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Sample records for dynamic stability enhancement

  1. Dynamic State Estimation for Multi-Machine Power System by Unscented Kalman Filter With Enhanced Numerical Stability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qi, Junjian; Sun, Kai; Wang, Jianhui; Liu, Hui

    2018-03-01

    In this paper, in order to enhance the numerical stability of the unscented Kalman filter (UKF) used for power system dynamic state estimation, a new UKF with guaranteed positive semidifinite estimation error covariance (UKFGPS) is proposed and compared with five existing approaches, including UKFschol, UKF-kappa, UKFmodified, UKF-Delta Q, and the squareroot UKF (SRUKF). These methods and the extended Kalman filter (EKF) are tested by performing dynamic state estimation on WSCC 3-machine 9-bus system and NPCC 48-machine 140-bus system. For WSCC system, all methods obtain good estimates. However, for NPCC system, both EKF and the classic UKF fail. It is found that UKFschol, UKF-kappa, and UKF-Delta Q do not work well in some estimations while UKFGPS works well in most cases. UKFmodified and SRUKF can always work well, indicating their better scalability mainly due to the enhanced numerical stability.

  2. Dynamics of bad-cavity-enhanced interaction with cold Sr atoms for laser stabilization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schäffer, S. A.; Christensen, B. T.R.; Henriksen, M. R.

    2017-01-01

    Hybrid systems of cold atoms and optical cavities are promising systems for increasing the stability of laser oscillators used in quantum metrology and atomic clocks. In this paper we map out the atom-cavity dynamics in such a system and demonstrate limitations as well as robustness of the approach....... We investigate the phase response of an ensemble of cold Sr88 atoms inside an optical cavity for use as an error signal in laser frequency stabilization. With this system we realize a regime where the high atomic phase shift limits the dynamical locking range. The limitation is caused by the cavity...

  3. Molecular dynamics study of thermodynamic stability and dynamics of [Li(glyme)]+ complex in lithium-glyme solvate ionic liquids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shinoda, Wataru; Hatanaka, Yuta; Hirakawa, Masashi; Okazaki, Susumu; Tsuzuki, Seiji; Ueno, Kazuhide; Watanabe, Masayoshi

    2018-05-01

    Equimolar mixtures of glymes and organic lithium salts are known to produce solvate ionic liquids, in which the stability of the [Li(glyme)]+ complex plays an important role in determining the ionic dynamics. Since these mixtures have attractive physicochemical properties for application as electrolytes, it is important to understand the dependence of the stability of the [Li(glyme)]+ complex on the ion dynamics. A series of microsecond molecular dynamics simulations has been conducted to investigate the dynamic properties of these solvate ionic liquids. Successful solvate ionic liquids with high stability of the [Li(glyme)]+ complex have been shown to have enhanced ion dynamics. Li-glyme pair exchange rarely occurs: its characteristic time is longer than that of ion diffusion by one or two orders of magnitude. Li-glyme pair exchange most likely occurs through cluster formation involving multiple [Li(glyme)]+ pairs. In this process, multiple exchanges likely take place in a concerted manner without the production of energetically unfavorable free glyme or free Li+ ions.

  4. Stability of dynamical systems

    CERN Document Server

    Liao, Xiaoxin; Yu, P 0

    2007-01-01

    The main purpose of developing stability theory is to examine dynamic responses of a system to disturbances as the time approaches infinity. It has been and still is the object of intense investigations due to its intrinsic interest and its relevance to all practical systems in engineering, finance, natural science and social science. This monograph provides some state-of-the-art expositions of major advances in fundamental stability theories and methods for dynamic systems of ODE and DDE types and in limit cycle, normal form and Hopf bifurcation control of nonlinear dynamic systems.ʺ Presents

  5. Structure of Dynamic, Taxol-Stabilized, and GMPPCP-Stabilized Microtubule.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ginsburg, Avi; Shemesh, Asaf; Millgram, Abigail; Dharan, Raviv; Levi-Kalisman, Yael; Ringel, Israel; Raviv, Uri

    2017-09-14

    Microtubule (MT) is made of αβ-tubulin heterodimers that dynamically assemble into a hollow nanotube composed of straight protofilaments. MT dynamics is facilitated by hydrolysis of guanosine-5'-triphosphate (GTP) and can be inhibited by either anticancer agents like taxol or the nonhydrolyzable GTP analogues like GMPPCP. Using high-resolution synchrotron X-ray scattering, we have measured and analyzed the scattering curves from solutions of dynamic MT (in other words, in the presence of excess GTP and free of dynamic-inhibiting agents) and examined the effect of two MT stabilizers: taxol and GMPPCP. Previously, we have analyzed the structure of dynamic MT by docking the atomic model of tubulin dimer onto a 3-start left handed helical lattice, derived from the PDB ID 3J6F . 3J6F corresponds to a MT with 14 protofilaments. In this paper, we took into account the possibility of having MT structures containing between 12 and 15 protofilaments. MTs with 12 protofilaments were never observed. We determined the radii, the pitch, and the distribution of protofilament number that best fit the scattering data from dynamic MT or stabilized MT by taxol or GMPPCP. We found that the protofilament number distribution shifted when the MT was stabilized. Taxol increased the mass fraction of MT with 13 protofilaments and decreased the mass fraction of MT with 14 protofilaments. GMPPCP reduced the mass fraction of MT with 15 protofilaments and increased the mass fraction of MT with 14 protofilaments. The pitch, however, remained unchanged regardless of whether the MT was dynamic or stabilized. Higher tubulin concentrations increased the fraction of dynamic MT with 14 protofilaments.

  6. Dynamic Characteristics Analysis and Stabilization of PV-Based Multiple Microgrid Clusters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhao, Zhuoli; Yang, Ping; Wang, Yuewu

    2018-01-01

    -based multiple microgrid clusters. A detailed small-signal model for PV-based microgrid clusters considering local adaptive dynamic droop control mechanism of the voltage-source PV system is developed. The complete dynamic model is then used to access and compare the dynamic characteristics of the single...... microgrid and interconnected microgrids. In order to enhance system stability of the PV microgrid clusters, a tie-line flow and stabilization strategy is proposed to suppress the introduced interarea and local oscillations. Robustly selecting of the key control parameters is transformed to a multiobjective......As the penetration of PV generation increases, there is a growing operational demand on PV systems to participate in microgrid frequency regulation. It is expected that future distribution systems will consist of multiple microgrid clusters. However, interconnecting PV microgrids may lead to system...

  7. Dynamic Stability Experiment of Maglev Systems,

    Science.gov (United States)

    1995-04-01

    This report summarizes the research performed on maglev vehicle dynamic stability at Argonne National Laboratory during the past few years. It also... maglev system, it is important to consider this phenomenon in the development of all maglev systems. This report presents dynamic stability experiments...on maglev systems and compares their numerical simulation with predictions calculated by a nonlinear dynamic computer code. Instabilities of an

  8. Unifying dynamical and structural stability of equilibria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnoldi, Jean-François; Haegeman, Bart

    2016-09-01

    We exhibit a fundamental relationship between measures of dynamical and structural stability of linear dynamical systems-e.g. linearized models in the vicinity of equilibria. We show that dynamical stability, quantified via the response to external perturbations (i.e. perturbation of dynamical variables), coincides with the minimal internal perturbation (i.e. perturbations of interactions between variables) able to render the system unstable. First, by reformulating a result of control theory, we explain that harmonic external perturbations reflect the spectral sensitivity of the Jacobian matrix at the equilibrium, with respect to constant changes of its coefficients. However, for this equivalence to hold, imaginary changes of the Jacobian's coefficients have to be allowed. The connection with dynamical stability is thus lost for real dynamical systems. We show that this issue can be avoided, thus recovering the fundamental link between dynamical and structural stability, by considering stochastic noise as external and internal perturbations. More precisely, we demonstrate that a linear system's response to white-noise perturbations directly reflects the intensity of internal white-noise disturbance that it can accommodate before becoming stochastically unstable.

  9. Beam Stability and Nonlinear Dynamics. Proceedings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parsa, Z.

    1997-01-01

    These proceedings represent papers presented at the Beam Stability and Nonlinear Dynamics symposium held in Santa Barbara in December 1996. The symposium was sponsored by the National Science Foundation as part of the United States long term accelerator research. The focus of this symposium was on nonlinear dynamics and beam stability. The topics included single-particle and many-particle dynamics, and stability in large circular accelerators such as the Large Hadron Collider(LHC). Other subjects covered were spin dynamics, nonlinear aberration correction, collective effects in the LHC, sawtooth instability and Landau damping in the presence of strong nonlinearity. There were presentations concerning plasma physics including the effect of beam echo. There are 17 papers altogether in these proceedings and 8 of them have been abstracted for the Energy Science and Technology database

  10. Stability of molecular dynamics simulations of classical systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Toxværd, Søren

    2012-01-01

    The existence of a shadow Hamiltonian for discrete classical dynamics, obtained by an asymptotic expansion for a discrete symplectic algorithm, is employed to determine the limit of stability for molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with respect to the time-increment h of the discrete dynamics....... The investigation is based on the stability of the shadow energy, obtained by including the first term in the asymptotic expansion, and on the exact solution of discrete dynamics for a single harmonic mode. The exact solution of discrete dynamics for a harmonic potential with frequency ω gives a criterion...... for the limit of stability h ⩽ 2/ω. Simulations of the Lennard-Jones system and the viscous Kob-Andersen system show that one can use the limit of stability of the shadow energy or the stability criterion for a harmonic mode on the spectrum of instantaneous frequencies to determine the limit of stability of MD...

  11. Structural stability of nonlinear population dynamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cenci, Simone; Saavedra, Serguei

    2018-01-01

    In population dynamics, the concept of structural stability has been used to quantify the tolerance of a system to environmental perturbations. Yet, measuring the structural stability of nonlinear dynamical systems remains a challenging task. Focusing on the classic Lotka-Volterra dynamics, because of the linearity of the functional response, it has been possible to measure the conditions compatible with a structurally stable system. However, the functional response of biological communities is not always well approximated by deterministic linear functions. Thus, it is unclear the extent to which this linear approach can be generalized to other population dynamics models. Here, we show that the same approach used to investigate the classic Lotka-Volterra dynamics, which is called the structural approach, can be applied to a much larger class of nonlinear models. This class covers a large number of nonlinear functional responses that have been intensively investigated both theoretically and experimentally. We also investigate the applicability of the structural approach to stochastic dynamical systems and we provide a measure of structural stability for finite populations. Overall, we show that the structural approach can provide reliable and tractable information about the qualitative behavior of many nonlinear dynamical systems.

  12. Structural stability of nonlinear population dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cenci, Simone; Saavedra, Serguei

    2018-01-01

    In population dynamics, the concept of structural stability has been used to quantify the tolerance of a system to environmental perturbations. Yet, measuring the structural stability of nonlinear dynamical systems remains a challenging task. Focusing on the classic Lotka-Volterra dynamics, because of the linearity of the functional response, it has been possible to measure the conditions compatible with a structurally stable system. However, the functional response of biological communities is not always well approximated by deterministic linear functions. Thus, it is unclear the extent to which this linear approach can be generalized to other population dynamics models. Here, we show that the same approach used to investigate the classic Lotka-Volterra dynamics, which is called the structural approach, can be applied to a much larger class of nonlinear models. This class covers a large number of nonlinear functional responses that have been intensively investigated both theoretically and experimentally. We also investigate the applicability of the structural approach to stochastic dynamical systems and we provide a measure of structural stability for finite populations. Overall, we show that the structural approach can provide reliable and tractable information about the qualitative behavior of many nonlinear dynamical systems.

  13. Assessment of stability during gait in patients with spinal deformity-A preliminary analysis using the dynamic stability margin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, Anne-Laure; Lugade, Vipul; Bernhardt, Kathie; Larson, A Noelle; Kaufman, Kenton

    2017-06-01

    Daily living activities are dynamic, requiring spinal motion through space. Current assessment of spinal deformities is based on static measurements from full-spine standing radiographs. Tools to assess dynamic stability during gait might be useful to enhance the standard evaluation. The aim of this study was to evaluate gait dynamic imbalance in patients with spinal deformity using the dynamic stability margin (DSM). Twelve normal subjects and 17 patients with spinal deformity were prospectively recruited. A kinematic 3D gait analysis was performed for the control group (CG) and the spinal deformity group (SDG). The DSM (distance between the extrapolated center of mass and the base of support) and time-distance parameters were calculated for the right and left side during gait. The relationship between DSM and step length was assessed using three variables: gait stability, symmetry, and consistency. Variables' accuracy was validated by a discriminant analysis. Patients with spinal deformity exhibited gait instability according to the DSM (0.25m versus 0.31m) with decreased velocity (1.1ms -1 versus 1.3ms -1 ) and decreased step length (0.32m versus 0.38m). According to the discriminant analysis, gait stability was the more accurate variable (area under the curve AUC=0.98) followed by gait symmetry and consistency. However, gait consistency showed 100% of specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy of precision. The DSM showed that patients with spinal malalignment exhibit decreased gait stability, symmetry, and consistency besides gait time-distance parameter changes. Additional work is required to determine how to apply the DSM for preoperative and postoperative spinal deformity management. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  14. Dynamic Rocker-Bogie: Kinematical Analysis in a High-Speed Traversal Stability Enhancement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sunxin Wang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The rocker-bogie suspension system has robust capabilities to deal with uneven terrain because of its distributing of the payload over its six wheels uniformly, while there is one major shortcoming to high-speed traversal over the planar terrain. This paper proposes a new dynamic rocker-bogie suspension system with two modes of operation: it can expand the span of the rocker-bogie support polygon to increase travel rate when the terrain is planar; and it can switch to its original configuration to move by low speed when it is faced with rough terrain. The analysis on dynamic stability margin and kinematical simulation on the two operating modes of rocker-bogie are employed to analyze and verify the rationality and effectiveness of the modification in the structure.

  15. Constraints on dynamic stability during forward, backward and lateral locomotion in skilled football players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehdizadeh, Sina; Arshi, Ahmed Reza; Davids, Keith

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate effects of speed and plane of motion on stability during locomotion in skilled football players. Ten male national-level football players participated in this study to run forward, backward and in lateral directions on a treadmill at 80%, 100% and 120% of their preferred running speeds. The coordinate data of passive reflective markers attached to body segments were recorded using motion capture systems. Time series data obtained from the ankle marker were used for further analyses. The largest finite-time Lyapunov exponent and maximum Floquet multiplier were adopted to quantify local and orbital dynamic stabilities, respectively. Results showed that speed did not significantly change local and orbital dynamic stabilities in any of running patterns. However, both local and orbital dynamic stability were significantly higher in the secondary plane of progression. Data revealed that in running, unlike walking, stability in the direction perpendicular to the direction of running is significantly higher, implying that less active control is required in the secondary plane of progression. The results of this study could be useful in sports training and rehabilitation programmes where development of fundamental exercise programmes that challenge both speed and the ability to maintain stability might produce a tangible enhancement of athletic skill level.

  16. Local Dynamic Stability Associated with Load Carrying

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jian Liu

    2013-03-01

    Conclusion: Current study confirmed the sensitivity of local dynamic stability measure in load carrying situation. It was concluded that load carrying tasks were associated with declined local dynamic stability, which may result in increased risk of fall accident. This finding has implications in preventing fall accidents associated with occupational load carrying.

  17. Intense field stabilization in circular polarization: Three-dimensional time-dependent dynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Dae-Il; Chism, Will

    2002-01-01

    We investigate the stabilization of hydrogen atoms in a circularly polarized laser field. We use a three-dimensional, time-dependent approach to study the quantum dynamics of hydrogen atoms subject to high-intensity, short-wavelength, laser pulses. We find an enhanced survival probability as the field is increased under fixed envelope conditions. We also confirm wave packet behaviors previously seen in two-dimensional time-dependent computations

  18. Fast Dynamic Simulation-Based Small Signal Stability Assessment and Control

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Acharya, Naresh [General Electric Company, Fairfield, CT (United States); Baone, Chaitanya [General Electric Company, Fairfield, CT (United States); Veda, Santosh [General Electric Company, Fairfield, CT (United States); Dai, Jing [General Electric Company, Fairfield, CT (United States); Chaudhuri, Nilanjan [General Electric Company, Fairfield, CT (United States); Leonardi, Bruno [General Electric Company, Fairfield, CT (United States); Sanches-Gasca, Juan [General Electric Company, Fairfield, CT (United States); Diao, Ruisheng [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Wu, Di [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Huang, Zhenyu [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Zhang, Yu [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Jin, Shuangshuang [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Zheng, Bin [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Chen, Yousu [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2014-12-31

    Power grid planning and operation decisions are made based on simulation of the dynamic behavior of the system. Enabling substantial energy savings while increasing the reliability of the aging North American power grid through improved utilization of existing transmission assets hinges on the adoption of wide-area measurement systems (WAMS) for power system stabilization. However, adoption of WAMS alone will not suffice if the power system is to reach its full entitlement in stability and reliability. It is necessary to enhance predictability with "faster than real-time" dynamic simulations that will enable the dynamic stability margins, proactive real-time control, and improve grid resiliency to fast time-scale phenomena such as cascading network failures. Present-day dynamic simulations are performed only during offline planning studies, considering only worst case conditions such as summer peak, winter peak days, etc. With widespread deployment of renewable generation, controllable loads, energy storage devices and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles expected in the near future and greater integration of cyber infrastructure (communications, computation and control), monitoring and controlling the dynamic performance of the grid in real-time would become increasingly important. The state-of-the-art dynamic simulation tools have limited computational speed and are not suitable for real-time applications, given the large set of contingency conditions to be evaluated. These tools are optimized for best performance of single-processor computers, but the simulation is still several times slower than real-time due to its computational complexity. With recent significant advances in numerical methods and computational hardware, the expectations have been rising towards more efficient and faster techniques to be implemented in power system simulators. This is a natural expectation, given that the core solution algorithms of most commercial simulators were developed

  19. Maintaining the stability of nonlinear differential equations by the enhancement of HPM

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hosein Nia, S.H.; Ranjbar, A.N.; Ganji, D.D.; Soltani, H.; Ghasemi, J.

    2008-01-01

    Homotopy perturbation method is an effective method to find a solution of a nonlinear differential equation. In this method, a nonlinear complex differential equation is transformed to a series of linear and nonlinear parts, almost simpler differential equations. These sets of equations are then solved iteratively. Finally, a linear series of the solutions completes the answer if the convergence is maintained. In this Letter, the need for stability verification is shown through some examples. Consequently, HPM is enhanced by a preliminary assumption. The idea is to keep the inherent stability of nonlinear dynamic, even the selected linear part is not

  20. Observer enhanced control for spin-stabilized tethered formation in earth orbit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guang, Zhai; Yuyang, Li; Liang, Bin

    2018-04-01

    This paper addresses the issues relevant to control of spin-stabilized tethered formation in circular orbit. Due to the dynamic complexities and nonlinear perturbations, it is challenging to promote the control precision for the formation deployment and maintenance. In this work, the formation dynamics are derived with considering the spinning rate of the central body, then major attention is dedicated to develop the nonlinear disturbance observer. To achieve better control performance, the observer-enhanced controller is designed by incorporating the disturbance observer into the control loop, benefits from the disturbance compensation are demonstrated, and also, the dependences of the disturbance observer performance on some important parameters are theoretically and numerically analyzed.

  1. Nonlinear Slewing Spacecraft Control Based on Exergy, Power Flow, and Static and Dynamic Stability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinett, Rush D.; Wilson, David G.

    2009-10-01

    This paper presents a new nonlinear control methodology for slewing spacecraft, which provides both necessary and sufficient conditions for stability by identifying the stability boundaries, rigid body modes, and limit cycles. Conservative Hamiltonian system concepts, which are equivalent to static stability of airplanes, are used to find and deal with the static stability boundaries: rigid body modes. The application of exergy and entropy thermodynamic concepts to the work-rate principle provides a natural partitioning through the second law of thermodynamics of power flows into exergy generator, dissipator, and storage for Hamiltonian systems that is employed to find the dynamic stability boundaries: limit cycles. This partitioning process enables the control system designer to directly evaluate and enhance the stability and performance of the system by balancing the power flowing into versus the power dissipated within the system subject to the Hamiltonian surface (power storage). Relationships are developed between exergy, power flow, static and dynamic stability, and Lyapunov analysis. The methodology is demonstrated with two illustrative examples: (1) a nonlinear oscillator with sinusoidal damping and (2) a multi-input-multi-output three-axis slewing spacecraft that employs proportional-integral-derivative tracking control with numerical simulation results.

  2. Dynamic postural stability in blind athletes using the biodex stability system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aydoğ, E; Aydoğ, S T; Cakci, A; Doral, M N

    2006-05-01

    Three systems affect the upright standing posture in humans - visual, vestibular, and somatosensory. It is well known that the visually impaired individuals have bad postural balance. On the other hand, it is a well documented fact that some sports can improve postural balance. Therefore, it is aimed in this study to evaluate the dynamic postural stability in goal-ball athletes. Twenty blind goal-ball players, 20 sighted and 20 sedentary blind controls were evaluated using the Biodex Stability System. Three adaptation trials and three test evaluations (a 20-second balance test at a platform stability of 8) were applied to the blind people, and to the sighted with eyes open and closed. Dynamic postural stability was measured on the basis of three indices: overall, anteroposterior, and mediolateral. Means of each test score were calculated. The tests results were compared for the blind athletes, sighted (with eyes open and closed) subjects, and sedentary blind people. There were significant differences between the results of the blind people and the sighted subjects with regards to all of the three indices. Although the stability of goal-ball players was better than sedentary blinds', only ML index values were statistically different (4.47 +/- 1.24 in the goal-ball players; 6.46 +/- 3.42 in the sedentary blind, p = 0.04). Dynamic postural stability was demonstrated to be affected by vision; and it was found that blind people playing goal-ball 1 - 2 days per week have higher ML stability than the sedentary sighted people.

  3. Evaluating automated dynamic contrast enhanced wrist 3T MRI in healthy volunteers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rastogi, Anshul; Kubassova, Olga; Krasnosselskaia, Lada V

    2013-01-01

    Dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE)-MRI has great potential to provide quantitative measure of inflammatory activity in rheumatoid arthritis. There is no current benchmark to establish the stability of signal in the joints of healthy subjects when imaged with DCE-MRI longitudinally, which is crucial so...

  4. Effect of Footwear on Dynamic Stability during Single-leg Jump Landings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowser, Bradley J; Rose, William C; McGrath, Robert; Salerno, Jilian; Wallace, Joshua; Davis, Irene S

    2017-06-01

    Barefoot and minimal footwear running has led to greater interest in the biomechanical effects of different types of footwear. The effect of running footwear on dynamic stability is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to compare dynamic stability and impact loading across 3 footwear conditions; barefoot, minimal footwear and standard running shoes. 25 injury free runners (21 male, 4 female) completed 5 single-leg jump landings in each footwear condition. Dynamic stability was assessed using the dynamic postural stability index and its directional components (mediolateral, anteroposterior, vertical). Peak vertical ground reaction force and vertical loadrates were also compared across footwear conditions. Dynamic stability was dependent on footwear type for all stability indices (ANOVA, pfootwear for the anteroposterior stability index (pfootwear (p≤0.05). Dynamic stability, peak vertical force, and average loadrates during single-leg jump landings appear to be affected by footwear type. The results suggest greater dynamic stability and lower impact loading when landing barefoot or in minimal footwear. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  5. Dynamic Voltage Stability Studies using a Modified IEEE 30-Bus System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oluwafemi Emmanuel Oni

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Power System stability is an essential study in the planning and operation of an efficient, economic, reliable and secure electric power system because it encompasses all the facet of power systems operations, from planning, to conceptual design stages of the project as well as during the systems operating life span. This paper presents different scenario of power system stability studies on a modified IEEE 30-bus system which is subjected to different faults conditions. A scenario whereby the longest high voltage alternating current (HVAC line is replaced with a high voltage direct current (HVDC line was implemented. The results obtained show that the HVDC line enhances system stability more compared to the contemporary HVAC line. Dynamic analysis using RMS simulation tool was used on DigSILENT PowerFactory.

  6. Dynamic Stability of Maglev Systems,

    Science.gov (United States)

    1992-04-01

    AD-A259 178 ANL-92/21 Materials and Components Dynamic Stability of Technology Division Materials and Components Maglev Systems Technology Division...of Maglev Systems Y. Cai, S. S. Chen, and T. M. Mulcahy Materials and Components Technology Division D. M. Rote Center for Transportation Research...of Maglev System with L-Shaped Guideway ......................................... 6 3 Stability of M aglev System s

  7. Reliability Analysis of Dynamic Stability in Waves

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Søborg, Anders Veldt

    2004-01-01

    exhibit sufficient characteristics with respect to slope at zero heel (GM value), maximum leverarm, positive range of stability and area below the leverarm curve. The rule-based requirements to calm water leverarm curves are entirely based on experience obtained from vessels in operation and recorded......The assessment of a ship's intact stability is traditionally based on a semi-empirical deterministic concept that evaluates the characteristics of ship's calm water restoring leverarm curves. Today the ship is considered safe with respect to dynamic stability if its calm water leverarm curves...... accidents in the past. The rules therefore only leaves little room for evaluation and improvement of safety of a ship's dynamic stability. A few studies have evaluated the probability of ship stability loss in waves using Monte Carlo simulations. However, since this probability may be in the order of 10...

  8. Noise Enhanced Stability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spagnolo, B.; Agudov, N.V.; Dubkov, A.A.

    2004-01-01

    The noise can stabilize a fluctuating or a periodically driven metastable state in such a way that the system remains in this state for a longer time than in the absence of white noise. This is the noise enhanced stability phenomenon, observed experimentally and numerically in different physical systems. After shortly reviewing all the physical systems where the phenomenon was observed, the theoretical approaches used to explain the effect are presented. Specifically the conditions to observe the effect in systems: (a) with periodical driving force, and (b) with random dichotomous driving force, are discussed. In case (b) we review the analytical results concerning the mean first passage time and the nonlinear relaxation time as a function of the white noise intensity, the parameters of the potential barrier, and of the dichotomous noise. (author)

  9. Application of a combined superconducting fault current limiter and STATCOM to enhancement of power system transient stability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mahdad, Belkacem, E-mail: bemahdad@mselab.org; Srairi, K.

    2013-12-15

    Highlights: •A simple interactive model SFCL–STATCOM Controller is proposed to enhance the transient stability. •The STATCOM controller is integrated in coordination with the SFCL to support the excessive reactive power during fault. •Voltage stability index based continuation power flow is used to locate the STATCOM and the SFCL. •The clearing time improved compared to other cases (with only SFCL, with only STATCOM). •The choice of the STATCOM parameters is very important to exploit efficiently the integration of STATCOM Controller. -- Abstract: Stable and reliable operation of the power system network is dependent on the dynamic equilibrium between energy production and power demand under large disturbance such as short circuit or important line tripping. This paper investigates the use of combined model based superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) and shunt FACTS Controller (STATCOM) for assessing the transient stability of a power system considering the automatic voltage regulator. The combined model located at a specified branch based on voltage stability index using continuation power flow. The main role of the proposed combined model is to achieve simultaneously a flexible control of reactive power using STATCOM Controller and to reduce fault current using superconducting technology based SFCL. The proposed combined model has been successfully adapted within the transient stability program and applied to enhance the transient power system stability of the WSCC9-Bus system. Critical clearing time (CCT) has been used as an index to evaluate and validate the contribution of the proposed coordinated Controller. Simulation results confirm the effectiveness and perspective of this combined Controller to enhance the dynamic power system performances.

  10. Silver-mediated base pairings: towards dynamic DNA nanostructures with enhanced chemical and thermal stability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swasey, Steven M; Gwinn, Elisabeth G

    2016-01-01

    The thermal and chemical fragility of DNA nanomaterials assembled by Watson–Crick (WC) pairing constrain the settings in which these materials can be used and how they can be functionalized. Here we investigate use of the silver cation, Ag + , as an agent for more robust, metal-mediated self-assembly, focusing on the simplest duplex building blocks that would be required for more elaborate Ag + –DNA nanostructures. Our studies of Ag + -induced assembly of non-complementary DNA oligomers employ strands of 2–24 bases, with varied base compositions, and use electrospray ionization mass spectrometry to determine product compositions. High yields of duplex products containing narrowly distributed numbers of Ag + can be achieved by optimizing solution conditions. These Ag + -mediated duplexes are stable to at least 60 mM Mg 2+ , higher than is necessary for WC nanotechnology schemes such as tile assemblies and DNA origami, indicating that sequential stages of Ag + -mediated and WC-mediated assembly may be feasible. Circular dichroism spectroscopy suggests simple helical structures for Ag + -mediated duplexes with lengths to at least 20 base pairs, and further indicates that the structure of cytosine-rich duplexes is preserved at high urea concentrations. We therefore propose an approach towards dynamic DNA nanomaterials with enhanced thermal and chemical stability through designs that combine sturdy silver-mediated ‘frames’ with WC paired ‘pictures’. (paper)

  11. Dynamic stability and bifurcation analysis in fractional thermodynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Béda, Péter B.

    2018-02-01

    In mechanics, viscoelasticity was the first field of applications in studying geomaterials. Further possibilities arise in spatial non-locality. Non-local materials were already studied in the 1960s by several authors as a part of continuum mechanics and are still in focus of interest because of the rising importance of materials with internal micro- and nano-structure. When material instability gained more interest, non-local behavior appeared in a different aspect. The problem was concerned to numerical analysis, because then instability zones exhibited singular properties for local constitutive equations. In dynamic stability analysis, mathematical aspects of non-locality were studied by using the theory of dynamic systems. There the basic set of equations describing the behavior of continua was transformed to an abstract dynamic system consisting of differential operators acting on the perturbation field variables. Such functions should satisfy homogeneous boundary conditions and act as indicators of stability of a selected state of the body under consideration. Dynamic systems approach results in conditions for cases, when the differential operators have critical eigenvalues of zero real parts (dynamic stability or instability conditions). When the critical eigenvalues have non-trivial eigenspace, the way of loss of stability is classified as a typical (or generic) bifurcation. Our experiences show that material non-locality and the generic nature of bifurcation at instability are connected, and the basic functions of the non-trivial eigenspace can be used to determine internal length quantities of non-local mechanics. Fractional calculus is already successfully used in thermo-elasticity. In the paper, non-locality is introduced via fractional strain into the constitutive relations of various conventional types. Then, by defining dynamic systems, stability and bifurcation are studied for states of thermo-mechanical solids. Stability conditions and genericity

  12. Solar Dynamic Power System Stability Analysis and Control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Momoh, James A.; Wang, Yanchun

    1996-01-01

    The objective of this research is to conduct dynamic analysis, control design, and control performance test of solar power system. Solar power system consists of generation system and distribution network system. A bench mark system is used in this research, which includes a generator with excitation system and governor, an ac/dc converter, six DDCU's and forty-eight loads. A detailed model is used for modeling generator. Excitation system is represented by a third order model. DDCU is represented by a seventh order system. The load is modeled by the combination of constant power and constant impedance. Eigen-analysis and eigen-sensitivity analysis are used for system dynamic analysis. The effects of excitation system, governor, ac/dc converter control, and the type of load on system stability are discussed. In order to improve system transient stability, nonlinear ac/dc converter control is introduced. The direct linearization method is used for control design. The dynamic analysis results show that these controls affect system stability in different ways. The parameter coordination of controllers are recommended based on the dynamic analysis. It is concluded from the present studies that system stability is improved by the coordination of control parameters and the nonlinear ac/dc converter control stabilize system oscillation caused by the load change and system fault efficiently.

  13. Dynamics of a stabilized motor defense conditioned reflex at different levels of motivation in irradiated rats

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shtemberg, A S

    1982-05-01

    Postradiation dynamics of strengthened motor-defense conditioned reflex in rats-males irradiated with the doses of 94.111 and 137 Gy was studied. Phase disturbances of conditioned-reflex activity increased with enhancing irradiation dose have been revealed. Rapid recovery of conditioned reflex after short primary aggravation was a characteristic peculiarity. At that, the dynamics of relation of main nervous processes in cortex was noted for significant instability increasing with radiation syndrome development. Enhancement of force of electro-defense support promoted more effective strengthening of temporary connections and conditioned high stability of trained-reflex reactions during serious functional disturbances resulted from sublethal dose irradiation.

  14. Dynamic stabilization of imploding liquid metal liner

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Itoh, Yasuyuki; Fujiie, Yoichi

    1979-01-01

    The rotational stabilization has been proposed against the Rayleigh-Taylor instability of the imploding liquid metal liner. In this paper, the discussion is made on the possibility of the dynamic stabilization by applying the oscillating azimuthal magnetic field in addition to the axial field. In contrast to the rotational stabilization, the required (field) energy for this stabilization is also used for the liner driving or the plasma confinement. In the analysis, the liner subjected to the acceleration is assumed to be infinitely long, at rest and have the situation at the start of the implosion or turnaround. At turnaround, the existence of the plasma is taken into account. The perturbed motion of the liner is discussed with a linear stability analysis. Results are as follows: (1) The dynamic stabilization at the start of the implosion is possible if the distance from the conducting wall to the liner outer surface is comparable with or less than the liner thickness. (2) At turnaround, the stability is improved with decreasing the ratio of the plasma radius to that of the liner inner surface however the kink mode (m = 1) cannot be suppressed. (author)

  15. ANALYSIS AND OPTIMISATION OF DYNAMIC STABILITY OF MOBILE WORKING MACHINES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter BIGOŠ

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes an investigation of the dynamic stability, which is specified for the mobile working machines. There are presented the basic theoretical principles of the stability theory together with an introduction of two illustrative examples of the dynamic stability analysis.

  16. Accuracy Enhanced Stability and Structure Preserving Model Reduction Technique for Dynamical Systems with Second Order Structure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tahavori, Maryamsadat; Shaker, Hamid Reza

    A method for model reduction of dynamical systems with the second order structure is proposed in this paper. The proposed technique preserves the second order structure of the system, and also preserves the stability of the original systems. The method uses the controllability and observability...... gramians within the time interval to build the appropriate Petrov-Galerkin projection for dynamical systems within the time interval of interest. The bound on approximation error is also derived. The numerical results are compared with the counterparts from other techniques. The results confirm...

  17. Elderly fallers enhance dynamic stability through anticipatory postural adjustments during a choice stepping reaction time

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Romain Tisserand

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available In the case of disequilibrium, the capacity to step quickly is critical to avoid falling for elderly. This capacity can be simply assessed through the choice stepping reaction time test (CSRT, where elderly fallers (F take longer to step than elderly non-fallers (NF. However, reasons why elderly F elongate their stepping time remain unclear. The purpose of this study is to assess the characteristics of anticipated postural adjustments (APA that elderly F develop in a stepping context and their consequences on the dynamic stability. 44 community-dwelling elderly subjects (20 F and 22 NF performed a CSRT where kinematics and ground reaction forces were collected. Variables were analyzed using two-way repeated measures ANOVAs. Results for F compared to NF showed that stepping time is elongated, due to a longer APA phase. During APA, they seem to use two distinct balance strategies, depending on the axis: in the anteroposterior direction, we measured a smaller backward movement and slower peak velocity of the center of pressure (CoP; in the mediolateral direction, the CoP movement was similar in amplitude and peak velocity between groups but lasted longer. The biomechanical consequence of both strategies was an increased margin of stability (MoS at foot-off, in the respective direction. By elongating their APA, elderly F use a safer balance strategy that prioritizes dynamic stability conditions instead of the objective of the task. Such a choice in balance strategy probably comes from muscular limitations and/or a higher fear of falling and paradoxically indicates an increased risk of fall.

  18. Enhanced Dynamic Voltage Stability Support by VSC-HVDC for Offshore Wind Applications using Trajectory Sensitivity Analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liu, Hongzhi; Chen, Zhe; Liu, Leo

    2013-01-01

    The integration of large-scale wind power plants changes the structure, configuration and operation of conventional power systems and brings challenges to the security and stability of power systems. Dynamic voltage stability of power systems with high wind penetration is one of the critical issues....... In this paper, VSC-HVDC transmission system is used to integrate a large-scale wind power plant into the onshore power grid. For different voltage support strategies of VSC-HVDC, a trajectory sensitivity analysisbased approach is proposed to find the minimum onshore VSC capacity with which the VSC-HVDC can...... provide enough support for the improvement of system voltage stability after a disturbance. Sensitivities of reactive power output of VSC to its capacity increase are calculated instead of the sensitivities of bus voltage magnitude towards the reactive power injection variation of VSC. Simulation results...

  19. Origin of Shear Stability and Compressive Ductility Enhancement of Metallic Glasses by Metal Coating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, B. A.; Chen, S. H.; Lu, Y. M.; Zhu, Z. G.; Zhao, Y. L.; Yang, Y.; Chan, K. C.; Liu, C. T.

    2016-01-01

    Metallic glasses (MGs) are notorious for the poor macroscopic ductility and to overcome the weakness various intrinsic and extrinsic strategies have been proposed in past decades. Among them, the metal coating is regarded as a flexible and facile approach, yet the physical origin is poorly understood due to the complex nature of shear banding process. Here, we studied the origin of ductile enhancement in the Cu-coating both experimentally and theoretically. By examining serrated shear events and their stability of MGs, we revealed that the thin coating layer plays a key role in stopping the final catastrophic failure of MGs by slowing down shear band dynamics and thus retarding its attainment to a critical instable state. The mechanical analysis on interplay between the coating layer and shear banding process showed the enhanced shear stability mainly comes from the lateral tension of coating layer induced by the surface shear step and the bonding between the coating layer and MGs rather than the layer thickness is found to play a key role in contributing to the shear stability. PMID:27271435

  20. Dynamic stability control in forward falls: postural corrections after muscle fatigue in young and older adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mademli, Lida; Arampatzis, Adamantios; Karamanidis, Kiros

    2008-06-01

    Many studies report that muscle strength loss may alter the human system's capacity to generate rapid force for balance corrections after perturbations, leading to deficient recovery behaviours. Yet little is known regarding the effect of modifications in the neuromuscular system induced by fatigue on dynamic stability control during postural perturbations. This study investigates the effect of muscle strength decline induced by fatiguing contractions on the dynamic stability control of young and older adults during forward falls. Eleven young and eleven older male adults had to regain balance after sudden falls before and after submaximal fatiguing knee extension-flexion contractions. Young subjects had a higher margin of stability than older ones before and after the fatiguing task. This reflects their enhanced ability in using mechanisms for maintaining dynamic stability (i.e. a greater base of support). The margin of stability, the boundary of the base of support and the position of the extrapolated centre of mass, remained unaffected by the reduction in muscle strength induced by the fatiguing contractions, indicating an appropriate adjustment of the motor commands to compensate the deficit in muscle strength. Both young and older adults were able to counteract the decreased horizontal ground reaction forces after the fatiguing task by flexing their knee to a greater extent, leading to similar decreases in the horizontal velocity of centre of mass as in the pre fatigue condition. The results demonstrate the ability of the central nervous system to rapidly modify the execution of postural corrections including mechanisms for maintaining dynamic stability.

  1. Transient Dynamics of Electric Power Systems: Direct Stability Assessment and Chaotic Motions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chu, Chia-Chi

    A power system is continuously experiencing disturbances. Analyzing, predicting, and controlling transient dynamics, which describe transient behaviors of the power system following disturbances, is a major concern in the planning and operation of a power utility. Important conclusions and decisions are made based on the result of system transient behaviors. As today's power network becomes highly interconnected and much more complex, it has become essential to enhance the fundamental understanding of transient dynamics, and to develop fast and reliable computational algorithms. In this thesis, we emphasize mathematical rigor rather than physical insight. Nonlinear dynamical system theory is applied to study two fundamental topics: direct stability assessment and chaotic motions. Conventionally, power system stability is determined by calculating the time-domain transient behaviors for a given disturbance. In contrast, direct methods identify whether or not the system will remain stable once the disturbance is removed by comparing the corresponding energy value of the post-fault system to a calculated threshold value. Direct methods not only avoid the time-consuming numerical integration of the time domain approach, but also provide a quantitative measure of the degree of system stability. We present a general framework for the theoretical foundations of direct methods. Canonical representations of network-reduction models as well as network-preserving models are proposed to facilitate the analysis and the construction of energy functions of various power system models. An advanced and practical method, called the boundary of stability region based controlling unstable equilibrium point method (BCU method), of computing the controlling unstable equilibrium point is proposed along with its theoretical foundation. Numerical solution algorithms capable of supporting on-line applications of direct methods are provided. Further possible improvements and enhancements are

  2. Dynamic stability under sudden loads

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simitses, G.J.

    1998-01-01

    The concept of dynamic stability of elastic structures subjected to sudden (step) loads is discussed. The various criteria and related methodologies for estimating critical conditions are presented with the emphasis on their similarities and differences. These are demonstrated by employing a simple mechanical model. Several structural configurations are analyzed, for demonstration purposes, with the intention of comparing critical dynamic loads to critical static loads. These configurations include shallow arches and shallow spherical caps, two bar frames, and imperfect cylindrical shells of metallic as well as laminated composite construction. In the demonstration examples, the effect of static pre loading on the dynamic critical load is presented

  3. Application of electrolyzer system to enhance frequency stabilization effect of microturbine in a microgrid system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vachirasricirikul, Sitthidet [Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut' s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520 (Thailand); Ngamroo, Issarachai; Kaitwanidvilai, Somyot [Center of Excellence for Innovative Energy Systems, King Mongkut' s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520 (Thailand)

    2009-09-15

    It is well known that the power output of microturbine can be controlled to compensate for load change and alleviate the system frequency fluctuations. Nevertheless, the microturbine may not adequately compensate rapid load change due to its slow dynamic response. Moreover, when the intermittent power generations from wind power and photovoltaic are integrated into the system, they may cause severe frequency fluctuation. In order to study the fast dynamic response, this paper applies electrolyzer system to absorb these power fluctuations and enhance the frequency control effect of microturbine in the microgrid system. The robust coordinated controller of electrolyzer and microturbine for frequency stabilization is designed based on a fixed-structure H{sub {infinity}} loop shaping control. Simulation results exhibit the robustness and stabilizing effects of the proposed coordinated electrolyzer and microturbine controllers against system parameters variation and various operating conditions. (author)

  4. Subnanometric stabilization of plasmon-enhanced optical microscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yano, Taka-aki; Ichimura, Taro; Kuwahara, Shota; Verma, Prabhat; Kawata, Satoshi

    2012-01-01

    We have demonstrated subnanometric stabilization of tip-enhanced optical microscopy under ambient condition. Time-dependent thermal drift of a plasmonic metallic tip was optically sensed at subnanometer scale, and was compensated in real-time. In addition, mechanically induced displacement of the tip, which usually occurs when the amount of tip-applied force varies, was also compensated in situ. The stabilization of tip-enhanced optical microscopy enables us to perform long-time and robust measurement without any degradation of optical signal, resulting in true nanometric optical imaging with high reproducibility and high precision. The technique presented is applicable for AFM-based nanoindentation with subnanometric precision. (paper)

  5. Dynamic postural stability during advancing pregnancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCrory, J L; Chambers, A J; Daftary, A; Redfern, M S

    2010-08-26

    Pregnant women are at an increased risk of experiencing a fall. Numerous anatomical, physiological, and hormonal alterations occur during pregnancy, but the influence of these factors on dynamic postural stability has not been explored. The purpose of this study was to examine dynamic postural stability in pregnant women during their second and third trimesters as well as in a group of non-pregnant control women. Eighty-one women (41 pregnant, 40 controls) participated stood on a force plate that translated anteroposteriorly at small, medium, and large magnitudes. Reaction time and center of pressure (COP) movement during the translations were analyzed. Trimester, perturbation direction, and perturbation magnitude were the independent variables in a mixed-model analysis of variance on each of the following dependent variables: reaction time, initial sway, total sway, and sway velocity. Reaction time to the perturbation was not significantly different between the groups. Initial sway, total sway, and sway velocity were significantly less during the third trimester than during the second trimester and when compared to the non-pregnant controls (Ppostural stability. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Dynamic-Stability Characteristics of Premixed Methane Oxy-Combustion

    KAUST Repository

    Shroll, Andrew P.; Shanbhogue, Santosh J.; Ghoniem, Ahmed F.

    2012-01-01

    This work explores the dynamic stability characteristics of premixed CH 4/O 2/CO 2 mixtures in a 50 kW swirl stabilized combustor. In all cases, the methane-oxygen mixture is stoichiometric, with different dilution levels of carbon dioxide used

  7. Does dynamic stability govern propulsive force generation in human walking?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Browne, Michael G; Franz, Jason R

    2017-11-01

    Before succumbing to slower speeds, older adults may walk with a diminished push-off to prioritize stability over mobility. However, direct evidence for trade-offs between push-off intensity and balance control in human walking, independent of changes in speed, has remained elusive. As a critical first step, we conducted two experiments to investigate: (i) the independent effects of walking speed and propulsive force ( F P ) generation on dynamic stability in young adults, and (ii) the extent to which young adults prioritize dynamic stability in selecting their preferred combination of walking speed and F P generation. Subjects walked on a force-measuring treadmill across a range of speeds as well as at constant speeds while modulating their F P according to a visual biofeedback paradigm based on real-time force measurements. In contrast to improvements when walking slower, walking with a diminished push-off worsened dynamic stability by up to 32%. Rather, we find that young adults adopt an F P at their preferred walking speed that maximizes dynamic stability. One implication of these findings is that the onset of a diminished push-off in old age may independently contribute to poorer balance control and precipitate slower walking speeds.

  8. On atmospheric stability in the dynamic wake meandering model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Keck, Rolf-Erik; de Mare, Martin Tobias; Churchfield, Matthew J.

    2014-01-01

    The present study investigates a new approach for capturing the effects of atmospheric stability on wind turbine wake evolution and wake meandering by using the dynamic wake meandering model. The most notable impact of atmospheric stability on the wind is the changes in length and velocity scales...... spectra and applied to the dynamic wake meandering model to capture the correct wake meandering behaviour. The ambient turbulence in all stability classes is generated using the Mann turbulence model, where the effects of non-neutral atmospheric stability are approximated by the selection of input...... in the computational domain. The changes in the turbulent length scales due to the various atmospheric stability states impact the wake meandering characteristics and thus the power generation by the individual turbines. The proposed method is compared with results from both large-eddy simulation coupled...

  9. Double polymer sheathed carbon nanotube supercapacitors show enhanced cycling stability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Wenqi; Wang, Shanshan; Wang, Chunhui; Wu, Shiting; Xu, Wenjing; Zou, Mingchu; Ouyang, An; Cao, Anyuan; Li, Yibin

    2015-12-01

    Pseudo-materials are effective in boosting the specific capacitance of supercapacitors, but during service their degradation may also be very strong, causing reduced cycling stability. Here, we show that a carbon nanotube sponge grafted by two conventional pseudo-polymer layers in sequence can serve as a porous supercapacitor electrode with significantly enhanced cycling stability compared with single polymer grafting. Creating conformal polymer coatings on the nanotube surface and the resulting double-sheath configuration are important structural factors leading to the enhanced performance. Combining different polymers as double sheaths as reported here might be a potential route to circumvent the dilemma of pseudo-materials, and to simultaneously improve the capacitance and stability for various energy storage devices.Pseudo-materials are effective in boosting the specific capacitance of supercapacitors, but during service their degradation may also be very strong, causing reduced cycling stability. Here, we show that a carbon nanotube sponge grafted by two conventional pseudo-polymer layers in sequence can serve as a porous supercapacitor electrode with significantly enhanced cycling stability compared with single polymer grafting. Creating conformal polymer coatings on the nanotube surface and the resulting double-sheath configuration are important structural factors leading to the enhanced performance. Combining different polymers as double sheaths as reported here might be a potential route to circumvent the dilemma of pseudo-materials, and to simultaneously improve the capacitance and stability for various energy storage devices. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr05978j

  10. Navier-Stokes Predictions of Dynamic Stability Derivatives: Evaluation of Steady-State Methods

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    DeSpirito, James; Silton, Sidra I; Weinacht, Paul

    2008-01-01

    The prediction of the dynamic stability derivatives-roll-damping, Magnus, and pitch-damping moments-were evaluated for three spin-stabilized projectiles using steady-state computational fluid dynamic (CFD) calculations...

  11. Dynamical stability in fluid-structure interaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Planchard, J.; Thomas, B.

    1991-01-01

    The aim of the paper is to investigate the dynamical stability of a group of elastic tubes placed in a cross-flow which obeys to the Navier-Stokes equations. The stability of this coupled system is deduced from the study of a quadratic eigenvalue problem arising in the linearized equations. The instability occurs when the real part of one of the eigenvalues becomes positive; the steady state is then replaced by a time-periodic state which is stable (Hopf bifurcation phenomenon). Some numerical methods for solving the quadratic eigenvalue problem are described [fr

  12. Dynamic postural stability differences between male and female players with and without ankle sprain

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dallinga, Joan; van der Does, Henrike; Benjaminse, Anne; Lemmink, Koen

    2015-01-01

    Objectives: The strategy for dynamic postural stability might be different for male and female players. Additionally, dynamic and challenging tasks are recommended to measure differences in postural stability between injured and non-injured players. Therefore, the dynamic stability index (DSI) was

  13. Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Enterography and Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasonography in Crohn's Disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wilkens, Rune; Peters, David A; Nielsen, Agnete Hedemann

    2017-01-01

    Purpose e Cross-sectional imaging methods are important for objective evaluationof small intestinal inflammationinCrohn'sdisease(CD).The primary aim was to compare relative parameters of intestinal perfusion between contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic...

  14. Dynamic voltage stability constrained congestion management framework for deregulated electricity markets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amjady, Nima; Hakimi, Mahmood

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► A new congestion management method for electricity markets is proposed. ► The proposed method includes dynamic models of generators and loads. ► Dynamic voltage stability limits are properly modeled in the proposed method. ► The proposed method is compared with several other congestion management methods. ► It leads to a more robust power system with a lower congestion management cost. - Abstract: Congestion management is an important part of power system operation in today deregulated electricity markets. However, congestion management is traditionally performed based on static analysis tools, while these tools may not correctly capture dynamic voltage stability limits of a power system. In this paper, a new congestion management framework considering dynamic voltage stability boundary of power system is proposed. For this purpose, precise dynamic modeling of power system equipment, including generators and loads, is incorporated into the proposed congestion management framework. The proposed method alleviates congestion with a lower congestion management cost and more dynamic voltage stability margin, resulting in a more robust power system, compared with the previous congestion management methods. The validity of proposed congestion management framework is studied based on the New England 39-bus power system. The obtained results confirm the validity of the developed approach.

  15. On the dynamics of turbulent transport near marginal stability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diamond, P.H.; Hahm, T.S.

    1995-03-01

    A general methodology for describing the dynamics of transport near marginal stability is formulated. Marginal stability is a special case of the more general phenomenon of self-organized criticality. Simple, one field models of the dynamics of tokamak plasma self-organized criticality have been constructed, and include relevant features such as sheared mean flow and transport bifurcations. In such models, slow mode (i.e. large scale, low frequency transport events) correlation times determine the behavior of transport dynamics near marginal stability. To illustrate this, impulse response scaling exponents (z) and turbulent diffusivities (D) have been calculated for the minimal (Burgers) and sheared flow models. For the minimal model, z = 1 (indicating ballastic propagation) and D ∼(S 0 2 ) 1/3 , where S 0 2 is the noise strength. With an identically structured noise spectrum and flow with shearing rate exceeding the ambient decorrelation rate for the largest scale transport events, diffusion is recovered with z = 2 and D ∼ (S 0 2 ) 3/5 . This indicates a qualitative change in the dynamics, as well as a reduction in losses. These results are consistent with recent findings from ρ scaling scans. Several tokamak transport experiments are suggested

  16. Obesity May Not Induce Dynamic Stability Disadvantage during Overground Walking among Young Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zhong-Qi; Yang, Feng

    2017-01-01

    Obesity has been related to postural instability during static standing. It remains unknown how obesity influences stability during dynamic movements like gait. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the effects of obesity on dynamic gait stability control in young adults during gait. Forty-four young adults (21 normal-weight and 23 obese) participated in this study. Participants walked five times at their self-selected gait speeds on a linear walkway. Their full-body kinematics were gathered by a motion capture system. Compared with normal-weight group, individuals with obesity walked more slowly with a shorter but wider step. People with obesity also spent an elongated double stance phase than those with normal weight. A reduced gait speed decreases the body center of mass's velocity relative to the base of support, leading to a reduction in dynamic stability. On the other hand, a shortened step in accompanying with a less backward-leaning trunk has the potential to bring the center of mass closer to the base of support, resulting in an increase in dynamic stability. As the result of these adaptive changes to the gait pattern, dynamic gait stability among people with obesity did not significantly differ from the one among people with normal weight. Obesity seems to not be inducing dynamic stability disadvantage in young adults during level overground walking. These findings could provide insight into the mechanisms of stability control among people affected by obesity during dynamic locomotion.

  17. Enhanced thermal stability of RuO2/polyimide interface for flexible device applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Music, Denis; Schmidt, Paul; Chang, Keke

    2017-09-01

    We have studied the thermal stability of RuO2/polyimide (Kapton) interface using experimental and theoretical methods. Based on calorimetric and spectroscopic analyses, this inorganic-organic system does not exhibit any enthalpic peaks as well as all bonds in RuO2 and Kapton are preserved up to 500 °C. In addition, large-scale density functional theory based molecular dynamics, carried out in the same temperature range, validates the electronic structure and points out that numerous Ru-C and a few Ru-O covalent/ionic bonds form across the RuO2/Kapton interface. This indicates strong adhesion, but there is no evidence of Kapton degradation upon thermal excitation. Furthermore, RuO2 does not exhibit any interfacial bonds with N and H in Kapton, providing additional evidence for the thermal stability notion. It is suggested that the RuO2/Kapton interface is stable due to aromatic architecture of Kapton. This enhanced thermal stability renders Kapton an appropriate polymeric substrate for RuO2 containing systems in various applications, especially for flexible microelectronic and energy devices.

  18. Method for enhancing the thermal stability of ionic compounds

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2013-01-01

    This invention relates to a method for enhancing the thermal stability of ionic compounds including ionic liquids, by immobilization on porous solid support materials having a pore diameter of between about 20-200 AA, wherein the solid support does not have a pore size of 90 AA.......This invention relates to a method for enhancing the thermal stability of ionic compounds including ionic liquids, by immobilization on porous solid support materials having a pore diameter of between about 20-200 AA, wherein the solid support does not have a pore size of 90 AA....

  19. Power system stability enhancement using facts controllers: a review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abido, M. A

    2009-01-01

    In recent years, power demand has increased substantially while the expansion of power generation and transmission has been severely limited due to limited resources and environmental restrictions. As a consequence, some transmission lines are heavily loaded and the system stability becomes a power transfer-limiting factor. Flexible AC transmission systems (FACTS) controllers have been mainly used for solving various power system steady state control problems. However, recent studies reveal that FACTS controllers could be employed to enhance power system stability in addition to their main function of power flow control. The literature shows an increasing interest in this subject for the last two decades, where the enhancement of system stability using FACTS controllers has been extensively investigated. This paper presents a comprehensive review on the research and developments in the power system stability enhancement using FACTS damping controllers. Several technical issues related to FACTS installations have been highlighted and performance comparison of different FACTS controllers has been discussed. In addition, some of the utility experience, real-world installations, and semiconductor technology development have been reviewed and summarized. Applications of FACTS to other power system studies have also been discussed. About two hundred twenty seven research publications have been classified and appended for a quick reference. (author)

  20. Vehicle lateral dynamics stabilization using active suspension

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Drobný V.

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper deals with the investigation of active nonlinear suspension control in order to stabilize the lateral vehicle motion in similar way as systems like ESP do. The lateral stabilization of vehicle based on braking forces can be alternatively provided by the different setting of suspension forces. The basis of this control is the nonlinear property of the tyres. The vehicle has at least four wheels and it gives one or more redundant vertical forces that can be used for the different distribution of vertical suspension forces in such a way that resulting lateral and/or longitudinal forces create the required correction moment for lateral dynamic vehicle stabilization.

  1. Effect of soil stabilized by cement on dynamic response of machine foundations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Al-Wakel Saad

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Machine foundations require significant attention from designers. The main goal of the design of machine foundation is to limit the amplitude displacement and not disturb the people who work near the machine. In some cases, if the design of machine foundations does not satisfy the acceptable value of the dynamic response (such as maximum amplitude of displacement, the stabilization of soil under the machine foundation may be used to decrease the amplitude of displacement. This paper outlines effect of stabilized soil under the foundation by cement on the displacement response of machine foundations. Three-dimensional analyses by using finite element method are carried out to investigate the effect of depth of stabilized layer with different percentage of cement content on the dynamic response of the machine foundation. In addition, the effect of area stabilized by cement material on the dynamic response of machine foundation is investigated. The results shown that, the dynamic response of machine foundations generally decreases with increasing the depth of soil layer stabilized with cement. A significant decrease in the displacement of machine foundations is occurred for the stabilized soil layer with a depth of two times of the width of foundation, and the optimum percentage of cement for stabilizing is 6%.

  2. Dynamical behavior and Jacobi stability analysis of wound strings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lake, Matthew J.; Harko, Tiberiu

    2016-06-01

    We numerically solve the equations of motion (EOM) for two models of circular cosmic string loops with windings in a simply connected internal space. Since the windings cannot be topologically stabilized, stability must be achieved (if at all) dynamically. As toy models for realistic compactifications, we consider windings on a small section of mathbb {R}^2, which is valid as an approximation to any simply connected internal manifold if the winding radius is sufficiently small, and windings on an S^2 of constant radius mathcal {R}. We then use Kosambi-Cartan-Chern (KCC) theory to analyze the Jacobi stability of the string equations and determine bounds on the physical parameters that ensure dynamical stability of the windings. We find that, for the same initial conditions, the curvature and topology of the internal space have nontrivial effects on the microscopic behavior of the string in the higher dimensions, but that the macroscopic behavior is remarkably insensitive to the details of the motion in the compact space. This suggests that higher-dimensional signatures may be extremely difficult to detect in the effective (3+1)-dimensional dynamics of strings compactified on an internal space, even if configurations with nontrivial windings persist over long time periods.

