often repeated (36%. Conservative treatment with percutaneous aspiration and compression bandaging was the next most common treatment (23%. The knee was the fourth most common region affected (16%, and only 3 other lesions in the literature have been managed with a quilting procedure.

Persistence length of wormlike micelles composed of ionic surfactants: self-consistent-field predictions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lauw, Y.; Leermakers, F.A.M.; Cohen Stuart, M.A.

2007-01-01

The persistence length of a wormlike micelle composed of ionic surfactants CnEmXk in an aqueous solvent is predicted by means of the self-consistent-field theory where CnEm is the conventional nonionic surfactant and X-k is an additional sequence of k weakly charged (pH-dependent) segments. By

Spatial Stories with Nomadic Narrators: Affect, Snapchat, and Feeling Embodiment in Youth Mobile Composing

Science.gov (United States)

Wargo, Jon M.

2015-01-01

While the vast majority of scholarship on mobile media, social semiotics, and multimodality highlights work done "behind" the screen, few studies have considered the embodied processes of youth composing "with" and "through" mobile technology. This study, drawn from a larger critical qualitative connective…

Women's Month 2006 to include a tribute concert to women composers

OpenAIRE

Lazenby, Jenna

2006-01-01

Virginia Tech will commemorate Women's Month 2006 in March with a variety of events and programs. Festivities will include a special concert to be held Wednesday, March 1 at 8 p.m. in the Squires Student Center Recital Salon. This concert will pay tribute to 400 years of women composers by featuring performances by Virginia Tech faculty, students, and guests. Admission to the concert is free, though a free-will donation will be taken to support the work of the Women's Resource Center of the N...

Envisioning Collaborative Composing in Music Education: Learning and Negotiation of Meaning in "operabyyou.com"

Science.gov (United States)

Partti, Heidi; Westerlund, Heidi

2013-01-01

This qualitative instrumental case study examines collaborative composing in the "operabyyou.com" online music community from the perspective of learning by utilising the concept of a "community of practice" as a heuristic frame. The article suggests that although informal music practices offer important opportunities for…

Hydration characteristics and environmental friendly performance of a cementitious material composed of calcium silicate slag

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Na; Li, Hongxu [School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China); Beijing Key Laboratory of Rare and Precious Metals Green Recycling and Extraction, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China); Zhao, Yazhao [School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China); Liu, Xiaoming, E-mail: liuxm@ustb.edu.cn [School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China); Beijing Key Laboratory of Rare and Precious Metals Green Recycling and Extraction, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China)

2016-04-05

Highlights: • Cementitious material was designed according to [SiO{sub 4}] polymerization degree of raw materials. • The cementitious material composed of calcium silicate slag yields excellent physical and mechanical properties. • Amorphous C–A–S–H gel and rod-like ettringite are predominantly responsible for the strength development. • Leaching toxicity and radioactivity tests show the cementitious material is environmentally acceptable. - Abstract: Calcium silicate slag is an alkali leaching waste generated during the process of extracting Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} from high-alumina fly ash. In this research, a cementitious material composed of calcium silicate slag was developed, and its mechanical and physical properties, hydration characteristics and environmental friendly performance were investigated. The results show that an optimal design for the cementitious material composed of calcium silicate slag was determined by the specimen CFSC7 containing 30% calcium silicate slag, 5% high-alumina fly ash, 24% blast furnace slag, 35% clinker and 6% FGD gypsum. This blended system yields excellent physical and mechanical properties, confirming the usefulness of CFSC7. The hydration products of CFSC7 are mostly amorphous C–A–S–H gel, rod-like ettringite and hexagonal-sheet Ca(OH){sub 2} with small amount of zeolite-like minerals such as CaAl{sub 2}Si{sub 2}O{sub 8}·4H{sub 2}O and Na{sub 2}Al{sub 2}Si{sub 2}O{sub 8}·H{sub 2}O. As the predominant hydration products, rod-like ettringite and amorphous C–A–S–H gel play a positive role in promoting densification of the paste structure, resulting in strength development of CFSC7 in the early hydration process. The leaching toxicity and radioactivity tests results indicate that the developed cementitious material composed of calcium silicate slag is environmentally acceptable. This study points out a promising direction for the proper utilization of calcium silicate slag in large quantities.

Forget about switching keyboard layouts with the "Compose Key"

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2018-01-01

Growing up with a Spanish keyboard was not an easy childhood (using Shift+7 (/) to search in vim, or having to type AltGr+[ to actually have an opening bracket), so at some point in my life I switched to an American keyboard. At the beginning I was happy switching layouts to either do some coding or talk to my mum (I am not a fan of the classical excuse "sorry for my typos, I don't have the 'ñ' in my keyboard"). Things got much worse when I started to need French characters (ç, è) to interact with some services at CERN, or some Slovak letters (č, đ) to talk to Robert, my Slovak colleague . Then I discovered the Compose Key and my life has been different ever since.

Semi-interpenetrating polymer networks composed of silk fibroin and poly(ethylene glycol) for wound dressing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kweon, HaeYong; Yeo, Joo-hong; Lee, Kwang-gill; Lee, Hyun Chul; Na, Hee Sam; Won, Young Ho; Cho, Chong Su

2008-01-01

Semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (SIPNs) composed of silk fibroin (SF) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) were prepared by photopolymerization of a PEG macromer in the presence of SF to improve the mechanical properties of SF sponge as wound dressing. The morphological structure of the SF/PEG SIPNs was observed to be composed of an interconnected microporous surface and a cross-sectional area. SF/PEG SIPNs showed non-cytotoxicity evaluated by a cell proliferation method using L929 fibroblasts. Wound contraction treated with SF/PEG SIPNs sponges was faster than that of Vaseline gauze as a control. Histological observation confirmed that the deposition of collagen in the dermis was organized by covering the wound area with SF/PEG SIPNs. The above results indicated that SF/PEG SIPNs could be used as wound dressing

Universally composable oblivious transfer based on a variant of lPN

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

David, Bernardo Machado; Dowsley, Rafael; Nascimento, Anderson C A

2014-01-01

Oblivious transfer (OT) is a fundamental two-party cryptographic primitive that implies secure multiparty computation. In this paper, we introduce the first OT based on the Learning Parity with Noise (LPN) problem. More specifically, we use the LPN variant that was introduced by Alekhnovich (FOCS...... 2003). We prove that our protocol is secure against active static adversaries in the Universal Composability framework in the common reference string model. Our constructions are based solely on a LPN style assumption and thus represents a clear next step from current code-based OT protocols, which...

16 CFR 300.29 - Garments or products composed of or containing miscellaneous cloth scraps.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Garments or products composed of or containing miscellaneous cloth scraps. 300.29 Section 300.29 Commercial Practices FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION... chiefly woolen fibers with the balance of undetermined mixtures of cotton, rayon or other non-woolen...

Electrochemistry Combined with LC-HRMS: Elucidating Transformation Products of the Recalcitrant Pharmaceutical Compound Carbamazepine Generated by the White-Rot Fungus Pleurotus ostreatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Seiwert, Bettina; Golan-Rozen, Naama; Weidauer, Cindy; Riemenschneider, Christina; Chefetz, Benny; Hadar, Yitzhak; Reemtsma, Thorsten

2015-10-20

Transformation products (TPs) of environmental pollutants must be identified to understand biodegradation processes and reaction mechanisms and to assess the efficiency of treatment processes. The combination of oxidation by an electrochemical cell (EC) with analysis by liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) is a rapid approach for the determination and identification of TPs generated by natural microbial processes. Electrochemically generated TPs of the recalcitrant pharmaceutical carbamazepine (CBZ) were used for a target screening for TPs formed by the white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus. EC with LC-HRMS facilitates detection and identification of TPs because the product spectrum is not superimposed with biogenic metabolites and elevated substrate concentrations can be used. A group of 10 TPs formed in the microbial process were detected by target screening for molecular ions, and another 4 were detected by screening on the basis of characteristic fragment ions. Three of these TPs have never been reported before. For CBZ, EC with LC-HRMS was found to be more effective than software tools in defining targets for the screening and faster than nontarget screening alone in TP identification. EC with LC-HRMS may be used to feed MS databases with spectra of possible TPs of larger numbers of environmental contaminants for an efficient target screening.

Using Docker Compose for the Simple Deployment of an Integrated Drug Target Screening Platform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

List Markus

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Docker virtualization allows for software tools to be executed in an isolated and controlled environment referred to as a container. In Docker containers, dependencies are provided exactly as intended by the developer and, consequently, they simplify the distribution of scientific software and foster reproducible research. The Docker paradigm is that each container encapsulates one particular software tool. However, to analyze complex biomedical data sets, it is often necessary to combine several software tools into elaborate workflows. To address this challenge, several Docker containers need to be instantiated and properly integrated, which complicates the software deployment process unnecessarily. Here, we demonstrate how an extension to Docker, Docker compose, can be used to mitigate these problems by providing a unified setup routine that deploys several tools in an integrated fashion. We demonstrate the power of this approach by example of a Docker compose setup for a drug target screening platform consisting of five integrated web applications and shared infrastructure, deployable in just two lines of codes.

Using Docker Compose for the Simple Deployment of an Integrated Drug Target Screening Platform.

Science.gov (United States)

List, Markus

2017-06-10

Docker virtualization allows for software tools to be executed in an isolated and controlled environment referred to as a container. In Docker containers, dependencies are provided exactly as intended by the developer and, consequently, they simplify the distribution of scientific software and foster reproducible research. The Docker paradigm is that each container encapsulates one particular software tool. However, to analyze complex biomedical data sets, it is often necessary to combine several software tools into elaborate workflows. To address this challenge, several Docker containers need to be instantiated and properly integrated, which complicates the software deployment process unnecessarily. Here, we demonstrate how an extension to Docker, Docker compose, can be used to mitigate these problems by providing a unified setup routine that deploys several tools in an integrated fashion. We demonstrate the power of this approach by example of a Docker compose setup for a drug target screening platform consisting of five integrated web applications and shared infrastructure, deployable in just two lines of codes.

A three-dimensional microelectrode array composed of vertically aligned ultra-dense carbon nanotube networks

Science.gov (United States)

Nick, C.; Yadav, S.; Joshi, R.; Schneider, J. J.; Thielemann, C.

2015-07-01

Electrodes based on carbon nanotubes are a promising approach to manufacture highly sensitive sensors with a low limit of signal detection and a high signal-to-noise ratio. This is achieved by dramatically increasing the electrochemical active surface area without increasing the overall geometrical dimensions. Typically, carbon nanotube electrodes are nearly planar and composed of randomly distributed carbon nanotube networks having a limited surface gain for a specific geometrical surface area. To overcome this limitation, we have introduced vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) networks as electrodes, which are arranged in a microelectrode pattern of 60 single electrodes. Each microelectrode features a very high aspect ratio of more than 300 and thus a dramatically increased surface area. These microelectrodes composed of VACNT networks display dramatically decreased impedance over the entire frequency range compared to planar microelectrodes caused by the enormous capacity increase. This is experimentally verified by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry.

Dissolved organic nitrogen recalcitrance and bioavailable nitrogen quantification for effluents from advanced nitrogen removal wastewater treatment facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Lu; Brett, Michael T; Jiang, Wenju; Li, Bo

2017-10-01

The objective of this study was to determine the composition of nitrogen (N) in the effluents of advanced N removal (ANR) wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). This study also tested two different experimental protocols for determining dissolved N recalcitrance. An analysis of 15 effluent samples from five WWTPs, showed effluent concentrations and especially effluent composition varied greatly from one system to the other, with total nitrogen (TN) ranging between 1.05 and 8.10 mg L -1 . Nitrate (NO 3 - ) accounted for between 38 ± 32% of TN, and ammonium accounted for a further 29 ± 28%. All of these samples were dominated by dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN; NO 3 -  + NH 4 + ), and uptake experiments indicated the DIN fraction was as expected highly bioavailable. Dissolved organic N (DON) accounted for 20 ± 11% for the total dissolved N in these effluents, and uptake experiments indicated the bioavailability of this fraction varied between 27 ± 26% depending on the WWTP assessed. These results indicate near complete DIN removal should be the primary goal of ANR treatment systems. The comparison of bioavailable nitrogen (BAN) quantification protocols showed that the dissolved nitrogen uptake bioassay approach was clearly a more reliable way to determine BAN concentrations compared to the conventional cell yield protocol. Moreover, because the nitrogen uptake experiment was much more sensitive, this protocol made it easier to detect extrinsic factors (such as biological contamination or toxicity) that could affect the accuracy of these bioassays. Based on these results, we recommend the nitrogen uptake bioassay using filtered and autoclaved samples to quantify BAN concentrations. However, for effluent samples indicating toxicity, algal bioassays will not accurately quantify BAN. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Particle Swarm Optimization Approach to Composing Serial Test Sheets for Multiple Assessment Criteria

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Peng-Yeng; Chang, Kuang-Cheng; Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Hwang, Gwo-Haur; Chan, Ying

2006-01-01

To accurately analyze the problems of students in learning, the composed test sheets must meet multiple assessment criteria, such as the ratio of relevant concepts to be evaluated, the average discrimination degree, difficulty degree and estimated testing time. Furthermore, to precisely evaluate the improvement of student's learning performance…

Designing for Diverse Classrooms: Using iPpads and Digital Cameras to Compose eBooks with Emergent Bilingual/Biliterate Four-Year-Olds

Science.gov (United States)

Rowe, Deborah Wells; Miller, Mary E.

2016-01-01

This paper reports the findings of a two-year design study exploring instructional conditions supporting emerging, bilingual/biliterate, four-year-olds' digital composing. With adult support, children used child-friendly, digital cameras and iPads equipped with writing, drawing and bookmaking apps to compose multimodal, multilingual eBooks…

THE COMPOSER AND FOLKLORE PROBLEM: FACTORS OF STYLISTIC STRUCTURE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

COCEAROVA GALINA

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This paper continues the author’s earlier study of the Composer and Folklore problem from the stylistic point of view. It is noted that in academic music, where the attention is focused not only on the speech or text characteristics, but primarily on the linguistic and stylistic material of folklore, the appeal to folk sources leads to the emergence of a number of stylistic factors, both, in the formation of the national style, and in the field of ethnic culture as a whole and integral stable system. The research points to the role of folklore as the genetic code of ethnic culture, as well as to other factors acting at on the level ,of musical discourse and musical language, contributing to the formation of „language flexibility” (A. Kolmogorov and, as a result, „flexibility of style”.

Reading as Mediated and Mediating Action: Composing Meaning for Literature through Multimedia Interpretive Texts.

Science.gov (United States)

Smagorinsky, Peter; O'Donnell-Allen, Cindy

1998-01-01

Analyzes the effort of a small group of high school seniors to interpret the character of Laertes in Shakespeare's "Hamlet" through a "body biography," a life-sized human outline they filled with images and words representing their understanding of the character. Examines their discussion as they composed their text. (PA)

Modeling of river bed deformation composed of frozen sediments with increasing environmental temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. I. Debolskaya

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper is devoted to investigation of the influence of river flow and of the temperature rise on the deformation of the coastal slopes composed of permafrost with the inclusion of ice layer. The method of investigation is the laboratory and mathematical modeling. The laboratory experiments have shown that an increase in water and air temperature changes in a laboratory analogue of permafrost causes deformation of the channel even without wave action, i.e. at steady-state flow and non-erosive water flow velocity. The previously developed model of the bed deformation was improved to account for long-term changes of soil structure with increasing temperature. The three-dimensional mathematical model of coastal slopes thermoerosion of the rivers flowing in permafrost regions, and its verification was based on the results of laboratory experiments conducted in the hydraulic tray. Analysis of the results of mathematical and laboratory modeling showed that bed deformation of the rivers flowing in the permafrost zone, significantly different from the deformation of channels composed of soils not susceptible to the influence of the phase transition «water-ice», and can occur even under the non-erosive velocity of the water flow.

Content and carbon stocks in labile and recalcitrant organic matter of the soil under crop-livestock integration in Cerrado

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Itaynara Batista

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The study of organic matter and its compartments and their relationship with management, aims to develop strategies for increasing their levels in soils and better understanding of its dynamics. This work aimed to evaluate the fractions of soil organic matter and their carbon stocks in different soil cover system in crop-livestock integration and native Cerrado vegetation. The study was conducted at the farm Cabeceira, Maracajú – MS, sample area have the following history: soybean/corn + brachiaria/cotton/oat + pasture/soybean/formation of pasture/grazing, sampling was carried out in two seasons, dry (May/2009 and rainy (March 2010, in the dry season, crops present were: pasture, corn and cotton + brachiaria and in the rainy season were corn, cotton and soybeans, so the areas in the two evaluation periods were: pasture / maize + brachiaria / cotton, cotton / soybean area and a native of Savanna. Was performed to determine the exchangeable cations, particle size analysis, bulk density, organic carbon, particle size fractionation of organic matter of the soil with the quantification of particulate organic carbon (POC and organic carbon associated with minerals (OCam. Was also quantified the carbon stock and size fractions. The area of pasture / maize showed higher carbon stock in the particulate fraction in the topsoil. The area of cotton / soy due to its lower clay, showed the greatest loss of carbon. Because of the areas have the same history, the stock of more recalcitrant fraction was not sensitive to variations in coverage. The POC fraction appears more sensitive to different soil covers and seasonality.

Engineering temporal accumulation of a low recalcitrance polysaccharide leads to increased C6 sugar content in plant cell walls

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vega-Sánchez, Miguel E. [Joint BioEnergy Institute and Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA USA; Loqué, Dominique [Joint BioEnergy Institute and Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA USA; Lao, Jeemeng [Joint BioEnergy Institute and Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA USA; Catena, Michela [Joint BioEnergy Institute and Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA USA; Verhertbruggen, Yves [Joint BioEnergy Institute and Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA USA; Herter, Thomas [Joint BioEnergy Institute and Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA USA; Yang, Fan [Joint BioEnergy Institute and Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA USA; Harholt, Jesper [Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C Denmark; Ebert, Berit [Joint BioEnergy Institute and Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA USA; Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C Denmark; Baidoo, Edward E. K. [Joint BioEnergy Institute and Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA USA; Keasling, Jay D. [Joint BioEnergy Institute and Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA USA; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley CA USA; Scheller, Henrik V. [Joint BioEnergy Institute and Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA USA; Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley CA USA; Heazlewood, Joshua L. [Joint BioEnergy Institute and Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA USA; Ronald, Pamela C. [Joint BioEnergy Institute and Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA USA; Department of Plant Pathology and the Genome Center, University of California, Davis CA USA

2015-01-14

Reduced cell wall recalcitrance and increased C6 monosaccharide content are desirable traits for future biofuel crops, as long as these biomass modifications do not significantly alter normal growth and development. Mixed-linkage glucan (MLG), a cell wall polysaccharide only present in grasses and related species among flowering plants, is comprised of glucose monomers linked by both β-1,3 and β-1,4 bonds. Previous data have shown that constitutive production of MLG in barley (Hordeum vulgare) severely compromises growth and development. Here, we used spatio-temporal strategies to engineer Arabidopsis thaliana plants to accumulate significant amounts of MLG in the cell wall by expressing the rice CslF6 MLG synthase using secondary cell wall and senescence-associated promoters. Results using secondary wall promoters were suboptimal. When the rice MLG synthase was expressed under the control of a senescence-associated promoter, we obtained up to four times more glucose in the matrix cell wall fraction and up to a 42% increase in saccharification compared to control lines. Importantly, these plants grew and developed normally. The induction of MLG deposition at senescence correlated with an increase of gluconic acid in cell wall extracts of transgenic plants in contrast to the other approaches presented in this study. MLG produced in Arabidopsis has an altered structure compared to the grass glucan, which likely affects its solubility, while its molecular size is unaffected. The induction of cell wall polysaccharide biosynthesis in senescing tissues offers a novel engineering alternative to enhance cell wall properties of lignocellulosic biofuel crops.

Sequestration of maize crop straw C in different soils: role of oxyhydrates in chemical binding and stabilization as recalcitrance.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Xiangyun; Li, Lianqing; Zheng, Jufeng; Pan, Genxing; Zhang, Xuhui; Zheng, Jinwei; Hussain, Qaiser; Han, Xiaojun; Yu, Xinyan

2012-05-01

While biophysical controls on the sequestration capacity of soils have been well addressed with physical protection, chemical binding and stabilization processes as well as microbial community changes, the role of chemical binding and stabilization has not yet well characterized for soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in rice paddies. In this study, a 6-month laboratory incubation with and without maize straw amendment (MSA) was conducted using topsoil samples from soils with different clay mineralogy and free oxy-hydrate contents collected across Southern China. The increase in SOC under MSA was found coincident with that in Fe- and Al-bound OC (Fe/Al-OC) after incubation for 30 d (R(2)=0.90, P=0.05), and with sodium dithionate-citrate-bicarbonate (DCB) extractable Fe after incubation for 180 d (R(2)=0.99, Psoils rich in DCB extractable Fe than those poor in DCB extractable Fe. The greater SOC sequestration in soils rich in DCB extractable Fe was further supported by the higher abundance of (13)C which was a natural signature of MSA. Moreover, a weak positive correlation of the increased SOC under MSA with the increased humin (R(2)=0.87, P=0.06) observed after incubation for 180 d may indicate a chemical stabilization of sequestered SOC as humin in the long run. These results improved our understanding of SOC sequestration in China's rice paddies that involves an initial chemical binding of amended C and a final stabilization as recalcitrant C of humin. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Composes inter-halogenes sous pression: etude des transformations structurales dans le monobromure d'iode sous forme dense

Science.gov (United States)

Bouchard, Alexandre

La famille des composes halogenes et inter-halogenes representent des solides moleculaires adoptant des phases denses communes avec des solides moleculaires diatomiques comme l'azote et l'hydrogene. Parmi les transformations structurales et electroniques induites sous haute pression et observees dans ces solides, on note, entre autres, la dissociation moleculaire et la metallisation. De plus, l'etude des phases denses de l'iode a permis recemment l'observation d'une structure cristalline possedant une modulation dite incommensurable, c'est-a-dire une modulation possedant une periodicite differente de celle de la structure cristalline, jetant ainsi une lumiere nouvelle sur le processus de dissociation moleculaire dans les solides halogenes. Dans ce memoire, on propose d'etudier les changements structuraux dans monobromure d'iode (IBr), un compose inter-halogene possedant des proprietes structurales semblables a celles de deux composes halogenes, soit l'iode (I 2) et le brome (Br2) sous leur forme solide. Des experiences de diffraction des rayons X de poudres en utilisant un rayonnement synchrotron ont ete realisees a temperature ambiante sur l'IBr en variant la pression jusqu'aux environs de 60 GPa. La nature chimique particuliere du compose IBr a necessite la mise au point de techniques de chargement d'echantillon destinees a preserver l'integrite chimique de la substance utilisee. On rapporte egalement l'observation d'une phase de l'IBr presentant une modulation incommensurable. Les phases observees dans l'IBr permettent d'etablir des paralleles avec les phases denses rapportees dans I2 et Br2 par le biais d'un modele phenomenologique decrivant la sequence structurale des solides halogenes sous forme condensee.

Improvement of open-type magnetically shielded room composed of magnetic square cylinders by controlling flux path

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirosato, S.; Yamazaki, K.; Tsuruta, T.; Haraguchi, Y.; Kosaka, M.; Gao, Y.; Muramatsu, K.; Kobayashi, K.

2011-01-01

We have developed an open-type magnetically shielded room composed of magnetic square cylinders that has been used for an actual MRI in a hospital. To improve shielding performance, we propose here a method to control the path of the magnetic flux in the wall composed of the magnetic square cylinders by changing the magnetic permeability in each direction of the square cylinders spatially. First, we discuss a method to control the magnetic permeability in each direction of the square cylinders independently by inserting slits without changing the outside dimensions of the square cylinders, by using 3-D magnetic field analysis. Then, the effectiveness of the design of controlling the flux pass was shown by magnetic field analysis and experiments. (author)

Coaxial nanocable composed by imogolite and carbon nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramírez, M.; González, R. I.; Munoz, F.; Valdivia, J. A.; Rogan, J.; Kiwi, M.

2015-01-01

The discovery and development of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) at the beginning of the 1990s has driven a major part of solid state research. The electronic properties of the CNTs have generated a large number of ideas, as building coaxial nanocables. In this work we propose a possible type of such nanocables, which is formed by three nanostructures: two conducting CNTs, where one of them is covered by an insulator (an inorganic oxide nanotube: the imogolite aluminosilicate). The theoretical calculations were carried out using the density functional tight-binding formalism, by means of the DFTB+ code. This formalism allows to calculate the band structure, which compares favorably with DFT calculations, but with a significantly lower computational cost. As a first step, we reproduce the calculations of already published results, where the formation of a nanocable composed by one CNT and the imogolite as an insulator. Afterwards, we simulate the band structure for the proposed structure to study the feasibility of the coaxial nanocable. Finally, using classical MD simulations, we study the possible mechanisms of formation of these nanocables

Composable Analytic Systems for next-generation intelligence analysis

Science.gov (United States)

DiBona, Phil; Llinas, James; Barry, Kevin

2015-05-01

Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories (LM ATL) is collaborating with Professor James Llinas, Ph.D., of the Center for Multisource Information Fusion at the University at Buffalo (State of NY), researching concepts for a mixed-initiative associate system for intelligence analysts to facilitate reduced analysis and decision times while proactively discovering and presenting relevant information based on the analyst's needs, current tasks and cognitive state. Today's exploitation and analysis systems have largely been designed for a specific sensor, data type, and operational context, leading to difficulty in directly supporting the analyst's evolving tasking and work product development preferences across complex Operational Environments. Our interactions with analysts illuminate the need to impact the information fusion, exploitation, and analysis capabilities in a variety of ways, including understanding data options, algorithm composition, hypothesis validation, and work product development. Composable Analytic Systems, an analyst-driven system that increases flexibility and capability to effectively utilize Multi-INT fusion and analytics tailored to the analyst's mission needs, holds promise to addresses the current and future intelligence analysis needs, as US forces engage threats in contested and denied environments.

World Energy Scenarios: Composing energy futures to 2050

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frei, Christoph; Whitney, Rob; Schiffer, Hans-Wilhelm; Rose, Karl; Rieser, Dan A.; Al-Qahtani, Ayed; Thomas, Philip; Turton, Hal; Densing, Martin; Panos, Evangelos; Volkart, Kathrin

2013-01-01

The World Energy Scenarios: Composing energy futures to 2050 is the result of a three-year study conducted by over 60 experts from nearly 30 countries, with modelling provided by the Paul Scherrer Institute. The report assesses two contrasting policy scenarios, the more consumer driven Jazz scenario and the more voter-driven Symphony scenario with a key differentiator being the ability of countries to pass through the Doha Climate Gateway. The WEC scenarios use an explorative approach to assess what is actually happening in the world now, to help gauge what will happen in the future and the real impact of today's choices on tomorrow's energy landscape. Rather than telling policy-makers and senior energy leaders what to do in order to achieve a specific policy goal, the WEC's World Energy Scenarios allow them to test the key assumptions that decision-makers decide to better shape the energy of tomorrow This document includes the French and English versions of the executive summary and the English version of the full report

Coaxial nanocable composed by imogolite and carbon nanotubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramírez, M.; González, R. I.; Munoz, F.; Valdivia, J. A.; Rogan, J.; Kiwi, M. [Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, 7800024 (Chile); Centro para el Desarrollo de la Nanociencia y la Nanotecnología, CEDENNA, Avda. Ecuador 3493, Santiago, 9170124 (Chile)

2015-12-31

The discovery and development of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) at the beginning of the 1990s has driven a major part of solid state research. The electronic properties of the CNTs have generated a large number of ideas, as building coaxial nanocables. In this work we propose a possible type of such nanocables, which is formed by three nanostructures: two conducting CNTs, where one of them is covered by an insulator (an inorganic oxide nanotube: the imogolite aluminosilicate). The theoretical calculations were carried out using the density functional tight-binding formalism, by means of the DFTB+ code. This formalism allows to calculate the band structure, which compares favorably with DFT calculations, but with a significantly lower computational cost. As a first step, we reproduce the calculations of already published results, where the formation of a nanocable composed by one CNT and the imogolite as an insulator. Afterwards, we simulate the band structure for the proposed structure to study the feasibility of the coaxial nanocable. Finally, using classical MD simulations, we study the possible mechanisms of formation of these nanocables.

Can Randall's plug composed of calcium oxalate form via the free particle mechanism?

Science.gov (United States)

Grases, F; Söhnel, O

2017-09-08

The likelihood of a Randall's plug composed of calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) forming by the free particle mechanism in a model of kidney with a structure recently described by Robertson was examined at the most favourable conditions for the considered mechanism. The Robertson model of the kidney is used in the following development. The classical theory of crystallization was used for calculations. Initial COM nuclei were assumed to form at the beginning of the ascending loop of Henle where the supersaturation with respect to COM has been shown to reach the threshold level for spontaneous nucleation. Nucleation proceeds by a heterogeneous mechanism. The formed particles are transported in the nephron by a laminar flow of liquid with a parabolic velocity profile. Particles travel with a velocity dependent on their position in the cross-section of the nephron assumed to be straight tubule with smooth walls and without any sharp bends and kinks. These particles move faster with time as they grow as a result of being surrounded by the supersaturated liquid. Individual COM particles (crystals) can reach maximum diameter of 5.2 × 10 -6  m, i.e. 5.2 μm, at the opening of the CD and would thus always be washed out of the CD into the calyx regardless of the orientation of the CD. Agglomeration of COM crystals forms a fractal object with an apparent density lower than the density of solid COM. The agglomerate that can block the beginning of the CD is composed of more crystals than are available even during crystaluria. Moreover the settling velocity of agglomerate blocking the opening of the CD is lower than the liquid flow and thus such agglomerate would be washed out even from upward-draining CD. The free particle mechanism may be responsible for the formation of a Randall's plug composed by COM only in specific infrequent cases such as an abnormal structure of kidney. Majority of incidences of Randall's plug development by COM are caused by mechanism different

Comparison of low-strength compression stockings with bandages for the treatment of recalcitrant venous ulcers.