  3. Dynamical behavior and Jacobi stability analysis of wound strings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lake, Matthew J. [Naresuan University, The Institute for Fundamental Study, ' ' The Tah Poe Academia Institute' ' , Phitsanulok (Thailand); Thailand Center of Excellence in Physics, Ministry of Education, Bangkok (Thailand); Harko, Tiberiu [Babes-Bolyai University, Department of Physics, Cluj-Napoca (Romania); University College London, Department of Mathematics, London (United Kingdom)

    2016-06-15

    We numerically solve the equations of motion (EOM) for two models of circular cosmic string loops with windings in a simply connected internal space. Since the windings cannot be topologically stabilized, stability must be achieved (if at all) dynamically. As toy models for realistic compactifications, we consider windings on a small section of R{sup 2}, which is valid as an approximation to any simply connected internal manifold if the winding radius is sufficiently small, and windings on an S{sup 2} of constant radius R. We then use Kosambi-Cartan-Chern (KCC) theory to analyze the Jacobi stability of the string equations and determine bounds on the physical parameters that ensure dynamical stability of the windings. We find that, for the same initial conditions, the curvature and topology of the internal space have nontrivial effects on the microscopic behavior of the string in the higher dimensions, but that the macroscopic behavior is remarkably insensitive to the details of the motion in the compact space. This suggests that higher-dimensional signatures may be extremely difficult to detect in the effective (3+1)-dimensional dynamics of strings compactified on an internal space, even if configurations with nontrivial windings persist over long time periods. (orig.)

  4. Dynamic stabilization of the imploding-shell Rayleigh-Taylor instability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boris, J.P.

    1977-01-01

    A method for dynamic stabilization of the Rayleigh-Taylor (R-T) instability on the surface of an imploding fusion pellet is discussed. The driving laser beams are modulated in intensity so the ablation layer is subject to a rapidly and strongly oscillating acceleration. A substantial band of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability spectrum can be stabilized by this oscillation even though the time average acceleration vector lies in the destabilizing direction. By adjusting the frequency, structure, and amplitude of the modulation, the band of dynamically stabilized modes can be made to include the most unstable and dangerous modes. Thus considerably higher aspect ratio shells (i.e., thinner shells) could implode successfully than had been previously considered stable enough. Both theory and numerical simulations support this conclusion for the case of laser-driven pellet implosions. Similar modulation via transverse beam oscillations or parallel bunching should also work to stabilize the most dangerous surface Rayleigh-Taylor modes in relativistic electron-, ion- and heavy ion-pellet fusion schemes. (U.K.)

  5. Dynamic stability of self-similar solutions for a plasma pinch

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma, Sifeng.

    1988-01-01

    Linear Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability theory is applied to a class of self-similar solutions which describe implosion, expansion and oscillation of an infinitely conducting plasma column. The equations of perturbation are derived in the Lagrangian coordinate system. Numerical procedures via the finite-element method are formulated, and general aspects of dynamic stability are discussed, The dynamic stability of the column when it is oscillatory is studied in detail using the Floquet theory, and the characteristic exponent is calculated numerically. A-pinch configuration is examined. It is found that self-similar oscillations in general destabilize the continua in the MHD spectrum, and parametric instability results

  6. Dynamic stability of a seaplane in takeoff

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Dala, L

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This research is based on the investigation into the dynamic stability associated with seaplanes during take-off. Various forces acting on a hydroplaning hull form have been empirically defined. Such empirical data have shown that under a certain...

  7. Combined analytical and numerical approaches in Dynamic Stability analyses of engineering systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Náprstek, Jiří

    2015-03-01

    Dynamic Stability is a widely studied area that has attracted many researchers from various disciplines. Although Dynamic Stability is usually associated with mechanics, theoretical physics or other natural and technical disciplines, it is also relevant to social, economic, and philosophical areas of our lives. Therefore, it is useful to occasionally highlight the general aspects of this amazing area, to present some relevant examples and to evaluate its position among the various branches of Rational Mechanics. From this perspective, the aim of this study is to present a brief review concerning the Dynamic Stability problem, its basic definitions and principles, important phenomena, research motivations and applications in engineering. The relationships with relevant systems that are prone to stability loss (encountered in other areas such as physics, other natural sciences and engineering) are also noted. The theoretical background, which is applicable to many disciplines, is presented. In this paper, the most frequently used Dynamic Stability analysis methods are presented in relation to individual dynamic systems that are widely discussed in various engineering branches. In particular, the Lyapunov function and exponent procedures, Routh-Hurwitz, Liénard, and other theorems are outlined together with demonstrations. The possibilities for analytical and numerical procedures are mentioned together with possible feedback from experimental research and testing. The strengths and shortcomings of these approaches are evaluated together with examples of their effective complementing of each other. The systems that are widely encountered in engineering are presented in the form of mathematical models. The analyses of their Dynamic Stability and post-critical behaviour are also presented. The stability limits, bifurcation points, quasi-periodic response processes and chaotic regimes are discussed. The limit cycle existence and stability are examined together with their

  8. Deciphering the imprint of topology on nonlinear dynamical network stability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nitzbon, J; Schultz, P; Heitzig, J; Kurths, J; Hellmann, F

    2017-01-01

    Coupled oscillator networks show complex interrelations between topological characteristics of the network and the nonlinear stability of single nodes with respect to large but realistic perturbations. We extend previous results on these relations by incorporating sampling-based measures of the transient behaviour of the system, its survivability, as well as its asymptotic behaviour, its basin stability. By combining basin stability and survivability we uncover novel, previously unknown asymptotic states with solitary, desynchronized oscillators which are rotating with a frequency different from their natural one. They occur almost exclusively after perturbations at nodes with specific topological properties. More generally we confirm and significantly refine the results on the distinguished role tree-shaped appendices play for nonlinear stability. We find a topological classification scheme for nodes located in such appendices, that exactly separates them according to their stability properties, thus establishing a strong link between topology and dynamics. Hence, the results can be used for the identification of vulnerable nodes in power grids or other coupled oscillator networks. From this classification we can derive general design principles for resilient power grids. We find that striving for homogeneous network topologies facilitates a better performance in terms of nonlinear dynamical network stability. While the employed second-order Kuramoto-like model is parametrised to be representative for power grids, we expect these insights to transfer to other critical infrastructure systems or complex network dynamics appearing in various other fields. (paper)

  9. Dynamics and Stability of Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Motor

    OpenAIRE

    He, Ren; Han, Qingzhen

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this article is to explore the dynamic characteristics and stability of the permanent-magnet synchronous motor (PMSM). PMSM equilibrium local stability condition and Hopf  bifurcation condition, pitchfork bifurcation condition, and fold bifurcation condition have been derived by using the Routh-Hurwitz criterion and the bifurcation theory, respectively. Bifurcation curves of the equilibrium with single and double parameters are obtained by continuation method. Numerical simulations...

  10. Standard representation and unified stability analysis for dynamic artificial neural network models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Kwang-Ki K; Patrón, Ernesto Ríos; Braatz, Richard D

    2018-02-01

    An overview is provided of dynamic artificial neural network models (DANNs) for nonlinear dynamical system identification and control problems, and convex stability conditions are proposed that are less conservative than past results. The three most popular classes of dynamic artificial neural network models are described, with their mathematical representations and architectures followed by transformations based on their block diagrams that are convenient for stability and performance analyses. Classes of nonlinear dynamical systems that are universally approximated by such models are characterized, which include rigorous upper bounds on the approximation errors. A unified framework and linear matrix inequality-based stability conditions are described for different classes of dynamic artificial neural network models that take additional information into account such as local slope restrictions and whether the nonlinearities within the DANNs are odd. A theoretical example shows reduced conservatism obtained by the conditions. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  11. Superamphiphobic cotton fabrics with enhanced stability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Bi, E-mail: xubi@dhu.edu.cn [National Engineering Research Center for Dyeing and Finishing of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China); Key Laboratory of Science & Technology of Eco-Textile, Ministry of Education, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China); College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China); Ding, Yinyan; Qu, Shaobo [College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China); Cai, Zaisheng, E-mail: zshcai@dhu.edu [College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China)

    2015-11-30

    Highlights: • Superamphiphobic cotton fabrics were prepared. • Water and hexadecane contact angels reach to 164.4° and 156.3°, respectively. • Nanoporous organically modified silica alcogel particles were synthesized. • The superamphiphobic cotton fabrics exhibit enhanced stability against abrasion, laundering and acid. - Abstract: Superamphiphobic cotton fabrics were prepared by alternately depositing organically modified silica alcogel (ormosil) particles onto chitosan precoated cotton fabrics and subsequent 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctyltrimethoxysilane (PFOTMS) modification. Transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy images reveal that the ormosil particles display a fluffy, sponge-like nanoporous structure, and the entire cotton fiber surface is covered with highly porous networks. PFOTMS acts as not only a modifier to lower the surface energy of the cotton fabric but also a binder to enhance the coating stability against abrasion and washing. The treated cotton fabrics show highly liquid repellency with the water, cooking oil and hexadecane contact angels reaching to 164.4°, 160.1° and 156.3°, respectively. Meanwhile, the treated cotton fabrics exhibit good abrasion resistance and high laundering durability, which can withstand 10,000 cycles of abrasion and 30 cycles of machine wash without apparently changing the superamphiphobicity. The superamphiphobic cotton fabric also shows high acid stability, and can withstand 98% H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}. Moreover, the superamphiphobic coating has almost no influence on the other physical properties of the cotton fabrics including tensile strength, whiteness and air permeability. This durable non-wetting surface may provide a wide range of new applications in the future.

  12. Nonlinear Synergetic Governor Controllers for Steam Turbine Generators to Enhance Power System Stability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xingbao Ju

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes a decentralized nonlinear synergetic governor controller (NSGC for turbine generators to enhance power system stability by using synergetic control theory and the feedback linearization technique. The precise feedback linearization model of a turbine-generator with a steam valve control is obtained, at first, by using a feedback linearization technique. Then based on this model, a manifold is defined as a linear combination of the deviation of the rotor angle, speed deviation, and speed derivative. The control law of the proposed NSGC is deduced and the stability condition of the whole closed-loop system is subsequently analyzed. According to the requirement of the primary frequency regulation, an additional proportional integral (PI controller is designed to dynamically track the steady-state value of the rotor angle. Case studies are undertaken based on a single-machine infinite-bus system and the New England system, respectively. Simulation results show that the proposed NSGC can suppress the power oscillations and improve transient stability more effectively in comparison with the conventional proportional-integral-derivative (PID governor controller. Moreover, the proposed NSGC is robust to the variations of the system operating conditions.

  13. Stability of nanofluids: Molecular dynamic approach and experimental study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Farzaneh, H.; Behzadmehr, A.; Yaghoubi, M.; Samimi, A.; Sarvari, S.M.H.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Nanofluid stability is investigated and discussed. • A molecular dynamic approach, considering different forces on the nanoparticles, is adopted. • Stability diagrams are presented for different thermo-fluid conditions. • An experimental investigation is carried out to confirm the theoretical approach. - Abstract: Nanofluids as volumetric absorbent in solar energy conversion devices or as working fluid in different heat exchangers have been proposed by various researchers. However, dispersion stability of nanofluids is an important issue that must be well addressed before any industrial applications. Conditions such as severe temperature gradient, high temperature of heat transfer fluid, nanoparticle mean diameters and types of nanoparticles and base fluid are among the most effective parameters on the stability of nanofluid. A molecular dynamic approach, considering kinetic energy of nanoparticles and DLVO potential energy between nanoparticles, is adopted to study the nanofluid stability for different nanofluids at different working conditions. Different forces such as Brownian, thermophoresis, drag and DLVO are considered to introduce the stability diagrams. The latter presents the conditions for which a nanofluid can be stable. In addition an experimental investigation is carried out to find a stable nanofluid and to show the validity of the theoretical approach. There is a good agreement between the experimental and theoretical results that confirms the validity of our theoretical approach.

  14. On D-brane dynamics and moduli stabilization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kitazawa, Noriaki

    2017-09-01

    We discuss the effect of the dynamics of D-branes on moduli stabilization in type IIB string theory compactifications, with reference to a concrete toy model of T6/Z 3 orientifold compactification with fractional D3-branes and anti-D3-branes at orbifold fixed points. The resulting attractive forces between anti-D3-branes and D3-branes, together with the repulsive forces between anti-D3-branes and O3-planes, can affect the stability of the compact space. There are no complex structure moduli in T6/Z 3 orientifold, which should thus capture some generic features of more general settings where all complex structure moduli are stabilized by three-form fluxes. The simultaneous presence of branes and anti-branes brings along the breaking of supersymmetry. Non-BPS combinations of this type are typical of “brane supersymmetry breaking” and are a necessary ingredient in the KKLT scenario for stabilizing the remaining Kähler moduli. The conclusion of our analysis is that, while mutual D-brane interactions sometimes help Kähler moduli stabilization, this is not always the case.

  15. Inorganic electret with enhanced charge stability for energy harvesting

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Fei; Hansen, Ole

    2013-01-01

    We report a new surface treatment of inorganic electret materials which enhances the charge stability. Coating the surfaces with 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H - perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane (FDTS) makes the electret surface more hydrophobic which improves the surface charge stability under high humidity condit...... conditions. Thermal tests show that the thermal stability of charge in the inorganic electrets is also much better than that of polymer materials such as CYTOP. A demonstrator device with SiO2 electrets shows promising results for energy harvesting applications....

  16. Enhanced Physical Stability of Amorphous Drug Formulations via Dry Polymer Coating.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Capece, Maxx; Davé, Rajesh

    2015-06-01

    Although amorphous solid drug formulations may be advantageous for enhancing the bioavailability of poorly soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients, they exhibit poor physical stability and undergo recrystallization. To address this limitation, this study investigates stability issues associated with amorphous solids through analysis of the crystallization behavior for acetaminophen (APAP), known as a fast crystallizer, using a modified form of the Avrami equation that kinetically models both surface and bulk crystallization. It is found that surface-enhanced crystallization, occurring faster at the free surface than in the bulk, is the major impediment to the stability of amorphous APAP. It is hypothesized that a novel use of a dry-polymer-coating process referred to as mechanical-dry-polymer-coating may be used to inhibit surface crystallization and enhance stability. The proposed process, which is examined, simultaneously mills and coats amorphous solids with polymer, while avoiding solvents or solutions, which may otherwise cause stability or crystallization issues during coating. It is shown that solid dispersions of APAP (64% loading) with a small particle size (28 μm) could be prepared and coated with the polymer, carnauba wax, in a vibratory ball mill. The resulting amorphous solid was found to have excellent stability as a result of inhibition of surface crystallization. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

  17. Stability Analysis on Sparsely Encoded Associative Memory with Short-Term Synaptic Dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Muyuan; Katori, Yuichi; Aihara, Kazuyuki

    This study investigates the stability of sparsely encoded associative memory in a network composed of stochastic neurons. The incorporation of short-term synaptic dynamics significantly changes the stability with respect to synaptic properties. Various states including static and oscillatory states are found in the network dynamics. Specifically, the sparseness of memory patterns raises the problem of spurious states. A mean field model is used to analyze the detailed structure in the stability and show that the performance of memory retrieval is recovered by appropriate feedback.

  18. Recent Advances in Heliogyro Solar Sail Structural Dynamics, Stability, and Control Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkie, W. Keats; Warren, Jerry E.; Horta, Lucas G.; Lyle, Karen H.; Juang, Jer-Nan; Gibbs, S. Chad; Dowell, Earl H.; Guerrant, Daniel V.; Lawrence, Dale

    2015-01-01

    Results from recent NASA sponsored research on the structural dynamics, stability, and control characteristics of heliogyro solar sails are summarized. Specific areas under investigation include coupled nonlinear finite element analysis of heliogyro membrane blade with solar radiation pressure effects, system identification of spinning membrane structures, and solarelastic stability analysis of heliogyro solar sails, including stability during blade deployment. Recent results from terrestrial 1-g blade dynamics and control experiments on "rope ladder" membrane blade analogs, and small-scale in vacuo system identification experiments with hanging and spinning high-aspect ratio membranes will also be presented. A low-cost, rideshare payload heliogyro technology demonstration mission concept is used as a mission context for these heliogyro structural dynamics and solarelasticity investigations, and is also described. Blade torsional dynamic response and control are also shown to be significantly improved through the use of edge stiffening structural features or inclusion of modest tip masses to increase centrifugal stiffening of the blade structure. An output-only system identification procedure suitable for on-orbit blade dynamics investigations is also developed and validated using ground tests of spinning sub-scale heliogyro blade models. Overall, analytical and experimental investigations to date indicate no intractable stability or control issues for the heliogyro solar sail concept.

  19. Magnetosheath dynamic pressure enhancements: occurrence and typical properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. O. Archer

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available The first comprehensive statistical study of large-amplitude (> 100% transient enhancements of the magnetosheath dynamic pressure reveals events of up to ~ 15 times the ambient dynamic pressure with durations up to 3 min and an average duration of around 30 s, predominantly downstream of the quasi-parallel shock. The dynamic pressure transients are most often dominated by velocity increases along with a small fractional increase in the density, though the velocity is generally only deflected by a few degrees. Superposed wavelet transforms of the magnetic field show that, whilst most enhancements exhibit changes in the magnetosheath magnetic field, the majority are not associated with changes in the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF. However, there is a minority of enhancements that do appear to be associated with solar wind discontinuities which cannot be explained simply by random events. In general, it is found that during periods of magnetosheath dynamic pressure enhancements the IMF is steadier than usual. This suggests that a stable foreshock and hence foreshock structures or processes may be important in the generation of the majority of magnetosheath dynamic pressure enhancements.

  20. Attitude Dynamics and Stability of a Simple Solar Photon Thruster

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna D. Guerman

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper is dedicated to the development of a model of the attitude dynamics for a nonideal Simple Solar Photon Thruster (SSPT and to the analysis of sailcraft motions with respect to their centre of mass. Derivation of the expressions for force and torque due to solar radiation that is valid for the case, when there is a misalignment of the SSPT axis with the sun direction, is followed by study of sailcraft dynamics and stability properties. Analysis of stability shows that an ideally reflecting sail is unstable, while for a sailcraft with nonideal collector, the symmetry axis is stable with respect to the Sun direction for large variety of system parameters. The motion around symmetry axis is always unstable and requires an active stabilizer.

  1. Enhanced Stability of a Protein with Increasing Temperature

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vinther, Joachim Møllesøe; Kristensen, Søren M; Led, Jens J

    2010-01-01

    The unusual stability of a structured but locally flexible protein, human growth hormone (hGH) at pH 2.7, was investigated using the temperature dependence of the nanosecond-picosecond dynamics of the backbone amide groups obtained from (15)N NMR relaxation data. It is found that the flexibility ...

  2. Learning and Understanding System Stability Using Illustrative Dynamic Texture Examples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Huaping; Xiao, Wei; Zhao, Hongyan; Sun, Fuchun

    2014-01-01

    System stability is a basic concept in courses on dynamic system analysis and control for undergraduate students with computer science backgrounds. Typically, this was taught using a simple simulation example of an inverted pendulum. Unfortunately, many difficult issues arise in the learning and understanding of the concepts of stability,…

  3. Enhanced stabilization of collagen by furfural.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lakra, Rachita; Kiran, Manikantan Syamala; Usha, Ramamoorthy; Mohan, Ranganathan; Sundaresan, Raja; Korrapati, Purna Sai

    2014-04-01

    Furfural (2-furancarboxaldehyde), a product derived from plant pentosans, has been investigated for its interaction with collagen. Introduction of furfural during fibril formation enhanced the thermal and mechanical stability of collagen. Collagen films treated with furfural exhibited higher denaturation temperature (Td) (pFurfural and furfural treated collagen films did not have any cytotoxic effect. Rheological characterization showed an increase in shear stress and shear viscosity with increasing shear rate for treated collagen. Circular dichroism (CD) studies indicated that the furfural did not have any impact on triple helical structure of collagen. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of furfural treated collagen exhibited small sized porous structure in comparison with untreated collagen. Thus this study provides an alternate ecologically safe crosslinking agent for improving the stability of collagen for biomedical and industrial applications. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Delay-enhanced stability and stochastic resonance in perception bistability under non-Gaussian noise

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Tao; Zeng, Chunhua; Liu, Ruifen; Wang, Hua; Mei, Dongcheng

    2015-01-01

    In this paper we investigate the effect of time delay in an attractor network model of perception bistability driven by non-Gaussian noise. Using delay Langevin and Fokker–Planck approaches, the theoretical analysis of the model is presented. It is found that the mean first-passage time (MFPT) as a function of the time delay exhibits a maximum, which is identified as the characteristic of the delay-enhanced stability of the system. This is different to the case of noise-enhanced stability. The non-Gaussian noise-enhanced stability of the system is also analyzed. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as a function of the noise intensity exhibits a maximum. This maximum implies the identifying characteristic of stochastic resonance (SR), and the time delay and non-Gaussian noise can enhance the SR phenomenon. (paper)

  5. Trait diversity promotes stability of community dynamics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Lai; Thygesen, Uffe Høgsbro; Knudsen, Kim

    2013-01-01

    body size. The dynamic properties of the models are described by a stability analysis of equilibrium solutions and by the non-equilibrium dynamics. We find that the introduction of trait diversity expands the set of parameters for which the equilibrium is stable and, if the community is unstable, makes....... The analysis is performed by comparing the properties of two size spectrum models. The first model considers all individuals as belonging to the same “average” species, i.e., without a description of diversity. The second model introduces diversity by further considering individuals by a trait, here asymptotic...

  6. Dynamics and Stability of Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Motor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ren He

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this article is to explore the dynamic characteristics and stability of the permanent-magnet synchronous motor (PMSM. PMSM equilibrium local stability condition and Hopf  bifurcation condition, pitchfork bifurcation condition, and fold bifurcation condition have been derived by using the Routh-Hurwitz criterion and the bifurcation theory, respectively. Bifurcation curves of the equilibrium with single and double parameters are obtained by continuation method. Numerical simulations not only confirm the theoretical analysis results but also show one kind of codimension-two-bifurcation points of the equilibrium. PMSM, with or without external load, can exhibit rich dynamic behaviors in different parameters regions. It is shown that if unstable equilibrium appears in the parameters regions, the PMSM may not be able to work stably. To ensure the PMSMs work stably, the inherent parameters should be designed in the region which has only one stable equilibrium.

  7. An enhanced particle swarm optimization for dynamic economic dispatch problem considering valve-point loading

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sriyanyong, P. [King Mongkut' s Univ. of Technology, Bangkok (Thailand). Dept. of Teacher Training in Electrical Engineering

    2008-07-01

    This paper described the use of an enhanced particle swarm optimization (PSO) model to address the problem of dynamic economic dispatch (DED). A modified heuristic search method was incorporated into the PSO model. Both smooth and non-smooth cost functions were considered. The enhanced PSO model not only utilized the basic PSO algorithm in order to seek the optimal solution for the DED problem, but it also used a modified heuristic method to deal with constraints and increase the possibility of finding a feasible solution. In order to validate the enhanced PSO model, it was used and tested on 10-unit systems considering both smooth and non-smooth cost functions characteristics. The experimental results were also compared to other methods. The proposed technique was found to be better than other approaches. The enhanced PSO model outperformed others with respect to quality, stability and reliability. 23 refs., 1 tab., 8 figs.

  8. Effect of high hydrostatic pressure and high dynamic pressure on stability and rheological properties of model oil-in-water emulsions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bigikocin, Erman; Mert, Behic; Alpas, Hami

    2011-09-01

    Both static and dynamic high pressure applications provide interesting modifications in food structures which lead to new product formulations. In this study, the effects of two different treatments, high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and high dynamic pressure (HDP), on oil-in-water emulsions were identified and compared. Microfluidization was selected from among the HDP homogenization techniques. The performance of each process was analyzed in terms of rheological modifications and emulsion stability improvements compared with the coarse emulsions. The stability of the emulsions was determined comparatively by using an analytical photo-centrifuge device employing novel analysis technology. Whey protein isolate (WPI) in combination with a food polysaccharide (xanthan gum, guar gum or locust bean gum) were used as emulsifying and stabilizing ingredients. The effective disruption of oil droplets and the degradation of polysaccharides by the shear forces under high pressure in HDP microfluidization yielded finer emulsions with lower viscosities, leading to distinctive improvements in emulsion stability. On the other hand, improvements in stability obtained with HHP treatment were due to the thickening of the emulsions mainly induced by protein unfolding. The corresponding increases in viscosity were intensified in emulsion formulations containing higher oil content. Apart from these, HHP treatment was found to be relatively more contributive to the enhancements in viscoelastic properties.

  9. Stability in dynamical systems I

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Courant, E.D.; Ruth, R.D.; Weng, W.T.

    1984-08-01

    We have reviewed some of the basic techniques which can be used to analyze stability in nonlinear dynamical systems, particularly in circular particle accelerators. We have concentrated on one-dimensional systems in the examples in order to simply illustrate the general techniques. We began with a review of Hamiltonian dynamics and canonical transformations. We then reviewed linear equations with periodic coefficients using the basic techniques from accelerator theory. To handle nonlinear terms we developed a canonical perturbation theory. From this we calculated invariants and the amplitude dependence of the frequency. This led us to resonances. We studied the cubic resonance in detail by using a rotating coordinate system in phase space. We then considered a general isolated nonlinear resonance. In this case we calculated the width of the resonance and estimated the spacing of resonances in order to use the Chirikov criterion to restrict the validity of the analysis. Finally the resonance equation was reduced to the pendulum equation, and we examined the motion on a separatrix. This brought us to the beginnings of stochastic behavior in the neighborhood of the separatrix. It is this complex behavior in the neighborhood of the separatrix which causes the perturbation theory used here to diverge in many cases. In spite of this the methods developed here have been and are used quite successfully to study nonlinear effects in nearly integrable systems. When used with caution and in conjunction with numerical work they give tremendous insight into the nature of the phase space structure and the stability of nonlinear differential equations. 14 references

  10. Dynamical stability of the holographic system with two competing orders

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Du, Yiqiang [School of Physics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100049 (China); Lan, Shan-Quan [Department of Physics, Beijing Normal University,Beijing 100875 (China); Tian, Yu [School of Physics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100049 (China); State Key Laboratory of Theoretical Physics,Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science,Beijing 100190 (China); Zhang, Hongbao [Department of Physics, Beijing Normal University,Beijing 100875 (China); Theoretische Natuurkunde, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and The International Solvay Institutes,Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels (Belgium)

    2016-01-04

    We investigate the dynamical stability of the holographic system with two order parameters, which exhibits competition and coexistence of condensations. In the linear regime, we have developed the gauge dependent formalism to calculate the quasi-normal modes by gauge fixing, which turns out be considerably convenient. Furthermore, by giving different Gaussian wave packets as perturbations at the initial time, we numerically evolve the full nonlinear system until it arrives at the final equilibrium state. Our results show that the dynamical stability is consistent with the thermodynamical stability. Interestingly, the dynamical evolution, as well as the quasi-normal modes, shows that the relaxation time of this model is generically much longer than the simplest holographic system. We also find that the late time behavior can be well captured by the lowest lying quasi-normal modes except for the non-vanishing order towards the single ordered phase. To our knowledge, this exception is the first counter example to the general belief that the late time behavior towards a final stable state can be captured by the lowest lying quasi-normal modes. In particular, a double relation is found for this exception in certain cases.

  11. Handbook of electrical power system dynamics modeling, stability, and control

    CERN Document Server

    Eremia, Mircea

    2013-01-01

    Complete guidance for understanding electrical power system dynamics and blackouts This handbook offers a comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of power system dynamics. Addressing the full range of topics, from the fundamentals to the latest technologies in modeling, stability, and control, Handbook of Electrical Power System Dynamics provides engineers with hands-on guidance for understanding the phenomena leading to blackouts so they can design the most appropriate solutions for a cost-effective and reliable operation. Focusing on system dynamics, the book details

  12. Adaptive Dynamic Programming for Control Algorithms and Stability

    CERN Document Server

    Zhang, Huaguang; Luo, Yanhong; Wang, Ding

    2013-01-01

    There are many methods of stable controller design for nonlinear systems. In seeking to go beyond the minimum requirement of stability, Adaptive Dynamic Programming for Control approaches the challenging topic of optimal control for nonlinear systems using the tools of  adaptive dynamic programming (ADP). The range of systems treated is extensive; affine, switched, singularly perturbed and time-delay nonlinear systems are discussed as are the uses of neural networks and techniques of value and policy iteration. The text features three main aspects of ADP in which the methods proposed for stabilization and for tracking and games benefit from the incorporation of optimal control methods: • infinite-horizon control for which the difficulty of solving partial differential Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equations directly is overcome, and  proof provided that the iterative value function updating sequence converges to the infimum of all the value functions obtained by admissible control law sequences; • finite-...

  13. Designing Inter-Organisational Collectivities for Dynamic Fit: Stability, maneuvrability and Application in Disaster Relief Endeavours

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    changed consumer preferences . Hence, static stability limits initial performance deviation (e.g., maintaining desired airplane altitude, maintaining...by changed consumer preferences . Hence, dynamic stability limits the duration of performance deviation (e.g., maintaining desired airplane altitude...altitude from wind gust. Initial resistance to deviation in profit level from change in consumer preferences . Dynamic stability Quickness of a

  14. Enhancing stability of industrial turbines using adjustable partial arc bearings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chasalevris, Athanasios; Dohnal, Fadi

    2016-09-01

    The paper presents the principal of operation, the simulation and the characteristics of two partial-arc journal bearings of variable geometry and adjustable/controllable stiffness and damping properties. The proposed journals are supposed to consist of a scheme that enables the periodical variation of bearing properties. Recent achievements of suppressing rotor vibrations using plain circular journal bearings of variable geometry motivate the further extension of the principle to bearings of applicable geometry for industrial turbines. The paper describes the application of a partial-arc journal bearing to enhance stability of high speed industrial turbines. The proposed partial-arc bearings with adjustable/controllable properties enhance stability and they introduce stable margins in speeds much higher than the 1st critical.

  15. Dynamic trunk stabilization: a conceptual back injury prevention program for volleyball athletes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Chad E; Nyland, John; Caudill, Paul; Brosky, Joseph; Caborn, David N M

    2008-11-01

    The sport of volleyball creates considerable dynamic trunk stability demands. Back injury occurs all too frequently in volleyball, particularly among female athletes. The purpose of this clinical commentary is to review functional anatomy, muscle coactivation strategies, assessment of trunk muscle performance, and the characteristics of effective exercises for the trunk or core. From this information, a conceptual progressive 3-phase volleyball-specific training program is presented to improve dynamic trunk stability and to potentially reduce the incidence of back injury among volleyball athletes. Phase 1 addresses low-velocity motor control, kinesthetic awareness, and endurance, with the clinician providing cues to teach achievement of biomechanically neutral spine alignment. Phase 2 focuses on progressively higher velocity dynamic multiplanar endurance, coordination, and strength-power challenges integrating upper and lower extremity movements, while maintaining neutral spine alignment. Phase 3 integrates volleyball-specific skill simulations by breaking down composite movement patterns into their component parts, with differing dynamic trunk stability requirements, while maintaining neutral spine alignment. Prospective research is needed to validate the efficacy of this program.

  16. Hydrogel Tethering Enhances Interdomain Stabilization of Single-Chain Antibodies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xiong, Yijia [Department; Ford, Nicole R. [Marine; Hecht, Karen A. [Marine; Roesijadi, Guritno [Marine; Department; Squier, Thomas C. [Department

    2017-10-12

    Self-assembly of recombinant proteins within the biosilica of living diatoms represents a means to construct functional materials in a reproducible and scalable manner that enable applications that harness the inherent specificities of proteins to sense and respond to environmental cues. Here we describe the use of a silaffin-derived lysine-rich 39 amino-acid targeting sequence (Sil3T8) to direct a single chain fragment variable (scFv) antibody or an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) to assemble within the biosilica frustule, resulting in abundances in excess of 200,000 proteins per frustule. The fluorescence of either a derivative of trinitrotoluene (TNT) bound to the scFv or the endogenous fluorescence of EGFP was used to monitor pro-tein conformational dynamics, accessibility to external quenchers, binding affinity, and conformational stability. We find that proteins within isolated frustules undergo isotropic rotational motions with two-fold increases in rotational correlation times, which are indicative of weak macromolecular associations within the biosilica. Solvent accessibilities and high-affinity (pM) binding are comparable to those in solution. In contrast to solution conditions, scFv antibod-ies within the biosilica matrix retain their binding affinity in the presence of chaotropic agents (i.e., 8 M urea). These results argue that dramatic increases in protein conforma-tional stability within the biosilica frustule matrices arise through molecular crowding, acting to retain native protein folds and associated functionality to allow the utility of engineered proteins under a range of harsh environmental conditions associated with environmental sensing and industrial catalytic transformations.

  17. Enhanced Microgrid Dynamic Performance Using a Modulated Power Filter Based on Enhanced Bacterial Foraging Optimization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmed M. Othman

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a design of microgrid (MG with enhanced dynamic performance. Distributed energy resources (DER are widely used in MGs to match the various load types and profiles. DERs include solar PV cells, wind energy sources, fuel cells, batteries, micro gas-engines and storage elements. MG will include AC/DC circuits, developed power electronics devices, inverters and power electronic controllers. A novel modulated power filters (MPF device will be applied in MG design. Enhanced bacterial foraging optimization (EBFO will be proposed to optimize and set the MPF parameters to enhance and tune the MG dynamic response. Recent dynamic control is applied to minimize the harmonic reference content. EBFO will adapt the gains of MPF dynamic control. The present research achieves an enhancement of MG dynamic performance, in addition to ensuring improvements in the power factor, bus voltage profile and power quality. MG operation will be evaluated by the dynamic response to be fine-tuned by MPF based on EBFO. Digital simulations have validated the results to show the effectiveness and efficient improvement by the proposed strategy.

  18. Dynamic Stability of Pipe Conveying Fluid with Crack and Attached Masses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahn, Tae Soo; Yoon, Han Ik; Son, In Soo; Ahn, Sung Jin

    2007-01-01

    In this paper, the dynamic stability of a cracked simply supported pipe conveying fluid with an attached mass is investigated. Also, the effect of attached masses on the dynamic stability of a simply supported pipe conveying fluid is presented for the different positions and depth of the crack. Based on the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, the equation of motion can be constructed by the energy expressions using extended Hamilton's principle. The crack section is represented by a local flexibility matrix connecting two undamaged pipe segments. The crack is assumed to be in the first mode of a fracture and to be always opened during the vibrations. Finally, the critical flow velocities and stability maps of the pipe conveying fluid are obtained by changing the attached masses and crack severity

  19. Differentiable dynamical systems an introduction to structural stability and hyperbolicity

    CERN Document Server

    Wen, Lan

    2016-01-01

    This is a graduate text in differentiable dynamical systems. It focuses on structural stability and hyperbolicity, a topic that is central to the field. Starting with the basic concepts of dynamical systems, analyzing the historic systems of the Smale horseshoe, Anosov toral automorphisms, and the solenoid attractor, the book develops the hyperbolic theory first for hyperbolic fixed points and then for general hyperbolic sets. The problems of stable manifolds, structural stability, and shadowing property are investigated, which lead to a highlight of the book, the \\Omega-stability theorem of Smale. While the content is rather standard, a key objective of the book is to present a thorough treatment for some tough material that has remained an obstacle to teaching and learning the subject matter. The treatment is straightforward and hence could be particularly suitable for self-study. Selected solutions are available electronically for instructors only. Please send email to textbooks@ams.org for more informatio...

  20. Stabilization of computational procedures for constrained dynamical systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, K. C.; Chiou, J. C.

    1988-01-01

    A new stabilization method of treating constraints in multibody dynamical systems is presented. By tailoring a penalty form of the constraint equations, the method achieves stabilization without artificial damping and yields a companion matrix differential equation for the constraint forces; hence, the constraint forces are obtained by integrating the companion differential equation for the constraint forces in time. A principal feature of the method is that the errors committed in each constraint condition decay with its corresponding characteristic time scale associated with its constraint force. Numerical experiments indicate that the method yields a marked improvement over existing techniques.

  1. Local Dynamic Stability Assessment of Motion Impaired Elderly Using Electronic Textile Pants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jian; Lockhart, Thurmon E; Jones, Mark; Martin, Tom

    2008-10-01

    A clear association has been demonstrated between gait stability and falls in the elderly. Integration of wearable computing and human dynamic stability measures into home automation systems may help differentiate fall-prone individuals in a residential environment. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the capability of a pair of electronic textile (e-textile) pants system to assess local dynamic stability and to differentiate motion-impaired elderly from their healthy counterparts. A pair of e-textile pants comprised of numerous e-TAGs at locations corresponding to lower extremity joints was developed to collect acceleration, angular velocity and piezoelectric data. Four motion-impaired elderly together with nine healthy individuals (both young and old) participated in treadmill walking with a motion capture system simultaneously collecting kinematic data. Local dynamic stability, characterized by maximum Lyapunov exponent, was computed based on vertical acceleration and angular velocity at lower extremity joints for the measurements from both e-textile and motion capture systems. Results indicated that the motion-impaired elderly had significantly higher maximum Lyapunov exponents (computed from vertical acceleration data) than healthy individuals at the right ankle and hip joints. In addition, maximum Lyapunov exponents assessed by the motion capture system were found to be significantly higher than those assessed by the e-textile system. Despite the difference between these measurement techniques, attaching accelerometers at the ankle and hip joints was shown to be an effective sensor configuration. It was concluded that the e-textile pants system, via dynamic stability assessment, has the potential to identify motion-impaired elderly.

  2. Investigation of biomechanical behavior of lumbar vertebral segments with dynamic stabilization device using finite element approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deoghare, Ashish B.; Kashyap, Siddharth; Padole, Pramod M.

    2013-03-01

    Degenerative disc disease is a major source of lower back pain and significantly alters the biomechanics of the lumbar spine. Dynamic stabilization device is a remedial technique which uses flexible materials to stabilize the affected lumbar region while preserving the natural anatomy of the spine. The main objective of this research work is to investigate the stiffness variation of dynamic stabilization device under various loading conditions under compression, axial rotation and flexion. Three dimensional model of the two segment lumbar spine is developed using computed tomography (CT) scan images. The lumbar structure developed is analyzed in ANSYS workbench. Two types of dynamic stabilization are considered: one with stabilizing device as pedicle instrumentation and second with stabilization device inserted around the inter-vertebral disc. Analysis suggests that proper positioning of the dynamic stabilization device is of paramount significance prior to the surgery. Inserting the device in the posterior region indicates the adverse effects as it shows increase in the deformation of the inter-vertebral disc. Analysis executed by positioning stabilizing device around the inter-vertebral disc yields better result for various stiffness values under compression and other loadings. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  3. Dynamic large eddy simulation: Stability via realizability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mokhtarpoor, Reza; Heinz, Stefan

    2017-10-01

    The concept of dynamic large eddy simulation (LES) is highly attractive: such methods can dynamically adjust to changing flow conditions, which is known to be highly beneficial. For example, this avoids the use of empirical, case dependent approximations (like damping functions). Ideally, dynamic LES should be local in physical space (without involving artificial clipping parameters), and it should be stable for a wide range of simulation time steps, Reynolds numbers, and numerical schemes. These properties are not trivial, but dynamic LES suffers from such problems over decades. We address these questions by performing dynamic LES of periodic hill flow including separation at a high Reynolds number Re = 37 000. For the case considered, the main result of our studies is that it is possible to design LES that has the desired properties. It requires physical consistency: a PDF-realizable and stress-realizable LES model, which requires the inclusion of the turbulent kinetic energy in the LES calculation. LES models that do not honor such physical consistency can become unstable. We do not find support for the previous assumption that long-term correlations of negative dynamic model parameters are responsible for instability. Instead, we concluded that instability is caused by the stable spatial organization of significant unphysical states, which are represented by wall-type gradient streaks of the standard deviation of the dynamic model parameter. The applicability of our realizability stabilization to other dynamic models (including the dynamic Smagorinsky model) is discussed.

  4. Cognitive-motor dual-task interference modulates mediolateral dynamic stability during gait in post-stroke individuals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tisserand, R; Armand, S; Allali, G; Schnider, A; Baillieul, S

    2018-04-01

    Gait asymmetry and dynamic balance impairments observed in post-stroke individuals increase their risk of fall. Moreover, walking while performing a cognitive task (i.e. dual-task) disturbs the control of balance in post-stroke individuals. Here we investigated the mediolateral dynamic stability in twenty-two community-dwelling participants (12 post-strokes and 10 healthy controls) while walking in single-task (normal gait) and four different dual-tasks (cognitive-motor interference). Positions of the extrapolated center of mass and mediolateral widths of both margin of stability and base of support were extracted from 35 marker trajectories. Post-stroke participants presented larger margin of stability and base of support than controls during single-task (both p dual-task was found between groups. In post-stroke participants, dual-task induced slight modification of the mediolateral stability strategy, as the margin of stability was not different between the two limbs at foot-strike, and significantly reduced the performance in every cognitive task. Post-stroke participants increased their dynamic stability in the frontal plane in single-task by extending their base of support and mainly relying on their non-paretic limb. Under cognitive-motor interference (dual-task), post-stroke participants prioritized dynamic stability over cognitive performance to ensure a safe locomotion. Thus, rehabilitation programs should consider both dynamic balance and dual-task training, even at a chronic delay following stroke, to reduce the risk of fall in post-stroke individuals. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. The validity and reliability of a dynamic neuromuscular stabilization-heel sliding test for core stability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cha, Young Joo; Lee, Jae Jin; Kim, Do Hyun; You, Joshua Sung H

    2017-10-23

    Core stabilization plays an important role in the regulation of postural stability. To overcome shortcomings associated with pain and severe core instability during conventional core stabilization tests, we recently developed the dynamic neuromuscular stabilization-based heel sliding (DNS-HS) test. The purpose of this study was to establish the criterion validity and test-retest reliability of the novel DNS-HS test. Twenty young adults with core instability completed both the bilateral straight leg lowering test (BSLLT) and DNS-HS test for the criterion validity study and repeated the DNS-HS test for the test-retest reliability study. Criterion validity was determined by comparing hip joint angle data that were obtained from BSLLT and DNS-HS measures. The test-retest reliability was determined by comparing hip joint angle data. Criterion validity was (ICC2,3) = 0.700 (preliability was (ICC3,3) = 0.953 (pvalidity data demonstrated a good relationship between the gold standard BSLLT and DNS-HS core stability measures. Test-retest reliability data suggests that DNS-HS core stability was a reliable test for core stability. Clinically, the DNS-HS test is useful to objectively quantify core instability and allow early detection and evaluation.

  6. Chromatin dynamics in genome stability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nair, Nidhi; Shoaib, Muhammad; Sørensen, Claus Storgaard

    2017-01-01

    Genomic DNA is compacted into chromatin through packaging with histone and non-histone proteins. Importantly, DNA accessibility is dynamically regulated to ensure genome stability. This is exemplified in the response to DNA damage where chromatin relaxation near genomic lesions serves to promote...... access of relevant enzymes to specific DNA regions for signaling and repair. Furthermore, recent data highlight genome maintenance roles of chromatin through the regulation of endogenous DNA-templated processes including transcription and replication. Here, we review research that shows the importance...... of chromatin structure regulation in maintaining genome integrity by multiple mechanisms including facilitating DNA repair and directly suppressing endogenous DNA damage....

  7. Guidelines for Computing Longitudinal Dynamic Stability Characteristics of a Subsonic Transport

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Joseph R.; Frank, Neal T.; Murphy, Patrick C.

    2010-01-01

    A systematic study is presented to guide the selection of a numerical solution strategy for URANS computation of a subsonic transport configuration undergoing simulated forced oscillation about its pitch axis. Forced oscillation is central to the prevalent wind tunnel methodology for quantifying aircraft dynamic stability derivatives from force and moment coefficients, which is the ultimate goal for the computational simulations. Extensive computations are performed that lead in key insights of the critical numerical parameters affecting solution convergence. A preliminary linear harmonic analysis is included to demonstrate the potential of extracting dynamic stability derivatives from computational solutions.

  8. Noise stabilization effects in models of interdisciplinary physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spagnolo, B; Augello, G; Caldara, P; Fiasconaro, A; La Cognata, A; Pizzolato, N; Valenti, D; Dubkov, A A; Pankratov, A L

    2009-01-01

    Metastability is a generic feature of many nonlinear systems, and the problem of the lifetime of metastable states involves fundamental aspects of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. The investigation of noise-induced phenomena in far from equilibrium systems is one of the approaches used to understand the behaviour of physical and biological complex systems. The enhancement of the lifetime of metastable states through the noise enhanced stability effect and the role played by the resonant activation phenomenon will be discussed in models of interdisciplinary physics: (i) polymer translocation dynamics; (ii) transient regime of FitzHugh-Nagumo model; (iii) market stability in a nonlinear Heston model; (iv) dynamics of Josephson junctions; (v) metastability in a quantum bitable system.

  9. Comparison of dynamic postural stability scores between athletes with and without chronic ankle instability during lateral jump landing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiravi, Zeinab; Shadmehr, Azadeh; Moghadam, Saeed Talebian; Moghadam, Behrouz Attarbashi

    2017-01-01

    Many ankle injuries occur while participating in sports that require jumping and landing such as basketball, volleyball and soccer. Most recent studies have investigated dynamic postural stability of patients with chronic ankle instability after landing from a forward jump. The present study aimed to investigate the dynamic postural stability of the athletes who suffer from chronic ankle sprain while landing from a lateral jump. Twelve athletes with self-reported unilateral chronic ankle instability (4 females and 8 males) and 12 matched controls (3 females and 9 males) voluntarily participated in the study. Dynamic postural stability index and its directional indices were measured while performing lateral jump landing test. No differences were found between athletes with and without chronic ankle instability during our landing protocol by means of the dynamic postural stability index and its directional indices. Findings showed that in each group, medial/lateral stability index is significantly higher than anterior/posterior and vertical stability indexes. Findings showed that dynamic postural stability was not significantly different between the two groups. Future studies should examine chronic ankle instability patients with more severe disabilities and expose them to more challenging dynamic balance conditions to further explore postural stability. IIIa.

  10. Vastly enhancing the chemical stability of phosphorene by employing an electric field.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Junfeng; Zhang, Gang; Zhang, Yong-Wei

    2017-03-23

    Currently, a major hurdle preventing phosphorene from various electronic applications is its rapid oxidation under ambient conditions. Thus how to enhance its chemical stability by suppressing oxidation becomes an urgent task. Here, we reveal a highly effective procedure to suppress the oxidation of phosphorene by employing a suitable van der Waals (vdW) substrate and a vertical electric field. Our first-principles study shows that the phosphorene-MoSe 2 vdW heterostructure is able to reverse the stability of physisorption and chemisorption of molecular O 2 on phosphorene. With further application of a vertical electric field of -0.6 V Å -1 , the energy barrier for oxidation is able to further increase to 0.91 eV, leading to a 10 5 times enhancement in its lifetime compared with that without using the procedure at room temperature. Our work presents a viable strategy to vastly enhance the chemical stability of phosphorene in air.

  11. Stability theory for dynamic equations on time scales

    CERN Document Server

    Martynyuk, Anatoly A

    2016-01-01

    This monograph is a first in the world to present three approaches for stability analysis of solutions of dynamic equations. The first approach is based on the application of dynamic integral inequalities and the fundamental matrix of solutions of linear approximation of dynamic equations. The second is based on the generalization of the direct Lyapunovs method for equations on time scales, using scalar, vector and matrix-valued auxiliary functions. The third approach is the application of auxiliary functions (scalar, vector, or matrix-valued ones) in combination with differential dynamic inequalities. This is an alternative comparison method, developed for time continuous and time discrete systems. In recent decades, automatic control theory in the study of air- and spacecraft dynamics and in other areas of modern applied mathematics has encountered problems in the analysis of the behavior of solutions of time continuous-discrete linear and/or nonlinear equations of perturbed motion. In the book “Men of Ma...

  12. Dynamical stability of slip-stacking particles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eldred, Jeffrey; Zwaska, Robert

    2014-09-01

    We study the stability of particles in slip-stacking configuration, used to nearly double proton beam intensity at Fermilab. We introduce universal area factors to calculate the available phase space area for any set of beam parameters without individual simulation. We find perturbative solutions for stable particle trajectories. We establish Booster beam quality requirements to achieve 97% slip-stacking efficiency. We show that slip-stacking dynamics directly correspond to the driven pendulum and to the system of two standing-wave traps moving with respect to each other.

  13. BWR stability using a reducing dynamical model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ballestrin Bolea, J. M.; Blazquez Martinez, J. B.

    1990-01-01

    BWR stability can be treated with reduced order dynamical models. When the parameters of the model came from dynamical models. When the parameters of the model came from experimental data, the predictions are accurate. In this work an alternative derivation for the void fraction equation is made, but remarking the physical structure of the parameters. As the poles of power/reactivity transfer function are related with the parameters, the measurement of the poles by other techniques such as noise analysis will lead to the parameters, but the system of equations is non-linear. Simple parametric calculation of decay ratio are performed, showing why BWRs become unstable when they are operated at low flow and high power. (Author)

  14. The Effect of the Loading on Dynamic Stability and Scapular Asymmetry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Hassan Azarsa

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Scapular stabilization and neuromuscular control provide an important parameter to characterize shoulder function during dynamic activities. Many studies have confirmed the effect of the loading on scapular position and scapulohumeral rhythm. Therefore, the evaluation of stabilizer muscles involvement in scapular asymmetry may assist in the development of clinical examination and rehabilitation program. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of loading on dynamic stability and scapular asymmetry in basketball players. Methods: Thirty healthy male basketball players aged between 20 to 31 years old were tested. The linear distance between scapular inferior angle and T7 spinous process was measured using a caliper in 90 degrees of unloaded scaption and with 1, 2 and 4 kg loading. The difference of distances of two sides in the above 4 positions was analyzed. Results: The amount of distances difference in two sides with 1 kg loading was minimal (9.36 mm. This difference increased to 10.19 mm and 12.22 mm, with increasing the loading to 2 and 4 kg respectively; although the 4 positions of the test did not show significant differences in distances difference (P>0.05. Conclusion: This study shows that dynamic stability of the scapula is dependent on the role of muscles, so that with increasing load on the muscles, the scapular asymmetry is more pronounced.

  15. NEAR-BLOWOFF DYNAMICS OF BLUFF-BODY-STABILIZED PREMIXED HYDROGEN/AIR FLAMES IN A NARROW CHANNEL

    KAUST Repository

    Lee, Bok Jik

    2015-06-07

    The flame stability is known to be significantly enhanced when the flame is attached to a bluff-body. The main interest of this study is on the stability of the flame in a meso-scale channel, considering applications such as combustion-based micro power generators. We investigate the dynamics of lean premixed hydrogen/air flames stabilized behind a square box in a two-dimensional meso-scale channel with high-fidelity numerical simulations. Characteristics of both non-reacting flows and reacting flows over the bluff-body are studied for a range of the mean inflow velocity. The flame stability in reacting flows is investigated by ramping up the mean inflow velocity step by step. As the inlet velocity is increased, the initially stable steady flames undergo a transition to an unsteady mode of regular asymmetric fluctuation. When the inlet velocity is further increased, the flame is eventually blown off. Between the regular fluctuation mode and blowoff limit, there exists a narrow range of the inlet velocity where the flames exhibit periodic local extinction and recovery. Approaching further to blowoff limit, the local extinction and recovery becomes highly transient and a failure of recovery leads blowoff and extinction of the flame kernel.

  16. C-5 Propynyl Modifications Enhance the Mechanical Stability of DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aschenbrenner, Daniela; Baumann, Fabian; Milles, Lukas F; Pippig, Diana A; Gaub, Hermann E

    2015-07-20

    Increased thermal or mechanical stability of DNA duplexes is desired for many applications in nanotechnology or -medicine where DNA is used as a programmable building block. Modifications of pyrimidine bases are known to enhance thermal stability and have the advantage of standard base-pairing and easy integration during chemical DNA synthesis. Through single-molecule force spectroscopy experiments with atomic force microscopy and the molecular force assay we investigated the effect of pyrimidines harboring C-5 propynyl modifications on the mechanical stability of double-stranded DNA. Utilizing these complementary techniques, we show that propynyl bases significantly increase the mechanical stability if the DNA is annealed at high temperature. In contrast, modified DNA complexes formed at room temperature and short incubation times display the same stability as non-modified DNA duplexes. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Relevance of Linear Stability Results to Enhanced Oil Recovery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Xueru; Daripa, Prabir

    2012-11-01

    How relevant can the results based on linear stability theory for any problem for that matter be to full scale simulation results? Put it differently, is the optimal design of a system based on linear stability results is optimal or even near optimal for the complex nonlinear system with certain objectives of interest in mind? We will address these issues in the context of enhanced oil recovery by chemical flooding. This will be based on an ongoing work. Supported by Qatar National Research Fund (a member of the Qatar Foundation).

  18. Use efficiency of dynamic stabilizer in the post-repair period of railways in Ukraine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O.V. Gubar

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. To analyze the interaction forces of the track and rolling stock at application of dynamic stabilizers, as well as the determination of the area, on which the track stabilization is necessary not only according to the technical indices but also according to the economic ones. Methodology.To achieve the research purpose the methods of analysis of material flows, peculiar to the places that need applications of dynamic stabilizers on railway transport tracks are used. Findings. Researches of relatively economic efficiency of dynamic stabilizers application, which were conducted by scientists during the last years, do not spread to comparison of cost of works on the track stabilizing and losses of railway for period of running. During the running period the trains move with a limited speed that causes corresponding financial losses. Speed limitation result in the both the motion time increase and in some occasions in the heavy consumption of fuel and energy resources. The more intensive track discord and expenses increase for its maintenance are observed in the sections of braking and acceleration immediately in front of and after the areas of limitation. The methodology relative to the estimation of economic efficiency of dynamic stabilizers application after completion of track repairs for the areas of Ukrainian railways with different operational conditions was developed. This methodology includes the losses calculation of railroad, which are predefined by extra motion time, heavy consumption of fuel and energy resources and charges for current maintenance. Originality. The methodology of cost effectiveness evaluating of the dynamic stabilizers application in the post-repair period was developed. Such an approach would allow one to take the rational decisions taking into account the features of the track sections, which were reconstructed. Practical value. The obtained results will rationally assign the works on the dynamic track

  19. Radio galaxies radiation transfer, dynamics, stability and evolution of a synchrotron plasmon

    CERN Document Server

    Pacholczyk, A G

    1977-01-01

    Radio Galaxies: Radiation Transfer, Dynamics, Stability and Evolution of a Synchrotron Plasmon deals with the physics of a region in space containing magnetic field and thermal and relativistic particles (a plasmon). The synchrotron emission and absorption of this region are discussed, along with the properties of its spectrum; its linear and circular polarization; transfer of radiation through such a region; its dynamics and expansion; and interaction with external medium.Comprised of eight chapters, this volume explores the stability, turbulence, and acceleration of particles in a synchrotro

  20. Transient Stability Enhancement in Power System Using Static VAR Compensator (SVC

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Youssef MOULOUDI

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, an indirect adaptive fuzzy excitation and static VAR (unit of reactive power, volt-ampere reactive compensator (SVC controller is proposed to enhance transient stability for the power system, which based on input-output linearization technique. A three-bus system, which contains a generator and static VAR compensator (SVC, is considered in this paper, the SVC is located at the midpoint of the transmission lines. Simulation results show that the proposed controller compared with a controller based on tradition linearization technique can enhance the transient stability of the power system under a large sudden fault, which may occur nearly at the generator bus terminal.

  1. Beam stability & nonlinear dynamics. Formal report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parsa, Z. [ed.

    1996-12-31

    his Report includes copies of transparencies and notes from the presentations made at the Symposium on Beam Stability and Nonlinear Dynamics, December 3-5, 1996 at the Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara California, that was made available by the authors. Editing, reduction and changes to the authors contributions were made only to fulfill the printing and publication requirements. We would like to take this opportunity and thank the speakers for their informative presentations and for providing copies of their transparencies and notes for inclusion in this Report.

  2. Algorithm for Stabilizing a POD-Based Dynamical System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalb, Virginia L.

    2010-01-01

    This algorithm provides a new way to improve the accuracy and asymptotic behavior of a low-dimensional system based on the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD). Given a data set representing the evolution of a system of partial differential equations (PDEs), such as the Navier-Stokes equations for incompressible flow, one may obtain a low-dimensional model in the form of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) that should model the dynamics of the flow. Temporal sampling of the direct numerical simulation of the PDEs produces a spatial time series. The POD extracts the temporal and spatial eigenfunctions of this data set. Truncated to retain only the most energetic modes followed by Galerkin projection of these modes onto the PDEs obtains a dynamical system of ordinary differential equations for the time-dependent behavior of the flow. In practice, the steps leading to this system of ODEs entail numerically computing first-order derivatives of the mean data field and the eigenfunctions, and the computation of many inner products. This is far from a perfect process, and often results in the lack of long-term stability of the system and incorrect asymptotic behavior of the model. This algorithm describes a new stabilization method that utilizes the temporal eigenfunctions to derive correction terms for the coefficients of the dynamical system to significantly reduce these errors.

  3. Dynamic stability of an aerodynamically efficient motorcycle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Amrit; Limebeer, David J. N.

    2012-08-01

    Motorcycles exhibit two potentially dangerous oscillatory modes known as 'wobble' and 'weave'. The former is reminiscent of supermarket castor shimmy, while the latter is a low frequency 'fish-tailing' motion that involves a combination of rolling, yawing, steering and side-slipping motions. These unwanted dynamic features, which can occur when two-wheeled vehicles are operated at speed, have been studied extensively. The aim of this paper is to use mathematical analysis to identify important stability trends in the on-going design of a novel aerodynamically efficient motorcycle known as the ECOSSE Spirit ES1. A mathematical model of the ES1 is developed using a multi-body dynamics software package called VehicleSim [Anon, VehicleSim Lisp Reference Manual Version 1.0, Mechanical Simulation Corporation, 2008. Available at http://www.carsim.com]. This high-fidelity motorcycle model includes realistic tyre-road contact geometry, a comprehensive tyre model, tyre relaxation and a flexible frame. A parameter set representative of a modern high-performance machine and rider is used. Local stability is investigated via the eigenvalues of the linearised models that are associated with equilibrium points of interest. A comprehensive study of the effects of frame flexibilities, acceleration, aerodynamics and tyre variations is presented, and an optimal passive steering compensator is derived. It is shown that the traditional steering damper cannot be used to stabilise the ES1 over its entire operating speed range. A simple passive compensator, involving an inerter is proposed. Flexibility can be introduced deliberately into various chassis components to change the stability characteristics of the vehicle; the implications of this idea are studied.

  4. Sync in Complex Dynamical Networks: Stability, Evolution, Control, and Application

    OpenAIRE

    Li, Xiang

    2005-01-01

    In the past few years, the discoveries of small-world and scale-free properties of many natural and artificial complex networks have stimulated significant advances in better understanding the relationship between the topology and the collective dynamics of complex networks. This paper reports recent progresses in the literature of synchronization of complex dynamical networks including stability criteria, network synchronizability and uniform synchronous criticality in different topologies, ...

  5. Certain Actions from the Functional Movement Screen Do Not Provide an Indication of Dynamic Stability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lockie, Robert G.; Callaghan, Samuel J.; Jordan, Corrin A.; Luczo, Tawni M.; Jeffriess, Matthew D.; Jalilvand, Farzad; Schultz, Adrian B.

    2015-01-01

    Dynamic stability is an essential physical component for team sport athletes. Certain Functional Movement Screen (FMS) exercises (deep squat; left- and right-leg hurdle step; left- and right-leg in-line lunge [ILL]; left- and right-leg active straight-leg raise; and trunk stability push-up [TSPU]) have been suggested as providing an indication of dynamic stability. No research has investigated relationships between these screens and an established test of dynamic stability such as the modified Star Excursion Balance Test (mSEBT), which measures lower-limb reach distance in posteromedial, medial, and anteromedial directions, in team sport athletes. Forty-one male and female team sport athletes completed the screens and the mSEBT. Participants were split into high-, intermediate-, and low-performing groups according to the mean of the excursions when both the left and right legs were used for the mSEBT stance. Any between-group differences in the screens and mSEBT were determined via a one-way analysis of variance with Bonferroni post hoc adjustment (p in any of the screens, and only two positive correlations between the screens and the mSEBT (TSPU and right stance leg posteromedial excursion, r = 0.37; left-leg ILL and left stance leg posteromedial excursion, r = 0.46). The mSEBT clearly indicated participants with different dynamic stability capabilities. In contrast to the mSEBT, the selected FMS exercises investigated in this study have a limited capacity to identify dynamic stability in team sport athletes. PMID:26557187

  6. Dynamic Stabilization of Metal Oxide–Water Interfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McBriarty, Martin E.; von Rudorff, Guido Falk; Stubbs, Joanne; Eng, Peter; Blumberger, Jochen; Rosso, Kevin M.

    2017-02-08

    Metal oxide growth, dissolution, and redox reactivity depend on the structure and dynamics at the interface with aqueous solution. We present the most definitive analysis to date of the hydrated naturally abundant r-cut (11$\\bar{0}$2) termination of the iron oxide hematite (α-Fe2O3). In situ synchrotron X-ray scattering analysis reveals a ridged lateral arrangement of adsorbed water molecules hydrogen bonded to terminal aquo groups. Large-scale hybrid-functional density functional theory-based molecular dynamics (DFT-MD) simulations show how this structure is dynamically stabilized by picosecond exchange between aquo groups and adsorbed water, even under nominally dry conditions. Surface pKa prediction based on bond valence analysis suggests that water exchange may influence the proton transfer reactions associated with acid/base reactivity at the interface. Our findings rectify inconsistencies between existing models and may be extended to resolving more complex electrochemical phenomena at metal oxide-water interfaces.

  7. Topics in Modeling of Cochlear Dynamics: Computation, Response and Stability Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Filo, Maurice G.

    This thesis touches upon several topics in cochlear modeling. Throughout the literature, mathematical models of the cochlea vary according to the degree of biological realism to be incorporated. This thesis casts the cochlear model as a continuous space-time dynamical system using operator language. This framework encompasses a wider class of cochlear models and makes the dynamics more transparent and easier to analyze before applying any numerical method to discretize space. In fact, several numerical methods are investigated to study the computational efficiency of the finite dimensional realizations in space. Furthermore, we study the effects of the active gain perturbations on the stability of the linearized dynamics. The stability analysis is used to explain possible mechanisms underlying spontaneous otoacoustic emissions and tinnitus. Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) is introduced as a useful tool to analyze the response of nonlinear cochlear models. Cochlear response features are illustrated using DMD which has the advantage of explicitly revealing the spatial modes of vibrations occurring in the Basilar Membrane (BM). Finally, we address the dynamic estimation problem of BM vibrations using Extended Kalman Filters (EKF). Due to the limitations of noninvasive sensing schemes, such algorithms are inevitable to estimate the dynamic behavior of a living cochlea.

  8. On Stabilizing the Variance of Dynamic Functional Brain Connectivity Time Series.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, William Hedley; Fransson, Peter

    2016-12-01

    Assessment of dynamic functional brain connectivity based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data is an increasingly popular strategy to investigate temporal dynamics of the brain's large-scale network architecture. Current practice when deriving connectivity estimates over time is to use the Fisher transformation, which aims to stabilize the variance of correlation values that fluctuate around varying true correlation values. It is, however, unclear how well the stabilization of signal variance performed by the Fisher transformation works for each connectivity time series, when the true correlation is assumed to be fluctuating. This is of importance because many subsequent analyses either assume or perform better when the time series have stable variance or adheres to an approximate Gaussian distribution. In this article, using simulations and analysis of resting-state fMRI data, we analyze the effect of applying different variance stabilization strategies on connectivity time series. We focus our investigation on the Fisher transformation, the Box-Cox (BC) transformation and an approach that combines both transformations. Our results show that, if the intention of stabilizing the variance is to use metrics on the time series, where stable variance or a Gaussian distribution is desired (e.g., clustering), the Fisher transformation is not optimal and may even skew connectivity time series away from being Gaussian. Furthermore, we show that the suboptimal performance of the Fisher transformation can be substantially improved by including an additional BC transformation after the dynamic functional connectivity time series has been Fisher transformed.

  9. Research on Dynamics and Stability in the Stairs-Climbing of a Tracked Mobile Robot

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weijun Tao

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Aiming at the functional requirement of climbing up the stairs, the dynamics and stability during a tracked mobile robot's climbing of stairs is studied. First, from the analysis of its cross-country performance, the mechanical structure of the tracked mobile robot is designed and the hardware composition of its control system is given. Second, based on the analysis to its stairs-climbing process, the dynamical model of stairs-climbing is established by using the classical mechanics method. Next, the stability conditions for its stairs-climbing are determined and an evaluation method of its stairs-climbing stability is proposed, based on a mechanics analysis on the robot's backwards tumbling during the stairs-climbing process. Through simulation and experiments, the effectiveness of the dynamical model and the stability evaluation method of the tracked mobile robot in stairs-climbing is verified, which can provide design and analysis foundations for the tracked mobile robots' stairs-climbing.

  10. Stability and chaotic dynamics of a perturbed rate gyro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, H.-H.

    2006-01-01

    An analysis of stability and chaotic dynamics is presented by a single-axis rate gyro subjected to linear feedback control loops. This rate gyro is supposed to be mounted on a space vehicle which undergoes an uncertain angular velocity ω Z (t) around its spin axis and simultaneously acceleration ω-bar X (t) occurs with respect to the output axis. The necessary and sufficient conditions of stability and degeneracy conditions for the autonomous case, whose vehicle undergoes a steady rotation, were provided by Routh-Hurwitz theory. The stability of the nonlinear nonautonomous system was investigated by Liapunov stability and instability theorems. As the electrical time constant is much smaller than the mechanical time constant, the singularly perturbed system can be obtained by the singular perturbation theory. The Liapunov stability of this system by studying the reduced and boundary-layer systems was also analyzed. Using the Melinikov technique, we can give criteria for the existence of chaos in the gyro motion when the vehicle undergoes perturbed harmonic rotation about its spin and output axes

  11. Printable luminescent down shifter for enhancing efficiency and stability of organic photovoltaics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kettle, J.; Bristow, N.; Gethin, D.T.

    2016-01-01

    monitoring, using a 16-cell monolithically connected OPV module. By applying the LDS layer, a ~5% relative enhancement in photocurrent is observed for both sets of devices. More significantly, indoor light soaking tests on single cell devices without encapsulation showed an 850% enhancement in the measured...... half-life (T50%). The OPV modules were encapsulated and tested for outdoor stability over a 70 day period in the Negev desert, Israel. The modules made with the LDS filter are shown to match the stability of those made with a commercial UV filter and outperform the modules with no filter applied...

  12. Quantum Coherent Dynamics Enhanced by Synchronization with Nonequilibrium Environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishikawa, Akira; Okada, Ryo; Uchiyama, Kazuharu; Hori, Hirokazu; Kobayashi, Kiyoshi

    2018-05-01

    We report the discovery of the anomalous enhancement of quantum coherent dynamics (CD) due to a non-Markovian mechanism originating from not thermal-equilibrium phonon baths but nonequilibrium coherent phonons. CD is an elementary process for quantum phenomena in nanosystems, such as excitation transfer (ET) in semiconductor nanostructures and light-harvesting systems. CD occurs in homogeneous nanosystems because system inhomogeneity typically destroys coherence. In real systems, however, nanosystems behave as open systems surrounded by environments such as phonon systems. Typically, CD in inhomogeneous nanosystems is enhanced by the absorption and emission of thermal-equilibrium phonons, and the enhancement is described by the conventional master equation. On the other hand, CD is also enhanced by synchronization between population dynamics in nanosystems and coherent phonons; namely, coherent phonons, which are self-consistently induced by phase matching with Rabi oscillation, are fed back to enhance CD. This anomalous enhancement of CD essentially originates from the nonequilibrium and dynamical non-Markovian nature of coherent phonon environments, and the enhancement is firstly predicted by applying time-dependent projection operators to nonequilibrium and dynamical environments. Moreover, CD is discussed by considering ET from a donor to an acceptor. It is found that the enhancement of ET by synchronization with coherent phonons depends on the competition between the output time from a system to an acceptor and the formation time of coherent phonons. These findings in this study will stimulate the design and manipulation of CD via structured environments from the viewpoint of application to nano-photoelectronic devices.

  13. Effect of arm swing strategy on local dynamic stability of human gait.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Punt, Michiel; Bruijn, Sjoerd M; Wittink, Harriet; van Dieën, Jaap H

    2015-02-01

    Falling causes long term disability and can even lead to death. Most falls occur during gait. Therefore improving gait stability might be beneficial for people at risk of falling. Recently arm swing has been shown to influence gait stability. However at present it remains unknown which mode of arm swing creates the most stable gait. To examine how different modes of arm swing affect gait stability. Ten healthy young male subjects volunteered for this study. All subjects walked with four different arm swing instructions at seven different gait speeds. The Xsens motion capture suit was used to capture gait kinematics. Basic gait parameters, variability and stability measures were calculated. We found an increased stability in the medio-lateral direction with excessive arm swing in comparison to normal arm swing at all gait speeds. Moreover, excessive arm swing increased stability in the anterior-posterior and vertical direction at low gait speeds. Ipsilateral and inphase arm swing did not differ compared to a normal arm swing. Excessive arm swing is a promising gait manipulation to improve local dynamic stability. For excessive arm swing in the ML direction there appears to be converging evidence. The effect of excessive arm swing on more clinically relevant groups like the more fall prone elderly or stroke survivors is worth further investigating. Excessive arm swing significantly increases local dynamic stability of human gait. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Effect of speed on local dynamic stability of locomotion under different task constraints in running.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehdizadeh, Sina; Arshi, Ahmed Reza; Davids, Keith

    2014-01-01

    A number of studies have investigated effects of speed on local dynamic stability of walking, although this relationship has been rarely investigated under changing task constraints, such as during forward and backward running. To rectify this gap in the literature, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of running speed on local dynamic stability of forward and backward running on a treadmill. Fifteen healthy male participants took part in this study. Participants ran in forward and backward directions at speeds of 80%, 100% and 120% of their preferred running speed. The three-dimensional motion of a C7 marker was recorded using a motion capture system. Local dynamic stability of the marker was quantified using short- and long-term largest finite-time Lyapunov exponents (LyE). Results showed that short-term largest finite-time LyE values increased with participant speed meaning that local dynamic stability decreased with increasing speed. Long-term largest finite-time LyEs, however, remained unaffected as speed increased. Results of this study indicated that, as in walking, slow running is more stable than fast running. These findings improve understanding of how stability is regulated when constraints on the speed of movements is altered. Implications for the design of rehabilitation or sport practice programmes suggest how task constraints could be manipulated to facilitate adaptations in locomotion stability during athletic training.

  15. Biological soil crusts exhibit a dynamic response to seasonal rain and release from grazing with implications for soil stability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jimenez, Aguilar A.; Huber-Sannwald, E.; Belnap, J.; Smart, D.R.; Arredondo, Moreno J.T.

    2009-01-01

    In Northern Mexico, long-term grazing has substantially degraded semiarid landscapes. In semiarid systems, ecological and hydrological processes are strongly coupled by patchy plant distribution and biological soil crust (BSC) cover in plant-free interspaces. In this study, we asked: 1) how responsive are BSC cover/composition to a drying/wetting cycle and two-year grazing removal, and 2) what are the implications for soil erosion? We characterized BSC morphotypes and their influence on soil stability under grazed/non-grazed conditions during a dry and wet season. Light- and dark-colored cyanobacteria were dominant at the plant tussock and community level. Cover changes in these two groups differed after a rainy season and in response to grazing removal. Lichens with continuous thalli were more vulnerable to grazing than those with semi-continuous/discontinuous thalli after the dry season. Microsites around tussocks facilitated BSC colonization compared to interspaces. Lichen and cyanobacteria morphotypes differentially enhanced resistance to soil erosion; consequently, surface soil stability depends on the spatial distribution of BSC morphotypes, suggesting soil stability may be as dynamic as changes in the type of BSC cover. Longer-term spatially detailed studies are necessary to elicit spatiotemporal dynamics of BSC communities and their functional role in biotically and abiotically variable environments. ?? 2009 Elsevier Ltd.

  16. Transient stability enhancement of wind farms connected to a multi-machine power system by using an adaptive ANN-controlled SMES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muyeen, S.M.; Hasanien, Hany M.; Al-Durra, Ahmed

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • We present an ANN-controlled SMES in this paper. • The objective is to enhance transient stability of WF connected to power system. • The control strategy depends on a PWM VSC and DC–DC converter. • The effectiveness of proposed controller is compared with PI controller. • The validity of the proposed system is verified by simulation results. - Abstract: This paper presents a novel adaptive artificial neural network (ANN)-controlled superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) system to enhance the transient stability of wind farms connected to a multi-machine power system during network disturbances. The control strategy of SMES depends mainly on a sinusoidal pulse width modulation (PWM) voltage source converter (VSC) and an adaptive ANN-controlled DC–DC converter using insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). The effectiveness of the proposed adaptive ANN-controlled SMES is then compared with that of proportional-integral (PI)-controlled SMES optimized by response surface methodology and genetic algorithm (RSM–GA) considering both of symmetrical and unsymmetrical faults. For realistic responses, real wind speed data and two-mass drive train model of wind turbine generator system is considered in the analyses. The validity of the proposed system is verified by the simulation results which are performed using the laboratory standard dynamic power system simulator PSCAD/EMTDC. Notably, the proposed adaptive ANN-controlled SMES enhances the transient stability of wind farms connected to a multi-machine power system

  17. Nanocaged enzymes with enhanced catalytic activity and increased stability against protease digestion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Zhao; Fu, Jinglin; Dhakal, Soma; Johnson-Buck, Alexander; Liu, Minghui; Zhang, Ting; Woodbury, Neal W.; Liu, Yan; Walter, Nils G.; Yan, Hao

    2016-01-01

    Cells routinely compartmentalize enzymes for enhanced efficiency of their metabolic pathways. Here we report a general approach to construct DNA nanocaged enzymes for enhancing catalytic activity and stability. Nanocaged enzymes are realized by self-assembly into DNA nanocages with well-controlled stoichiometry and architecture that enabled a systematic study of the impact of both encapsulation and proximal polyanionic surfaces on a set of common metabolic enzymes. Activity assays at both bulk and single-molecule levels demonstrate increased substrate turnover numbers for DNA nanocage-encapsulated enzymes. Unexpectedly, we observe a significant inverse correlation between the size of a protein and its activity enhancement. This effect is consistent with a model wherein distal polyanionic surfaces of the nanocage enhance the stability of active enzyme conformations through the action of a strongly bound hydration layer. We further show that DNA nanocages protect encapsulated enzymes against proteases, demonstrating their practical utility in functional biomaterials and biotechnology. PMID:26861509

  18. Nanocaged enzymes with enhanced catalytic activity and increased stability against protease digestion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Zhao; Fu, Jinglin; Dhakal, Soma; Johnson-Buck, Alexander; Liu, Minghui; Zhang, Ting; Woodbury, Neal W.; Liu, Yan; Walter, Nils G.; Yan, Hao

    2016-02-01

    Cells routinely compartmentalize enzymes for enhanced efficiency of their metabolic pathways. Here we report a general approach to construct DNA nanocaged enzymes for enhancing catalytic activity and stability. Nanocaged enzymes are realized by self-assembly into DNA nanocages with well-controlled stoichiometry and architecture that enabled a systematic study of the impact of both encapsulation and proximal polyanionic surfaces on a set of common metabolic enzymes. Activity assays at both bulk and single-molecule levels demonstrate increased substrate turnover numbers for DNA nanocage-encapsulated enzymes. Unexpectedly, we observe a significant inverse correlation between the size of a protein and its activity enhancement. This effect is consistent with a model wherein distal polyanionic surfaces of the nanocage enhance the stability of active enzyme conformations through the action of a strongly bound hydration layer. We further show that DNA nanocages protect encapsulated enzymes against proteases, demonstrating their practical utility in functional biomaterials and biotechnology.

  19. Transition from shod to barefoot alters dynamic stability during running.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ekizos, Antonis; Santuz, Alessandro; Arampatzis, Adamantios

    2017-07-01

    Barefoot running recently received increased attention, with controversial results regarding its effects on injury risk and performance. Numerous studies examined the kinetic and kinematic changes between the shod and the barefoot condition. Intrinsic parameters such as the local dynamic stability could provide new insight regarding neuromuscular control when immediately transitioning from one running condition to the other. We investigated the local dynamic stability during the change from shod to barefoot running. We further measured biomechanical parameters to examine the mechanisms governing this transition. Twenty habitually shod, young and healthy participants ran on a pressure plate-equipped treadmill and alternated between shod and barefoot running. We calculated the largest Lyapunov exponents as a measure of errors in the control of the movement. Biomechanical parameters were also collected. Local dynamic stability decreased significantly (d=0.41; 2.1%) during barefoot running indicating worse control over the movement. We measured higher cadence (d=0.35; 2.2%) and total flight time (d=0.58; 19%), lower total contact time (d=0.58; -5%), total vertical displacement (d=0.39; -4%), and vertical impulse (d=1.32; 11%) over the two minutes when running barefoot. The strike index changed significantly (d=1.29; 237%) towards the front of the foot. Immediate transition from shod to the barefoot condition resulted in an increased instability and indicates a worst control over the movement. The increased instability was associated with biomechanical changes (i.e. foot strike patterns) of the participants in the barefoot condition. Possible reasons why this instability arises, might be traced in the stance phase and particularly in the push-off. The decreased stability might affect injury risk and performance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Interplay Between Energy-Market Dynamics and Physical Stability of a Smart Power Grid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Picozzi, Sergio; Mammoli, Andrea; Sorrentino, Francesco

    2013-03-01

    A smart power grid is being envisioned for the future which, among other features, should enable users to play the dual role of consumers as well as producers and traders of energy, thanks to emerging renewable energy production and energy storage technologies. As a complex dynamical system, any power grid is subject to physical instabilities. With existing grids, such instabilities tend to be caused by natural disasters, human errors, or weather-related peaks in demand. In this work we analyze the impact, upon the stability of a smart grid, of the energy-market dynamics arising from users' ability to buy from and sell energy to other users. The stability analysis of the resulting dynamical system is performed assuming different proposed models for this market of the future, and the corresponding stability regions in parameter space are identified. We test our theoretical findings by comparing them with data collected from some existing prototype systems.

  1. A decentralised multi-agent approach to enhance the stability of smart microgrids with renewable energy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, M. S.; Pota, H. R.; Mahmud, M. A.; Hossain, M. J.

    2016-05-01

    This paper presents the impact of large penetration of wind power on the transient stability through a dynamic evaluation of the critical clearing times (CCTs) by using intelligent agent-based approach. A decentralised multi-agent-based framework is developed, where agents represent a number of physical device models to form a complex infrastructure for computation and communication. They enable the dynamic flow of information and energy for the interaction between the physical processes and their activities. These agents dynamically adapt online measurements and use the CCT information for relay coordination to improve the transient stability of power systems. Simulations are carried out on a smart microgrid system for faults at increasing wind power penetration levels and the improvement in transient stability using the proposed agent-based framework is demonstrated.

  2. The Comprehensive Biomechanics and Load-Sharing of Semirigid PEEK and Semirigid Posterior Dynamic Stabilization Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. K. Sengupta

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Alternatives to conventional rigid fusion have been proposed for several conditions related to degenerative disc disease when nonoperative treatment has failed. Semirigid fixation, in the form of dynamic stabilization or PEEK rods, is expected to provide compression under loading as well as an intermediate level of stabilization. This study systematically examines both the load-sharing characteristics and kinematics of these two devices compared to the standard of internal rigid fixators. Load-sharing was studied by using digital pressure films inserted between an artificially machined disc and two loading fixtures. Rigid rods, PEEK rods, and the dynamic stabilization system were inserted posteriorly for stabilization. The kinematics were quantified on ten, human, cadaver lumbosacral spines (L3-S1 which were tested under a pure bending moment, in flexion-extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation. The magnitude of load transmission through the anterior column was significantly greater with the dynamic device compared to PEEK rods and rigid rods. The contact pressures were distributed more uniformly, throughout the disc with the dynamic stabilization devices, and had smaller maximum point-loading (pressures on any particular point within the disc. Kinematically, the motion was reduced by both semirigid devices similarly in all directions, with slight rigidity imparted by a lateral interbody device.

  3. Stability of power systems coupled with market dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Jianping

    This Ph.D. thesis presented here spans two relatively independent topics. The first part, Chapter 2 is self-contained, and is dedicated to studies of new algorithms for power system state estimation. The second part, encompassing the remaining chapters, is dedicated to stability analysis of power system coupled with market dynamics. The first part of this thesis presents improved Newton's methods employing efficient vectorized calculations of higher order derivatives in power system state estimation problems. The improved algorithms are proposed based on an exact Newton's method using the second order terms. By efficiently computing an exact gain matrix, combined with a special optimal multiplier method, the new algorithms show more reliable convergence compared with the existing methods of normal equations, orthogonal decomposition, and Hachtel's sparse tableau. Our methods are able to handle ill-conditioned problems, yet show minimal penalty in computational cost for well-conditioned cases. These claims are illustrated through the standard IEEE 118 and 300 bus test examples. The second part of the thesis focuses on stability analysis of market/power systems. The work presented is motivated by an emerging problem. As the frequency of market based dispatch updates increases, there will inevitably be interaction between the dynamics of markets determining the generator dispatch commands, and the physical response of generators and network interconnections, necessitating the development of stability analysis for such coupled systems. We begin with numeric tests using different market models, with detailed machine/exciter/turbine/governor dynamics, in the New England 39 bus test system. A progression of modeling refinements are introduced, including such non-ideal effects as time delays. Electricity market parameter identification algorithms are also studied based on real time data from the PJM electricity market. Finally our power market model is augmented by optimal

  4. The effect of walking speed on local dynamic stability is sensitive to calculation methods

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stenum, Jan; Bruijn, Sjoerd M; Jensen, Bente Rona

    2014-01-01

    Local dynamic stability has been assessed by the short-term local divergence exponent (λS), which quantifies the average rate of logarithmic divergence of infinitesimally close trajectories in state space. Both increased and decreased local dynamic stability at faster walking speeds have been...... reported. This might pertain to methodological differences in calculating λS. Therefore, the aim was to test if different calculation methods would induce different effects of walking speed on local dynamic stability. Ten young healthy participants walked on a treadmill at five speeds (60%, 80%, 100%, 120......% and 140% of preferred walking speed) for 3min each, while upper body accelerations in three directions were sampled. From these time-series, λS was calculated by three different methods using: (a) a fixed time interval and expressed as logarithmic divergence per stride-time (λS-a), (b) a fixed number...

  5. Certain Actions from the Functional Movement Screen Do Not Provide an Indication of Dynamic Stability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lockie Robert G.

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Dynamic stability is an essential physical component for team sport athletes. Certain Functional Movement Screen (FMS exercises (deep squat; left- and right-leg hurdle step; left- and right-leg in-line lunge [ILL]; left- and right-leg active straight-leg raise; and trunk stability push-up [TSPU] have been suggested as providing an indication of dynamic stability. No research has investigated relationships between these screens and an established test of dynamic stability such as the modified Star Excursion Balance Test (mSEBT, which measures lower-limb reach distance in posteromedial, medial, and anteromedial directions, in team sport athletes. Forty-one male and female team sport athletes completed the screens and the mSEBT. Participants were split into high-, intermediate-, and low-performing groups according to the mean of the excursions when both the left and right legs were used for the mSEBT stance. Any between-group differences in the screens and mSEBT were determined via a one-way analysis of variance with Bonferroni post hoc adjustment (p < 0.05. Data was pooled for a correlation analysis (p < 0.05. There were no between-group differences in any of the screens, and only two positive correlations between the screens and the mSEBT (TSPU and right stance leg posteromedial excursion, r = 0.37; left-leg ILL and left stance leg posteromedial excursion, r = 0.46. The mSEBT clearly indicated participants with different dynamic stability capabilities. In contrast to the mSEBT, the selected FMS exercises investigated in this study have a limited capacity to identify dynamic stability in team sport athletes.

  6. Enhancing the stabilization of aircraft pitch motion control via intelligent and classical method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lukman, H.; Munawwarah, S.; Azizan, A.; Yakub, F.; Zaki, S. A.; Rasid, Z. A.

    2017-12-01

    The pitching movement of an aircraft is very important to ensure passengers are intrinsically safe and the aircraft achieve its maximum stability. The equations governing the motion of an aircraft are a complex set of six nonlinear coupled differential equations. Under certain assumptions, it can be decoupled and linearized into longitudinal and lateral equations. Pitch control is a longitudinal problem and thus, only the longitudinal dynamics equations are involved in this system. It is a third order nonlinear system, which is linearized about the operating point. The system is also inherently unstable due to the presence of a free integrator. Because of this, a feedback controller is added in order to solve this problem and enhance the system performance. This study uses two approaches in designing controller: a conventional controller and an intelligent controller. The pitch control scheme consists of proportional, integral and derivatives (PID) for conventional controller and fuzzy logic control (FLC) for intelligent controller. Throughout the paper, the performance of the presented controllers are investigated and compared based on the common criteria of step response. Simulation results have been obtained and analysed by using Matlab and Simulink software. The study shows that FLC controller has higher ability to control and stabilize the aircraft's pitch angle as compared to PID controller.

  7. Effects of an attention demanding task on dynamic stability during treadmill walking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Troy Karen L

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background People exhibit increased difficulty balancing when they perform secondary attention-distracting tasks while walking. However, a previous study by Grabiner and Troy (J. Neuroengineering Rehabil., 2005 found that young healthy subjects performing a concurrent Stroop task while walking on a motorized treadmill exhibited decreased step width variability. However, measures of variability do not directly quantify how a system responds to perturbations. This study re-analyzed data from Grabiner and Troy 2005 to determine if performing the concurrent Stroop task directly affected the dynamic stability of walking in these same subjects. Methods Thirteen healthy volunteers walked on a motorized treadmill at their self-selected constant speed for 10 minutes both while performing the Stroop test and during undisturbed walking. This Stroop test consisted of projecting images of the name of one color, printed in text of a different color, onto a wall and asking subjects to verbally identify the color of the text. Three-dimensional motions of a marker attached to the base of the neck (C5/T1 were recorded. Marker velocities were calculated over 3 equal intervals of 200 sec each in each direction. Mean variability was calculated for each time series as the average standard deviation across all strides. Both "local" and "orbital" dynamic stability were quantified for each time series using previously established methods. These measures directly quantify how quickly small perturbations grow or decay, either continuously in real time (local or discretely from one cycle to the next (orbital. Differences between Stroop and Control trials were evaluated using a 2-factor repeated measures ANOVA. Results Mean variability of trunk movements was significantly reduced during the Stroop tests compared to normal walking. Conversely, local and orbital stability results were mixed: some measures showed slight increases, while others showed slight decreases

  8. PWL approximation of nonlinear dynamical systems, part I: structural stability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Storace, M; De Feo, O

    2005-01-01

    This paper and its companion address the problem of the approximation/identification of nonlinear dynamical systems depending on parameters, with a view to their circuit implementation. The proposed method is based on a piecewise-linear approximation technique. In particular, this paper describes the approximation method and applies it to some particularly significant dynamical systems (topological normal forms). The structural stability of the PWL approximations of such systems is investigated through a bifurcation analysis (via continuation methods)

  9. Enhancement of small signal stability of a DFIG-based wind power ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    International Journal of Engineering, Science and Technology ... logic controllers for enhancing the small signal stability of DFIG-based wind integrated power system. ... state space model, eigenvalue analysis, fuzzy logic based tuning circuits ...

  10. Power system dynamics and stability with synchrophasor measurement and power system toolbox

    CERN Document Server

    Sauer, Peter W; Chow, Joe H

    2017-01-01

    This new edition addresses the needs of dynamic modeling and simulation relevant to power system planning, design, and operation, including a systematic derivation of synchronous machine dynamic models together with speed and voltage control subsystems. Reduced-order modeling based on integral manifolds is used as a firm basis for understanding the derivations and limitations of lower-order dynamic models. Following these developments, a multi-machine model interconnected through the transmission network is formulated and simulated using numerical simulation methods. Energy function methods are discussed for direct evaluation of stability. Small-signal analysis is used for determining the electromechanical modes and mode-shapes, and for power system stabilizer design. Time-synchronized high-sampling-rate phasor measurement units (PMUs) to monitor power system disturbances ave been implemented throughout North America and many other countries. In this second edition, new chapters on synchrophasor measurement ...

  11. Numerical Exploration of Kaldorian Interregional Macrodynamics: Enhanced Stability and Predominance of Period Doubling under Flexible Exchange Rates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Toichiro Asada

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available We present a discrete two-regional Kaldorian macrodynamic model with flexible exchange rates and explore numerically the stability of equilibrium and the possibility of generation of business cycles. We use a grid search method in two-dimensional parameter subspaces, and coefficient criteria for the flip and Hopf bifurcation curves, to determine the stability region and its boundary curves in several parameter ranges. The model is characterized by enhanced stability of equilibrium, while its predominant asymptotic behavior when equilibrium is unstable is period doubling. Cycles are scarce and short-lived in parameter space, occurring at large values of the degree of capital movement β. By contrast to the corresponding fixed exchange rates system, for cycles to occur sufficient amount of trade is required together with high levels of capital movement. Rapid changes in exchange rate expectations and decreased government expenditure are factors contributing to the creation of interregional cycles. Examples of bifurcation and Lyapunov exponent diagrams illustrating period doubling or cycles, and their development into chaotic attractors, are given. The paper illustrates the feasibility and effectiveness of the numerical approach for dynamical systems of moderately high dimensionality and several parameters.

  12. Dynamic Stability Analysis of Autonomous Medium-Voltage Mixed-Source Microgrid

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhao, Zhuoli; Yang, Ping; Guerrero, Josep M.

    2015-01-01

    -space model of the autonomous MV mixed-source microgrid containing diesel generator set (DGS), grid-supporting battery energy storage system (BESS), squirrel cage induction generator (SCIG) wind turbine and network is developed. Sensitivity analysis is carried out to reveal the dynamic stability margin...

  13. VMCast: A VM-Assisted Stability Enhancing Solution for Tree-Based Overlay Multicast.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weidong Gu

    Full Text Available Tree-based overlay multicast is an effective group communication method for media streaming applications. However, a group member's departure causes all of its descendants to be disconnected from the multicast tree for some time, which results in poor performance. The above problem is difficult to be addressed because overlay multicast tree is intrinsically instable. In this paper, we proposed a novel stability enhancing solution, VMCast, for tree-based overlay multicast. This solution uses two types of on-demand cloud virtual machines (VMs, i.e., multicast VMs (MVMs and compensation VMs (CVMs. MVMs are used to disseminate the multicast data, whereas CVMs are used to offer streaming compensation. The used VMs in the same cloud datacenter constitute a VM cluster. Each VM cluster is responsible for a service domain (VMSD, and each group member belongs to a specific VMSD. The data source delivers the multicast data to MVMs through a reliable path, and MVMs further disseminate the data to group members along domain overlay multicast trees. The above approach structurally improves the stability of the overlay multicast tree. We further utilized CVM-based streaming compensation to enhance the stability of the data distribution in the VMSDs. VMCast can be used as an extension to existing tree-based overlay multicast solutions, to provide better services for media streaming applications. We applied VMCast to two application instances (i.e., HMTP and HCcast. The results show that it can obviously enhance the stability of the data distribution.

  14. Wholesale energy market in a smart grid. Dynamic modeling, stability, and robustness

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kiani Bejestani, Arman

    2013-01-24

    The recent paradigm shift in the architecture of the smart grid is driven by the need to integrate Renewable Energy Resources (RER), the availability of information through communication networks, and an emerging policy of demand that is intertwined with pricing. A major component of this architecture is the design of electricity markets, which pertains to the optimal scheduling of power generation and reserve requirements. The challenge is to carry out this scheduling with a high level of integration of renewable generation sources, a formidable task due to intermittency and uncertainty. Introducing huge intermittency and uncertainty in the smart grid will demand a dynamic framework for addressing the operation, scheduling and financial settlements in the uncertain environment. The temporal components in scheduling generation are necessary due to increasing penetration of renewable sources, and increasing potential of adjustable demand via Demand Response (DR). The former brings issues of strong intermittency and uncertainty, and the latter brings a feedback structure, where demand can be modulated over a range of time-scales. Both of these components are dictating a new look at market mechanisms, with a controls viewpoint enabling a novel framework for analysis and synthesis. This dissertation provides static and dynamic models that capture the various aspects of electrical power systems, including the dynamics of market participants, the physical and technical constraints of power systems, and the uncertainty of RER. The proposed models shed new light on wholesale electricity market design, allowing an understanding to be gained of how to create markets, which enhance the stability of price profiles, and efficiency of the power systems, in the presence of uncertain demand and intermittent resources. The notion of market equilibrium in the presence of RER and DR is presented. The effects of uncertainties due to forecast errors in RER and variations due to DR on

  15. Dynamic remedial action scheme using online transient stability analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shrestha, Arun

    Economic pressure and environmental factors have forced the modern power systems to operate closer to their stability limits. However, maintaining transient stability is a fundamental requirement for the operation of interconnected power systems. In North America, power systems are planned and operated to withstand the loss of any single or multiple elements without violating North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) system performance criteria. For a contingency resulting in the loss of multiple elements (Category C), emergency transient stability controls may be necessary to stabilize the power system. Emergency control is designed to sense abnormal conditions and subsequently take pre-determined remedial actions to prevent instability. Commonly known as either Remedial Action Schemes (RAS) or as Special/System Protection Schemes (SPS), these emergency control approaches have been extensively adopted by utilities. RAS are designed to address specific problems, e.g. to increase power transfer, to provide reactive support, to address generator instability, to limit thermal overloads, etc. Possible remedial actions include generator tripping, load shedding, capacitor and reactor switching, static VAR control, etc. Among various RAS types, generation shedding is the most effective and widely used emergency control means for maintaining system stability. In this dissertation, an optimal power flow (OPF)-based generation-shedding RAS is proposed. This scheme uses online transient stability calculation and generator cost function to determine appropriate remedial actions. For transient stability calculation, SIngle Machine Equivalent (SIME) technique is used, which reduces the multimachine power system model to a One-Machine Infinite Bus (OMIB) equivalent and identifies critical machines. Unlike conventional RAS, which are designed using offline simulations, online stability calculations make the proposed RAS dynamic and adapting to any power system

  16. Static and dynamic stability of pneumatic vibration isolators and systems of isolators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryaboy, Vyacheslav M.

    2014-01-01

    Pneumatic vibration isolation is the most widespread effective method for creating vibration-free environments that are vital for precise experiments and manufacturing operations in optoelectronics, life sciences, microelectronics, nanotechnology and other areas. The modeling and design principles of a dual-chamber pneumatic vibration isolator, basically established a few decades ago, continue to attract attention of researchers. On the other hand, behavior of systems of such isolators was never explained in the literature in sufficient detail. This paper covers a range of questions essential for understanding the mechanics of pneumatic isolation systems from both design and application perspectives. The theory and a model of a single standalone isolator are presented in concise form necessary for subsequent analysis. Then the dynamics of a system of isolators supporting a payload is considered with main attention directed to two aspects of their behavior: first, the static stability of payloads with high positions of the center of gravity; second, dynamic stability of the feedback system formed by mechanical leveling valves. The direct method of calculating the maximum stable position of the center of gravity is presented and illustrated by three-dimensional stability domains; analytic formulas are given that delineate these domains. A numerical method for feedback stability analysis of self-leveling valve systems is given, and the results are compared with the analytical estimates for a single isolator. The relation between the static and dynamic phenomena is discussed.

  17. EFFECT OF SHOULDER SIDE PACK ON DYNAMIC POSTURAL STABILITY IN YOUNG HEALTHY FEMALE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Enas ELsayed Mohamed Abutaleb

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: Control of balance is a complex motor skill that involves integration of sensory inputs and the planning and execution of flexible movement patterns. Carrying side packs is famous in our society especially shoulder side packs. Most students carry shoulder side packs and they don't care about the way to carry them to be more balanced. The purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of carrying shoulder side pack on dynamic postural stability and to determine the best way of carrying a shoulder side pack either on the dominant side or non-dominant side that doesn’t affect dynamic postural stability in young healthy female. Methods: Sixty female volunteers aged from 18 to 25 years old participated in the study. Biodex balance system was used to measure the dynamic postural stability in three different occasions (without carrying a shoulder side pack, with carrying a shoulder side pack on the dominant side, and on the non-dominant side with a rest period in between. Results: Repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA followed by Bonferroni post hoc test were used to compare dynamic posture balance without carrying and during carrying a shoulder side pack on dominant and non-dominant sides. Analysis revealed that overall, anteroposterior and mediolateral stability indexes reduced significantly (P<0.0001 when carrying shoulder side pack on dominant side in comparison with when carrying shoulder side pack on non-dominant side and without carrying bag. Conclusion: It was concluded that carrying a shoulder side pack on the non-dominant side didn't disturb the postural stability when compared to carrying on the dominant side so, we recommend the students to carry shoulder side packs on the non-dominant side.

  18. Origin of Activity and Stability Enhancement for Ag3PO4 Photocatalyst after Calcination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pengyu Dong

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Pristine Ag3PO4 microspheres were synthesized by a co-precipitation method, followed by being calcined at different temperatures to obtain a series of calcined Ag3PO4 photocatalysts. This work aims to investigate the origin of activity and stability enhancement for Ag3PO4 photocatalyst after calcination based on the systematical analyses of the structures, morphologies, chemical states of elements, oxygen defects, optical absorption properties, separation and transfer of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, and active species. The results indicate that oxygen vacancies (VO˙˙ are created and metallic silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs are formed by the reaction of partial Ag+ in Ag3PO4 semiconductor with the thermally excited electrons from Ag3PO4 and then deposited on the surface of Ag3PO4 microspheres during the calcination process. Among the calcined Ag3PO4 samples, the Ag3PO4-200 sample exhibits the best photocatalytic activity and greatly enhanced photocatalytic stability for photodegradation of methylene blue (MB solution under visible light irradiation. Oxygen vacancies play a significantly positive role in the enhancement of photocatalytic activity, while metallic Ag has a very important effect on improving the photocatalytic stability. Overall, the present work provides some powerful evidences and a deep understanding on the origin of activity and stability enhancement for the Ag3PO4 photocatalyst after calcination.

  19. Dynamic stabilization of disruption precursors in tokamak

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maoquan, Wang; Jianshan, Mao; Yuan, Pan [Academia Sinica, Hefei, AH (China). Inst. of Plasma Physics

    1994-12-01

    A method for dynamic stabilization of the disruption precursors in tokamak is proposed, that is a controlled ac current induced and added to the equilibrium current. The ac currents applied can be a sine alternative current with a relevant frequency, or a pulsed current with a suitable pulsed width {tau} and or a discontinuous pulsed current whose width {tau} is very shorter than the intervals between pulses, and or a `sawtooth` pulsed current with the time of ramp phase of the sawtooth is very much shorter than the sawtooth descending time, the ratio of them can be {<=}10{sup -3}. The physical model of the ac current drive is analyzed in detail. The suppression role of the ac current on the MHD perturbations was analyzed in theory and proved numerically. It is indicated that the ac current can make the discontinuous derivative, {Delta}`, more favorable for the tearing mode stabilities, and so, as long as the parameters of the applied ac currents are selected suitably, the MHD perturbations can be suppressed effectively, the perturbations will be in the zero-growing state, the profile of the plasma current and temperature remain in the initial states and not variate basically, the tokamak be in the stabilized operation state. (8 figs.).

  20. Biomechanics of Posterior Dynamic Fusion Systems in the Lumbar Spine: Implications for Stabilization With Improved Arthrodesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Alexander K; Siegfried, Catherine M; Chew, Brandon; Hobbs, Joseph; Sabersky, Abraham; Jho, Diana J; Cook, Daniel J; Bellotte, Jonathan Brad; Whiting, Donald M; Cheng, Boyle C

    2016-08-01

    A comparative biomechanical human cadaveric spine study of a dynamic fusion rod and a traditional titanium rod. The purpose of this study was to measure and compare the biomechanical metrics associated with a dynamic fusion device, Isobar TTL Evolution, and a rigid rod. Dynamic fusion rods may enhance arthrodesis compared with a rigid rod. Wolff's law implies that bone remodeling and growth may be enhanced through anterior column loading (AL). This is important for dynamic fusion rods because their purpose is to increase AL. Six fresh-frozen lumbar cadaveric specimens were used. Each untreated specimen (Intact) underwent biomechanical testing. Next, each specimen had a unilateral transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion performed at L3-L4 using a cage with an integrated load cell. Pedicle screws were also placed at this time. Subsequently, the Isobar was implanted and tested, and finally, a rigid rod replaced the Isobar in the same pedicle screw arrangement. In terms of range of motion, the Isobar performed comparably to the rigid rod and there was no statistical difference found between Isobar and rigid rod. There was a significant difference between the intact and rigid rod and also between intact and Isobar conditions in flexion extension. For interpedicular displacement, there was a significant increase in flexion extension (P=0.017) for the Isobar compared with the rigid rod. Isobar showed increased AL under axial compression compared with the rigid rod (P=0.024). Isobar provided comparable stabilization to a rigid rod when using range of motion as the metric, however, AL was increased because of the greater interpedicular displacement of dynamic rod compared with a rigid rod. By increasing interpedicular displacement and AL, it potentially brings clinical benefit to procedures relying on arthrodesis.

  1. Beam stability ampersand nonlinear dynamics. Formal report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parsa, Z.

    1996-01-01

    This report includes copies of transparencies and notes from the presentations made at the Symposium on Beam Stability and Nonlinear Dynamics, December 3-5, 1996 at the Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara California, that was made available by the authors. Editing, reduction and changes to the authors contributions were made only to fulfill the printing and publication requirements. We would like to take this opportunity and thank the speakers for their informative presentations and for providing copies of their transparencies and notes for inclusion in this Report

  2. Enhancement of stability of various nZVI suspensions used in groundwater remediation with environmentally friendly organic stabilizers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmid, Doris; Wagner, Stephan; Velimirović, Milica; Laumann, Susanne; Micić, Vesna; Hofmann, Thilo

    2014-05-01

    The use of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) particles for in situ remediation of polluted soil and groundwater has been shown as one of the most promising techniques [1]. The success of this technology depends on the mobility, reactivity, and longevity of nZVI particles. The mobility of nZVI particles depends on the properties of the single particles, stability of the particle suspension, and the aquifer material [1,2]. In order to enhance the mobility of nZVI, the mobility-decisive properties of the nZVI particles in suspension such as concentration, size distribution, surface charge, and sedimentation rate have to be investigated and optimized. Previous studies showed that pristine nZVI particles aggregate rapidly in water, reducing the particles radius of influence after injection [3]. In order to prevent aggregation and sedimentation of the nZVI particles, and consequently improve the stability of nZVI suspension and therefore the mobility of the nZVI particles, surface stabilizers can be used to provide electrostatic repulsion and steric or electrosteric stabilization [3,4]. The objective of this lab-scale study is to investigate the potential for enhancing the stability of different nZVI suspensions by means of environmentally friendly organic stabilizers, including carboxymethyl cellulose, pectin, alginate, xanthan, and guar gum. The different nZVI particles used included pristine and polyacrylic acid-coated nZVI particles provided in suspension (Nanofer 25 and Nanofer 25S, respectively, NANOIRON s.r.o., Czech Republic), air-stable nZVI particles (Nanofer Star, (NANOIRON s.r.o., Czech Republic), and milled iron flakes (UVR-FIA, Germany). In order to study the enhancement of nZVI stability (1 g L-1 total iron) different concentrations of organic stabilizers (1-20 wt.%) were applied in these nZVI suspensions. Each nZVI suspension was freshly prepared and treated for 10 minutes with Ultra-Turrax (15 000 rpm) and 10 minutes ultrasonic bath prior to

  3. Big Data-Based Approach to Detect, Locate, and Enhance the Stability of an Unplanned Microgrid Islanding

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jiang, Huaiguang; Li, Yan; Zhang, Yingchen; Zhang, Jun Jason; Gao, David Wenzhong; Muljadi, Eduard; Gu, Yi

    2017-10-01

    In this paper, a big data-based approach is proposed for the security improvement of an unplanned microgrid islanding (UMI). The proposed approach contains two major steps: the first step is big data analysis of wide-area monitoring to detect a UMI and locate it; the second step is particle swarm optimization (PSO)-based stability enhancement for the UMI. First, an optimal synchrophasor measurement device selection (OSMDS) and matching pursuit decomposition (MPD)-based spatial-temporal analysis approach is proposed to significantly reduce the volume of data while keeping appropriate information from the synchrophasor measurements. Second, a random forest-based ensemble learning approach is trained to detect the UMI. When combined with grid topology, the UMI can be located. Then the stability problem of the UMI is formulated as an optimization problem and the PSO is used to find the optimal operational parameters of the UMI. An eigenvalue-based multiobjective function is proposed, which aims to improve the damping and dynamic characteristics of the UMI. Finally, the simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed approach.

  4. Stabilities and Dynamics of Protein Folding Nuclei by Molecular Dynamics Simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Yong-Shun; Zhou, Xin; Zheng, Wei-Mou; Wang, Yan-Ting

    2017-07-01

    To understand how the stabilities of key nuclei fragments affect protein folding dynamics, we simulate by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation in aqueous solution four fragments cut out of a protein G, including one α-helix (seqB: KVFKQYAN), two β-turns (seqA: LNGKTLKG and seqC: YDDATKTF), and one β-strand (seqD: DGEWTYDD). The Markov State Model clustering method combined with the coarse-grained conformation letters method are employed to analyze the data sampled from 2-μs equilibrium MD simulation trajectories. We find that seqA and seqB have more stable structures than their native structures which become metastable when cut out of the protein structure. As expected, seqD alone is flexible and does not have a stable structure. Throughout our simulations, the native structure of seqC is stable but cannot be reached if starting from a structure other than the native one, implying a funnel-shape free energy landscape of seqC in aqueous solution. All the above results suggest that different nuclei have different formation dynamics during protein folding, which may have a major contribution to the hierarchy of protein folding dynamics. Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China under Grant No. 2013CB932804, the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 11421063, and the CAS Biophysics Interdisciplinary Innovation Team Project

  5. Torsional Stiffness Effects on the Dynamic Stability of a Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Blade

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Min-Soo Jeong

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Aeroelastic instability problems have become an increasingly important issue due to the increased use of larger horizontal axis wind turbines. To maintain these large structures in a stable manner, the blade design process should include studies on the dynamic stability of the wind turbine blade. Therefore, fluid-structure interaction analyses of the large-scaled wind turbine blade were performed with a focus on dynamic stability in this study. A finite element method based on the large deflection beam theory is used for structural analysis considering the geometric nonlinearities. For the stability analysis, a proposed aerodynamic approach based on Greenberg’s extension of Theodorsen’s strip theory and blade element momentum method were employed in conjunction with a structural model. The present methods proved to be valid for estimations of the aerodynamic responses and blade behavior compared with numerical results obtained in the previous studies. Additionally, torsional stiffness effects on the dynamic stability of the wind turbine blade were investigated. It is demonstrated that the damping is considerably influenced by variations of the torsional stiffness. Also, in normal operating conditions, the destabilizing phenomena were observed to occur with low torsional stiffness.

  6. Dynamics, stability, and statistics on lattices and networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Livi, Roberto

    2014-01-01

    These lectures aim at surveying some dynamical models that have been widely explored in the recent scientific literature as case studies of complex dynamical evolution, emerging from the spatio-temporal organization of several coupled dynamical variables. The first message is that a suitable mathematical description of such models needs tools and concepts borrowed from the general theory of dynamical systems and from out-of-equilibrium statistical mechanics. The second message is that the overall scenario is definitely reacher than the standard problems in these fields. For instance, systems exhibiting complex unpredictable evolution do not necessarily exhibit deterministic chaotic behavior (i.e., Lyapunov chaos) as it happens for dynamical models made of a few degrees of freedom. In fact, a very large number of spatially organized dynamical variables may yield unpredictable evolution even in the absence of Lyapunov instability. Such a mechanism may emerge from the combination of spatial extension and nonlinearity. Moreover, spatial extension allows one to introduce naturally disorder, or heterogeneity of the interactions as important ingredients for complex evolution. It is worth to point out that the models discussed in these lectures share such features, despite they have been inspired by quite different physical and biological problems. Along these lectures we describe also some of the technical tools employed for the study of such models, e.g., Lyapunov stability analysis, unpredictability indicators for “stable chaos,” hydrodynamic description of transport in low spatial dimension, spectral decomposition of stochastic dynamics on directed networks, etc

  7. Dynamical stability for finite quantum spin chains against a time-periodic inhomogeneous perturbation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kudo, Kazue; Nakamura, Katsuhiro

    2009-01-01

    We investigate dynamical stability of the ground state against a time-periodic and spatially-inhomogeneous magnetic field for finite quantum XXZ spin chains. We use the survival probability as a measure of stability and demonstrate that it decays as P(t) ∝ t -1/2 under a certain condition. The dynamical properties should also be related to the level statistics of the XXZ spin chains with a constant spatially-inhomogeneous magnetic field. The level statistics depends on the anisotropy parameter and the field strength. We show how the survival probability depends on the anisotropy parameter, the strength and frequency of the field.

  8. Eroding market stability by proliferation of financial instruments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caccioli, F.; Marsili, M.; Vivo, P.

    2009-10-01

    We contrast Arbitrage Pricing Theory (APT), the theoretical basis for the development of financial instruments, with a dynamical picture of an interacting market, in a simple setting. The proliferation of financial instruments apparently provides more means for risk diversification, making the market more efficient and complete. In the simple market of interacting traders discussed here, the proliferation of financial instruments erodes systemic stability and it drives the market to a critical state characterized by large susceptibility, strong fluctuations and enhanced correlations among risks. This suggests that the hypothesis of APT may not be compatible with a stable market dynamics. In this perspective, market stability acquires the properties of a common good, which suggests that appropriate measures should be introduced in derivative markets, to preserve stability. in here

  9. Stability of dynamical systems on the role of monotonic and non-monotonic Lyapunov functions

    CERN Document Server

    Michel, Anthony N; Liu, Derong

    2015-01-01

    The second edition of this textbook provides a single source for the analysis of system models represented by continuous-time and discrete-time, finite-dimensional and infinite-dimensional, and continuous and discontinuous dynamical systems.  For these system models, it presents results which comprise the classical Lyapunov stability theory involving monotonic Lyapunov functions, as well as corresponding contemporary stability results involving non-monotonicLyapunov functions.Specific examples from several diverse areas are given to demonstrate the applicability of the developed theory to many important classes of systems, including digital control systems, nonlinear regulator systems, pulse-width-modulated feedback control systems, and artificial neural networks.   The authors cover the following four general topics:   -          Representation and modeling of dynamical systems of the types described above -          Presentation of Lyapunov and Lagrange stability theory for dynamical sy...

  10. Dynamic posterior stabilization for degenerative lumbar spine disease: a large consecutive case series with long-term follow-up by additional postal survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greiner-Perth, R; Sellhast, N; Perler, G; Dietrich, D; Staub, L P; Röder, C

    2016-08-01

    Dynamic stabilization of the degenerated spine was invented to overcome the negative side effects of fusion surgery like adjacent segment degeneration. Amongst various different implants DSS(®) is a pedicle-based dynamic device for stabilizing the spine and preserving motion. Nearly no clinical data of the implant have been reported so far. The current analysis presents results from a single spine surgeon who has been using DSS(®) for the past 5 years and recorded all treatment and outcome data in the international Spine Tango registry. From the prospectively documented overall patient pool 436 cases treated with DSS(®) could be identified. The analysis was enhanced with a mailing of COMI patient questionnaires for generating longer-term follow-ups up to 4 years. 387 patients (189 male, 198 female; mean age 67.3 years) with degenerative lumbar spinal disease including degenerative spondylolisthesis (6.1 %) could be evaluated. The type of degeneration was mainly spinal stenosis (89.9 %). After a mean follow-up of 1.94 years, the COMI score and NRS back and leg pain improved significantly and to a clinically relevant extent. The postoperative trend analysis could not determine a relevant deterioration of these outcomes until 4 years postoperative. 10 patients were revised (2.6 %) and the implant was removed; in most cases, a fusion was performed. Another 5 cases (1.3 %) had an extension of the dynamic stabilization system to the adjacent level. 84.2 % of patients rated that the surgery had helped a lot or had helped. The results of this large consecutive series with a follow-up up to 4 years could demonstrate a good and stable clinical outcome after posterior dynamic stabilization with DSS(®). For degenerative diseases of the lumbar spine, this treatment seems to be a valid alternative to fusion surgery.

  11. Analysis of normal tongue by dynamic enhanced MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ariyoshi, Yasunori; Shimahara, Masashi

    2003-01-01

    We qualitatively evaluated dynamic enhanced MR images of normal tongues of 26 patients without oral malignancy, inflammatory diseases or systemic diseases. The selected slices were not affected by apparent artifacts including motion and susceptibility, and the tongue shape was delineated as symmetrical on coronal images, which were obtained using a T1 weighted spin echo pulse sequence (repetition time/echo time (TR/TE)=200/20). Slices at the incisor and molar levels were evaluated. Structures that could be identified on each pre-contrast image could also be identified on the post-contrast dynamic enhanced image. However, identification of the intrinsic tongue musculature was impossible on the images that were composed of symmetrical, relatively high signal areas surrounded by a low signal area. Both areas were gradually but apparently enhanced. The sublingual space was easily identified at the molar level, as it was rapidly enhanced and symmetrically delineated on each image, however, it was difficult to determine at the incisor level. Further, the lingual septum could also be identified in almost all images at the molar level, and showed no enhancement pattern, whereas, the mucosal surface of the dorsum tongue was rapidly enhanced, and identified on each image. (author)

  12. A unifying energy-based approach to stability of power grids with market dynamics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stegink, Tjerk; De Persis, Claudio; van der Schaft, Arjan

    2017-01-01

    In this paper a unifying energy-based approach is provided to the modeling and stability analysis of power systems coupled with market dynamics. We consider a standard model of the power network with a third-order model for the synchronous generators involving voltage dynamics. By applying the

  13. Evaluation of constraint stabilization procedures for multibody dynamical systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, K. C.; Chiou, J. C.

    1987-01-01

    Comparative numerical studies of four constraint treatment techniques for the simulation of general multibody dynamic systems are presented, and results are presented for the example of a classical crank mechanism and for a simplified version of the seven-link manipulator deployment problem. The staggered stabilization technique (Park, 1986) is found to yield improved accuracy and robustness over Baumgarte's (1972) technique, the singular decomposition technique (Walton and Steeves, 1969), and the penalty technique (Lotstedt, 1979). Furthermore, the staggered stabilization technique offers software modularity, and the only data each solution module needs to exchange with the other is a set of vectors plus a common module to generate the gradient matrix of the constraints, B.

  14. Gd-DTPA-enhanced dynamic MR imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frank, J.A.; Choyke, P.L.; Carvlin, M.; Inscoe, S.; Austin, H.; Dwyer, A.J.; Girton, M.; Black, J.