Science.gov (United States)

Brizzio, Eugenio; Amsler, Felix; Lun, Bertrand; Blättler, Werner

2010-02-01

To compare the proportion and rate of healing, pain, and quality of life of low-strength medical compression stockings (MCS) with traditional bandages applied for the treatment of recalcitrant venous leg ulcers. A single-center, randomized, open-label study was performed with consecutive patients. Sigvaris prototype MCS providing 15 mm Hg-25 mm Hg at the ankle were compared with multi-layer short-stretch bandages. In both groups, pads were placed above incompetent perforating veins in the ulcer area. The initial static pressure between the dressing-covered ulcer and the pad was 29 mm Hg and 49 mm Hg with MCS and bandages, respectively. Dynamic pressure measurements showed no difference. Compression was maintained day and night and changed every week. The primary endpoint was healing within 90 days. Secondary endpoints were healing within 180 days, time to healing, pain (weekly Likert scales), and monthly quality of life (ChronIc Venous Insufficiency Quality of Life [CIVIQ] questionnaire). Of 74 patients screened, 60 fulfilled the selection criteria and 55 completed the study; 28 in the MCS and 27 in the bandage group. Ulcers were recurrent (48%), long lasting (mean, 27 months), and large (mean, 13 cm2). All but one patient had deep venous reflux and/or incompetent perforating veins in addition to trunk varices. Characteristics of patients and ulcers were evenly distributed (exception: more edema in the MCS group; P = .019). Healing within 90 days was observed in 36% with MCS and in 48% with bandages (P = .350). Healing within 180 days was documented in 50% with MCS and in 67% with bandages (P = .210). Time to healing was identical. Pain scored 44 and 46 initially (on a scale in which 100 referred to maximum and 0 to no pain) and decreased within the first week to 20 and 28 in the MCS and bandage groups, respectively (P ulcers only. Our study illustrates the difficulty of bringing large and long-standing venous ulcers to heal. The effect of compression with MCS was

In vitro evaluation of tissue adhesives composed of hydrophobically modified gelatins and disuccinimidyl tartrate

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Miyuki Matsuda

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of the hydrophobic group content in gelatin on the bonding strength of novel tissue–penetrating tissue adhesives was evaluated. The hydrophobic groups introduced into gelatin were the saturated hexanoyl, palmitoyl, and stearoyl groups, and the unsaturated oleoyl group. A collagen casing was employed as an adherend to model soft tissue for the in vitro determination of bonding strength of tissue adhesives composed of various hydrophobically modified gelatins and disuccinimidyl tartrate. The adhesive composed of stearoyl-modified gelatin (7.4% stearoyl; 10Ste and disuccinimidyl tartrate showed the highest bonding strength. The bonding strength of the adhesives decreased as the degree of substitution of the hydrophobic groups increased. Cell culture experiments demonstrated that fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled 10Ste was integrated onto the surface of smooth muscle cells and showed no cytotoxicity. These results suggest that 10Ste interacted with the hydrophobic domains of collagen casings, such as hydrophobic amino acid residues and cell membranes. Therefore, 10Ste–disuccinimidyl tartrate is a promising adhesive for use in aortic dissection.

Formation of clusters composed of C60 molecules via self-assembly in critical fluids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukuda, Takahiro; Ishii, Koji; Kurosu, Shunji; Whitby, Raymond; Maekawa, Toru

2007-01-01

Fullerenes are promising candidates for intelligent, functional nanomaterials because of their unique mechanical, electronic and chemical properties. However, it is necessary to invent some efficient but relatively simple methods of producing structures composed of fullerenes for the development of nanomechatronic, nanoelectronic and biochemical devices and sensors. In this paper, we show that various structures such as straight fibres, networks formed by fibres, wide sheets and helical structures, which are composed of C 60 molecules, are created by placing C 60 -crystals in critical ethane, carbon dioxide and xenon even though C 60 molecules do not dissolve or disperse in the above fluids. It is supposed, judging by the intermolecular potentials between C 60 and C 60 , between C 60 and ethane, and between ethane and ethane, that C 60 -clusters grow with the assistance of solvent molecules, which are trapped between C 60 molecules under critical conditions. This room-temperature self-assembly cluster growth process in critical fluids may open up a new methodology of forming structures built up with fullerenes without the need for any ultra-fine processing technologies

Modified Hyperspheres Algorithm to Trace Homotopy Curves of Nonlinear Circuits Composed by Piecewise Linear Modelled Devices

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H. Vazquez-Leal

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We present a homotopy continuation method (HCM for finding multiple operating points of nonlinear circuits composed of devices modelled by using piecewise linear (PWL representations. We propose an adaptation of the modified spheres path tracking algorithm to trace the homotopy trajectories of PWL circuits. In order to assess the benefits of this proposal, four nonlinear circuits composed of piecewise linear modelled devices are analysed to determine their multiple operating points. The results show that HCM can find multiple solutions within a single homotopy trajectory. Furthermore, we take advantage of the fact that homotopy trajectories are PWL curves meant to replace the multidimensional interpolation and fine tuning stages of the path tracking algorithm with a simple and highly accurate procedure based on the parametric straight line equation.

Body Parts, the Water Cycle, Plants, and Dolphins: Adventures in Primary-Grade Whole-Class Composing

Science.gov (United States)

Bolden, Benjamin

2009-01-01

This article describes the author's personal experiences leading primary grades in whole-class composing. Together they created songs inspired by topics the students were exploring in their homeroom classes. The author systematically describes the songwriting process they employed, identifying specific challenges encountered along the way. The…

Menstrual cycle phase alters women's sexual preferences for composers of more complex music.

Science.gov (United States)

Charlton, Benjamin D

2014-06-07

Over 140 years ago Charles Darwin first argued that birdsong and human music, having no clear survival benefit, were obvious candidates for sexual selection. Whereas the first contention is now universally accepted, his theory that music is a product of sexual selection through mate choice has largely been neglected. Here, I provide the first, to my knowledge, empirical support for the sexual selection hypothesis of music evolution by showing that women have sexual preferences during peak conception times for men that are able to create more complex music. Two-alternative forced-choice experiments revealed that woman only preferred composers of more complex music as short-term sexual partners when conception risk was highest. No preferences were displayed when women chose which composer they would prefer as a long-term partner in a committed relationship, and control experiments failed to reveal an effect of conception risk on women's preferences for visual artists. These results suggest that women may acquire genetic benefits for offspring by selecting musicians able to create more complex music as sexual partners, and provide compelling support for Darwin's assertion 'that musical notes and rhythm were first acquired by the male or female progenitors of mankind for the sake of charming the opposite sex'.

Carrier behavior in special multilayer device composed of different transition metal oxide-based intermediate connectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, Yan-Hong; Chen, Xiang-Yu; Ou, Qing-Dong; Wang, Qian-Kun; Jiang, Xiao-Cheng; Zhang, Dan-Dan; Li, Yan-Qing

2014-01-01

The impact of illumination on the connection part of the tandem organic light-emitting diodes was studied by using a special organic multilayer sample consisted of two organic active layers coupled with different transition metal oxide (TMO)-based intermediate connectors (ICs). Through measuring the current density-voltage characteristic, interfacial electronic structures, and capacitance-voltage characteristic, we observe an unsymmetrical phenomenon in current density-voltage and capacitance-voltage curves of Mg:Alq 3 /MoO 3 and MoO 3 composed devices, which was induced by the charge spouting zone near the ICs region and the recombination state in the MoO 3 layer. Moreover, Mg:Alq 3 /MoO 3 composed device displays a photovoltaic effect and the V oc shifts to forward bias under illumination. Our results demonstrate that the TMO-based IC structure coupled with photovoltaic effect can be a good approach for the study of photodetector, light sensor, and so on.

TheoArtistry, and a Contemporary Perspective on Composing Sacred Choral Music

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George Corbett

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This article presents the methodology and research underpinning the TheoArtistry Composers’ Scheme, a project based in ITIA (the Institute for Theology, Imagination and the Arts, School of Divinity, University of St Andrews (2016–2017. I analyse Sir James MacMillan’s theology of music, outline some practical and theoretical issues that arose in setting up theologian-composer partnerships, and reflect critically on the six new works of sacred choral music that emerged (these are printed as supplementary materials. The article assesses the implications of such collaboration for future work at the interface between theology and music, and between theology and the arts more generally.

Donkey Kong in Little Bear Country: A First Grader's Composing Development in the Media Spotlight.

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Dyson, Anne Haas

2001-01-01

Draws on data collected in an ethnographic project in an urban first grade to examine how media use informs child composing. Focuses on the influence of visual media involving animation. Concludes with a consideration of the teaching challenges posed, and opportunities offered, by the children's media use. (Author)

Stable Vesicles Composed of Mono- or Dicarboxylic Fatty Acids and Trimethylammonium Amphiphiles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Caschera, Filippo; Bernardino de la Serna, Jorge; Löffler, Philipp M. G.

2011-01-01

shown to be more stable than those formed by pure fatty acids. Those containing bola-amphiphile even showed encapsulation of a small hydrophilic solute (8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic-acid) suggesting a denser packing of the amphiphiles. Compression and kinetics analysis of monolayers composed...... of these amphiphiles mixtures at the air/water interface suggest that the stabilization of the structures can be attributed to two main interactions between headgroups, predominantly the formation of hydrogen bonds between protonated and deprotonated acids and then the additional electrostatic interactions between...

Reversed thermo-switchable molecular sieving membranes composed of two-dimensional metal-organic nanosheets for gas separation

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Wang, Xuerui; Chi, Chenglong; Zhang, Kang; Qian, Yuhong; Gupta, Krishna M.; Kang, Zixi; Jiang, Jianwen; Zhao, Dan

2017-02-01

It is highly desirable to reduce the membrane thickness in order to maximize the throughput and break the trade-off limitation for membrane-based gas separation. Two-dimensional membranes composed of atomic-thick graphene or graphene oxide nanosheets have gas transport pathways that are at least three orders of magnitude higher than the membrane thickness, leading to reduced gas permeation flux and impaired separation throughput. Here we present nm-thick molecular sieving membranes composed of porous two-dimensional metal-organic nanosheets. These membranes possess pore openings parallel to gas concentration gradient allowing high gas permeation flux and high selectivity, which are proven by both experiment and molecular dynamics simulation. Furthermore, the gas transport pathways of these membranes exhibit a reversed thermo-switchable feature, which is attributed to the molecular flexibility of the building metal-organic nanosheets.

Rehabilitation for a child with recalcitrant anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis: case report and literature review

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Guo YH

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Yao-Hong Guo,1 Ta-Shen Kuan,1,2 Pei-Chun Hsieh,1 Wei-Chih Lien,1 Chun-Kai Chang,1 Yu-Ching Lin1–3 1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; 2Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; 3Medical Device Innovation Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan Abstract: Anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate (anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis is a newly recognized, potentially fatal, but treatable autoimmune disease. Good outcome predictors include milder severity of symptoms, no need for intensive care unit admission, early aggressive immunotherapy, and prompt tumor removal. We report a case of a young girl aged 3 years 2 months and diagnosed as recalcitrant anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis without any underlying neoplasm. The patient had initial symptoms of behavioral changes that progressed to generalized choreoathetosis and orofacial dyskinesia, which resulted in 6 months of hospitalization in the pediatric intensive care unit. One year after initial onset of the disease, she had only achieved the developmental age of an infant aged 6–8 months in terms of gross and fine motor skills, but she resumed total independence in activities of daily living after receiving extensive immunotherapy and 28 months of rehabilitation. Our brief review will help clinical practitioners become more familiar with this disease and the unique rehabilitation programs. Keywords: anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, autoimmune encephalitis, rehabilitation, cognition deficits

User-composable Electronic Health Record Improves Efficiency of Clinician Data Viewing for Patient Case Appraisal: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Senathirajah, Yalini; Kaufman, David; Bakken, Suzanne

2016-01-01

Challenges in the design of electronic health records (EHRs) include designing usable systems that must meet the complex, rapidly changing, and high-stakes information needs of clinicians. The ability to move and assemble elements together on the same page has significant human-computer interaction (HCI) and efficiency advantages, and can mitigate the problems of negotiating multiple fixed screens and the associated cognitive burdens. We compare MedWISE-a novel EHR that supports user-composable displays-with a conventional EHR in terms of the number of repeat views of data elements for patient case appraisal. The study used mixed-methods for examination of clinical data viewing in four patient cases. The study compared use of an experimental user-composable EHR with use of a conventional EHR, for case appraisal. Eleven clinicians used a user-composable EHR in a case appraisal task in the laboratory setting. This was compared with log file analysis of the same patient cases in the conventional EHR. We investigated the number of repeat views of the same clinical information during a session and across these two contexts, and compared them using Fisher's exact test. There was a significant difference (puser-composable EHR (14.6 percent) and conventional EHR (72.6 percent). Users of conventional EHRs repeatedly viewed the same information elements in the same session, as revealed by log files. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that conventional systems require that the user view many screens and remember information between screens, causing the user to forget information and to have to access the information a second time. Other mechanisms (such as reduction in navigation over a population of users due to interface sharing, and information selection) may also contribute to increased efficiency in the experimental system. Systems that allow a composable approach that enables the user to gather together on the same screen any desired information elements

Transdisciplinary Dimensions in the Composing Activities of Children: Transfer of Strategies and Transformation of Knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Roels, Johanna Maria; Van Petegem, Peter

2016-01-01

Existing studies show the value of using visual expression as a means of teaching children to understand and create music. This study aspires to point out an additional valuable aspect, namely, the influence composing via visual expression--whereby children transform their own drawings--may have on children's subsequent compositional processes.…

Transmission electron microscopy and Raman characterization of copper (I) oxide microspheres composed of nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Wenzhong; Tu Ya; Wang Lijuan; Liang Yujie; Shi Honglong

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Raman spectroscopy of copper (I) oxide microspheres were investigated. ► Infrared active mode is greatly activated in Raman scattering spectrum. ► Infrared active mode shows up in Raman spectrum of copper (I) oxide microspheres. ► The defects existed in spheres could be responsible for the observed Raman property. - Abstract: The high-resolution transmission electron microscope and Raman spectroscopy were used to investigate the microstructures and Raman scattering property of copper (I) oxide microspheres composed of nanoparticles. High-resolution transmission electron microscope images indicate that the copper (I) oxide microspheres are composed of nanoparticles with random growth direction, indicating that there are many defects in microspheres. The Raman spectrum shows that infrared active mode, which must be odd parity and is Raman forbidden for bulk crystal due to its inversion symmetry, is activated and shows up in Raman scattering spectrum. On the basis of investigations of the microstructure features of copper (I) oxide microspheres, we attribute the appearance of IR active mode in Raman scattering spectrum to the breakdown of the symmetry of the lattice due to the presence of defects in the prepared copper (I) oxide microspheres as observed in HRTEM images.

Broadband three-dimensional diamond-shaped invisible cloaks composed of tetrahedral homogeneous blocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xinhua; Qu Shaobo; Wu Xiang; Wang Jiafu; Ma Hua; Xu Zhuo

2010-01-01

By means of embedded optical transformation, three-dimensional diamond-shaped invisible cloaks composed of tetrahedral homogeneous blocks have been designed in this paper. The constitutive parameters of the invisible cloaks can be obtained based on the form invariance of Maxwell's equations in coordinate transformation. Numerical methods using the finite element method verified the diamond-shaped cloaks. The invisible properties of the designed cloaks are nearly perfect when the original line section is sufficiently short compared with its counterpart in the after-transformed space. The designed cloaks can operate in a wide bandwidth due to the line transformation in the coordinate transformation process.

A composed graft for subclavian artery reconstruction in case of redo surgery for aortic coarctation

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Fabrizio Sansone

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We report the case of a 66-year-old woman admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU for ongoing dyspnea and hemoptoe. She was operated upon in 1979 for aortic coarctation by the interposition of a 14 mm Dacron prosthesis from the left subclavian artery to descending aorta. Clinical evaluation performed over the years was normal with no signs of cardiac failure or prosthesis malfunctioning. The computed tomography scans (CT showed a progressive increase of the descending aorta diameters and the onset of a pseudo-aneurysm of 50 mm in diameter. Patient was re-operated through a median sternotomy enlarged by a left thoracotomy and intra-operative findings revealed the pseudo-aneurysm originating from a dehiscence of the proximal suture. In order to allow a safe reconstruction of the dilated subclavian artery, a T-shaped composed graft was confectioned and then sutured to the descending aorta and the subclavian artery, respectively. Post-operative course was uneventful and three months CT scan showed a normal position of the composed graft.

A Comparison of the Approaches of Generalizability Theory and Item Response Theory in Estimating the Reliability of Test Scores for Testlet-Composed Tests

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Guemin; Park, In-Yong

2012-01-01

Previous assessments of the reliability of test scores for testlet-composed tests have indicated that item-based estimation methods overestimate reliability. This study was designed to address issues related to the extent to which item-based estimation methods overestimate the reliability of test scores composed of testlets and to compare several…

The role of biofilms in persistent infections and factors involved in ica-independent biofilm development and gene regulation in Staphylococcus aureus.

Science.gov (United States)

Figueiredo, Agnes Marie Sá; Ferreira, Fabienne Antunes; Beltrame, Cristiana Ossaille; Côrtes, Marina Farrel

2017-09-01

Staphylococcus aureus biofilms represent a unique micro-environment that directly contribute to the bacterial fitness within hospital settings. The accumulation of this structure on implanted medical devices has frequently caused the development of persistent and chronic S. aureus-associated infections, which represent an important social and economic burden worldwide. ica-independent biofilms are composed of an assortment of bacterial products and modulated by a multifaceted and overlapping regulatory network; therefore, biofilm composition can vary among S. aureus strains. In the microniches formed by biofilms-produced by a number of bacterial species and composed by different structural components-drug refractory cell subpopulations with distinct physiological characteristics can emerge and result in therapeutic failures in patients with recalcitrant bacterial infections. In this review, we highlight the importance of biofilms in the development of persistence and chronicity in some S. aureus diseases, the main molecules associated with ica-independent biofilm development and the regulatory mechanisms that modulate ica-independent biofilm production, accumulation, and dispersion.

Dragging of inertial frames in the composed black-hole-ring system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hod, Shahar

2015-01-01

A well-established phenomenon in general relativity is the dragging of inertial frames by a spinning object. In particular, due to the dragging of inertial frames by a ring orbiting a central black hole, the angular velocity Ω H BH-ring of the black-hole horizon in the composed black-hole-ring system is no longer related to the black-hole angular momentum J H by the simple Kerr-like (vacuum) relation Ω H Kerr (J H ) = J H /2M 2 R H (here M and R H are the mass and horizon-radius of the black hole, respectively). Will has performed a perturbative treatment of the composed black-hole-ring system in the regime of slowly rotating black holes and found the explicit relation Ω H BH-ring (J H = 0, J R , R) = 2J R /R 3 for the angular velocity of a central black hole with zero angular momentum, where J R and R are respectively the angular momentum of the orbiting ring and its proper circumferential radius. Analyzing a sequence of black-hole-ring configurations with adiabatically varying (decreasing) circumferential radii, we show that the expression found by Will for Ω H BH-ring (J H = 0, J R , R) implies a smooth transition of the central black-hole angular velocity from its asymptotic near-horizon value Ω H BH-ring (J H = 0, J R , R → R H + ) → 2J R /R H 3 (that is, just before the assimilation of the ring by the central black hole), to its final Kerr (vacuum) value Ω H Kerr (J H new )= J H new /2M new2 R H new [that is, after the adiabatic assimilation of the ring by the central black hole. Here J H new = J R , M new , and R H new are the new parameters of the resulting Kerr (vacuum) black hole after it assimilated the orbiting ring]. We use this important observation in order to generalize the result of Will to the regime of black-hole-ring configurations in which the central black holes possess non-zero angular momenta. In particular, it is shown that the continuity argument (namely, the characteristic smooth evolution of the black-hole angular velocity

Cultural Diversity: Resources for Music Educators in Selected Works of Three Contemporary African-American Classical Composers

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Eunjung; Keith, Laura J.

2016-01-01

Contemporary African-American classical composers Cedric Adderley, John Lane, and Trevor Weston intertwine strands of culture and individual experience to produce musical works whose distinct designs offer cultural resources that music educators can use to integrate diversity into instructional settings. Of special interest is their ability to…

High taxonomic diversity of cultivation-recalcitrant endophytic bacteria in grapevine field shoots, their in vitro introduction, and unsuspected persistence.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Pious; Sekhar, Aparna C; Shaik, Sadiq Pasha

2017-11-01

corroborated enormous endophytic bacteria. This study elucidates a vast diversity of cultivation-recalcitrant endophytic bacteria prevailing in grapevine field shoots, their in vitro introduction, and unsuspecting sustenance with possible silent participation in tissue culture processes.

Reception of Stevan Stojanović Mokranjac’s composing creativity in the musical life of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Austro-Hungarian period

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Paćuka Lana

2014-01-01

Full Text Available With the arrival of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, Bosnia and Herzegovina encountered Western European social trends, which affected the shaping of musical life physiognomy in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. In this extremely intricate relationship between national and pro-European-oriented cultural trends, Serbian composer Stevan Stojanović Mokranjac had a special position as a unique musical phenomenon, since he was a composer whose musical talent imposed itself as an authority in strengthening the national musical expression and serving as a guideline for numerous BH artists.

High-data-transfer-rate read heads composed of spin-torque oscillators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mizushima, K; Kudo, K; Nagasawa, T; Sato, R

2011-01-01

The signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of the high-data-transfer-rate read heads beyond 3 Gbits/s composed of spin-torque oscillators (STOs) are calculated under the thermal magnetization fluctuations by using the recent nonlinear theories. The STO head senses the media field as a modulation in the oscillation frequency, enabling high signal transfer rates beyond the limit of ferromagnetic relaxation. The output (digital) signal is obtained by FM (frequency modulation) detection, which is commonly used in communication technologies. As the problem of rapid phase diffusion in STOs caused by the thermal fluctuations is overcome by employing a delay detection method, the sufficiently large SNRs are obtained even in nonlinear STOs less than 30 x 30 nm 2 in size.

Analisi dell’anisotropia microstrutturale in materiali compositi rinforzati con fibre corte

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D. Dreossi

2008-01-01

Full Text Available La microtomografia con luce di sincrotrone si è rivelata una tecnica particolarmente efficace per l’analisi della struttura risultante dalla distribuzione degli orientamenti assunti dalle fibre di rinforzo di compositi rinforzati con fibre di vetro. La ricostruzione dell'immagine tridimensionale ha consentito la visualizzazionedella distribuzione spaziale delle fibre all'interno della matrice polimerica anche nel caso di fibre di piccole dimensioni (diametro medio di 10 micrometri. E' stato quindi possibile misurare le differenze nell'orientamento delle fibre nei differenti strati di un campione utilizzando metodi basati sulla valutazione del Mean Intercept Length (MIL e del fabric tensor. La tecnica descritta è stata applicata a un campione di poliammide 6 rinforzato con il 30% di fibre corte di vetro ricavato da lastra.

Enhancement of Treatment Efficiency of Recalcitrant Wastewater Containing Textile Dyes Using a Newly Developed Iron Zeolite Socony Mobil-5 Heterogeneous Catalyst

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Mushtaq; Asghar, Anam; Abdul Raman, Abdul Aziz; Wan Daud, Wan Mohd Ashri

2015-01-01

Fenton oxidation, an advanced oxidation process, is an efficient method for the treatment of recalcitrant wastewaters. Unfortunately, it utilizes H2O2 and iron-based homogeneous catalysts, which lead to the formation of high volumes of sludge and secondary pollutants. To overcome these problems, an alternate option is the usage of heterogeneous catalyst. In this study, a heterogeneous catalyst was developed to provide an alternative solution for homogeneous Fenton oxidation. Iron Zeolite Socony Mobile-5 (Fe-ZSM-5) was synthesized using a new two-step process. Next, the catalyst was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis and tested against a model wastewater containing the azo dye Acid Blue 113. Results showed that the loading of iron particles reduced the surface area of the catalyst from 293.59 to 243.93 m2/g; meanwhile, the average particle size of the loaded material was 12.29 nm. Furthermore, efficiency of the developed catalyst was evaluated by performing heterogeneous Fenton oxidation. Taguchi method was coupled with principal component analysis in order to assess and optimize mineralization efficiency. Experimental results showed that under optimized conditions, over 99.7% degradation and 77% mineralization was obtained, with a 90% reduction in the consumption of the developed catalyst. Furthermore, the developed catalyst was stable and reusable, with less than 2% leaching observed under optimized conditions. Thus, the present study proved that newly developed catalyst has enhanced the oxidation process and reduced the chemicals consumption. PMID:26517827

Enhancement of Treatment Efficiency of Recalcitrant Wastewater Containing Textile Dyes Using a Newly Developed Iron Zeolite Socony Mobil-5 Heterogeneous Catalyst.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Mushtaq; Asghar, Anam; Abdul Raman, Abdul Aziz; Wan Daud, Wan Mohd Ashri

2015-01-01

Fenton oxidation, an advanced oxidation process, is an efficient method for the treatment of recalcitrant wastewaters. Unfortunately, it utilizes H2O2 and iron-based homogeneous catalysts, which lead to the formation of high volumes of sludge and secondary pollutants. To overcome these problems, an alternate option is the usage of heterogeneous catalyst. In this study, a heterogeneous catalyst was developed to provide an alternative solution for homogeneous Fenton oxidation. Iron Zeolite Socony Mobile-5 (Fe-ZSM-5) was synthesized using a new two-step process. Next, the catalyst was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis and tested against a model wastewater containing the azo dye Acid Blue 113. Results showed that the loading of iron particles reduced the surface area of the catalyst from 293.59 to 243.93 m2/g; meanwhile, the average particle size of the loaded material was 12.29 nm. Furthermore, efficiency of the developed catalyst was evaluated by performing heterogeneous Fenton oxidation. Taguchi method was coupled with principal component analysis in order to assess and optimize mineralization efficiency. Experimental results showed that under optimized conditions, over 99.7% degradation and 77% mineralization was obtained, with a 90% reduction in the consumption of the developed catalyst. Furthermore, the developed catalyst was stable and reusable, with less than 2% leaching observed under optimized conditions. Thus, the present study proved that newly developed catalyst has enhanced the oxidation process and reduced the chemicals consumption.

Taiwanese Composers and Piano Works in the XX Century: Traditional Chinese Culture and the Taiwan Xin Yinyue

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Luca Pisano

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The paper will try to prove how piano music can be considered a main tool for understanding the evolution of XX century Taiwanese New Music. Starting from the first generation of Taiwanese composers and on the basis of their piano works, the meaning of "xin yinyue" will be analysed; the paper will then try to identify the influences of both so-called "traditional culture" and western music in the development of the new music written by the subsequent generations of composers. The role of Xuanyin yaji (Atelier de creation musicale "Formusica" in the spreading of new piano works in the 90s will be also taken into consideration, as it allows us to draw out an outline of present-day piano music trends in Taiwan.

Comparison of Efficiencies and Mechanisms of Catalytic Ozonation of Recalcitrant Petroleum Refinery Wastewater by Ce, Mg, and Ce-Mg Oxides Loaded Al2O3

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chunmao Chen

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The use of catalytic ozonation processes (COPs for the advanced treatment of recalcitrant petroleum refinery wastewater (RPRW is rapidly expanding. In this study, magnesium (Mg, cerium (Ce, and Mg-Ce oxide-loaded alumina (Al2O3 were developed as cost efficient catalysts for ozonation treatment of RPRW, having performance metrics that meet new discharge standards. Interactions between the metal oxides and the Al2O3 support influence the catalytic properties, as well as the efficiency and mechanism. Mg-Ce/Al2O3 (Mg-Ce/Al2O3-COP reduced the chemical oxygen demand by 4.7%, 4.1%, 6.0%, and 17.5% relative to Mg/Al2O3-COP, Ce/Al2O3-COP, Al2O3-COP, and single ozonation, respectively. The loaded composite metal oxides significantly increased the hydroxyl radical-mediated oxidation. Surface hydroxyl groups (–OHs are the dominant catalytic active sites on Al2O3. These active surface –OHs along with the deposited metal oxides (Mg2+ and/or Ce4+ increased the catalytic activity. The Mg-Ce/Al2O3 catalyst can be economically produced, has high efficiency, and is stable under acidic and alkaline conditions.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF SCHOLARSHIP ON SECOND LANGUAGE COMPOSING PROCESSES: 1976-2000

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melinda Reichelt

2001-12-01

Full Text Available This work is divided into two sections: (1 an annotated bibliography of full-length, published, (mostly basic research on second language writing and overviews thereof, and (2 an unannotated bibliography of both basic and applied research (mostly unpublished and commentary on second language composing. Both sections have been arranged in chronological order to allow readers to follow the development of scholarship in this area. Entries are listed alphabetically within a given year. While this bibliography is extensive, it is not meant to be exhaustive, and while the focus here is on research, many of the studies included address pedagogical matters in a substantive manner.

Non-Radial Oscillation Modes of Superfluid Neutron Stars Modeled with CompOSE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prashanth Jaikumar

2018-03-01

Full Text Available We compute the principal non-radial oscillation mode frequencies of Neutron Stars described with a Skyrme-like Equation of State (EoS, taking into account the possibility of neutron and proton superfluidity. Using the CompOSE database and interpolation routines to obtain the needed thermodynamic quantities, we solve the fluid oscillation equations numerically in the background of a fully relativistic star, and identify imprints of the superfluid state. Though these modes cannot be observed with current technology, increased sensitivity of future Gravitational-Wave Observatories could allow us to observe these oscillations and potentially constrain or refine models of dense matter relevant to the interior of neutron stars.

Electrical transport properties of an isolated CdS microrope composed of twisted nanowires

OpenAIRE

Yu, Gui-Feng; Yu, Miao; Pan, Wei; Han, Wen-Peng; Yan, Xu; Zhang, Jun-Cheng; Zhang, Hong-Di; Long, Yun-Ze

2015-01-01

CdS is one of the important II-VI group semiconductors. In this paper, the electrical transport behavior of an individual CdS microrope composed of twisted nanowires is studied. It is found that the current?voltage (I-V) characteristics show two distinct power law regions from 360 down to 60?K. Space-charge-limited current (SCLC) theory is used to explain these temperature- and electric-field-dependent I-V curves. The I-V data can be well fitted by this theory above 100?K, and the correspondi...

Cationic niosomes an effective gene carrier composed of novel spermine-derivative cationic lipids: effect of central core structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Opanasopit, Praneet; Leksantikul, Lalita; Niyomtham, Nattisa; Rojanarata, Theerasak; Ngawhirunpat, Tanasait; Yingyongnarongkul, Boon-Ek

2017-05-01

Cationic niosomes formulated from Span 20, cholesterol (Chol) and novel spermine-based cationic lipids of multiple central core structures (di(oxyethyl)amino, di(oxyethyl)amino carboxy, 3-amino-1,2-dioxypropyl and 2-amino-1,3-dioxypropyl) were successfully prepared for improving transfection efficiency in vitro. The niosomes composed of spermine cationic lipid with central core structure of di(oxyethyl)amino revealed the highest gene transfection efficiency. To investigate the factors affecting gene transfection and cell viability including differences in the central core structures of cationic lipids, the composition of vesicles, molar ratio of cationic lipids in formulations and the weight ratio of niosomes to DNA. Cationic niosomes composed of nonionic surfactants (Span20), cholesterol and spermine-based cationic lipids of multiple central core structures were formulated. Gene transfection and cell viability were evaluated on a human cervical carcinoma cell line (HeLa cells) using pDNA encoding green fluorescent protein (pEGFP-C2). The morphology, size and charge were also characterized. High transfection efficiency was obtained from cationic niosomes composed of Span20:Chol:cationic lipid at the molar ratio of 2.5:2.5:0.5 mM. Cationic lipids with di(oxyethyl)amino as a central core structure exhibited highest transfection efficiency. In addition, there was also no serum effect on transfection efficiency. These novel cationic niosomes may constitute a good alternative carrier for gene transfection.