    1988-01-01

    This paper describes dynamic enhanced renal MR imaging, a new method of identifying specific derangements in renal function. Various diuretics were employed in 45 animal experiments to demonstrate the effects on the normal renal enhancement pattern (EP) after Gd-DTPA. Since different diuretics, osmotic (O), carbonic anhydrase (CA), and loop (L), are active at different sites, specific EP alterations are observed. Imaging was performed with 32 5.1-second sequential gradient recalled acquisition in a steady state images following a bolus of Gd-DTPA

  15. Dynamic stability requirements during gait and standing exergames on the wii fit® system in the elderly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Duclos Cyril

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In rehabilitation, training intensity is usually adapted to optimize the trained system to attain better performance (overload principle. However, in balance rehabilitation, the level of intensity required during training exercises to optimize improvement in balance has rarely been studied, probably due to the difficulty in quantifying the stability level during these exercises. The goal of the present study was to test whether the stabilizing/destabilizing forces model could be used to analyze how stability is challenged during several exergames, that are more and more used in balance rehabilitation, and a dynamic functional task, such as gait. Methods Seven healthy older adults were evaluated with three-dimensional motion analysis during gait at natural and fast speed, and during three balance exergames (50/50 Challenge, Ski Slalom and Soccer. Mean and extreme values for stabilizing force, destabilizing force and the ratio of the two forces (stability index were computed from kinematic and kinetic data to determine the mean and least level of dynamic, postural and overall balance stability, respectively. Results Mean postural stability was lower (lower mean destabilizing force during the 50/50 Challenge game than during all the other tasks, but peak postural instability moments were less challenging during this game than during any of the other tasks, as shown by the minimum destabilizing force values. Dynamic stability was progressively more challenged (higher mean and maximum stabilizing force from the 50/50 Challenge to the Soccer and Slalom games, to the natural gait speed task and to the fast gait speed task, increasing the overall stability difficulty (mean and minimum stability index in the same manner. Conclusions The stabilizing/destabilizing forces model can be used to rate the level of balance requirements during different tasks such as gait or exergames. The results of our study showed that postural stability

  16. Small disturbance voltage stability assessment of power systems by modal analysis and dynamic simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amjady, Nima; Ansari, Mohammad Reza

    2008-01-01

    The introduction of liberalized electricity markets in many countries has resulted in more highly stressed power systems. On the other hand, operating points of a power system are acceptable in the feasible region, which is surrounded by the borders of different stabilities. Power system instability is critical for all participants of the electricity market. Determination of different stability margins can result in the optimum utilization of power system with minimum risk. This paper focuses on the small disturbance voltage stability, which is an important subset of the power system global stability. This kind of voltage stability is usually evaluated by static analysis tools such as continuation power flow, while it essentially has dynamic nature. Besides, a combination of linear and nonlinear analysis tools is required to correctly analyze it. In this paper, a hybrid evaluation method composed of static, dynamic, linear, and nonlinear analysis tools is proposed for this purpose. Effect of load scenario, generation pattern, branch and generator contingency on the small disturbance voltage stability are evaluated by the hybrid method. The test results are given for New England and IEEE68 bus test systems. (author)

  17. A direct comparison of spine rotational stiffness and dynamic spine stability during repetitive lifting tasks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graham, Ryan B; Brown, Stephen H M

    2012-06-01

    Stability of the spinal column is critical to bear loads, allow movement, and at the same time avoid injury and pain. However, there has been a debate in recent years as to how best to define and quantify spine stability, with the outcome being that different methods are used without a clear understanding of how they relate to one another. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to directly compare lumbar spine rotational stiffness, calculated with an EMG-driven biomechanical model, to local dynamic spine stability calculated using Lyapunov analyses of kinematic data, during a series of continuous dynamic lifting challenges. Twelve healthy male subjects performed 30 repetitive lifts under three varying load and three varying rate conditions. With an increase in the load lifted (constant rate) there was a significant increase in mean, maximum, and minimum spine rotational stiffness (pstiffness (pstiffness and a non-significant decrease in local dynamic stability (p>0.05). Weak linear relationships were found for the varying rate conditions (r=-0.02 to -0.27). The results suggest that spine rotational stiffness and local dynamic stability are closely related to one another, as they provided similar information when movement rate was controlled. However, based on the results from the changing lifting rate conditions, it is evident that both models provide unique information and that future research is required to completely understand the relationship between the two models. Using both techniques concurrently may provide the best information regarding the true effects of (in) stability under different loading and movement scenarios, and in comparing healthy and clinical populations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. The Effects of Core Stability Exercise on the Dynamic Balance of Volleyball Players

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hassan Sadeghi

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Dynamic balance is a key component of injury prevention and rehabilitation in sports. Training the core muscles has been hypothesized as an intervention for improving balance. However, there is a lack of current scientific evidence to support this claim. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a core stability program on dynamic balance of volleyball players as measured with the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT. Thirty healthy participants were divided into 2 groups: control and exercise groups. All participants performed the SEBT before and after 8-week exercise time. During the 8-week time, the exercise group performed a core stability program, whereas the control group abstained from any new exercise. These results also illustrated there was significant differences in the scores for pre-test and post-test of all direction according SEBT in the experimental group. An independent sample t-test was conducted to compare experimental and control group (F=43.573, Sig=0.000. These results were a significant difference in the scores for control and experimental groups. Maximum excursion distances improved for the exercise group, compared with the control group. This result justifies the hypothesis that core strengthening can improve dynamic postural control during landing of volleyball players significantly. Keywords: Core stabilization; volleyball player; dynamic balance; SEBT

  19. Dynamic stabilities of icosahedral-like clusters and their ability to form quasicrystals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liang, Xiaogang; Hamid, Ilyar; Duan, Haiming, E-mail: dhm@xju.edu.cn [College of Physics Science and Technology. Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046 (China)

    2016-06-15

    The dynamic stabilities of the icosahedral-like clusters containing up to 2200 atoms are investigated for 15 metal elements. The clusters originate from five different initial structures (icosahedron, truncated decahedron, octahedron, closed-shell fragment of an HCP structure, and non-closed-shell fragment of an HCP structure). The obtained order of the dynamic stabilities of the icosahedral-like clusters can be assigned to three groups, from stronger to weaker, according to the size ranges involved: (Zr, Al, Ti) > (Cu, Fe, Co, Ni, Mg, Ag) > (Pb, Au, Pd, Pt, Rh, Ir), which correspond to the predicted formation ability of the quasicrystals. The differences of the sequences can be explained by analyzing the parameters of the Gupta-type many-body inter-atomic potentials.

  20. Strategy switching in the stabilization of unstable dynamics.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacopo Zenzeri

    Full Text Available In order to understand mechanisms of strategy switching in the stabilization of unstable dynamics, this work investigates how human subjects learn to become skilled users of an underactuated bimanual tool in an unstable environment. The tool, which consists of a mass and two hand-held non-linear springs, is affected by a saddle-like force-field. The non-linearity of the springs allows the users to determine size and orientation of the tool stiffness ellipse, by using different patterns of bimanual coordination: minimal stiffness occurs when the two spring terminals are aligned and stiffness size grows by stretching them apart. Tool parameters were set such that minimal stiffness is insufficient to provide stable equilibrium whereas asymptotic stability can be achieved with sufficient stretching, although at the expense of greater effort. As a consequence, tool users have two possible strategies for stabilizing the mass in different regions of the workspace: 1 high stiffness feedforward strategy, aiming at asymptotic stability and 2 low stiffness positional feedback strategy aiming at bounded stability. The tool was simulated by a bimanual haptic robot with direct torque control of the motors. In a previous study we analyzed the behavior of naïve users and we found that they spontaneously clustered into two groups of approximately equal size. In this study we trained subjects to become expert users of both strategies in a discrete reaching task. Then we tested generalization capabilities and mechanism of strategy-switching by means of stabilization tasks which consist of tracking moving targets in the workspace. The uniqueness of the experimental setup is that it addresses the general problem of strategy-switching in an unstable environment, suggesting that complex behaviors cannot be explained in terms of a global optimization criterion but rather require the ability to switch between different sub-optimal mechanisms.

  1. Effect of Semi-Rigid and Soft Ankle Braces on Static and Dynamic Postural Stability in Young Male Adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Noriaki Maeda, Yukio Urabe, Shogo Tsutsumi, Shuhei Numano, Miho Morita, Takuya Takeuchi, Shou Iwata, Toshiki Kobayashi

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Ankle braces have been suggested to protect ankle joints from a sprain by restricting inversion and improving proprioception. However, the difference in effects between a semi-rigid brace and a soft brace regarding dynamic postural control after landing is not known. The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of soft (SB and semi-rigid (SRB ankle braces on static and dynamic postural stability in healthy young men. Altogether, 21 male adults (mean age 24.0 ± 1.5 years were assessed for one leg while wearing non-brace (NB, SB or SRB. Balance in single-limb stance on a single-force platform with open eyes and closed eyes were assessed for the non-dominant leg under SB, SRB, and NB conditions. Locus length/second (mm/s and the enveloped area (mm·s-2 surrounded by the circumference of the wave pattern during postural sway were calculated. For assessing dynamic postural stability, the participant jumped and landed on one leg on a force platform, and the Dynamic Postural Stability Index (DPSI and the maximum vertical ground reaction force (vGRFmax were measured. The data were compared among the three conditions with repeated-measures analysis of variance. The correlations between locus length/second, enveloped area, DPSI values (DPSI, Anterior-Posterior Stability Index, Medial-Lateral Stability Index, and Vertical Stability Index, and vGRFmax were then calculated. The results indicated that locus length/second and enveloped area with open eyes and closed eyes were not significantly different for each condition. However, a significant lower in the DPSI and Vertical Stability Index were observed with the SRB in comparison to the SB and NB. A significant improvement in vGRFmax was also observed with the SRB in comparison to NB. SRB demonstrated a positive effect on dynamic postural stability after landing on a single leg and may improve balance by increasing dynamic postural stability.

  2. Fluorinated Phosphorene: Electrochemical Synthesis, Atomistic Fluorination, and Enhanced Stability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Xian; Liang, Weiyuan; Zhao, Jinlai; Li, Zhongjun; Qiu, Meng; Fan, Taojian; Luo, Crystal Shaojuan; Zhou, Ye; Li, Yu; Guo, Zhinan; Fan, Dianyuan; Zhang, Han

    2017-12-01

    Phosphorene has attracted great interest due to its unique electronic and optoelectronic properties owing to its tunable direct and moderate band-gap in association with high carrier mobility. However, its intrinsic instability in air seriously hinders its practical applications, and problems of technical complexity and in-process degradation exist in currently proposed stabilization strategies. A facile pathway in obtaining and stabilizing phosphorene through a one-step, ionic liquid-assisted electrochemical exfoliation and synchronous fluorination process is reported in this study. This strategy enables fluorinated phosphorene (FP) to be discovered and large-scale, highly selective few-layer FP (3-6 atomic layers) to be obtained. The synthesized FP is found to exhibit unique morphological and optical characteristics. Possible atomistic fluorination configurations of FP are revealed by core-level binding energy shift calculations in combination with spectroscopic measurements, and the results indicate that electrolyte concentration significantly modulates the fluorination configurations. Furthermore, FP is found to exhibit enhanced air stability thanks to the antioxidation and antihydration effects of the introduced fluorine adatoms, and demonstrate excellent photothermal stability during a week of air exposure. These findings pave the way toward real applications of phosphorene-based nanophotonics. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. The effects of core stabilization exercise on dynamic balance and gait function in stroke patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Eun-Jung; Kim, Jung-Hee; Lee, Byoung-Hee

    2013-07-01

    [Purpose] The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of core stabilization exercise on dynamic balance and gait function in stroke patients. [Subjects] The subjects were 16 stroke patients, who were randomly divided into two groups: a core stabilization exercise group of eight subjects and control group of eight subjects. [Methods] Subjects in both groups received general training five times per week. Subjects in the core stabilization exercise group practiced an additional core stabilization exercise program, which was performed for 30 minutes, three times per week, during a period of four weeks. All subjects were evaluated for dynamic balance (Timed Up and Go test, TUG) and gait parameters (velocity, cadence, step length, and stride length). [Results] Following intervention, the core exercise group showed a significant change in TUG, velocity, and cadence. The only significant difference observed between the core group and control group was in velocity. [Conclusion] The results of this study suggest the feasibility and suitability of core stabilization exercise for stroke patients.

  4. Dynamics and stability of radiation-driven double ablation front structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Drean, V.; Olazabal-Loume, M.; Tikhonchuk, V. T.; Sanz, J.

    2010-01-01

    The dynamics of double ablation front (DAF) structures is studied for planar targets with moderate atomic number ablators. These structures are obtained in hydrodynamic simulations for various materials and laser intensities and are qualitatively characterized during the acceleration stage of the target. The importance of the radiative transport for the DAF dynamics is then demonstrated. Simulated hydrodynamic profiles are compared with a theoretical model, showing the consistency of the model and the relevant parameters for the dynamics description. The stability of DAF structures with respect to two-dimensional perturbations is studied using two different approaches: one considers the assumptions of the theoretical model and the other one a more complete physics. The numerical simulations performed with both approaches demonstrate good agreement of dispersion curves.

  5. Stabilizing ultrasmall Au clusters for enhanced photoredox catalysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weng, Bo; Lu, Kang-Qiang; Tang, Zichao; Chen, Hao Ming; Xu, Yi-Jun

    2018-04-18

    Recently, loading ligand-protected gold (Au) clusters as visible light photosensitizers onto various supports for photoredox catalysis has attracted considerable attention. However, the efficient control of long-term photostability of Au clusters on the metal-support interface remains challenging. Herein, we report a simple and efficient method for enhancing the photostability of glutathione-protected Au clusters (Au GSH clusters) loaded on the surface of SiO 2 sphere by utilizing multifunctional branched poly-ethylenimine (BPEI) as a surface charge modifying, reducing and stabilizing agent. The sequential coating of thickness controlled TiO 2 shells can further significantly improve the photocatalytic efficiency, while such structurally designed core-shell SiO 2 -Au GSH clusters-BPEI@TiO 2 composites maintain high photostability during longtime light illumination conditions. This joint strategy via interfacial modification and composition engineering provides a facile guideline for stabilizing ultrasmall Au clusters and rational design of Au clusters-based composites with improved activity toward targeting applications in photoredox catalysis.

  6. Dynamic optical bistability in resonantly enhanced Raman generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Novikova, I.; Phillips, D.F.; Zibrov, A.S.; Andre, A.; Walsworth, R.L.

    2004-01-01

    We report observations of novel dynamic behavior in resonantly enhanced stimulated Raman scattering in Rb vapor. In particular, we demonstrate a dynamic hysteresis of the Raman scattered optical field in response to changes of the drive laser field intensity and/or frequency. This effect may be described as a dynamic form of optical bistability resulting from the formation and decay of atomic coherence. We have applied this phenomenon to the realization of an all-optical switch

  7. Criteria for stability of linear dynamical systems with multiple delays ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In this study we considered a linear Dynamical system with multiple delays and find suitable conditions on the systems parameters such that for a given initial function, we can define a mapping in a carefully chosen complete metric space on which the mapping has a unique fixed point. An asymptotic stability theory for the ...

  8. Dynamic plate osteosynthesis for fracture stabilization: how to do it

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juerg Sonderegger

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Plate osteosynthesis is one treatment option for the stabilization of long bones. It is widely accepted to achieve bone healing with a dynamic and biological fixation where the perfusion of the bone is left intact and micromotion at the fracture gap is allowed. The indications for a dynamic plate osteosynthesis include distal tibial and femoral fractures, some midshaft fractures, and adolescent tibial and femoral fractures with not fully closed growth plates. Although many lower limb shaft fractures are managed successfully with intramedullary nails, there are some important advantages of open-reduction-and-plate fixation: the risk of malalignment, anterior knee pain, or nonunion seems to be lower. The surgeon performing a plate osteosynthesis has the possibility to influence fixation strength and micromotion at the fracture gap. Long plates and oblique screws at the plate ends increase fixation strength. However, the number of screws does influence stiffness and stability. Lag screws and screws close to the fracture site reduce micromotion dramatically. Dynamic plate osteosynthesis can be achieved by applying some simple rules: long plates with only a few screws should be used. Oblique screws at the plate ends increase the pullout strength. Two or three holes at the fracture site should be omitted. Lag screws, especially through the plate, must be avoided whenever possible. Compression is not required. Locking plates are recommended only in fractures close to the joint. When respecting these basic concepts, dynamic plate osteosynthesis is a safe procedure with a high healing and a low complication rate. 

  9. Electricity Market Stochastic Dynamic Model and Its Mean Stability Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhanhui Lu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Based on the deterministic dynamic model of electricity market proposed by Alvarado, a stochastic electricity market model, considering the random nature of demand sides, is presented in this paper on the assumption that generator cost function and consumer utility function are quadratic functions. The stochastic electricity market model is a generalization of the deterministic dynamic model. Using the theory of stochastic differential equations, stochastic process theory, and eigenvalue techniques, the determining conditions of the mean stability for this electricity market model under small Gauss type random excitation are provided and testified theoretically. That is, if the demand elasticity of suppliers is nonnegative and the demand elasticity of consumers is negative, then the stochastic electricity market model is mean stable. It implies that the stability can be judged directly by initial data without any computation. Taking deterministic electricity market data combined with small Gauss type random excitation as numerical samples to interpret random phenomena from a statistical perspective, the results indicate the conclusions above are correct, valid, and practical.

  10. Skipping Posterior Dynamic Transpedicular Stabilization for Distant Segment Degenerative Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bilgehan Solmaz

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To date, there is still no consensus on the treatment of spinal degenerative disease. Current surgical techniques to manage painful spinal disorders are imperfect. In this paper, we aimed to evaluate the prospective results of posterior transpedicular dynamic stabilization, a novel surgical approach that skips the segments that do not produce pain. This technique has been proven biomechanically and radiologically in spinal degenerative diseases. Methods. A prospective study of 18 patients averaging 54.94 years of age with distant spinal segment degenerative disease. Indications consisted of degenerative disc disease (57%, herniated nucleus pulposus (50%, spinal stenosis (14.28%, degenerative spondylolisthesis (14.28%, and foraminal stenosis (7.1%. The Oswestry Low-Back Pain Disability Questionnaire and visual analog scale (VAS for pain were recorded preoperatively and at the third and twelfth postoperative months. Results. Both the Oswestry and VAS scores showed significant improvement postoperatively (P<0.05. We observed complications in one patient who had spinal epidural hematoma. Conclusion. We recommend skipping posterior transpedicular dynamic stabilization for surgical treatment of distant segment spinal degenerative disease.

  11. Nonlinear dynamics of human locomotion: effects of rhythmic auditory cueing on local dynamic stability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Philippe eTerrier

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available It has been observed that times series of gait parameters (stride length (SL, stride time (ST and stride speed (SS, exhibit long-term persistence and fractal-like properties. Synchronizing steps with rhythmic auditory stimuli modifies the persistent fluctuation pattern to anti-persistence. Another nonlinear method estimates the degree of resilience of gait control to small perturbations, i.e. the local dynamic stability (LDS. The method makes use of the maximal Lyapunov exponent, which estimates how fast a nonlinear system embedded in a reconstructed state space (attractor diverges after an infinitesimal perturbation. We propose to use an instrumented treadmill to simultaneously measure basic gait parameters (time series of SL, ST and SS from which the statistical persistence among consecutive strides can be assessed, and the trajectory of the center of pressure (from which the LDS can be estimated. In 20 healthy participants, the response to rhythmic auditory cueing (RAC of LDS and of statistical persistence (assessed with detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA was compared. By analyzing the divergence curves, we observed that long-term LDS (computed as the reverse of the average logarithmic rate of divergence between the 4th and the 10th strides downstream from nearest neighbors in the reconstructed attractor was strongly enhanced (relative change +47%. That is likely the indication of a more dampened dynamics. The change in short-term LDS (divergence over one step was smaller (+3%. DFA results (scaling exponents confirmed an anti-persistent pattern in ST, SL and SS. Long-term LDS (but not short-term LDS and scaling exponents exhibited a significant correlation between them (r=0.7. Both phenomena probably result from the more conscious/voluntary gait control that is required by RAC. We suggest that LDS and statistical persistence should be used to evaluate the efficiency of cueing therapy in patients with neurological gait disorders.

  12. A heterogenous Cournot duopoly with delay dynamics: Hopf bifurcations and stability switching curves

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pecora, Nicolò; Sodini, Mauro

    2018-05-01

    This article considers a Cournot duopoly model in a continuous-time framework and analyze its dynamic behavior when the competitors are heterogeneous in determining their output decision. Specifically the model is expressed in the form of differential equations with discrete delays. The stability conditions of the unique Nash equilibrium of the system are determined and the emergence of Hopf bifurcations is shown. Applying some recent mathematical techniques (stability switching curves) and performing numerical simulations, the paper confirms how different time delays affect the stability of the economy.

  13. FINANCIAL STABILITY OF SMALL BUSINESS: THE ESTIMATION AND DYNAMICS OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A.U. Makarova

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available In clause the problem of an estimation of financial stability of the enterprises of small business is considered. It is offered to use traditional indicators of an estimation of the financial stability, describing it in the short-term period, and such indicators as equation of monetary streams, qualitative risk-management, a level äèâåðñèôèêàöèè business and competitive position of the company for an estimation of stability in the long-term period. On the basis of data of statistical supervision over small enterprises the estimation of dynamics of results of financial activity and financial stability of small enterprises of Sverdlovsk area is lead to 2001 – 2005 is drawn a conclusion about low parameters of solvency and financial stability of small enterprises of region in comparison with normative parameters and data on the large and average enterprises. The measures directed on increase of financial stability of the enterprises of small business are offered.

  14. Characterization of Enhancing MS Lesions by Dynamic Texture Parameter Analysis of Dynamic Susceptibility Perfusion Imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rajeev K. Verma

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate statistical differences with MR perfusion imaging features that reflect the dynamics of Gadolinium-uptake in MS lesions using dynamic texture parameter analysis (DTPA. Methods. We investigated 51 MS lesions (25 enhancing, 26 nonenhancing lesions of 12 patients. Enhancing lesions (n=25 were prestratified into enhancing lesions with increased permeability (EL+; n=11 and enhancing lesions with subtle permeability (EL−; n=14. Histogram-based feature maps were computed from the raw DSC-image time series and the corresponding texture parameters were analyzed during the inflow, outflow, and reperfusion time intervals. Results. Significant differences (p<0.05 were found between EL+ and EL− and between EL+ and nonenhancing inactive lesions (NEL. Main effects between EL+ versus EL− and EL+ versus NEL were observed during reperfusion (mainly in mean and standard deviation (SD: EL+ versus EL− and EL+ versus NEL, while EL− and NEL differed only in their SD during outflow. Conclusion. DTPA allows grading enhancing MS lesions according to their perfusion characteristics. Texture parameters of EL− were similar to NEL, while EL+ differed significantly from EL− and NEL. Dynamic texture analysis may thus be further investigated as noninvasive endogenous marker of lesion formation and restoration.

  15. Stochastic Dynamics Underlying Cognitive Stability and Flexibility.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kai Ueltzhöffer

    2015-06-01

    updating and dopaminergic modulation of cognitive flexibility. These results show that stochastic dynamical systems can implement the basic computations underlying cognitive stability and flexibility and explain neurobiological bases of individual differences.

  16. Dynamics and stability of light-like tachyon condensation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barnaby, Neil; Robinson, Patrick; Mulryne, David J.; Nunes, Nelson J.

    2009-01-01

    Recently, Hellerman and Schnabl considered the dynamics of unstable D-branes in the background of a linear dilaton. Remarkably, they were able to construct light-like tachyon solutions which interpolate smoothly between the perturbative and nonperturbative vacua, without undergoing the wild oscillations that plague time-like solutions. In their analysis, however, the full structure of the initial value problem for the nonlocal dynamical equations was not considered. In this paper, therefore, we reexamine the nonlinear dynamics of light-like tachyon condensation using a combination of numerical and analytical techniques. We find that for the p-adic string the monotonic behaviour obtained previously relied on a special choice of initial conditions near the unstable maximum. For generic initial conditions the wild oscillations come back to haunt us. Interestingly, we find an 'island of stability' in initial condition space that leads to sensible evolution at late times. For the string field theory case, on the other hand, we find that the evolution is completely stable for generic choices of initial data. This provides an explicit example of a string theoretic system that admits infinitely many initial data but is nevertheless nonperturbatively stable. Qualitatively similar dynamics are obtained in nonlocal cosmologies where the Hubble damping plays a role very analogous to the dilaton gradient.

  17. Dynamics and stability of light-like tachyon condensation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnaby, Neil; Mulryne, David J.; Nunes, Nelson J.; Robinson, Patrick

    2009-03-01

    Recently, Hellerman and Schnabl considered the dynamics of unstable D-branes in the background of a linear dilaton. Remarkably, they were able to construct light-like tachyon solutions which interpolate smoothly between the perturbative and nonperturbative vacua, without undergoing the wild oscillations that plague time-like solutions. In their analysis, however, the full structure of the initial value problem for the nonlocal dynamical equations was not considered. In this paper, therefore, we reexamine the nonlinear dynamics of light-like tachyon condensation using a combination of numerical and analytical techniques. We find that for the p-adic string the monotonic behaviour obtained previously relied on a special choice of initial conditions near the unstable maximum. For generic initial conditions the wild oscillations come back to haunt us. Interestingly, we find an ``island of stability'' in initial condition space that leads to sensible evolution at late times. For the string field theory case, on the other hand, we find that the evolution is completely stable for generic choices of initial data. This provides an explicit example of a string theoretic system that admits infinitely many initial data but is nevertheless nonperturbatively stable. Qualitatively similar dynamics are obtained in nonlocal cosmologies where the Hubble damping plays a role very analogous to the dilaton gradient.

  18. Classical linear-control analysis applied to business-cycle dynamics and stability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wingrove, R. C.

    1983-01-01

    Linear control analysis is applied as an aid in understanding the fluctuations of business cycles in the past, and to examine monetary policies that might improve stabilization. The analysis shows how different policies change the frequency and damping of the economic system dynamics, and how they modify the amplitude of the fluctuations that are caused by random disturbances. Examples are used to show how policy feedbacks and policy lags can be incorporated, and how different monetary strategies for stabilization can be analytically compared. Representative numerical results are used to illustrate the main points.

  19. THE WAYS AND METHODS OF MAINTENANCE OF ECONOMIC STABILITY OF BUILDING ENTERPRISE BY CAUSE OF DYNAMIC MODEL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A.M. Platonov

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available It is considered in work what exactly is main base for construction of dynamic model of stability of the building enterprise. There are submitted normative requirements which provide economic stability and also normative parities of dynamics of the parameters that correspond to these requirements. The technique of providing of economic stability is submitted on examples of two building enterprises of Ekaterinburg in view of results of their work in years of 2005-2006. There are determined the ways of providing of economic stability on the results of the carried out calculation. There are also revealed reserves of the enterprises for growth of efficiency of their activity.

  20. Dynamic exercise enhances regional cerebral artery mean flow velocity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Linkis, P; Jørgensen, L G; Olesen, H L

    1995-01-01

    Dynamic exercise enhances regional cerebral artery mean flow velocity. J. Appl. Physiol. 78(1): 12-16, 1995.--Anterior (ACA) and middle (MCA) cerebral artery mean flow velocities (Vmean) and pulsatility indexes were determined using transcranial Doppler in 14 subjects during dynamic exercise afte...

  1. The roles of amensalistic and commensalistic interactions in large ecological network stability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mougi, Akihiko

    2016-07-13

    Ecological communities comprise diverse species and their interactions. Notably, ecological and evolutionary studies have revealed that reciprocal interactions such as predator-prey, competition, and mutualism, are key drivers of community dynamics. However, there is an argument that many species interactions are asymmetric, where one species unilaterally affects another species (amensalism or commensalism). This raises the unanswered question of what is the role of unilateral interactions in community dynamics. Here I use a theoretical approach to demonstrate that unilateral interactions greatly enhance community stability. The results suggested that amensalism and commensalism were more stabilizing than symmetrical interactions, such as competition and mutualism, but they were less stabilizing than an asymmetric antagonistic interaction. A mix of unilateral interactions increased stability. Furthermore, in communities with all interaction types, unilateral interactions tended to increase stability. This study suggests that unilateral interactions play a major role in maintaining communities, underlining the need to further investigate their roles in ecosystem dynamics.

  2. Both solubility and chemical stability of curcumin are enhanced by solid dispersion in cellulose derivative matrices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Bin; Konecke, Stephanie; Wegiel, Lindsay A; Taylor, Lynne S; Edgar, Kevin J

    2013-10-15

    Amorphous solid dispersions (ASD) of curcumin (Cur) in cellulose derivative matrices, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS), carboxymethylcellulose acetate butyrate (CMCAB), and cellulose acetate adipate propionate (CAAdP) were prepared in order to investigate the structure-property relationship and identify polymer properties necessary to effectively increase Cur aqueous solution concentration. XRD results indicated that all investigated solid dispersions were amorphous, even at a 9:1 Cur:polymer ratio. Both stability against crystallization and Cur solution concentration from these ASDs were significantly higher than those from physical mixtures and crystalline Cur. Remarkably, curcumin was also stabilized against chemical degradation in solution. Chemical stabilization was polymer-dependent, with stabilization in CAAdP>CMCAB>HPMCAS>PVP, while matrices enhanced solution concentration as PVP>HPMCAS>CMCAB≈CAAdP. HPMCAS/Cur dispersions have useful combinations of pH-triggered release profile, chemical stabilization, and strong enhancement of Cur solution concentration. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Dynamical investigation and parameter stability region analysis of a flywheel energy storage system in charging mode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Wei-Ya; Li Yong-Li; Chang Xiao-Yong; Wang Nan

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, the dynamic behavior analysis of the electromechanical coupling characteristics of a flywheel energy storage system (FESS) with a permanent magnet (PM) brushless direct-current (DC) motor (BLDCM) is studied. The Hopf bifurcation theory and nonlinear methods are used to investigate the generation process and mechanism of the coupled dynamic behavior for the average current controlled FESS in the charging mode. First, the universal nonlinear dynamic model of the FESS based on the BLDCM is derived. Then, for a 0.01 kWh/1.6 kW FESS platform in the Key Laboratory of the Smart Grid at Tianjin University, the phase trajectory of the FESS from a stable state towards chaos is presented using numerical and stroboscopic methods, and all dynamic behaviors of the system in this process are captured. The characteristics of the low-frequency oscillation and the mechanism of the Hopf bifurcation are investigated based on the Routh stability criterion and nonlinear dynamic theory. It is shown that the Hopf bifurcation is directly due to the loss of control over the inductor current, which is caused by the system control parameters exceeding certain ranges. This coupling nonlinear process of the FESS affects the stability of the motor running and the efficiency of energy transfer. In this paper, we investigate into the effects of control parameter change on the stability and the stability regions of these parameters based on the averaged-model approach. Furthermore, the effect of the quantization error in the digital control system is considered to modify the stability regions of the control parameters. Finally, these theoretical results are verified through platform experiments. (interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

  4. BWR stability using a reduced dynamical model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ballestrin Bolea, J.M.; Blazquez, J.B.

    1990-01-01

    BWR stability can be treated with reduced order dynamical models. When the parameters of the model came from experimental data, the predictions are accurate. In this work an alternative derivation for the void fraction equation is made, but remarking the physical struct-ure of the parameters. As the poles of power/reactivity transfer function are related with the parameters, the measurement of the poles by other techniques such as noise analysis will lead to the parameters, but the system of equations in non-linear. Simple parametric calculat-ion of decay ratio are performed, showing why BWRs become unstable when they are operated at low flow and high power. (Author). 7 refs

  5. Stability and nonlinear dynamics of gyrotrons at cyclotron harmonics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saraph, G.P.; Nusinovich, G.S.; Antonsen, T.M. Jr.; Levush, B.

    1992-01-01

    Gyrotrons operating at higher harmonics of the cyclotron frequency can overcome the frequency limitations caused by achievable strength of the magnetic field. However, the excitation of modes at the fundamental frequency exhibit a major problem for stable operation of harmonic gyrotron at high power with high efficiency. Therefore the issues of stability of gyrotron operation at the cyclotron harmonics and nonlinear dynamics of mode interaction are of great importance. The results of the authors stability analysis and multimode simulation are presented here. A detailed nonlinear theory of steady state single mode operation at cyclotron harmonics has been presented previously, taking into account beam-wave coupling and nonlinear gain function at cyclotron harmonics. A set of equations describing low gain regime interaction of modes resonant at different cyclotron harmonics was studied before. The multifrequency time-dependent nonlinear analysis presented here is based on previous gyrotron studies and beam-wave interaction at cyclotron harmonics. The authors have determined the parameter space for stable single mode operation at the second harmonic. The nonlinear dynamics of mode evolution and mode interaction for a harmonic gyrotron is presented. A new nonlinear effect in which the parasite at the fundamental harmonic helps excite the operating mode at the second harmonic has been demonstrated

  6. Breast dynamic contrast enhanced MRI: fibrocystic changes presenting as a non-mass enhancement mimicking malignancy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milosevic Zorica C.

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available We aimed to analyse the morphokinetic features of breast fibrocystic changes (nonproliferative lesions, proliferative lesions without atypia and proliferative lesions with atypia presenting as a non-mass enhancement (NMEin dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI examination.

  7. Polycystic ovary syndrome: dynamic contrast-enhanced ovary MR imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Erdem, C. Zuhal E-mail: sunarerdem@yahoo.com; Bayar, Ulku; Erdem, L. Oktay; Barut, Aykut; Gundogdu, Sadi; Kaya, Erdal

    2004-07-01

    Objective: to determine the enhancement behaviour of the ovaries in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) by dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (DCE-MR) imaging and to compare these data with those of normal ovulating controls. Method: 24 women with PCOS and 12 controls underwent DCE-MR imaging. Dynamic images were acquired before and after injection of a contrast bolus at 30 s and the min of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. On postprocessing examination: (i) the ovarian volumes; (ii) the signal intensity value of each ovary per dynamic study; (iii) early-phase enhancement rate; (iv) time to peak enhancement (T{sub p}); and (v) percentage of washout of 5th min were determined. Data of the ovaries of the women with PCOS and controls were compared with Mann-Whitney U-test. Results: the mean values of T{sub p} were found to be significantly lower in women with PCOS than in controls (p<0.05). On the other hand, the mean values of ovarian volume, the early-phase enhancement rate, and percentage of washout of 5th min of ovaries were significantly higher in PCOS patients (p<0.05). Examination of the mean signal intensity-time curve revealed the ovaries in women with PCOS showed a faster and greater enhancement and wash-out. Conclusion: the enhancement behaviour of ovaries of women with PCOS may be significantly different from those of control subjects on DCE-MR imaging examination. In our experience, it is a valuable modality to highlight the vascularization changes in ovarian stroma with PCOS. We believe that improved DCE-MR imaging techniques may also provide us additional parameters in the diagnosis and treatment strategies of PCOS.

  8. Polycystic ovary syndrome: dynamic contrast-enhanced ovary MR imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Erdem, C. Zuhal; Bayar, Ulku; Erdem, L. Oktay; Barut, Aykut; Gundogdu, Sadi; Kaya, Erdal

    2004-01-01

    Objective: to determine the enhancement behaviour of the ovaries in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) by dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (DCE-MR) imaging and to compare these data with those of normal ovulating controls. Method: 24 women with PCOS and 12 controls underwent DCE-MR imaging. Dynamic images were acquired before and after injection of a contrast bolus at 30 s and the min of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. On postprocessing examination: (i) the ovarian volumes; (ii) the signal intensity value of each ovary per dynamic study; (iii) early-phase enhancement rate; (iv) time to peak enhancement (T p ); and (v) percentage of washout of 5th min were determined. Data of the ovaries of the women with PCOS and controls were compared with Mann-Whitney U-test. Results: the mean values of T p were found to be significantly lower in women with PCOS than in controls (p<0.05). On the other hand, the mean values of ovarian volume, the early-phase enhancement rate, and percentage of washout of 5th min of ovaries were significantly higher in PCOS patients (p<0.05). Examination of the mean signal intensity-time curve revealed the ovaries in women with PCOS showed a faster and greater enhancement and wash-out. Conclusion: the enhancement behaviour of ovaries of women with PCOS may be significantly different from those of control subjects on DCE-MR imaging examination. In our experience, it is a valuable modality to highlight the vascularization changes in ovarian stroma with PCOS. We believe that improved DCE-MR imaging techniques may also provide us additional parameters in the diagnosis and treatment strategies of PCOS

  9. Dynamic contrast-enhanced subtraction MR angiography in intracranial vascular abnormalities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takano, K.; Ono, H.; Utsunomiya, H.; Okazaki, M.; Tanaka, A.

    1999-01-01

    We present our clinical experience with dynamic contrast-enhanced MR angiography (MRA) with subtraction for assessing intracranial vascular abnormalities. Ten patients with various cerebrovascular disorders underwent dynamic contrast-enhanced MRA on a 1.0-T system. Thirty sections (2 mm) were acquired in 29-30 s. Maximum intensity projection images and subtracted source images were compared with those obtained by conventional angiography. In all cases, the presence or absence of abnormalities in the targeted vessels, as well as the morphology of the sagittal sinuses, was clearly visualized as in conventional angiography, without any obstructions such as hyperintense hematomas or thrombi, or intraluminal turbulence. Although the temporal and spatial resolutions with current hardware are insufficient, these preliminary results suggest that dynamic contrast-enhanced MRA with subtraction may be useful for assessing vascular lesions with hemorrhage or thrombus, and the dural sinuses. (orig.)

  10. Enhancing Activity and Stability of Uricase from Lactobacillus plantarum by Zeolite immobilization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iswantini, D.; Nurhidayat, N.; Sarah

    2017-03-01

    Lactobacillus plantarum has been known be able to produce uricase for uric acid biosensor. Durability and stability of L. plantarum in generating uricase enzyme was low. Hence, we tried to enhance its durability and stability by immobilizing it onto activated 250 mg zeolite at room temperature using 100 μL L.plantarum suspension and 2.87 mM uric acid, while Michaelis-Menten constant (KM) and Vmax were obtained at 6.7431 mM and 0.9171 µA consecutively, and the linearity range was 0.1-3.3 mM (R2 = 0.9667). Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) value of the measurement were 0.4827 mM and 1.6092 mM respectively. Biosensor stability treatment was carried out in two different treatments, using the same electrode and using disposable electrode. The disposable electrode stability showed better result based on repeated measurements, but stability was still need improvement.

  11. Enhancement pattern of small hepatic hemangioma: findings on multiphase spiral CT and dynamic MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Byung In; Lee, Seung Koo; Kim, Myeong Jin; Chung, Jae Joon; Yoo, Hyung Sik; Lee, Jong Tae

    1999-01-01

    To compare the enhancement characteristics of small hemangiomas seen on multiphase spiral CT and dynamic MR imaging. Thirteen patients with 20 hepatic hemangiomas less than 25mm in diameter underwent both multiphase spiral CT and dynamic MR imaging. All lesions were assigned to one of three classified into 3 categories according to the enhancement pattern seen on multiphase spiral CT : typical delayed pooling, atypical early enhancement, or continuous low attenuation. The enhancement patterns seen on spiral CT and on dynamic MRI were correlated. On CT scans, ten lesions (50%) showed delayed pooling. Six (30%) showed early arterial enhancement and four (20%) showed continuous low attenuation. On delayed-phase MRI, all lesions showed delayed high signal intensity compared to adjacent liver parenchyma. Four of six lesions with early enhancement on CT showed peripheral globular enhancement on early arterial-phase MRI. On multiphase spiral CT scans, small hemangiomas can show variable atypical enhancement features. In this situation, contrast-enhanced dynamic MRI is helpful for the diagnosis of hemangiomas

  12. Local stability of galactic discs in modified dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shenavar, Hossein; Ghafourian, Neda

    2018-04-01

    The local stability of stellar and fluid discs, under a new modified dynamical model, is surveyed by using WKB approximation. The exact form of the modified Toomre criterion is derived for both types of systems and it is shown that the new model is, in all situations, more locally stable than Newtonian model. In addition, it has been proved that the central surface density of the galaxies plays an important role in the local stability in the sense that low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies are more stable than high surface brightness (HSBs). Furthermore, the growth rate in the new model is found to be lower than the Newtonian one. We found that, according to this model, the local instability is related to the ratio of surface density of the disc to a critical surface density Σcrit. We provide observational evidence to support this result based on star formation rate in HSBs and LSBs.

  13. Dynamic Response and Simulations of Nanoparticle-Enhanced Composites

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Mantena, P. R; Al-Ostaz, Ahmed; Cheng, Alexander H

    2007-01-01

    ...) molecular dynamics simulations of nanoparticle-enhanced composites and fly- ash based foams that are being considered for the future generation naval structures or retrofitting of existing ones...

  14. Enhancement tuning and control for high dynamic range images in multi-scale locally adaptive contrast enhancement algorithms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cvetkovic, Sascha D.; Schirris, Johan; de With, Peter H. N.

    2009-01-01

    For real-time imaging in surveillance applications, visibility of details is of primary importance to ensure customer confidence. If we display High Dynamic-Range (HDR) scenes whose contrast spans four or more orders of magnitude on a conventional monitor without additional processing, results are unacceptable. Compression of the dynamic range is therefore a compulsory part of any high-end video processing chain because standard monitors are inherently Low- Dynamic Range (LDR) devices with maximally two orders of display dynamic range. In real-time camera processing, many complex scenes are improved with local contrast enhancements, bringing details to the best possible visibility. In this paper, we show how a multi-scale high-frequency enhancement scheme, in which gain is a non-linear function of the detail energy, can be used for the dynamic range compression of HDR real-time video camera signals. We also show the connection of our enhancement scheme to the processing way of the Human Visual System (HVS). Our algorithm simultaneously controls perceived sharpness, ringing ("halo") artifacts (contrast) and noise, resulting in a good balance between visibility of details and non-disturbance of artifacts. The overall quality enhancement, suitable for both HDR and LDR scenes, is based on a careful selection of the filter types for the multi-band decomposition and a detailed analysis of the signal per frequency band.

  15. Experimental study on dynamic stabilization of the MHD instability in pinch plasmas surrounded by a conducting shell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamamoto, Shunji; Ishii, Shozo; Kawamoto, Shigeshi; Hayashi, Izumi

    1981-01-01

    Experimental study on the dynamic stabilization of MHD instability with a pinch plasma generator was done, and the results were compared with the theoretical works. The previous results of theoretical analysis showed that a conducting shell worked effectively for the dynamic stabilization of MHD instability. The present experiment was carried out with a linear plasma generator which consisted of a discharge tube, a coil and a conducting shell. The macroscopic behavior of plasma was observed with an image converter camera, and the phenomena due to the instability was measured by a magnetic probe. A sine-cosine coil was employed for the observation of the growth of instability. The following results were obtained. When the frequency of RF current for dynamic stabilization was larger than the growth rate of instability, the experimental results were in agreement with the theoretical ones. The effect of a conducting shell was clearly seen. For the helical instability of short wave length, the dynamic stabilization was easily obtained even without a conducting shell. The self-reversal phenomena due to the helical instability of short wave length was suppressed by the RF current along the axis of a discharge tube. (Kato, T.)

  16. Hybrid dynamic stabilization: a biomechanical assessment of adjacent and supraadjacent levels of the lumbar spine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mageswaran, Prasath; Techy, Fernando; Colbrunn, Robb W; Bonner, Tara F; McLain, Robert F

    2012-09-01

    The object of this study was to evaluate the effect of hybrid dynamic stabilization on adjacent levels of the lumbar spine. Seven human spine specimens from T-12 to the sacrum were used. The following conditions were implemented: 1) intact spine; 2) fusion of L4-5 with bilateral pedicle screws and titanium rods; and 3) supplementation of the L4-5 fusion with pedicle screw dynamic stabilization constructs at L3-4, with the purpose of protecting the L3-4 level from excessive range of motion (ROM) and to create a smoother motion transition to the rest of the lumbar spine. An industrial robot was used to apply continuous pure moment (± 2 Nm) in flexion-extension with and without a follower load, lateral bending, and axial rotation. Intersegmental rotations of the fused, dynamically stabilized, and adjacent levels were measured and compared. In flexion-extension only, the rigid instrumentation at L4-5 caused a 78% decrease in the segment's ROM when compared with the intact specimen. To compensate, it caused an increase in motion at adjacent levels L1-2 (45.6%) and L2-3 (23.2%) only. The placement of the dynamic construct at L3-4 decreased the operated level's ROM by 80.4% (similar stability as the fusion at L4-5), when compared with the intact specimen, and caused a significant increase in motion at all tested adjacent levels. In flexion-extension with a follower load, instrumentation at L4-5 affected only a subadjacent level, L5-sacrum (52.0%), while causing a reduction in motion at the operated level (L4-5, -76.4%). The dynamic construct caused a significant increase in motion at the adjacent levels T12-L1 (44.9%), L1-2 (57.3%), and L5-sacrum (83.9%), while motion at the operated level (L3-4) was reduced by 76.7%. In lateral bending, instrumentation at L4-5 increased motion at only T12-L1 (22.8%). The dynamic construct at L3-4 caused an increase in motion at T12-L1 (69.9%), L1-2 (59.4%), L2-3 (44.7%), and L5-sacrum (43.7%). In axial rotation, only the placement of

  17. Enhanced Stability of Inactivated Influenza Vaccine Encapsulated in Dissolving Microneedle Patches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chu, Leonard Y; Ye, Ling; Dong, Ke; Compans, Richard W; Yang, Chinglai; Prausnitz, Mark R

    2016-04-01

    This study tested the hypothesis that encapsulation of influenza vaccine in microneedle patches increases vaccine stability during storage at elevated temperature. Whole inactivated influenza virus vaccine (A/Puerto Rico/8/34) was formulated into dissolving microneedle patches and vaccine stability was evaluated by in vitro and in vivo assays of antigenicity and immunogenicity after storage for up to 3 months at 4, 25, 37 and 45°C. While liquid vaccine completely lost potency as determined by hemagglutination (HA) activity within 1-2 weeks outside of refrigeration, vaccine in microneedle patches lost 40-50% HA activity during or shortly after fabrication, but then had no significant additional loss of activity over 3 months of storage, independent of temperature. This level of stability required reduced humidity by packaging with desiccant, but was not affected by presence of oxygen. This finding was consistent with additional stability assays, including antigenicity of the vaccine measured by ELISA, virus particle morphological structure captured by transmission electron microscopy and protective immune responses by immunization of mice in vivo. These data show that inactivated influenza vaccine encapsulated in dissolving microneedle patches has enhanced stability during extended storage at elevated temperatures.

  18. Cross-linkable liposomes stabilize a magnetic resonance contrast-enhancing polymeric fastener.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Cartney E; Kong, Hyunjoon

    2014-04-08

    Liposomes are commonly used to deliver drugs and contrast agents to their target site in a controlled manner. One of the greatest obstacles in the performance of such delivery vehicles is their stability in the presence of serum. Here, we demonstrate a method to stabilize a class of liposomes that load gadolinium, a magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agent, as a model cargo on their surfaces. We hypothesized that the sequential adsorption of a gadolinium-binding chitosan fastener on the liposome surface followed by covalent cross-linking of the lipid bilayer would provide enhanced stability and improved MR signal in the presence of human serum. To investigate this hypothesis, liposomes composed of diyne-containing lipids were assembled and functionalized via chitosan conjugated with a hydrophobic anchor and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA). This postadsorption cross-linking strategy served to stabilize the thermodynamically favorable association between liposome and polymeric fastener. Furthermore, the chitosan-coated, cross-linked liposomes proved more effective as delivery vehicles of gadolinium than uncross-linked liposomes due to the reduced liposome degradation and chitosan desorption. Overall, this study demonstrates a useful method to stabilize a broad class of particles used for systemic delivery of various molecular payloads.

  19. Numerical Exploration of Kaldorian Macrodynamics: Enhanced Stability and Predominance of Period Doubling and Chaos with Flexible Exchange Rates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Toichiro Asada

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available We explore a discrete Kaldorian macrodynamic model of an open economy with flexible exchange rates, focusing on the effects of variation of the model parameters, the speed of adjustment of the goods market α, and the degree of capital mobility β. We determine by a numerical grid search method the stability region in parameter space and find that flexible rates cause enhanced stability of equilibrium with respect to variations of the parameters. We identify the Hopf-Neimark bifurcation curve and the flip bifurcation curve, and find that the period doubling cascades which leads to chaos is the dominant behavior of the system outside the stability region, persisting to large values of β. Cyclical behavior of noticeable presence is detected for some extreme values of a state parameter. Bifurcation and Lyapunov exponent diagrams are computed illustrating the complex dynamics involved. Examples of attractors and trajectories are presented. The effect of the speed of adaptation of the expected rate is also briefly discussed. Finally, we explore a special model variation incorporating the “wealth effect” which is found to behave similarly to the basic model, contrary to the model of fixed exchange rates in which incorporation of this effect causes an entirely different behavior.

  20. Dynamic stability of a vertically excited non-linear continuous system

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Náprstek, Jiří; Fischer, Cyril

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 155, July (2015), s. 106-114 ISSN 0045-7949 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA15-01035S Institutional support: RVO:68378297 Keywords : non-linear systems * auto-parametric systems * semi-trivial solution * dynamic stability * system recovery * post- critical response Subject RIV: JM - Building Engineering Impact factor: 2.425, year: 2015 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045794915000024

  1. Natural polyphenols enhance stability of crosslinked UHMWPE for joint implants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Jie; Gao, Guorong; Liu, Xincai; Fu, Jun

    2015-03-01

    Radiation-crosslinked UHMWPE has been used for joint implants since the 1990s. Postirradiation remelting enhances oxidative stability, but with some loss in strength and toughness. Vitamin E-stabilized crosslinked UHMWPE has shown improved strength and stability as compared with irradiated and remelted UHMWPE. With more active phenolic hydroxyl groups, natural polyphenols are widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries as potent stabilizers and could be useful for oxidative stability in crosslinked UHMWPE. We asked whether UHMWPE blended with polyphenols would (1) show higher oxidation resistance after radiation crosslinking; (2) preserve the mechanical properties of UHMWPE after accelerated aging; and (3) alter the wear resistance of radiation-crosslinked UHMWPE. The polyphenols, gallic acid and dodecyl gallate, were blended with medical-grade UHMWPE followed by consolidation and electron beam irradiation at 100 kGy. Radiation-crosslinked virgin and vitamin E-blended UHMWPEs were used as reference materials. The UHMWPEs were aged at 120 °C in air with oxidation levels analyzed by infrared spectroscopy. Tensile (n = 5 per group) and impact (n = 3 per group) properties before and after aging as per ASTM F2003 were evaluated. The wear rates were examined by pin-on-disc testing (n = 3 per group). The data were reported as mean ± SDs. Statistical analysis was performed by using Student's t-test for a two-tailed distribution with unequal variance for tensile and impact data obtained with n ≥ 3. A significant difference is defined with p Accelerated aging of these polyphenol-blended UHMWPEs resulted in ultimate tensile strength of 50.4 ± 1.4 MPa and impact strength of 53 ± 5 kJ/m(2) for 100 kGy-irradiated UHMWPE with 0.05 wt% dodecyl gallate, for example, in comparison to 51.2 ± 0.7 MPa (p = 0.75) and 58 ± 5 kJ/m(2) (p = 0.29) before aging. The pin-on-disc wear rates of 100 kGy-irradiated UHMWPE with 0.05 wt% dodecyl gallate and 0.05 wt% gallic acid

  2. Dynamic stability and failure modes of slopes in discontinuous rock mass

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shimizu, Yasuhiro; Aydan, O.; Ichikawa, Yasuaki; Kawamoto, Toshikazu.

    1988-01-01

    The stability of rock slopes during earthquakes are of great concern in rock engineering works such as highway, dam, and nuclear power station constructions. As rock mass in nature is usually discontinuous, the stability of rock slopes will be geverned by the spatial distribution of discontinuities in relation with the geometry of slope and their mechanical properties rather than the rock element. The authors have carried out some model tests on discontinuous rock slopes using three different model tests techniques in order to investigate the dynamic behaviour and failure modes of the slopes in discontinuous rock mass. This paper describes the findings and observations made on model rock slopes with various discontinuity patterns and slope geometry. In addition some stability criterions are developed and the calculated results are compared with those of experiments. (author)

  3. Short term outcome of posterior dynamic stabilization system in degenerative lumbar diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mingyuan Yang

    2014-01-01

    Conclusion: Dynamic stabilization system treating lumbar degenerative disease showed clinical benefits with motion preservation of the operated segments, but does not have the significant advantage on motion preservation at adjacent segments, to avoid the degeneration of adjacent intervertebral disk.

  4. Fibroadenomas of the breast: histopathological/dynamic contrast-enhanced MR correlation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gilles, R. [Dept. of Radiology, Inst. Gustave Roussy, 94 - Villejuif (France)]|[CIERM, Hopital Bicetre, 94 - Le Kremin-Bicetre (France); Garnier, C. [Dept. of Radiology, Inst. Gustave Roussy, 94 - Villejuif (France)]|[CIERM, Hopital Bicetre, 94 - Le Kremin-Bicetre (France); Meingan, P. [Dept. of Radiology, Inst. Gustave Roussy, 94 - Villejuif (France)]|[CIERM, Hopital Bicetre, 94 - Le Kremin-Bicetre (France); Zemoura, L. [Dept. of Histopathology C, Inst. Gustave Roussy, 94 - Villejuif (France); Lucidarme, O. [Dept. of Radiology, Hopital Salpetriere, 75 - Paris (France); Guinebretiere, J.M. [Dept. of Histopathology C, Inst. Gustave Roussy, 94 - Villejuif (France); Tardivon, A.A. [Dept. of Radiology, Inst. Gustave Roussy, 94 - Villejuif (France)]|[CIERM, Hopital Bicetre, 94 - Le Kremin-Bicetre (France); Arriagada, R. [Breast Cancer Study Group, Inst. Gustave Roussy, 94 - Villejuif, (France)

    1995-12-31

    A total of 22 women with fibroadenomas had preoperative dynamic MR study (T1-weighted images every 47 s after injection of Gd-DOTA). Their age, hormonal status, breast MR studies and histopathological slides were retrospectively reviewed. Eleven pre- (n = 2) or post-menopausal (n = 9) women showed no early contrast enhancement. The absence of early contrast enhancement correlated with hyalin stromal component. Eleven pre- (n = 7) or post-menopausal (n = 4) women showed focal (n = 9) or diffuse (n = 2) early contrast enhancement. Early focal contrast enhancement correlated with myxoid (n = 9), mixed hyalin/myxoid (n = 1) or hyalin (n = 1) fibroadenomas. Early diffuse contrast enhancement of the breast correlated with myxoid (n = 1) or hyalin (n = 1) stromal component associated with proliferative fibrocystic disease of the breast parenchyma. The presence of contrast enhancement correlated with myxoid fibroadenomas, whereas absence of contrast enhancement correlated with hyalin fibroadenomas. As hyalin fibroadenomas occurs in post-menopausal women, the diagnostic accuracy of dynamic MRI may be improved in this age group. (orig.)

  5. Fibroadenomas of the breast: histopathological/dynamic contrast-enhanced MR correlation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gilles, R.; Garnier, C.; Meingan, P.; Zemoura, L.; Lucidarme, O.; Guinebretiere, J.M.; Tardivon, A.A.; Arriagada, R.

    1995-01-01

    A total of 22 women with fibroadenomas had preoperative dynamic MR study (T1-weighted images every 47 s after injection of Gd-DOTA). Their age, hormonal status, breast MR studies and histopathological slides were retrospectively reviewed. Eleven pre- (n = 2) or post-menopausal (n = 9) women showed no early contrast enhancement. The absence of early contrast enhancement correlated with hyalin stromal component. Eleven pre- (n = 7) or post-menopausal (n = 4) women showed focal (n = 9) or diffuse (n = 2) early contrast enhancement. Early focal contrast enhancement correlated with myxoid (n = 9), mixed hyalin/myxoid (n 1) or hyalin (n = 1) fibroadenomas. Early diffuse contrast enhancement of the breast correlated with myxoid (n = 1) or hyalin (n = 1) stromal component associated with proliferative fibrocystic disease of the breast parenchyma. The presence of contrast enhancement correlated with myxoid fibroadenomas, whereas absence of contrast enhancement correlated with hyalin fibroadenomas. As hyalin fibroadenomas occurs in post-menopausal women, the diagnostic accuracy of dynamic MRI may be improved in this age group. (orig.)

  6. Towards passive and active laser stabilization using cavity-enhanced atomic interaction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schäffer, Stefan Alaric; Christensen, Bjarke Takashi Røjle; Rathmann, Stefan Mossor

    2017-01-01

    Ultra stable frequency references such as the ones used in optical atomic clocks and for quantum metrology may be obtained by stabilizing a laser to an optical cavity that is stable over time. State-of-the-art frequency references are constructed in this way, but their stabilities are currently...... experimental efforts derived from these proposals, to use cavity-enhanced interaction with atomic 88Sr samples as a frequency reference for laser stabilization. Such systems can be realized using both passive and active approaches where either the atomic phase response is used as an error signal, or the narrow...... atomic transition itself is used as a source for a spectrally pure laser. Both approaches shows the promise of being able to compete with the current state of the art in stable lasers and have similar limitations on their ultimately achievable linewidths [1, 2]....

  7. Medial tibial pain: a dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mattila, K T; Komu, M E; Dahlström, S; Koskinen, S K; Heikkilä, J

    1999-09-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare the sensitivity of different magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences to depict periosteal edema in patients with medial tibial pain. Additionally, we evaluated the ability of dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging (DCES) to depict possible temporal alterations in muscular perfusion within compartments of the leg. Fifteen patients with medial tibial pain were examined with MRI. T1-, T2-weighted, proton density axial images and dynamic and static phase post-contrast images were compared in ability to depict periosteal edema. STIR was used in seven cases to depict bone marrow edema. Images were analyzed to detect signs of compartment edema. Region-of-interest measurements in compartments were performed during DCES and compared with controls. In detecting periosteal edema, post-contrast T1-weighted images were better than spin echo T2-weighted and proton density images or STIR images, but STIR depicted the bone marrow edema best. DCES best demonstrated the gradually enhancing periostitis. Four subjects with severe periosteal edema had visually detectable pathologic enhancement during DCES in the deep posterior compartment of the leg. Percentage enhancement in the deep posterior compartment of the leg was greater in patients than in controls. The fast enhancement phase in the deep posterior compartment began slightly slower in patients than in controls, but it continued longer. We believe that periosteal edema in bone stress reaction can cause impairment of venous flow in the deep posterior compartment. MRI can depict both these conditions. In patients with medial tibial pain, MR imaging protocol should include axial STIR images (to depict bone pathology) with T1-weighted axial pre and post-contrast images, and dynamic contrast enhanced imaging to show periosteal edema and abnormal contrast enhancement within a compartment.

  8. Enhanced stability of black phosphorus field-effect transistors with SiO₂ passivation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Bensong; Yang, Bingchao; Wang, Yue; Zhang, Junying; Zeng, Zhongming; Liu, Zhongyuan; Wang, Wenhong

    2015-10-30

    Few-layer black phosphorus (BP) has attracted much attention due to its high mobility and suitable band gap for potential applic5ations in optoelectronics and flexible devices. However, its instability under ambient conditions limits its practical applications. Our investigations indicate that by passivation of the mechanically exfoliated BP flakes with a SiO2 layer, the fabricated BP field-effect transistors (FETs) exhibit greatly enhanced environmental stability. Compared to the unpassivated BP devices, which show a fast drop of on/off current ratio by a factor of 10 after one week of ambient exposure, the SiO2-passivated BP devices display a high retained on/off current ratio of over 600 after one week of exposure, just a little lower than the initial value of 810. Our investigations provide an effective route to passivate the few-layer BPs for enhancement of their environmental stability.

  9. Dynamic Stability Analysis Using High-Order Interpolation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juarez-Toledo C.

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available A non-linear model with robust precision for transient stability analysis in multimachine power systems is proposed. The proposed formulation uses the interpolation of Lagrange and Newton's Divided Difference. The High-Order Interpolation technique developed can be used for evaluation of the critical conditions of the dynamic system.The technique is applied to a 5-area 45-machine model of the Mexican interconnected system. As a particular case, this paper shows the application of the High-Order procedure for identifying the slow-frequency mode for a critical contingency. Numerical examples illustrate the method and demonstrate the ability of the High-Order technique to isolate and extract temporal modal behavior.