Compositional and structural characterization of monolayers and bilayers composed of native pulmonary surfactant from wild type mice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bernardino de la Serna, Jorge; Hansen, Soren; Berzina, Zane

2013-01-01

spectrometry experiments were also performed in order to obtain relevant information on the lipid composition of this material. Bilayers composed of mice pulmonary surfactant showed coexistence of distinct domains at room temperature, with morphologies and lateral packing resembling the coexistence of liquid...

Residential Interior Design as Complex Composition: A Case Study of a High School Senior's Composing Process

Science.gov (United States)

Smagorinsky, Peter; Zoss, Michelle; Reed, Patty M.

2006-01-01

This research analyzed the composing processes of one high school student as she designed the interiors of homes for a course in interior design. Data included field notes, an interview with the teacher, artifacts from the class, and the focal student's concurrent and retrospective protocols in relation to her design of home interiors. The…

Kinetics and oxidative mechanism for H2O2-enhanced iron-mediated aeration (IMA) treatment of recalcitrant organic compounds in mature landfill leachate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng Yang; Englehardt, James D.

2009-01-01

A hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 )-enhanced iron (Fe 0 )-mediated aeration (IMA) process has been recently demonstrated to effectively remove organic wastes from mature landfill leachate. In this paper, the kinetics and oxidative mechanisms of the enhanced IMA treatment were studied. Bench-scale full factorial tests were conducted in an orbital shaker reactor for treatment of a mature leachate with an initial chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 900-1200 mg/L. At the maximum aeration rate (8.3 mL air/min mL sample), process variables significantly influencing the rates of H 2 O 2 decay and COD removal were pH (3.0-8.0), initial H 2 O 2 doses (0.21-0.84 M), and Fe 0 surface area concentrations (0.06-0.30 m 2 /L). Empirical kinetic models were developed and verified for the degradation of H 2 O 2 and COD. High DO maintained by a high aeration rate slowed the H 2 O 2 self-decomposition, accelerated Fe 0 consumption, and enhanced the COD removal. In hydroxyl radical (OH·) scavenging tests, the rate of removal of glyoxylic acid (target compound) was not inhibited by the addition of para-chlorobenzoic acid (OH· scavenger) at pH 7.0-7.5, ruling out hydroxyl radical as the principal oxidant in neutral-weakly basic solution. These experimental results show that this enhanced IMA technology is a potential alternative for the treatment of high strength recalcitrant organic wastewaters.

Kinetics and oxidative mechanism for H2O2-enhanced iron-mediated aeration (IMA) treatment of recalcitrant organic compounds in mature landfill leachate.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Yang; Englehardt, James D

2009-09-30

A hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-enhanced iron (Fe(0))-mediated aeration (IMA) process has been recently demonstrated to effectively remove organic wastes from mature landfill leachate. In this paper, the kinetics and oxidative mechanisms of the enhanced IMA treatment were studied. Bench-scale full factorial tests were conducted in an orbital shaker reactor for treatment of a mature leachate with an initial chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 900-1200 mg/L. At the maximum aeration rate (8.3 mL air/min mL sample), process variables significantly influencing the rates of H(2)O(2) decay and COD removal were pH (3.0-8.0), initial H(2)O(2) doses (0.21-0.84 M), and Fe(0) surface area concentrations (0.06-0.30 m(2)/L). Empirical kinetic models were developed and verified for the degradation of H(2)O(2) and COD. High DO maintained by a high aeration rate slowed the H(2)O(2) self-decomposition, accelerated Fe(0) consumption, and enhanced the COD removal. In hydroxyl radical (OH*) scavenging tests, the rate of removal of glyoxylic acid (target compound) was not inhibited by the addition of para-chlorobenzoic acid (OH* scavenger) at pH 7.0-7.5, ruling out hydroxyl radical as the principal oxidant in neutral-weakly basic solution. These experimental results show that this enhanced IMA technology is a potential alternative for the treatment of high strength recalcitrant organic wastewaters.

Dissolved organic nitrogen recalcitrance and bioavailable nitrogen quantification for effluents from advanced nitrogen removal wastewater treatment facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, Lu; Brett, Michael T.; Jiang, Wenju; Li, Bo

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine the composition of nitrogen (N) in the effluents of advanced N removal (ANR) wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). This study also tested two different experimental protocols for determining dissolved N recalcitrance. An analysis of 15 effluent samples from five WWTPs, showed effluent concentrations and especially effluent composition varied greatly from one system to the other, with total nitrogen (TN) ranging between 1.05 and 8.10 mg L −1 . Nitrate (NO 3 − ) accounted for between 38 ± 32% of TN, and ammonium accounted for a further 29 ± 28%. All of these samples were dominated by dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN; NO 3 −  + NH 4 + ), and uptake experiments indicated the DIN fraction was as expected highly bioavailable. Dissolved organic N (DON) accounted for 20 ± 11% for the total dissolved N in these effluents, and uptake experiments indicated the bioavailability of this fraction varied between 27 ± 26% depending on the WWTP assessed. These results indicate near complete DIN removal should be the primary goal of ANR treatment systems. The comparison of bioavailable nitrogen (BAN) quantification protocols showed that the dissolved nitrogen uptake bioassay approach was clearly a more reliable way to determine BAN concentrations compared to the conventional cell yield protocol. Moreover, because the nitrogen uptake experiment was much more sensitive, this protocol made it easier to detect extrinsic factors (such as biological contamination or toxicity) that could affect the accuracy of these bioassays. Based on these results, we recommend the nitrogen uptake bioassay using filtered and autoclaved samples to quantify BAN concentrations. However, for effluent samples indicating toxicity, algal bioassays will not accurately quantify BAN. - Highlights: • DIN was the dominated N pool for most of the tested effluent samples. • DON bioavailability considerably varied depending on the WWTP assessed. �

Exact solution of a coupled spin–electron linear chain composed of localized Ising spins and mobile electrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Čisárová, Jana; Strečka, Jozef

2014-01-01

Exact solution of a coupled spin–electron linear chain composed of localized Ising spins and mobile electrons is found. The investigated spin–electron model is exactly solvable by the use of a transfer-matrix method after tracing out the degrees of freedom of mobile electrons delocalized over a couple of interstitial (decorating) sites. The exact ground-state phase diagram reveals an existence of five phases with different number of mobile electrons per unit cell, two of which are ferromagnetic, two are paramagnetic and one is antiferromagnetic. We have studied in particular the dependencies of compressibility and specific heat on temperature and electron density. - Highlights: • A coupled spin–electron chain composed of Ising spins and mobile electrons is exactly solved. • Quantum paramagnetic, ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic ground states are found. • A compressibility shows a non-monotonous dependence on temperature and electron density. • Thermal dependences of specific heat display two distinct peaks

Study on The Application of Composed TiO2-diatomite in The Removal of Phenol in Water

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, S.; Li, J.

2017-10-01

As an environmentally friendly pollution control technology, TiO2 photocatalytic technology has a broad prospect in the field of environmental protection. In this paper, composed nano-TiO2-diatomite were prepared by depositing TiO2 nanoparticles on the surface of diatomite microparticles. The nano-TiO2/diatomite composed photocatalyst is used to remove phenol in water in a specific designed reaction box under 4 different operation factors such as different reaction time, different pollutant concentration, different UV light powers and different amount of catalytic powder. The experimental results indicate that the phenol removal percentages are influenced by the reaction time most significantly, the second is the phenol concentration, the next one is the photocatalyst amount and the UV light powers’ effect is quite limited. Tthe degradation of phenol typically slows down at the reaction time about 30 or 60 minutes. Besides that, the phenol removal kinetic removal rates were also investigated.

Slow Off-rates and Strong Product Binding Are Required for Processivity and Efficient Degradation of Recalcitrant Chitin by Family 18 Chitinases.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurašin, Mihhail; Kuusk, Silja; Kuusk, Piret; Sørlie, Morten; Väljamäe, Priit

2015-11-27

Processive glycoside hydrolases are the key components of enzymatic machineries that decompose recalcitrant polysaccharides, such as chitin and cellulose. The intrinsic processivity (P(Intr)) of cellulases has been shown to be governed by the rate constant of dissociation from polymer chain (koff). However, the reported koff values of cellulases are strongly dependent on the method used for their measurement. Here, we developed a new method for determining koff, based on measuring the exchange rate of the enzyme between a non-labeled and a (14)C-labeled polymeric substrate. The method was applied to the study of the processive chitinase ChiA from Serratia marcescens. In parallel, ChiA variants with weaker binding of the N-acetylglucosamine unit either in substrate-binding site -3 (ChiA-W167A) or the product-binding site +1 (ChiA-W275A) were studied. Both ChiA variants showed increased off-rates and lower apparent processivity on α-chitin. The rate of the production of insoluble reducing groups on the reduced α-chitin was an order of magnitude higher than koff, suggesting that the enzyme can initiate several processive runs without leaving the substrate. On crystalline chitin, the general activity of the wild type enzyme was higher, and the difference was magnifying with hydrolysis time. On amorphous chitin, the variants clearly outperformed the wild type. A model is proposed whereby strong interactions with polymer in the substrate-binding sites (low off-rates) and strong binding of the product in the product-binding sites (high pushing potential) are required for the removal of obstacles, like disintegration of chitin microfibrils. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Dragging of inertial frames in the composed black-hole-ring system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hod, Shahar [The Ruppin Academic Center, Emeq Hefer (Israel); The Hadassah Institute, Jerusalem (Israel)

2015-11-15

A well-established phenomenon in general relativity is the dragging of inertial frames by a spinning object. In particular, due to the dragging of inertial frames by a ring orbiting a central black hole, the angular velocity Ω{sub H}{sup BH-ring} of the black-hole horizon in the composed black-hole-ring system is no longer related to the black-hole angular momentum J{sub H} by the simple Kerr-like (vacuum) relation Ω{sub H}{sup Kerr}(J{sub H}) = J{sub H}/2M{sup 2}R{sub H} (here M and R{sub H} are the mass and horizon-radius of the black hole, respectively). Will has performed a perturbative treatment of the composed black-hole-ring system in the regime of slowly rotating black holes and found the explicit relation Ω{sub H}{sup BH-ring}(J{sub H} = 0, J{sub R}, R) = 2J{sub R}/R{sup 3} for the angular velocity of a central black hole with zero angular momentum, where J{sub R} and R are respectively the angular momentum of the orbiting ring and its proper circumferential radius. Analyzing a sequence of black-hole-ring configurations with adiabatically varying (decreasing) circumferential radii, we show that the expression found by Will for Ω{sub H}{sup BH-ring}(J{sub H} = 0, J{sub R}, R) implies a smooth transition of the central black-hole angular velocity from its asymptotic near-horizon value Ω{sub H}{sup BH-ring}(J{sub H} = 0, J{sub R}, R → R{sub H}{sup +}) → 2J{sub R}/R{sub H}{sup 3} (that is, just before the assimilation of the ring by the central black hole), to its final Kerr (vacuum) value Ω{sub H}{sup Kerr}(J{sub H}{sup new})= J{sub H}{sup new}/2M{sup new2}R{sub H}{sup new} [that is, after the adiabatic assimilation of the ring by the central black hole. Here J{sub H}{sup new} = J{sub R}, M{sup new}, and R{sub H}{sup new} are the new parameters of the resulting Kerr (vacuum) black hole after it assimilated the orbiting ring]. We use this important observation in order to generalize the result of Will to the regime of black-hole-ring configurations

Dragging of inertial frames in the composed black-hole–ring system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hod, Shahar, E-mail: shaharhod@gmail.com [The Ruppin Academic Center, 40250, Emeq Hefer (Israel); The Hadassah Institute, 91010, Jerusalem (Israel)

2015-11-19

A well-established phenomenon in general relativity is the dragging of inertial frames by a spinning object. In particular, due to the dragging of inertial frames by a ring orbiting a central black hole, the angular velocity Ω{sub H}{sup BH-ring} of the black-hole horizon in the composed black-hole–ring system is no longer related to the black-hole angular momentum J{sub H} by the simple Kerr-like (vacuum) relation Ω{sub H}{sup Kerr}(J{sub H})=J{sub H}/2M{sup 2}R{sub H} (here M and R{sub H} are the mass and horizon-radius of the black hole, respectively). Will has performed a perturbative treatment of the composed black-hole–ring system in the regime of slowly rotating black holes and found the explicit relation Ω{sub H}{sup BH-ring}(J{sub H}=0,J{sub R},R)=2J{sub R}/R{sup 3} for the angular velocity of a central black hole with zero angular momentum, where J{sub R} and R are respectively the angular momentum of the orbiting ring and its proper circumferential radius. Analyzing a sequence of black-hole–ring configurations with adiabatically varying (decreasing) circumferential radii, we show that the expression found by Will for Ω{sub H}{sup BH-ring}(J{sub H}=0,J{sub R},R) implies a smooth transition of the central black-hole angular velocity from its asymptotic near-horizon value Ω{sub H}{sup BH-ring}(J{sub H}=0,J{sub R},R→R{sub H}{sup +})→2J{sub R}/R{sub H}{sup 3} (that is, just before the assimilation of the ring by the central black hole), to its final Kerr (vacuum) value Ω{sub H}{sup Kerr}(J{sub H}{sup new})=J{sub H}{sup new}/2M{sup new2}R{sub H}{sup new} [that is, after the adiabatic assimilation of the ring by the central black hole. Here J{sub H}{sup new}=J{sub R}, M{sup new}, and R{sub H}{sup new} are the new parameters of the resulting Kerr (vacuum) black hole after it assimilated the orbiting ring]. We use this important observation in order to generalize the result of Will to the regime of black-hole–ring configurations in which the

PECULIARITIES OF PROGRAMME MUSIC IN THE INSTRUMENTAL SUITE OF COMPOSERS FROM THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BEREZOVICOVA TATIANA

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The article is dedicated to the study of the instrumental suites written by native composers from the point of view of the realization of programme music. The author analyses different kinds of programme music such as genre, stylistic, pictorial (without any subject, with a generalized subject, with a concrete subject, as well as latent programme music, felt in some non-programme compositions declared and expressed through specific instrumental means.

Caratterizzazione microstrutturale e prove di resilienza su giunti Friction Stir Welding e Linear Friction Welding di compositi a matrice metallica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Merlin

2010-04-01

Full Text Available In questo studio sono stati caratterizzati giunti Friction Stir Welding e Linear Friction Welding su compositi a matrice in lega di alluminio e rinforzo particellare ceramico. Il processo FSW è stato applicato a due compositi ottenuti con processo fusorio, quindi estrusi e trattati termicamente T6: AA6061/20%vol.Al2O3p e AA7005/10%vol.Al2O3p. I giunti LFW sono stati invece realizzati su un composito con matrice in lega di alluminio e rinforzo particellare in carburo di silicio, ottenuto mediante metallurgia delle polveri, quindi forgiato e trattato termicamente T4: AA2124/25%vol.SiCp. Sono stati esaminati gli effetti della saldatura sullecaratteristiche microstrutturali dei giunti, avvalendosi di tecniche di microscopia ottica con analisi di immagine e di microscopia elettronica in scansione (SEM con microsonda a dispersione di energia (EDS. Sono state quindi condotte prove di resilienza con pendolo strumentato Charpy. Lo studio dei meccanismi di danneggiamento è stato effettuato mediante analisi al SEM delle superfici di frattura. Entrambi i processi di saldatura hanno portato a giunti sostanzialmente esenti da difetti. La microstruttura dei cordoni è risultata dipendente sia dalle caratteristiche microstrutturali iniziali dei compositi considerati, sia dalla tipologia di processo di saldatura. Nel caso dei compositi AA6061/20%Al2O3p e AA7005/10%Al2O3p saldati FSW si è osservato un sostanziale incremento di resilienza, rispetto al materiale base, in conseguenza dell’affinamento dei grani della matrice, della riduzione della dimensione media delle particelle di rinforzo e della loro spigolosità, indotte dal processo di saldatura. Il composito AA2124/25%SiCp saldato LFW ha presentato valori di resilienza confrontabili con quelli del materiale base, in conseguenza, soprattutto, dei limitati effetti della saldatura su dimensione e distribuzione delle particelle di rinforzo.

Two-dimensional arbitrarily shaped acoustic cloaks composed of homogeneous parts

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qi; Vipperman, Jeffrey S.

2017-10-01

Acoustic cloaking is an important application of acoustic metamaterials. Although the topic has received much attention, there are a number of areas where contributions are needed. In this paper, a design method for producing acoustic cloaks with arbitrary shapes that are composed of homogeneous parts is presented. The cloak is divided into sections, each of which, in turn, is further divided into two parts, followed by the application of transformation acoustics to derive the required properties for cloaking. With the proposed mapping relations, the properties of each part of the cloak are anisotropic but homogeneous, which can be realized using two alternating layers of homogeneous and isotropic materials. A hexagonal and an irregular cloak are presented as design examples. The full wave simulations using COMSOL Multiphysics finite element software show that the cloaks function well at reducing reflections and shadows. The variation of the cloak properties is investigated as a function of three important geometric parameters used in the transformations. A balance can be found between cloaking performance and materials properties that are physically realizable.

Sugar-Responsive Layer-by-Layer Film Composed of Phenylboronic Acid-Appended Insulin and Poly(vinyl alcohol).

Science.gov (United States)

Takei, Chihiro; Ohno, Yui; Seki, Tomohiro; Miki, Ryotaro; Seki, Toshinobu; Egawa, Yuya

2018-01-01

Previous studies have shown that reversible chemical bond formation between phenylboronic acid (PBA) and 1,3-diol can be utilized as the driving force for the preparation of layer-by-layer (LbL) films. The LbL films composed of a PBA-appended polymer and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) disintegrated in the presence of sugar. This type of LbL films has been recognized as a promising approach for sugar-responsive drug release systems, but an issue preventing the practical application of LbL films is combining them with insulin. In this report, we have proposed a solution for this issue by using PBA-appended insulin as a component of the LbL film. We prepared two kinds of PBA-appended insulin derivatives and confirmed that they retained their hypoglycemic activity. The LbL films composed of PBA-appended insulin and PVA were successfully prepared through reversible chemical bond formation between the boronic acid moiety and the 1,3-diol of PVA. The LbL film disintegrated upon treatment with sugars. Based on the results presented herein, we discuss the suitability of the PBA moiety with respect to hypoglycemic activity, binding ability, and selectivity for D-glucose.

Performers, Composers, Scores and Editions: Commentary on Huisman, Gingras, Dhondt, and Leman (2017

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorottya Fabian

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Reflecting on a study that examines the impact of various editions on the speed of learning and performance errors, this short paper notes the crudeness of western music notation and how musicians cope with deciphering the composer's musical intentions. Drawing on parallels with practitioners who specialize in historically informed performance and tend to favor playing from manuscripts and facsimiles, I argue that although performing editions are useful, proper education regarding the meaning of notation practices and compositional styles might better serve musicians. This enables each generation to construct its own understanding of the music, and of the contradictory and insufficiently specified demands of the score.

Computer Instruction in Handwriting, Spelling, and Composing for Students with Specific Learning Disabilities in Grades 4 to 9

Science.gov (United States)

Berninger, Virginia W.; Nagy, William; Tanimoto, Steve; Thompson, Rob; Abbott, Robert D.

2014-01-01

Effectiveness of iPad computerized writing instruction was evaluated for 4th to 9th graders (n=35) with diagnosed specific learning disabilities (SLDs) affecting writing: dysgraphia (impaired handwriting), dyslexia (impaired spelling), and oral and written language learning disability (OWL LD) (impaired syntax composing). Each of the 18 two-hour lessons had multiple learning activities aimed at improving subword- (handwriting), word- (spelling), and syntax- (sentence composing) level language skills by engaging all four language systems (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) to create a functional writing system. To evaluate treatment effectiveness, normed measures of handwriting, spelling, and composing were used with the exception of one non-normed alphabet writing task. Results showed that the sample as a whole improved significantly from pretest to posttest in three handwriting measures, four spelling measures, and both written and oral syntax construction measures. All but oral syntax was evaluated with pen and paper tasks, showing that the computer writing instruction transferred to better writing with pen and paper. Performance on learning activities during instruction correlated with writing outcomes; and individual students tended to improve in the impaired skill associated with their diagnosis. Thus, although computers are often used in upper elementary school and middle school in the United States (US) for accommodations (alternatives to pen and paper) for students with persisting SLDs affecting writing, this study shows computers can also be used for Tier 3 instruction to improve the writing skills of students in grades 4 to 9 with history of persisting writing disabilities. PMID:25378768

Computer Instruction in Handwriting, Spelling, and Composing for Students with Specific Learning Disabilities in Grades 4 to 9.

Science.gov (United States)

Berninger, Virginia W; Nagy, William; Tanimoto, Steve; Thompson, Rob; Abbott, Robert D

2015-02-01

Effectiveness of iPad computerized writing instruction was evaluated for 4 th to 9 th graders ( n =35) with diagnosed specific learning disabilities (SLDs) affecting writing: dysgraphia (impaired handwriting), dyslexia (impaired spelling), and oral and written language learning disability (OWL LD) (impaired syntax composing). Each of the 18 two-hour lessons had multiple learning activities aimed at improving subword - (handwriting), word - (spelling), and syntax - (sentence composing) level language skills by engaging all four language systems (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) to create a functional writing system. To evaluate treatment effectiveness, normed measures of handwriting, spelling, and composing were used with the exception of one non-normed alphabet writing task. Results showed that the sample as a whole improved significantly from pretest to posttest in three handwriting measures, four spelling measures, and both written and oral syntax construction measures. All but oral syntax was evaluated with pen and paper tasks, showing that the computer writing instruction transferred to better writing with pen and paper. Performance on learning activities during instruction correlated with writing outcomes; and individual students tended to improve in the impaired skill associated with their diagnosis. Thus, although computers are often used in upper elementary school and middle school in the United States (US) for accommodations (alternatives to pen and paper) for students with persisting SLDs affecting writing, this study shows computers can also be used for Tier 3 instruction to improve the writing skills of students in grades 4 to 9 with history of persisting writing disabilities.

Sorption characteristics of honeycomb type sorption element composed of organic sorbent; Yukikei shuchakuzai wo tofushita honeycomb jo shuchaku element nio shuchaku tokuse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Inaba, H.; Horibe, A. [Okayama University, Okayama (Japan); Kida, T.; Kaneda, M. [Japan Exlan Co. Ltd., Osaka (Japan)

2000-12-25

This paper has dealt with the sorption characteristics of honeycomb shape type sorbent element composed of new organic sorbent which was composed of the bridged complex of sodium polyacrylate. The transient experiments in which the moist air was passed into the honeycomb type sorbent element were conducted under various conditions of air velocity, temperature, relative-humidity and honeycomb length. As a result, the effective mass transfer coefficient of the organic sorbent sorbing the water-vapor was non-dimensionalized as a function of Reynolds number, modified Stefan number and non-dimensional honeycomb length. (author)

On the radioprotective properties of heterocyclic nitrogenous compounds; Etude des proprietes radioprotectrices de composes heterocycliques azotes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rinaldi, R; Bernard, Y [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Grenoble (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1964-07-01

Continuing their study of the possible radioprotective properties of heterocyclic nitrogenous compounds, the authors study certain derivatives of imidazole and other compounds of similar structure. The results obtained showed: 1 - that the derivatives resulting from the presence in the imidazole ring of the mercapto, methyl, carbonyl, or benzyl groups are inactive: these substitutions appear to destroy the significant radioprotective activity of the imidazole, 2 - that benzimidazole, on the contrary, seems to possess highly interesting properties. The percentage of survivals obtained with mice treated with benzimidazole and exposed to lethal irradiation has encouraged the authors to undertake careful study of this substance, with a view to define optimum activity conditions, and to determine the mechanism responsible for its radioprotective action. Further on and so as to of clarify certain points that might give useful data concerning the mechanisms of action of radioprotective chemicals, in respect of each of the products the authors have studied: a - the action of these bodies on the internal temperature of mice, b - their radioprotective activity in vitro, in a solution of irradiated hemin. (authors) [French] Les proprietes radioprotectrices de l'imidazole ayant ete mises en evidence dans un precedent travail, les auteurs poursuivent leur experimentation sur certains derives de ce noyau ainsi que des composes de structure voisine. Leurs resultats montrent: 1 - que les composes obtenus par substitution d'un groupement mercapto, methyle, carbonyle ou benzyle, a un hydrogene du noyau imidazole sont inactifs, 2 - que le benzimidazole presente par contre des proprietes interessantes. Pour ce dernier compose le pourcentage de survie pouvant atteindre 90 pour cent les auteurs ont determine les conditions optimales de son activite radioprotectrice; de plus, dans le but d'obtenir des renseignements susceptibles de preciser le mecanisme d'action de la radioprotection

Synthesis and luminescence of CePO4 and CePO4:Tb hollow and core-shell microspheres composed of single-crystal nanorods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guan Mingyun; Sun Jianhua; Han Min; Xu Zheng; Tao Feifei; Yin Gui; Wei Xianwen; Zhu Jianmin; Jiang Xiqun

2007-01-01

Lanthanide phosphate microspheres composed of single-crystal CePO 4 and CePO 4 :Tb nanorods were successfully synthesized, respectively, using the functionalized composite aggregate as a template, which is composed of P123, H 6 P 4 O 13 and Ce 3+ , and also as a resource of reaction species with high chemical potential. The shape and the phase structure of the CePO 4 nanocrystal can be easily controlled via adjusting reaction temperature, monomer concentration and annealing temperature. SEM images show the spherical superstructure composed of nanorods. HRTEM and SAED images reveal the single-crystalline nature of nanorod and TEM images show the hollow interiors of the superstructure. XRD patterns indicate that the crystal structure of the nanorods is hexagonal before and monoclinic after annealing. The formation mechanism was proposed. Strong UV and green luminescence were observed for the CePO 4 and CePO 4 :Tb microspheres, respectively. The synthesis method can be extended to the fabrication of NRHS and core-shell microspheres of other rare-earth or doped LnPO 4 materials for wide applications

Quick synthesis of highly aligned or randomly oriented nanofibrous structures composed of C60 molecules via self-assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurosu, Shunji; Fukuda, Takahiro; Maekawa, Toru

2013-01-01

Assemblies, which are composed of nanoparticles such as nanofibres, have been intensively studied in recent years. This has particularly been the case in the field of biomedicine, where the aim is to develop efficient methodologies for capturing and separating target biomolecules and cells and/or encouraging bio-chemical reactions, utilizing the extremely high surface area to volume ratio of assemblies. There is an urgent need for the development of a quick synthesis method of forming nanofibrous structures on the surface of biomedical microchips and devices for the investigation of the interactions between biomolecules/cells and the nanostructures. Here, we produce nanofibrous structures composed of C 60 molecules, which are aligned in one direction or randomly oriented, by dissolving C 60 molecules and sulphur in benzene and evaporating a droplet of the solution on a glass substrate under appropriate conditions. The synthesis time is as short as 30 s. Sulphur is extracted and nanofibres are crystallized by leaving them in supercritical carbon dioxide. (paper)

Non-Enzymatic Glucose Sensor Composed of Carbon-Coated Nano-Zinc Oxide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ren-Jei Chung

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Nowadays glucose detection is of great importance in the fields of biological, environmental, and clinical analyzes. In this research, we report a zinc oxide (ZnO nanorod powder surface-coated with carbon material for non-enzymatic glucose sensor applications through a hydrothermal process and chemical vapor deposition method. A series of tests, including crystallinity analysis, microstructure observation, and electrochemical property investigations were carried out. For the cyclic voltammetric (CV glucose detection, the low detection limit of 1 mM with a linear range from 0.1 mM to 10 mM was attained. The sensitivity was 2.97 μA/cm2mM, which is the most optimized ever reported. With such good analytical performance from a simple process, it is believed that the nanocomposites composed of ZnO nanorod powder surface-coated with carbon material are promising for the development of cost-effective non-enzymatic electrochemical glucose biosensors with high sensitivity.

Method of composing two-dimensional scanned spectra observed by the New Vacuum Solar Telescope

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Yun-Fang; Xu, Zhi; Chen, Yu-Chao; Xu, Jun; Li, Zheng-Gang; Fu, Yu; Ji, Kai-Fan

2018-04-01

In this paper we illustrate the technique used by the New Vacuum Solar Telescope (NVST) to increase the spatial resolution of two-dimensional (2D) solar spectroscopy observations involving two dimensions of space and one of wavelength. Without an image stabilizer at the NVST, large scale wobble motion is present during the spatial scanning, whose instantaneous amplitude can reach 1.3″ due to the Earth’s atmosphere and the precision of the telescope guiding system, and seriously decreases the spatial resolution of 2D spatial maps composed with scanned spectra. We make the following effort to resolve this problem: the imaging system (e.g., the TiO-band) is used to record and detect the displacement vectors of solar image motion during the raster scan, in both the slit and scanning directions. The spectral data (e.g., the Hα line) which are originally obtained in time sequence are corrected and re-arranged in space according to those displacement vectors. Raster scans are carried out in several active regions with different seeing conditions (two rasters are illustrated in this paper). Given a certain spatial sampling and temporal resolution, the spatial resolution of the composed 2D map could be close to that of the slit-jaw image. The resulting quality after correction is quantitatively evaluated with two methods. A physical quantity, such as the line-of-sight velocities in multiple layers of the solar atmosphere, is also inferred from the re-arranged spectrum, demonstrating the advantage of this technique.

Feed conversion, survival and development, and composition of four insect species on diets composed of food by-products

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oonincx, D.G.A.B.; Broekhoven, Van Sarah; Huis, Van Arnold; Loon, Van J.J.A.

2015-01-01

A large part of the environmental impact of animal production systems is due to the production of feed. Insects are suggested to efficiently convert feed to body mass and might therefore form a more sustainable food and/or feed source. Four diets were composed from byproducts of food

Electrical transport properties of an isolated CdS microrope composed of twisted nanowires

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Gui-Feng; Yu, Miao; Pan, Wei; Han, Wen-Peng; Yan, Xu; Zhang, Jun-Cheng; Zhang, Hong-Di; Long, Yun-Ze

2015-01-01

CdS is one of the important II-VI group semiconductors. In this paper, the electrical transport behavior of an individual CdS microrope composed of twisted nanowires is studied. It is found that the current-voltage ( I- V) characteristics show two distinct power law regions from 360 down to 60 K. Space-charge-limited current (SCLC) theory is used to explain these temperature- and electric-field-dependent I-V curves. The I-V data can be well fitted by this theory above 100 K, and the corresponding carrier mobility, trap energy, and trap concentration are also obtained. However, the I-V data exhibit some features of the Coulomb blockade effect below 80 K.

Electrical transport properties of an isolated CdS microrope composed of twisted nanowires.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Gui-Feng; Yu, Miao; Pan, Wei; Han, Wen-Peng; Yan, Xu; Zhang, Jun-Cheng; Zhang, Hong-Di; Long, Yun-Ze

2015-01-01

CdS is one of the important II-VI group semiconductors. In this paper, the electrical transport behavior of an individual CdS microrope composed of twisted nanowires is studied. It is found that the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics show two distinct power law regions from 360 down to 60 K. Space-charge-limited current (SCLC) theory is used to explain these temperature- and electric-field-dependent I-V curves. The I-V data can be well fitted by this theory above 100 K, and the corresponding carrier mobility, trap energy, and trap concentration are also obtained. However, the I-V data exhibit some features of the Coulomb blockade effect below 80 K.

An Activity Theory Analysis of the Relationship between Student Identity and the Assessment of Group Composing at School

Science.gov (United States)

Thorpe, Vicki

2018-01-01

The purpose of this article is to contribute to existing literature about how activity theory might be used in music education research. It draws from the author's doctoral action research into the assessment of group composing for New Zealand's secondary school qualification, the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA). It outlines…

Methodology of Artistic Identification on the Path of the Comprehension of Composer's Works in a Piano Class

Science.gov (United States)

Meleshkina, Elena Anatolyevna; Scherbakova, Anna Iosifovna; Korsakova, Irina Anatolyevna; Slavina, Elena Vladimirovna; Kazakova, Irina Sergeevna

2016-01-01

The article is devoted to the reflection on the problem of the "immersion" in the artistic world of a composer's creative work in a piano class in the beginning of the 21st century. The wealth and diversity of the music material for piano players determine the new quality of understanding music and set high goals and objectives for a…

The art and ‘science’ of opera: composing, staging & designing new forms of interactive theatrical performance

OpenAIRE

Chamberlain, Alan; Kallionpää, Maria; Benford, Steve

2017-01-01

New technologies, such as Virtual Reality (VR), Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are steadily having an impact upon the world of opera. The evolving use of performance-based software such as Ableton Live and Max/MSP has created new and exciting compositional techniques that intertwine theatrical and musical performance. This poster presents some initial work on the development of an opera using such technologies that is being composed by Kallionpää and Chamberlain.

PbO networks composed of single crystalline nanosheets synthesized by a facile chemical precipitation method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samberg, Joshua P. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way, Engineering Building I, Raleigh, NC 27695-7907 (United States); Kajbafvala, Amir, E-mail: amir.kajbafvala@gmail.com [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way, Engineering Building I, Raleigh, NC 27695-7907 (United States); Koolivand, Amir [Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, 2620 Yarbrough Drive, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States)

2014-03-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Synthesis of PbO networks through a simple chemical precipitation route. • The synthesis method is rapid and low-cost. • Each network is composed of single crystalline PbO nanosheets. • A possible growth mechanism is proposed for synthesized PbO networks. - Abstract: For the field of energy storage, nanostructured lead oxide (PbO) shows immense potential for increased specific energy and deep discharge for lead acid battery technologies. In this work, PbO networks composed of single crystalline nanosheets were synthesized utilizing a simple, low cost and rapid chemical precipitation method. The PbO networks were prepared in a single reaction vessel from starting reagents of lead acetate dehydrate, ammonium hydroxide and deionized water. Lead acetate dehydrate was chosen as a reagent, as opposed to lead nitrate, to eliminate the possibility of nitrate contamination of the final product. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analysis were used to characterize the synthesized PbO networks. The reproducible method described herein synthesized pure β-PbO (massicot) powders, with no byproducts. A possible formation mechanism for these PbO networks is proposed. The growth is found to proceed predominately in the 〈1 1 1〉 and 〈2 0 0〉 directions while being limited in the 〈0 1 1〉 direction.

PbO networks composed of single crystalline nanosheets synthesized by a facile chemical precipitation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samberg, Joshua P.; Kajbafvala, Amir; Koolivand, Amir

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Synthesis of PbO networks through a simple chemical precipitation route. • The synthesis method is rapid and low-cost. • Each network is composed of single crystalline PbO nanosheets. • A possible growth mechanism is proposed for synthesized PbO networks. - Abstract: For the field of energy storage, nanostructured lead oxide (PbO) shows immense potential for increased specific energy and deep discharge for lead acid battery technologies. In this work, PbO networks composed of single crystalline nanosheets were synthesized utilizing a simple, low cost and rapid chemical precipitation method. The PbO networks were prepared in a single reaction vessel from starting reagents of lead acetate dehydrate, ammonium hydroxide and deionized water. Lead acetate dehydrate was chosen as a reagent, as opposed to lead nitrate, to eliminate the possibility of nitrate contamination of the final product. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analysis were used to characterize the synthesized PbO networks. The reproducible method described herein synthesized pure β-PbO (massicot) powders, with no byproducts. A possible formation mechanism for these PbO networks is proposed. The growth is found to proceed predominately in the 〈1 1 1〉 and 〈2 0 0〉 directions while being limited in the 〈0 1 1〉 direction

Image color reduction method for color-defective observers using a color palette composed of 20 particular colors

Science.gov (United States)

Sakamoto, Takashi

2015-01-01

This study describes a color enhancement method that uses a color palette especially designed for protan and deutan defects, commonly known as red-green color blindness. The proposed color reduction method is based on a simple color mapping. Complicated computation and image processing are not required by using the proposed method, and the method can replace protan and deutan confusion (p/d-confusion) colors with protan and deutan safe (p/d-safe) colors. Color palettes for protan and deutan defects proposed by previous studies are composed of few p/d-safe colors. Thus, the colors contained in these palettes are insufficient for replacing colors in photographs. Recently, Ito et al. proposed a p/dsafe color palette composed of 20 particular colors. The author demonstrated that their p/d-safe color palette could be applied to image color reduction in photographs as a means to replace p/d-confusion colors. This study describes the results of the proposed color reduction in photographs that include typical p/d-confusion colors, which can be replaced. After the reduction process is completed, color-defective observers can distinguish these confusion colors.

Interference of guiding modes in 'traffic' circle waveguides composed of dielectric spherical particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polishchuk, I.Ya.; Gozman, M.I.; Samoylova, O.M.; Burin, A.L.

2009-01-01

The interference of guiding polariton modes propagating through the waveguide composed of dielectric spherical particles forming a 'traffic' circle docked by two linear entrance and exit chains is investigated. The dependence of intensity of the polariton wave on the position of the particle on the circle was studied using the multisphere Mie scattering formalism. We show that, if the frequency of light belongs to the pass-band of the circular part of this waveguide, the electromagnetic waves may be considered as two optical beams running along the circle in opposite directions and interfering with each other. Indeed, the obtained intensity behavior can be represented as a simple superposition of two waves propagating along the circle in opposite directions. The applications of this interference are discussed

Rainbow trapping in one-dimensional chirped photonic crystals composed of alternating dielectric slabs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen, Yun; Fu, Jiwu; Yu, Guoping

2011-01-01

Highlights: → A simple one-dimensional chirped photonic crystal is proposed to realize rainbow trapping. → The results show different wavelengths can be trapped at different spatial positions. → The structure can be used for optical buffer, memories and filter, sorter, etc. -- Abstract: One-dimensional chirped photonic crystals composed of alternating dielectric slabs are proposed to realize rainbow trapping. We theoretically and numerically demonstrate that not only significantly reduced group velocity can be achieved in the proposed chirped structures, but different wavelengths can be localized in different spatial positions, indicating trapped rainbow. Our results imply a feasible way to slow or even trap light in simple systems, which can be used for optical buffer, memory, data processor and filter, sorter, etc.

Developing a Collection of Composable Data Translation Software Units to Improve Efficiency and Reproducibility in Ecohydrologic Modeling Workflows

Science.gov (United States)

Olschanowsky, C.; Flores, A. N.; FitzGerald, K.; Masarik, M. T.; Rudisill, W. J.; Aguayo, M.

2017-12-01

Dynamic models of the spatiotemporal evolution of water, energy, and nutrient cycling are important tools to assess impacts of climate and other environmental changes on ecohydrologic systems. These models require spatiotemporally varying environmental forcings like precipitation, temperature, humidity, windspeed, and solar radiation. These input data originate from a variety of sources, including global and regional weather and climate models, global and regional reanalysis products, and geostatistically interpolated surface observations. Data translation measures, often subsetting in space and/or time and transforming and converting variable units, represent a seemingly mundane, but critical step in the application workflows. Translation steps can introduce errors, misrepresentations of data, slow execution time, and interrupt data provenance. We leverage a workflow that subsets a large regional dataset derived from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and prepares inputs to the Parflow integrated hydrologic model to demonstrate the impact translation tool software quality on scientific workflow results and performance. We propose that such workflows will benefit from a community approved collection of data transformation components. The components should be self-contained composable units of code. This design pattern enables automated parallelization and software verification, improving performance and reliability. Ensuring that individual translation components are self-contained and target minute tasks increases reliability. The small code size of each component enables effective unit and regression testing. The components can be automatically composed for efficient execution. An efficient data translation framework should be written to minimize data movement. Composing components within a single streaming process reduces data movement. Each component will typically have a low arithmetic intensity, meaning that it requires about the same number of

Numerical Solutions of One Reduced Bethe-Salpeter Equation for the Coulombic Bound States Composed of Virtual Constituents

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jiao-Kai

2018-04-01

We present one reduction of the Bethe-Salpeter equation for the bound states composed of two off-mass-shell constituents. Both the relativistic effects and the virtuality effects can be considered in the obtained spinless virtuality distribution equation. The eigenvalues of the spinless virtuality distribution equation are perturbatively calculated and the bound states e+e-, μ+μ-, τ+τ-, μ+e-, and τ+e- are discussed.

A Randomized Rounding Approach for Optimization of Test Sheet Composing and Exposure Rate Control in Computer-Assisted Testing

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chu-Fu; Lin, Chih-Lung; Deng, Jien-Han

2012-01-01

Testing is an important stage of teaching as it can assist teachers in auditing students' learning results. A good test is able to accurately reflect the capability of a learner. Nowadays, Computer-Assisted Testing (CAT) is greatly improving traditional testing, since computers can automatically and quickly compose a proper test sheet to meet user…

Development of a 5.1 T conduction-cooled YBCO coil composed of a stack of 12 single pancakes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miyazaki, Hiroshi, E-mail: hiroshi17.miyazaki@toshiba.co.jp [Toshiba Corporation, Power Systems Company, 2-4 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230-0045 (Japan); Iwai, Sadanori; Tosaka, Taizo; Tasaki, Kenji; Hanai, Satoshi; Urata, Masami; Ioka, Shigeru; Ishii, Yusuke [Toshiba Corporation, Power Systems Company, 2-4 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230-0045 (Japan)

2013-01-15

Highlights: ► We confirmed that performance of YBCO coil was improved by using APC wire. ► We made a conduction-cooled YBCO coil composed of a stack of 12 single pancakes. ► The coil had a central magnetic field as high as 5.1 T at 10 K. ► We also tested the coil operation in a 4 T background magnetic field. -- Abstract: We fabricated and tested a 5 T-class conduction-cooled high-temperature superconducting (HTS) coil composed of a stack of 12 single pancake coils wound with YBCO-coated conductors. The length of each single pancake coil was 25 m, and the inner diameter of the coil was 50 mm. The voltage–current characteristics were measured in liquid nitrogen and under conduction-cooled conditions at 10–60 K. At 10 K, the central magnetic field of the 12 stacked pancake coils was as high as 5.1 T at 305 A. We also tested the coil operation in a 4 T background magnetic field.

Composing hope through collage: A community-based intervention for cancer survivors living with lymphedema

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roanne Thomas

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Secondary lymphedema after cancer may result in distress, yet few interventions exist to support coping skills in this population. As part of a community-based intervention, we piloted the use of creative practices to promote active orientations to hope. A total of 19 participants completed the workshops; 11 collaged. The main themes address the collage processes as well as their content. The former addresses sub-themes such as selecting/composing. The latter includes sub-themes related to movement depicted in the collages. Collages and their associated discussions concretized hoping as an active and accessible process for participants living with two chronic illnesses.

A 5.9 tesla conduction-cooled coil composed of a stack of four single pancakes wound with YBCO wide tapes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iwai, Sadanori, E-mail: sadanori.iwai@toshiba.co.jp; Miyazaki, Hiroshi; Tosaka, Taizo; Tasaki, Kenji; Urata, Masami; Ioka, Shigeru; Ishii, Yusuke

2013-11-15

Highlights: •We made a coil composed of a stack of four single pancakes wound with YBCO wide tapes. •The coil had a central magnetic field as high as 5.9 T at 20 K. •The effect of the tape width on the central magnetic field was small near coil I{sub c}. •We confirmed that performance of YBCO coil was improved by using wider tape. -- Abstract: We have been developing a conduction-cooled coil wound with YBCO-coated conductors for HTS applications. Previously, we have fabricated a coil composed of a stack of 12 single pancakes wound with 4 mm-wide YBCO tapes. This coil had a central magnetic field as high as 5.1 T at 10 K under conduction-cooled conditions. In the present study, we fabricated and tested a coil composed of a stack of four single pancakes wound with 12 mm-wide YBCO tapes. The total size of the coil and the J{sub c} value of the tapes were almost the same as those of the former coil. At 77 K, the voltage–current characteristics showed a high n-value of 24, confirming that the coil had no degradation. Furthermore, in a conduction-cooled configuration at 20 K to 60 K, the coil showed a high n-value of over 20. At 20 K, the central magnetic field reached 5.9 T at 903 A, which is 1.3-times higher than that of the former coil.

Juvenile generalized pustular psoriasis is a chronic recalcitrant disease: an analysis of 27 patients seen in a tertiary hospital in Johor, Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, Bi-Wen; Lim, Dee-Zhen; Capon, Francesca; Barker, Jonathan N; Choon, Siew-Eng

2017-04-01

Limited information exists regarding juvenile generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP). We aim to determine the clinical profile and outcome of Malaysians with juvenile GPP. Review of hospital case notes on patients with juvenile GPP. Twenty-seven patients with juvenile GPP were identified. Female to male ratio was 1.4:1. The median age at onset of GPP was 6.5 years. Ten patients had prior psoriasis with a median pre-pustular duration of 2.7 years. Onset of GPP was earlier in patients without prior psoriasis (5.1 years vs. 12.0 years, P = 0.002). Precipitating factors identified included stress, upper respiratory tract infection, systemic steroid use, vaccination, and pregnancy. A positive family history of psoriasis and GPP was present in six and one patient(s), respectively. Twenty-one patients had acute, five annular, and one localized variant of GPP. Arthritis was present in 22.2%. Fever, leukocytosis, and transaminitis were mainly seen in patients with acute GPP at 80.9, 72.2, and 11.1%, respectively. Among 20 patients screened, eight carry IL36RN variants and one has CARD14 mutation. IL36RN-positive patients have more severe disease characterized by early onset, low prevalence of prior plaque psoriasis, high prevalence of systemic inflammation, and need for continuous long-term systemic therapy. Acitretin and cyclosporine were effective in aborting acute GPP in 100% of 16 and 66.7% of six patients treated, respectively. However, relapses were common. Only three of the 17 patients whose initial acute GPP was controlled with systemic agents were successfully weaned off treatment. Juvenile GPP is a chronic recalcitrant disease. IL36RN-positive patients have more severe disease. © 2017 The International Society of Dermatology.

Nanostructured CuS networks composed of interconnected nanoparticles for asymmetric supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Wenbin; Han, Weihua; Zha, Heming; Mei, Junfeng; Li, Yunxia; Zhang, Zemin; Xie, Erqing

2016-09-21

Nanostructured metal sulfides with excellent electrochemical activity and electrical conductivity are particularly promising for applications in high-performance energy storage devices. Here, we report on the facile synthesis of nanostructured CuS networks composed of interconnected nanoparticles as novel battery-type materials for asymmetric supercapacitors. We find that the CuS networks exhibit a high specific capacity of 49.8 mA g(-1) at a current density of 1 A g(-1), good rate capability and cycle stability. The superior performance could be attributed to the interconnected nanoparticles of CuS networks, which can facilitate electrolyte diffusion and provide fast electron pathways. Furthermore, an aqueous asymmetric supercapacitor has been assembled by using the CuS networks as the positive electrode and activated carbon as the negative electrode. The assembled device can work at a high operating voltage of 1.6 V and show a maximum energy density of 17.7 W h kg(-1) at a power density of 504 W kg(-1). This study indicates that the CuS networks have great potential for supercapacitor applications.

Flexible logic circuits composed of chalcogenide-nanocrystal-based thin film transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun, Junggwon; Cho, Kyoungah; Kim, Sangsig

2010-01-01

Complementary NAND and NOR gates composed of p-channel HgTe-nanocrystal (NC) films and n-channel HgSe-NC films were constructed on back-gate patterned plastic substrates. The NAND gate was made of two HgTe-p-channel thin film transistors (TFTs) in parallel and two HgSe-n-channel TFTs in series. The NOR gate was built up with both two HgSe-n-channel TFTs in parallel and two HgTe-p-channel TFTs in series. The mobility and on/off ratio for the p-channel TFTs were estimated to be 0.9 cm 2 V -1 s -1 and 10, respectively, and those for the n-channel TFTs were measured to be 1.8 cm 2 V -1 s -1 and 10 2 , respectively. The NAND and NOR gates were operated with gains of 1.45 and 1.63 and transition widths of 7.8 and 6.2 V, respectively, at room temperature in air. In addition, the operations of the NAND and NOR logics are reproducible for up to 1000 strain cycles.

Known symptoms and diseases of a number of classical European composers during 17th and 20th century in relation with their artistic musical expressions.

Science.gov (United States)

Pucarin-Cvetković, Jasna; Zuskin, Eugenija; Mustajbegović, Jadranka; Janev-Holcer, Natasa; Rudan, Pavao; Milosević, Milan

2011-12-01

Medical history and relationship to the medical conditions as well as to the music creativity and productivity of some of the classical European composers have been described. In this review article we analyzed their illnesses as well as association between physical or mental diseases and their creativity and adaptability to disease. Some classical composers suffered from organic diseases, while others complained of mental disturbances. However, in spite of their disorders, the intensity of their creativity mostly remained unchanged.

FIA: An Open Forensic Integration Architecture for Composing Digital Evidence

Science.gov (United States)

Raghavan, Sriram; Clark, Andrew; Mohay, George

The analysis and value of digital evidence in an investigation has been the domain of discourse in the digital forensic community for several years. While many works have considered different approaches to model digital evidence, a comprehensive understanding of the process of merging different evidence items recovered during a forensic analysis is still a distant dream. With the advent of modern technologies, pro-active measures are integral to keeping abreast of all forms of cyber crimes and attacks. This paper motivates the need to formalize the process of analyzing digital evidence from multiple sources simultaneously. In this paper, we present the forensic integration architecture (FIA) which provides a framework for abstracting the evidence source and storage format information from digital evidence and explores the concept of integrating evidence information from multiple sources. The FIA architecture identifies evidence information from multiple sources that enables an investigator to build theories to reconstruct the past. FIA is hierarchically composed of multiple layers and adopts a technology independent approach. FIA is also open and extensible making it simple to adapt to technological changes. We present a case study using a hypothetical car theft case to demonstrate the concepts and illustrate the value it brings into the field.

Evaluation of toxicity to the biological treatment and removal of recalcitrant organic compounds from oil refineries wastewaters; Avaliacao da toxicidade ao tratamento biologico e remocao de compostos organicos recalcitrantes existentes em efluentes de refinarias de petroleo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barros Junior, Laerte M.; Macedo, Gorete R.; Bezerra, Marcio S.; Pereira, Franklin M.S. [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Quimica; Schmidell, Willibaldo [Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianopolis, SC (Brazil)

2004-07-01

Oil industry waste water usually contains recalcitrant chemical compounds, like phenol, benzene, toluene, xylene, naphthalene and acenaphthene. The respirometry, determination of respiration rate of an active biomass, is an adequate methodology for quantification of aerobic activity biological. This study aims evaluate the inhibition effect of phenol in the oxidation capacity of an industrial sludge. This work also intends to study the phenol removal through biological and photochemical-biological processes. The respirometry was carried out with synthetic solution, using sludge from an oil processing industry. The phenol degradation experiments were carried out in an activated sludge unit and in a photochemical reactor. This work suggests the potential of photochemical-biological treatment use, in relation to the biological process with a no-acclimated sludge, in the removal of refractory organic compounds from oil industry wastewaters. The characterization of biomass using the respirometry methodology showed which is a useful tool in evaluation of phenol toxicity to biological treatment. (author)

Rate of dehydration, state of subcellular organisation and nature of cryoprotection are critical factors contributing to the variable success of cryopreservation: studies on recalcitrant zygotic embryos of Haemanthus montanus.

Science.gov (United States)

Sershen; Berjak, Patricia; Pammenter, N W; Wesley-Smith, James

2012-01-01

Effects of sequential procedures required for cryopreservation of embryos excised from the recalcitrant seeds of Haemanthus montanus were assessed ultrastructurally and in conjunction with respiratory activity and the rate of protein synthesis. Fresh material (water content, 5.05 ± 0.92 g g(-1) dry mass) afforded ultrastructural evidence of considerable metabolic activity, borne out by respiratory rates. Neither exposure to glycerol nor sucrose as penetrating and non-penetrating cryoprotectants, respectively, brought about degradative changes, although increased vacuolation and autophagy accompanied both, while respiratory and protein synthetic activity were not adversely affected. Glycerol-cryoprotected embryos flash dried to water contents >0.4 g g(-1) showed organised ultrastructural features and considerable autophagy consistent with metabolic activity, and although respiratory activity was lower, protein synthesis rate was enhanced relative to fresh material. However, at water contents Success, assessed as ≥50% axes forming seedlings after cryogen exposure, was obtained only when glycerol-cryoprotected embryos at water contents >0.4 g g(-1)-in which the degree of vacuolation remained moderate-were rapidly cooled. The outcomes of this study are considered particularly in terms of the stresses imposed by prolonged, relatively slow dehydration and ultimate water contents, on embryos showing considerable metabolic activity.

The experiments of composers of the Russian avant-garde epoch in the field of arts synthesis

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Zaytseva Marina

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The article scientifically substantiates the features of avant-garde art that is aimed at finding synesthesian community of art languages and aesthetic transformation of reality. It identifies the main features of the Russian avant-garde composers Mikhail Matyushin’s and Alexander Mosolov’s experimental creativity. It is proved that the dominant feature of their work is the creation of a new model of art that brings together all types of human exposure and returns the fullness of perception and cognition.

Microscopic and spectroscopic properties of Langmuir–Blodgett films composed of flavins and their aggregation structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Jong Kuk; Jo, Jihee; Jang, Dasol; Jang, Hyeong Ju

2015-01-01

Isoalloxazine derivatives (flavins) are commonly found in natural systems that are involved in an electron transfer process, such as photosynthetic or metabolic systems, and are also frequently used as electron donors in organic-based electronic devices. As an example, molecular photodiodes composed of 7,8-dimethyl-10-dodecyl isoalloxazine (DDI) have been fabricated by the Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) technique, and such devices showed characteristic properties of photodiodes. The efficiency of molecular photodiodes is dependent on the assembled structure of the LB films, which is related to the morphology of the LB films. For that reason, Lim has investigated the morphology of LB films, and found that rod-shaped domains are formed when a DDI monolayer is transferred to a solid substrate above a specific surface pressure (Thin Solid Films, 531 (2013) 499). In that paper, rod-shaped domains were revealed to be collapsed triple layers, i.e., double layers collapsed on the monolayer; however, the detailed aggregation structure of the constituent molecules (DDI) has not been studied. Herein, we investigate the microscopic and spectroscopic properties of LB films composed of DDI. We apply the extended dipole model to explain spectral changes in the absorption spectra and propose an aggregation structure for DDI in the LB films. - Highlights: • Aggregation structure of DDI in LB films was experimentally investigated. • Theoretical estimation is in good agreement with experimental result. • Molecular aggregation structure for DDI in LB films was proposed. • Molecular configuration in LB films is changed from side-by-side to face-to-face.

THE BAGATELLE GENRE AND ITS REALIZATION IN THE CREATION OF COMPOSER NICOLAE CIOLAC

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ANDRONOVICI-RUSU ADELA

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In the present paper there is an excursion into the history of the bagatelle genre. Initially conceived as a piece of minor importance, with a moderate instrumental-technical aspect that belongs to „easy” pieces for interpretation, the bagatelle dur­ing its evolution, obtained a status of an aphoristic musical genre in which a profound ideative content is essentially conveyed in a laconic, concentrated form. Further are analyzed five Bagatelles for piano written by composer Nicolae Ciolac. The author considers the thematic and architectural problems of the opus, as well as some speciic interpretative peculiarities. In conclu­sion it is affirmed that the analyzed bagatelles represent s group of pieces novel for Moldovan composition that has at its base a logic characteristic of the miniature genre.

Composing difference: The idea of ‘society’ in the teaching of musical composition

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Giovanni Guanti

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The aspiration to a universal art, especially to a universal music, is problematic in so far as both are viewed as oases of protection and conservation of quintessential cultural singularities. The cosmopolitan universalism of the Enlightenment, first, and subsequently the exacerbated nationalisms of the 19th century, have deeply affected European culture, down to specific aspects of music education. Undoubtedly, today it would be impossible to teach students to compose in the German, French or Italian style, although it still made sense until the end of World War II. What can, and should, be done instead, is to extrapolate and highlight the salient features of "European musical knowledge”. This knowledge was, and remains, coherent and uniform in its basic linguistic structures, despite any forced emphasis placed on internal differentiations and local articulations.

Growth performance and feed conversion efficiency of three edible mealworm species (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) on diets composed of organic by-products

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Broekhoven, van S.; Oonincx, D.G.A.B.; Huis, van A.; Loon, van J.J.A.

2015-01-01

Insects receive increasing attention as an alternative protein-rich food source for humans. Producing edible insects on diets composed of organic by-products could increase sustainability. In addition, insect growth rate and body composition, and hence nutritional quality, can be altered by diet.

THE EFFORT TO IMPROVE TEACHERS’PERFORMANCE OF SMA TMI ROUDLATUL QUR’AN IN COMPOSING LESSON PLAN AND EVALUATION INSTRUMENT OF CHARACTER EDUCATION THROUGH WORKSHOP ACADEMIC YEAR 2015/2016

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Budi Raharjo

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract: Difficulties found in Senior High School (SMA TMI Roudlatul Qur’an, teachers were not able to integrate character value into their lesson plan and to identify which behaviour must be success indicators of character education. Out of 18 Character value existed, the measurement of students’success as the better change of their behaviour, some only covering observation and lack of triangulation consideration to more accountable result. Worskhop potentially becomes one of the ways to up grade teachers’performance in determining the instrument of character value education, at the same time, train them the way composing lesson plan which integrates character education. This school action research was aimed to carry out workshop at SMA TMI Roudlatul Qur’an of Metro Municipal City, to improve teachers’performance in composing evaluation instrumen of value character education, to improve teachers’performance in composing integrated character value education.The research took place at SMA TMI Roudlatul Qur’an, located at Mulyojati, Metro Barat, Metro Municipal City. It was done in odd semester, continually to one month. Started in early Academic Year 2015/2016, July to August.The researcher concluded that teachers of SMA TMI Roudlatul Qur’an improved their performance well in composing evaluation instrument of value character education and integrated value character lesson plan through workshop. Facts: Workshop process was considered fair 11 teachers, good by 16 teachers, and very good by 12 teachers. At cycle II, the performance of composing evaluation instrument of character education showed 11 teachers were less sufficient performance, 16 teachers were good performance, and 12 teachers were very good. And the performance of composing integrated character value at cycle II showed 8 moderate teachers, 19 good teachers, and 12 excellent teachers. Key words: Workshop, Lesson Plan, Character Education Evaluation

Kinetics and oxidative mechanism for H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-enhanced iron-mediated aeration (IMA) treatment of recalcitrant organic compounds in mature landfill leachate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deng Yang, E-mail: yang.deng@upr.edu [Department of Civil Engineering and Surveying, University of Puerto Rico, PO BOX 9041, Mayaguez, PR 00681 (Puerto Rico); Englehardt, James D. [Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Miami, PO BOX 248294, Coral Gables, FL 33124-0630 (United States)

2009-09-30

A hydrogen peroxide (H{sub 2}O{sub 2})-enhanced iron (Fe{sup 0})-mediated aeration (IMA) process has been recently demonstrated to effectively remove organic wastes from mature landfill leachate. In this paper, the kinetics and oxidative mechanisms of the enhanced IMA treatment were studied. Bench-scale full factorial tests were conducted in an orbital shaker reactor for treatment of a mature leachate with an initial chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 900-1200 mg/L. At the maximum aeration rate (8.3 mL air/min mL sample), process variables significantly influencing the rates of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} decay and COD removal were pH (3.0-8.0), initial H{sub 2}O{sub 2} doses (0.21-0.84 M), and Fe{sup 0} surface area concentrations (0.06-0.30 m{sup 2}/L). Empirical kinetic models were developed and verified for the degradation of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} and COD. High DO maintained by a high aeration rate slowed the H{sub 2}O{sub 2} self-decomposition, accelerated Fe{sup 0} consumption, and enhanced the COD removal. In hydroxyl radical (OH{center_dot}) scavenging tests, the rate of removal of glyoxylic acid (target compound) was not inhibited by the addition of para-chlorobenzoic acid (OH{center_dot} scavenger) at pH 7.0-7.5, ruling out hydroxyl radical as the principal oxidant in neutral-weakly basic solution. These experimental results show that this enhanced IMA technology is a potential alternative for the treatment of high strength recalcitrant organic wastewaters.

Reduction of protein adsorption to a solid surface by a coating composed of polymeric micelles with a glass-like core

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hofs, P.S.; Brzozowska, A.M.; Keizer, de A.; Norde, W.; Cohen Stuart, M.A.