  10. Transient stability enhancement of modern power grid using predictive Wide-Area Monitoring and Control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yousefian, Reza

    This dissertation presents a real-time Wide-Area Control (WAC) designed based on artificial intelligence for large scale modern power systems transient stability enhancement. The WAC using the measurements available from Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) at generator buses, monitors the global oscillations in the system and optimally augments the local excitation system of the synchronous generators. The complexity of the power system stability problem along with uncertainties and nonlinearities makes the conventional modeling non-practical or inaccurate. In this work Reinforcement Learning (RL) algorithm on the benchmark of Neural Networks (NNs) is used to map the nonlinearities of the system in real-time. This method different from both the centralized and the decentralized control schemes, employs a number of semi-autonomous agents to collaborate with each other to perform optimal control theory well-suited for WAC applications. Also, to handle the delays in Wide-Area Monitoring (WAM) and adapt the RL toward the robust control design, Temporal Difference (TD) is proposed as a solver for RL problem or optimal cost function. However, the main drawback of such WAC design is that it is challenging to determine if an offline trained network is valid to assess the stability of the power system once the system is evolved to a different operating state or network topology. In order to address the generality issue of NNs, a value priority scheme is proposed in this work to design a hybrid linear and nonlinear controllers. The algorithm so-called supervised RL is based on mixture of experts, where it is initialized by linear controller and as the performance and identification of the RL controller improves in real-time switches to the other controller. This work also focuses on transient stability and develops Lyapunov energy functions for synchronous generators to monitor the stability stress of the system. Using such energies as a cost function guarantees the convergence

  11. Charge-Transfer Complexes Studied by Dynamic Force Spectroscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jurriaan Huskens

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, the strength and kinetics of two charge-transfer complexes, naphthol-methylviologen and pyrene-methylviologen, are studied using dynamic force spectroscopy. The dissociation rates indicate an enhanced stability of the pyrene-methylviologen complex, which agrees with its higher thermodynamic stability compared to naphthol-methylviologen complex.

  12. Stability and periodicity of solutions for delay dynamic systems on time scales

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhi-Qiang Zhu

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available This article concerns the stability and periodicity of solutions to the delay dynamic system $$ x^{\\triangle}(t=A(t x(t + F(t, x(t, x(g(t+C(t $$ on a time scale. By the inequality technique for vectors, we obtain some stability criteria for the above system. Then, by using the Horn fixed point theorem, we present some conditions under which our system is asymptotically periodic and its periodic solution is unique. In particular, the periodic solution is positive under proper assumptions.

  13. Stability of Intelligent Transportation Network Dynamics: A Daily Path Flow Adjustment considering Travel Time Differentiation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ming-Chorng Hwang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available A theoretic formulation on how traffic time information distributed by ITS operations influences the trajectory of network flows is presented in this paper. The interactions between users and ITS operator are decomposed into three parts: (i travel time induced path flow dynamics (PFDTT; (ii demand induced path flow dynamics (PFDD; and (iii predicted travel time dynamics for an origin-destination (OD pair (PTTDOD. PFDTT describes the collective results of user’s daily route selection by pairwise comparison of path travel time provided by ITS services. The other two components, PTTDOD and PFDD, are concentrated on the evolutions of system variables which are predicted and observed, respectively, by ITS operators to act as a benchmark in guiding the target system towards an expected status faster. In addition to the delivered modelings, the stability theorem of the equilibrium solution in the sense of Lyapunov stability is also provided. A Lyapunov function is developed and employed to the proof of stability theorem to show the asymptotic behavior of the aimed system. The information of network flow dynamics plays a key role in traffic control policy-making. The evaluation of ITS-based strategies will not be reasonable without a well-established modeling of network flow evolutions.

  14. Individuals with chronic ankle instability exhibit dynamic postural stability deficits and altered unilateral landing biomechanics: A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simpson, Jeffrey D; Stewart, Ethan M; Macias, David M; Chander, Harish; Knight, Adam C

    2018-06-13

    To evaluate the literature regarding unilateral landing biomechanics and dynamic postural stability in individuals with and without chronic ankle instability (CAI). Four online databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and SportDiscus) were searched from the earliest records to 31 January 2018, as well as reference sections of related journal articles, to complete the systematic search. Studies investigating the influence of CAI on unilateral landing biomechanics and dynamic postural stability were systematically reviewed and evaluated. Twenty articles met the criteria and were included in the systematic review. Individuals with CAI were found to have deficits in dynamic postural stability on the affected limb with medium to large effect sizes and altered lower extremity kinematics, most notably in the ankle and knee, with medium to large effect sizes. Additionally, greater loading rates and peak ground reaction forces, in addition to reductions in ankle muscle activity were also found in individuals with CAI during unilateral jump-landing tasks. Individuals with CAI demonstrate dynamic postural stability deficits, lower extremity kinematic alterations, and reduced neuromuscular control during unilateral jump-landings. These are likely factors that contribute recurrent lateral ankle sprain injuries during dynamic activity in individuals with CAI. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Conceptual Design Optimization of an Augmented Stability Aircraft Incorporating Dynamic Response Performance Constraints

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welstead, Jason

    2014-01-01

    This research focused on incorporating stability and control into a multidisciplinary de- sign optimization on a Boeing 737-class advanced concept called the D8.2b. A new method of evaluating the aircraft handling performance using quantitative evaluation of the sys- tem to disturbances, including perturbations, continuous turbulence, and discrete gusts, is presented. A multidisciplinary design optimization was performed using the D8.2b transport air- craft concept. The con guration was optimized for minimum fuel burn using a design range of 3,000 nautical miles. Optimization cases were run using xed tail volume coecients, static trim constraints, and static trim and dynamic response constraints. A Cessna 182T model was used to test the various dynamic analysis components, ensuring the analysis was behaving as expected. Results of the optimizations show that including stability and con- trol in the design process drastically alters the optimal design, indicating that stability and control should be included in conceptual design to avoid system level penalties later in the design process.

  16. Dynamic Stability Study of Static Gas Bearing for Small Cryogenic Turbo-Expander

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Xuemin; Zhuang Ming; Zhang Qiyong; Li Shanshan; Fu Bao

    2011-01-01

    An experimental method is presented to analyze the dynamic stability of the gas bearing for small cryogenic turbo-expanders. The rotation imbalance response and the shape of the rotor orbit were obtained for different speeds up to 110,000 rpm, and the critical speed of the rotor-bearing system was determined by a Bode diagram. An FFT signal analytical method was applied to identify the resonance frequency, and the waterfall plot was presented. During the whole process of speeding up to the designed speed of 110,000 rpm, the rotor-bearing works stably with no whirl instability, which is validated in a waterfall plot. Also, the tested rotor-bearing model was analyzed theoretically. It was proved that the experimental results were highly consistent with those of theoretical calculations. Thus the experimental method proposed here to analyze the dynamic stability of the gas bearing is feasible. (fusion engineering)

  17. Dynamic contrast enhanced MRI in prostate cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alonzi, Roberto [Marie Curie Research Wing, Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, Rickmansworth Road, Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 2RN (United Kingdom)], E-mail: robertoalonzi@btinternet.com; Padhani, Anwar R. [Paul Strickland Scanner Centre, Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, Rickmansworth Road, Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 2RN (United Kingdom); Synarc Inc. 575 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 (United States)], E-mail: anwar.padhani@paulstrickland-scannercentre.org.uk; Allen, Clare [Department of Imaging, University College Hospital, London, 235 Euston Road, NW1 2BU (United Kingdom)], E-mail: clare.allen@uclh.nhs.uk

    2007-09-15

    Angiogenesis is an integral part of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), is associated with prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and is key to the growth and for metastasis of prostate cancer. Dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) using small molecular weight gadolinium chelates enables non-invasive imaging characterization of tissue vascularity. Depending on the technique used, data reflecting tissue perfusion, microvessel permeability surface area product, and extracellular leakage space can be obtained. Two dynamic MRI techniques (T{sub 2}*-weighted or susceptibility based and T{sub 1}-weighted or relaxivity enhanced methods) for prostate gland evaluations are discussed in this review with reference to biological basis of observations, data acquisition and analysis methods, technical limitations and validation. Established clinical roles of T{sub 1}-weighted imaging evaluations will be discussed including lesion detection and localisation, for tumour staging and for the detection of suspected tumour recurrence. Limitations include inadequate lesion characterisation particularly differentiating prostatitis from cancer, and in distinguishing between BPH and central gland tumours.

  18. On the dynamical stability of the space 'monorail'

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergamaschi, S.; Manni, D.

    The dynamical stability of 'monorail' tethered-satellite/elevator configurations being studied for the Space Station is investigated analytically, treating the end platforms and elevator as point masses, neglecting tether elasticity, and taking the Coriolis force and the complex gravitational field into account in analyzing the orbital-plane motion of the system. A mathematical model is constructed; the equations of motion are derived; and results obtained by numerical integration for platform masses 100,000 and 10,000 kg, elevator mass 5000 kg, and a 10-km-long 6-mm-diameter 4070-kg-mass tether are presented in graphs and briefly characterized.

  19. Optimizing Tube Precurvature to Enhance Elastic Stability of Concentric Tube Robots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ha, Junhyoung; Park, Frank C; Dupont, Pierre E

    2017-02-01

    Robotic instruments based on concentric tube technology are well suited to minimally invasive surgery since they are slender, can navigate inside small cavities and can reach around sensitive tissues by taking on shapes of varying curvature. Elastic instabilities can arise, however, when rotating one precurved tube inside another. In contrast to prior work that considered only tubes of piecewise constant precurvature, we allow precurvature to vary along the tube's arc length. Stability conditions for a planar tube pair are derived and used to formulate an optimal design problem. An analytic formulation of the optimal precurvature function is derived that achieves a desired tip orientation range while maximizing stability and respecting bending strain limits. This formulation also includes straight transmission segments at the proximal ends of the tubes. The result, confirmed by both numerical and physical experiment, enables designs with enhanced stability in comparison to designs of constant precurvature.

  20. Dynamical Stability of Imaged Planetary Systems in Formation: Application to HL Tau

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamayo, D.; Triaud, A. H. M. J.; Menou, K.; Rein, H.

    2015-06-01

    A recent Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array image revealed several concentric gaps in the protoplanetary disk surrounding the young star HL Tau. We consider the hypothesis that these gaps are carved by planets, and present a general framework for understanding the dynamical stability of such systems over typical disk lifetimes, providing estimates for the maximum planetary masses. We collect these easily evaluated constraints into a workflow that can help guide the design and interpretation of new observational campaigns and numerical simulations of gap opening in such systems. We argue that the locations of resonances should be significantly shifted in massive disks like HL Tau, and that theoretical uncertainties in the exact offset, together with observational errors, imply a large uncertainty in the dynamical state and stability in such disks. This presents an important barrier to using systems like HL Tau as a proxy for the initial conditions following planet formation. An important observational avenue to breaking this degeneracy is to search for eccentric gaps, which could implicate resonantly interacting planets. Unfortunately, massive disks like HL Tau should induce swift pericenter precession that would smear out any such eccentric features of planetary origin. This motivates pushing toward more typical, less massive disks. For a nominal non-resonant model of the HL Tau system with five planets, we find a maximum mass for the outer three bodies of approximately 2 Neptune masses. In a resonant configuration, these planets can reach at least the mass of Saturn. The inner two planets’ masses are unconstrained by dynamical stability arguments.

  1. Gaze stability, dynamic balance and participation deficits in people with multiple sclerosis at fall-risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garg, Hina; Dibble, Leland E; Schubert, Michael C; Sibthorp, Jim; Foreman, K Bo; Gappmaier, Eduard

    2018-05-05

    Despite the common complaints of dizziness and demyelination of afferent or efferent pathways to and from the vestibular nuclei which may adversely affect the angular Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex (aVOR) and vestibulo-spinal function in persons with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS), few studies have examined gaze and dynamic balance function in PwMS. 1) Determine the differences in gaze stability, dynamic balance and participation measures between PwMS and controls, 2) Examine the relationships between gaze stability, dynamic balance and participation. Nineteen ambulatory PwMS at fall-risk and 14 age-matched controls were recruited. Outcomes included (a) gaze stability [angular Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex (aVOR) gain (ratio of eye to head velocity); number of Compensatory Saccades (CS) per head rotation; CS latency; gaze position error; Coefficient of Variation (CV) of aVOR gain], (b) dynamic balance [Functional Gait Assessment, FGA; four square step test], and (c) participation [dizziness handicap inventory; activities-specific balance confidence scale]. Separate independent t-tests and Pearson's correlations were calculated. PwMS were age = 53 ± 11.7yrs and had 4.2 ± 3.3 falls/yr. PwMS demonstrated significant (pbalance and participation measures compared to controls. CV of aVOR gain and CS latency were significantly correlated with FGA. Deficits and correlations across a spectrum of disability measures highlight the relevance of gaze and dynamic balance assessment in PwMS. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the wrist in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nusman, Charlotte M. [Emma Children' s Hospital, Department of Pediatric Hematology, Immunology, Rheumatology and Infectious Disease, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Academic Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Lavini, Cristina; Hemke, Robert; Caan, Matthan W.A.; Maas, Mario [Academic Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Schonenberg-Meinema, Dieneke; Berg, J.M. van den; Kuijpers, Taco W. [Emma Children' s Hospital, Department of Pediatric Hematology, Immunology, Rheumatology and Infectious Disease, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Dolman, Koert M. [Sint Lucas Andreas Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Reade Institute location Jan van Breemen, Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Rossum, Marion A.J. van [Reade Institute location Jan van Breemen, Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Emma Children' s Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

    2017-02-15

    Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI provides information on the heterogeneity of the synovium, the primary target of disease in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in the wrist of children with JIA using conventional descriptive measures and time-intensity-curve shape analysis. To explore the association between enhancement characteristics and clinical disease status. Thirty-two children with JIA and wrist involvement underwent dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI with movement-registration and were classified using validated criteria as clinically active (n = 27) or inactive (n = 5). Outcome measures included descriptive parameters and the classification into time-intensity-curve shapes, which represent the patterns of signal intensity change over time. Differences in dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI outcome measures between clinically active and clinically inactive disease were analyzed and correlation with the Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score was determined. Comprehensive evaluation of disease status was technically feasible and the quality of the dynamic dataset was improved by movement registration. The conventional descriptive measure maximum enhancement differed significantly between clinically active and inactive disease (P = 0.019), whereas time-intensity-curve shape analysis showed no differences. Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score correlated moderately with enhancing volume (P = 0.484). Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI is a promising biomarker for evaluating disease status in children with JIA and wrist involvement. Conventional descriptive dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI measures are better associated with clinically active disease than time-intensity-curve shape analysis. (orig.)

  3. Rapid stabilization of thawing soils For enhanced vehicle mobility: a field demonstration project

    Science.gov (United States)

    1999-02-01

    Thawing soil presents a formidable challenge for vehicle operations cross-country and on unsurfaced roads. To mitigate the problem, a variety of stabilization techniques were evaluated for their suitability for rapid employment to enhance military ve...

  4. Linear stability analysis of detonations via numerical computation and dynamic mode decomposition

    KAUST Repository

    Kabanov, Dmitry I.

    2017-12-08

    We introduce a new method to investigate linear stability of gaseous detonations that is based on an accurate shock-fitting numerical integration of the linearized reactive Euler equations with a subsequent analysis of the computed solution via the dynamic mode decomposition. The method is applied to the detonation models based on both the standard one-step Arrhenius kinetics and two-step exothermic-endothermic reaction kinetics. Stability spectra for all cases are computed and analyzed. The new approach is shown to be a viable alternative to the traditional normal-mode analysis used in detonation theory.

  5. Linear stability analysis of detonations via numerical computation and dynamic mode decomposition

    KAUST Repository

    Kabanov, Dmitry; Kasimov, Aslan R.

    2018-01-01

    We introduce a new method to investigate linear stability of gaseous detonations that is based on an accurate shock-fitting numerical integration of the linearized reactive Euler equations with a subsequent analysis of the computed solution via the dynamic mode decomposition. The method is applied to the detonation models based on both the standard one-step Arrhenius kinetics and two-step exothermic-endothermic reaction kinetics. Stability spectra for all cases are computed and analyzed. The new approach is shown to be a viable alternative to the traditional normal-mode analysis used in detonation theory.

  6. Linear stability analysis of detonations via numerical computation and dynamic mode decomposition

    KAUST Repository

    Kabanov, Dmitry

    2018-03-20

    We introduce a new method to investigate linear stability of gaseous detonations that is based on an accurate shock-fitting numerical integration of the linearized reactive Euler equations with a subsequent analysis of the computed solution via the dynamic mode decomposition. The method is applied to the detonation models based on both the standard one-step Arrhenius kinetics and two-step exothermic-endothermic reaction kinetics. Stability spectra for all cases are computed and analyzed. The new approach is shown to be a viable alternative to the traditional normal-mode analysis used in detonation theory.

  7. Value of fat suppression and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in the diagnosis of insulinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Zengbin; Ruan Lingxiang; Peng Zhiyi; Zhang Minming; Xu Shunliang; Zhang Xidao

    2003-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the value of fat suppression and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in the preoperative localization of insulinoma. Methods: Twelve cases with pathologically proven insulinoma were evaluated with MRI. SE T 1 WI, FSE T 2 WI, T 1 WI and T 2 WI with fat suppression, dynamic contrast-enhanced FMPSPGR sequences were used in MR scanning. Results: On SE T 1 WI, the lesions displayed hypointense in 4, isointense in 8 cases. Lesions showed hyperintense in 4, isointense in 8 cases on FSE T 2 WI. In contrast, 7 cases appeared as hypointense on T 1 WI with fat suppression and 6 cases appeared as hyperintense on T 2 WI with fat suppression. With dynamic contrast-enhanced FMPSPGR sequence 11 of 12 insulinomas were detected. In the arterial phase, the lesions presented as hyperintense with different degrees in 11 cases and isointense in 1 case. 6 cases remained hyperintense and 6 cases were isointense in pancreatic parenchymal and portal phase. 4 lesions were identified only in dynamic enhancement images. The diagnostic accuracy of insulinoma by dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI was 91.7% (11/12) as compared with histological study. Conclusion: The results indicate that dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI is an sensitive and accurate method for the preoperative localization of insulinoma

  8. Assessing Romanian financial sector stability: the importance of the international economic climate

    OpenAIRE

    Albulescu, Claudiu Tiberiu

    2008-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to develop an aggregate stability index for the Romanian financial system. The index which is meant to enhance the set of analysis used by the central bank to assess the financial stability accurately reflects the financial stability dynamics and the periods with financial turbulences during 1997-2007 in Romania. By the application of a technique which enables the measurement of the components’ contribution to the aggregate index volatility, we show that some individu...

  9. A Saturation Balancing Control Method for Enhancing Dynamic Vehicle Stability (PREPRINT)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-03-01

    braking torques (with regenerative braking ) at the individual wheels or axles of the vehicle with independent drive or torque-biasing systems ...VSC (also referred to as vehicle dynamics control (VDC)) systems available on the market today are brake -based systems which extend the functionality...of mature hardware technology available for anti-lock braking (ABS) and traction control systems . These systems Report Documentation Page Form

  10. Finite difference method for inner-layer equations in the resistive MagnetoHydroDynamic stability analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tokuda, Shinji; Watanabe, Tomoko.

    1996-08-01

    The matching problem in resistive MagnetoHydroDynamic stability analysis by the asymptotic matching method has been reformulated as an initial-boundary value problem for the inner-layer equations describing the plasma dynamics in the thin layer around a rational surface. The third boundary conditions at boundaries of a finite interval are imposed on the inner layer equations in the formulation instead of asymptotic conditions at infinities. The finite difference method for this problem has been applied to model equations whose solutions are known in a closed form. It has been shown that the initial value problem and the associated eigenvalue problem for the model equations can be solved by the finite difference method with numerical stability. The formulation presented here enables the asymptotic matching method to be a practical method for the resistive MHD stability analysis. (author)

  11. The Effects of Core Stabilization Exercise on Dynamic Balance and Gait Function in Stroke Patients

    OpenAIRE

    Chung, Eun-Jung; Kim, Jung-Hee; Lee, Byoung-Hee

    2013-01-01

    [Purpose] The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of core stabilization exercise on dynamic balance and gait function in stroke patients. [Subjects] The subjects were 16 stroke patients, who were randomly divided into two groups: a core stabilization exercise group of eight subjects and control group of eight subjects. [Methods] Subjects in both groups received general training five times per week. Subjects in the core stabilization exercise group practiced an additional core s...

  12. Protection enhances community and habitat stability: evidence from a mediterranean marine protected area.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fraschetti, Simonetta; Guarnieri, Giuseppe; Bevilacqua, Stanislao; Terlizzi, Antonio; Boero, Ferdinando

    2013-01-01

    Rare evidences support that Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) enhance the stability of marine habitats and assemblages. Based on nine years of observation (2001-2009) inside and outside a well managed MPA, we assessed the potential of conservation and management actions to modify patterns of spatial and/or temporal variability of Posidonia oceanica meadows, the lower midlittoral and the shallow infralittoral rock assemblages. Significant differences in both temporal variations and spatial patterns were observed between protected and unprotected locations. A lower temporal variability in the protected vs. unprotected assemblages was found in the shallow infralittoral, demonstrating that, at least at local scale, protection can enhance community stability. Macrobenthos with long-lived and relatively slow-growing invertebrates and structurally complex algal forms were homogeneously distributed in space and went through little fluctuations in time. In contrast, a mosaic of disturbed patches featured unprotected locations, with small-scale shifts from macroalgal stands to barrens, and harsh temporal variations between the two states. Opposite patterns of spatial and temporal variability were found for the midlittoral assemblages. Despite an overall clear pattern of seagrass regression through time, protected meadows showed a significantly higher shoot density than unprotected ones, suggesting a higher resistance to local human activities. Our results support the assumption that the exclusion/management of human activities within MPAs enhance the stability of the structural components of protected marine systems, reverting or arresting threat-induced trajectories of change.

  13. Study of V-OTDR stability for dynamic strain measurement in piezoelectric vibration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Meiqi; Lu, Ping; Chen, Liang; Bao, Xiaoyi

    2016-09-01

    In a phase-sensitive optical-time domain reflectometry (Φ-OTDR) system, the challenge for dynamic strain measurement lies in large intensity fluctuations from trace to trace. The intensity fluctuation caused by stochastic characteristics of Rayleigh backscattering sets detection limit for the minimum strength of vibration measurement and causes the large measurement uncertainty. Thus, a trace-to-trace correlation coefficient is introduced to quantify intensity fluctuation of Φ-OTDR traces and stability of the sensor system theoretically and experimentally. A novel approach of measuring dynamic strain induced by various driving voltages of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) in Φ-OTDR is also demonstrated. Piezoelectric vibration signals are evaluated through analyzing peak values of fast Fourier transform spectra at the fundamental frequency and high-order harmonics based on Bessel functions. High trace-to-trace correlation coefficients varying from 0.824 to 0.967 among 100 measurements are obtained in experimental results, showing the good stability of our sensor system, as well as small uncertainty of measured peak values.

  14. Usefulness of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in the evaluation of the viability of acute scaphoid fracture

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Larribe, Maud [Hopital La Conception, Service d' imagerie medicale, Marseille (France); Hopital Sainte Marguerite, Service d' imagerie medicale, Marseille (France); Gay, Andre [Hopital La Conception, Service de chirurgie de la main, Marseille (France); Freire, Veronique [Centre hospitalier de l' Universite de Montreal, Department of Radiology, Notre-Dame Hospital, Montreal, QC (Canada); Bouvier, Corinne [Hopital La Timone, Service d' anatomopathologie, Marseille (France); Chagnaud, Christophe; Souteyrand, Philippe [Hopital La Conception, Service d' imagerie medicale, Marseille (France)

    2014-12-15

    To evaluate the usefulness of dynamic gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for assessing the viability of the proximal pole of the scaphoid in patients with acute scaphoid fractures. Eighteen consecutive patients with acute scaphoid fracture who underwent dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MRI 7 days or less before surgery were prospectively included between August 2011 and December 2012. All patients underwent MR imaging with unenhanced images, enhanced images, and dynamic enhanced images. A radiologist first classified the MRI results as necrotic or viable based on T1- and T2-weighted images only, followed by a second blinded interpretation, this time including analysis of pre- and post-gadolinium administration images and a third blinded interpretation based on the time-intensity curve of the dynamic enhanced study. The standard of reference was the histologic assessment of a cylindrical specimen of the proximal pole obtained during surgery in all patients. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated for unenhanced, enhanced, and dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MRI studies. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 67, 67, 50, and 80 % for unenhanced images, 83, 100, 100, and 92 for enhanced images, and 83, 92, 83, and 92 for dynamic contrast-enhanced images. Our data are consistent with previously reported data supporting contrast-enhanced MRI for assessment of viability, and showing that dynamic imaging with time-intensity curve analysis does not provide additional predictive value over standard delayed enhanced imaging for acute scaphoid fracture. (orig.)

  15. Usefulness of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in the evaluation of the viability of acute scaphoid fracture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larribe, Maud; Gay, Andre; Freire, Veronique; Bouvier, Corinne; Chagnaud, Christophe; Souteyrand, Philippe

    2014-01-01

    To evaluate the usefulness of dynamic gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for assessing the viability of the proximal pole of the scaphoid in patients with acute scaphoid fractures. Eighteen consecutive patients with acute scaphoid fracture who underwent dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MRI 7 days or less before surgery were prospectively included between August 2011 and December 2012. All patients underwent MR imaging with unenhanced images, enhanced images, and dynamic enhanced images. A radiologist first classified the MRI results as necrotic or viable based on T1- and T2-weighted images only, followed by a second blinded interpretation, this time including analysis of pre- and post-gadolinium administration images and a third blinded interpretation based on the time-intensity curve of the dynamic enhanced study. The standard of reference was the histologic assessment of a cylindrical specimen of the proximal pole obtained during surgery in all patients. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated for unenhanced, enhanced, and dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MRI studies. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 67, 67, 50, and 80 % for unenhanced images, 83, 100, 100, and 92 for enhanced images, and 83, 92, 83, and 92 for dynamic contrast-enhanced images. Our data are consistent with previously reported data supporting contrast-enhanced MRI for assessment of viability, and showing that dynamic imaging with time-intensity curve analysis does not provide additional predictive value over standard delayed enhanced imaging for acute scaphoid fracture. (orig.)

  16. Spin dynamics and thermal stability in L10 FePt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Tianran; Toomey, Wahida

    Increasing the data storage density of hard drives remains one of the continuing goals in magnetic recording technology. A critical challenge for increasing data density is the thermal stability of the written information, which drops rapidly as the bit size gets smaller. To maintain good thermal stability in small bits, one should consider materials with high anisotropy energy such as L10 FePt. High anisotropy energy nevertheless implies high coercivity, making it difficult to write information onto the disk. This issue can be overcome by a new technique called heat-assisted magnetic recording, where a laser is used to locally heat the recording medium to reduce its coercivity while retaining relatively good thermal stability. Many of the microscopic magnetic properties of L10 FePt, however, have not been theoretically well understood. In this poster, I will focus on a single L10 FePt grain, typically of a few nanometers. Specifically, I will discuss its critical temperature, size effect and, in particular, spin dynamics in the writing process, a key to the success of heat-assisted magnetic recording. WCU URF16.

  17. A hybrid superconducting fault current limiter for enhancing transient stability in Korean power systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seo, Sangsoo; Kim, Seog-Joo; Moon, Young-Hwan; Lee, Byongjun

    2013-11-01

    Additional power generation sites have been limited in Korea, despite the fact load demands are gradually increasing. In order to meet these increasing demands, Korea’s power system company has begun constructing new generators at existing sites. Thus, multi-unit plants can create problems in terms of transient stability when a large disturbance occurs. This paper proposes a hybrid superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) application to enhance the transient stability of multi-unit power plants. SFCLs reduce fault currents, and limitation currents decrease the imbalance of the mechanical and electrical torque of the generators, resulting in an improvement in transient stability.

  18. Elastic properties of fly ash-stabilized mixes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanja Dimter

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Stabilized mixes are used in the construction of bearing layers in asphalt and concrete pavement structures. Two nondestructive methods: resonant frequency method and ultrasonic pulse velocity method, were used for estimation of elastic properties of fly ash–stabilized mixes. Stabilized mixes were designed containing sand from the river Drava and binder composed of different share of cement and fly ash. The aim of the research was to analyze the relationship between the dynamic modulus of elasticity determined by different nondestructive methods. Data showed that average value of elasticity modulus obtained by the ultrasound velocity method is lower than the values of elasticity modulus obtained by resonant frequency method. For further analysis and enhanced discussion of elastic properties of fly ash stabilized mixes, see Dimter et al. [1].

  19. Noise-induced stability in dryland plant ecosystems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Odorico, Paolo; Laio, Francesco; Ridolfi, Luca

    2005-08-02

    Dryland plant ecosystems tend to exhibit bistable dynamics with two preferential configurations of bare and vegetated soils. Climate fluctuations are usually believed to act as a source of disturbance on these ecosystems and to reduce their stability and resilience. In contrast, this work shows that random interannual fluctuations of precipitation may lead to the emergence of an intermediate statistically stable condition between the two stable states of the deterministic dynamics of vegetation. As a result, there is an enhancement of ecosystem resilience and a decrease in the likelihood of catastrophic shifts to the desert state.

  20. Comparative effectiveness of lumbar stabilization, dynamic strengthening, and Pilates on chronic low back pain: randomized clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhadauria, Esha A; Gurudut, Peeyoosha

    2017-08-01

    The aim of the present study was to compare three different forms of exercises namely lumbar stabilization, dynamic strengthening, and Pilates on chronic low back pain (LBP) in terms of pain, range of motion, core strength and function. In this study, 44 subjects suffering from non-specific LBP for more than 3 months were randomly allocated into the lumbar stabilization group, the dynamic strengthening group, and the Pilates group. Ten sessions of exercises for 3 weeks were prescribed along with interferential current and hot moist pack. Pain was assessed by visual analog scale, functional affection by modified Oswestry Disability Questionnaire, range of motion by assessing lumbar flexion and extension by modified Schober test and core strength was assessed by pressure biofeedback on day 1 and day 10 of the treatment. There was reduction of pain, improvement in range of motion, functional ability and core strength in all the 3 exercise groups. The improvement was significantly greater in the lumbar stabilization group for all the outcome measures, when compared the posttreatment after 10th session. Pairwise comparison showed that there was greater reduction of disability in the Pilates group than the dynamic strengthening group. It was concluded that the lumbar stabilization is more superior compared to the dynamic strengthening and Pilates in chronic nonspecific LBP. However, long-term benefits need to be assessed and compared with prospective follow-up studies.

  1. Validation of enhanced and dynamic computed tomography for cerebral ischemia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ono, Kenichiro; Arimoto, Hirohiko; Wada, Kojiro; Takahara, Takashi; Shirotani, Toshiki; Shimizu, Akira [Japan Self-Defense Forces Central Hospital, Tokyo (Japan); Hatanaka, Kosuke [Japan Self-Defense Forces Medical School, Tokyo (Japan)

    2003-03-01

    This paper shows the usefulness of enhanced and dynamic CT for ischemic stroke patients. Sixteen patients with disturbance of consciousness or neurological sign who did not have low-density area on plain CT were selected for this study. We performed enhanced CT sequentially. Enhanced CT image, time-density curve and functional image were compared with final infarcted area and occlusion level of cerebral artery. Three patients whose enhanced CT images showed obvious laterality had occlusion of internal carotid (IC) or horizontal portion of middle cerebral artery (M1). Four of five patients whose functional image and time density curve revealed abnormal region had ischemia because of more peripheral vessel occlusion or IC stenosis. Others with no abnormality on all images had lacunar infarction or did not have infarction finally. Occlusion of cerebral artery proximal portion could be diagnosed only with enhanced CT images. If selected slice was fit to the lesion, more distant level of ischemic area could be determined 100% by time-density curve and functional image. This examination takes only about ten minutes without transferring the patient. Enhanced CT and dynamic scan is useful tool to determine the diagnosis and management for ischemic stroke patients. (author)

  2. Validation of enhanced and dynamic computed tomography for cerebral ischemia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ono, Kenichiro; Arimoto, Hirohiko; Wada, Kojiro; Takahara, Takashi; Shirotani, Toshiki; Shimizu, Akira; Hatanaka, Kosuke

    2003-01-01

    This paper shows the usefulness of enhanced and dynamic CT for ischemic stroke patients. Sixteen patients with disturbance of consciousness or neurological sign who did not have low-density area on plain CT were selected for this study. We performed enhanced CT sequentially. Enhanced CT image, time-density curve and functional image were compared with final infarcted area and occlusion level of cerebral artery. Three patients whose enhanced CT images showed obvious laterality had occlusion of internal carotid (IC) or horizontal portion of middle cerebral artery (M1). Four of five patients whose functional image and time density curve revealed abnormal region had ischemia because of more peripheral vessel occlusion or IC stenosis. Others with no abnormality on all images had lacunar infarction or did not have infarction finally. Occlusion of cerebral artery proximal portion could be diagnosed only with enhanced CT images. If selected slice was fit to the lesion, more distant level of ischemic area could be determined 100% by time-density curve and functional image. This examination takes only about ten minutes without transferring the patient. Enhanced CT and dynamic scan is useful tool to determine the diagnosis and management for ischemic stroke patients. (author)

  3. Reliability and Minimum Detectable Change of Temporal-Spatial, Kinematic, and Dynamic Stability Measures during Perturbed Gait.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christopher A Rábago

    Full Text Available Temporal-spatial, kinematic variability, and dynamic stability measures collected during perturbation-based assessment paradigms are often used to identify dysfunction associated with gait instability. However, it remains unclear which measures are most reliable for detecting and tracking responses to perturbations. This study systematically determined the between-session reliability and minimum detectable change values of temporal-spatial, kinematic variability, and dynamic stability measures during three types of perturbed gait. Twenty young healthy adults completed two identical testing sessions two weeks apart, comprised of an unperturbed and three perturbed (cognitive, physical, and visual walking conditions in a virtual reality environment. Within each session, perturbation responses were compared to unperturbed walking using paired t-tests. Between-session reliability and minimum detectable change values were also calculated for each measure and condition. All temporal-spatial, kinematic variability and dynamic stability measures demonstrated fair to excellent between-session reliability. Minimal detectable change values, normalized to mean values ranged from 1-50%. Step width mean and variability measures demonstrated the greatest response to perturbations with excellent between-session reliability and low minimum detectable change values. Orbital stability measures demonstrated specificity to perturbation direction and sensitivity with excellent between-session reliability and low minimum detectable change values. We observed substantially greater between-session reliability and lower minimum detectable change values for local stability measures than previously described which may be the result of averaging across trials within a session and using velocity versus acceleration data for reconstruction of state spaces. Across all perturbation types, temporal-spatial, orbital and local measures were the most reliable measures with the

  4. Magnesium ferrite nanocrystal clusters for magnetorheological fluid with enhanced sedimentation stability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Guangshuo; Ma, Yingying; Li, Meixia; Cui, Guohua; Che, Hongwei; Mu, Jingbo; Zhang, Xiaoliang; Tong, Yu; Dong, Xufeng

    2017-01-01

    In this study, magnesium ferrite (MgFe2O4) nanocrystal clusters were synthesized using an ascorbic acid-assistant solvothermal method and evaluated as a candidate for magnetorheological (MR) fluid. The morphology, microstructure and magnetic properties of the MgFe2O4 nanocrystal clusters were investigated in detail by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). The MgFe2O4 nanocrystal clusters were suspended in silicone oil to prepare MR fluid and the MR properties were tested using a Physica MCR301 rheometer fitted with a magneto-rheological module. The prepared MR fluid showed typical Bingham plastic behavior, changing from a liquid-like to a solid-like structure under an external magnetic field. Compared with the conventional carbonyl iron particles, MgFe2O4 nanocrystal clusters-based MR fluid demonstrated enhanced sedimentation stability due to the reduced mismatch in density between the particles and the carrier medium. In summary, the as-prepared MgFe2O4 nanocrystal clusters are regarded as a promising candidate for MR fluid with enhanced sedimentation stability.

  5. Hydrodynamic theory of convective transport across a dynamically stabilized diffuse boundary layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gerhauser, H.

    1983-09-01

    The diffuse boundary layer between miscible liquids is subject to Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities if the heavy fluid is supported by the light one. The resulting rapid interchange of the liquids can be suppressed by enforcing vertical oscillations on the whole system. This dynamic stabilization is incomplete and produces some peculiar novel transport phenomena such as decay off the density profile into several steps, periodic peeling of density sheets of the boundary layer and the appearance of steady vortex flow. The theory presented in this paper identifies the basic mechanism as formation of convective cells leading to enhanced diffusion, and explains previous experimental results with water and ZnJ 2 -solutions. A nonlinear treatment of the stationary convective flow problem gives the saturation amplitude of the ground mode and provides an upper bound for the maximum convective transport. The hydrodynamic model can be used for visualizing similar transport processes in the plasma of toroidal confinement devices such as sawtooth oscillations in soft disruptions of tokamak discharges and anomalous diffusion by excitation of convective cells. The latter process is investigated here in some detail, leading to the result that the maximum possible transport is of the order of Bohm diffusion. (orig.)

  6. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MR of the prostatic cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia: correlation with angiogenesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ni Xinchu; Shen Junkang; Lu Zhian; Zhou Lijuan; Yang Xiaochun; Wang Guanzhong; Zhang Caiyuan; Wang Shuizhen; Qian Minghui; Chan Yuxi; Qian Nong; Xiang Jianpo; Pan Changjie; Rong Weiliang; Chen Jianguo

    2005-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the role of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnose of prostatic cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and to determine the correlation between dynamic MRI findings with angiogenesis. Methods: Thirty-two cases of prostatic cancer and 40 cases of BPH underwent dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI. All the patients in this study were diagnosed by histopathology. The results of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI were evaluated by early-phase enhancement parameters and time-signal intensity curves (SI-T curves), and the curves were classified according to their shapes as type I, which had steady enhancement; type II, plateau of signal intensity; and type III, washout of signal intensity. The pathologic specimens of region of interest (ROI ) were obtained, and HE staining, immunohistochemical vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and microvessel density (MVD) measurements were performed. The relationships among dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI features, VEGF, and MVD expression were analyzed. Results: In the early-phase enhancement parameters of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, onset time, maximum signal intensity, and early-phase enhancement rate differed between prostatic cancer and BPH (P<0.01, 0.05, 0.01), but there were some overlaps between them. The intermediate and late post-contrast periods were characterized with the lesion SI-T curves. The SI-T curve of prostatic cancer was mainly type III (21 cases). Type II could be seen in both prostatic cancer (8 cases) and BPH (19 cases). Type I most appeared in BPH (18 cases). The distributions proved to have significant difference (P<0.001). The mean VEGF and MVD level of 32 prostatic cancer patients were significantly higher than those of 40 BPH patients (P<0.001). MVD level of prostatic cancer and BPH showed an association with VEGF level (P<0.01). The maximum signal intensity and early-phase enhancement rate in both prostatic cancer and BPH showed an association

  7. On the stabilizing role of species diffusion in chemical enhanced oil recovery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daripa, Prabir; Gin, Craig

    2015-11-01

    In this talk, the speaker will discuss a problem on the stability analysis related to the effect of species diffusion on stabilization of fingering in a Hele-Shaw model of chemical enhanced oil recovery. The formulation of the problem is motivated by a specific design principle of the immiscible interfaces in the hope that this will lead to significant stabilization of interfacial instabilities, there by improving oil recovery in the context of porous media flow. Testing the merits of this hypothesis poses some challenges which will be discussed along with some numerical results based on current formulation of this problem. Several open problems in this context will be discussed. This work is currently under progress. Supported by the grant NPRP 08-777-1-141 from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of The Qatar Foundation).

  8. Enhancement of thermal stability of silver(I) acetylacetonate by platinum(II) acetylacetonate

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Křenek, T.; Kovářík, T.; Pola, M.; Jakubec, Ivo; Bezdička, Petr; Bastl, Zdeněk; Pokorná, Dana; Urbanová, Markéta; Galíková, Anna; Pola, Josef

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 554, FEB (2013), s. 1-7 ISSN 0040-6031 Institutional support: RVO:61388980 ; RVO:61388955 ; RVO:67985858 Keywords : thermal gravimetric analysis * differential scanning calorimetry * silver(I) acetylacetonate * platinum(II) acetylacetonate * enhancement of thermal stability Subject RIV: CA - Inorganic Chemistry; CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry (UFCH-W) Impact factor: 2.105, year: 2013

  9. Polyhedral Lyapunov functions structurally ensure global asymptotic stability of dynamical networks iff the Jacobian is non-singular

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blanchini, Franco; Giordano, G.

    2017-01-01

    For a vast class of dynamical networks, including chemical reaction networks (CRNs) with monotonic reaction rates, the existence of a polyhedral Lyapunov function (PLF) implies structural (i.e., parameter-free) local stability. Global structural stability is ensured under the additional

  10. Surface functionalization of microwave plasma-synthesized silica nanoparticles for enhancing the stability of dispersions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sehlleier, Yee Hwa; Abdali, Ali; Schnurre, Sophie Marie; Wiggers, Hartmut; Schulz, Christof

    2014-08-01

    Gas phase-synthesized silica nanoparticles were functionalized with three different silane coupling agents (SCAs) including amine, amine/phosphonate and octyltriethoxy functional groups and the stability of dispersions in polar and non-polar dispersing media such as water, ethanol, methanol, chloroform, benzene, and toluene was studied. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that all three SCAs are chemically attached to the surface of silica nanoparticles. Amine-functionalized particles using steric dispersion stabilization alone showed limited stability. Thus, an additional SCA with sufficiently long hydrocarbon chains and strong positively charged phosphonate groups was introduced in order to achieve electrosteric stabilization. Steric stabilization was successful with hydrophobic octyltriethoxy-functionalized silica nanoparticles in non-polar solvents. The results from dynamic light scattering measurements showed that in dispersions of amine/phosphonate- and octyltriethoxy-functionalized silica particles are dispersed on a primary particle level. Stable dispersions were successfully prepared from initially agglomerated nanoparticles synthesized in a microwave plasma reactor by designing the surface functionalization.

  11. Nonlinear flight dynamics and stability of hovering model insects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Bin; Sun, Mao

    2013-01-01

    Current analyses on insect dynamic flight stability are based on linear theory and limited to small disturbance motions. However, insects' aerial environment is filled with swirling eddies and wind gusts, and large disturbances are common. Here, we numerically solve the equations of motion coupled with the Navier–Stokes equations to simulate the large disturbance motions and analyse the nonlinear flight dynamics of hovering model insects. We consider two representative model insects, a model hawkmoth (large size, low wingbeat frequency) and a model dronefly (small size, high wingbeat frequency). For small and large initial disturbances, the disturbance motion grows with time, and the insects tumble and never return to the equilibrium state; the hovering flight is inherently (passively) unstable. The instability is caused by a pitch moment produced by forward/backward motion and/or a roll moment produced by side motion of the insect. PMID:23697714

  12. Feedback control stabilization of critical dynamics via resource transport on multilayer networks: How glia enable learning dynamics in the brain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Virkar, Yogesh S.; Shew, Woodrow L.; Restrepo, Juan G.; Ott, Edward

    2016-10-01

    Learning and memory are acquired through long-lasting changes in synapses. In the simplest models, such synaptic potentiation typically leads to runaway excitation, but in reality there must exist processes that robustly preserve overall stability of the neural system dynamics. How is this accomplished? Various approaches to this basic question have been considered. Here we propose a particularly compelling and natural mechanism for preserving stability of learning neural systems. This mechanism is based on the global processes by which metabolic resources are distributed to the neurons by glial cells. Specifically, we introduce and study a model composed of two interacting networks: a model neural network interconnected by synapses that undergo spike-timing-dependent plasticity; and a model glial network interconnected by gap junctions that diffusively transport metabolic resources among the glia and, ultimately, to neural synapses where they are consumed. Our main result is that the biophysical constraints imposed by diffusive transport of metabolic resources through the glial network can prevent runaway growth of synaptic strength, both during ongoing activity and during learning. Our findings suggest a previously unappreciated role for glial transport of metabolites in the feedback control stabilization of neural network dynamics during learning.

  13. Comparison of AMI-25 enhanced MRI and helical dynamic CT in the detection of hepatic lesions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saitou, Kazuhiro; Matsuda, Hiromichi; Fukushima, Hiroaki; Kanzaki, Hiroshi; Hirose, Takashi; Karizaki, Dai; Abe, Kimihiko; Amino, Saburou

    1994-01-01

    We performed AMI-25 enhanced MRI and helical dynamic CT in 12 cases of hepatic lesions. Nine of these were hepatocellular carcinomas. Two cases were metastatic liver tumors (the primary lesion was gastric in one and the other was gallbladder cancer). One case was suspected to be adenomatous hyperplasia. Thirty-two lesions were detected in T2-weighted SE images before AMI-25 administration, while 46 lesions were detected in AMI-25 enhanced MRI images. In particular, AMI-25 enhanced MRI was superior to plain MRI in lesions less than 10 mm in size. A total of 48 lesions were detected in helical dynamic CT. Although AMI-25 enhanced MRI almost equaled helical dynamic CT in the detection of liver tumors, helical dynamic CT was slightly superior to AMI-25 enhanced MRI in the detection of subphrenic lesions. It was possible to know the hemodynamics in each hepatic lesion by helical dynamic CT. AMI-25 enhanced MRI was useful to know the inclusion of reticuloendothelial system, and that yielded different diagnoses in adenomatous hyperplasia and well differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma. Helical dynamic CT was useful for qualitative diagnosis. Both AMI-25 enhanced MRI and helical dynamic CT contributed to the detection of liver tumor and qualitative diagnosis. (author)

  14. Stability Result For Dynamic Inversion Devised to Control Large Flexible Aircraft

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gregory, Irene M.

    2001-01-01

    High performance aircraft of the future will be designed lighter, more maneuverable, and operate over an ever expanding flight envelope. One of the largest differences from the flight control perspective between current and future advanced aircraft is elasticity. Over the last decade, dynamic inversion methodology has gained considerable popularity in application to highly maneuverable fighter aircraft, which were treated as rigid vehicles. This paper is an initial attempt to establish global stability results for dynamic inversion methodology as applied to a large, flexible aircraft. This work builds on a previous result for rigid fighter aircraft and adds a new level of complexity that is the flexible aircraft dynamics, which cannot be ignored even in the most basic flight control. The results arise from observations of the control laws designed for a new generation of the High-Speed Civil Transport aircraft.

  15. Structural Design Optimization of a Tiltrotor Aircraft Composite Wing to Enhance Whirl Flutter Stability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kim, Taeseong; Kim, Jaehoon; Shin, Sang Joon

    2013-01-01

    In order to enhance the aeroelastic stability of a tiltrotor aircraft, a structural optimization framework is developed by applying a multi-level optimization approach. Each optimization level is designed to achieve a different purpose; therefore, relevant optimization schemes are selected for each...... level. Enhancement of the aeroelastic stability is selected as an objective in the upper-level optimization. This is achieved by seeking the optimal structural properties of a composite wing, including its mass, vertical, chordwise, and torsional stiffness. In the upper-level optimization, the response...... surface method (RSM), is selected. On the other hand, lower-level optimization seeks to determine the local detailed cross-sectional parameters, such as the ply orientation angles and ply thickness, which are relevant to the wing structural properties obtained at the upper-level. To avoid manufacturing...

  16. Atmospheric stability analysis over statically and dynamically rough surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maric, Emina; Metzger, Meredith; Singha, Arindam; Sadr, Reza

    2011-11-01

    The ratio of buoyancy flux to turbulent kinetic energy production in the atmospheric surface layer is investigated experimentally for air flow over two types of surfaces characterized by static and dynamic roughness. In this study, ``static'' refers to the time-invariant nature of naturally-occurring roughness over a mud/salt playa; while, ``dynamic'' refers to the behavior of water waves along an air-water interface. In both cases, time-resolved measurements of the momentum and heat fluxes were acquired from synchronized 3D sonic anemometers mounted on a vertical tower. Field campaigns were conducted at two sites, representing the ``statically'' and ``dynamically'' rough surfaces, respectively: (1) the SLTEST facility in Utah's western desert, and (2) the new Doha airport in Qatar under construction along the coast of the Persian Gulf. Note, at site 2, anemometers were located directly above the water by extension from a tower secured to the end of a 1 km-long pier. Comparisons of the Monin-Obukhov length, flux Richardson number, and gradient Richardson number are presented, and discussed in the context of the observed evolution of the turbulent spectra in response to diurnal variations of atmospheric stability. Supported by the Qatar National Research Fund.

  17. Dynamic Stabilization of Metal Oxide–Water Interfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McBriarty, Martin E.; von Rudorff, Guido Falk; Stubbs, Joanne E.; Eng, Peter J.; Blumberger, Jochen; Rosso, Kevin M.

    2017-02-08

    The interaction of water with metal oxide surfaces plays a crucial role in the catalytic and geochemical behavior of metal oxides. In a vast majority of studies, the interfacial structure is assumed to arise from a relatively static lowest energy configuration of atoms, even at room temperature. Using hematite (α-Fe2O3) as a model oxide, we show through a direct comparison of in situ synchrotron X-ray scattering with density functional theory-based molecular dynamics simulations that the structure of the (1102) termination is dynamically stabilized by picosecond water exchange. Simulations show frequent exchanges between terminal aquo groups and adsorbed water in locations and with partial residence times consistent with experimentally determined atomic sites and fractional occupancies. Frequent water exchange occurs even for an ultrathin adsorbed water film persisting on the surface under a dry atmosphere. The resulting time-averaged interfacial structure consists of a ridged lateral arrangement of adsorbed water molecules hydrogen bonded to terminal aquo groups. Surface pKa prediction based on bond valence analysis suggests that water exchange will influence the proton-transfer reactions underlying the acid/base reactivity at the interface. Our findings provide important new insights for understanding complex interfacial chemical processes at metal oxide–water interfaces.

  18. Dynamic modeling method for infrared smoke based on enhanced discrete phase model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhendong; Yang, Chunling; Zhang, Yan; Zhu, Hongbo

    2018-03-01

    The dynamic modeling of infrared (IR) smoke plays an important role in IR scene simulation systems and its accuracy directly influences the system veracity. However, current IR smoke models cannot provide high veracity, because certain physical characteristics are frequently ignored in fluid simulation; simplifying the discrete phase as a continuous phase and ignoring the IR decoy missile-body spinning. To address this defect, this paper proposes a dynamic modeling method for IR smoke, based on an enhanced discrete phase model (DPM). A mathematical simulation model based on an enhanced DPM is built and a dynamic computing fluid mesh is generated. The dynamic model of IR smoke is then established using an extended equivalent-blackbody-molecule model. Experiments demonstrate that this model realizes a dynamic method for modeling IR smoke with higher veracity.

  19. Preparation and Stability of Inorganic Solidified Foam for Preventing Coal Fires

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Botao Qin

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Inorganic solidified foam (ISF is a novel material for preventing coal fires. This paper presents the preparation process and working principle of main installations. Besides, aqueous foam with expansion ratio of 28 and 30 min drainage rate of 13% was prepared. Stability of foam fluid was studied in terms of stability coefficient, by varying water-slurry ratio, fly ash replacement ratio of cement, and aqueous foam volume alternatively. Light microscope was utilized to analyze the dynamic change of bubble wall of foam fluid and stability principle was proposed. In order to further enhance the stability of ISF, different dosage of calcium fluoroaluminate was added to ISF specimens whose stability coefficient was tested and change of hydration products was detected by scanning electron microscope (SEM. The outcomes indicated that calcium fluoroaluminate could enhance the stability coefficient of ISF and compact hydration products formed in cell wall of ISF; naturally, the stability principle of ISF was proved right. Based on above-mentioned experimental contents, ISF with stability coefficient of 95% and foam expansion ratio of 5 was prepared, which could sufficiently satisfy field process requirements on plugging air leakage and thermal insulation.

  20. Dynamic-Stability Characteristics of Premixed Methane Oxy-Combustion

    KAUST Repository

    Shroll, Andrew P.

    2012-01-01

    This work explores the dynamic stability characteristics of premixed CH 4/O 2/CO 2 mixtures in a 50 kW swirl stabilized combustor. In all cases, the methane-oxygen mixture is stoichiometric, with different dilution levels of carbon dioxide used to control the flame temperature (T ad). For the highest T ad\\'s, the combustor is unstable at the first harmonic of the combustor\\'s natural frequency. As the temperature is reduced, the combustor jumps to fundamental mode and then to a low-frequency mode whose value is well below the combustor\\'s natural frequency, before eventually reaching blowoff. Similar to the case of CH 4/air mixtures, the transition from one mode to another is predominantly a function of the T ad of the reactive mixture, despite significant differences in laminar burning velocity and/or strained flame consumption speed between air and oxy-fuel mixtures for a given T ad. High speed images support this finding by revealing similar vortex breakdown modes and thus similar turbulent flame geometries that change as a function of flame temperature. Copyright © 2012 American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

  1. Tuning of tool dynamics for increased stability of parallel (simultaneous) turning processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozturk, E.; Comak, A.; Budak, E.

    2016-01-01

    Parallel (simultaneous) turning operations make use of more than one cutting tool acting on a common workpiece offering potential for higher productivity. However, dynamic interaction between the tools and workpiece and resulting chatter vibrations may create quality problems on machined surfaces. In order to determine chatter free cutting process parameters, stability models can be employed. In this paper, stability of parallel turning processes is formulated in frequency and time domain for two different parallel turning cases. Predictions of frequency and time domain methods demonstrated reasonable agreement with each other. In addition, the predicted stability limits are also verified experimentally. Simulation and experimental results show multi regional stability diagrams which can be used to select most favorable set of process parameters for higher stable material removal rates. In addition to parameter selection, developed models can be used to determine the best natural frequency ratio of tools resulting in the highest stable depth of cuts. It is concluded that the most stable operations are obtained when natural frequency of the tools are slightly off each other and worst stability occurs when the natural frequency of the tools are exactly the same.

  2. Static and dynamic stability results for a class of three-dimensional configurations of Kirchhoff elastic rods

    KAUST Repository

    Majumdar, Apala

    2013-06-01

    We analyze the dynamical stability of a naturally straight, inextensible and unshearable elastic rod, under tension and controlled end rotation, within the Kirchhoff model in three dimensions. The cases of clamped boundary conditions and isoperimetric constraints are treated separately. We obtain explicit criteria for the static stability of arbitrary extrema of a general quadratic strain energy. We exploit the equivalence between the total energy and a suitably defined norm to prove that local minimizers of the strain energy, under explicit hypotheses, are stable in the dynamic sense due to Liapounov. We also extend our analysis to damped systems to show that static equilibria are dynamically stable in the Liapounov sense, in the presence of a suitably defined local drag force. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Peptide insertion, positioning, and stabilization in a membrane: insight from an all-atom molecular dynamics simulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babakhani, Arneh; Gorfe, Alemayehu A; Gullingsrud, Justin; Kim, Judy E; Andrew McCammon, J

    Peptide insertion, positioning, and stabilization in a model membrane are probed via an all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. One peptide (WL5) is simulated in each leaflet of a solvated dimyristoylglycero-3-phosphate (DMPC) membrane. Within the first 5 ns, the peptides spontaneously insert into the membrane and then stabilize during the remaining 70 ns of simulation time. In both leaflets, the peptides localize to the membrane interface, and this localization is attributed to the formation of peptide-lipid hydrogen bonds. We show that the single tryptophan residue in each peptide contributes significantly to these hydrogen bonds; specifically, the nitrogen heteroatom of the indole ring plays a critical role. The tilt angles of the indole rings relative to the membrane normal in the upper and lower leaflets are approximately 26 degrees and 54 degrees , respectively. The tilt angles of the entire peptide chain are 62 degrees and 74 degrees . The membrane induces conformations of the peptide that are characteristic of beta-sheets, and the peptide enhances the lipid ordering in the membrane. Finally, the diffusion rate of the peptides in the membrane plane is calculated (based on experimental peptide concentrations) to be approximately 6 A(2)/ns, thus suggesting a 500 ns time scale for intermolecular interactions.

  4. Dispersal and metapopulation stability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shaopeng Wang

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Metapopulation dynamics are jointly regulated by local and spatial factors. These factors may affect the dynamics of local populations and of the entire metapopulation differently. Previous studies have shown that dispersal can stabilize local populations; however, as dispersal also tends to increase spatial synchrony, its net effect on metapopulation stability has been controversial. Here we present a simple metapopulation model to study how dispersal, in interaction with other spatial and local processes, affects the temporal variability of metapopulations in a stochastic environment. Our results show that in homogeneous metapopulations, the local stabilizing and spatial synchronizing effects of dispersal cancel each other out, such that dispersal has no effect on metapopulation variability. This result is robust to moderate heterogeneities in local and spatial parameters. When local and spatial dynamics exhibit high heterogeneities, however, dispersal can either stabilize or destabilize metapopulation dynamics through various mechanisms. Our findings have important theoretical and practical implications. We show that dispersal functions as a form of spatial intraspecific mutualism in metapopulation dynamics and that its effect on metapopulation stability is opposite to that of interspecific competition on local community stability. Our results also suggest that conservation corridors should be designed with appreciation of spatial heterogeneities in population dynamics in order to maximize metapopulation stability.

  5. Influence of the swing ankle angle on walking stability for a passive dynamic walking robot with flat feet

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xizhe Zang

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available To achieve high walking stability for a passive dynamic walking robot is not easy. In this article, we aim to investigate whether the walking performance for a passive dynamic walking robot can be improved by just simply changing the swing ankle angle before impact. To validate this idea, a passive bipedal walking model with two straight legs, two flat feet, a hip joint, and two ankle joints was built in this study. The walking dynamics that contains double stance phase was derived. By numerical simulation of the walking in MATLAB, we found that the walking performance can be adjusted effectively by only simply changing the swing ankle angle before impact. A bigger swing ankle angle in a reasonable range will lead to a higher walking stability and a lower initial walking speed of the next step. A bigger swing ankle angle before impact leads to a bigger amount of energy lost during impact for the quasi-passive dynamic walking robot which will influence the walking stability of the next step.

  6. Conceptual Design Optimization of an Augmented Stability Aircraft Incorporating Dynamic Response and Actuator Constraints

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welstead, Jason; Crouse, Gilbert L., Jr.

    2014-01-01

    Empirical sizing guidelines such as tail volume coefficients have long been used in the early aircraft design phases for sizing stabilizers, resulting in conservatively stable aircraft. While successful, this results in increased empty weight, reduced performance, and greater procurement and operational cost relative to an aircraft with optimally sized surfaces. Including flight dynamics in the conceptual design process allows the design to move away from empirical methods while implementing modern control techniques. A challenge of flight dynamics and control is the numerous design variables, which are changing fluidly throughout the conceptual design process, required to evaluate the system response to some disturbance. This research focuses on addressing that challenge not by implementing higher order tools, such as computational fluid dynamics, but instead by linking the lower order tools typically used within the conceptual design process so each discipline feeds into the other. In thisresearch, flight dynamics and control was incorporated into the conceptual design process along with the traditional disciplines of vehicle sizing, weight estimation, aerodynamics, and performance. For the controller, a linear quadratic regulator structure with constant gains has been specified to reduce the user input. Coupling all the disciplines in the conceptual design phase allows the aircraft designer to explore larger design spaces where stabilizers are sized according to dynamic response constraints rather than historical static margin and volume coefficient guidelines.

  7. Advanced numerical methods for uncertainty reduction when predicting heat exchanger dynamic stability limits: Review and perspectives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Longatte, E.; Baj, F.; Hoarau, Y.; Braza, M.; Ruiz, D.; Canteneur, C.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Proposal of hybrid computational methods for investigating dynamical system stability. ► Modeling turbulence disequilibrium due to interaction with moving solid boundaries. ► Providing computational procedure for large size system solution approximation through model reduction. -- Abstract: This article proposes a review of recent and current developments in the modeling and advanced numerical methods used to simulate large-size systems involving multi-physics in the field of mechanics. It addresses the complex issue of stability analysis of dynamical systems submitted to external turbulent flows and aims to establish accurate stability maps applicable to heat exchanger design. The purpose is to provide dimensionless stability limit modeling that is suitable for a variety of configurations and is as accurate as possible in spite of the large scale of the systems to be considered. The challenge lies in predicting local effects that may impact global systems. A combination of several strategies that are suited concurrently to multi-physics, multi-scale and large-size system computation is therefore required. Based on empirical concepts, the heuristic models currently used in the framework of standard stability analysis suffer from a lack of predictive capabilities. On the other hand, numerical approaches based on fully-coupled fluid–solid dynamics system computation remain expensive due to the multi-physics patterns of physics and the large number of degrees of freedom involved. In this context, since experimentation cannot be achieved and numerical simulation is unavoidable but prohibitive, a hybrid strategy is proposed in order to take advantage of both numerical local solutions and empirical global solutions

  8. Adult's Degenerative Scoliosis: Midterm Results of Dynamic Stabilization without Fusion in Elderly Patients—Is It Effective?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Silvestre, Mario; Lolli, Francesco; Greggi, Tiziana; Vommaro, Francesco; Baioni, Andrea

    2013-01-01

    Study Design. A retrospective study. Purpose. Posterolateral fusion with pedicle screw instrumentation used for degenerative lumbar scoliosis can lead to several complications. In elderly patients without sagittal imbalance, dynamic stabilization could represent an option to avoid these adverse events. Methods. 57 patients treated by dynamic stabilization without fusion were included. All patients had degenerative lumbar de novo scoliosis (average Cobb angle 17.2°), without sagittal imbalance, associated in 52 cases (91%) with vertebral canal stenosis and in 24 (42%) with degenerative spondylolisthesis. Nineteen patients (33%) had previously undergone lumbar spinal surgery. Results. At an average followup of 77 months, clinical results improved with statistical significance. Scoliosis Cobb angle was 17.2° (range, 12° to 38°) before surgery and 11.3° (range, 4° to 26°) at last follow-up. In the patients with associated spondylolisthesis, anterior vertebral translation was 19.5% (range, 12% to 27%) before surgery, 16.7% (range, 0% to 25%) after surgery, and 17.5% (range, 0% to 27%) at followup. Complications incidence was low (14%), and few patients required revision surgery (4%). Conclusions. In elderly patients with mild degenerative lumbar scoliosis without sagittal imbalance, pedicle screw-based dynamic stabilization is an effective option, with low complications incidence, granting curve stabilization during time and satisfying clinical results. PMID:23781342

  9. Engineering bright solitons to enhance the stability of two-component Bose–Einstein condensates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radha, R.; Vinayagam, P.S.; Sudharsan, J.B.; Liu, Wu-Ming; Malomed, Boris A.

    2015-01-01

    We consider a system of coupled Gross–Pitaevskii (GP) equations describing a binary quasi-one-dimensional Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) with intrinsic time-dependent attractive interactions, placed in a time-dependent expulsive parabolic potential, in a special case when the system is integrable (a deformed Manakov's system). Since the nonlinearity in the integrable system which represents binary attractive interactions exponentially decays with time, solitons are also subject to decay. Nevertheless, it is shown that the robustness of bright solitons can be enhanced in this system, making their respective lifetime longer, by matching the time dependence of the interaction strength (adjusted with the help of the Feshbach-resonance management) to the time modulation of the strength of the parabolic potential. The analytical results, and their stability, are corroborated by numerical simulations. In particular, we demonstrate that the addition of random noise does not impact the stability of the solitons. - Highlights: • We formulate a versatile mechanism to enhance the lifetime of vectorial condensates employing Feshbach Resonance. • Vectorial condensates in a transient harmonic trap are more long lived compared to their counterpart in a time independent harmonic trap. • Corroborate the exact analytical results with numerical simulations. • Addition of random noise does not impact the stability of vector BECs.

  10. Engineering bright solitons to enhance the stability of two-component Bose–Einstein condensates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Radha, R., E-mail: radha_ramaswamy@yahoo.com [Centre for Nonlinear Science, PG and Research Dept. of Physics, Govt. College for Women (Autonomous), Kumbakonam 612001 (India); Vinayagam, P.S.; Sudharsan, J.B. [Centre for Nonlinear Science, PG and Research Dept. of Physics, Govt. College for Women (Autonomous), Kumbakonam 612001 (India); Liu, Wu-Ming, E-mail: wmliu@iphy.ac.cn [Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing-100190 (China); Malomed, Boris A., E-mail: malomed@post.tau.ac.il [Department of Physical Electronics, School of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978 (Israel)

    2015-12-04

    We consider a system of coupled Gross–Pitaevskii (GP) equations describing a binary quasi-one-dimensional Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) with intrinsic time-dependent attractive interactions, placed in a time-dependent expulsive parabolic potential, in a special case when the system is integrable (a deformed Manakov's system). Since the nonlinearity in the integrable system which represents binary attractive interactions exponentially decays with time, solitons are also subject to decay. Nevertheless, it is shown that the robustness of bright solitons can be enhanced in this system, making their respective lifetime longer, by matching the time dependence of the interaction strength (adjusted with the help of the Feshbach-resonance management) to the time modulation of the strength of the parabolic potential. The analytical results, and their stability, are corroborated by numerical simulations. In particular, we demonstrate that the addition of random noise does not impact the stability of the solitons. - Highlights: • We formulate a versatile mechanism to enhance the lifetime of vectorial condensates employing Feshbach Resonance. • Vectorial condensates in a transient harmonic trap are more long lived compared to their counterpart in a time independent harmonic trap. • Corroborate the exact analytical results with numerical simulations. • Addition of random noise does not impact the stability of vector BECs.

  11. Stability and Control of Large-Scale Dynamical Systems A Vector Dissipative Systems Approach

    CERN Document Server

    Haddad, Wassim M

    2011-01-01

    Modern complex large-scale dynamical systems exist in virtually every aspect of science and engineering, and are associated with a wide variety of physical, technological, environmental, and social phenomena, including aerospace, power, communications, and network systems, to name just a few. This book develops a general stability analysis and control design framework for nonlinear large-scale interconnected dynamical systems, and presents the most complete treatment on vector Lyapunov function methods, vector dissipativity theory, and decentralized control architectures. Large-scale dynami

  12. Locomotor Stability in a Model Swimmer: Coupling Fluid Dynamics, Neurophysiology and Muscle Mechanics

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-07-05

    SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: We use multiscale modeling and computational fluid dynamics to examine the stability of a swimming organism in the face of...information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and

  13. Study on Enhancement Principle and Stabilization for the Luminol-H2O2-HRP Chemiluminescence System.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lihua Yang

    Full Text Available A luminol-H2O2-HRP chemiluminescence system with high relative luminescent intensity (RLU and long stabilization time was investigated. First, the comparative study on the enhancement effect of ten compounds as enhancers to the luminol-H2O2-HRP chemiluminescence system was carried out, and the results showed that 4-(imidazol-1-ylphenol (4-IMP, 4-iodophenol (4-IOP, 4-bromophenol (4-BOP and 4-hydroxy-4'-iodobiphenyl (HIOP had the best performance. Based on the experiment, the four enhancers were dissolved in acetone, acetonitrile, methanol, and dimethylformamide (DMF with various concentrations, the results indicated that 4-IMP, 4-IOP, 4-BOP and HIOP dissolved in DMF with the concentrations of 0.2%, 3.2%, 1.6% and 3.2% could get the highest RLU values. Subsequently, the influences of pH, ionic strength, HRP, 4-IMP, 4-IOP, 4-BOP, HIOP, H2O2 and luminol on the stabilization of the luminol-H2O2-HRP chemiluminescence system were studied, and we found that pH value, ionic strength, 4-IMP, 4-IOP, 4-BOP, HIOP, H2O2 and luminol have little influence on luminescent stabilization, while HRP has a great influence. In different ranges of HRP concentration, different enhancers should be selected. When the concentration is within the range of 0~6 ng/mL, 4-IMP should be selected. When the concentration of HRP ranges from 6 to 25 ng/mL, 4-IOP was the best choice. And when the concentration is within the range of 25~80 ng/mL, HIOP should be selected as the enhancer. Finally, the three well-performing chemiluminescent enhanced solutions (CESs have been further optimized according to the three enhancers (4-IMP, 4-IOP and HIOP in their utilized HRP concentration ranges.

  14. Simplified distributed parameters BWR dynamic model for transient and stability analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Espinosa-Paredes, Gilberto; Nunez-Carrera, Alejandro; Vazquez-Rodriguez, Alejandro

    2006-01-01

    This paper describes a simplified model to perform transient and linear stability analysis for a typical boiling water reactor (BWR). The simplified transient model was based in lumped and distributed parameters approximations, which includes vessel dome and the downcomer, recirculation loops, neutron process, fuel pin temperature distribution, lower and upper plenums reactor core and pressure and level controls. The stability was determined by studying the linearized versions of the equations representing the BWR system in the frequency domain. Numerical examples are used to illustrate the wide application of the simplified BWR model. We concluded that this simplified model describes properly the dynamic of a BWR and can be used for safety analysis or as a first approach in the design of an advanced BWR

  15. Hollow wall to stabilize and enhance ignition hohlraums

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vandenboomgaerde, M.; Grisollet, A.; Bonnefille, M.; Clérouin, J.; Arnault, P.; Desbiens, N.; Videau, L.

    2018-01-01

    In the context of the indirect-drive scheme of the inertial-confinement fusion, performance of the gas-filled hohlraums at the National Ignition Facility appears to be reduced. Experiments ascertain a limited efficacy of the laser beam propagation and x-ray conversion. One identified issue is the growth of the gold plasma plume (or bubble) which is generated near the ends of the hohlraum by the impact of the laser beams. This bubble impedes the laser propagation towards the equator of the hohlraum. Furthermore, for high foot or low foot laser pulses, the gold-gas interface of the bubble can be unstable. If this instability should grow to mixing, the x-ray conversion could be degraded. A novel hollow-walled hohlraum is designed, which drastically reduces the growth of the gold bubble and stabilizes the gold-gas interface. The hollow walls are built from the combination of a thin gold foil and a gold domed-wall. We theoretically explain how the bubble expansion can be delayed and the gold-gas interface stabilized. This advanced design lets the laser beams reach the waist of the hohlraum. As a result, the x-ray drive on the capsule is enhanced, and more spherical implosions are obtained. Furthermore, this design only requires intermediate gas fill density to be efficient.

  16. Statistical Characteristics of Solar Wind Dynamic Pressure Enhancements During Geomagnetic Storms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C.-R. Choi

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Solar wind dynamic pressure enhancements are known to cause various types of disturbances to the magnetosphere. In particular, dynamic pressure enhancements may affect the evolution of magnetic storms when they occur during storm times. In this paper, we have investigated the statistical significance and features of dynamic pressure enhancements during magnetic storm times. For the investigation, we have used a total of 91 geomagnetic storms for 2001-2003, for which the Dst minimum (Dst_min is below -50 nT. Also, we have imposed a set of selection criteria for a pressure enhancement to be considered an event: The main selection criterion is that the pressure increases by ≥50% or ≥3nPa within 30 min and remains to be elevated for 10 min or longer. For our statistical analysis, we define the storm time to be the interval from the main Dst decrease, through Dst_min, to the point where the Dst index recovers by 50%. Our main results are summarized as follows. (i ~81% of the studied storms indicate at least one event of pressure enhancements. When averaged over all the 91 storms, the occurrence rate is 4.5 pressure enhancement events per storm and 0.15 pressure enhancement events per hour. (ii The occurrence rate of the pressure enhancements is about three times higher for CME-driven storm times than for CIR-driven storm times. (iii Only 21.1% of the pressure enhancements show a clear association with an interplanetary shock. (iv A large number of the pressure enhancement events are accompanied with a simultaneous change of IMF By and/or Bz: For example, 73.5% of the pressure enhancement events are associated with an IMF change of either |∆Bz|>2nT or |∆By|>2nT. This last finding suggests that one should consider possible interplay effects between the simultaneous pressure and IMF changes in many situations.

  17. Gadolinium-enhanced dynamic magnetic resonance imaging with endorectal coil for local staging of rectal cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tamakawa, Mitsuharu; Kawaai, Yuriko; Shirase, Ryuji

    2010-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of dynamic gadolinium (Gd)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with endorectal coil for assessing tumor invasion based on simple classification criteria. A total of 58 patients with operable primary rectal cancer underwent preoperative MRI. An enhancement pattern in Gd-enhanced dynamic MRI with regard to tumor penetration was clarified. Retrospectively, two observers independently scored T2-weighted MRI and T2-weighted MRI combined with Gd-enhanced dynamic MRI for tumor penetration using the following criteria: With Gd-enhanced dynamic MRI, T1 tumors showed an early enhanced line around the tumor as rim enhancement; T2 tumors appeared as black lines or double layers, as the muscularis propria kept its integrity; T3 tumors showed partial discontinuity of the muscularis propria as a dotted line and a perforated area as an interrupted line. A confidence level scoring system was used, and receiver operating characteristic curves were generated. There were no significant differences at the T1 stage. There were significant differences for observer 1 (P=0.001 for observer 1) at the T2 stage. There were significant differences for both observers (P=0.001 for observer 1 and P=0.005 for observer 2) at the T3 stage. Our criteria for Gd-enhanced dynamic MRI were effective for T3 stage tumors. (author)

  18. Thulium oxide fuel characterization study: Part 2, Environmental behavior and mechanical, thermal and chemical stability enhancement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, C.A.

    1970-12-01

    A study was performed of the correlation between fuel form stability and exposure environment of (temperature and atmosphere). 100% Tm 2 O 3 , 80% Tm 2 O 3 /20% Yb 2 O 3 and 100% Yb 2 O 3 wafers were subjected to air, dynamic vacuum and static vacuum at temperatures to 2000 0 C for times to 100 hours. Results showed the Tm 2 O 3 /Yb 2 O 3 cubic structure to be unaffected by elemental levels of iron, aluminum, magnesium and silicon and unaffected by the environmental conditions imposed on the wafers. A second task emphasized the optimization of the thermal, mechanical and chemical stability of Tm 2 O 3 fuel forms. Enhancement was sought through process variable optimization and the addition of metal oxides to Tm 2 O 3 . CaO, TiO 2 and Al 2 O 3 were added to form a grain boundary precipitate to control fines generation. The presence of 1% additive was inadequate to depress the melting point of Tm 2 O 3 or to change the cubic crystalline structure of Tm 2 O 3 /Yb 2 O 3 . Tm 2 O 3 /Yb 2 O 3 wafers containing CaO developed a grain boundary phase that improved the resistance to fines generation. The presence of Yb 2 O 3 did not appear to measurably influence behavior

  19. Solid Waste Biodegradation Enhancements and the Evaluation of Analytical Methods Used to Predict Waste Stability

    OpenAIRE

    Kelly, Ryan J.

    2002-01-01

    Conventional landfills are built to dispose of the increasing amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) generated each year. A relatively new type of landfill, called a bioreactor landfill, is designed to optimize the biodegradation of the contained waste to stabilized products. Landfills with stabilized waste pose little threat to the environment from ozone depleting gases and groundwater contamination. Limited research has been done to determine the importance of biodegradation enhancement tech...

  20. Moduli stabilization and uplifting with dynamically generated F-terms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dudas, Emilian; Papineau, Chloe; Pokorski, Stefan

    2007-01-01

    We use the F-term dynamical supersymmetry breaking models with metastable vacua in order to uplift the vacuum energy in the KKLT moduli stabilization scenario. The main advantage compared to earlier proposals is the manifest supersymmetric treatment and the natural coexistence of a TeV gravitino mass with a zero cosmological constant. We argue that it is generically difficult to avoid anti de-Sitter supersymmetric minima, however the tunneling rate from the metastable vacuum with zero vacuum energy towards them can be very suppressed. We briefly comment on the properties of the induced soft terms in the observable sector

  1. Moduli stabilization and uplifting with dynamically generated F-terms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dudas, Emilian [CERN Theory Division, CH-1211, Geneva 23 (Switzerland); Papineau, Chloe [CPhT, Ecole Polytechnique, F-91128 Palaiseau Cedex (France); Pokorski, Stefan [Institute of Theoretical Physics, Univ. of Warsaw, 00-681 Warsaw (Poland)

    2007-02-15

    We use the F-term dynamical supersymmetry breaking models with metastable vacua in order to uplift the vacuum energy in the KKLT moduli stabilization scenario. The main advantage compared to earlier proposals is the manifest supersymmetric treatment and the natural coexistence of a TeV gravitino mass with a zero cosmological constant. We argue that it is generically difficult to avoid anti de-Sitter supersymmetric minima, however the tunneling rate from the metastable vacuum with zero vacuum energy towards them can be very suppressed. We briefly comment on the properties of the induced soft terms in the observable sector.

  2. PDF and cAMP enhance PER stability in Drosophila clock neurons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yue; Guo, Fang; Shen, James; Rosbash, Michael

    2014-01-01

    The neuropeptide PDF is important for Drosophila circadian rhythms: pdf01 (pdf-null) animals are mostly arrhythmic or short period in constant darkness and have an advanced activity peak in light–dark conditions. PDF contributes to the amplitude, synchrony, as well as the pace of circadian rhythms within clock neurons. PDF is known to increase cAMP levels in PDR receptor (PDFR)-containing neurons. However, there is no known connection of PDF or of cAMP with the Drosophila molecular clockworks. We discovered that the mutant period gene perS ameliorates the phenotypes of pdf-null flies. The period protein (PER) is a well-studied repressor of clock gene transcription, and the perS protein (PERS) has a markedly short half-life. The result therefore suggests that the PDF-mediated increase in cAMP might lengthen circadian period by directly enhancing PER stability. Indeed, increasing cAMP levels and cAMP-mediated protein kinase A (PKA) activity stabilizes PER, in S2 tissue culture cells and in fly circadian neurons. Adding PDF to fly brains in vitro has a similar effect. Consistent with these relationships, a light pulse causes more prominent PER degradation in pdf01 circadian neurons than in wild-type neurons. The results indicate that PDF contributes to clock neuron synchrony by increasing cAMP and PKA, which enhance PER stability and decrease clock speed in intrinsically fast-paced PDFR-containing clock neurons. We further suggest that the more rapid degradation of PERS bypasses PKA regulation and makes the pace of clock neurons more uniform, allowing them to avoid much of the asynchrony caused by the absence of PDF. PMID:24707054

  3. Dynamic respiration index as a descriptor of the biological stability of organic wastes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adani, Fabrizio; Confalonieri, Roberto; Tambone, Fulvia

    2004-01-01

    Analytical methods applicable to different organic wastes are needed to establish the extent to which readily biodegradable organic matter has decomposed (i.e., biological stability). The objective of this study was to test a new respirometric method for biological stability determination of organic wastes. Dynamic respiration index (DRI) measurements were performed on 16 organic wastes of different origin, composition, and biological stability degree to validate the test method and result expression, and to propose biological stability limits. In addition, theoretical DRI trends were obtained by using a mathematical model. Each test lasted 96 h in a 148-L-capacity respirometer apparatus, and DRI was monitored every hour. The biological stability was expressed as both single and cumulative DRI values. Results obtained indicated that DRI described biological stability in relation to waste typology and age well, revealing lower-stability waste characterized by a well-pronounced DRI profile (a marked peak was evident) that became practically flat for samples with higher biological stability. Fitting indices showed good model prediction compared with the experimental data, indicating that the method was able to reproduce the aerobic process, providing a reliable indication of the biological stability. The DRI can therefore be proposed as a useful method to measure the biological stability of organic wastes, and DRI values, calculated as a mean of 24 h of the highest microbial activity, of 1000 and 500 mg O(2) kg(-1) volatile solids (VS) h(-1) are proposed to indicate medium (e.g., fresh compost) and high (e.g., mature compost) biological stabilities, respectively.

  4. Synthesis and Characterisation of Biocompatible Polymer-Conjugated Magnetic Beads for Enhancement Stability of Urease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doğaç, Yasemin Ispirli; Teke, Mustafa

    2016-04-01

    We reported natural polymer-conjugated magnetic featured urease systems for removal of urea effectively. The optimum temperature (20-60 °C), optimum pH (3.0-10.0), kinetic parameters, thermal stability (4-70 °C), pH stability (4.0-9.0), operational stability (0-250 min), reusability (18 times) and storage stability (24 weeks) were studied for characterisation of the urease-encapsulated biocompatible polymer-conjugated magnetic beads. Also, the surface groups and chemical structure of the magnetic beads were determined by using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). The all urease-encapsulated magnetic beads protected their stability of 30-45 % relative activity at 70 °C. A significant increase was observed at their pH stability compared with the free urease for both acidic and alkaline medium. Besides this, their repeatability activity were approximately 100 % during 4(th) run. They showed residual activity of 50 % after 16 weeks. The importance of this work is enhancement stability of immobilised urease by biocompatible polymer-conjugated magnetic beads for the industrial application based on removal of urea.

  5. Asymptotic stability and blow up for a semilinear damped wave equation with dynamic boundary conditions

    KAUST Repository

    Gerbi, Stéphane

    2011-12-01

    In this paper we consider a multi-dimensional wave equation with dynamic boundary conditions, related to the KelvinVoigt damping. Global existence and asymptotic stability of solutions starting in a stable set are proved. Blow up for solutions of the problem with linear dynamic boundary conditions with initial data in the unstable set is also obtained. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Asymptotic stability and blow up for a semilinear damped wave equation with dynamic boundary conditions

    KAUST Repository

    Gerbi, Sté phane; Said-Houari, Belkacem

    2011-01-01

    In this paper we consider a multi-dimensional wave equation with dynamic boundary conditions, related to the KelvinVoigt damping. Global existence and asymptotic stability of solutions starting in a stable set are proved. Blow up for solutions of the problem with linear dynamic boundary conditions with initial data in the unstable set is also obtained. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Stability and Dynamic of strain mediated Adatom Superlattices on Cu<111>

    OpenAIRE

    Kappus, Wolfgang

    2012-01-01

    Substrate strain mediated adatom density distributions have been calculated for Cu surfaces. Complemented by Monte Carlo calculations a hexagonal close packaged adatom superlattice in a coverage range up to 0.045 ML is derived. Conditions for the stability of the superlattice against nucleation and degradation are analyzed using simple neighborhood models. Such models are also used to investigate the dynamic of adatoms within their superlattice neighborhood. Collective modes of adatom diffusi...

  8. The stability analysis of the nutrition restricted dynamic model of the microalgae biomass growth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ratianingsih, R.; Fitriani, Nacong, N.; Resnawati, Mardlijah, Widodo, B.

    2018-03-01

    The biomass production is very essential in microalgae farming such that its growth rate is very important to be determined. This paper proposes the dynamics model of it that restricted by its nutrition. The model is developed by considers some related processes that are photosynthesis, respiration, nutrition absorption, stabilization, lipid synthesis and CO2 mobilization. The stability of the dynamical system that represents the processes is analyzed using the Jacobian matrix of the linearized system in the neighborhood of its critical point. There is a lipid formation threshold needed to require its existence. In such case, the absorption rate of respiration process has to be inversely proportional to the absorption rate of CO2 due to photosynthesis process. The Pontryagin minimal principal also shows that there are some requirements needed to have a stable critical point, such as the rate of CO2 released rate, due to the stabilization process that is restricted by 50%, and the threshold of its shifted critical point. In case of the rate of CO2 released rate due to the photosynthesis process is restricted in such interval; the stability of the model at the critical point could not be satisfied anymore. The simulation shows that the external nutrition plays a role in glucose formation such that sufficient for the biomass growth and the lipid production.

  9. Enhancement of Frequency Stability Using Synchronization of a Cantilever Array for MEMS-Based Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesc Torres

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Micro and nano electromechanical resonators have been widely used as single or multiple-mass detection sensors. Smaller devices with higher resonance frequencies and lower masses offer higher mass responsivities but suffer from lower frequency stability. Synchronization phenomena in multiple MEMS resonators have become an important issue because they allow frequency stability improvement, thereby preserving mass responsivity. The authors present an array of five cantilevers (CMOS-MEMS system that are forced to vibrate synchronously to enhance their frequency stability. The frequency stability has been determined in closed-loop configuration for long periods of time by calculating the Allan deviation. An Allan deviation of 0.013 ppm (@ 1 s averaging time for a 1 MHz cantilever array MEMS system was obtained at the synchronized mode, which represents a 23-fold improvement in comparison with the non-synchronized operation mode (0.3 ppm.

  10. Identification of process dynamics. Stability monitoring in BWR type reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abrahamsson, P.; Hallgren, P.

    1991-06-01

    Identification of process dynamics is used for stability monitoring in nuclear reactors (Boiling Water Reactor). This report treats the problem of estimating a damping factor and a resonance frequency from the neutron flux as measured in the reactor. A new parametric online method for identification is derived and presented, and is shown to meet the requirements of stability monitoring. The technique for estimating the process parameters is based on a recursive lattice filter algorithm. The problem of time varying parameters and offset, as well as offline experiments and signal processing are treated. All parts are implemented in a realtime program, using the language C. In comparison with earlier identifications, the new way of estimating the damping factor is shown to work well. Estimates of both the damping factor and the resonance frequency show a stable and reliable behavior. Future development and improvements are also indicated. (au)

  11. Enhanced subliminal emotional responses to dynamic facial expressions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wataru eSato

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Emotional processing without conscious awareness plays an important role in human social interaction. Several behavioral studies reported that subliminal presentation of photographs of emotional facial expressions induces unconscious emotional processing. However, it was difficult to elicit strong and robust effects using this method. We hypothesized that dynamic presentations of facial expressions would enhance subliminal emotional effects and tested this hypothesis with two experiments. Fearful or happy facial expressions were presented dynamically or statically in either the left or the right visual field for 20 (Experiment 1 and 30 (Experiment 2 ms. Nonsense target ideographs were then presented, and participants reported their preference for them. The results consistently showed that dynamic presentations of emotional facial expressions induced more evident emotional biases toward subsequent targets than did static ones. These results indicate that dynamic presentations of emotional facial expressions induce more evident unconscious emotional processing.

  12. Simulation-based comparison of two approaches frequently used for dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zwick, Stefan; Brix, Gunnar; Tofts, Paul S.; Strecker, Ralph; Kopp-Schneider, Annette; Laue, Hendrik; Semmler, Wolfhard; Kiessling, Fabian

    2010-01-01

    The purpose was to compare two approaches for the acquisition and analysis of dynamic-contrast-enhanced MRI data with respect to differences in the modelling of the arterial input-function (AIF), the dependency of the model parameters on physiological parameters and their numerical stability. Eight hundred tissue concentration curves were simulated for different combinations of perfusion, permeability, interstitial volume and plasma volume based on two measured AIFs and analysed according to the two commonly used approaches. The transfer constants (Approach 1) K trans and (Approach 2) k ep were correlated with all tissue parameters. K trans showed a stronger dependency on perfusion, and k ep on permeability. The volume parameters (Approach 1) v e and (Approach 2) A were mainly influenced by the interstitial and plasma volume. Both approaches allow only rough characterisation of tissue microcirculation and microvasculature. Approach 2 seems to be somewhat more robust than 1, mainly due to the different methods of CA administration. (orig.)

  13. Does a crouched leg posture enhance running stability and robustness?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blum, Yvonne; Birn-Jeffery, Aleksandra; Daley, Monica A; Seyfarth, Andre

    2011-07-21

    Humans and birds both walk and run bipedally on compliant legs. However, differences in leg architecture may result in species-specific leg control strategies as indicated by the observed gait patterns. In this work, control strategies for stable running are derived based on a conceptual model and compared with experimental data on running humans and pheasants (Phasianus colchicus). From a model perspective, running with compliant legs can be represented by the planar spring mass model and stabilized by applying swing leg control. Here, linear adaptations of the three leg parameters, leg angle, leg length and leg stiffness during late swing phase are assumed. Experimentally observed kinematic control parameters (leg rotation and leg length change) of human and avian running are compared, and interpreted within the context of this model, with specific focus on stability and robustness characteristics. The results suggest differences in stability characteristics and applied control strategies of human and avian running, which may relate to differences in leg posture (straight leg posture in humans, and crouched leg posture in birds). It has been suggested that crouched leg postures may improve stability. However, as the system of control strategies is overdetermined, our model findings suggest that a crouched leg posture does not necessarily enhance running stability. The model also predicts different leg stiffness adaptation rates for human and avian running, and suggests that a crouched avian leg posture, which is capable of both leg shortening and lengthening, allows for stable running without adjusting leg stiffness. In contrast, in straight-legged human running, the preparation of the ground contact seems to be more critical, requiring leg stiffness adjustment to remain stable. Finally, analysis of a simple robustness measure, the normalized maximum drop, suggests that the crouched leg posture may provide greater robustness to changes in terrain height

  14. Theory and analysis of nonlinear dynamics and stability in storage rings: A working group summary

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chattopadhyay, S.; Audy, P.; Courant, E.D.

    1988-07-01

    A summary and commentary of the available theoretical and analytical tools and recent advances in the nonlinear dynamics, stability and aperture issues in storage rings are presented. 11 refs., 4 figs

  15. Abl N-terminal cap stabilization of SH3 domain dynamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Shugui; Dumitrescu, Teodora Pene; Smithgall, Thomas E; Engen, John R

    2008-05-27

    Crystal structures and other biochemical data indicate that the N-terminal cap (NCap) region of the Abelson tyrosine kinase (c-Abl) is important for maintaining the downregulated conformation of the kinase domain. The exact contributions that the NCap makes in stabilizing the various intramolecular interactions within c-Abl are less clear. While the NCap appears to be important for locking the SH3 and SH2 domains to the back of the kinase domain, there may be other more subtle elements of regulation. Hydrogen exchange (HX) and mass spectrometry (MS) were used to determine if the NCap contributes to intramolecular interactions involving the Abl SH3 domain. Under physiological conditions, the Abl SH3 domain underwent partial unfolding and its unfolding half-life was slowed during binding to the SH2 kinase linker, providing a unique assay for testing NCap-induced stabilization of the SH3 domain in various constructs. The results showed that the NCap stabilizes the dynamics of the SH3 domain in certain constructs but does not increase the relative affinity of the SH3 domain for the native SH2 kinase linker. The stabilization effect was absent in constructs of just the NCap and SH3 but was obvious when the SH2 domain and the SH2 kinase linker were present. These results suggest that interactions between the NCap and the SH3 domain can contribute to c-Abl stabilization in constructs that contain at least the SH2 domain, an effect that may partially compensate for the absence of the negative regulatory C-terminal tail found in the related Src family of kinases.

  16. Enhancing Economic Stability Utilizing the High Technologies in Community Colleges: A Case Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehnert, Barbara H.; Kurki, Allan W.

    Strategies to enhance the economic stability of community colleges through high technology approaches are discussed in this paper. First, general economic problems facing higher education are identified, and the ways in which they influence community colleges are described. Next, 10 strategies to aid in the economic recovery of community colleges…

  17. Enhanced coercivity thermal stability realized in Nd–Fe–B thin films diffusion-processed by Nd–Co alloys

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhong, Hui; Fu, Yanqing [Key laboratory of electromagnetic processing of materials (EPM), Ministry of Education, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819 (China); Department of Physics and Chemistry of Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819 (China); Li, Guojian; Liu, Tie [Key laboratory of electromagnetic processing of materials (EPM), Ministry of Education, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819 (China); Cui, Weibin, E-mail: cuiweibin@epm.neu.edu.cn [Key laboratory of electromagnetic processing of materials (EPM), Ministry of Education, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819 (China); Department of Physics and Chemistry of Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819 (China); Liu, Wei; Zhang, Zhidong [Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research (IMR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shenyang 110016 (China); Wang, Qiang, E-mail: wangq@mail.neu.edu.cn [Key laboratory of electromagnetic processing of materials (EPM), Ministry of Education, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819 (China)

    2017-03-15

    A proposed Nd{sub 2}Fe{sub 14}B-core/Nd{sub 2}(Fe, Co){sub 14}B-shell microstructure was realized by diffusion-processing textured Nd{sub 14}Fe{sub 77}B{sub 9} single-layer film with Nd{sub 100−x}Co{sub x} (x=10, 20 and 40) alloys to improve the coercivity thermal stability. The ambient coercivity was increased from around 1 T in single-layer film to nearly 2 T in diffusion-processed films, which was due to the Nd-rich grain boundaries as seen from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. The coercivity thermal stability was improved by the core/shell microstructure because Nd-rich grain boundaries provided the high ambient coercivity and Co-rich shell provided the improved coercivity stability. - Highlights: • Core–shell microstructure proposed for enhancing the coercivity thermal stability. • Coercivity enhanced to nearly 2 T by diffusion-processing with Nd–Co alloy. • Good squareness and highly textured microstructure obtained. • Nd-rich phases observed by TEM after diffusion process. • Coercivity thermal stability improved with minor Co addition in grain boundary regions.

  18. Stability mechanisms of a thermophilic laccase probed by molecular dynamics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Niels Johan; Kepp, Kasper Planeta

    2013-01-01

    Laccases are highly stable, industrially important enzymes capable of oxidizing a large range of substrates. Causes for their stability are, as for other proteins, poorly understood. In this work, multiple-seed molecular dynamics (MD) was applied to a Trametes versicolor laccase in response...... integrity by increasing persistent backbone hydrogen bonds by ∼4 across simulations, mainly via prevention of F(-) intrusion. Hydrogen-bond loss in distinct loop regions and ends of critical β-sheets suggest potential strategies for laboratory optimization of these industrially important enzymes....

  19. Microjet Injection Strategies for Mitigating Dynamics in a Lean Premixed Swirl-Stabilized Combustor

    KAUST Repository

    LaBry, Zachary; Shanbhogue, Santosh; Ghoniem, Ahmed

    2011-01-01

    Combustion dynamics remain a challenge in the development of low-emission, air-breathing combustors for power generation and aircraft propulsion. In this paper, we presenta parametric study on the use of microjet injectors for suppressing or mitigating the combustion dynamics that energize the thermoacoustic instability in a swirl-stabilized, premixed combustor. Microjet injectors consist of small inlet ports intended to inject flow with high momentum at relatively low mass flow rates into the flame-anchoring region. The microjets were configured to inject flow either axially, into the outer recirculation zone, or radially into the inner recirculation zone. Additionally, different injectors were tested with different relative senses of swirl (signs of angular momentum)with respect to the main flow: co-swirling, not swirling, or counter-swirling. We observed that injecting air or premixed fuel/air into the inner recirculation zone via counter-swirling radial microjets, we were able to reduce the overall sound pressure level in the combustor by over 20 dB in the lean end of the operating range. Other injector configurations were not observed to positively influence the combust or stability. Detailed PIV measurements are used to examine possible mechanisms of how the microjets impact the combustion dynamics, and the technology implications of our experiments are discussed.

  20. Microjet Injection Strategies for Mitigating Dynamics in a Lean Premixed Swirl-Stabilized Combustor

    KAUST Repository

    LaBry, Zachary

    2011-01-04

    Combustion dynamics remain a challenge in the development of low-emission, air-breathing combustors for power generation and aircraft propulsion. In this paper, we presenta parametric study on the use of microjet injectors for suppressing or mitigating the combustion dynamics that energize the thermoacoustic instability in a swirl-stabilized, premixed combustor. Microjet injectors consist of small inlet ports intended to inject flow with high momentum at relatively low mass flow rates into the flame-anchoring region. The microjets were configured to inject flow either axially, into the outer recirculation zone, or radially into the inner recirculation zone. Additionally, different injectors were tested with different relative senses of swirl (signs of angular momentum)with respect to the main flow: co-swirling, not swirling, or counter-swirling. We observed that injecting air or premixed fuel/air into the inner recirculation zone via counter-swirling radial microjets, we were able to reduce the overall sound pressure level in the combustor by over 20 dB in the lean end of the operating range. Other injector configurations were not observed to positively influence the combust or stability. Detailed PIV measurements are used to examine possible mechanisms of how the microjets impact the combustion dynamics, and the technology implications of our experiments are discussed.

  1. Enhanced stabilization of Pb, Zn, and Cd in contaminated soils using oxalic acid-activated phosphate rocks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhuo; Guo, Guanlin; Wang, Mei; Zhang, Jia; Wang, Zhixin; Li, Fasheng; Chen, Honghan

    2018-01-01

    Phosphate amendments, especially phosphate rock (PR), are one of the most commonly used materials to stabilize heavy metals in contaminated soils. However, most of PR reserve consists of low-grade ore, which limits the efficiency of PR for stabilizing heavy metals. This study was to enhance the stabilization of heavy metals through improving the available phosphorous (P) release of PR by oxalic acid activation. Raw PR and activated PR (APR) were characterized by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface analysis, and laser diffraction to determine the changes of structure and composition of APR. The stabilization effectiveness of lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and cadmium (Cd) in soils by APR was investigated through toxicity leaching test and speciation analysis. The results indicated that after treatment by oxalic acid, (1) the crystallinity of the fluorapatite phase of PR transformed into the weddellite phase; (2) the surface area of PR increased by 37%; (3) the particle size of PR became homogenized (20-70 μm); and (4) the available P content in PR increased by 22 times. These changes of physicochemical characteristics of PR induced that APR was more effective to transform soil heavy metals from the non-residual fraction to the residual fraction and enhance the stabilization efficiency of Pb, Zn, and Cd than PR. These results are significant for the future use of low-grade PR to stabilize heavy metals.

  2. Stability enhancement of P3HT:PCBM polymer solar cells using thermally evaporated MoO3 anode buffer layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ameen, M. Yoosuf; Shamjid, P.; Abhijith, T.; Radhakrishnan, Thulasi; Reddy, V. S.

    2018-02-01

    Polymer solar cells have been fabricated with thermally evaporated MoO3 as anode buffer layer (ABL). The stability of MoO3 and PEDOT:PSS based devices was examined under different test conditions. The MoO3 based device exhibited a slightly better efficiency and significantly higher stability compared to PEDOT:PSS based device. At a relative humidity of 45% the unencapsulated PEDOT:PSS based device degraded completely within 96 h. On the other hand, MoO3 based device retained more than 60% of its initial efficiency after 96 h. The reason behind stability enhancement was investigated by measuring time-evolution of reflectance and hole-current. Experimental results revealed that the stability enhancement for MoO3 based device originates from the reduction in degradation of anode/active layer interface.

  3. The dynamics of CRM attitude change: Attitude stability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gregorich, Steven E.

    1993-01-01

    Special training seminars in cockpit resource management (CRM) are designed to enhance crew effectiveness in multicrew air-transport cockpits. In terms of CRM, crew effectiveness is defined by teamwork rather than technical proficiency. These seminars are designed to promote factual learning, alter aviator attitudes, and motivate aviators to make use of what they have learned. However, measures of attitude change resulting from CRM seminars have been the most common seminar evaluation technique. The current investigation explores a broader range of attitude change parameters with specific emphasis on the stability of change between recurrent visits to the training center. This allows for a comparison of training program strengths in terms of seminar ability to effect lasting change.

  4. Solitary hepatic infantile hemangioendothelioma: dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging findings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mortele, Koenraad J.; Vanzieleghem, Bart; Mortele, Bart; Benoit, Yves; Ros, Pablo R.

    2002-01-01

    We report the MRI findings of a solitary hepatic infantile hemangioendothelioma (IHE) diagnosed in a 14-day-old girl. To the best of our knowledge, only one report has illustrated the dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging features of IHE previously. Compounding the rarity of presentation as a solitary mass, the gadolinium-enhanced MRI appearance in our case is unique, because the IHE showed an early rim-like pseudocapsular enhancement followed by progressive fill-in of the lesion on delayed imaging. (orig.)

  5. Dynamical stability of a many-body Kapitza pendulum

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Citro, Roberta, E-mail: citro@sa.infn.it [Dipartimento di Fisica “E. R. Caianiello” and Spin-CNR, Universita’ degli Studi di Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, I-84084 Fisciano (Italy); Dalla Torre, Emanuele G., E-mail: emanuele.dalla-torre@biu.ac.il [Department of Physics, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002 (Israel); Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); D’Alessio, Luca [Department of Physics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Polkovnikov, Anatoli [Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Babadi, Mehrtash [Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Institute for Quantum Information and Matter, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Oka, Takashi [Department of Applied Physics, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8656 (Japan); Demler, Eugene [Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

    2015-09-15

    We consider a many-body generalization of the Kapitza pendulum: the periodically-driven sine–Gordon model. We show that this interacting system is dynamically stable to periodic drives with finite frequency and amplitude. This finding is in contrast to the common belief that periodically-driven unbounded interacting systems should always tend to an absorbing infinite-temperature state. The transition to an unstable absorbing state is described by a change in the sign of the kinetic term in the Floquet Hamiltonian and controlled by the short-wavelength degrees of freedom. We investigate the stability phase diagram through an analytic high-frequency expansion, a self-consistent variational approach, and a numeric semiclassical calculation. Classical and quantum experiments are proposed to verify the validity of our results.

  6. As-grown graphene/copper nanoparticles hybrid nanostructures for enhanced intensity and stability of surface plasmon resonance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yun-Fei; Dong, Feng-Xi; Chen, Yang; Zhang, Xu-Lin; Wang, Lei; Bi, Yan-Gang; Tian, Zhen-Nan; Liu, Yue-Feng; Feng, Jing; Sun, Hong-Bo

    2016-11-01

    The transfer-free fabrication of the high quality graphene on the metallic nanostructures, which is highly desirable for device applications, remains a challenge. Here, we develop the transfer-free method by direct chemical vapor deposition of the graphene layers on copper (Cu) nanoparticles (NPs) to realize the hybrid nanostructures. The graphene as-grown on the Cu NPs permits full electric contact and strong interactions, which results in a strong localization of the field at the graphene/copper interface. An enhanced intensity of the localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) supported by the hybrid nanostructures can be obtained, which induces a much enhanced fluorescent intensity from the dye coated hybrid nanostructures. Moreover, the graphene sheets covering completely and uniformly on the Cu NPs act as a passivation layer to protect the underlying metal surface from air oxidation. As a result, the stability of the LSPRs for the hybrid nanostructures is much enhanced compared to that of the bare Cu NPs. The transfer-free hybrid nanostructures with enhanced intensity and stability of the LSPRs will enable their much broader applications in photonics and optoelectronics.

  7. Research on Dynamics and Stability in the Stairs-climbing of a Tracked Mobile Robot

    OpenAIRE

    Tao, Weijun; Ou, Yi; Feng, Hutian

    2012-01-01

    Aiming at the functional requirement of climbing up the stairs, the dynamics and stability during a tracked mobile robot's climbing of stairs is studied. First, from the analysis of its cross-country performance, the mechanical structure of the tracked mobile robot is designed and the hardware composition of its control system is given. Second, based on the analysis to its stairs-climbing process, the dynamical model of stairs-climbing is established by using the classical mechanics method. N...

  8. Enhanced stability of steep channel beds to mass failure and debris flow initiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prancevic, J.; Lamb, M. P.; Ayoub, F.; Venditti, J. G.

    2015-12-01

    Debris flows dominate bedrock erosion and sediment transport in very steep mountain channels, and are often initiated from failure of channel-bed alluvium during storms. While several theoretical models exist to predict mass failures, few have been tested because observations of in-channel bed failures are extremely limited. To fill this gap in our understanding, we performed laboratory flume experiments to identify the conditions necessary to initiate bed failures in non-cohesive sediment of different sizes (D = 0.7 mm to 15 mm) on steep channel-bed slopes (S = 0.45 to 0.93) and in the presence of water flow. In beds composed of sand, failures occurred under sub-saturated conditions on steep bed slopes (S > 0.5) and under super-saturated conditions at lower slopes. In beds of gravel, however, failures occurred only under super-saturated conditions at all tested slopes, even those approaching the dry angle of repose. Consistent with theoretical models, mass failures under super-saturated conditions initiated along a failure plane approximately one grain-diameter below the bed surface, whereas the failure plane was located near the base of the bed under sub-saturated conditions. However, all experimental beds were more stable than predicted by 1-D infinite-slope stability models. In partially saturated sand, enhanced stability appears to result from suction stress. Enhanced stability in gravel may result from turbulent energy losses in pores or increased granular friction for failures that are shallow with respect to grain size. These grain-size dependent effects are not currently included in stability models for non-cohesive sediment, and they may help to explain better the timing and location of debris flow occurrence.

  9. Dynamic Postural-Stability Deficits After Cryotherapy to the Ankle Joint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fullam, Karl; Caulfield, Brian; Coughlan, Garrett F; McGroarty, Mark; Delahunt, Eamonn

    2015-09-01

    Decreased postural stability is a primary risk factor for lower limb musculoskeletal injuries. During athletic competitions, cryotherapy may be applied during short breaks in play or during half-time; however, its effects on postural stability remain unclear. To investigate the acute effects of a 15-minute ankle-joint cryotherapy application on dynamic postural stability. Controlled laboratory study. University biomechanics laboratory. A total of 29 elite-level collegiate male field-sport athletes (age = 20.8 ± 1.12 years, height = 1.80 ± 0.06 m, mass = 81.89 ± 8.59 kg) participated. Participants were tested on the anterior (ANT), posterolateral (PL), and posteromedial (PM) reach directions of the Star Excursion Balance Test before and after a 15-minute ankle-joint cryotherapy application. Normalized reach distances; sagittal-plane kinematics of the hip, knee, and ankle joints; and associated mean velocity of the center-of-pressure path during performance of the ANT, PL, and PM reach directions of the Star Excursion Balance Test. We observed a decrease in reach-distance scores for the ANT, PL, and PM reach directions from precryotherapy to postcryotherapy (P .05). We noted a decrease in mean velocity of the center-of-pressure path from precryotherapy to postcryotherapy (P cryotherapy to the ankle joint.

  10. Potential and flux field landscape theory. I. Global stability and dynamics of spatially dependent non-equilibrium systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Wei; Wang, Jin

    2013-09-28

    We established a potential and flux field landscape theory to quantify the global stability and dynamics of general spatially dependent non-equilibrium deterministic and stochastic systems. We extended our potential and flux landscape theory for spatially independent non-equilibrium stochastic systems described by Fokker-Planck equations to spatially dependent stochastic systems governed by general functional Fokker-Planck equations as well as functional Kramers-Moyal equations derived from master equations. Our general theory is applied to reaction-diffusion systems. For equilibrium spatially dependent systems with detailed balance, the potential field landscape alone, defined in terms of the steady state probability distribution functional, determines the global stability and dynamics of the system. The global stability of the system is closely related to the topography of the potential field landscape in terms of the basins of attraction and barrier heights in the field configuration state space. The effective driving force of the system is generated by the functional gradient of the potential field alone. For non-equilibrium spatially dependent systems, the curl probability flux field is indispensable in breaking detailed balance and creating non-equilibrium condition for the system. A complete characterization of the non-equilibrium dynamics of the spatially dependent system requires both the potential field and the curl probability flux field. While the non-equilibrium potential field landscape attracts the system down along the functional gradient similar to an electron moving in an electric field, the non-equilibrium flux field drives the system in a curly way similar to an electron moving in a magnetic field. In the small fluctuation limit, the intrinsic potential field as the small fluctuation limit of the potential field for spatially dependent non-equilibrium systems, which is closely related to the steady state probability distribution functional, is

  11. Effect of Jaw Clenching on Balance Recovery: Dynamic Stability and Lower Extremity Joint Kinematics after Forward Loss of Balance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Steffen eRinghof

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Postural control is crucial for most tasks of daily living, delineating postural orientation and balance, with its main goal of fall prevention. Nevertheless, falls are common events and have been associated with deficits in muscle strength and dynamic stability. Recent studies reported on improvements in rate of force development and static postural control evoked by jaw clenching activities, potentially induced by facilitation of human motor system excitability. However, there are no studies describing the effects on dynamic stability. The present study, therefore, aimed investigated the effects of submaximum jaw clenching on recovery behavior from forward loss of balance. Participants were twelve healthy young adults, who were instructed to recover balance from a simulated forward fall by taking a single step while either biting at a submaximum force or keeping the mandible at rest. Bite forces were measured by means of hydrostatic splints, whereas a 3D motion capture system was used to analyze spatiotemporal parameters and joint angles, respectively. Additionally, dynamic stability was quantified by the extrapolated CoM concept, designed to determine postural stability in dynamic situations. Paired t-tests revealed that submaximum biting did not significantly influence recovery behavior with respect to any variable under investigation. Therefore, reductions in postural sway evoked by submaximum biting are obviously not transferable to dynamic stability. It is suggested that these contradictions are the result of different motor demands associated with the abovementioned tasks. Furthermore, floor effects and the sample size might be discussed as potential reasons for the absence of significances. Notwithstanding this, the present study also revealed that bite forces under both conditions significantly increased from subjects’ release to touchdown of the recovery limb. Clenching the jaw, hence, seems to be part of a common physiological

  12. Angiogenesis and dynamic contrast enhanced MRI of benign and malignant breast lesions: preliminary results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Peifang; Bao Runxian; Niu Yun; Yu Yong

    2002-01-01

    Objective: To determine whether dynamic contrast enhanced MRI features of early-phase enhancement rate, enhancement amplitude, and signal intensity (SI) time course are associated with the microvessel density (MVD) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression of malignant and benign breast lesions. Methods: Thirty-eight patients with histopathologically verified breast lesions underwent dynamic contrast enhanced MRI. SI changes during dynamic scanning were assessed quantitatively. Early-phase enhancement rate and enhancement amplitude were calculated. Time-SI curves of the lesions were obtained and classified according to their shapes as type I (which was steady enhancement to the end of the dynamic data acquisition at 7.5 min), type II (plateau of SI after avid initial contrast enhancement), or type III (washout of SI after avid initial contrast enhancement). the mean MVD and VEGF expression of the lesions were measured with immuno-histochemical staining method in all the histologic specimens by pathologists without the knowledge of the results of the MR examination. The relationships among dynamic contrast enhanced MRI features, MVD, and VEGF expression of benign and malignant breast lesions were analyzed. Results: Histology revealed 21 malignancies and 17 benign lesions. The mean MVD and VEGF expression for 21 malignant lesions were statistically higher than the mean MVD and VEGF expression for 17 benign lesions. High VEGF expression of benign and malignant breast lesions showed an association with increased MVD. Among all 38 lesions, greater (> 60%) MR early-phase enhancement rate and time-SI curve type II and III showed an association with increased MVD and higher VEGF expression level. All the differences mentioned above showed statistical significance except that the difference between VEGF expression and the distribution of curve types had no statistical significance. No significant relationships were observed between the mean of enhancement

  13. Diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced dynamic CT in predicting the malignancy of solitary pulmonary nodules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goo, Hyun Woo; Song, Koun Sik; Lee, Eun Hye; Kim, Ji Hoon; Lee, Jin Seong; Lim, Tae Hwan

    1997-01-01

    To determine whether the maximal enhancement time in dynamic CT is different between benign and malignant solitary pulmonary nodules (SPN)s, and to evaluate the value of densitometry on dynamic CT in predicting the malignancy of SPN. Fifty-six patients with SPN of less than 4cm in diameter as seen on chest radiograph and SPN without benign pattern of calcification or fat, as seen on pre-enhance-ment spiral CT scans were included in this study. SPN with small cavitation sufficient to measure CT density, were also included. Thirty-four SPNs were diagnosed pathologically or radiologically as 20 malignant nodules and 14 benign nodules. Dynamic CT was performed by two techniques after injection of 50ml of nonionic contrast media at the rate of 2ml/sec. In 28 patients, incremental dynamic CT was performed before and of 15 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, and 4 minutes after injection of contrast media during shallow respiration. In 28 patients, double spiral CT was performed 2 minutes and 3 minutes after injection of contrast media during single breath hold. CT readings were taken at the central portion of SPNs, with a circular region of interest. The degree and time of maximal enhancement were recorded. In dynamic CT the maximal enhancement time of SPNs was not significantly different between malignant (2.73±1.27 minute) and benign nodules (2.56±1.24 minute). The enhancement of malignant nodules was significantly greater (21.42±12.17 HU) than of benign nodules (5.15±5.25 HU) (p<.0001). In dynamic CT of SPNs, there is no difference in maximal enhancement time between benign and malignant nodules;enhancement of the latter is significantly greater than that of the former. Maximal enhancement greater than 15 HU can be a good predictor of malignancy of SPNs

  14. Characterization of the enhancing lesions on dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in patients with interstitial mammoplasty

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Tae Yun; Kim, Sung Hun; Kang, Bong Joo; Kim, Hyeon Sook; Cha, Eun Suk; Kim, Ji Youn; Song, Byung Joo

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to categorize the morphologic and kinetic features of enhancing lesions in breasts with interstitial mammoplasty using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and to assess factors predictive of breast cancer. Materials and methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and radiological data of 21 enhancing lesions in 19 patients with interstitial mammoplasty, who underwent breast magnetic resonance imaging and biopsy or an operation in our hospital from September 2008 to July 2012. These lesions were sorted by morphological and kinetic features and final assessment category according to the BI-RADS lexicon. Results: Nine cases were confirmed to be ductal carcinoma in situ (n = 2) and invasive ductal carcinoma (n = 7), and the remaining 12 cases were fibrocystic disease (n = 2), fibroadenoma (n = 2), fat necrosis (n = 1), foreign body granuloma (n = 3) and silicone mastitis (n = 1). Common features of malignancy included irregular shape (50.0%), spiculated margins (75.0%), heterogeneous enhancement (50.0%) and type III kinetic pattern (87.5%). The correlations of margins and kinetic curve pattern with benignity and malignancy approached statistical significance (p = 0.02, respectively). We found no correlation for shape (p = 0.33) or internal enhancement (p = 0.42) between lesion types. The malignancy rate of enhancing lesions was 42.8% (9/21). The sensitivity and specificity of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging were 100% and 16.67%, respectively. The positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging were 47.38%, 100% and 52.38%. Overall inter-observer agreement for the kinetic curve pattern was good (κ = 0.67). Moderate agreement was seen in describing the shape, margin, enhancement and assessing the final category (κ = 0.59, 0.46, 0.58 and 0.49, respectively). Conclusion: Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging had a high

  15. Characterization of the enhancing lesions on dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in patients with interstitial mammoplasty

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Tae Yun [Department of Radiology, Seoul St. Mary' s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Sung Hun, E-mail: rad-ksh@catholic.ac.kr [Department of Radiology, Seoul St. Mary' s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Bong Joo [Department of Radiology, Seoul St. Mary' s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hyeon Sook [Department of Radiology, St. Paul Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea (Korea, Republic of); Cha, Eun Suk [Department of Radiology, Ewha Womans University, School of Medicine, Mokdong Hospital (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Ji Youn [Department of Radiology, Yeouido St. Mary' s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea (Korea, Republic of); Song, Byung Joo [Department of Surgery, Seoul St. Mary' s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-12-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to categorize the morphologic and kinetic features of enhancing lesions in breasts with interstitial mammoplasty using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and to assess factors predictive of breast cancer. Materials and methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and radiological data of 21 enhancing lesions in 19 patients with interstitial mammoplasty, who underwent breast magnetic resonance imaging and biopsy or an operation in our hospital from September 2008 to July 2012. These lesions were sorted by morphological and kinetic features and final assessment category according to the BI-RADS lexicon. Results: Nine cases were confirmed to be ductal carcinoma in situ (n = 2) and invasive ductal carcinoma (n = 7), and the remaining 12 cases were fibrocystic disease (n = 2), fibroadenoma (n = 2), fat necrosis (n = 1), foreign body granuloma (n = 3) and silicone mastitis (n = 1). Common features of malignancy included irregular shape (50.0%), spiculated margins (75.0%), heterogeneous enhancement (50.0%) and type III kinetic pattern (87.5%). The correlations of margins and kinetic curve pattern with benignity and malignancy approached statistical significance (p = 0.02, respectively). We found no correlation for shape (p = 0.33) or internal enhancement (p = 0.42) between lesion types. The malignancy rate of enhancing lesions was 42.8% (9/21). The sensitivity and specificity of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging were 100% and 16.67%, respectively. The positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging were 47.38%, 100% and 52.38%. Overall inter-observer agreement for the kinetic curve pattern was good (κ = 0.67). Moderate agreement was seen in describing the shape, margin, enhancement and assessing the final category (κ = 0.59, 0.46, 0.58 and 0.49, respectively). Conclusion: Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging had a high

  16. In Vivo Study of Dynamics and Stability of Dendritic Spines on Olfactory Bulb Interneurons in Xenopus laevis Tadpoles.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu-Bin Huang

    Full Text Available Dendritic spines undergo continuous remodeling during development of the nervous system. Their stability is essential for maintaining a functional neuronal circuit. Spine dynamics and stability of cortical excitatory pyramidal neurons have been explored extensively in mammalian animal models. However, little is known about spiny interneurons in non-mammalian vertebrate models. In the present study, neuronal morphology was visualized by single-cell electroporation. Spiny neurons were surveyed in the Xenopus tadpole brain and observed to be widely distributed in the olfactory bulb and telencephalon. DsRed- or PSD95-GFP-expressing spiny interneurons in the olfactory bulb were selected for in vivo time-lapse imaging. Dendritic protrusions were classified as filopodia, thin, stubby, or mushroom spines based on morphology. Dendritic spines on the interneurons were highly dynamic, especially the filopodia and thin spines. The stubby and mushroom spines were relatively more stable, although their stability significantly decreased with longer observation intervals. The 4 spine types exhibited diverse preferences during morphological transitions from one spine type to others. Sensory deprivation induced by severing the olfactory nerve to block the input of mitral/tufted cells had no significant effects on interneuron spine stability. Hence, a new model was established in Xenopus laevis tadpoles to explore dendritic spine dynamics in vivo.