2008-01-01

Adsorption studies by optical reflectometry show that complex coacervate core micelles (C3Ms) composed of poly([4-(2-amino-ethylthio)-butylene] hydrochloride)49-block-poly(ethylene oxide)212 and poly([4-(2-carboxy-ethylthio)-butylene] sodium salt)47-block-poly(ethylene oxide)212 adsorb in equal

Reduction of protein adsorption to a solid surface by a coating composed of polymeric micelles with a glass-like core

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hofs, B.; Brzozowska, A.; de Keizer, A.; Norde, W.; Stuart, Martien A. Cohen

2008-01-01

Adsorption studies by optical reflectometry show that complex coacervate core micelles (C3Ms) composed of poly([4-(2-amino-ethylthio)-butylene]hydrochloride)(49)-block-poly(ethylene oxide)(212) and poly([4-(2carboxy-ethylthio)-butylene] sodium salt)(47)-block-poly(ethylene oxide)(212) adsorb in

Measurement of neutron spectra through composed material block bombarded with D-T neutrons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhu, T.H. [Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, P.O. BOX 919-213, Mian yang 621900 (China)], E-mail: zhutonghua@yahoo.com.cn; Liu, R.; Lu, X.X.; Jiang, L.; Wen, Z.W.; Wang, M.; Lin, J.F. [Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, P.O. BOX 919-213, Mian yang 621900 (China)

2009-12-15

A 2-dimensional composed material assembly made of the iron and hydric block has been established. The neutron spectra from the assembly bombarded with 14-MeV neutrons at neutron generator have been obtained using the proton recoil technique with a stillbene detector. The detector positions were selected at the 60 deg., 120 deg., 180 deg. on the surface of the iron spherical shell. The background neutron spectra consisted of background and room return radiation were subtracted with combination of methods of experimental shielding and MCNP calculation. The uncertainty of results was 6.3-7.4%. The experiment results were analyzed and simulated by MCNP code and two data library. The difference is integral neutron flux (background neutron subtracted) of measured results greater than calculations with maximum of 21.2% in the range of 1-16 MeV.

Experimental Evolution of a Green Fluorescent Protein Composed of 19 Unique Amino Acids without Tryptophan

Science.gov (United States)

Kawahara-Kobayashi, Akio; Hitotsuyanagi, Mitsuhiro; Amikura, Kazuaki; Kiga, Daisuke

2014-04-01

At some stage of evolution, genes of organisms may have encoded proteins that were synthesized using fewer than 20 unique amino acids. Similar to evolution of the natural 19-amino-acid proteins GroEL/ES, proteins composed of 19 unique amino acids would have been able to evolve by accumulating beneficial mutations within the 19-amino-acid repertoire encoded in an ancestral genetic code. Because Trp is thought to be the last amino acid included in the canonical 20-amino-acid repertoire, this late stage of protein evolution could be mimicked by experimental evolution of 19-amino-acid proteins without tryptophan (Trp). To further understand the evolution of proteins, we tried to mimic the evolution of a 19-amino-acid protein involving the accumulation of beneficial mutations using directed evolution by random mutagenesis on the whole targeted gene sequence. We created active 19-amino-acid green fluorescent proteins (GFPs) without Trp from a poorly fluorescent 19-amino-acid mutant, S1-W57F, by using directed evolution with two rounds of mutagenesis and selection. The N105I and S205T mutations showed beneficial effects on the S1-W57F mutant. When these two mutations were combined on S1-W57F, we observed an additive effect on the fluorescence intensity. In contrast, these mutations showed no clear improvement individually or in combination on GFPS1, which is the parental GFP mutant composed of 20 amino acids. Our results provide an additional example for the experimental evolution of 19-amino-acid proteins without Trp, and would help understand the mechanisms underlying the evolution of 19-amino-acid proteins. (236 words)

Bifurcations in a discrete time model composed of Beverton-Holt function and Ricker function.

Science.gov (United States)

Shang, Jin; Li, Bingtuan; Barnard, Michael R

2015-05-01

We provide rigorous analysis for a discrete-time model composed of the Ricker function and Beverton-Holt function. This model was proposed by Lewis and Li [Bull. Math. Biol. 74 (2012) 2383-2402] in the study of a population in which reproduction occurs at a discrete instant of time whereas death and competition take place continuously during the season. We show analytically that there exists a period-doubling bifurcation curve in the model. The bifurcation curve divides the parameter space into the region of stability and the region of instability. We demonstrate through numerical bifurcation diagrams that the regions of periodic cycles are intermixed with the regions of chaos. We also study the global stability of the model. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Composed Protocol of Quantum Identity Authentication Plus Quantum Key Distribution Based on Squeezed States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Sheng; Wang Jian; Tang Chaojing; Zhang Quan

2011-01-01

It is established that a single quantum cryptography protocol usually cooperates with other cryptographic systems, such as an authentication system, in the real world. However, few protocols have been proposed on how to combine two or more quantum protocols. To fill this gap, we propose a composed quantum protocol, containing both quantum identity authentication and quantum key distribution, using squeezed states. Hence, not only the identity can be verified, but also a new private key can be generated by our new protocol. We also analyze the security under an optimal attack, and the efficiency, which is defined by the threshold of the tolerant error rate, using Gaussian error function. (general)

Structure and photoluminescence of films composed of carbon nanoflakes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Yi, E-mail: wangyi@cqut.edu.cn [College of Mechanical Engineering, Chongqing University of Technology, 69 Hongguang Rd, Lijiatuo, Banan District, Chongqing 400054, P R China (China); Li, Lin [College of Chemistry, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, P R China (China); Cheng, Qijin [School of Energy Research, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P R China (China); He, Chunlin [Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Shenyang University, Shenyang 110044, P R China (China)

2015-05-15

Carbon nanoflake films (CNFFs) were directly synthesized by plasma-enhanced hot filament chemical vapor deposition. The results of field emission scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, micro-Raman spectroscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscope and Fourier transform infrared spectroscope indicate that the CNFFs are composed of bending carbon nanoflakes with the hydrocarbon and hydroxyl functional groups, and the carbon nanoflakes become thin in a long deposition time. The structural change of carbon nanoflakes is related to the formation of structural units and the aggregation of hydrocarbon radicals near the carbon nanoflakes. Moreover, the photoluminescence (PL) properties of CNFFs were studied in a Ramalog system and a PL spectroscope. The PL results indicate that the PL intensity of CNFFs is lowered with the increase of thickness of CNFFs. The lowering of PL intensity for the thick CNFFs originates from the effect of more dangling bonds in the CNFFs. In addition, we studied the structural difference of carbon nanoflakes grown by different CVD systems and the PL difference of carbon nanoflakes in different measurement systems. The results achieved here are important to control the growth and structure of graphene-based materials and fabricate the optoelectronic devices related to carbon-based materials. - Highlights: • Carbon nanoflake films (CNFFs) were synthesized by PEHFCVD. • The structure of CNFFs is related to the aggregation of carbon hydrocarbon radicals. • The PL intensity of CNFFs is lowered with the thickness increase of CNFFs. • The change of PL intensity of CNFFs is due to the dangling bonds in CNFFs. • The widening of PL bands of CNFFs results from the diversity of carbon nanofalkes.

Optical True Time Delay for Phased Array Antennas Composed of 2×2 Optical MEMS Switches and Fiber Delay Lines

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Back-Song; Lee; Jong-Dug; Shin; Boo-Gyoun; Kim

2003-01-01

We proposed an optical true time delay (TTD) for phased array antennas (PAAs) composed of 2×2 optical MEMS switches, single-mode fiber delay lines, and a fixed wavelength laser diode. A 3-bit TTD for 10 GHz PAAs was implemented with a time delay error less than ± 0.2 ps.

Exploring the Multi-Layered Affordances of Composing and Performing Interactive Music with Responsive Technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Einarsson

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The question motivating the work presented here, starting from a view of music as embodied and situated activity, is how can we account for the complexity of interactive music performance situations. These are situations in which human performers interact with responsive technologies, such as sensor-driven technology or sound synthesis affected by analysis of the performed sound signal. This requires investigating in detail the underlying mechanisms, but also providing a more holistic approach that does not lose track of the complex whole constituted by the interactions and relationships of composers, performers, audience, technologies, etc. The concept of affordances has frequently been invoked in musical research, which has seen a “bodily turn” in recent years, similar to the development of the embodied cognition approach in the cognitive sciences. We therefore begin by broadly delineating its usage in the cognitive sciences in general, and in music research in particular. We argue that what is still missing in the discourse on musical affordances is an encompassing theoretical framework incorporating the sociocultural dimensions that are fundamental to the situatedness and embodiment of interactive music performance and composition. We further argue that the cultural affordances framework, proposed by Rietveld and Kiverstein (2014 and recently articulated further by Ramstead et al. (2016 in this journal, although not previously applied to music, constitutes a promising starting point. It captures and elucidates this complex web of relationships in terms of shared landscapes and individual fields of affordances. We illustrate this with examples foremost from the first author's artistic work as composer and performer of interactive music. This sheds new light on musical composition as a process of construction—and embodied mental simulation—of situations, guiding the performers' and audience's attention in shifting fields of affordances

Exploring the Multi-Layered Affordances of Composing and Performing Interactive Music with Responsive Technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Einarsson, Anna; Ziemke, Tom

2017-01-01

The question motivating the work presented here, starting from a view of music as embodied and situated activity, is how can we account for the complexity of interactive music performance situations. These are situations in which human performers interact with responsive technologies, such as sensor-driven technology or sound synthesis affected by analysis of the performed sound signal. This requires investigating in detail the underlying mechanisms, but also providing a more holistic approach that does not lose track of the complex whole constituted by the interactions and relationships of composers, performers, audience, technologies, etc. The concept of affordances has frequently been invoked in musical research, which has seen a " bodily turn " in recent years, similar to the development of the embodied cognition approach in the cognitive sciences. We therefore begin by broadly delineating its usage in the cognitive sciences in general, and in music research in particular. We argue that what is still missing in the discourse on musical affordances is an encompassing theoretical framework incorporating the sociocultural dimensions that are fundamental to the situatedness and embodiment of interactive music performance and composition. We further argue that the cultural affordances framework, proposed by Rietveld and Kiverstein (2014) and recently articulated further by Ramstead et al. (2016) in this journal, although not previously applied to music, constitutes a promising starting point. It captures and elucidates this complex web of relationships in terms of shared landscapes and individual fields of affordances. We illustrate this with examples foremost from the first author's artistic work as composer and performer of interactive music. This sheds new light on musical composition as a process of construction-and embodied mental simulation-of situations, guiding the performers' and audience's attention in shifting fields of affordances. More generally, we

A Novel Approach to Beam Steering Using Arrays Composed of Multiple Unique Radiating Modes

Science.gov (United States)

Labadie, Nathan Richard

Phased array antennas have found wide application in both radar and wireless communications systems particularly as implementation costs continue to decrease. The primary advantages of electronically scanned arrays are speed of beam scan and versatility of beamforming compared to mechanically scanned fixed beam antennas. These benefits come at the cost of a few well known design issues including element pattern rolloff and mutual coupling between elements. Our primary contribution to the field of research is the demonstration of significant improvement in phased array scan performance using multiple unique radiating modes. In short, orthogonal radiating modes have minimal coupling by definition and can also be generated with reduced rolloff at wide scan angles. In this dissertation, we present a combination of analysis, full-wave electromagnetic simulation and measured data to support our claims. The novel folded ring resonator (FRR) antenna is introduced as a wideband and multi-band element embedded in a grounded dielectric substrate. Multiple radiating modes of a small ground plane excited by a four element FRR array were also investigated. A novel hemispherical null steering antenna composed of two collocated radiating elements, each supporting a unique radiating mode, is presented in the context of an anti-jam GPS receiver application. Both the antenna aperture and active feed network were fabricated and measured showing excellent agreement with analytical and simulated data. The concept of using an antenna supporting multiple radiating modes for beam steering is also explored. A 16 element hybrid linear phased array was fabricated and measured demonstrating significantly improved scan range and scanned gain compared to a conventional phased array. This idea is expanded to 2 dimensional scanning arrays by analysis and simulation of a hybrid phased array composed of novel multiple mode monopole on patch antenna sub-arrays. Finally, we fabricated and

Effect of separation factors on product assay of an ideal cascade composed of UF6 centrifuges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamashita, S.; Okamoto, T.

1975-01-01

Kinetics equations using two assumptions describe an ideal cascade with accuracy. Using the kinetics equations, it is found that if the decrease of the separation factor in a selected stage is small, the product can be withdrawn at the product assay allowed for shipment without stopping the operation of the ideal cascade composed of the model centrifuges (approximately 4 kg SWU/yr, α = 1.135). Moreover, the fraction of centrifuges permissible to stop in case of an accident is found to be 4 to 5 percent of the model centrifuges in each stage in the enriching section of the ideal cascade. (U.S.)

Translation activity of chimeric ribosomes composed of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis or Geobacillus stearothermophilus subunits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sayaka Tsuji

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Ribosome composition, consisting of rRNA and ribosomal proteins, is highly conserved among a broad range of organisms. However, biochemical studies focusing on ribosomal subunit exchangeability between organisms remain limited. In this study, we show that chimeric ribosomes, composed of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis or E. coli and Geobacillus stearothermophilus subunits, are active for β-galactosidase translation in a highly purified E. coli translation system. Activities of the chimeric ribosomes showed only a modest decrease when using E. coli 30 S subunits, indicating functional conservation of the 50 S subunit between these bacterial species.

Parts per billion-level detection of benzene using SnO2/graphene nanocomposite composed of sub-6 nm SnO2 nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meng Fanli; Li Huihua; Kong Lingtao; Liu Jinyun; Jin Zhen; Li Wei; Jia Yong; Liu Jinhuai; Huang Xingjiu

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: SnO 2 /graphene nanocomposite composed of 4–5 nm SnO 2 nanoparticles was synthesized by one-step wet chemical method and the form mechanism of the nanocomposite is clearly interpreted. The detection limit of the nanocomposite was as low as 5 ppb to toxic benzene. Highlights: ► We synthesized SnO 2 /graphene nanocomposite using a simple one-step wet chemical method. ► The nanocomposite composed of 4–5 nm SnO 2 nanoparticles. ► Toxic benzene was detected by such kind of nanocomposite. ► The detection limit to toxic benzene was as low as 5 ppb. - Abstract: In the present work, the SnO 2 /graphene nanocomposite composed of 4–5 nm SnO 2 nanoparticles was synthesized using a simple wet chemical method for ppb-level detection of benzene. The formation mechanism of the nanocomposite was investigated systematically by means of simultaneous thermogravimetry analysis, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy cooperated with transmission electron microscopy observations. The SnO 2 /graphene nanocomposite showed a very attractive improved sensitivity to toxic volatile organic compounds, especially to benzene, compared to a traditional SnO 2 . The responses of the nanocomposite to benzene were a little higher than those to ethanol and the detection limit reached 5 ppb to benzene which is, to our best knowledge, far lower than those reported previously.

Growth performance and feed conversion efficiency of three edible mealworm species (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) on diets composed of organic by-products.

Science.gov (United States)

van Broekhoven, Sarah; Oonincx, Dennis G A B; van Huis, Arnold; van Loon, Joop J A

2015-02-01

Insects receive increasing attention as an alternative protein-rich food source for humans. Producing edible insects on diets composed of organic by-products could increase sustainability. In addition, insect growth rate and body composition, and hence nutritional quality, can be altered by diet. Three edible mealworm species Tenebrio molitor L., Zophobas atratus Fab. and Alphitobius diaperinus Panzer were grown on diets composed of organic by-products originating from beer brewing, bread/cookie baking, potato processing and bioethanol production. Experimental diets differed with respect to protein and starch content. Larval growth and survival was monitored. Moreover, effects of dietary composition on feed conversion efficiency and mealworm crude protein and fatty acid profile were assessed. Diet affected mealworm development and feed conversion efficiency such that diets high in yeast-derived protein appear favourable, compared to diets used by commercial breeders, with respect to shortening larval development time, reducing mortality and increasing weight gain. Diet also affected the chemical composition of mealworms. Larval protein content was stable on diets that differed 2-3-fold in protein content, whereas dietary fat did have an effect on larval fat content and fatty acid profile. However, larval fatty acid profile did not necessarily follow the same trend as dietary fatty acid composition. Diets that allowed for fast larval growth and low mortality in this study led to a comparable or less favourable n6/n3 fatty acid ratio compared to control diets used by commercial breeders. In conclusion, the mealworm species used in this study can be grown successfully on diets composed of organic by-products. Diet composition did not influence larval protein content, but did alter larval fat composition to a certain extent. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica), a potential biomass candidate for bioethanol: cell wall structural changes enhancing hydrolysis in a mild alkali pretreatment regime.

Science.gov (United States)

Haque, Md Azizul; Barman, Dhirendra Nath; Kim, Min Keun; Yun, Han Dae; Cho, Kye Man

2016-03-30

Imperata cylindrica is being considered as a biomass candidate for bioethanol. This work aimed to evaluate a mild alkali pretreatment effect on the Imperata recalcitrant structure. Therefore, varied concentrations of NaOH (0, 7.5, 15, 20, and 25 g L(-1) ) were applied as treatments to Imperata at 105 °C for 10 min. Scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies revealed that 20 to 25 g L(-1) NaOH-treated Imperata exposed amorphous cellulose on surface granules composed of lignin, waxes, and partly hemicelluloses were abolished due to the comprehensive disruption of the linkages between lignin and carbohydrates. The cellulose crystalline index was increased with 7.5 to 20 g L(-1) NaOH treatments and reduced with a 25 g L(-1) NaOH treatment. In fact, the cellulose content in solids increased with the increasing NaOH concentration and was estimated to be 720 and 740 g kg(-1) for the 20 and 25 g L(-1) NaOH treatments, respectively. The yield of the reducing sugar was obtained 805 and 813 mg g(-1) from 20 and 25 g L(-1) NaOH-treated Imperata, respectively. Considering the cost of pretreatment, the 20 g L(-1) NaOH treatment is judged to be effective for disrupting Imperata recalcitrance in this pretreatment regime. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

A 5.9 tesla conduction-cooled coil composed of a stack of four single pancakes wound with YBCO wide tapes

Science.gov (United States)

Iwai, Sadanori; Miyazaki, Hiroshi; Tosaka, Taizo; Tasaki, Kenji; Urata, Masami; Ioka, Shigeru; Ishii, Yusuke

2013-11-01

We have been developing a conduction-cooled coil wound with YBCO-coated conductors for HTS applications. Previously, we have fabricated a coil composed of a stack of 12 single pancakes wound with 4 mm-wide YBCO tapes. This coil had a central magnetic field as high as 5.1 T at 10 K under conduction-cooled conditions. In the present study, we fabricated and tested a coil composed of a stack of four single pancakes wound with 12 mm-wide YBCO tapes. The total size of the coil and the Jc value of the tapes were almost the same as those of the former coil. At 77 K, the voltage-current characteristics showed a high n-value of 24, confirming that the coil had no degradation. Furthermore, in a conduction-cooled configuration at 20 K to 60 K, the coil showed a high n-value of over 20. At 20 K, the central magnetic field reached 5.9 T at 903 A, which is 1.3-times higher than that of the former coil.

The predominant molecular state of bound enzyme determines the strength and type of product inhibition in the hydrolysis of recalcitrant polysaccharides by processive enzymes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuusk, Silja; Sørlie, Morten; Väljamäe, Priit

2015-05-01

Processive enzymes are major components of the efficient enzyme systems that are responsible for the degradation of the recalcitrant polysaccharides cellulose and chitin. Despite intensive research, there is no consensus on which step is rate-limiting for these enzymes. Here, we performed a comparative study of two well characterized enzymes, the cellobiohydrolase Cel7A from Hypocrea jecorina and the chitinase ChiA from Serratia marcescens. Both enzymes were inhibited by their disaccharide product, namely chitobiose for ChiA and cellobiose for Cel7A. The products behaved as noncompetitive inhibitors according to studies using the (14)C-labeled crystalline polymeric substrates (14)C chitin nanowhiskers and (14)C-labeled bacterial microcrystalline cellulose for ChiA and Cel7A, respectively. The resulting observed Ki (obs) values were 0.45 ± 0.08 mm for ChiA and 0.17 ± 0.02 mm for Cel7A. However, in contrast to ChiA, the Ki (obs) of Cel7A was an order of magnitude higher than the true Ki value governed by the thermodynamic stability of the enzyme-inhibitor complex. Theoretical analysis of product inhibition suggested that the inhibition strength and pattern can be accounted for by assuming different rate-limiting steps for ChiA and Cel7A. Measuring the population of enzymes whose active site was occupied by a polymer chain revealed that Cel7A was bound predominantly via its active site. Conversely, the active-site-mediated binding of ChiA was slow, and most ChiA exhibited a free active site, even when the substrate concentration was saturating for the activity. Collectively, our data suggest that complexation with the polymer chain is rate-limiting for ChiA, whereas Cel7A is limited by dissociation. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Tunneling magnetoresistance in junctions composed of ferromagnets and time-reversal invariant topological superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Zhongbo; Wan, Shaolong

2016-01-01

Tunneling magnetoresistance between two ferrromagnets is an issue of fundamental importance in spintronics. In this work, we show that tunneling magnetoresistance can also emerge in junctions composed of ferromagnets and time-reversal invariant topological superconductors without spin-rotation symmetry. Here the physical origin is that when the spin-polarization direction of an injected electron from the ferromagnet lies in the same plane of the spin-polarization direction of Majorana zero modes, the electron will undergo a perfect spin-equal Andreev reflection, while injected electrons with other spin-polarization directions will be partially Andreev reflected and partially normal reflected, which consequently has a lower conductance, and therefore, the magnetoresistance effect emerges. Compared to conventional magnetic tunnel junctions, an unprecedented advantage of the junctions studied here is that arbitrary high tunneling magnetoresistance can be obtained even when the magnetization of the ferromagnets are weak and the insulating tunneling barriers are featureless. Our findings provide a new fascinating mechanism to obtain high tunneling magnetoresistance. (paper)

The early Prague spring: Analysing the re-establishment of modernist aspects according to the example of three piano concertos by the “Prague group” of composers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Golubović Marija

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The interwar period brought about a number of modernist tendencies in the heterogeneous cultural context of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, which is particularly salient in the works of the young composers belonging to the so-called “Prague group.” Having completed their studies, dozens of composers and conductors, including Ljubica Marić (1909-2003, Stanojlo Rajičić (1910-2000 and Milan Ristić (1908-1982 contributed to the establishment of the new movement in the conservative milieu of interwar Belgrade. After World War II, socialist realism became, in effect, the only approved style for the artists of the period. However, only a decade after the Tito-Stalin split, modernist tendencies reappeared fullblown in the output of Yugoslav composers. It is therefore of the greatest interest to analyse and present the way in which modernist music managed to find its way back to Yugoslav composers, performers and audiences in such a short period of time (the 1950s. To do so, we have chosen three piano concertos, written at the very beginning, in the middle, and at the very end of this period. This overview would not have been possible if we had analysed works belonging to other genres, as most had already been established in the pre-war period. However, it is also safe to conclude that the limitations on the Yugoslav scene were not imposed only by political authorities, but also by the conservative tastes of its audience and society, which were already in place before WWII.

Comparative Analysis of the Approaches Used By Prospective Music Teachers in Turkey in Practicing the Piano Works of Contemporary Turkish Composers

Science.gov (United States)

Sönmezöz, Feyza

2015-01-01

This study determined the levels of recognizing piano works of contemporary Turkish composers, the importance of practicing these works and difficulty in playing these works by the prospective music teachers in the Departments of Music Education in Turkey. Furthermore, this study performed a comparative analysis on the opinions of the prospective…

Chemical and Physicochemical Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass: A Review

OpenAIRE

Brodeur, Gary; Yau, Elizabeth; Badal, Kimberly; Collier, John; Ramachandran, K. B.; Ramakrishnan, Subramanian

2011-01-01

Overcoming the recalcitrance (resistance of plant cell walls to deconstruction) of lignocellulosic biomass is a key step in the production of fuels and chemicals. The recalcitrance is due to the highly crystalline structure of cellulose which is embedded in a matrix of polymers-lignin and hemicellulose. The main goal of pretreatment is to overcome this recalcitrance, to separate the cellulose from the matrix polymers, and to make it more accessible for enzymatic hydrolysis. Reports have sh...

MetaCompose: A Compositional Evolutionary Music Composer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scirea, Marco; Togelius, Julian; Eklund, Peter

2016-01-01

This paper describes a compositional, extensible framework for music composition and a user study to systematically evaluate its core components. These components include a graph traversal-based chord sequence generator, a search-based melody generator and a pattern-based accompaniment generator...

Phase behaviour and microstructure of the micro-emulsions composed of cholinium-based ionic liquid, Triton X-100 and water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pei, Yuanchao; Huang, Yanjie; Li, Lin; Wang, Jianji

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The microemulsions composed of cholinium-based ionic liquid, Triton X-100 and water have been prepared and characterised. • Ternary phase diagrams of the microemulsions have been established at T = 298.15 K. • The microemulsions exhibit IL-in-water, bicontinuous and water-in-IL microstructures. • Droplets with the size smaller than 20 nm are formed in these IL-based microemulsions. - Abstract: In this paper, micro-emulsions composed of cholinium-based ionic liquids (ILs), octylphenol ethoxylate (Triton X-100) and water were prepared. These ternary systems were found to be stable over 12 months at room temperature. Their phase behaviour was investigated by using cloud titrations, and their microstructures were characterised by means of cyclic voltammetry and electrical conductance measurements at T = 298.15 K. It was shown that the micro-emulsions exhibited IL-in-water, bi-continuous and water-in-IL microstructures. Dynamic light scattering data suggest that Triton X-100 forms micelles in water, which were swelled by the ILs added. Droplets with the size about 20 nm were formed in these IL-based micro-emulsions, and the droplet size increased with the increase of the IL concentrations. These IL-based micro-emulsions may have potential in drug delivery, chemical reactions and nanomaterial preparation as a new type of nanoreactors

Intracellular ice and cell survival in cryo-exposed embryonic axes of recalcitrant seeds of Acer saccharinum: an ultrastructural study of factors affecting cell and ice structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Wesley-Smith, James; Berjak, Patricia; Pammenter, N W; Walters, Christina

2014-03-01

Cryopreservation is the only long-term conservation strategy available for germplasm of recalcitrant-seeded species. Efforts to cryopreserve this form of germplasm are hampered by potentially lethal intracellular freezing events; thus, it is important to understand the relationships among cryo-exposure techniques, water content, structure and survival. Undried embryonic axes of Acer saccharinum and those rapidly dried to two different water contents were cooled at three rates and re-warmed at two rates. Ultrastructural observations were carried out on radicle and shoot tips prepared by freeze-fracture and freeze-substitution to assess immediate (i.e. pre-thaw) responses to cooling treatments. Survival of axes was assessed in vitro. Intracellular ice formation was not necessarily lethal. Embryo cells survived when crystal diameter was between 0·2 and 0·4 µm and fewer than 20 crystals were distributed per μm(2) in the cytoplasm. Ice was not uniformly distributed within the cells. In fully hydrated axes cooled at an intermediate rate, the interiors of many organelles were apparently ice-free; this may have prevented the disruption of vital intracellular machinery. Intracytoplasmic ice formation did not apparently impact the integrity of the plasmalemma. The maximum number of ice crystals was far greater in shoot apices, which were more sensitive than radicles to cryo-exposure. The findings challenge the accepted paradigm that intracellular ice formation is always lethal, as the results show that cells can survive intracellular ice if crystals are small and localized in the cytoplasm. Further understanding of the interactions among water content, cooling rate, cell structure and ice structure is required to optimize cryopreservation treatments without undue reliance on empirical approaches.

Effective Beginning Handwriting Instruction: Multi-modal, Consistent Format for 2 Years, and Linked to Spelling and Composing.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolf, Beverly; Abbott, Robert D; Berninger, Virginia W

2017-02-01

In Study 1, the treatment group ( N = 33 first graders, M = 6 years 10 months, 16 girls) received Slingerland multi-modal (auditory, visual, tactile, motor through hand, and motor through mouth) manuscript (unjoined) handwriting instruction embedded in systematic spelling, reading, and composing lessons; and the control group ( N =16 first graders, M = 7 years 1 month, 7 girls) received manuscript handwriting instruction not systematically related to the other literacy activities. ANOVA showed both groups improved on automatic alphabet writing from memory; but ANCOVA with the automatic alphabet writing task as covariate showed that the treatment group improved significantly more than control group from the second to ninth month of first grade on dictated spelling and recognition of word-specific spellings among phonological foils. In Study 2 new groups received either a second year of manuscript ( N = 29, M = 7 years 8 months, 16 girls) or introduction to cursive (joined) instruction in second grade ( N = 24, M = 8 years 0 months, 11 girls) embedded in the Slingerland literacy program. ANCOVA with automatic alphabet writing as covariate showed that those who received a second year of manuscript handwriting instruction improved more on sustained handwriting over 30, 60, and 90 seconds than those who had had only one year of manuscript instruction; both groups improved in spelling and composing from the second to ninth month of second grade. Results are discussed in reference to mastering one handwriting format before introducing another format at a higher grade level and always embedding handwriting instruction in writing and reading instruction aimed at all levels of language.

Effective Beginning Handwriting Instruction: Multi-modal, Consistent Format for 2 Years, and Linked to Spelling and Composing

Science.gov (United States)

Wolf, Beverly; Abbott, Robert D.; Berninger, Virginia W.

2016-01-01

In Study 1, the treatment group (N = 33 first graders, M = 6 years 10 months, 16 girls) received Slingerland multi-modal (auditory, visual, tactile, motor through hand, and motor through mouth) manuscript (unjoined) handwriting instruction embedded in systematic spelling, reading, and composing lessons; and the control group (N =16 first graders, M = 7 years 1 month, 7 girls) received manuscript handwriting instruction not systematically related to the other literacy activities. ANOVA showed both groups improved on automatic alphabet writing from memory; but ANCOVA with the automatic alphabet writing task as covariate showed that the treatment group improved significantly more than control group from the second to ninth month of first grade on dictated spelling and recognition of word-specific spellings among phonological foils. In Study 2 new groups received either a second year of manuscript (N = 29, M = 7 years 8 months, 16 girls) or introduction to cursive (joined) instruction in second grade (N = 24, M = 8 years 0 months, 11 girls) embedded in the Slingerland literacy program. ANCOVA with automatic alphabet writing as covariate showed that those who received a second year of manuscript handwriting instruction improved more on sustained handwriting over 30, 60, and 90 seconds than those who had had only one year of manuscript instruction; both groups improved in spelling and composing from the second to ninth month of second grade. Results are discussed in reference to mastering one handwriting format before introducing another format at a higher grade level and always embedding handwriting instruction in writing and reading instruction aimed at all levels of language. PMID:28190930

Effects of transcription ability and transcription mode on translation: Evidence from written compositions, language bursts and pauses when students in grades 4 to 9, with and without persisting dyslexia or dysgraphia, compose by pen or by keyboard

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scott F. Beers

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This study explored the effects of transcription on translation products and processes of adolescent students in grades 4 to 9 with and without persisting specific language disabilities in written language (SLDs—WL. To operationalize transcription ability (handwriting and spelling and transcription mode (by pen on digital tablet or by standard US keyboard, diagnostic groups contrasting in patterns of transcription ability were compared while composing autobiographical (personal narratives by handwriting or by keyboarding: Typically developing students (n=15, students with dyslexia (impaired word reading and spelling, n=20, and students with dysgraphia (impaired handwriting, n=19. They were compared on seven outcomes: total words composed, total composing time, words per minute, percent of spelling errors, average length of pauses, average number of pauses per minute, and average length of language bursts. They were also compared on automaticity of transcription modes—writing the alphabet from memory by handwriting or keyboarding (they could look at keys. Mixed ANOVAs yielded main effects for diagnostic group on percent of spelling errors, words per minute, and length of language burst. Main effects for transcription modes were found for automaticity of writing modes, total words composed, words per minute, and length of language bursts; there were no significant interactions. Regardless of mode, the dyslexia group had more spelling errors, showed a slower rate of composing, and produced shorter language bursts than the typical group. The total number of words, total time composing, words composed per minute, and pauses per minute were greater for keyboarding than handwriting, but length of language bursts was greater for handwriting. Implications of these results for conceptual models of composing and educational assessment practices are discussed.

Challenges related to the measurement of components composed of more than one material using computed tomography by absorption of X-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Diogo Cesar B.; Yamanaka, Douglas M.; Baldo, Christian R.

2013-01-01

This paper discusses the issues involved in inspecting by X-ray tomography objects composed of more than one material. It addresses the following measurement cases: continuity analysis in copper wire insulation layer, alignment analysis between a metallic shaft and its plastic body; analysis of the distribution of different materials inside a concrete sample. (author)

Neutronic study of spherical cold-neutron sources composed of liquid hydrogen and liquid deuterium

CERN Document Server

Matsuo, Y; Nagaya, Y

2003-01-01

Using the cross-section model for neutron scattering in liquid H sub 2 and D sub 2 , a neutron transport analysis is performed for spherical cold-neutron sources composed of either para H sub 2 , normal H sub 2 or normal D sub 2. A special effort is made to generate a set of energy-averaged cross-sections (80 group constants between 0.1 mu eV and 10 eV) for liquid H sub 2 and D sub 2 at melting and boiling points. A number of conclusions on the spherical cold-neutron source configurations are drawn. It is especially shown that the highest cold-neutron flux is obtainable from the normal D sub 2 source with a radius of about 50 cm, while the normal- and para-H sub 2 sources with radii around 3-4 cm produce maximum cold-neutron fluxes at the center.

Open-shell characters and second hyperpolarizabilities of one-dimensional graphene nanoflakes composed of trigonal graphene units.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoneda, Kyohei; Nakano, Masayoshi; Fukui, Hitoshi; Minami, Takuya; Shigeta, Yasuteru; Kubo, Takashi; Botek, Edith; Champagne, Benoît

2011-06-20

The impact of topology on the open-shell characters and the second hyperpolarizabilities (γ) has been addressed for one-dimensional graphene nanoflakes (GNFs) composed of the smallest trigonal graphene (phenalenyl) units. The main results are: 1) These GNFs show not only diradical but also multiradical characters when increasing the number of linked units. 2) GNFs composed of an equivalent number of units can exhibit a wide range of open-shell characters-from nearly closed-shell to pure multiradical characters-depending on the linking pattern of the trigonal units. 3) This wide variation in open-shell characters is explained by their resonance structures and/or by their (HOMO-i)-(LUMO+i) gaps deduced from the orbital correlations. 4) The change in the linking structure of the units can effectively control their open-shell characters as well as their γ values, of which the longitudinal components are significantly enhanced for the singlet GNFs having intermediate open-shell characters. 5) Singlet alternately linked (AL) systems present intermediate multiradical characters even in the case of a large number of units, which creates a significant enhancement of γ with increasing the size, whereas nonalternately linked (NAL) systems, which present pure multiradical characters, possess much smaller γ values. Finally 6) by switching from the singlet to the highest spin states, the γ values of NAL systems hardly change, whereas those of AL systems exhibit large reductions. These fascinating structure-property relationships between the topology of the GNFs, their open-shell characters, and their γ values not only deepen the understanding of open-shell characters of GNFs but aim also at stimulating further design studies to achieve giant NLO responses based on open-shell graphene-like materials. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Third-order nonlinear optical properties of open-shell supermolecular systems composed of acetylene linked phenalenyl radicals.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakano, Masayoshi; Kishi, Ryohei; Yoneda, Kyohei; Inoue, Yudai; Inui, Tomoya; Shigeta, Yasuteru; Kubo, Takashi; Champagne, Benoît

2011-08-11

The third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties, at the molecular level, the static second hyperpolarizabilities, γ, of supermolecular systems composed of phenalenyl and pyrene rings linked by acetylene units are investigated by employing the long-range corrected spin-unrestricted density functional theory, LC-UBLYP, method. The phenalenyl based superethylene, superallyl, and superbutadiene in their lowest spin states have intermediate diradical characters and exhibit larger γ values than the closed-shell pyrene based superpolyene systems. The introduction of a positive charge into the phenalenyl based superallyl radical changes the sign of γ and enhances its amplitude by a factor of 35. Although such sign inversion is also observed in the allyl radical and cation systems in their ground state equilibrium geometries, the relative amplitude of γ is much different, that is, |γ(regular allyl cation)/γ(regular allyl radical)| = 0.61 versus |γ(phenalenyl based superallyl cation)/γ(phenalenyl based superallyl radical)| = 35. In contrast, the model ethylene, allyl radical/cation, and butadiene systems with stretched carbon-carbon bond lengths (2.0 Å), having intermediate diradical characters, exhibit similar γ features to those of the phenalenyl based superpolyene systems. This exemplifies that the size dependence of γ as well as its sign change by introducing a positive charge on the phenalenyl based superpolyene systems originate from their intermediate diradical characters. In addition, the change from the lowest to the highest π-electron spin states significantly reduces the γ amplitudes of the neutral phenalenyl based superpolyene systems. For phenalenyl based superallyl cation, the sign inversion of γ (from negative to positive) is observed upon switching between the singlet and triplet states, which is predicted to be associated with a modification of the balance between the positive and negative contributions to γ. The present study paves the way

Diversity, Prevalence, and Longitudinal Occurrence of Type II Toxin-Antitoxin Systems of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infecting Cystic Fibrosis Lungs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Breum Andersen, Sandra; Ghoul, Melanie; Griffin, Ashleigh S.

2017-01-01

Type II toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are most commonly composed of two genes encoding a stable toxin, which harms the cell, and an unstable antitoxin that can inactivate it. TA systems were initially characterized as selfish elements, but have recently gained attention for regulating general stress...... responses responsible for pathogen virulence, formation of drug-tolerant persister cells and biofilms—all implicated in causing recalcitrant chronic infections. We use a bioinformatics approach to explore the distribution and evolution of type II TA loci of the opportunistic pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa...... in their core genome and a variable number of the remaining 22 on genomic islands; (2) limited mutations in core genome TA loci, suggesting they are not under negative selection; (3) no evidence for horizontal transmission of elements with TA systems between clone types within patients, despite their ability...

The role of the Pauli principle in three-cluster systems composed of identical clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lashko, Yu.A.; Filippov, G.F.

2009-01-01

Within the microscopic model based on the algebraic version of the resonating group method the role of the Pauli principle in the formation of continuum wave function of nuclear systems composed of three identical s-clusters has been investigated. Emphasis is placed upon the study of the exchange effects contained in the genuine three-cluster norm kernel. Three-fermion, three-boson, three-dineutron (3d ' ) and 3α systems are considered in detail. Simple analytical method of constructing the norm kernel for 3α system is suggested. The Pauli-allowed basis functions for the 3α and 3d ' systems are given in an explicit form and asymptotic behavior of these functions is established. Complete classification of the eigenfunctions and the eigenvalues of the 12 C norm kernel by the 8 Be=α+α eigenvalues has been given for the first time. Spectrum of the 12 C norm kernel is compared to that of the 5 H system.

Implantable bladder volume sensor based on resistor ladder network composed of conductive hydrogel composite.

Science.gov (United States)

Mi Kyung Kim; Hyojung Kim; Jung, Yeon Su; Adem, Kenana M A; Bawazir, Sarah S; Stefanini, Cesare; Lee, Hyunjoo J

2017-07-01

An accurate bladder volume monitoring system is a critical component in diagnosis and treatment of urological disorders. Here, we report an implantable bladder volume sensor with a multi-level resistor ladder which estimates the bladder volume through discrete resistance values. Discretization allows the sensor output to be resilient to the long-term drift, hysteresis, and degradation of the sensor materials. Our sensor is composed of biocompatible polypyrrole/agarose hydrogel composite. Because Young's modulus of this composite is comparable to that of the bladder wall, the effect of mechanical loading of the sensor on the bladder movement is minimized which allows more accurate volume monitoring. We also demonstrate the patterning and molding capability of this material by fabrication various structures. Lastly, we successfully demonstrate the functionality of the multi-level resistor ladder sensor as a bladder volume sensor by attaching the sensor on the pig's bladder and observing the impedance change of the sensor.

Detection of irradiated components in flavour blends composed of non-irradiated species herbs and vegetable seasonings by thermoluminescence method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malec-Czechowska, K.; Stachowicz, W.

2003-01-01

The results of experiments on the detection of irradiated component in commercial flavour blends composed of a mixture of non-irradiated spices, herbs and seasonings are presented. A method based on the thermoluminescence measurements on silicate materials isolated from blends has been adapted. It has been proved that by applying of this technique it is possible to detect 0.95% by weight of paprika, irradiated with a dose of 7 kGy, which was a minor component of non-irradiated flavour blends. (author)

How do the Polytechnic Students Cope with the Difficulties in Composing Abstracts for Their Final Projects?

Science.gov (United States)

Niswatin, C.; Latief, M. A.; Suharyadi, S.

2018-02-01

This research aims to uncover the fact about engineering students in dealing with composing abstracts for their final projects. The research applies a descriptive qualitative quantitative design. The data were collected through questioners involving 104 engineering students, including the alumni at Politeknik Kota Malang, Indonesia. Furthermore, interviews were carried out to explain the details where necessary to support the primary data. It is found that the common problems faced by engineering students include 1) combining words into sentences, 2) identifying the most appropriate technical terms in engineering, and 3) applying grammar in context. To cope with those difficulties they demanded translation application machines, supported by peer-proofreaders. In addition, they considerably engaged personal tutoring with the lectures more than three times.

Size-dependent filtration of nanoparticles on porous films composed by polystyrene microsphere monolayers and applications in site-selective deposition of nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruan, Weidong; Zhou, Tieli; Sun, Chengbin; Tao, Yanchun; Lu, Fei; Wang, Xu; Zhao, Bing; Cui, Yinqiu

2015-01-01

Composite films composed of polystyrene (PS) microsphere monolayers and gold (Au) and/or silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) decorations were prepared by a novel size-dependent filtration effect on close-packed PS microsphere arrays. The uniform pores inlaid in the PS monolayer films acted as the transport tunnels for NPs. The steric restriction induced by the size of the pores was used as a main strategy to fabricate hybrid micro/nano films, which were composed of PS microspheres with inhomogeneous anisotropic decorations. The Au and Ag NPs were used as the building blocks to decorate the PS microspheres through a layer-by-layer self-assembly technique with the aid of polyelectrolyte coupling agents. Only the small particles which could pass through the micropores could reach to and deposit on the inner surfaces of the PS microsphere monolayer films. Large particles remained on the outside and could only deposit on the outer surfaces. Thus, the inhomogeneous anisotropic decoration was obtained. This study provides a novel strategy for fabricating anisotropic micro/nanostructures by the size-dependent filtration effect of NPs on porous films and has the potential in applications of anisotropic self-assembly, sensor, and surface modifications at nanoscale.

Size-dependent filtration of nanoparticles on porous films composed by polystyrene microsphere monolayers and applications in site-selective deposition of nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruan, Weidong [Jilin University, State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials (China); Zhou, Tieli [Changchun University, College of Food Engineering and Landscape Architecture (China); Sun, Chengbin; Tao, Yanchun; Lu, Fei; Wang, Xu; Zhao, Bing, E-mail: zhaob@mail.jlu.edu.cn [Jilin University, State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials (China); Cui, Yinqiu, E-mail: cuiyq@jlu.edu.cn [Jilin University, School of Life Sciences (China)

2015-10-15

Composite films composed of polystyrene (PS) microsphere monolayers and gold (Au) and/or silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) decorations were prepared by a novel size-dependent filtration effect on close-packed PS microsphere arrays. The uniform pores inlaid in the PS monolayer films acted as the transport tunnels for NPs. The steric restriction induced by the size of the pores was used as a main strategy to fabricate hybrid micro/nano films, which were composed of PS microspheres with inhomogeneous anisotropic decorations. The Au and Ag NPs were used as the building blocks to decorate the PS microspheres through a layer-by-layer self-assembly technique with the aid of polyelectrolyte coupling agents. Only the small particles which could pass through the micropores could reach to and deposit on the inner surfaces of the PS microsphere monolayer films. Large particles remained on the outside and could only deposit on the outer surfaces. Thus, the inhomogeneous anisotropic decoration was obtained. This study provides a novel strategy for fabricating anisotropic micro/nanostructures by the size-dependent filtration effect of NPs on porous films and has the potential in applications of anisotropic self-assembly, sensor, and surface modifications at nanoscale.

Assessing two different peroxidases´ potential for application in recalcitrant organic compound bioremediation Evaluación del potencial de dos peróxidas para su aplicación en biorremedación de compuestos orgánicos recalcitrantes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Torres Rodrigo

2001-12-01

Full Text Available This work shows the promising future presented by the following enzymes: Chloroperoxidase (CPO from Caldariomyces fumago and royal palm peroxidase (Roystonea regia, PPR. These peroxidases were obtained from different sources (microbial and vegetable and used as biocatalysts for applicating them in bioremediation of recalcitrant organic compounds. Each one of the enzymes' peroxidase catalytic activity was evaluated in organic phase systems, using different model compounds such as: PAHs (pyrene and anthracene, organic-nitrogenated compounds (diphenylamine, monoaromatic phenolic molecules (guayacol and dyes (methyl orange and ABTS. The reaction systems were composed of mono-phase water mixtures and organic miscible solvent (methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl formamide, on which both peroxidases' catalytic activity was evaluated. The two enzymes' catalytic activity was observed on the evaluated substrates in most of these assays. However, PPR did not show biocatalytic oxidation for methyl orange dye and some PAHs. This enzyme did show the best tolerance to the evaluated solvents. Its catalytic activity was appreciably enhanced when low hydrophobic solvents were used. The kcat was calculated from this experimental data (as kinetic parameter leading to each enzyme's biocatalytic performance on substrates being compared.El presente trabajo demuestra el promisorio futuro que presentan las enzimas cloroperoxidasa del hongo Caldariomyces fumago (CPO y la peroxidasa de palma real (Roystonea regia, PPR, dos peroxidasas de diferente fuente (microbiana y vegetal, usadas como biocatalizadores para aplicación en biorremediación de compuestos orgánicos recalcitrantes. Para este estudio, se evaluó la actividad catalítica tipo peroxidasa, en sistemas de fase orgánica, de cada una de las enzimas empleando diferentes compuestos modelos tales como: PAH's (pireno y antraceno, órgano nitrogenados

Electrochemical H2O2 biosensor composed of myoglobin on MoS2 nanoparticle-graphene oxide hybrid structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Jinho; Lee, Taek; Bapurao G, Bharate; Jo, Jinhee; Oh, Byung-Keun; Choi, Jeong-Woo

2017-07-15

In this research, the electrochemical biosensor composed of myoglobin (Mb) on molybdenum disulfide nanoparticles (MoS 2 NP) encapsulated with graphene oxide (GO) was fabricated for the detection of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). Hybrid structure composed of MoS 2 NP and GO (GO@MoS 2 ) was fabricated for the first time to enhance the electrochemical signal of the biosensor. As a sensing material, Mb was introduced to fabricate the biosensor for H 2 O 2 detection. Formation and immobilization of GO@MoS 2 was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy. Immobilization of Mb, and electrochemical property of biosensor were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and amperometric i-t measurements. Fabricated biosensor showed the electrochemical signal enhanced redox current as -1.86μA at an oxidation potential and 1.95μA at a reduction potential that were enhanced relative to those of electrode prepared without GO@MoS 2 . Also, this biosensor showed the reproducibility of electrochemical signal, and retained the property until 9 days from fabrication. Upon addition of H 2 O 2 , the biosensor showed enhanced amperometric response current with selectivity relative to that of the biosensor prepared without GO@MoS 2 . This novel hybrid material-based biosensor can suggest a milestone in the development of a highly sensitive detecting platform for biosensor fabrication with highly sensitive detection of target molecules other than H 2 O 2 . Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Oxidation behaviour of Ti2AIN films composed mainly of nanolaminated MAX phase.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Q M; Garkas, W; Renteria, A Flores; Leyens, C; Kim, K H

2011-10-01

In this paper, we reported the oxidation behaviour of Ti2AIN films on polycrystalline Al2O3 substrates. The Ti2AIN films composed mainly of nanolaminated MAX phase was obtained by first depositing Ti-Al-N films using reactive sputtering of two elemental Ti and Al targets in Ar/N2 atmosphere and subsequent vacuum annealing at 800 degrees C for 1 h. The Ti2AIN films exhibited excellent oxidation resistance and thermal stability at 600-900 degrees C in air. Very low mass gain was observed. At low temperature (600 degrees C), no oxide crystals were observed on film surface. Blade-like Theta-Al2O3 fine crystals formed on film surfaces at 700-800 degrees C. At high temperature (900 degrees C), firstly Theta-Al2O3 formed on film surface and then transformed into alpha-Al2O3. At 700-900 degrees C, a continuous Al2O3 layer formed on Ti2AIN films surface, acting as diffusion barrier preventing further oxidation attack. The mechanism of the excellent oxidation resistance of Ti2AIN films was discussed based on the experimental results.

Laser phase and frequency noise measurement by Michelson interferometer composed of a 3 × 3 optical fiber coupler.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Dan; Yang, Fei; Chen, Dijun; Wei, Fang; Cai, Haiwen; Fang, Zujie; Qu, Ronghui

2015-08-24

A laser phase and frequency noise measurement method by an unbalanced Michelson interferometer composed of a 3 × 3 optical fiber coupler is proposed. The relations and differences of the power spectral density (PSD) of differential phase and frequency fluctuation, PSD of instantaneous phase and frequency fluctuation, phase noise and linewidth are derived strictly and discussed carefully. The method obtains the noise features of a narrow linewidth laser conveniently without any specific assumptions or noise models. The technique is also used to characterize the noise features of a narrow linewidth external-cavity semiconductor laser, which confirms the correction and robustness of the method.

TO THE RIVER OF BABYLON AND THE DOORS OF REPENTANCE PRAYERS FROM THE VESPERS AND MATINS HYMNS CYCLE BY M. BEREZOVSCHI -EXAMPLES OF APPROACHING THE CREATIONS OF OTHER COMPOSERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BARBANOI HRISTINA

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In this article are analysed two prayers which are performed in church in the Triodion period – „To the river of Baby­lon” prayer and „The Doors of Repentance” prayer from „The Vespers and Matins Hymns” a cycle by Mihail Berezovschi. The author shows the way in which the Bessarabian composer approached the creations of two composers of slavonic tradi­tion- V. Krupiţki and A. Vedel, determining the degree of involvement in the original scores and the changes conferred to the two prayers, at the same time, succeeding to establish the meaning that lies hidden behind the indications of the Bessarabian composer „aranjat” for „To the River of Babylon” prayer versus the „aranjat şi apus” remark for „he Doors of Repentance” prayer. he author of this article realizes a comparative analysis between the two prayers, revealing the content of the text and its musical treatment, the texture features, the harmonic peculiarities, implicitly the degree of popularity and their viability.

Some considerations on the evolution of the genre of opera in the creation of composers from bessarabia

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MORARU EMILIA

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The present paper is dedicated to revealing some stylistic and genre peculiarities characteristic of the opera creations written by composers from Moldova. The author considers it to be necessary to bring out, at the beginning, some important historical events that marked the destiny of culture of the space between the Dniester and the Prut, events that contributed to the foundation of an opera theatre and a national music school. The proceedings of valorising folklore, the utilized musical language and the composition thinking of the opera creations from Moldova are identiied in the article starting with 1924 (on the debut of the first opera and up to 2004 (the last „word” said in this genre.

Extension of the mixed dual finite element method to the solution of the SPN transport equation in 2D unstructured geometries composed by arbitrary quadrilaterals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lautard, J.J.; Flumiani, T.

2003-01-01

The mixed dual finite element method is usually used for the resolution of the SPN transport equations (simplified PN equations) in 3D homogenized geometries (composed by homogenized rectangles or hexagons). This method produces fast results with little memory requirements. We have extended the previous method to the treatment of unstructured geometries composed by quadrilaterals (for the moment limited to 2D), allowing us to treat geometries where fuel pins are exactly represented. The iterative resolution of the resulting matrix system is a generalization of the one already developed for the cartesian and the hexagonal geometries. In order to illustrate and to show the efficiency of this method, results on the NEA-C5G7-MOX benchmark are given. The previous benchmark has been extended for the hexagonal geometry and we provide here some results. This method is a first step towards the treatment of pin by pin core calculations without homogenization. The present solver is a prototype. It shows the efficiency of the method and it has to be extended to 3D calculations as well as to exact transport calculations. We also intend to extend the method to the treatment of unstructured geometries composed by quadrilaterals with curved edges (sectors of a circle).The iterative algorithm has yet to be accelerated using multigrid techniques through a coupling with the present homogenized solver (MINOS). In the future, it will be included in the next generation neutronic toolbox DESCARTES currently under development

Study of UO{sub 2}F{sub 2} - H{sub 2}O - HF compounds; Etude des composes UO{sub 2}F{sub 2} - H{sub 2}O - HF

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

1961-07-01

We study various compounds resulting from the interaction of UO{sub 2}F{sub 2} with H{sub 2}O and HF (gas), and various triple compounds UO{sub 2}F{sub 2} - H{sub 2}O - HF; the conditions of decomposition and the thermodynamic limits of stability are specified. (author) [French] Nous etudions divers composes formes par reaction de UO{sub 2}F{sub 2} avec H{sub 2}O et HF (gaz) et divers composes triples UO{sub 2}F{sub 2} - H{sub 2}O - HF, en essayant de preciser les decompositions et domaines d'exisfence thermodynamiques de ces corps. (auteur)

Charge transfer processes in hybrid solar cells composed of amorphous silicon and organic materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schaefer, Sebastian; Neher, Dieter [Universitaet Potsdam, Inst. Physik u. Astronomie, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24/25, 14467 Potsdam-Golm (Germany); Schulze, Tim; Korte, Lars [Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin, Inst. fuer Silizium Photovoltaik, Kekulestrasse 5, 12489 Berlin (Germany)

2011-07-01

The efficiency of hybrid solar cells composed of organic materials and amorphous hydrogenated silicon (a-Si:H) strongly depends upon the efficiency of charge transfer processes at the inorganic-organic interface. We investigated the performance of devices comprising an ITO/a-Si:H(n-type)/a-Si:H(intrinsic)/organic/metal multilayer structure and using two different organic components: zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). The results show higher power conversion- and quantum efficiencies for the P3HT based cells, compared to ZnPc. This can be explained by larger energy-level offset at the interface between the organic layer and a-Si:H, which facilitates hole transfer from occupied states in the valence band tail to the HOMO of the organic material and additionally promotes exciton splitting. The performance of the a-Si:H/P3HT cells can be further improved by treatment of the amorphous silicon surface with hydrofluoric acid (HF) and p-type doping of P3HT with F4TCNQ. The improved cells reached maximum power conversion efficiencies of 1%.

Geometrically Nonlinear Static Analysis of Edge Cracked Timoshenko Beams Composed of Functionally Graded Material

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Şeref Doğuşcan Akbaş

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Geometrically nonlinear static analysis of edge cracked cantilever Timoshenko beams composed of functionally graded material (FGM subjected to a nonfollower transversal point load at the free end of the beam is studied with large displacements and large rotations. Material properties of the beam change in the height direction according to exponential distributions. The cracked beam is modeled as an assembly of two subbeams connected through a massless elastic rotational spring. In the study, the finite element of the beam is constructed by using the total Lagrangian Timoshenko beam element approximation. The nonlinear problem is solved by using incremental displacement-based finite element method in conjunction with Newton-Raphson iteration method. The convergence study is performed for various numbers of finite elements. In the study, the effects of the location of crack, the depth of the crack, and various material distributions on the nonlinear static response of the FGM beam are investigated in detail. Also, the difference between the geometrically linear and nonlinear analysis of edge cracked FGM beam is investigated in detail.

Chiral twist drives raft formation and organization in membranes composed of rod-like particles

Science.gov (United States)

Lubensky, Tom C.

2017-01-01

Lipid rafts are hypothesized to facilitate protein interaction, tension regulation, and trafficking in biological membranes, but the mechanisms responsible for their formation and maintenance are not clear. Insights into many other condensed matter phenomena have come from colloidal systems, whose micron-scale particles mimic basic properties of atoms and molecules but permit dynamic visualization with single-particle resolution. Recently, experiments showed that bidisperse mixtures of filamentous viruses can self-assemble into colloidal monolayers with thermodynamically stable rafts exhibiting chiral structure and repulsive interactions. We quantitatively explain these observations by modeling the membrane particles as chiral liquid crystals. Chiral twist promotes the formation of finite-sized rafts and mediates a repulsion that distributes them evenly throughout the membrane. Although this system is composed of filamentous viruses whose aggregation is entropically driven by dextran depletants instead of phospholipids and cholesterol with prominent electrostatic interactions, colloidal and biological membranes share many of the same physical symmetries. Chiral twist can contribute to the behavior of both systems and may account for certain stereospecific effects observed in molecular membranes. PMID:27999184

Composing Distributed Services for Selection and Retrieval of Event Data in the ATLAS Experiment

CERN Document Server

Vinek, E; The ATLAS collaboration

2011-01-01

TAGs are event-level metadata allowing a quick search for interesting events for further analysis, based on selection criteria defined by the user. They are stored in a file-based format as well as in relational databases. The overall TAG system encompasses a range of web services providing functionality for the required use cases. The data as well as the services are replicated to several ATLAS sites, i.e. inside each service group there exist several concrete deployments, differing only in site-related non-functional attributes. In order to satisfy a user's request, the above mentioned atomic data sources and web services have to be composed on demand to provide the required functionality. As several instances of each service exist, one service has to be selected out of each group. The overall goal is to maximize the system’s throughput, in order to give to as many users as possible efficient access to the TAGs, while meeting end-to-end quality of service (QoS) requirements. Many approaches can be found t...

Composing Distributed Services for Selection and Retrieval of Event Data in the ATLAS Experiment

CERN Document Server

Vinek, E; The ATLAS collaboration; Zhang, Q

2010-01-01

TAGs are event-level metadata allowing a quick search for interesting events for further analysis, based on selection criteria defined by the user. They are stored in a file-based format as well as in relational databases. The overall TAG system encompasses a range of web services providing functionality for the required use cases. The data as well as the services are replicated to several ATLAS sites, i.e. inside each service group there exist several concrete deployments, differing only in site-related non-functional attributes. In order to satisfy a user’s request, the above mentioned atomic data sources and web services have to be composed on demand to provide the full functionality. As several instances of each service exist, one service has to be selected out of each group. The overall goal is to maximize the system’s throughput, in order to give to as many users as possible efficient access to the TAGs, while meeting end-to-end quality of service (QoS) requirements. Many approaches can be found to ...

HuH-7 reference genome profile: complex karyotype composed of massive loss of heterozygosity.

Science.gov (United States)

Kasai, Fumio; Hirayama, Noriko; Ozawa, Midori; Satoh, Motonobu; Kohara, Arihiro

2018-05-17

Human cell lines represent a valuable resource as in vitro experimental models. A hepatoma cell line, HuH-7 (JCRB0403), has been used extensively in various research fields and a number of studies using this line have been published continuously since it was established in 1982. However, an accurate genome profile, which can be served as a reliable reference, has not been available. In this study, we performed M-FISH, SNP microarray and amplicon sequencing to characterize the cell line. Single cell analysis of metaphases revealed a high level of heterogeneity with a mode of 60 chromosomes. Cytogenetic results demonstrated chromosome abnormalities involving every chromosome in addition to a massive loss of heterozygosity, which accounts for 55.3% of the genome, consistent with the homozygous variants seen in the sequence analysis. We provide empirical data that the HuH-7 cell line is composed of highly heterogeneous cell populations, suggesting that besides cell line authentication, the quality of cell lines needs to be taken into consideration in the future use of tumor cell lines.

Thermochemolysis: A New Sample Preparation Approach for the Detection of Organic Components of Complex Macromolecules in Mars Rocks via Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry in SAM on MSL

Science.gov (United States)

Eugenbrode, J.; Glavin, D.; Dworkin, J.; Conrad, P.; Mahaffy, P.

2011-01-01

Organic chemicals, when present in extraterrestrial samples, afford precious insight into past and modern conditions elsewhere in the Solar System . No single technology identifies all molecular components because naturally occurring molecules have different chemistries (e.g., polar vs. non-polar, low to high molecular weight) and interface with the ambient sample chemistry in a variety of modes (i.e., organics may be bonded, absorbed or trapped by minerals, liquids, gases, or other organics). More than 90% of organic matter in most natural samples on Earth and in meteorites is composed of complex macromolecules (e.g. biopolymers, complex biomolecules, humic substances, kerogen) because the processes that tend to break down organic molecules also tend towards complexation of the more recalcitrant components. Thus, methodologies that tap the molecular information contained within macromolecules may be critical to detecting extraterrestrial organic matter and assessing the sources and processes influencing its nature.

Universality in the relaxation dynamics of the composed black-hole-charged-massive-scalar-field system: The role of quantum Schwinger discharge

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Shahar Hod

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The quasinormal resonance spectrum {ωn(μ,q,M,Q}n=0n=∞ of charged massive scalar fields in the charged Reissner–Nordström black-hole spacetime is studied analytically in the large-coupling regime qQ≫Mμ (here {μ,q} are respectively the mass and charge coupling constant of the field, and {M,Q} are respectively the mass and electric charge of the black hole. This physical system provides a striking illustration for the validity of the universal relaxation bound τ×T≥ħ/π in black-hole physics (here τ≡1/ℑω0 is the characteristic relaxation time of the composed black-hole-scalar-field system, and T is the Bekenstein–Hawking temperature of the black hole. In particular, it is shown that the relaxation dynamics of charged massive scalar fields in the charged Reissner–Nordström black-hole spacetime may saturate this quantum time-times-temperature inequality. Interestingly, we prove that potential violations of the bound by light scalar fields are excluded by the Schwinger-type pair-production mechanism (a vacuum polarization effect, a quantum phenomenon which restricts the physical parameters of the composed black-hole-charged-field system to the regime qQ≪M2μ2/ħ.