  17. Stability and dynamic of strain mediated adatom superlattices on Cu

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kappus, Wolfgang

    2013-03-01

    Substrate strain mediated adatom equilibrium density distributions have been calculated for Cu surfaces using two complementing methods. A hexagonal adatom superlattice in a coverage range up to 0.045 ML is derived for repulsive short range interactions. For zero short range interactions a hexagonal superstructure of adatom clusters is derived in a coverage range about 0.08 ML. Conditions for the stability of the superlattice against formation of dimers or clusters and degradation are analyzed using simple neighborhood models. Such models are also used to investigate the dynamic of adatoms within their superlattice neighborhood. Collective modes of adatom diffusion are proposed from the analogy with bulk lattice dynamics and methods for measurement are suggested. The recently put forward explanation of surface state mediated interactions for superstructures found in scanning tunneling microscopy experiments is put in question and strain mediated interactions are proposed as an alternative.

  18. Dynamic postural stability differences between male and female players with and without ankle sprain

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dallinga, Joan M.; Does, van der Henrike T. D.; Benjaminse, Anne; Lemmink, Koen A. P. M.

    Objectives: To evaluate dynamic stability index (DSI) differences between males and females for different jump directions. To examine both preseason DSI differences between players with and without a history of ankle sprain, and between players with and without an ankle sprain during the subsequent

  19. Dynamical stability of the one-dimensional rigid Brownian rotator: the role of the rotator’s spatial size and shape

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeknić-Dugić, Jasmina; Petrović, Igor; Arsenijević, Momir; Dugić, Miroljub

    2018-05-01

    We investigate dynamical stability of a single propeller-like shaped molecular cogwheel modelled as the fixed-axis rigid rotator. In the realistic situations, rotation of the finite-size cogwheel is subject to the environmentally-induced Brownian-motion effect that we describe by utilizing the quantum Caldeira-Leggett master equation. Assuming the initially narrow (classical-like) standard deviations for the angle and the angular momentum of the rotator, we investigate the dynamics of the first and second moments depending on the size, i.e. on the number of blades of both the free rotator as well as of the rotator in the external harmonic field. The larger the standard deviations, the less stable (i.e. less predictable) rotation. We detect the absence of the simple and straightforward rules for utilizing the rotator’s stability. Instead, a number of the size-related criteria appear whose combinations may provide the optimal rules for the rotator dynamical stability and possibly control. In the realistic situations, the quantum-mechanical corrections, albeit individually small, may effectively prove non-negligible, and also revealing subtlety of the transition from the quantum to the classical dynamics of the rotator. As to the latter, we detect a strong size-dependence of the transition to the classical dynamics beyond the quantum decoherence process.

  20. Treatment of a patient with posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) with chiropractic manipulation and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS): A case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Francio, Vinicius T; Boesch, Ron; Tunning, Michael

    2015-03-01

    Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) is a rare progressive neurodegenerative syndrome which unusual symptoms include deficits of balance, bodily orientation, chronic pain syndrome and dysfunctional motor patterns. Current research provides minimal guidance on support, education and recommended evidence-based patient care. This case reports the utilization of chiropractic spinal manipulation, dynamic neuromuscular stabilization (DNS), and other adjunctive procedures along with medical treatment of PCA. A 54-year-old male presented to a chiropractic clinic with non-specific back pain associated with visual disturbances, slight memory loss, and inappropriate cognitive motor control. After physical examination, brain MRI and PET scan, the diagnosis of PCA was recognized. Chiropractic spinal manipulation and dynamic neuromuscular stabilization were utilized as adjunctive care to conservative pharmacological treatment of PCA. Outcome measurements showed a 60% improvement in the patient's perception of health with restored functional neuromuscular pattern, improvements in locomotion, posture, pain control, mood, tolerance to activities of daily living (ADLs) and overall satisfactory progress in quality of life. Yet, no changes on memory loss progression, visual space orientation, and speech were observed. PCA is a progressive and debilitating condition. Because of poor awareness of PCA by physicians, patients usually receive incomplete care. Additional efforts must be centered on the musculoskeletal features of PCA, aiming enhancement in quality of life and functional improvements (FI). Adjunctive rehabilitative treatment is considered essential for individuals with cognitive and motor disturbances, and manual medicine procedures may be consider a viable option.

  1. Hepatic blood perfusion estimated by dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography in pigs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Winterdahl, Michael; Sørensen, Michael; Keiding, Inger Susanne

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine whether dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (DCE-CT) and the slope method can provide absolute measures of hepatic blood perfusion from the hepatic artery (HA) and portal vein (PV) at experimentally varied blood flow rates.......The aim of this study was to determine whether dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (DCE-CT) and the slope method can provide absolute measures of hepatic blood perfusion from the hepatic artery (HA) and portal vein (PV) at experimentally varied blood flow rates....

  2. Value of fast dynamic enhanced MR imaging for the differential diagnosis between ovarian fibroma and subserosal leiomyoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shan Jun; Wang Xiaomei; Xu Jianmin; Xu Hongli; Feng Xiaofeng; Gong Jingshan; Ling Rennan; Rao Zibin

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To study the value of dynamic enhanced MRI in the differential diagnosis between subserosal uterine leiomyoma and ovarian fibroma which were iso-signal and low signal ones on T 2 WI. Methods: Plain and dynamic enhanced MRI findings of 45 patients with histologically proved subserosal leiomyoma or ovarian fibroma were analyzed. There were 35 cases of subserosal leiomyoma and 10 cases of ovarian fibroma. The enhancement index of early phase (100 sec after the contrast medial administration) and the time to peak during 200 sec after the contrast administration (TTP 200 ) were analyzed. Results: On plain scanning, both subserosal leiomyoma and ovarian fibrioma appeared similarly as intrapelvic masses with low signal on T 2 WI. On Gadolinium dynamic enhancement, subserosal leiomyomas showed early and evident enhancement while ovarian fibroma showed delayed and moderate enhancement. The difference of the enhancement index of early phase and TTP 200 was statistically significant (P<0.001). Conclusion: Gadolinium dynamic enhanced MR imaging was helpful in the differential diagnosis between subserosal uterine leiomyoma and ovarian fibroma by the difference in the enhancement pattern

  3. Structure, stability and ELM dynamics of the H-mode pedestal in DIII-D

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fenstermacher, M.E.; Leonard, A.W.; Osborne, T.H.

    2005-01-01

    Experiments are described that have increased understanding of the transport and stability physics that set the H-mode edge pedestal width and height, determine the onset of Type-I edge localized modes (ELMs), and produce the nonlinear dynamics of the ELM perturbation in the pedestal and scrape-off layer (SOL). Predictive models now exist for the n e pedestal profile and the p e height at the onset of Type-I ELMs, and progress has been made toward predictive models of the T e pedestal width and nonlinear ELM evolution. Similarity experiments between DIII-D and JET suggested that neutral penetration physics dominates in the relationship between the width and height of the n e pedestal while plasma physics dominates in setting the T e pedestal width. Measured pedestal conditions including edge current at ELM onset agree with intermediate-n peeling-ballooning (P-B) stability predictions. Midplane ELM dynamics data show the predicted (P-B) structure at ELM onset, large rapid variations of the SOL parameters, and fast radial propagation in later phases, similar to features in nonlinear ELM simulations. (author)

  4. Modelling of gas-liquid reactors - stability and dynamic behaviour of gas-liquid mass transfer accompanied by irreversible reaction

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Elk, E.P. van; Borman, P.C.; Kuipers, J.A.M.; Versteeg, G.F.

    1999-01-01

    The dynamic behaviour and stability of single-phase reacting systems has been investigated thoroughly in the past and design rules for stable operation are available from literature. The dynamic behaviour of gas-liquid processes is considerably more complex and has received relatively little

  5. Modelling of gas-liquid reactors - stability and dynamic behaviour of gas-liquid mass transfer accompanied by irreversible reaction

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Elk, van E.P.; Borman, P.C.; Kuipers, J.A.M.; Versteeg, G.F.

    1999-01-01

    The dynamic behaviour and stability of single-phase reacting systems has been investigated thoroughly in the past and design rules for stable operation are available from literature. The dynamic behaviour of gas–liquid processes is considerably more complex and has received relatively little

  6. Enhanced ionic transport in fine-grained scandia-stabilized zirconia ceramics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abdala, Paula M.; Lamas, Diego G. [CINSO (Centro de Investigaciones en Solidos), CONICET-CITEFA, J.B. de La Salle 4397 (B1603ALO) Villa Martelli, Pcia. de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Custo, Graciela S. [Gerencia de Area Seguridad Nuclear y Ambiente, Gerencia Quimica, Departamento Quimica Analitica, Centro Atomico Constituyentes, Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica, Av. Constituyentes 1499 (B1650KNA) San Martin, Pcia. de Buenos Aires (Argentina)

    2010-06-01

    In this work, the transport properties of fine-grained scandia-stabilized zirconia ceramics with low Si content have been investigated. These materials were prepared from ZrO{sub 2}-6 mol% Sc{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanopowders synthesized by a nitrate-lysine gel-combustion route. High relative densities and excellent electrical properties were obtained, even for sintering temperatures as low as 1350 C. Our electrochemical impedance spectroscopy study showed that both the volume fraction of grain boundaries and the specific grain-boundary conductivity are significantly enhanced with decreasing grain size, resulting in a higher total ionic conductivity. (author)

  7. Enhanced Stability of DNA Nanostructures by Incorporation of Unnatural Base Pairs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Qing; Liu, Guocheng; Wang, Ting; Fu, Jing; Li, Rujiao; Song, Linlin; Wang, Zhen-Gang; Ding, Baoquan; Chen, Fei

    2017-11-03

    Self-assembled DNA nanostructures hold great promise in the fields of nanofabrication, biosensing and nanomedicine. However, the inherent low stability of the DNA double helices, formed by weak interactions, largely hinders the assembly and functions of DNA nanostructures. In this study, we redesigned and constructed a six-arm DNA junction by incorporation of the unnatural base pairs 5-Me-isoC/isoG and A/2-thioT into the double helices. They not only retained the structural integrity of the DNA nanostructure, but also showed enhanced thermal stability and resistance to T7 Exonuclease digestion. This research may expand the applications of DNA nanostructures in nanofabrication and biomedical fields, and furthermore, the genetic alphabet expansion with unnatural base pairs may enable us to construct more complicated and diversified self-assembled DNA nanostructures. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Stabilizing the CH2 Domain of an Antibody by Engineering in an Enhanced Aromatic Sequon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Wentao; Kong, Leopold; Connelly, Stephen; Dendle, Julia M; Liu, Yu; Wilson, Ian A; Powers, Evan T; Kelly, Jeffery W

    2016-07-15

    Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) exhibiting highly selective binding to a protein target constitute a large and growing proportion of the therapeutics market. Aggregation of mAbs results in the loss of their therapeutic efficacy and can result in deleterious immune responses. The CH2 domain comprising part of the Fc portion of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) is typically the least stable domain in IgG-type antibodies and therefore influences their aggregation propensity. We stabilized the CH2 domain by engineering an enhanced aromatic sequon (EAS) into the N-glycosylated C'E loop and observed a 4.8 °C increase in the melting temperature of the purified IgG1 Fc fragment. This EAS-stabilized CH2 domain also conferred enhanced stability against thermal and low pH induced aggregation in the context of a full-length monoclonal IgG1 antibody. The crystal structure of the EAS-stabilized (Q295F/Y296A) IgG1 Fc fragment confirms the design principle, i.e., the importance of the GlcNAc1•F295 interaction, and surprisingly reveals that the core fucose attached to GlcNAc1 also engages in an interaction with F295. Inhibition of core fucosylation confirms the contribution of the fucose-Phe interaction to the stabilization. The Q295F/Y296A mutations also modulate the binding affinity of the full-length antibody to Fc receptors by decreasing the binding to low affinity Fc gamma receptors (FcγRIIa, FcγRIIIa, and FcγRIIIb), while maintaining wild-type binding affinity to FcRn and FcγRI. Our results demonstrate that engineering an EAS into the N-glycosylated reverse turn on the C'E loop leads to stabilizing N-glycan-protein interactions in antibodies and that this modification modulates antibody-Fc receptor binding.

  9. Dynamic motion stabilization for front-wheel drive in-wheel motor electric vehicles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jia-Sheng Hu

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This article presents a new dynamic motion stabilization approach to front-wheel drive in-wheel motor electric vehicles. The approach includes functions such as traction control system, electronic differential system, and electronic stability control. The presented electric vehicle was endowed with anti-skid performance in longitudinal accelerated start; smooth turning with less tire scrubbing; and safe driving experience in two-dimensional steering. The analysis of the presented system is given in numerical derivations. For practical verifications, this article employed a hands-on electric vehicle named Corsa-electric vehicle to carry out the tests. The presented approach contains an integrated scheme which can achieve the mentioned functions in a single microprocessor. The experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness and feasibility of the presented methodology.

  10. Dynamics and stability of a tethered centrifuge in low earth orbit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quadrelli, B. M.; Lorenzini, E. C.

    1992-01-01

    The three-dimensional attitude dynamics of a spaceborne tethered centrifuge for artificial gravity experiments in low earth orbit is analyzed using two different methods. First, the tethered centrifuge is modeled as a dumbbell with a straight viscoelastic tether, point tip-masses, and sophisticated environmental models such as nonspherical gravity, thermal perturbations, and a dynamic atmospheric model. The motion of the centrifuge during spin-up, de-spin, and steady-rotation is then simulated. Second, a continuum model of the tether is developed for analyzing the stability of lateral tether oscillations. Results indicate that the maximum fluctuation about the 1-g radial acceleration level is less than 0.001 g; the time required for spin-up and de-spin is less than one orbit; and lateral oscillations are stable for any practical values of the system parameters.

  11. Diagnostic usefulness of segmental and linear enhancement in dynamic breast MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morakkabati-Spitz, N.; Leutner, C.; Schild, H.; Traeber, F.; Kuhl, C.

    2005-01-01

    The aim of this study was the evaluation of the diagnostic usefulness of ductal or segmental enhancement in dynamic breast MRI. Segmental and ductal enhancement have been established as the breast MRI hallmarks of intraductal breast cancer (DCIS); however, the positive predictive value of this imaging finding is still unknown. In our study, we analysed the overall prevalence of a segmental or a linear enhancement pattern on breast MRI for an unselected cohort of patients. The aim was to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of segmental or linear enhancement. Second, we asked whether biopsy was necessary also in the absence of mammographic findings suggestive of DCIS. Prospective, consecutive evaluation of 1,003 patients undergoing bilateral dynamic breast MRI. Studies were interpreted by two experienced breast radiologists. A diagnostic or screening two-view mammogram was available for all patients. Biopsy or short-term breast MRI follow-up was recommended for patients showing a segmental or a linear enhancement pattern on breast MRI. The patients' final diagnoses were established by imaging guided excisional or core biopsy or by clinical plus conventional imaging follow-up for a period of 2 years. The prevalence of segmental or linear enhancement was determined for patients with a final diagnosis of benign breast disease compared with those with a diagnosis of breast cancer. One hundred twenty patients had invasive breast cancer, 24 patients had DCIS and 859 patients had unsuspicious breast MRI or benign breast disease. A segmental or a linear enhancement pattern was found for 50/1,003 (5%) patients (17 DCIS, 33 benign breast diseases). Accordingly, the positive predictive value of segmental and linear enhancement is 34% (17/50); the specificity of this criterion is 96% (826/859). For 4/24 (17%) patients, DCIS was visible as segmental or linear enhancement on dynamic breast MRI, whereas no abnormalities were visible on the corresponding mammogram. The overall

  12. Contrast kinetics of the malignant breast tumour - border versus centre enhancement on dynamic midfield MRI

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Marklund, M.; Torp-Pedersen, S.; Bentzon, N.

    2008-01-01

    receptor negative tumours. CONCLUSION: The border/centre enhancement difference in malignant breast tumours is easily visualized on midfield dynamic magnetic resonance mammography. The dynamic behaviour is significantly correlated to histological features and receptor status of the tumours Udgivelsesdato......PURPOSE: To quantify the border versus centre enhancement of malignant breast tumours on dynamic magnetic resonance mammography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-two women diagnosed with primary breast cancer underwent dynamic magnetic resonance mammography (Omniscan 0.2 mmol/kg bodyweight......) on a midfield scanner (0.6 T), prior to surgery. The following five variables were recorded from the border and centre regions of the tumours: Early Enhancement, Time to Peak, Wash-in rate, Wash-out rate and Area under Curve. Information on histology type, oestrogen and progesterone receptor status...

  13. On the stability and dynamics of stochastic spiking neuron models: Nonlinear Hawkes process and point process GLMs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerhard, Felipe; Deger, Moritz; Truccolo, Wilson

    2017-02-01

    Point process generalized linear models (PP-GLMs) provide an important statistical framework for modeling spiking activity in single-neurons and neuronal networks. Stochastic stability is essential when sampling from these models, as done in computational neuroscience to analyze statistical properties of neuronal dynamics and in neuro-engineering to implement closed-loop applications. Here we show, however, that despite passing common goodness-of-fit tests, PP-GLMs estimated from data are often unstable, leading to divergent firing rates. The inclusion of absolute refractory periods is not a satisfactory solution since the activity then typically settles into unphysiological rates. To address these issues, we derive a framework for determining the existence and stability of fixed points of the expected conditional intensity function (CIF) for general PP-GLMs. Specifically, in nonlinear Hawkes PP-GLMs, the CIF is expressed as a function of the previous spike history and exogenous inputs. We use a mean-field quasi-renewal (QR) approximation that decomposes spike history effects into the contribution of the last spike and an average of the CIF over all spike histories prior to the last spike. Fixed points for stationary rates are derived as self-consistent solutions of integral equations. Bifurcation analysis and the number of fixed points predict that the original models can show stable, divergent, and metastable (fragile) dynamics. For fragile models, fluctuations of the single-neuron dynamics predict expected divergence times after which rates approach unphysiologically high values. This metric can be used to estimate the probability of rates to remain physiological for given time periods, e.g., for simulation purposes. We demonstrate the use of the stability framework using simulated single-neuron examples and neurophysiological recordings. Finally, we show how to adapt PP-GLM estimation procedures to guarantee model stability. Overall, our results provide a

  14. Enhancement of Orthodontic Anchor Screw Stability Under Immediate Loading by Ultraviolet Photofunctionalization Technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, Maiko; Motoyoshi, Mitsuru; Inaba, Mizuki; Hagiwara, Yoshiyuki; Shimizu, Noriyoshi

    Ultraviolet (UV)-mediated photofunctionalization technology is intended to enhance the osseointegration capability of titanium implants. There are concerns about orthodontic anchor screws loosening under immediate loading protocols in adolescent orthodontic treatment. The purpose of this in vivo study was to evaluate the effects of photofunctionalization on the intrabony stability of orthodontic titanium anchor screws and bone-anchor screw contact under immediate loading in growing rats. Custom-made titanium anchor screws (1.4 mm in diameter and 4.0 mm in length) with or without photofunctionalization pretreatment were placed on the proximal epiphysis of the tibial bone in 6-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats and were loaded immediately after placement. After 2 weeks of loading, the stability of the anchor screws was evaluated using a Periotest device, and the bone-anchor screw contact ratio (BSC) was assessed by a histomorphometric analysis using field-emission scanning electron microscopy. In the unloaded group, Periotest values (PTVs) were ~25 for UV-untreated screws and 13 for UVtreated screws (P < .01), while in the immediate-loading group, PTVs were 28 for UV-untreated screws and 16 for UV-treated screws (P < .05). Significantly less screw mobility was observed in both UV-treated groups regardless of the loading protocol. The BSC was increased ~1.8 fold for UV-treated screws, compared with UV-untreated screws, regardless of the loading protocol. Photofunctionalization enhanced the intrabony stability of orthodontic anchor screws under immediate loading in growing rats by increasing bone-anchor screw contact.

  15. Budd-Chiari syndrome: dynamic enhancement findings with multi-slice helical CT and CT angiography analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meng Xiaochun; Shan Hong; Zhu Kangshun; Xu Chuan; Zhang Jiansheng; Liu Lingyun; Ye Binbin

    2005-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the dynamic enhancement regulations of liver and their mechanism in Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) by using multi-slice CT and evaluate the value of CT angiography in the diagnosis of BCS. Methods: 28 cases with BCS confirmed by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent dynamic enhancement examinations with multi-slice CT within 1 week before DSA. The relevant vessels were reconstructed respectively with MIP, VR and MPR. Compared with the results of DSA, we analyzed the dynamic enhancement regulations of liver in BCS, estimated the value of dynamic enhancement CT exams and CTA techniques in judging the obstruction level and showing collateral vessels. Results: Of all 28 cases, CT correctly showed the obstruction level in 26 cases, and 2 had incorrect results which proved to be membranous obstruction of the inferior vena cava superior to diaphragm. In 22 cases with hepatic vein obstructions, hepatic parenchyma displayed typical patchy enhancement in 19, atypical patchy enhancement in 3.8 cases among these showed benign nodules. Simultaneously, CT showed stenosis and rigidity of portal vein branches in 20, enlargement of hepatic artery in 14, hepatic collateral vessels in 20 out of 22 cases. In 6 cases with simple obstruction of inferior vena cava, hepatic changes were not found. Collateral circulations in or out of liver corresponded to the obstruction level. Conclusion: Dynamic enhancement examinations with multi-slice CT can correctly reflect the hepatic hemodynamic changes. Transverse images, combined with CTA, can explicitly display the obstruction level of vascular lesions and collateral circulations in BCS. (authors)

  16. Evolution of regulatory networks towards adaptability and stability in a changing environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Deok-Sun

    2014-11-01

    Diverse biological networks exhibit universal features distinguished from those of random networks, calling much attention to their origins and implications. Here we propose a minimal evolution model of Boolean regulatory networks, which evolve by selectively rewiring links towards enhancing adaptability to a changing environment and stability against dynamical perturbations. We find that sparse and heterogeneous connectivity patterns emerge, which show qualitative agreement with real transcriptional regulatory networks and metabolic networks. The characteristic scaling behavior of stability reflects the balance between robustness and flexibility. The scaling of fluctuation in the perturbation spread shows a dynamic crossover, which is analyzed by investigating separately the stochasticity of internal dynamics and the network structure differences depending on the evolution pathways. Our study delineates how the ambivalent pressure of evolution shapes biological networks, which can be helpful for studying general complex systems interacting with environments.

  17. A digital strategy for manometer dynamic enhancement. [for wind tunnel monitoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stoughton, J. W.

    1978-01-01

    Application of digital signal processing techniques to improve the non-linear dynamic characteristics of a sonar-type mercury manometer is described. The dynamic enhancement strategy quasi-linearizes the manometer characteristics and improves the effective bandwidth in the context of a wind-tunnel pressure regulation system. Model identification data and real-time hybrid simulation data demonstrate feasibility of approach.

  18. Hepatocellular carcinoma on MR diffusion weighted imaging and dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dong Aisheng; Zuo Changjing; Tian Jianming; Lu Jianping; Wang Jian; Wang Li; Wang Fei

    2009-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the findings of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) on DWI and dynamic Gd-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging. Methods: Eighty one patients with chronic hepatitis or liver cirrhosis underwent both DWI and dynamic Gd-DTPA-enhanced MRI studies of the liver for HCC detection. MR data of were retrospectively analyzed. Two observers determined in consensus the location and the number of focal lesions. The signal manifestation of the lesions on DWI and dynamic Gd-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging were analyzed. Results: DWI and Gd-DTPA-enhanced MR images detected 122 HCCs and 14 benign lesions. One hundred and sixteen HCCs (95.1%) showed hyperintensity on DWI and 6 HCCs in patients with severe cirrhosis showed isointensity. One hundred and five HCCs (86.1%) revealed hypointensity, 11 HCCs (9.0%) showed isointensity and 6 HCCs (4.9%) exhibited hyperintensity on T 1 weighted images. On Gd-DTPA-enhanced MR images, 101 HCCs(82.8%) were significantly enhanced on arterial phase and 99 HCCs showed hypointensity on portal and equilibrium phases. Twenty HCCs (16.4%), 18 of 20 less than 20 mm in diameter, showed isointensity on arterial phase and hyperintensity on DWI. Eight of 14 benign lesions showed hyperintensity and 6 isointensity on DWI. Five benign lesions with hypointensity on T 1 weighted images without contrast and hyperintensity on DWI showed no enhancement on Gd-DTPA-enhanced MR images; 6 benign lesions with isointensity on both T 1 weighted imaging without contrast and DWI exhibited avid enhancement on arterial phase and isointensty on portal and equilibrium phases; one of the two benign lesions, with isointensity before and after contrast images and hyperintentiy on DWI, was a regenerative nodule; another regenerative nodule with hyperintensity on both T 1 weighted images without contrast and DWI was greatly enhanced on arterial phase and showed isointensity on portal and equilibrium phases. Conclusions: Most of the HCCs were greatly enhanced on arterial phase on Gd-DTPA-enhanced

  19. An Enhanced Asymptotic Expansion for the Stability of Nonlinear Elastic Structures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Claus Dencker; Byskov, Esben

    2010-01-01

    A new, enhanced asymptotic expansion applicable to stability of structures made of nonlinear elastic materials is established. The method utilizes “hyperbolic” terms instead of the conventional polynomial terms, covers full kinematic nonlinearity and is applied to nonlinear elastic Euler columns...... with two different types of cross-section. Comparison with numerical results show that our expansion provides more accurate predictions of the behavior than usual expansions. The method is based on an extended version of the principle of virtual displacements that covers cases with auxiliary conditions...

  20. Fabrication of amorphous curcumin nanosuspensions using β-lactoglobulin to enhance solubility, stability, and bioavailability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aditya, N P; Yang, Hanjoo; Kim, Saehoon; Ko, Sanghoon

    2015-03-01

    Curcumin has low aqueous stability and solubility in its native form. It also has a low bioavailability which presents a major barrier to its use in fortifying food products. The aim of this work was to reduce the size of curcumin crystals to the nanoscale and subsequently stabilize them in an amorphous form. To this end, amorphous curcumin nanosuspensions were fabricated using the antisolvent precipitation method with β-lactoglobulin (β-lg) as a stabilizer. The resulting amorphous curcumin nanosuspensions were in the size range of 150-175 nm with unimodal size distribution. The curcumin particles were amorphous and were molecularly dispersed within the β-lg as confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. The solubility of the amorphous curcumin nanosuspension was enhanced ∼35-fold due to the reduced size and lower crystallinity. Among the formulations, the amorphous curcumin nanosuspensions stabilized with β-lg and prepared at pH 3.4 (β-lg-cur 3.4), showed maximum aqueous stability which was >90% after 30 days. An in vitro study using Caco-2 cell lines showed a significant increase in curcumin bioavailability after stabilization with β-lg. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Craton stability and continental lithosphere dynamics during plume-plate interaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, H.; Van Hunen, J.; Pearson, D.

    2013-12-01

    Survival of thick cratonic roots in a vigorously convecting mantle system for billions of years has long been studied by the geodynamical community. A high cratonic root strength is generally considered to be the most important factor. We first perform and discuss new numerical models to investigate craton stability in both Newtonian and non-Newtonian rheology in the stagnant lid regime. The results show that only a modest compositional rheological factor of Δη=10 with non-Newtonian rheology is required for the survival of cratonic roots in a stagnant lid regime. A larger rheological factor (100 or more) is needed to maintain similar craton longevity in a Newtonian rheology environment. Furthermore, chemical buoyancy plays an important role on craton stability and its evolution, but could only work with suitable compositional rheology. During their long lifespan, cratons experienced a suite of dynamic, tectonothermal events, such as nearby subduction and mantle plume activity. Cratonic nuclei are embedded in shorter-lived, more vulnerable continental areas of different thickness, composition and rheology, which would influence the lithosphere dynamic when tectonothermal events happen nearby. South Africa provides a very good example to investigate such dynamic processes as it hosts several cratons and there are many episodic thermal events since the Mesozoic as indicated by a spectrum of magmatic activity. We numerically investigate such an integrated system using the topographic evolution of cratons and surrounding lithosphere as a diagnostic observable. The post-70Ma thinning of pericratonic lithosphere by ~50km around Kaapvaal craton (Mather et al., 2011) is also investigated through our numerical models. The results show that the pericratonic lithosphere cools and grows faster than cratons do, but is also more likely to be effected by episodic thermal events. This leads to surface topography change that is significantly larger around the craton than within

  2. Dynamic stability of a curved pipe bent in the arc of a circle on hinge ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    of numerical solution of the dynamic stability of a pipe in its plane are developed. An example of a ... Most scientific researches in the area of vibrations of pipes conveying liquids are concerned with investigation of ..... is good coincidence. 5.

  3. Stability Enhancement of a Power System Containing High-Penetration Intermittent Renewable Generation

    OpenAIRE

    Morel, Jorge; Obara, Shin’ya; Morizane, Yuta

    2015-01-01

    This paper considers the transient stability enhancement of a power system containing large amounts of solar and wind generation in Japan. Following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster there has been an increasing awareness on the importance of a distributed architecture, based mainly on renewable generation, for the Japanese power system. Also, the targets of CO2 emissions can now be approached without heavily depending on nuclear generation. Large amounts of renewable generation leads to...

  4. A new strategy for transient stability using augmented generator control and local dynamic braking

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dorsey, J; Jiang, H; Habetler, T [Georgia Inst. of Tech., Atlanta, GA (United States); Qu, Z [University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL (United States)

    1994-12-31

    A decentralized automatic control strategy for significantly improving the transient stability of a large power system is introduced. The strategy combines local dynamic braking and a straightforward augmentation of the existing turbine / governor control system that uses only local feedback. The brake resistor, which employs thick film, metal oxide technology, has no inductance and is of very low resistance, allowing its use during fault to show a generator`s acceleration. Simulation results using the 39 Bus New England system show that the strategy dramatically increases the global stability of a power system. (author) 15 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab.

  5. A wide variety of dynamic contrast-enhanced MR appearances of breast cancer: Pathologic correlation study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Onishi, Masayuki; Furukawa, Akira; Takahashi, Masashi; Murata, Kiyoshi

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: The aim of this study was to elucidate the characteristic magnetic resonance (MR) appearance of breast cancers, as well as, its variations and to investigate the pathology providing different patterns of dynamic-MR appearances. Materials and methods: Fifty-two women with cancer underwent mastectomy (52 tumors resected) and had MR imaging at our institution between April 2001 and March 2004. MR images of T1WI, T2WI, dynamic-MRI and contrast-enhanced T1WI were obtained and evaluated. Dynamic-MR images were correlated with pathological findings. Results: Common MR appearance of breast cancer was a focal mass either with irregular or spiculated margins with similar signal intensity on T1WI as and similar to higher signal intensity on T2WI compared to the normal mammary gland. On static contrast-enhanced T1WI, apparent enhancement was typically observed. On dynamic MRI, tumor-rim-enhancement on an early phase image and washout enhancement pattern on dynamic images, both characteristic for breast cancer, were observed, however, the prevalence of them was relatively low, which could be explained by the variation of histopathology among breast cancer nodules. Conclusion: In diagnosing breast masses on MRI, as well as the common and characteristic findings of breast cancer, the variations of MR findings and their underlying histopathology should also be considered

  6. Learning Probabilistic Models of Hydrogen Bond Stability from Molecular Dynamics Simulation Trajectories

    KAUST Repository

    Chikalov, Igor

    2011-04-02

    Hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) play a key role in both the formation and stabilization of protein structures. H-bonds involving atoms from residues that are close to each other in the main-chain sequence stabilize secondary structure elements. H-bonds between atoms from distant residues stabilize a protein’s tertiary structure. However, H-bonds greatly vary in stability. They form and break while a protein deforms. For instance, the transition of a protein from a nonfunctional to a functional state may require some H-bonds to break and others to form. The intrinsic strength of an individual H-bond has been studied from an energetic viewpoint, but energy alone may not be a very good predictor. Other local interactions may reinforce (or weaken) an H-bond. This paper describes inductive learning methods to train a protein-independent probabilistic model of H-bond stability from molecular dynamics (MD) simulation trajectories. The training data describes H-bond occurrences at successive times along these trajectories by the values of attributes called predictors. A trained model is constructed in the form of a regression tree in which each non-leaf node is a Boolean test (split) on a predictor. Each occurrence of an H-bond maps to a path in this tree from the root to a leaf node. Its predicted stability is associated with the leaf node. Experimental results demonstrate that such models can predict H-bond stability quite well. In particular, their performance is roughly 20% better than that of models based on H-bond energy alone. In addition, they can accurately identify a large fraction of the least stable H-bonds in a given conformation. The paper discusses several extensions that may yield further improvements.

  7. Floquet stability analysis of the longitudinal dynamics of two hovering model insects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Jiang Hao; Sun, Mao

    2012-01-01

    Because of the periodically varying aerodynamic and inertial forces of the flapping wings, a hovering or constant-speed flying insect is a cyclically forcing system, and, generally, the flight is not in a fixed-point equilibrium, but in a cyclic-motion equilibrium. Current stability theory of insect flight is based on the averaged model and treats the flight as a fixed-point equilibrium. In the present study, we treated the flight as a cyclic-motion equilibrium and used the Floquet theory to analyse the longitudinal stability of insect flight. Two hovering model insects were considered—a dronefly and a hawkmoth. The former had relatively high wingbeat frequency and small wing-mass to body-mass ratio, and hence very small amplitude of body oscillation; while the latter had relatively low wingbeat frequency and large wing-mass to body-mass ratio, and hence relatively large amplitude of body oscillation. For comparison, analysis using the averaged-model theory (fixed-point stability analysis) was also made. Results of both the cyclic-motion stability analysis and the fixed-point stability analysis were tested by numerical simulation using complete equations of motion coupled with the Navier–Stokes equations. The Floquet theory (cyclic-motion stability analysis) agreed well with the simulation for both the model dronefly and the model hawkmoth; but the averaged-model theory gave good results only for the dronefly. Thus, for an insect with relatively large body oscillation at wingbeat frequency, cyclic-motion stability analysis is required, and for their control analysis, the existing well-developed control theories for systems of fixed-point equilibrium are no longer applicable and new methods that take the cyclic variation of the flight dynamics into account are needed. PMID:22491980

  8. Gravity Wave Dynamics in a Mesospheric Inversion Layer: 1. Reflection, Trapping, and Instability Dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laughman, Brian; Wang, Ling; Lund, Thomas S.; Collins, Richard L.

    2018-01-01

    Abstract An anelastic numerical model is employed to explore the dynamics of gravity waves (GWs) encountering a mesosphere inversion layer (MIL) having a moderate static stability enhancement and a layer of weaker static stability above. Instabilities occur within the MIL when the GW amplitude approaches that required for GW breaking due to compression of the vertical wavelength accompanying the increasing static stability. Thus, MILs can cause large‐amplitude GWs to yield instabilities and turbulence below the altitude where they would otherwise arise. Smaller‐amplitude GWs encountering a MIL do not lead to instability and turbulence but do exhibit partial reflection and transmission, and the transmission is a smaller fraction of the incident GW when instabilities and turbulence arise within the MIL. Additionally, greater GW transmission occurs for weaker MILs and for GWs having larger vertical wavelengths relative to the MIL depth and for lower GW intrinsic frequencies. These results imply similar dynamics for inversions due to other sources, including the tropopause inversion layer, the high stability capping the polar summer mesopause, and lower frequency GWs or tides having sufficient amplitudes to yield significant variations in stability at large and small vertical scales. MILs also imply much stronger reflections and less coherent GW propagation in environments having significant fine structure in the stability and velocity fields than in environments that are smoothly varying. PMID:29576994

  9. Dynamical Stability of Imaged Planetary Systems in Formation: Application to HL Tau

    OpenAIRE

    Tamayo, Daniel; Triaud, Amaury H. M. J.; Menou, Kristen; Rein, Hanno

    2015-01-01

    A recent ALMA image revealed several concentric gaps in the protoplanetary disk surrounding the young star HL Tau. We consider the hypothesis that these gaps are carved by planets, and present a general framework for understanding the dynamical stability of such systems over typical disk lifetimes, providing estimates for the maximum planetary masses. We collect these easily evaluated constraints into a workflow that can help guide the design and interpretation of new observational campaigns ...

  10. Stability Analysis of an Advanced Persistent Distributed Denial-of-Service Attack Dynamical Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chunming Zhang

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The advanced persistent distributed denial-of-service (APDDoS attack is a fairly significant threat to cybersecurity. Formulating a mathematical model for accurate prediction of APDDoS attack is important. However, the dynamical model of APDDoS attack has barely been reported. This paper first proposes a novel dynamical model of APDDoS attack to understand the mechanisms of APDDoS attack. Then, the attacked threshold of this model is calculated. The global stability of attack-free and attacked equilibrium are both proved. The influences of the model’s parameters on attacked equilibrium are discussed. Eventually, the main conclusions of the theoretical analysis are examined through computer simulations.

  11. Dynamic contrast enhanced MRI study of primary primitive neuroectodermal tumor in the thoracic spine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Yu; Xu Jianmin; Li Ying; Zhang Jingzhong; Zhu Jing

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the value of dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging in the diagnosis and differentiation of primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) in the thoracic spine. Methods: The dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging of 2 patients (3 times) with PNET in the thoracic spine proved by surgery and pathology were prospectively studied. Results: In the curves of SI-time and CER-time, PNET in the thoracic spine showed a rapid rise to the peak between 60 s and 120 s, then the flat level was kept and no obvious decline was detected after about 3.5 minute. Conclusion: Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI can help to make the diagnosis and differential diagnosis for PNET in the thoracic spine, offer reliable information for the choice of clinical management, and predict the prognosis

  12. How single node dynamics enhances synchronization in neural networks with electrical coupling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bonacini, E.; Burioni, R.; Di Volo, M.; Groppi, M.; Soresina, C.; Vezzani, A.

    2016-01-01

    The stability of the completely synchronous state in neural networks with electrical coupling is analytically investigated applying both the Master Stability Function approach (MSF), developed by Pecora and Carroll (1998), and the Connection Graph Stability method (CGS) proposed by Belykh et al. (2004). The local dynamics is described by Morris–Lecar model for spiking neurons and by Hindmarsh–Rose model in spike, burst, irregular spike and irregular burst regimes. The combined application of both CGS and MSF methods provides an efficient estimate of the synchronization thresholds, namely bounds for the coupling strength ranges in which the synchronous state is stable. In all the considered cases, we observe that high values of coupling strength tend to synchronize the system. Furthermore, we observe a correlation between the single node attractor and the local stability properties given by MSF. The analytical results are compared with numerical simulations on a sample network, with excellent agreement.

  13. Path to Stochastic Stability: Comparative Analysis of Stochastic Learning Dynamics in Games

    KAUST Repository

    Jaleel, Hassan

    2018-04-08

    Stochastic stability is a popular solution concept for stochastic learning dynamics in games. However, a critical limitation of this solution concept is its inability to distinguish between different learning rules that lead to the same steady-state behavior. We address this limitation for the first time and develop a framework for the comparative analysis of stochastic learning dynamics with different update rules but same steady-state behavior. We present the framework in the context of two learning dynamics: Log-Linear Learning (LLL) and Metropolis Learning (ML). Although both of these dynamics have the same stochastically stable states, LLL and ML correspond to different behavioral models for decision making. Moreover, we demonstrate through an example setup of sensor coverage game that for each of these dynamics, the paths to stochastically stable states exhibit distinctive behaviors. Therefore, we propose multiple criteria to analyze and quantify the differences in the short and medium run behavior of stochastic learning dynamics. We derive and compare upper bounds on the expected hitting time to the set of Nash equilibria for both LLL and ML. For the medium to long-run behavior, we identify a set of tools from the theory of perturbed Markov chains that result in a hierarchical decomposition of the state space into collections of states called cycles. We compare LLL and ML based on the proposed criteria and develop invaluable insights into the comparative behavior of the two dynamics.

  14. Enhancing Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells to Moisture by the Facile Hydrophobic Passivation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, Insung; Jeong, Inyoung; Lee, Jinwoo; Ko, Min Jae; Yong, Kijung

    2015-08-12

    In this study, a novel and facile passivation process for a perovskite solar cell is reported. Poor stability in ambient atmosphere, which is the most critical demerit of a perovskite solar cell, is overcome by a simple passivation process using a hydrophobic polymer layer. Teflon, the hydrophobic polymer, is deposited on the top of a perovskite solar cell by a spin-coating method. With the hydrophobic passivation, the perovskite solar cell shows negligible degradation after a 30 day storage in ambient atmosphere. Suppressed degradation of the perovskite film is proved in various ways: X-ray diffraction, light absorption spectrum, and quartz crystal microbalance. This simple but effective passivation process suggests new kind of approach to enhance stability of perovskite solar cells to moisture.

  15. Local dynamic stability and variability of gait are associated with fall history in elderly subjects

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Toebes, M.J.P.; Hoozemans, M.J.M.; Furrer, R.; Dekker, J.; van Dieen, J.H.

    2012-01-01

    Gait parameters that can be measured with simple instrumentation may hold promise for identifying individuals at risk of falling. Increased variability of gait is associated with increased risk of falling, but research on additional parameters indicates that local dynamic stability (LDS) of gait may

  16. Stabilizing salt-bridge enhances protein thermostability by reducing the heat capacity change of unfolding.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chi-Ho Chan

    Full Text Available Most thermophilic proteins tend to have more salt bridges, and achieve higher thermostability by up-shifting and broadening their protein stability curves. While the stabilizing effect of salt-bridge has been extensively studied, experimental data on how salt-bridge influences protein stability curves are scarce. Here, we used double mutant cycles to determine the temperature-dependency of the pair-wise interaction energy and the contribution of salt-bridges to ΔC(p in a thermophilic ribosomal protein L30e. Our results showed that the pair-wise interaction energies for the salt-bridges E6/R92 and E62/K46 were stabilizing and insensitive to temperature changes from 298 to 348 K. On the other hand, the pair-wise interaction energies between the control long-range ion-pair of E90/R92 were negligible. The ΔC(p of all single and double mutants were determined by Gibbs-Helmholtz and Kirchhoff analyses. We showed that the two stabilizing salt-bridges contributed to a reduction of ΔC(p by 0.8-1.0 kJ mol⁻¹ K⁻¹. Taken together, our results suggest that the extra salt-bridges found in thermophilic proteins enhance the thermostability of proteins by reducing ΔC(p, leading to the up-shifting and broadening of the protein stability curves.

  17. Subendometrial enhancement and peritumoral enhancement for assessing endometrial cancer on dynamic contrast enhanced MR imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujii, Shinya; Kido, Aki; Baba, Tsukasa; Fujimoto, Koji; Daido, Sayaka; Matsumura, Noriomi; Konishi, Ikuo; Togashi, Kaori

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: •We have assessed the peritumoral enhancement (PTE), which mimics SEE on DCE. •We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of SEE for the myometrial invasion and the frequency of PTE. •We assessed the relationship between these enhancements and important pathologic factors. •PTE Type 1 is the main factor causing the overestimation of myometrial invasion using SEE on DCE. •PTE Type 2 correlates the myometrial invasion and may play an important role in the diagnosis of LVSI. -- Abstract: Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of subendometrial enhancement (SEE) in assessing the myometrial invasion in endometrial cancer, the frequency and clinical significance of peritumoral enhancement (PTE) on dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) imaging. Materials and methods: MR images of 147 patients with endometrial cancer were retrospectively analyzed for intact SEE and PTEs: Type 1, a focal early enhancement peritumorally, and Type 2, an irregular thin-layered early intense enhancement peritumorally. Two radiologists independently assessed intact SEE and PTEs on DCE imaging and compared the lesions by the presence and depth of myometrial invasion, grade, lymphovascular space involvement (LVSI), and lymph node metastasis. The relationship between SEE, PTEs, and each factor was analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and diagnostic accuracy were calculated for SEE. Results: The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and diagnostic accuracy for myometrial invasion based on SEE disruption on DCE were 96.6%, 32.1–46.4%, 85.8–88.5%, 69.2–76.5%, and 84.4–87.1%. According to multivariate analysis, SEE significantly predicted myometrial invasion (p < 0.0001). PTE Type 2 significantly predicted myometrial invasion presence (p < 0.05) and depth (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Diagnosis of myometrial invasion only by using SEE might be difficult on DCE-MRI due to the

  18. Subendometrial enhancement and peritumoral enhancement for assessing endometrial cancer on dynamic contrast enhanced MR imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fujii, Shinya [Division of Radiology, Department of Pathophysiological and Therapeutic Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago (Japan); Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan); Kido, Aki, E-mail: akikido@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan); Baba, Tsukasa [Departments of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan); Fujimoto, Koji; Daido, Sayaka [Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan); Matsumura, Noriomi; Konishi, Ikuo [Departments of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan); Togashi, Kaori [Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan)

    2015-04-15

    Highlights: •We have assessed the peritumoral enhancement (PTE), which mimics SEE on DCE. •We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of SEE for the myometrial invasion and the frequency of PTE. •We assessed the relationship between these enhancements and important pathologic factors. •PTE Type 1 is the main factor causing the overestimation of myometrial invasion using SEE on DCE. •PTE Type 2 correlates the myometrial invasion and may play an important role in the diagnosis of LVSI. -- Abstract: Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of subendometrial enhancement (SEE) in assessing the myometrial invasion in endometrial cancer, the frequency and clinical significance of peritumoral enhancement (PTE) on dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) imaging. Materials and methods: MR images of 147 patients with endometrial cancer were retrospectively analyzed for intact SEE and PTEs: Type 1, a focal early enhancement peritumorally, and Type 2, an irregular thin-layered early intense enhancement peritumorally. Two radiologists independently assessed intact SEE and PTEs on DCE imaging and compared the lesions by the presence and depth of myometrial invasion, grade, lymphovascular space involvement (LVSI), and lymph node metastasis. The relationship between SEE, PTEs, and each factor was analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and diagnostic accuracy were calculated for SEE. Results: The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and diagnostic accuracy for myometrial invasion based on SEE disruption on DCE were 96.6%, 32.1–46.4%, 85.8–88.5%, 69.2–76.5%, and 84.4–87.1%. According to multivariate analysis, SEE significantly predicted myometrial invasion (p < 0.0001). PTE Type 2 significantly predicted myometrial invasion presence (p < 0.05) and depth (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Diagnosis of myometrial invasion only by using SEE might be difficult on DCE-MRI due to the

  19. On the internal stability of non-linear dynamic inversion: application to flight control

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Alam, M.; Čelikovský, Sergej

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 11, č. 12 (2017), s. 1849-1861 ISSN 1751-8644 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA17-04682S Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : flight control * non-linear dynamic inversion * stability Subject RIV: BC - Control Systems Theory OBOR OECD: Automation and control systems Impact factor: 2.536, year: 2016 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2017/TR/celikovsky-0476150.pdf

  20. Dynamic modelling of tearing mode stabilization by RF current drive

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giruzzi, G.; Zabiego, M.; Gianakon, T.A.; Garbet, X.; Bernabei, S.

    1998-01-01

    The theory of tearing mode stabilization in toroidal plasmas by RF-driven currents that are modulated in phase with the island rotation is investigated. A time scale analysis of the phenomena involved indicates that transient effects, such as finite time response of the driven currents, island rotation during the power pulses, and the inductive response of the plasma, are intrinsically important. A dynamic model of such effects is developed, based on a 3-D Fokker-Planck code coupled to both the electric field diffusion and the island evolution equations. Extensive applications to both Electron Cyclotron and Lower Hybrid current drive in ITER are presented. (author)

  1. Dynamic Postural-Stability Deficits After Cryotherapy to the Ankle Joint

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fullam, Karl; Caulfield, Brian; Coughlan, Garrett F.; McGroarty, Mark; Delahunt, Eamonn

    2015-01-01

    Context  Decreased postural stability is a primary risk factor for lower limb musculoskeletal injuries. During athletic competitions, cryotherapy may be applied during short breaks in play or during half-time; however, its effects on postural stability remain unclear. Objective  To investigate the acute effects of a 15-minute ankle-joint cryotherapy application on dynamic postural stability. Design  Controlled laboratory study. Setting  University biomechanics laboratory. Patients or Other Participants  A total of 29 elite-level collegiate male field-sport athletes (age = 20.8 ± 1.12 years, height = 1.80 ± 0.06 m, mass = 81.89 ± 8.59 kg) participated. Intervention(s)  Participants were tested on the anterior (ANT), posterolateral (PL), and posteromedial (PM) reach directions of the Star Excursion Balance Test before and after a 15-minute ankle-joint cryotherapy application. Main Outcome Measure(s)  Normalized reach distances; sagittal-plane kinematics of the hip, knee, and ankle joints; and associated mean velocity of the center-of-pressure path during performance of the ANT, PL, and PM reach directions of the Star Excursion Balance Test. Results  We observed a decrease in reach-distance scores for the ANT, PL, and PM reach directions from precryotherapy to postcryotherapy (P .05). We noted a decrease in mean velocity of the center-of-pressure path from precryotherapy to postcryotherapy (P cryotherapy to the ankle joint. PMID:26285088

  2. Validation of enhanced stabilization of municipal solid waste under controlled leachate recirculation using FTIR and XRD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sethi, Sapna; Kothiyal, N C; Nema, Arvind K

    2012-07-01

    Leachate recirculation at neutral PH accompanied with buffer/nutrients addition has been used successfully in earlier stabilization of municipal solid waste in bioreactor landfills. In the present study, efforts were made to enhance the stabilization rate of municipal solid waste (MSW) and organic solid waste (OSW) in simulated landfill bioreactors by controlling the pH of recirculated leachate towards slightly alkaline side in absence of additional buffer and nutrients addition. Enhanced stabilization in waste samples was monitored with the help of analytical tools like Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). Predominance of bands assigned to inorganic compounds and comparatively lower intensities of bands for organic compounds in the FTIR spectra of waste samples degraded with leachate recirculation under controlled pH confirmed higher rate of biodegradation and mineralization of waste than the samples degraded without controlled leachate recirculation. XRD spectra also confirmed to a greater extent of mineralization in the waste samples degraded under leachate recirculation with controlled pH. Comparison of XRD spectra of two types of wastes pointed out higher degree of mineralization in organic solid waste as compared to municipal solid waste.

  3. Operational Limitations of Arctic Waste Stabilization Ponds: Insights from Modeling Oxygen Dynamics and Carbon Removal

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ragush, Colin M.; Gentleman, Wendy C.; Hansen, Lisbeth Truelstrup

    2018-01-01

    Presented here is a mechanistic model of the biological dynamics of the photic zone of a single-cell arctic waste stabilization pond (WSP) for the prediction of oxygen concentration and the removal of oxygen-demanding substances. The model is an exploratory model to assess the limiting environmen...

  4. Dynamic Phasors-Based Modeling and Stability Analysis of Droop-Controlled Inverters for Microgrid Applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Guo, Xiaoqiang; Lu, Zhigang; Wang, Baocheng

    2014-01-01

    models fail to predict the system instabilities. In order to solve the problem, a new modeling approach for inverter-dominated microgrids by using dynamic phasors is presented in this paper. Our findings indicate that the proposed dynamic phasor model is able to predict accurately the stability margins...... of the system, while the conventional reduced-order small signal model fails. In addition, the virtual ω-E frame power control method, which deals with the power coupling caused by the line impedance X/R characteristic, has also been chosen as an application example of the proposed modeling technique....

  5. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in patients with luminal Crohn's disease

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ziech, M. L. W.; Lavini, C.; Caan, M. W. A.; Nio, C. Y.; Stokkers, P. C. F.; Bipat, S.; Ponsioen, C. Y.; Nederveen, A. J.; Stoker, J.

    2012-01-01

    Objectives: To prospectively assess dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE-)MRI as compared to conventional sequences in patients with luminal Crohn's disease. Methods: Patients with Crohn's disease undergoing MRI and ileocolonoscopy within 1 month had DCE-MRI (3T) during intravenous contrast injection of

  6. Optimal Hotspots of Dynamic Surfaced-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy for Drugs Quantitative Detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Xiunan; Li, Pan; Zhou, Binbin; Tang, Xianghu; Li, Xiaoyun; Weng, Shizhuang; Yang, Liangbao; Liu, Jinhuai

    2017-05-02

    Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) as a powerful qualitative analysis method has been widely applied in many fields. However, SERS for quantitative analysis still suffers from several challenges partially because of the absence of stable and credible analytical strategy. Here, we demonstrate that the optimal hotspots created from dynamic surfaced-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (D-SERS) can be used for quantitative SERS measurements. In situ small-angle X-ray scattering was carried out to in situ real-time monitor the formation of the optimal hotspots, where the optimal hotspots with the most efficient hotspots were generated during the monodisperse Au-sol evaporating process. Importantly, the natural evaporation of Au-sol avoids the nanoparticles instability of salt-induced, and formation of ordered three-dimensional hotspots allows SERS detection with excellent reproducibility. Considering SERS signal variability in the D-SERS process, 4-mercaptopyridine (4-mpy) acted as internal standard to validly correct and improve stability as well as reduce fluctuation of signals. The strongest SERS spectra at the optimal hotspots of D-SERS have been extracted to statistics analysis. By using the SERS signal of 4-mpy as a stable internal calibration standard, the relative SERS intensity of target molecules demonstrated a linear response versus the negative logarithm of concentrations at the point of strongest SERS signals, which illustrates the great potential for quantitative analysis. The public drugs 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and α-methyltryptamine hydrochloride obtained precise analysis with internal standard D-SERS strategy. As a consequence, one has reason to believe our approach is promising to challenge quantitative problems in conventional SERS analysis.

  7. Interval stability for complex systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klinshov, Vladimir V.; Kirillov, Sergey; Kurths, Jürgen; Nekorkin, Vladimir I.

    2018-04-01

    Stability of dynamical systems against strong perturbations is an important problem of nonlinear dynamics relevant to many applications in various areas. Here, we develop a novel concept of interval stability, referring to the behavior of the perturbed system during a finite time interval. Based on this concept, we suggest new measures of stability, namely interval basin stability (IBS) and interval stability threshold (IST). IBS characterizes the likelihood that the perturbed system returns to the stable regime (attractor) in a given time. IST provides the minimal magnitude of the perturbation capable to disrupt the stable regime for a given interval of time. The suggested measures provide important information about the system susceptibility to external perturbations which may be useful for practical applications. Moreover, from a theoretical viewpoint the interval stability measures are shown to bridge the gap between linear and asymptotic stability. We also suggest numerical algorithms for quantification of the interval stability characteristics and demonstrate their potential for several dynamical systems of various nature, such as power grids and neural networks.

  8. Robust Adaptive Stabilization of Linear Time-Invariant Dynamic Systems by Using Fractional-Order Holds and Multirate Sampling Controls

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Alonso-Quesada

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a strategy for designing a robust discrete-time adaptive controller for stabilizing linear time-invariant (LTI continuous-time dynamic systems. Such systems may be unstable and noninversely stable in the worst case. A reduced-order model is considered to design the adaptive controller. The control design is based on the discretization of the system with the use of a multirate sampling device with fast-sampled control signal. A suitable on-line adaptation of the multirate gains guarantees the stability of the inverse of the discretized estimated model, which is used to parameterize the adaptive controller. A dead zone is included in the parameters estimation algorithm for robustness purposes under the presence of unmodeled dynamics in the controlled dynamic system. The adaptive controller guarantees the boundedness of the system measured signal for all time. Some examples illustrate the efficacy of this control strategy.

  9. High contrast enhancement aspect of dynamic computed tomography with arterial infusion - DCT-AI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kato, Seishi; Iwasaki, Naoya; Matsumura, Yoshimitsu; Kuramae, Shigeru; Mishiro, Tadashi

    1983-01-01

    Dynamic computed tomography was performed on 112 cases possibly having hepatic tumors with intraarterial infusion of undiluted contrast into a selectively placed catheter following angiographies. Our dynamic program could evaluate not only early phase of enhancement but also late phase up to 120 sec. Reconstructed views from early scans and magnified views were very useful to evaluate minute sequential changes. Hepatic masses less than 5 cm in size were found in thirty-one cases. Patterns of tumor enhancement and time-density curves have been analysed to correlate them with histology. Four types of tumor enhancement were noted: (1) homogeneous (2) patchy (3) mottled (4) ringed. Characteristic changes were observed in hepatocellular carcinoma - HCC - (mostly mottled) and haemangioma (mostly patchy). The former was divided in two groups reflecting the cellular maturity. The metastatic tumor could be enhanced in a ringed form with dendritic pattern of supplying vascularities in some cases. To support the use of undiluted contrast and to investigate the diagnostic efficacy of high contrast enhancement, experiments were performed by taking transaxial views of an acrylic phantom immersed in different concentrations of contrast. Analysis of CT images taken at different HU values ranging from 0 to 450 demonstrated that the higher the concentration of contrast, the better the spatial resolution was. Also larger magnification could be expected by using higher concentration of contrast. Although our Dynamic Computed Tomography with Arterial Infusion of Contrast still has drawbacks and limited indications, we advocate it as a better way of enhancement to detect and evaluate the hepatic masses, which sometimes elude the examiner's grasp with conventional way of enhancement. (author)

  10. Inclusion of methoxy groups inverts the thermodynamic stabilities of DNA-RNA hybrid duplexes: A molecular dynamics simulation study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suresh, Gorle; Priyakumar, U Deva

    2015-09-01

    Modified nucleic acids have found profound applications in nucleic acid based technologies such as antisense and antiviral therapies. Previous studies on chemically modified nucleic acids have suggested that modifications incorporated in furanose sugar especially at 2'-position attribute special properties to nucleic acids when compared to other modifications. 2'-O-methyl modification to deoxyribose sugars of DNA-RNA hybrids is one such modification that increases nucleic acid stability and has become an attractive class of compounds for potential antisense applications. It has been reported that modification of DNA strands with 2'-O-methyl group reverses the thermodynamic stability of DNA-RNA hybrid duplexes. Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed on two hybrid duplexes (DR and RD) which differ from each other and 2'-O-methyl modified counterparts to investigate the effect of 2'-O-methyl modification on their duplex stability. The results obtained suggest that the modification drives the conformations of both the hybrid duplexes towards A-RNA like conformation. The modified hybrid duplexes exhibit significantly contrasting dynamics and hydration patterns compared to respective parent duplexes. In line with the experimental results, the relative binding free energies suggest that the introduced modifications stabilize the less stable DR hybrid, but destabilize the more stable RD duplex. Binding free energy calculations suggest that the increased hydrophobicity is primarily responsible for the reversal of thermodynamic stability of hybrid duplexes. Free energy component analysis further provides insights into the stability of modified duplexes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Theoretical analysis of turbulent transport through the diffuse boundary layer in the dynamic stabilization of superimposed miscible liquids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gerhauser, H.