Magnetic motion capture system using LC resonant magnetic marker composed of Ni-Zn ferrite core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashi, S.; Toyoda, M.; Ohya, M.; Okazaki, Y.; Yabukami, S.; Ishiyama, K.; Arai, K. I.

2006-01-01

We have proposed a magnetic motion capture system using an LC resonant magnetic marker. The proposed system is composed of an exciting coil, an LC marker, and a 5x5-matrix search coil array (25 search coils). The LC marker is small and has a minimal circuit with no battery and can be driven wirelessly by the action of electromagnetic induction. It consists of a Ni-Zn ferrite core (3 mmφx10 mm) with a wound coil and a chip capacitor, forming an LC series circuit with a resonant frequency of 186 kHz. The relative position accuracy of the system is less than 1 mm within the area of 100 mm 3 up to 150 mm from the search coil array. Compared with dc magnetic systems, the proposed system is applicable for precision motion capture in optically isolated spaces without magnetic shielding because the system is not greatly influenced by earth field noise

Two steps hydrothermal growth and characterisations of BaTiO3 films composed of nanowires

Science.gov (United States)

Zawawi, Che Zaheerah Najeehah Che Mohd; Salleh, Shahril; Oon Jew, Lee; Tufail Chaudhary, Kashif; Helmi, Mohamad; Safwan Aziz, Muhammad; Haider, Zuhaib; Ali, Jalil

2018-05-01

Barium titanate (BaTiO3) films composed of nanowires have gained considerable research interest due to their lead-free composition and strong energy conversion efficiency. BaTiO3 films can be developed with a simple two steps hydrothermal reactions, which are low cost effective. In this research, BaTiO3 films were fabricated on titanium foil through two steps hydrothermal method namely, the growth of TiO2 and followed by BaTiO3 films. The structural evolutions and the dielectric properties of the films were investigated as well. The structural evolutions of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and BaTiO3 nanowires were characterized using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. First step of hydrothermal reaction, TiO2 nanowires were prepared in varied temperatures of 160 °C, 200 °C and 250 °C respectively. Second step of hydrothermal reaction was performed to produce a layer of BaTiO3 films.

Metal-doped graphene layers composed with boron nitride-graphene as an insulator: a nano-capacitor.

Science.gov (United States)

Monajjemi, Majid

2014-11-01

A model of a nanoscale dielectric capacitor composed of a few dopants has been investigated in this study. This capacitor includes metallic graphene layers which are separated by an insulating medium containing a few h-BN layers. It has been observed that the elements from group IIIA of the periodic table are more suitable as dopants for hetero-structures of the {metallic graphene/hBN/metallic graphene} capacitors compared to those from groups IA or IIA. In this study, we have specifically focused on the dielectric properties of different graphene/h-BN/graphene including their hetero-structure counterparts, i.e., Boron-graphene/h-BN/Boron-graphene, Al-graphene/h-BN/Al-graphene, Mg-graphene/h-BN/Mg-graphene, and Be-graphene/h-BN/Be-graphene stacks for monolayer form of dielectrics. Moreover, we studied the multi dielectric properties of different (h-BN)n/graphene hetero-structures of Boron-graphene/(h-BN)n/Boron-graphene.

In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of Microparticulate Drug Delivery Systems Composed of Macromolecular Prodrugs

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Yoshiharu Machida

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Macromolecular prodrugs are very useful systems for achieving controlled drug release and drug targeting. In particular, various macromolecule-antitumor drug conjugates enhance the effectiveness and improve the toxic side effects. Also, polymeric micro- and nanoparticles have been actively examined and their in vivo behaviors elucidated, and it has been realized that their particle characteristics are very useful to control drug behavior. Recently, researches based on the combination of the concepts of macromolecular prodrugs and micro- or nanoparticles have been reported, although they are limited. Macromolecular prodrugs enable drugs to be released at a certain controlled release rate based on the features of the macromolecule-drug linkage. Micro- and nanoparticles can control in vivo behavior based on their size, surface charge and surface structure. These merits are expected for systems produced by the combination of each concept. In this review, several micro- or nanoparticles composed of macromolecule-drug conjugates are described for their preparation, in vitro properties and/or in vivo behavior.

Microbial removal of weathered hydrocarbons by well adapted ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effectiveness of bioremediation processes may be limited by the physical and chemical properties of the pollutant, such as availability, recalcitrance, concentration and weathering, among others. The aim of this work was to evaluate the removal of recalcitrant oil fractions (aliphatic-aromatic and asphaltenic fractions) ...

Characterization of a Biomimetic Mesophase Composed of Nonionic Surfactants and an Aqueous Solvent.

Science.gov (United States)

Adrien, V; Rayan, G; Reffay, M; Porcar, L; Maldonado, A; Ducruix, A; Urbach, W; Taulier, N

2016-10-11

We have investigated the physical and biomimetic properties of a sponge (L 3 ) phase composed of pentaethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C 12 E 5 ), a nonionic surfactant, an aqueous solvent, and a cosurfactant. The following cosurfactants, commonly used for solubilizing membrane proteins, were incorporated: n-octyl-β-d-glucopyranoside (β-OG), n-dodecyl-β-d-maltopyranoside (DDM), 4-cyclohexyl-1-butyl-β-d-maltoside (CYMAL-4), and 5-cyclohexyl-1-pentyl-β-d-maltoside (CYMAL-5). Partial phase diagrams of these systems were created. The L 3 phase was characterized using crossed polarizers, diffusion of a fluorescent probe by fluorescence recovery after pattern photobleaching (FRAPP), and freeze fracture electron microscopy (FFEM). By varying the hydration of the phase, we were able to tune the distance between adjacent bilayers. The characteristic distance (d b ) of the phase was obtained from small angle scattering (SAXS/SANS) as well as from FFEM, which yielded complementary d b values. These d b values were neither affected by the nature of the cosurfactant nor by the addition of membrane proteins. These findings illustrate that a biomimetic surfactant sponge phase can be created in the presence of several common membrane protein-solubilizing detergents, thus making it a versatile medium for membrane protein studies.

The composing technique of fast and large scale nuclear data acquisition and control system with single chip microcomputers and PC computers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Zurun; Wu Shiying; Liu Haitao; Yao Yangsen; Wang Yingguan; Yang Chaowen

1998-01-01

The technique of employing single-chip microcomputers and PC computers to compose a fast and large scale nuclear data acquisition and control system was discussed in detail. The optimum composition mode of this kind of system, the acquisition and control circuit unit based on single-chip microcomputers, the real-time communication methods and the software composition under the Windows 3.2 were also described. One, two and three dimensional spectra measured by this system were demonstrated

The composing technique of fast and large scale nuclear data acquisition and control system with single chip microcomputers and PC computers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Zurun; Wu Shiying; Liu Haitao; Yao Yangsen; Wang Yingguan; Yang Chaowen

1997-01-01

The technique of employing single-chip microcomputers and PC computers to compose a fast and large scale nuclear data acquisition and control system was discussed in detail. The optimum composition mode of this kind of system, the acquisition and control circuit unit based on single-chip microcomputers, the real-time communication methods and the software composition under the Windows 3.2 were also described. One, two and three dimensional spectra measured by this system were demonstrated

The difference in passive tension applied to the muscles composing the hamstrings - Comparison among muscles using ultrasound shear wave elastography.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Masatoshi; Hasegawa, Satoshi; Umegaki, Hiroki; Nishishita, Satoru; Kobayashi, Takuya; Fujita, Kosuke; Tanaka, Hiroki; Ibuki, Satoko; Ichihashi, Noriaki

2016-08-01

Hamstring muscle strain is one of the most common injuries in sports. Therefore, to investigate the factors influencing hamstring strain, the differences in passive tension applied to the hamstring muscles at the same knee and hip positions as during terminal swing phase would be useful information. In addition, passive tension applied to the hamstrings could change with anterior or posterior tilt of the pelvis. The aims of this study were to investigate the difference in passive tension applied to the individual muscles composing the hamstrings during passive elongation, and to investigate the effect of pelvic position on passive tension. Fifteen healthy men volunteered for this study. The subject lay supine with the angle of the trunk axis to the femur of their dominant leg at 70° and the knee angle of the dominant leg fixed at 30° flexion. In three pelvic positions ("Non-Tilt", "Anterior-Tilt" and "Posterior-Tilt"), the shear elastic modulus of each muscle composing the hamstrings (semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and biceps femoris) was measured using an ultrasound shear wave elastography. The shear elastic modulus of semimembranosus was significantly higher than the others. Shear elastic modulus of the hamstrings in Anterior-Tilt was significantly higher than in Posterior-Tilt. Passive tension applied to semimembranosus is higher than the other muscles when the hamstring muscle is passively elongated, and passive tension applied to the hamstrings increases with anterior tilt of the pelvis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tumor vaccine composed of C-class CpG oligodeoxynucleotides and irradiated tumor cells induces long-term antitumor immunity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cerkovnik Petra

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background An ideal tumor vaccine should activate both effector and memory immune response against tumor-specific antigens. Beside the CD8+ T cells that play a central role in the generation of a protective immune response and of long-term memory, dendritic cells (DCs are important for the induction, coordination and regulation of the adaptive immune response. The DCs can conduct all of the elements of the immune orchestra and are therefore a fundamental target and tool for vaccination. The present study was aimed at assessing the ability of tumor vaccine composed of C-class CpG ODNs and irradiated melanoma tumor cells B16F1 followed by two additional injections of CpG ODNs to induce the generation of a functional long-term memory response in experimental tumor model in mice (i.p. B16F1. Results It has been shown that the functional memory response in vaccinated mice persists for at least 60 days after the last vaccination. Repeated vaccination also improves the survival of experimental animals compared to single vaccination, whereas the proportion of animals totally protected from the development of aggressive i.p. B16F1 tumors after vaccination repeated three times varies between 88.9%-100.0%. Additionally, the long-term immune memory and tumor protection is maintained over a prolonged period of time of at least 8 months. Finally, it has been demonstrated that following the vaccination the tumor-specific memory cells predominantly reside in bone marrow and peritoneal tissue and are in a more active state than their splenic counterparts. Conclusions In this study we demonstrated that tumor vaccine composed of C-class CpG ODNs and irradiated tumor cells followed by two additional injections of CpG ODNs induces a long-term immunity against aggressive B16F1 tumors.

Chapter 2.1 Integrated Production of Cellulose Nanofibrils and Cellulosic Biofuel by Enzymatic Hydrolysis of wood Fibers

Science.gov (United States)

Ronald Sabo; J.Y. Zhu

2013-01-01

One key barrier to converting woody biomass to biofuel through the sugar platform is the low efficiency of enzymatic cellulose saccharification due to the strong recalcitrance of the crystalline cellulose. Significant past research efforts in cellulosic biofuels have focused on overcoming the recalcitrance of lignocelluloses to enhance the saccharification of...

Photodynamic therapy (PDT and waterfiltered infrared A (wIRA in patients with recalcitrant common hand and foot warts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hoffmann, Gerd

2004-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Common warts (verrucae vulgares are human papilloma virus (HPV infections with a high incidence and prevalence, most often affecting hands and feet, being able to impair quality of life. About 30 different therapeutic regimens described in literature reveal a lack of a single striking strategy. Recent publications showed positive results of photodynamic therapy (PDT with 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA in the treatment of HPV-induced skin diseases, especially warts, using visible light (VIS to stimulate an absorption band of endogenously formed protoporphyrin IX. Additional experiences adding waterfiltered infrared A (wIRA during 5-ALA-PDT revealed positive effects. Aim of the study: First prospective randomised controlled blind study including PDT and wIRA in the treatment of recalcitrant common hand and foot warts. Comparison of "5-ALA cream (ALA vs. placebo cream (PLC" and "irradiation with visible light and wIRA (VIS+wIRA vs. irradiation with visible light alone (VIS". Methods: Pre-treatment with keratolysis (salicylic acid and curettage. PDT treatment: topical application of 5-ALA (Medac in "unguentum emulsificans aquosum" vs. placebo; irradiation: combination of VIS and a large amount of wIRA (Hydrosun® radiator type 501, 4 mm water cuvette, waterfiltered spectrum 590-1400 nm, contact-free, typically painless vs. VIS alone. Post-treatment with retinoic acid ointment. One to three therapy cycles every 3 weeks. Main variable of interest: "Percent change of total wart area of each patient over the time" (18 weeks. Global judgement by patient and by physician and subjective rating of feeling/pain (visual analogue scales. 80 patients with therapy-resistant common hand and foot warts were assigned randomly into one of the four therapy groups with comparable numbers of warts at comparable sites in all groups. Results: The individual total wart area decreased during 18 weeks in group 1 (ALA+VIS+wIRA and in group 2 (PLC

Implementation of continuous-variable quantum key distribution with composable and one-sided-device-independent security against coherent attacks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gehring, Tobias; Haendchen, Vitus; Duhme, Joerg

2015-01-01

Secret communication over public channels is one of the central pillars of a modern information society. Using quantum key distribution this is achieved without relying on the hardness of mathematical problems, which might be compromised by improved algorithms or by future quantum computers. State......-of-the-art quantum key distribution requires composable security against coherent attacks for a finite number of distributed quantum states as well as robustness against implementation side channels. Here we present an implementation of continuous-variable quantum key distribution satisfying these requirements. Our...... with conventional optical communication technology, our work is a step towards practical implementations of quantum key distribution with state-of-the-art security based solely on telecom components....

GEODYNAMICS AS WAVE DYNAMICS OF THE MEDIUM COMPOSED OF ROTATING BLOCKS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander V. Vikulin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The geomedium block concept envisages that stresses in the medium composed of rotating blocks have torque and thus predetermine the medium's energy capacity (in terms of [Ponomarev, 2008]. The present paper describes the wave nature of the global geodynamic process taking place in the medium characterized by the existence of slow and fast rotation strain waves that are classified as a new type of waves. Movements may also occur as rheid, superplastic and/or superfluid motions and facilitate the formation of vortex geological structures in the geomedium.Our analysis of data on almost 800 strong volcanic eruptions shows that the magma chamber’s thickness is generally small, about 0.5 km, and this value is constant, independent of the volcanic process and predetermined by properties of the crust. A new magma chamber model is based on the idea of 'thermal explosion’/‘self-acceleration' manifested by intensive plastic movements along boundaries between the blocks in conditions of the low thermal conductivity of the geomedium. It is shown that if the solid rock in the magma chamber is overheated above its melting point, high stresses may occur in the surrounding area, and their elastic energy may amount to 1015 joules per 1 km3 of the overheated solid rock. In view of such stresses, it is possible to consider the interaction between volcano’s magma chambers as the migration of volcanic activity along the volcanic arc and provide an explanation of the interaction between volcanic activity and seismicity within the adjacent parallel arcs.The thin overheated interlayer/magma chamber concept may be valid for the entire Earth's crust. In our hypothesis, properties of the Moho are determined by the phase transition from the block structure of the crust to the nonblock structure of the upper mantle.

Three-Dimensional Porous Particles Composed of Curved, Two-Dimensional, Nano-Sized Layers for Li-Ion Batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Yushin, Gleb; Evanoff, Kara; Magasinski, Alexander

2012-01-01

Thin Si films coated on porous 3D particles composed of curved 2D graphene sheets have been synthesized utilizing techniques that allow for tunable properties. Since graphene exhibits specific surface area up to 100 times higher than carbon black or graphite, the deposition of the same mass of Si on graphene is much faster in comparison -- a factor which is important for practical applications. In addition, the distance between graphene layers is tunable and variation in the thickness of the deposited Si film is feasible. Both of these characteristics allow for optimization of the energy and power characteristics. Thicker films will allow higher capacity, but slower rate capabilities. Thinner films will allow more rapid charging, or higher power performance. In this innovation, uniform deposition of Si and C layers on high-surface area graphene produced granules with specific surface area (SSA) of 5 sq. m/g.

Gas adsorption capacity in an all carbon nanomaterial composed of carbon nanohorns and vertically aligned carbon nanotubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Puthusseri, Divya; Babu, Deepu J; Okeil, Sherif; Schneider, Jörg J

2017-10-04

Whereas vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) typically show a promising adsorption behavior at high pressures, carbon nanohorns (CNHs) exhibit superior gas adsorption properties in the low pressure regime due to their inherent microporosity. These adsorption characteristics are further enhanced when both materials are opened at their tips. The so prepared composite material allows one to investigate the effect of physical entrapment of CO 2 molecules within the specific adsorption sites of VACNTs composed of opened double walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and in specific adsorption sites created by spherically aggregated opened single walled carbon nanohorns. Combining 50 wt% of tip opened CNTs with tip opened CNHs increases the CO 2 adsorption capacity of this material by ∼24% at 30 bar and 298 K compared to opened CNHs alone.

Composing Science

Science.gov (United States)

Atkins, Leslie

2015-03-01

The course Scientific Inquiry at California State University was developed by faculty in biology, physics and English to meet ``writing proficiency'' requirements for non-science majors. Drawing from previous work in composition studies, the position that we take in this course is that we should be engaging students in writing that replicates the work that writing does in science, rather than replicating the particular structural conventions characteristic of scientific writing. That is, scientists use writing to have, remember, share, vet, challenge, and stabilize ideas, and our course requires students use writing to achieve those aims, rather than produce writing that obeys particular conventions of scientific writing. This talk will describe how we have integrated findings from composition studies with a course on scientific inquiry, and provide examples of how scientific communication has resulted from this dialogue. Funding by NSF #1140860.

Composing compositions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

DeBoodt, M. F. L. P.; Verdonck, O. F.

1985-01-22

A process is disclosed for producing compost and composting compositions having a high nitrogen content and being particularly advantageous for use as fertilizers, said process utilizing petroleum sludge and an organic biomass which preferably contains wood industry residue and organic waste products.

A high-sensitive ultraviolet photodetector composed of double-layered TiO{sub 2} nanostructure and Au nanoparticles film based on Schottky junction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Huan; Qin, Pei [School of Chemical Engineering and Light Industry, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006 (China); Yi, Guobin, E-mail: ygb702@163.com [School of Chemical Engineering and Light Industry, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006 (China); Zu, Xihong [School of Chemical Engineering and Light Industry, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006 (China); Zhang, Li, E-mail: zhangli2368@126.com [School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006 (China); Hong, Wei; Chen, Xudong [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen (Zhongshan) University, Guangzhou, 510275 (China)

2017-06-15

In this study, a Schottky-type ultraviolet (UV) photodetector based on double-layered nanostructured TiO{sub 2}/Au films was fabricated. Double-layered titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) nanostructures composed of one layer of TiO{sub 2} nano-flowers on one layer of TiO{sub 2} nanorods on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) pre-coated glass substrates were synthesized via a convenient hydrothermal method using titanium butoxide and hydrochloric acid as the starting precursor, without involving the use of any other surfactants and catalysts. A granular-shaped thin-layer of Au film using vacuum sputter coating technique was subsequently deposited on TiO{sub 2} for the formation of Schottky-type photodetector. The as-fabricated Schottky device showed various photocurrent responses when irradiated with different wavelength of UV light. This suggests that the newly-developed photodetectors have promising potential for identifying different UV light wavelengths. - Highlights: • A novel double-layered TiO{sub 2} nanostructure was synthesized by a simple method. • An UV photodetector composed of TiO{sub 2} and Au was designed and fabricated. • The preparation method of TiO{sub 2}/Au UV photodetector was simple and convenient. • The UV photodetector based on TiO{sub 2}/Au showed excellent sensitivity to UV light.

Phytochemical and Pharmacological Review of Da Chuanxiong Formula: A Famous Herb Pair Composed of Chuanxiong Rhizoma and Gastrodiae Rhizoma for Headache

OpenAIRE

Wang, Lu; Zhang, Jinming; Hong, Yanlong; Feng, Yi; Chen, Meiwan; Wang, Yitao

2013-01-01

Chronic headache such as migraine and nervous headache has become one of the most common locations of pain and one of the most difficult diseases to recover due to its numerous causes and inconvenience to keep acesodyne administration for a long time. However, there are a series of treatment theories and herbal formulas for this disease in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), in which Da Chuanxiong formula (DCXF), a herb pair composed of Chuanxiong Rhizoma (CR), Chuanxiong in Chinese, and Gas...

Gas emission from anaerobic decomposition of plant resources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcela Bianchessi da Cunha-Santino

Full Text Available Abstract: Aim The aim of this study was to quantify the emission rates of gases resulting from the anaerobic decomposition of different plant resources under conditions usually found in sediments of tropical aquatic systems and drained organic soils. Methods Incubations were prepared with green leaves, bark, twigs, plant litter, sugarcane stalks and leaves, soybean leaves, grasses, forest leaves and an aquatic macrophyte (Typha domingensis. Over 10 months, the daily volume of gas evolved from decay was measured and a kinetic model was used to describe the anaerobic mineralization. Results Using the mathematical model, it can be observed that the composition of the plant resources is heterogeneous. The temporal variation of the gas rates indicated that the mineralization of the labile fractions of detritus varied, on a carbon basis, from 16.2 (bark to 100% (samples composed of leaves, grasses and sugar cane stalks. High gas emissions were observed during the mineralization of grasses, sugar cane stalks, leaves and plant litter, while low volumes of gases were measured during the mineralization of bark, twigs, forest leaves and T. domingensis, which are the most fibrous and recalcitrant resources (carbon content: 83.8, 78.2, 64.8 and 53.4%, respectively. The mineralization of labile carbon presented half-life values, which varied from 41 (twigs to 295 days (grasses. Conclusions Considering the high amount of remaining recalcitrant fraction, the anaerobic decomposition of these plant resources showed a strong trend towards accumulating organic matter in flooded soils. Despite the higher temperatures found in the tropical environment, these environments represent a sink of particulate detritus due to its slow decomposition.

Synthesis of highly monodisperse particles composed of a magnetic core and fluorescent shell.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagao, Daisuke; Yokoyama, Mikio; Yamauchi, Noriko; Matsumoto, Hideki; Kobayashi, Yoshio; Konno, Mikio

2008-09-02

Highly monodisperse particles composed of a magnetic silica core and fluorescent polymer shell were synthesized with a combined technique of heterocoagulation and soap-free emulsion polymerization. Prior to heterocoagulation, monodisperse, submicrometer-sized silica particles were prepared with the Stober method, and magnetic nanoparticles were prepared with a modified Massart method in which a cationic silane coupling agent of N-trimethoxysilylpropyl- N, N, N-trimethylammonium chloride was added just after coprecipitation of Fe (2+) and Fe (3+). The silica particles with negative surface potential were heterocoagulated with the magnetic nanoparticles with positive surface potential. The magnetic silica particles obtained with the heterocoagulation were treated with sodium silicate to modify their surfaces with silica. In the formation of a fluorescent polymer shell onto the silica-coated magnetic silica cores, an amphoteric initiator of 2,2'-azobis[ N-(2-carboxyethyl)-2-2-methylpropionamidine] (VA-057) was used to control the colloidal stability of the magnetic cores during the polymer coating. The polymerization of St in the presence of a hydrophobic fluorophore of pyrene could coat the cores with fluorescent polymer shells, resulting in monodisperse particles with a magnetic silica core and fluorescent polymer shell. Measurements of zeta potential for the composite particles in different pH values indicated that the composite particles had an amphoteric property originating from VA-057 initiator.

Calculation analysis of TRIGA MARK II reactor core composed of two types of fuel elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ravnik, M.

1988-11-01

The most important properties of mixed cores are treated for TRIGA MARK II reactor, composed of standard (20% enriched, 8.5w% U content) and FLIP (70% enriched, 8.5w% U content) fuel elements. Large difference in enrichment and presence of burnable poison in FLIP fuel have strong influence on the main core characteristics, such as: fuel temperature coefficient, power defect, Xe and Sm worth, power and flux distributions, etc. They are significantly different for both types of fuel. Optimal loading of mixed cores therefore strongly depends on the loading pattern of both types of fuel elements. Results of systematic calculational analysis of mixed cores are presented. Calculations on the level of fuel element are performed with WIMSD-4 computer code with extended cross-section library. Core calculations are performed with TRIGAP two-group 1-D diffusion code. Results are compared to measurements and physical explanation is provided. Special concern is devoted to realistic mixed cores, for which optimal in-core fuel management is derived. Refs, figs and tabs

An Insect Herbivore Microbiome with High Plant Biomass-Degrading Capacity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suen, Garret; Barry, Kerrie; Goodwin, Lynne; Scott, Jarrod; Aylward, Frank; Adams, Sandra; Pinto-Tomas, Adrian; Foster, Clifton; Pauly, Markus; Weimer, Paul; Bouffard, Pascal; Li, Lewyn; Osterberger, Jolene; Harkins, Timothy; Slater, Steven; Donohue, Timothy; Currie, Cameron; Tringe, Susannah G.

2010-09-23

Herbivores can gain indirect access to recalcitrant carbon present in plant cell walls through symbiotic associations with lignocellulolytic microbes. A paradigmatic example is the leaf-cutter ant (Tribe: Attini), which uses fresh leaves to cultivate a fungus for food in specialized gardens. Using a combination of sugar composition analyses, metagenomics, and whole-genome sequencing, we reveal that the fungus garden microbiome of leaf-cutter ants is composed of a diverse community of bacteria with high plant biomass-degrading capacity. Comparison of this microbiome?s predicted carbohydrate-degrading enzyme profile with other metagenomes shows closest similarity to the bovine rumen, indicating evolutionary convergence of plant biomass degrading potential between two important herbivorous animals. Genomic and physiological characterization of two dominant bacteria in the fungus garden microbiome provides evidence of their capacity to degrade cellulose. Given the recent interest in cellulosic biofuels, understanding how large-scale and rapid plant biomass degradation occurs in a highly evolved insect herbivore is of particular relevance for bioenergy.

An insect herbivore microbiome with high plant biomass-degrading capacity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Garret Suen

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Herbivores can gain indirect access to recalcitrant carbon present in plant cell walls through symbiotic associations with lignocellulolytic microbes. A paradigmatic example is the leaf-cutter ant (Tribe: Attini, which uses fresh leaves to cultivate a fungus for food in specialized gardens. Using a combination of sugar composition analyses, metagenomics, and whole-genome sequencing, we reveal that the fungus garden microbiome of leaf-cutter ants is composed of a diverse community of bacteria with high plant biomass-degrading capacity. Comparison of this microbiome's predicted carbohydrate-degrading enzyme profile with other metagenomes shows closest similarity to the bovine rumen, indicating evolutionary convergence of plant biomass degrading potential between two important herbivorous animals. Genomic and physiological characterization of two dominant bacteria in the fungus garden microbiome provides evidence of their capacity to degrade cellulose. Given the recent interest in cellulosic biofuels, understanding how large-scale and rapid plant biomass degradation occurs in a highly evolved insect herbivore is of particular relevance for bioenergy.

Biogenic manganese oxide nanoparticle formation by a multimeric multicopper oxidase Mnx

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Romano, Christine A.; Zhou, Mowei; Song, Yang; Wysocki, Vicki H.; Dohnalkova, Alice C.; Kovarik, Libor; Paša-Tolić, Ljiljana; Tebo, Bradley M.

2017-09-29

Bacteria that produce Mn oxides are extraordinarily skilled engineers of nanomaterials that contribute significantly to global biogeochemical cycles. Their enzyme-based reaction mechanisms may be genetically tailored for environmental remediation applications or bioenergy production. However, significant challenges exist for structural characterization of the enzymes responsible for biomineralization. The active Mn oxidase, Mnx, in Bacillus sp. PL-12 is a complex composed of a multicopper oxidase (MCO), MnxG, and two accessory proteins MnxE and MnxF. MnxG shares sequence similarity with other, structurally characterized MCOs. However, MnxE and MnxF have no similarity to any characterized proteins. The ~200 kDa complex has been recalcitrant to crystallization, so its structure is unknown. In this study, native mass spectrometry defines the subunit topology and copper binding of the Mnx complex, while high resolution electron microscopy visualizes the protein and nascent Mn oxide minerals. These data provide critical structural information for conceptualizing how Mnx produces nanoparticulate Mn oxides.

Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Nanocellulose: Structure and Chemical Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. V. Lee

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Lignocellulosic biomass is a complex biopolymer that is primary composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. The presence of cellulose in biomass is able to depolymerise into nanodimension biomaterial, with exceptional mechanical properties for biocomposites, pharmaceutical carriers, and electronic substrate’s application. However, the entangled biomass ultrastructure consists of inherent properties, such as strong lignin layers, low cellulose accessibility to chemicals, and high cellulose crystallinity, which inhibit the digestibility of the biomass for cellulose extraction. This situation offers both challenges and promises for the biomass biorefinery development to utilize the cellulose from lignocellulosic biomass. Thus, multistep biorefinery processes are necessary to ensure the deconstruction of noncellulosic content in lignocellulosic biomass, while maintaining cellulose product for further hydrolysis into nanocellulose material. In this review, we discuss the molecular structure basis for biomass recalcitrance, reengineering process of lignocellulosic biomass into nanocellulose via chemical, and novel catalytic approaches. Furthermore, review on catalyst design to overcome key barriers regarding the natural resistance of biomass will be presented herein.

Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Nanocellulose: Structure and Chemical Process

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, H. V.; Hamid, S. B. A.; Zain, S. K.

2014-01-01

Lignocellulosic biomass is a complex biopolymer that is primary composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. The presence of cellulose in biomass is able to depolymerise into nanodimension biomaterial, with exceptional mechanical properties for biocomposites, pharmaceutical carriers, and electronic substrate's application. However, the entangled biomass ultrastructure consists of inherent properties, such as strong lignin layers, low cellulose accessibility to chemicals, and high cellulose crystallinity, which inhibit the digestibility of the biomass for cellulose extraction. This situation offers both challenges and promises for the biomass biorefinery development to utilize the cellulose from lignocellulosic biomass. Thus, multistep biorefinery processes are necessary to ensure the deconstruction of noncellulosic content in lignocellulosic biomass, while maintaining cellulose product for further hydrolysis into nanocellulose material. In this review, we discuss the molecular structure basis for biomass recalcitrance, reengineering process of lignocellulosic biomass into nanocellulose via chemical, and novel catalytic approaches. Furthermore, review on catalyst design to overcome key barriers regarding the natural resistance of biomass will be presented herein. PMID:25247208

Enzymatic deconstruction of xylan for biofuel production

Science.gov (United States)

DODD, DYLAN; CANN, ISAAC K. O.

2010-01-01

The combustion of fossil-derived fuels has a significant impact on atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels and correspondingly is an important contributor to anthropogenic global climate change. Plants have evolved photosynthetic mechanisms in which solar energy is used to fix CO2 into carbohydrates. Thus, combustion of biofuels, derived from plant biomass, can be considered a potentially carbon neutral process. One of the major limitations for efficient conversion of plant biomass to biofuels is the recalcitrant nature of the plant cell wall, which is composed mostly of lignocellulosic materials (lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose). The heteropolymer xylan represents the most abundant hemicellulosic polysaccharide and is composed primarily of xylose, arabinose, and glucuronic acid. Microbes have evolved a plethora of enzymatic strategies for hydrolyzing xylan into its constituent sugars for subsequent fermentation to biofuels. Therefore, microorganisms are considered an important source of biocatalysts in the emerging biofuel industry. To produce an optimized enzymatic cocktail for xylan deconstruction, it will be valuable to gain insight at the molecular level of the chemical linkages and the mechanisms by which these enzymes recognize their substrates and catalyze their reactions. Recent advances in genomics, proteomics, and structural biology have revolutionized our understanding of the microbial xylanolytic enzymes. This review focuses on current understanding of the molecular basis for substrate specificity and catalysis by enzymes involved in xylan deconstruction. PMID:20431716

Theoretical analysis on ac loss properties of two-strand parallel conductors composed of superconducting multifilamentary strands

CERN Document Server

Iwakuma, M; Funaki, K

2002-01-01

The ac loss properties of two-strand parallel conductors composed of superconducting multifilamentary strands were theoretically investigated. The constituent strands generally need to be insulated and transposed for the sake of uniform current distribution and low ac loss. In case the transposition points deviate from the optimum ones, shielding current is induced according to the interlinkage magnetic flux of the twisted loop enclosed by the insulated strands and the contact resistances at the terminals. It produces an additional ac loss. Supposing a simple situation where a two-strand parallel conductor with one-point transposition is exposed to a uniform ac magnetic field, the basic equations for the magnetic field were proposed and the theoretical expressions of the additional ac losses derived. As a result, the following features were shown. The additional ac loss in the non-saturation case, where the induced shielding current is less than the critical current of a strand, is proportional to the square ...

Optimal portfolio strategy with cross-correlation matrix composed by DCCA coefficients: Evidence from the Chinese stock market

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Xuelian; Liu, Zixian

2016-02-01

In this paper, a new estimator of correlation matrix is proposed, which is composed of the detrended cross-correlation coefficients (DCCA coefficients), to improve portfolio optimization. In contrast to Pearson's correlation coefficients (PCC), DCCA coefficients acquired by the detrended cross-correlation analysis (DCCA) method can describe the nonlinear correlation between assets, and can be decomposed in different time scales. These properties of DCCA make it possible to improve the investment effect and more valuable to investigate the scale behaviors of portfolios. The minimum variance portfolio (MVP) model and the Mean-Variance (MV) model are used to evaluate the effectiveness of this improvement. Stability analysis shows the effect of two kinds of correlation matrices on the estimation error of portfolio weights. The observed scale behaviors are significant to risk management and could be used to optimize the portfolio selection.

Accelerated stability testing of a transdermal patch composed of eserine and pralidoxime chloride for prophylaxis against (±-anatoxin A poisoning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Subham Banerjee

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The current study evaluated the stability potential of a transdermal patch composed of eserine and pralidoxime chloride for prophylaxis against (±-anatoxin A poisoning. The drug combinations were fabricated in an adhesive matrix system supported by a backing membrane and attached to a temporary release liner. Stability testing of the optimized formulation was established for 6 months under accelerated study conditions as per International Conference on Harmonisation guidelines. Results obtained after 6 months showed that the optimized patch formulation was stable with respect to drugs content, pH, diffusion, visual inspection, and other analytical parameters.

Experimental transmission electron microscopy studies and phenomenological model of bismuth-based superconducting compounds; Etudes experimentales par microscopie electronique en transmission et modele phenomenologique des composes supraconducteurs a base de bismuth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elboussiri, Khalid

1991-09-26

The main part of this thesis is devoted to an experimental study by transmission electron microscopy of the different phases of the superconducting bismuth cuprates Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}Ca{sub n-1}Cu{sub n}O{sub 2n+4}. In high resolution electron microscopy, the two types of incommensurate modulation realized in these compounds have been observed. A model of structure has been proposed from which the simulated images obtained are consistent with observations. The medium resolution images correlated with the electron diffraction data have revealed existence of a multi-soliton regime with latent lock in phases of commensurate periods between 4b and 10b. At last, a description of different phases of these compounds as a result of superstructures from a disordered perovskite type structure is proposed (author) [French] Le travail presente dans cette these consiste en une etude experimentale essentiellement par microscopie electronique en transmission des differentes phases supraconductrices presentes dans les composes appartenant a la famille des cuprates de bismuth Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}Ca{sub n-1}Cu{sub n}O{sub 2n+4}. Les obsevations de microscopie electronique a haute resolution ont permis de mettre en evidence les differentes modulations incommensurables realisees dans ces composes. Un modele de structure est propose et a permis d'obtenir des images simulees compatibles avec les observations. D'autre part, les observations de microscopie electronique en moyenne resolution sur ces composes, combinees avec les resultats de diffraction electronique, ont montre l'existence d'un regime multisoliton associe a des phases de Lock-in latentes de parametres compris entre 4b et 10b. Enfin, une description des differentes phases de ces composes en terme de surstructures derivees de structure perovskite desordonnee est exposee. (auteur)

Technical Protocol for Using Soluble Carbohydrates to Enhance Reductive Dechlorination of Chlorinated Aliphatic Hydrocarbons

Science.gov (United States)

2002-12-19

lead, arsenic, nickel, mercury and cadmium) is also widespread at the same military facilities due to the use of these metals in ordnance...Eds.), Bioremediation and phytoremediation of chlorinated and recalcitrant compounds. Battelle Second International Conference on Remediation of...Electron Donors, in Wickramanayake, G., Gavashkar, A., Alleman, B., Magar, V., eds. Bioremediation and Phytoremediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant

A three-dimensional interlayer composed of graphene and porous carbon for Long-life, High capacity Lithium-Iron Fluoride Battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Juan; Xu, Zhanglin; Sun, Hongxu; Zhou, Xiangyang

2016-01-01

We design a macroscopic structure composing of porous carbon and graphene sheets, which are coated onto a cellulose paper as an interlayer inserted between electrode and separator. The interlayer mainly acts as a divertor to accommodate the discharge products breaking away from the electrode by mechanical degradation or cathode dissolution during cycling and keeps the close contact with current collector. Iron fluoride is a new-type lithium storage material developed in recent years, which can act as a cathode material candidate for the rechargeable lithium ion battery due to their large theoretical capacity and relatively high operating potential. Specifically, FeF 3 ·0.33H 2 O, which possesses unusual tunnel structure, is attracting more and more attentions. However, FeF 3 ·0.33H 2 O suffers from the poor electronic conductivity and volume effect during cycling, causing the large capacity fading. In this study, we design a macroscopic structure composing of porous carbon and graphene sheets, which are coated onto a cellulose paper as an interlayer inserted between electrode and separator. The interlayer can not only enhance the electronic conductivity, but also absorb the FeF 3 ·0.33H 2 O nanoparticles breaking away from the Al foil due to the volume effect upon cycling. When the interlayer is applied in battery, discharge capacities of 600 and 460 mAh g −1 can be achieved at the rates of 100 and 600 mA g −1 after 60 cycles, respectively. Furthermore, the capacity of 435 mAh g −1 can be still retained at a high rate of 1000 mA g −1 after 250 cycles. The results demonstrate a potential feasibility for the porous carbon/graphene sheets to be applied to obtain a high-performance lithium-iron fluoride battery.

Using thermal analysis to evaluate the fire effects on organic matter content of Andisols

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Neris

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Soil organic compounds play a relevant role in aggregate stability and thus, in the susceptibility of soils to erosion. Thermal analysis (N2 and air and chemical oxidation techniques (dichromate and permanganate oxidation were used to evaluate the effects of a forest fire on the organic matter of Andisols. Both thermal analysis and chemical methods showed a decrease in the organic matter content and an increase in the recalcitrance of the remaining organic compounds in the burned zones. Thermal analysis indicated an increase in the thermal stability of the organic compounds of fire-affected soils and a lower content of both labile and recalcitrant pools as a consequence of the fire. However, this decrease was relatively higher in the labile pool and lower in the recalcitrant one, indicative of an increase in the recalcitrance of the remaining organic compounds. Apparently, black carbon did not burn under our experimental conditions. Under N2, the results showed a lower labile and a higher recalcitrant and refractory contents in burned and some unburned soils, possibly due to the lower decomposition rate under N2 flux. Thermal analysis using O2 and the chemical techniques showed a positive relation, but noticeable differences in the total amount of the labile pool. Thermal analysis methods provide direct quantitative information useful to characterize the soil organic matter quality and to evaluate the effects of fire on soils.

Layer-by-layer self-assembled multilayer films composed of graphene/polyaniline bilayers: high-energy electrode materials for supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarker, Ashis K; Hong, Jong-Dal

2012-08-28

Multilayer assemblies of uniform ultrathin film electrodes with good electrical conductivity and very large surface areas were prepared for use as electrochemical capacitors. A layer-by-layer self-assembly approach was employed in an effort to improve the processability of highly conducting polyaniline (PANi) and chemically modified graphene. The electrochemical properties of the multilayer film (MF-) electrodes, including the sheet resistance, volumetric capacitance, and charge/discharge ratio, were determined by the morphological modification and the method used to reduce the graphene oxide (GO) to reduced graphene oxide (RGO) in the multilayer films. The PANi and GO concentrations could be modulated to control the morphology of the GO monolayer film in the multilayer assemblies. Optical ellipsometry was used to determine the thickness of the GO film in a single layer (1.32 nm), which agreed well with the literature value (~1.3 nm). Hydroiodic acid (HI), hydrazine, or pyrolysis were tested for the reduction of GO to RGO. HI was found to be the most efficient technique for reducing the GO to RGO in the multilayer assemblies while minimizing damage to the virgin state of the acid-doped PANi. Ultimately, the MF-electrode, which could be optimized by fine-tuning the nanostructure and selecting a suitable reduction method, exhibited an excellent volumetric capacitance, good cycling stability, and a rapid charge/discharge rate, which are required for supercapacitors. A MF-electrode composed of 15 PANi/RGO bilayers yielded a volumetric capacitance of 584 F/cm(3) at a current density of 3.0 A/cm(3). Although this value decreased exponentially as the current density increased, approaching a value of 170 F/cm(3) at 100 A/cm(3), this volumetric capacitance is one of the best yet reported for the other carbon-based materials. The intriguing features of the MF-electrodes composed of PANi/RGO multilayer films offer a new microdimensional design for high energy storage devices

The response of soil carbon storage and microbially mediated carbon turnover to simulated climatic disturbance in a northern peatland forest. Revisiting the concept of soil organic matter recalcitrance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kostka, Joel [Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)

2015-09-14

closely paralleled the chemical evolution of peat, with large shifts in microbial populations occurring in the biogeochemical hotspot, the mesotelm, where the highest rates of decomposition were detected. Stable isotope geochemistry and potential rates of methane production paralleled vertical changes in methanogen community composition to indicate a predominance of acetoclastic methanogenesis mediated by the Methanosarcinales in the mesotelm, while hydrogen-utilizing methanogens dominated in the deeper catotelm. Evidence pointed to the availability of phosphorus as well as nitrogen limiting the microbially-mediated turnover of organic carbon at MEF. Prior to initiation of the experimental treatments, our study provided key baseline data for the SPRUCE site on the vertical stratification of peat decomposition, key enzymatic pathways, and microbial taxa containing these pathways. The sensitivity of soil carbon turnover to climate change is strongly linked to recalcitrant carbon stocks and the temperature sensitivity of decomposition is thought to increase with increasing molecular complexity of carbon substrates. This project delivered results on how climate change perturbations impact the microbially-mediated turnover of recalcitrant organic matter in peatland forest soils, both under controlled conditions in the laboratory and at the ecosystem-scale in the field. This project revisited the concept of “recalcitrance” in the regulation of soil carbon turnover using a combination of natural abundance radiocarbon and optical spectroscopic measurements on bulk DOM, and high resolution molecular characterization of DOM. The project elucidated how organic matter reactivity and decomposition will respond to climate change in a both a qualitative (organic matter lability) and quantitiative (increased rates) manner. An Aromaticity Index was developed to represent a more direct and accurate parameter for modeling of DOM reactivity in peatlands. The abundance and community

Hygroscopic properties of internally mixed particles composed of NaCl and water-soluble organic acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghorai, Suman; Wang, Bingbing; Tivanski, Alexei; Laskin, Alexander

2014-02-18

Atmospheric aging of naturally emitted marine aerosol often leads to formation of internally mixed particles composed of sea salts and water-soluble organic compounds of anthropogenic origin. Mixing of sea salt and organic components has profound effects on the evolving chemical composition and hygroscopic properties of the resulted particles, which are poorly understood. Here, we have studied chemical composition and hygroscopic properties of laboratory generated NaCl particles mixed with malonic acid (MA) and glutaric acid (GA) at different molar ratios using micro-FTIR spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray elemental microanalysis. Hygroscopic properties of internally mixed NaCl and organic acid particles were distinctly different from pure components and varied significantly with the type and amount of organic compound present. Experimental results were in a good agreement with the AIM modeling calculations of gas/liquid/solid partitioning in studied systems. X-ray elemental microanalysis of particles showed that Cl/Na ratio decreased with increasing organic acid component in the particles with MA yielding lower ratios relative to GA. We attribute the depletion of chloride to the formation of sodium malonate and sodium glutarate salts resulted by HCl evaporation from dehydrating particles.

[Effect of Long-term Fertilizer Application on the Stability of Organic Carbon in Particle Size Fractions of a Paddy Soil in Zhejiang Province, China].

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Xia-li; Lu, Kou-ping; Sun, Tao; Zhang, Xiao-kai; He, Li-zhi; Wang, Hai-long

2015-05-01

Effects of chemical fertilizers and organic manure on the soil organic carbon (SOC) content in particle size fractions of paddy soil were investigated in a 17-year long-term fertilization field experiment in Zhejiang Province, China. The inherent chemical composition of silt- and clay-associated SOC was evaluated with solid-state 13C-NMR spectroscopy. Compared to CK (no fertilizer treatment), NPKRS (NPK fertilizers plus rice straw) , NPKOM (NPK fertilizers plus organic manure) , NPK (NPK fertilizers) and OM (organic manure alone) treatments significantly (P fertilizers alone, combined application of organic amendments and NPK fertilizers facilitated the storage of newly sequestered SOC in silt- and clay-sized fractions, which could be more conducive to the stability of SOC. Based on 13C-NMR spectra, both silt and clay fractions were composed of Alkyl-C, O-alkyl-C, Aromatic-C and carbonyl-C. Changes in the relative proportion of different C species were observed between silt and clay fractions: the clay fraction had relatively more Alkyl-C, carbonyl-C and less O-alkyl-C, Aromatic-C than those in the silt fraction. This might be ascribed to the fact that the organic matter complexed with clay was dominated by microbial products, whereas the silt appeared to be rich in aromatic residues derived from plants. The spectra also showed that the relative proportion of different C species was modified by fertilization practices. In comparison with organic amendments alone, the relative proportion of Alkyl-C was decreased by 9.1%-11.9% and 13.7%-19.9% under combined application of organic amendments and chemical fertilizers, for silt and clay, respectively, and that of O-alkyl-C was increased by 2.9%-6.3% and 13.4%-22.1%, respectively. These results indicated that NPKOM and NPKRS treatments reduced the decomposition rate of SOC. The aromaticity, hydrophobicity and, hence, chemical recalcitrance of silt- and clay-associated SOC in the NPK fertilizer treatments were lower than

Active control of sound transmission through partitions composed of discretely controlled modules

Science.gov (United States)

Leishman, Timothy W.

This thesis provides a detailed theoretical and experimental investigation of active segmented partitions (ASPs) for the control of sound transmission. ASPs are physically segmented arrays of interconnected acoustically and structurally small modules that are discretely controlled using electronic controllers. Theoretical analyses of the thesis first address physical principles fundamental to ASP modeling and experimental measurement techniques. Next, they explore specific module configurations, primarily using equivalent circuits. Measured normal-incidence transmission losses and related properties of experimental ASPs are determined using plane wave tubes and the two-microphone transfer function technique. A scanning laser vibrometer is also used to evaluate distributed transmitting surface vibrations. ASPs have the inherent potential to provide excellent active sound transmission control (ASTC) through lightweight structures, using very practical control strategies. The thesis analyzes several unique ASP configurations and evaluates their abilities to produce high transmission losses via global minimization of normal transmitting surface vibrations. A novel dual diaphragm configuration is shown to employ this strategy particularly well. It uses an important combination of acoustical actuation and mechano-acoustical segmentation to produce exceptionally high transmission loss (e.g., 50 to 80 dB) over a broad frequency range-including lower audible frequencies. Such performance is shown to be comparable to that produced by much more massive partitions composed of thick layers of steel or concrete and sand. The configuration uses only simple localized error sensors and actuators, permitting effective use of independent single-channel controllers in a decentralized format. This work counteracts the commonly accepted notion that active vibration control of partitions is an ineffective means of controlling sound transmission. With appropriate construction, actuation

Acoustic Constraints and Musical Consequences: Exploring Composers' Use of Cues for Musical Emotion

Science.gov (United States)

Schutz, Michael

2017-01-01

Emotional communication in music is based in part on the use of pitch and timing, two cues effective in emotional speech. Corpus analyses of natural speech illustrate that happy utterances tend to be higher and faster than sad. Although manipulations altering melodies show that passages changed to be higher and faster sound happier, corpus analyses of unaltered music paralleling those of natural speech have proven challenging. This partly reflects the importance of modality (i.e., major/minor), a powerful musical cue whose use is decidedly imbalanced in Western music. This imbalance poses challenges for creating musical corpora analogous to existing speech corpora for purposes of analyzing emotion. However, a novel examination of music by Bach and Chopin balanced in modality illustrates that, consistent with predictions from speech, their major key (nominally “happy”) pieces are approximately a major second higher and 29% faster than their minor key pieces (Poon and Schutz, 2015). Although this provides useful evidence for parallels in use of emotional cues between these domains, it raises questions about how composers “trade off” cue differentiation in music, suggesting interesting new potential research directions. This Focused Review places those results in a broader context, highlighting their connections with previous work on the natural use of cues for musical emotion. Together, these observational findings based on unaltered music—widely recognized for its artistic significance—complement previous experimental work systematically manipulating specific parameters. In doing so, they also provide a useful musical counterpart to fruitful studies of the acoustic cues for emotion found in natural speech. PMID:29249997

Acoustic Constraints and Musical Consequences: Exploring Composers' Use of Cues for Musical Emotion.

Science.gov (United States)

Schutz, Michael

2017-01-01

Emotional communication in music is based in part on the use of pitch and timing, two cues effective in emotional speech. Corpus analyses of natural speech illustrate that happy utterances tend to be higher and faster than sad. Although manipulations altering melodies show that passages changed to be higher and faster sound happier, corpus analyses of unaltered music paralleling those of natural speech have proven challenging. This partly reflects the importance of modality (i.e., major/minor), a powerful musical cue whose use is decidedly imbalanced in Western music. This imbalance poses challenges for creating musical corpora analogous to existing speech corpora for purposes of analyzing emotion. However, a novel examination of music by Bach and Chopin balanced in modality illustrates that, consistent with predictions from speech, their major key (nominally "happy") pieces are approximately a major second higher and 29% faster than their minor key pieces (Poon and Schutz, 2015). Although this provides useful evidence for parallels in use of emotional cues between these domains, it raises questions about how composers "trade off" cue differentiation in music, suggesting interesting new potential research directions. This Focused Review places those results in a broader context, highlighting their connections with previous work on the natural use of cues for musical emotion. Together, these observational findings based on unaltered music-widely recognized for its artistic significance-complement previous experimental work systematically manipulating specific parameters. In doing so, they also provide a useful musical counterpart to fruitful studies of the acoustic cues for emotion found in natural speech.

Acoustic Constraints and Musical Consequences: Exploring Composers' Use of Cues for Musical Emotion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Schutz

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Emotional communication in music is based in part on the use of pitch and timing, two cues effective in emotional speech. Corpus analyses of natural speech illustrate that happy utterances tend to be higher and faster than sad. Although manipulations altering melodies show that passages changed to be higher and faster sound happier, corpus analyses of unaltered music paralleling those of natural speech have proven challenging. This partly reflects the importance of modality (i.e., major/minor, a powerful musical cue whose use is decidedly imbalanced in Western music. This imbalance poses challenges for creating musical corpora analogous to existing speech corpora for purposes of analyzing emotion. However, a novel examination of music by Bach and Chopin balanced in modality illustrates that, consistent with predictions from speech, their major key (nominally “happy” pieces are approximately a major second higher and 29% faster than their minor key pieces (Poon and Schutz, 2015. Although this provides useful evidence for parallels in use of emotional cues between these domains, it raises questions about how composers “trade off” cue differentiation in music, suggesting interesting new potential research directions. This Focused Review places those results in a broader context, highlighting their connections with previous work on the natural use of cues for musical emotion. Together, these observational findings based on unaltered music—widely recognized for its artistic significance—complement previous experimental work systematically manipulating specific parameters. In doing so, they also provide a useful musical counterpart to fruitful studies of the acoustic cues for emotion found in natural speech.

The effect of excipients on the release kinetics of diclofenac sodium and papaverine hydrochloride from composed tablets.

Science.gov (United States)

Kasperek, Regina; Trebacz, Hanna; Zimmer, Łukasz; Poleszak, Ewa

2014-01-01

For increased analgesic effect, new composed tablets containing diclofenac sodium (DIC) with an addition of papaverine hydrochloride (PAP) were prepared to investigate the mechanism of release of the active substances from tablets with different excipients in eight different formulations. To detect the possible interactions between active substances and excipients differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used. A shift of the melting point and enthalpy values of the physical mixtures of tablets components suggested a kind of interaction between components in certain formulations, however, the tabletting process was not disturbed in any of them. Kinetics of drug release from formulations was estimated by zero order, first order and Higuchi and Korsmeyer-Peppas models using results of dissolution of DIC and PAP from tablets. The study revealed that the mechanism of release of active substances was dependent on the excipients contained in tablets and the best fitted kinetics models were obtained for formulations with potentially prolonged release of DIC and PAP.

A Novel Aqueous Micellar Two-Phase System Composed of Surfactant and Sorbitol for Purification of Pectinase Enzyme from Psidium guajava and Recycling Phase Components

Science.gov (United States)

Murshid, Fara Syazana; Manap, Mohd Yazid; Hussin, Muhaini

2015-01-01

A novel aqueous two-phase system composed of a surfactant and sorbitol was employed for the first time to purify pectinase from Psidium guajava. The influences of different parameters, including the type and concentration of the surfactant and the concentration and composition of the surfactant/sorbitol ratio, on the partitioning behavior and recovery of pectinase were investigated. Moreover, the effects of system pH and the crude load on purification fold and the yield of purified pectinase were studied. The experimental results indicated that the pectinase was partitioned into surfactant-rich top phase, and the impurities were partitioned into the sorbitol-rich bottom phase with the novel method involving an ATPS composed of 26% (w/w) Triton X-100 and 23% (w/w) sorbitol at 54.2% of the TLL crude load of 20% (w/w) at pH 6.0. The enzyme was successfully recovered by this method with a high purification factor of 15.2 and a yield of 98.3%, whereas the phase components were also recovered and recycled at rates above 96%. This study demonstrated that this novel ATPS method can be used as an efficient and economical alternative to the traditional ATPS for the purification and recovery of the valuable enzyme. PMID:25756051

A novel aqueous micellar two-phase system composed of surfactant and sorbitol for purification of pectinase enzyme from Psidium guajava and recycling phase components.

Science.gov (United States)

Amid, Mehrnoush; Murshid, Fara Syazana; Manap, Mohd Yazid; Hussin, Muhaini

2015-01-01

A novel aqueous two-phase system composed of a surfactant and sorbitol was employed for the first time to purify pectinase from Psidium guajava. The influences of different parameters, including the type and concentration of the surfactant and the concentration and composition of the surfactant/sorbitol ratio, on the partitioning behavior and recovery of pectinase were investigated. Moreover, the effects of system pH and the crude load on purification fold and the yield of purified pectinase were studied. The experimental results indicated that the pectinase was partitioned into surfactant-rich top phase, and the impurities were partitioned into the sorbitol-rich bottom phase with the novel method involving an ATPS composed of 26% (w/w) Triton X-100 and 23% (w/w) sorbitol at 54.2% of the TLL crude load of 20% (w/w) at pH 6.0. The enzyme was successfully recovered by this method with a high purification factor of 15.2 and a yield of 98.3%, whereas the phase components were also recovered and recycled at rates above 96%. This study demonstrated that this novel ATPS method can be used as an efficient and economical alternative to the traditional ATPS for the purification and recovery of the valuable enzyme.

On the binding of calcium by micelles composed of carboxy-modified pluronics measured by means of differential potentiometric titration and modelled with a self-consistent-field theory

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lauw, Y.; Leermakers, F.A.M.; Cohen Stuart, M.A.; Pinheiro, J.P.; Custers, J.P.A.; Broeke, van den L.J.P.; Keurentjes, J.T.F.

2006-01-01

We perform differential potentiometric titration measurements for the binding of Ca2+ ions to micelles composed of the carboxylic acid end-standing Pluronic P85 block copolymer (i.e., CAE-85 (COOH-(EO)(26)-(PO)(39)-(EO)(26)-COOH)). Two different ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) are used to detect the

Effect of formation conditions on biochars: Compositional and structural properties of cellulose, lignin, and pine biochars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rutherford, David W.; Wershaw, Robert L.; Rostad, Colleen E.; Kelly, Charlene N.

2012-01-01

The application of biochar to soil has been proposed as a long-term sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide in terrestrial ecosystems while providing improved soil fertility and increased crop production. Because biochar differs from the widely documented activated carbon, initial characterization information on effects of formation conditions on physical and chemical properties of biochar is important prior to its large-scale incorporation into soils. Plant biomass is composed primarily of cellulose and lignin. As a means of predicting biochar characteristics, samples of cellulose, lignin, and pine were charred under a nitrogen atmosphere at temperatures ranging from 250 °C to 500 °C for times ranging from 1 h to 168 h. Mass loss, elemental composition (carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen), Fourier transform infrared and 13 C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectra of the biochars produced were compared. Mass loss combined with NMR spectrometry showed that the initial rapid loss of material is attributed to aliphatic components, which are either lost or converted to aromatic carbon early in the charring process, and oxygen was lost more rapidly than carbon. The biomass contains a labile oxygen fraction that is quickly removed or lost upon initial heating, and a recalcitrant oxygen fraction which remains fixed in the char. If biochar is to be incorporated into agricultural soils, formation conditions should be tailored to optimize desirable characteristics, such as recalcitrance to degradation, soil fertility and pollutant sequestration, and minimize less desirable characteristics of degradability or low yield (mass loss). -- Highlights: ► Effects of formation conditions on physical and chemical properties of biochar. ► Cellulose, lignin, pine charred under inert atmosphere at various times and temperatures. ► Mass loss, elemental composition (C, H, and O), FTIR, NMR spectra compared. ► Aliphatic components either lost or converted to aromatic carbon early in

Sequential chimeric medial femoral condyle and anterolateral thigh flow-through flaps for one-stage reconstructions of composite bone and soft tissue defects: Report of three cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Henn, Dominic; Abouarab, Mohamed H; Hirche, Christoph; Hernekamp, Jochen F; Schmidt, Volker J; Kneser, Ulrich; Kremer, Thomas

2017-10-01

Small recalcitrant non-unions with poor perfusion require reconstruction with vascularized bone flaps. Cases with concomitant large soft tissue defects are especially challenging, since vascularized soft tissue transfer is often indicated and distant microvascular anastomoses may be required. We introduce a sequential chimeric free flap composed of a medial femoral condyle corticoperiosteal flap anastomosed to an anterolateral thigh flow-through flap (MFC-ALT flap) and report its use for reconstruction of small non-unions with concomitant large soft tissue defects in three exemplary patients. Two female and one male patients ages 39-58 years suffered from composite bone and soft tissue defects of the lower extremity and clavicle caused by tumor resection and postoperative radiation resp. infected tibial pilon fracture. The sizes of the soft tissue defects ranged from 15-23 × 4.5-6 cm and the sizes of the bone defects ranged from 1.5-4 × 2-4 cm. Defect reconstructions were performed in all cases with sequential chimeric MFC-ALT flaps with sizes ranging from 2-4 × 1.6-4 cm for the MFC and 21-23 × 7-8 cm for the ALT skin paddles. Functional reconstructions were achieved in all cases resulting in stable unions and soft tissue coverage enabling the patients to bear full weight without assistance on 5-months follow-up. Postoperative course was uneventful and complications were restricted to a small skin necrosis at the suture line in one case. MFC-ALT flaps may be a safe, and effective procedure for one-stage reconstructions of small, irregularly shaped bone defects with concomitant large soft tissue loss or surrounding instable scarring, particularly in cases of recalcitrant non-unions after radiation exposure. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Combined effects of leaf litter and soil microsite on decomposition process in arid rangelands.

Science.gov (United States)

Carrera, Analía Lorena; Bertiller, Mónica Beatriz

2013-01-15

The objective of this study was to analyze the combined effects of leaf litter quality and soil properties on litter decomposition and soil nitrogen (N) mineralization at conserved (C) and disturbed by sheep grazing (D) vegetation states in arid rangelands of the Patagonian Monte. It was hypothesized that spatial differences in soil inorganic-N levels have larger impact on decomposition processes of non-recalcitrant than recalcitrant leaf litter (low and high concentration of secondary compounds, respectively). Leaf litter and upper soil were extracted from modal size plant patches (patch microsite) and the associated inter-patch area (inter-patch microsite) in C and D. Leaf litter was pooled per vegetation state and soil was pooled combining vegetation state and microsite. Concentrations of N and secondary compounds in leaf litter and total and inorganic-N in soil were assessed at each pooled sample. Leaf litter decay and soil N mineralization at microsites of C and D were estimated in 160 microcosms incubated at field capacity (16 month). C soils had higher total N than D soils (0.58 and 0.41 mg/g, respectively). Patch soil of C and inter-patch soil of D exhibited the highest values of inorganic-N (8.8 and 8.4 μg/g, respectively). Leaf litter of C was less recalcitrant and decomposed faster than that of D. Non-recalcitrant leaf litter decay and induced soil N mineralization had larger variation among microsites (coefficients of variation = 25 and 41%, respectively) than recalcitrant leaf litter (coefficients of variation = 12 and 32%, respectively). Changes in the canopy structure induced by grazing disturbance increased leaf litter recalcitrance, and reduced litter decay and soil N mineralization, independently of soil N levels. This highlights the importance of the combined effects of soil and leaf litter properties on N cycling probably with consequences for vegetation reestablishment and dynamics, rangeland resistance and resilience with implications