    1980-02-01

    Two superimposed miscible liquids are separated by a diffuse boundary layer providing a steady transition of density. If the heavy fluid is on top of the light one, Rayleigh-Taylor-instabilities develop and cause a rapid interchange and eventually an intermixing. This process can be subjected to dynamic stabilization by enforcing vertical oscillations upon the whole system. However, since only part of the unstable mode spectrum is completely stabilized, the remaining weakly unstable modes lead to turbulent transport processes through the boundary layer ('anomalous diffusion'), so that only a quasistationary equilibrium is achieved. In the present paper, previous experimental results on the dynamic stabilization of water superimposed by an aqueous ZnJ-solution are theoretically interpreted, and the observed spatial structure as well as the time development of the density profiles are explained. There exists an analogy between these phenomena and turbulent transport processes in tokamak discharges such as the sawtooth oscillations of internal disruptions. (orig.) [de

  12. Stability enhancement and electronic tunability of two-dimensional SbIV compounds via surface functionalization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Wenhan; Guo, Shiying; Liu, Xuhai; Cai, Bo; Song, Xiufeng; Zhu, Zhen; Zhang, Shengli

    2018-01-01

    We propose a family of hydrogenated- and halogenated-SbIV (SbIVX-2) materials that simultaneously have two-dimensional (2D) structures, high stability and appealing electronic properties. Based on first-principles total-energy and vibrational-spectra calculations, SbIVX-2 monolayers are found both thermally and dynamically stable. Varying IV and X elements can rationally tune the electronic properties of SbIVX-2 monolayers, effectively modulating the band gap from 0 to 3.42 eV. Regarding such superior stability and broad band-gap range, SbIVX-2 monolayers are expected to be synthesized in experiments and taken as promising candidates for low-dimensional electronic and optoelectronic devices, such as blue-to-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (LED) and photodetectors.

  13. Mathematical modeling of the dynamic stability of fluid conveying pipe based on integral equation formulations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elfelsoufi, Z.; Azrar, L.

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, a mathematical modeling of flutter and divergence analyses of fluid conveying pipes based on integral equation formulations is presented. Dynamic stability problems related to fluid pressure, velocity, tension, topography slope and viscoelastic supports and foundations are formulated. A methodological approach is presented and the required matrices, associated to the influencing fluid and pipe parameters, are explicitly given. Internal discretizations are used allowing to investigate the deformation, the bending moment, slope and shear force at internal points. Velocity–frequency, pressure-frequency and tension-frequency curves are analyzed for various fluid parameters and internal elastic supports. Critical values of divergence and flutter behaviors with respect to various fluid parameters are investigated. This model is general and allows the study of dynamic stability of tubes crossed by stationary and instationary fluid on various types of supports. Accurate predictions can be obtained and are of particular interest for a better performance and for an optimal safety of piping system installations. - Highlights: • Modeling the flutter and divergence of fluid conveying pipes based on RBF. • Dynamic analysis of a fluid conveying pipe with generalized boundary conditions. • Considered parameters fluid are the pressure, tension, slopes topography, velocity. • Internal support increase the critical velocity value. • This methodologies determine the fluid parameters effects.

  14. Stability of a general delayed virus dynamics model with humoral immunity and cellular infection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elaiw, A. M.; Raezah, A. A.; Alofi, A. S.

    2017-06-01

    In this paper, we investigate the dynamical behavior of a general nonlinear model for virus dynamics with virus-target and infected-target incidences. The model incorporates humoral immune response and distributed time delays. The model is a four dimensional system of delay differential equations where the production and removal rates of the virus and cells are given by general nonlinear functions. We derive the basic reproduction parameter R˜0 G and the humoral immune response activation number R˜1 G and establish a set of conditions on the general functions which are sufficient to determine the global dynamics of the models. We use suitable Lyapunov functionals and apply LaSalle's invariance principle to prove the global asymptotic stability of the all equilibria of the model. We confirm the theoretical results by numerical simulations.

  15. New Systematic CFD Methods to Calculate Static and Single Dynamic Stability Derivatives of Aircraft

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bai-gang Mi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Several new systematic methods for high fidelity and reliability calculation of static and single dynamic derivatives are proposed in this paper. Angle of attack step response is used to obtain static derivative directly; then translation acceleration dynamic derivative and rotary dynamic derivative can be calculated by employing the step response motion of rate of the angle of attack and unsteady motion of pitching angular velocity step response, respectively. Longitudinal stability derivative calculations of SACCON UCAV are taken as test cases for validation. Numerical results of all cases achieve good agreement with reference values or experiments data from wind tunnel, which indicate that the proposed methods can be considered as new tools in the process of design and production of advanced aircrafts for their high efficiency and precision.

  16. First-principles molecular dynamics investigation of thermal and mechanical stability of the TiN(001)/AlN and ZrN(001)/AlN heterostructures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ivashchenko, V.I.; Veprek, S.; Turchi, P.E.A.; Shevchenko, V.I.; Leszczynski, J.; Gorb, L.; Hill, F.

    2014-01-01

    First-principles quantum molecular dynamics investigations of TiN(001)/AlN and ZrN(001)/AlN heterostructures with one and two monolayers (1 ML and 2 ML) of AlN interfacial layers were carried out in the temperature range of 0–1400 K with subsequent static relaxation. It is shown that the epitaxially stabilized cubic B1-AlN interfacial layers are preserved in all TiN(001)/AlN heterostructures over the whole temperature range. In the ZrN(001)/AlN heterostructures, the B1-AlN(001) interfacial layer exists at 0 K, but it transforms into a distorted one at 10 K consisting of tetrahedral AlN 4 , octahedral AlN 6 , and AlN 5 units. The thermal stability of the interfaces was investigated by studying the phonon dynamic stability of the B1-AlN phase with different lattice parameters. The calculations showed that the B1-AlN interface should be unstable in ZrN(001)/AlN heterostructures and nanocomposites, and in those based on transition metal nitrides with lattice parameters larger than 4.4 Å. Electronic band structure calculations showed that energy gap forms around the Fermi energy for all interfaces. The formation of the interfacial AlN layer in TiN and ZrN crystals reduces their ideal tensile and shear strengths. Upon tensile load, decohesion occurs between Ti (Zr) and N atoms adjacent to the 1 ML AlN interfacial layer, whereas in the case of 2 ML AlN it occurs inside the TiN and ZrN slabs. The experimentally reported strength enhancement in the TiN/AlN and ZrN/AlN heterostructures is attributed to impeding effect of the interfacial layer on the plastic flow. - Highlights: • First-principles quantum molecular dynamics studies were conducted. • TiN- and ZrN-based heterostructures with one and two AlN interfacial layers. • Stability and structural transformation between 0 and 1400 K have been calculated. • Stress–strain relationships and ideal strengths determined. • Systems which may form stable superhard heterostructures are identified

  17. First-principles molecular dynamics investigation of thermal and mechanical stability of the TiN(001)/AlN and ZrN(001)/AlN heterostructures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ivashchenko, V.I., E-mail: ivash@ipms.kiev.ua [Institute of Problems of Material Science, National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Krzhyzhanosky str. 3, 03142 Kyiv (Ukraine); Veprek, S., E-mail: stan.veprek@lrz.tum.de [Department of Chemistry, Technical University Munich, Lichtenbergstrasse 4, D-85747 Garching (Germany); Turchi, P.E.A. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (L-352), P.O. Box 808, Livermore, CA 94551 (United States); Shevchenko, V.I. [Institute of Problems of Material Science, National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Krzhyzhanosky str. 3, 03142 Kyiv (Ukraine); Leszczynski, J. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Interdisciplinary Center for Nanotoxicity, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217 (United States); Gorb, L. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Interdisciplinary Center for Nanotoxicity, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217 (United States); U.S. Army ERDC, Vicksburg, MS 39180 (United States); Hill, F. [U.S. Army ERDC, Vicksburg, MS 39180 (United States)

    2014-08-01

    First-principles quantum molecular dynamics investigations of TiN(001)/AlN and ZrN(001)/AlN heterostructures with one and two monolayers (1 ML and 2 ML) of AlN interfacial layers were carried out in the temperature range of 0–1400 K with subsequent static relaxation. It is shown that the epitaxially stabilized cubic B1-AlN interfacial layers are preserved in all TiN(001)/AlN heterostructures over the whole temperature range. In the ZrN(001)/AlN heterostructures, the B1-AlN(001) interfacial layer exists at 0 K, but it transforms into a distorted one at 10 K consisting of tetrahedral AlN{sub 4}, octahedral AlN{sub 6}, and AlN{sub 5} units. The thermal stability of the interfaces was investigated by studying the phonon dynamic stability of the B1-AlN phase with different lattice parameters. The calculations showed that the B1-AlN interface should be unstable in ZrN(001)/AlN heterostructures and nanocomposites, and in those based on transition metal nitrides with lattice parameters larger than 4.4 Å. Electronic band structure calculations showed that energy gap forms around the Fermi energy for all interfaces. The formation of the interfacial AlN layer in TiN and ZrN crystals reduces their ideal tensile and shear strengths. Upon tensile load, decohesion occurs between Ti (Zr) and N atoms adjacent to the 1 ML AlN interfacial layer, whereas in the case of 2 ML AlN it occurs inside the TiN and ZrN slabs. The experimentally reported strength enhancement in the TiN/AlN and ZrN/AlN heterostructures is attributed to impeding effect of the interfacial layer on the plastic flow. - Highlights: • First-principles quantum molecular dynamics studies were conducted. • TiN- and ZrN-based heterostructures with one and two AlN interfacial layers. • Stability and structural transformation between 0 and 1400 K have been calculated. • Stress–strain relationships and ideal strengths determined. • Systems which may form stable superhard heterostructures are identified.

  18. The use of synthetic ligaments in the design of an enhanced stability total knee joint replacement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stokes, Michael D; Greene, Brendan C; Pietrykowski, Luke W; Gambon, Taylor M; Bales, Caroline E; DesJardins, John D

    2018-03-01

    Current total knee replacement designs work to address clinically desired knee stability and range of motion through a balance of retained anatomy and added implant geometry. However, simplified implant geometries such as bearing surfaces, posts, and cams are often used to replace complex ligamentous constraints that are sacrificed during most total knee replacement procedures. This article evaluates a novel total knee replacement design that incorporates synthetic ligaments to enhance the stability of the total knee replacement system. It was hypothesized that by incorporating artificial cruciate ligaments into a total knee replacement design at specific locations and lengths, the stability of the total knee replacement could be significantly altered while maintaining active ranges of motion. The ligament attachment mechanisms used in the design were evaluated using a tensile test, and determined to have a safety factor of three with respect to expected ligamentous loading in vivo. Following initial computational modeling of possible ligament orientations, a physical prototype was constructed to verify the function of the design by performing anterior/posterior drawer tests under physiologic load. Synthetic ligament configurations were found to increase total knee replacement stability up to 94% compared to the no-ligament case, while maintaining total knee replacement flexion range of motion between 0° and 120°, indicating that a total knee replacement that incorporates synthetic ligaments with calibrated location and lengths should be able to significantly enhance and control the kinematic performance of a total knee replacement system.

  19. Static and dynamic stability of the guidance force in a side-suspended HTS maglev system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Dajin; Cui, Chenyu; Zhao, Lifeng; Zhang, Yong; Wang, Xiqing; Zhao, Yong

    2017-02-01

    The static and dynamic stability of the guidance force in a side-suspended HTS-PMG (permanent magnetic guideway) system were studied theoretically and experimentally. It is found that there are two types of guidance force that exist in the HTS-PMG system, which are sensitive to the levitation gap and the arrangement of YBCO bulks around the central axis of the PMG. An optimized YBCO array was used to stabilize the system, which enabled a side-suspended HTS-PMG maglev vehicle to run stably at 102 km h-1 on a circular test track with 6.5 m in diameter.

  20. Stability of the Supply Chain Using System Dynamics Simulation and the Accumulated Deviations from Equilibrium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis Rabelo

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available We propose and demonstrate a new methodology to stabilize systems with complex dynamics like the supply chain. This method is based on the accumulated deviations from equilibrium (ADE. It is most beneficial for controlling system dynamic models characterized by multiple types of delays, many interacting variables, and feedback processes. We employ the classical version of particle swarm optimization as the optimization approach due to its performance in multidimensional space, stochastic properties, and global reach. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method based on ADE using a manufacturing-supply-chain case study.

  1. Silylated Zeolites with Enhanced Hydrothermal Stability for the Aqueous-Phase Hydrogenation of Levulinic Acid to γ-Valerolactone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vu, Hue-Tong; Harth, Florian M.; Wilde, Nicole

    2018-05-01

    A systematic silylation approach using mono-, di- and trichlorosilanes with different alkyl chain lengths was employed to enhance the hydrothermal stability of zeolite Y. DRIFT spectra of the silylated zeolites indicate that the attachment of the silanes takes place at surface silanol groups. Regarding hydrothermal stability under aqueous-phase processing conditions, i.e., pH ≈ 2, 473 K and autogenous pressure, the selective silylation of the zeolite surface using monochlorosilanes has no considerable influence. By using trichlorosilanes, the hydrothermal stability of zeolite Y can be improved significantly as proven by a stability test in an aqueous solution of 0.6 M levulinic acid (LA) and 0.2 M formic acid (FA) at 473 K. However, the silylation with trichlorosilanes results in a significant loss of total specific pore volume and total specific surface area, e.g., 0.35 cm3 g-1 and 507 m2 g 1 for the silylated zeolite Y functionalized with n octadecyltrichlorosilane compared to 0.51 cm3 g 1 and 788 m2 g-1 for the parent zeolite Y. The hydrogenation of LA to γ valerolactone (GVL) was conducted over 3 wt.-% Pt on zeolite Y (3PtY) silylated with either n octadecyltrichlorosilane or methyltrichlorosilane using different reducing agents, e.g., FA or H2. While in the stability test an enhanced hydrothermal stability was found for zeolite Y silylated with n octadecyltrichlorosilane, its stability in the hydrogenation of LA was far less pronounced. Only by applying an excess amount of methyltrichlorosilane, i.e., 10 mmol per 1 g of zeolite Y, presumably resulting in a high degree of polymerization among the silanes, a recognizable improvement of the stability of the 3 PtY catalyst could be achieved. Nonetheless, the pore blockage found for zeolite Y silylated with an excess amount of methyltrichlorosilane was reflected in a drastically lower GVL yield at 493 K using FA as reducing agent, i.e., 12% vs. 34% for 3PtY after 24 h.

  2. Silylated Zeolites With Enhanced Hydrothermal Stability for the Aqueous-Phase Hydrogenation of Levulinic Acid to γ-Valerolactone

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hue-Tong Vu

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available A systematic silylation approach using mono-, di-, and trichlorosilanes with different alkyl chain lengths was employed to enhance the hydrothermal stability of zeolite Y. DRIFT spectra of the silylated zeolites indicate that the attachment of the silanes takes place at surface silanol groups. Regarding hydrothermal stability under aqueous-phase processing (APP conditions, i.e., pH ≈ 2, 473 K and autogenous pressure, the selective silylation of the zeolite surface using monochlorosilanes has no considerable influence. By using trichlorosilanes, the hydrothermal stability of zeolite Y can be improved significantly as proven by a stability test in an aqueous solution of 0.2 M levulinic acid (LA and 0.6 M formic acid (FA at 473 K. However, the silylation with trichlorosilanes results in a significant loss of total specific pore volume and total specific surface area, e.g., 0.35 cm3 g−1 and 507 m2 g−1 for the silylated zeolite Y functionalized with n-octadecyltrichlorosilane compared to 0.51 cm3 g−1 and 788 m2 g−1 for the parent zeolite Y. The hydrogenation of LA to γ-valerolactone (GVL was conducted over 3 wt.-% Pt on zeolite Y (3PtY silylated with either n-octadecyltrichlorosilane or methyltrichlorosilane using different reducing agents, e.g., FA or H2. While in the stability test an enhanced hydrothermal stability was found for zeolite Y silylated with n-octadecyltrichlorosilane, its stability in the hydrogenation of LA was far less pronounced. Only by applying an excess amount of methyltrichlorosilane, i.e., 10 mmol per 1 g of zeolite Y, presumably resulting in a high degree of polymerization among the silanes, a recognizable improvement of the stability of the 3 PtY catalyst could be achieved. Nonetheless, the pore blockage found for zeolite Y silylated with an excess amount of methyltrichlorosilane was reflected in a drastically lower GVL yield at 493 K using FA as reducing agent, i.e., 12 vs. 34% for 3PtY after 24 h.

  3. A new experimental approach to study the stability of logistic map

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rani, Mamta; Agarwal, Rashi

    2009-01-01

    Remarkably benign looking logistic transformations x n+1 = rx n (1 - x n ) for choosing x 0 between 0 and 1 and 0 < r ≤ 4 have found a celebrated place in chaos, fractals and discrete dynamics. The purpose of this paper is to enhance the capabilities of logistic map via superior iterations. Stability of logistic map has been studied by running computer programs. Logistic map is stable for 0 < r ≤ 3.2 in Picard orbit. In superior orbit, we see that the range of stability of logistic map increases drastically. Also, chaotic behavior of logistic map disappears in certain cases.

  4. Stabilization of dendritic spine clusters and hyperactive Ras-MAPK signaling predict enhanced motor learning in an autistic savant mouse model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryan Thomas Ash

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available That both prominent behavioral inflexibility and exceptional learning abilities are seen occasionally in autistic patients is a mystery. We hypothesize that these altered patterns of learning and memory can arise from a pathological imbalance between the stability and plasticity of internal neural representations. We evaluated this hypothesis in the mouse model of MECP2 duplication syndrome, which demonstrates enhanced motor learning, stereotyped behaviors, and social avoidance. Learning-associated structural plasticity was measured in the motor cortex of MECP2 duplication mice by 2-photon imaging (Fig. 1A. An increased stabilization rate of learning-associated dendritic spines was observed in mutants, and this correlated with rotarod performance. Analysis of the spatial distribution of stabilized spines revealed that the mutant’s increased spine stabilization was due to a specific increase in the stability of spines jointly formed in ~9-micron clusters. Clustered spine stabilization but not isolated spine stabilization predicted enhanced motor performance in MECP2 duplication mice (Fig. 1B. Biochemical assays of Ras-MAPK and mTOR pathway activation demonstrated profound hyperphosphorylation of MAPK in the motor cortex of MECP2 duplication mice with motor training (Fig. 1C. Taken together these data suggest that a pathological bias towards hyperstability of learning-associated dendritic spine clusters driven by hyperactive Ras-MAPK signaling could contribute to neurobehavioral phenotypes in this form of syndromic autism.

  5. Thermo-cleavable polymers: Materials with enhanced photochemical stability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Manceau, Matthieu; Petersen, Martin Helgesen; Krebs, Frederik C

    2010-01-01

    Photochemical stability of three thermo-cleavable polymers was investigated as thin films under atmospheric conditions. A significant increase in lifetime was observed once the side-chain was cleaved emphasizing the detrimental effect of solubilizing groups on the photochemical stability of conju......Photochemical stability of three thermo-cleavable polymers was investigated as thin films under atmospheric conditions. A significant increase in lifetime was observed once the side-chain was cleaved emphasizing the detrimental effect of solubilizing groups on the photochemical stability...... of conjugated polymers. In addition to their ease of processing, thermo-cleavable polymers thus also offer a greater intrinsic stability under illumination....

  6. Enhancing pattern of gastric carcinoma at dynamic incremental CT: correlation with gross and histologic findings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shin, Hong Seop; Lee, Dong Ho; Kim, Yoon Hwa; Ko, Young Tae; Lim, Joo Won; Yoon, Yup

    1996-01-01

    To evaluate the enhancing pattern of gastric carcinomas at dynamic incremental CT and to correlate it with pathologic findings. We retrospectively evaluated the enhancement pattern of stomach cancer on dynamic incremental CT of the 78 patients. All the lesions had been pathologically proved after surgery. The enhancement pattern was categorized as good or poor in the early phase;homogeneous, heterogeneous or ring enhancement;the presence or absence of delayed enhancement. There were 16 cases of early gastric cancer (EGC), and 62 cases of advanced gastric cancer(AGC). The Borrmann type of AGC were 1(n=1), 2(n=20), 3=(n=32), 4(n=8) and 5(n=1). The histologic patterns of AGC were tubular(n=49), signet ring cell(n=10), and mucinous(n=3). The enhancing patterns were compared with gross and histologic findings and delayed enhancement was correlated with pathologic evidence of desmoplasia. Good enhancement of tumor was seen in 24/41cases (58.5%) with AGC Borrmann type 3-5, in 6/21(28.6%) with AGC Borrmann type 1-2, and in 3/16(18.8%) with EGC (P<.05). By histologic pattern, good enhancement of tumor was seen in 8/10(80%) with signet ring cell type, in 21/49(42.9%) with tubular type, and in 1/3(33.3%) with mucinous type(P<.05). EGC was homogeneously enhanced in 14/16cases (87.5%), but AGC was heterogeneously enhanced in 33/62(53.2%), respectively(P<.01). There was no significant correlation between delayed enhancement and the presence of desmoplasia. AGC Borrmann type 3-5 and signet ring cell type have a tendency to show good enhancement and EGC is more homogeneously enhanced at dynamic incremental CT

  7. Evaluating automated dynamic contrast enhanced wrist 3 T MRI in healthy volunteers: One-year longitudinal observational study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rastogi, Anshul, E-mail: anshul.rastogi@bartshealth.nhs.uk [Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Imperial College London (United Kingdom); Kubassova, Olga, E-mail: olga@imageanalysis.org.uk [Image Analysis, Leeds (United Kingdom); Krasnosselskaia, Lada V., E-mail: solaguz@yahoo.com [Imaging Sciences Department, Imperial College London (United Kingdom); Lim, Adrian K.P., E-mail: a.lim@imperial.ac.uk [Department of Radiology, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London (United Kingdom); Satchithananda, Keshthra, E-mail: keshthra.satchithananda@imperial.nhs.uk [Department of Radiology, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London (United Kingdom); Boesen, Mikael, E-mail: mikael.boesen@gmail.com [Department of Radiology and the Parker Institute, Frederiksberg and Bispebjerg Hospitals (Denmark); Binks, Michael, E-mail: michael.h.binks@gsk.com [GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenage, SG1 2NY (United Kingdom); Hajnal, Joseph V., E-mail: jo.hajnal@kcl.ac.uk [Imaging Sciences Department, Imperial College London (United Kingdom); Taylor, Peter C., E-mail: peter.taylor@kennedy.ox.ac.uk [Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Imperial College London (United Kingdom)

    2013-08-15

    Rational and Objective: Dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE)-MRI has great potential to provide quantitative measure of inflammatory activity in rheumatoid arthritis. There is no current benchmark to establish the stability of signal in the joints of healthy subjects when imaged with DCE-MRI longitudinally, which is crucial so as to differentiate changes induced by treatment from the inherent variability of perfusion measures. The objective of this study was to test a pixel-by-pixel parametric map based approach for analysis of DCE-MRI (Dynamika) and to investigate the variability in signal characteristics over time in healthy controls using longitudinally acquired images. Materials and Methods: 10 healthy volunteers enrolled, dominant wrists were imaged with contrast enhanced 3T MRI at baseline, week 12, 24 and 52 and scored with RAMRIS, DCE-MRI was analysed using a novel quantification parametric map based approach. Radiographs were obtained at baseline and week 52 and scored using modified Sharp van der Heidje method. RAMRIS scores and dynamic MRI measures were correlated. Results: No erosions were seen on radiographs, whereas MRI showed erosion-like changes, low grade bone marrow oedema and low-moderate synovial enhancement. The DCE-MRI parameters were stable (baseline scores, variability) (mean ± st.dev); in whole wrist analysis, ME{sub mean} (1.3 ± 0.07, −0.08 ± 0.1 at week 24) and IRE{sub mean} (0.008 ± 0.004, −0.002 ± 0.005 at week 12 and 24). In the rough wrist ROI, ME{sub mean} (1.2 ± 0.07, 0.04 ± 0.02 at week 52) and IRE{sub mean} (0.001 ± 0.0008, 0.0006 ± 0.0009 at week 52) and precise wrist ROI, ME{sub mean} (1.2 ± 0.09, 0.04 ± 0.04 at week 52) and IRE{sub mean} (0.001 ± 0.0008, 0.0008 ± 0.001 at week 24 and 52). The Dynamic parameters obtained using fully automated analysis demonstrated strong, statistically significant correlations with RAMRIS synovitis scores. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that contrast enhancement does occur in

  8. Development of a dynamic flow imaging phantom for dynamic contrast-enhanced CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Driscoll, B.; Keller, H.; Coolens, C.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: Dynamic contrast enhanced CT (DCE-CT) studies with modeling of blood flow and tissue perfusion are becoming more prevalent in the clinic, with advances in wide volume CT scanners allowing the imaging of an entire organ with sub-second image frequency and sub-millimeter accuracy. Wide-spread implementation of perfusion DCE-CT, however, is pending fundamental validation of the quantitative parameters that result from dynamic contrast imaging and perfusion modeling. Therefore, the goal of this work was to design and construct a novel dynamic flow imaging phantom capable of producing typical clinical time-attenuation curves (TACs) with the purpose of developing a framework for the quantification and validation of DCE-CT measurements and kinetic modeling under realistic flow conditions. Methods: The phantom is based on a simple two-compartment model and was printed using a 3D printer. Initial analysis of the phantom involved simple flow measurements and progressed to DCE-CT experiments in order to test the phantoms range and reproducibility. The phantom was then utilized to generate realistic input TACs. A phantom prediction model was developed to compute the input and output TACs based on a given set of five experimental (control) parameters: pump flow rate, injection pump flow rate, injection contrast concentration, and both control valve positions. The prediction model is then inversely applied to determine the control parameters necessary to generate a set of desired input and output TACs. A protocol was developed and performed using the phantom to investigate image noise, partial volume effects and CT number accuracy under realistic flow conditionsResults: This phantom and its surrounding flow system are capable of creating a wide range of physiologically relevant TACs, which are reproducible with minimal error between experiments (σ/μ 2 ) for the input function between 0.95 and 0.98, while the maximum enhancement differed by no more than 3.3%. The

  9. Effect of Ankle Taping and Fatigue on Dynamic Stability in Athletes With and Without Chronic Ankle Instability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tahereh Pourkhani

    2017-07-01

    Conclusion In the athletes with chronic ankle instability, taping without fatigue improved dynamic balance in the vertical direction. Taping after fatigue could not improve dynamic stability in the athletes with and without chronic ankle instability. Future researchers should examine injured and uninjured participants tested under these conditions to determine if these results are useful in selecting appropriate prophylactic method that can treat or prevent injury to the ankle during functional activities.

  10. Structure-based stabilization of HIV-1 gp120 enhances humoral immune responses to the induced co-receptor binding site.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barna Dey

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1 exterior envelope glycoprotein, gp120, possesses conserved binding sites for interaction with the primary virus receptor, CD4, and also for the co-receptor, generally CCR5. Although gp120 is a major target for virus-specific neutralizing antibodies, the gp120 variable elements and its malleable nature contribute to evasion of effective host-neutralizing antibodies. To understand the conformational character and immunogenicity of the gp120 receptor binding sites as potential vaccine targets, we introduced structure-based modifications to stabilize gp120 core proteins (deleted of the gp120 major variable regions into the conformation recognized by both receptors. Thermodynamic analysis of the re-engineered core with selected ligands revealed significant stabilization of the receptor-binding regions. Stabilization of the co-receptor-binding region was associated with a marked increase in on-rate of ligand binding to this site as determined by surface plasmon resonance. Rabbit immunization studies showed that the conformational stabilization of core proteins, along with increased ligand affinity, was associated with strikingly enhanced humoral immune responses against the co-receptor-binding site. These results demonstrate that structure-based approaches can be exploited to stabilize a conformational site in a large functional protein to enhance immunogenic responses specific for that region.

  11. Theory of the dynamic stability of plasma systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bud'ko, A.B.; Velikovich, A.L.; Kleev, A.I.; Liberman, M.A.; Felber, F.S.

    1989-01-01

    Internal instabilities of the plasma of a diffuse pinch result from the acceleration of the plasma in the course of its compression and the expansion of the current channel. The spectra of the growth rates σ m,k of the hydromagnetic instabilities responsible for the disruption of the initial cylindrical symmetry during compression are calculated. For a Z-pinch with a Gaussian density profile, the major instabilities in the course of the compression are the small-scale sausage and kink instabilities with kR >> 1 (R is a typical radius of the pinch). Superimposed on these small-scale instabilities is a filamentation instability with m >> 1, which develops more slowly. If the density instead has a power-law profile, the filamentation instabilities will develop more rapidly than the sausage and kink instabilities. Dynamic stabilization of a pinch by a longitudinal magnetic field makes it possible to maintain symmetry up to radial compressions of the plasma significantly higher than in the absence of a field

  12. Enhancement of efficiency and stability of phosphorescent OLEDs based on heterostructured light-emitting layers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chin, Byung Doo, E-mail: bdchin@dankook.ac.kr [Department of Polymer Science and Engineering and Center for Photofunctional Energy Materials, Dankook University, Jukjeon-dong, Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 448-701 (Korea, Republic of)

    2011-03-23

    The light-emitting efficiency and stability of a phosphorescent organic light-emitting device (OLED), whose emission characteristics are strongly dominated not only by the energy transfer but also by the charge carrier trapping influenced by heterostructured emissive layers, are studied. The variation of the material combination of the heterostructured emitter, both for mixed and double layer configuration, affects the charge injection behaviour, luminous efficiency and stability. Both double and mixed emitter configurations yield low-voltage and high-efficiency behaviour (51 lm W{sup -1} at 1000 cd m{sup -2}; 30 lm W{sup -1} at 10 000 cd m{sup -2}). Such an improvement in power efficiency at elevated brightness is sufficiently universal, while the enhancement of device half-lifetime is rather sensitive to the circumstantial layout of heterostructural emitters. With an optimal mixture of hole-transport type and electron-transport type, a half-lifetime of more than 2500 h at 4000 cd m{sup -2} is obtained, which is 8 times the half-lifetime of control devices with a single emitter structure. The origin and criterion for enhancement of efficiency and lifetime are discussed in terms of the carrier transport behaviour with a specific device architecture.

  13. Pharmacokinetic analysis of Gd-DTPA enhancement in dynamic MR of breast carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hess, T.; Knopp, M.V.; Hoffmann, U.; Brix, G.; Junkermann, H.; Zuna, I.; Fournier, D. von; Kaick, G. van

    1994-01-01

    Dynamic Gd-DTPA enhanced MR of the breast was performed in one single slice in 27 patients with suspicious nodular lesions. The results could be histologically verified in all cases. A rapid spin-echo sequence with a time resolution of 8.75 s was used for the dynamic examination. The signal changes were analysed using a pharmacokinetic model which allowed parametrization of the contrast enhancement and transformation of the data into colour coded parameter images. The parameters allowed reliable distinction of 9 benign from 18 malignant lesions (p 21 ''). One fibroadenoma could not be distinguished from the carcinomas. Lymph node metastases and the pharmacokinetic parameter amplitude correlated significantly (p<0.05). (orig.)

  14. Relationship between the medial longitudinal arch and the thoracic and lumbar curvatures with the static and dynamic stability in obese females

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abbas Rahimi

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aim: Reviewing the literature reveals a possible correlation between the obesity and the potential foot, spine and stability problems. Investigating the important parameters affecting the balance of obese people and prevention from falling are of high importance to reduce the resulting expenditures. This study aimed to assess the acts and the counter acts between the medial longitudinal arch (MLA and the thoracic and lumbar curvatures with the static and dynamic stability in obese females. Materials and Methods: Twenty eight obese females (age= 25±8 years old, BMI=37±4 and twenty nine non-obese females (age= 23±4 years old, BMI=23±3 were recruited in this case-control study with the cross-sectional technique. The MLA, spinal curve angles and the static or dynamic balance index of the subjects were measured using the navicular drop, flexible ruler and Biodex balance system tools, respectively. The static balance test was carried out using a modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction and Balance (CTSIB test in both the open and closed eyes while the subjects stood on their dominant legs. The order of the dynamic and static tests was selected randomly.Results: The findings of this study showed that in closed eye condition, most changes happened between the global Stability Index (SI and BMI; while in open eye condition, most changes occurred between the lateral-medial stability index and BMI (r=0.5. Also during an open eye condition, a moderate correlation was found between the navicular drop and lateral-medial stability index (r=0.05. In closed eyes condition, no significant changes were found between the SI and lumbar lordosis (r=0.0004; while a weak correlation was found between the thoracic curve angle and lateral-medial stability index (r=0.04.Conclusion: The dynamic stability is not only correlated to their BMI, but is highly dependent on their foot curvature types and slightly on their thoracic curve angle. Abdominal

  15. Stability Enhancement of a Power System Containing High-Penetration Intermittent Renewable Generation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge Morel

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper considers the transient stability enhancement of a power system containing large amounts of solar and wind generation in Japan. Following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster there has been an increasing awareness on the importance of a distributed architecture, based mainly on renewable generation, for the Japanese power system. Also, the targets of CO2 emissions can now be approached without heavily depending on nuclear generation. Large amounts of renewable generation leads to a reduction in the total inertia of the system because renewable generators are connected to the grid by power converters, and transient stability becomes a significant issue. Simulation results show that sodium-sulfur batteries can keep the system in operation and stable after strong transient disturbances, especially for an isolated system. The results also show how the reduction of the inertia in the system can be mitigated by exploiting the kinetic energy of wind turbines.

  16. Quantum dynamical simulations of local field enhancement in metal nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Negre, Christian F A; Perassi, Eduardo M; Coronado, Eduardo A; Sánchez, Cristián G

    2013-03-27

    Field enhancements (Γ) around small Ag nanoparticles (NPs) are calculated using a quantum dynamical simulation formalism and the results are compared with electrodynamic simulations using the discrete dipole approximation (DDA) in order to address the important issue of the intrinsic atomistic structure of NPs. Quite remarkably, in both quantum and classical approaches the highest values of Γ are located in the same regions around single NPs. However, by introducing a complete atomistic description of the metallic NPs in optical simulations, a different pattern of the Γ distribution is obtained. Knowing the correct pattern of the Γ distribution around NPs is crucial for understanding the spectroscopic features of molecules inside hot spots. The enhancement produced by surface plasmon coupling is studied by using both approaches in NP dimers for different inter-particle distances. The results show that the trend of the variation of Γ versus inter-particle distance is different for classical and quantum simulations. This difference is explained in terms of a charge transfer mechanism that cannot be obtained with classical electrodynamics. Finally, time dependent distribution of the enhancement factor is simulated by introducing a time dependent field perturbation into the Hamiltonian, allowing an assessment of the localized surface plasmon resonance quantum dynamics.

  17. Molecular dynamics based enhanced sampling of collective variables with very large time steps

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Pei-Yang; Tuckerman, Mark E.

    2018-01-01

    Enhanced sampling techniques that target a set of collective variables and that use molecular dynamics as the driving engine have seen widespread application in the computational molecular sciences as a means to explore the free-energy landscapes of complex systems. The use of molecular dynamics as the fundamental driver of the sampling requires the introduction of a time step whose magnitude is limited by the fastest motions in a system. While standard multiple time-stepping methods allow larger time steps to be employed for the slower and computationally more expensive forces, the maximum achievable increase in time step is limited by resonance phenomena, which inextricably couple fast and slow motions. Recently, we introduced deterministic and stochastic resonance-free multiple time step algorithms for molecular dynamics that solve this resonance problem and allow ten- to twenty-fold gains in the large time step compared to standard multiple time step algorithms [P. Minary et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 150201 (2004); B. Leimkuhler et al., Mol. Phys. 111, 3579-3594 (2013)]. These methods are based on the imposition of isokinetic constraints that couple the physical system to Nosé-Hoover chains or Nosé-Hoover Langevin schemes. In this paper, we show how to adapt these methods for collective variable-based enhanced sampling techniques, specifically adiabatic free-energy dynamics/temperature-accelerated molecular dynamics, unified free-energy dynamics, and by extension, metadynamics, thus allowing simulations employing these methods to employ similarly very large time steps. The combination of resonance-free multiple time step integrators with free-energy-based enhanced sampling significantly improves the efficiency of conformational exploration.

  18. Dynamic rayed aurora and enhanced ion-acoustic radar echoes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. M. Blixt

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available The generation mechanism for naturally enhanced ion-acoustic echoes is still debated. One important issue is how these enhancements are related to auroral activity. All events of enhanced ion-acoustic echoes observed simultaneously with the EISCAT Svalbard Radar (ESR and with high-resolution narrow field-of-view auroral imagers have been collected and studied. Characteristic of all the events is the appearance of very dynamic rayed aurora, and some of the intrinsic features of these auroral displays are identified. Several of these identified features are directly related to the presence of low energy (10-100eV precipitating electrons in addition to the higher energy population producing most of the associated light. The low energy contribution is vital for the formation of the enhanced ion-acoustic echoes. We argue that this type of aurora is sufficient for the generation of naturally enhanced ion-acoustic echoes. In one event two imagers were used to observe the auroral rays simultaneously, one from the radar site and one 7km away. The data from these imagers shows that the auroral rays and the strong backscattering filaments (where the enhanced echoes are produced are located on the same field line, which is in contrast to earlier statements in the litterature that they should be separated.

  19. Dynamic stability analysis of circular arch subjected to follower forces with small disturbances; Judo kaju wo ukeru enkei arch no yuran ni yoru doteki kyodo to anteisei kaiseki

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fukuchi, N.; Okada, K. [Kyushu University, Fukuoka (Japan). Faculty of Engineering; Hirano, Y. [Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

    1997-09-04

    This paper describes the deformation and dynamic stability of circular arch subjected to follower forces in a submerged membrane type marine structure reinforced by arch frames. Governing equations for finite deformations of the circular arch subjected to follower forces are introduced using an embedded curve coordinate, which are formulated by applying Galerkin method. In addition, equations of motion due to small disturbances under given condition of loading are introduced. Based on these equations, dynamic stability of the arch is analyzed by means of Runnge-Kutta-Gill method, to clarify the relationship between disturbances and instability regions and the resulting phenomena. Near the boundary regions of stability, both amplitude and cycle of deformation are greatly affected by the amplitude of disturbances. The dynamic instability is governed by the inverse symmetry primary mode with minimum characteristic frequency which is specific for the circular arch. The dynamic stability has high parameter dependency, and the instability regions have a complicated shapes. Although flattened arch has a smaller static critical load, it provides the dynamic stability against the disturbance. 5 refs., 10 figs.

  20. Dynamic oxygen-enhanced MRI of cerebrospinal fluid.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taha M Mehemed

    Full Text Available Oxygen causes an increase in the longitudinal relaxation rate of tissues through its T1-shortening effect owing to its paramagnetic properties. Due to such effects, MRI has been used to study oxygen-related signal intensity changes in various body parts including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF space. Oxygen enhancement of CSF has been mainly studied using MRI sequences with relatively longer time resolution such as FLAIR, and T1 value calculation. In this study, fifteen healthy volunteers were scanned using fast advanced spin echo MRI sequence with and without inversion recovery pulse in order to dynamically track oxygen enhancement of CSF. We also focused on the differences of oxygen enhancement at sulcal and ventricular CSF. Our results revealed that CSF signal after administration of oxygen shows rapid signal increase in both sulcal CSF and ventricular CSF on both sequences, with statistically significant predominant increase in sulcal CSF compared with ventricular CSF. CSF is traditionally thought to mainly form from the choroid plexus in the ventricles and is absorbed at the arachnoid villi, however, it is also believed that cerebral arterioles contribute to the production and absorption of CSF, and controversy remains in terms of the precise mechanism. Our results demonstrated rapid oxygen enhancement in sulcal CSF, which may suggest inhaled oxygen may diffuse into sulcal CSF space rapidly probably due to the abundance of pial arterioles on the brain sulci.

  1. Dynamic enhanced computed tomographic findings of a perirenal capillary hemangioma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Jung Min; Kim, Sang Won; Kim, Hyun Cheol; Yang, Dal Mo; Ryu, Jung Kyu; Lim, Sung Jig [Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-05-15

    Hemangiomas are benign mesenchymal neoplasms that rarely occur in the kidney and perirenal space. Perirenal hemangiomas can mimic the appearance of exophytic renal cell carcinoma or various retroperitoneal tumors. We report a case of perirenal hemangioma detected by dynamic enhanced computed tomography in a 43-year-old female.

  2. Dynamics of contrast enhancement in MR imaging and power Doppler ultrasonography of solid breast lesions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reinikainen, H.; Paeaekkoe, E.; Suramo, I.; Paeivaensalo, M.; Rissanen, T.

    2002-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the dynamics of contrast enhancement in solid breast lesions at contrast-enhanced MR imaging and power Doppler ultrasonography (US) and to compare the methods to histology and to each other. Material and Methods: Forty breast lesions were prospectively examined with dynamic MR and power Doppler US. Time-signal intensity curves of enhancement were obtained for both methods. The shape of the curve was analyzed to be benign, indeterminate or malignant. The curves were also analyzed quantitatively by calculating the slope of the curve and the area under the curve (both methods), relative enhancement (MR), and time to peak (US). The lesions were divided into malignant lesions, fibroadenomas, and other benign lesions. The results were compared to histology. Results: In the subjective analysis of the MR curve in differentiating between benign and malignant lesions the accuracy was 90%. The MR curve also enabled differentiation between fibroadenomas and malignancies. The accuracy of the US curve was 38%. Quantitatively, statistically significant differences were found using all the MR variables, except between malignancies and fibroadenomas. Using the US variables, no significant difference was found between the groups. Conclusion: The dynamics of contrast-enhanced MR were reliable in the differential diagnosis of solid breast lesions, but contrast-enhanced power Doppler US was of limited value

  3. Dynamic aeroelastic stability of vertical-axis wind turbines under constant wind velocity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nitzsche, Fred

    1994-05-01

    The flutter problem associated with the blades of a class of vertical-axis wind turbines called Darrieus is studied in detail. The spinning blade is supposed to be initially curved in a particular shape characterized by a state of pure tension at the blade cross section. From this equilibrium position a three-dimensional linear perturbation pattern is superimposed to determine the dynamic aeroelastic stability of the blade in the presence of free wind speed by means of the Floquet-Lyapunov theory for periodic systems.

  4. Assessment of pipeline stability in the Gulf of Mexico during hurricanes using dynamic analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yinghui Tian

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Pipelines are the critical link between major offshore oil and gas developments and the mainland. Any inadequate on-bottom stability design could result in disruption and failure, having a devastating impact on the economy and environment. Predicting the stability behavior of offshore pipelines in hurricanes is therefore vital to the assessment of both new design and existing assets. The Gulf of Mexico has a very dense network of pipeline systems constructed on the seabed. During the last two decades, the Gulf of Mexico has experienced a series of strong hurricanes, which have destroyed, disrupted and destabilized many pipelines. This paper first reviews some of these engineering cases. Following that, three case studies are retrospectively simulated using an in-house developed program. The study utilizes the offshore pipeline and hurricane details to conduct a Dynamic Lateral Stability analysis, with the results providing evidence as to the accuracy of the modeling techniques developed.

  5. Dynamic stability of passive dynamic walking on an irregular surface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Jimmy Li-Shin; Dingwell, Jonathan B

    2007-12-01

    Falls that occur during walking are a significant health problem. One of the greatest impediments to solve this problem is that there is no single obviously "correct" way to quantify walking stability. While many people use variability as a proxy for stability, measures of variability do not quantify how the locomotor system responds to perturbations. The purpose of this study was to determine how changes in walking surface variability affect changes in both locomotor variability and stability. We modified an irreducibly simple model of walking to apply random perturbations that simulated walking over an irregular surface. Because the model's global basin of attraction remained fixed, increasing the amplitude of the applied perturbations directly increased the risk of falling in the model. We generated ten simulations of 300 consecutive strides of walking at each of six perturbation amplitudes ranging from zero (i.e., a smooth continuous surface) up to the maximum level the model could tolerate without falling over. Orbital stability defines how a system responds to small (i.e., "local") perturbations from one cycle to the next and was quantified by calculating the maximum Floquet multipliers for the model. Local stability defines how a system responds to similar perturbations in real time and was quantified by calculating short-term and long-term local exponential rates of divergence for the model. As perturbation amplitudes increased, no changes were seen in orbital stability (r(2)=2.43%; p=0.280) or long-term local instability (r(2)=1.0%; p=0.441). These measures essentially reflected the fact that the model never actually "fell" during any of our simulations. Conversely, the variability of the walker's kinematics increased exponentially (r(2)>or=99.6%; psimulated conditions, the walker remained orbitally stable, while exhibiting substantial local instability. This was because very small initial perturbations diverged away from the limit cycle, while larger

  6. Dynamic stability of running: The effects of speed and leg amputations on the maximal Lyapunov exponent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Look, Nicole; Arellano, Christopher J.; Grabowski, Alena M.; Kram, Rodger; McDermott, William J.; Bradley, Elizabeth

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, we study dynamic stability during running, focusing on the effects of speed, and the use of a leg prosthesis. We compute and compare the maximal Lyapunov exponents of kinematic time-series data from subjects with and without unilateral transtibial amputations running at a wide range of speeds. We find that the dynamics of the affected leg with the running-specific prosthesis are less stable than the dynamics of the unaffected leg and also less stable than the biological legs of the non-amputee runners. Surprisingly, we find that the center-of-mass dynamics of runners with two intact biological legs are slightly less stable than those of runners with amputations. Our results suggest that while leg asymmetries may be associated with instability, runners may compensate for this effect by increased control of their center-of-mass dynamics

  7. A new reconfiguration scheme for voltage stability enhancement of radial distribution systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arun, M.; Aravindhababu, P.

    2009-01-01

    Network reconfiguration is an operation problem, which entails altering the topological structure of the distribution feeders by rearranging the status of switches in order to obtain an optimal configuration in order to minimise the system losses. This paper presents a new reconfiguration algorithm that enhances voltage stability and improves the voltage profile besides minimising losses without incurring any additional cost for installation of capacitors, tap changing transformers and related switching equipment in the distribution system. Test results on a 69 node distribution system reveal the superiority of this algorithm.

  8. Enhancement and stabilization of plasma using collinear long-short double-pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Minchao; Deguchi, Yoshihiro; Wang, Zhenzhen; Fujita, Yuki; Liu, Renwei; Shiou, Fang-Jung; Zhao, Shengdun

    2018-04-01

    A collinear long-short dual-pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (DP-LIBS) method was employed to enhance and stabilize the laser-induced plasma from steel sample. The long-pulse-width laser beam with the pulse width of 60 μs was generated by a Nd: YAG laser which was operated at FR (free running) mode. The comparative experiments were carried out between single pulse LIBS (SP-LIBS) and long-short DP-LIBS. The recorded results showed that the emission intensities and the temperature of plasma were enhanced by long-short DP-LIBS. The plasma images showed that the plasma was bigger and had a longer lifetime in long-short DP-LIBS situation. Through the calculation of time-resolved plasma temperature and intensity ratio, it can be concluded that the plasma was stabilized by the long-pulse-width laser beam. The long-short DP-LIBS method also generated the stable plasma condition from the samples with different initial temperatures, which overcame the difficulties of LIBS in the online measurement for steel production line.

  9. Enhanced structural stability of DNA origami nanostructures by graphene encapsulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matković, Aleksandar; Vasić, Borislav; Pešić, Jelena; Gajić, Radoš; Prinz, Julia; Bald, Ilko; Milosavljević, Aleksandar R

    2016-01-01

    We demonstrate that a single-layer graphene replicates the shape of DNA origami nanostructures very well. It can be employed as a protective layer for the enhancement of structural stability of DNA origami nanostructures. Using the AFM based manipulation, we show that the normal force required to damage graphene encapsulated DNA origami nanostructures is over an order of magnitude greater than for the unprotected ones. In addition, we show that graphene encapsulation offers protection to the DNA origami nanostructures against prolonged exposure to deionized water, and multiple immersions. Through these results we demonstrate that graphene encapsulated DNA origami nanostructures are strong enough to sustain various solution phase processing, lithography and transfer steps, thus extending the limits of DNA-mediated bottom-up fabrication. (paper)

  10. Local dynamic stability of lower extremity joints in lower limb amputees during slope walking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jin-Ling; Gu, Dong-Yun

    2013-01-01

    Lower limb amputees have a higher fall risk during slope walking compared with non-amputees. However, studies on amputees' slope walking were not well addressed. The aim of this study was to identify the difference of slope walking between amputees and non-amputees. Lyapunov exponents λS was used to estimate the local dynamic stability of 7 transtibial amputees' and 7 controls' lower extremity joint kinematics during uphill and downhill walking. Compared with the controls, amputees exhibited significantly lower λS in hip (P=0.04) and ankle (P=0.01) joints of the sound limb, and hip joints (P=0.01) of the prosthetic limb during uphill walking, while they exhibited significantly lower λS in knee (P=0.02) and ankle (P=0.03) joints of the sound limb, and hip joints (P=0.03) of the prosthetic limb during downhill walking. Compared with amputees level walking, they exhibited significantly lower λS in ankle joints of the sound limb during both uphill (P=0.01) and downhill walking (P=0.01). We hypothesized that the better local dynamic stability of amputees was caused by compensation strategy during slope walking.

  11. Resolution enhancement in neural networks with dynamical synapses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. C. Alan Fung

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Conventionally, information is represented by spike rates in the neural system. Here, we consider the ability of temporally modulated activities in neuronal networks to carry information extra to spike rates. These temporal modulations, commonly known as population spikes, are due to the presence of synaptic depression in a neuronal network model. We discuss its relevance to an experiment on transparent motions in macaque monkeys by Treue et al. in 2000. They found that if the moving directions of objects are too close, the firing rate profile will be very similar to that with one direction. As the difference in the moving directions of objects is large enough, the neuronal system would respond in such a way that the network enhances the resolution in the moving directions of the objects. In this paper, we propose that this behavior can be reproduced by neural networks with dynamical synapses when there are multiple external inputs. We will demonstrate how resolution enhancement can be achieved, and discuss the conditions under which temporally modulated activities are able to enhance information processing performances in general.

  12. Molecular Dynamics Driven Design of pH-Stabilized Mutants of MNEI, a Sweet Protein.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Serena Leone

    Full Text Available MNEI is a single chain derivative of monellin, a plant protein that can interact with the human sweet taste receptor, being therefore perceived as sweet. This unusual physiological activity makes MNEI a potential template for the design of new sugar replacers for the food and beverage industry. Unfortunately, applications of MNEI have been so far limited by its intrinsic sensitivity to some pH and temperature conditions, which could occur in industrial processes. Changes in physical parameters can, in fact, lead to irreversible protein denaturation, as well as aggregation and precipitation. It has been previously shown that the correlation between pH and stability in MNEI derives from the presence of a single glutamic residue in a hydrophobic pocket of the protein. We have used molecular dynamics to study the consequences, at the atomic level, of the protonation state of such residue and have identified the network of intramolecular interactions responsible for MNEI stability at acidic pH. Based on this information, we have designed a pH-independent, stabilized mutant of MNEI and confirmed its increased stability by both molecular modeling and experimental techniques.

  13. Molecular Dynamics Driven Design of pH-Stabilized Mutants of MNEI, a Sweet Protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leone, Serena; Picone, Delia

    2016-01-01

    MNEI is a single chain derivative of monellin, a plant protein that can interact with the human sweet taste receptor, being therefore perceived as sweet. This unusual physiological activity makes MNEI a potential template for the design of new sugar replacers for the food and beverage industry. Unfortunately, applications of MNEI have been so far limited by its intrinsic sensitivity to some pH and temperature conditions, which could occur in industrial processes. Changes in physical parameters can, in fact, lead to irreversible protein denaturation, as well as aggregation and precipitation. It has been previously shown that the correlation between pH and stability in MNEI derives from the presence of a single glutamic residue in a hydrophobic pocket of the protein. We have used molecular dynamics to study the consequences, at the atomic level, of the protonation state of such residue and have identified the network of intramolecular interactions responsible for MNEI stability at acidic pH. Based on this information, we have designed a pH-independent, stabilized mutant of MNEI and confirmed its increased stability by both molecular modeling and experimental techniques.

  14. Transducer-based fiber Bragg grating high-temperature sensor with enhanced range and stability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mamidi, Venkata Reddy; Kamineni, Srimannarayana; Ravinuthala, Lakshmi Narayana Sai Prasad; Tumu, Venkatappa Rao

    2017-09-01

    Fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-based high-temperature sensor with enhanced-temperature range and stability has been developed and tested. The sensor consists of an FBG and a mechanical transducer, which furnishes a linear temperature-dependent tensile strain on FBG by means of differential linear thermal expansion of two different ceramic materials. The designed sensor is tested over a range: 20°C to 1160°C and is expected to measure up to 1500°C.

  15. Dynamic performance enhancement of microgrids by advanced sliding mode controller

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sofla, Mohammadhassan Abdollahi [Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Dept., University of Toledo, Ohio (United States); Gharehpetian, Gevorg B. [Electrical Engineering Dept., Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2011-01-15

    Dynamics are the most important problems in the microgrid operation. In the islanded microgrid, the mismatch of parallel operations of inverters during dynamics can result in the instability. This paper considers severe dynamics which can occur in the microgrid. Microgrid can have different configurations with different load and generation dynamics which are facing voltage disturbances. As a result, microgrid has many uncertainties and is placed in the distribution network where is full of voltage disturbances. Moreover, characteristics of the distribution network and distributed energy resources in the islanded mode make microgrid vulnerable and easily lead to instability. The main aim of this paper is to discuss the suitable mathematical modeling based on microgrid characteristics and to design properly inner controllers to enhance the dynamics of microgrid with uncertain and changing parameters. This paper provides a method for inner controllers of inverter-based distributed energy resources to have a suitable response for different dynamics. Parallel inverters in distribution networks were considered to be controlled by nonlinear robust voltage and current controllers. Theoretical prove beyond simulation results, reveal evidently the effectiveness of the proposed controller. (author)

  16. Intelligent Control of UPFC for Enhancing Transient Stability on Multi-Machine Power Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hassan Barati

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available One of the benefit of FACTS devices is increase of stability in power systems with control active and reactive power at during the fault in power system. Although, the power system stabilizers (PSSs have been one of the most common controls used to damp out oscillations, this device may not produce enough damping especially to inter-area mode and therefore, there is an increasing interest in using FACTS devices to aid in damping of these oscillations. In This paper, UPFC is used for damping oscillations and to enhance the transient stability performance of power systems. The controller parameters are designed using an efficient version of the Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy control scheme. The function based Takagi-Sugeno-Kang (TSK fuzzy controller uses. For optimization parameters of fuzzy PI controller, the GA, PSO and HGAPSO algorithms are used. The computer simulation results, the effect of UPFC with conventional PI controller, fuzzy PI controller and intelligent controllers (GA, PSO and HGAPSO for damping the local-mode and inter-area mode of under large and small disturbances in the four-machine two-area power system evaluated and compared.

  17. Diagonal recurrent neural network based adaptive control of nonlinear dynamical systems using lyapunov stability criterion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Rajesh; Srivastava, Smriti; Gupta, J R P

    2017-03-01

    In this paper adaptive control of nonlinear dynamical systems using diagonal recurrent neural network (DRNN) is proposed. The structure of DRNN is a modification of fully connected recurrent neural network (FCRNN). Presence of self-recurrent neurons in the hidden layer of DRNN gives it an ability to capture the dynamic behaviour of the nonlinear plant under consideration (to be controlled). To ensure stability, update rules are developed using lyapunov stability criterion. These rules are then used for adjusting the various parameters of DRNN. The responses of plants obtained with DRNN are compared with those obtained when multi-layer feed forward neural network (MLFFNN) is used as a controller. Also, in example 4, FCRNN is also investigated and compared with DRNN and MLFFNN. Robustness of the proposed control scheme is also tested against parameter variations and disturbance signals. Four simulation examples including one-link robotic manipulator and inverted pendulum are considered on which the proposed controller is applied. The results so obtained show the superiority of DRNN over MLFFNN as a controller. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Study on stability of a-SiCOF films deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ding Shijin; Zhang Qingquan; Wang Pengfei; Zhang Wei; Wang Jitao

    2001-01-01

    Low-dielectric-constant a-SiCOF films have been prepared from TEOS, C 4 F 8 and Ar by using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method. With the aid of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), the chemical bonding configuration, thermal stability and resistance to water of the films are explored

  19. Temporal changes in vegetation of a virgin beech woodland remnant: stand-scale stability with intensive fine-scale dynamics governed by stand dynamic events

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tibor Standovár

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this resurvey study is to check if herbaceous vegetation on the forest floor exhibits overall stability at the stand-scale in spite of intensive dynamics at the scale of individual plots and stand dynamic events (driven by natural fine scale canopy gap dynamics. In 1996, we sampled a 1.5 ha patch using 0.25 m² plots placed along a 5 m × 5 m grid in the best remnant of central European montane beech woods in Hungary. All species in the herbaceous layer and their cover estimates were recorded. Five patches representing different stand developmental situations (SDS were selected for resurvey. In 2013, 306 plots were resurveyed by using blocks of four 0.25 m² plots to test the effects of imperfect relocation. We found very intensive fine-scale dynamics in the herbaceous layer with high species turnover and sharp changes in ground layer cover at the local-scale (< 1 m2. A decrease in species richness and herbaceous layer cover, as well as high species turnover, characterized the closing gaps. Colonization events and increasing species richness and herbaceous layer cover prevailed in the two newly created gaps. A pronounced decrease in the total cover, but low species turnover and survival of the majority of the closed forest specialists was detected by the resurvey at the stand-scale. The test aiming at assessing the effect of relocation showed a higher time effect than the effect of imprecise relocation. The very intensive fine-scale dynamics of the studied beech forest are profoundly determined by natural stand dynamics. Extinction and colonisation episodes even out at the stand-scale, implying an overall compositional stability of the herbaceous vegetation at the given spatial and temporal scale. We argue that fine-scale gap dynamics, driven by natural processes or applied as a management method, can warrant the survival of many closed forest specialist species in the long-run. Nomenclature: Flora Europaea (Tutin et al. 2010 for

  20. Power system stabilizers based on distributed energy resources for damping of inter-area oscillations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefanov Predrag Č.

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper deals with inter-area power oscillations damping enhancement by distributed energy resources contained in typical micro grid. Main idea behind this work is to use distributed generation and distributed storage, such as battery energy storage to mimic conventional power system stabilizer, but with regulating active power output, rather than reactive power, as in standard power system stabilizer realization. The analysis of the small signal stability is established for four-machine, two-area system, with inverter based micro grids in each area. Dynamic simulation results are included in this work and they show that proposed controller provides additional damping effect to this test system.

  1. Stability Proxies for Water-in-Oil Emulsions and Implications in Aqueous-based Enhanced Oil Recovery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehrnoosh Moradi

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Several researchers have proposed that mobility control mechanisms can positively contribute to oil recovery in the case of emulsions generated in Enhanced-Oil Recovery (EOR operations. Chemical EOR techniques that use alkaline components or/and surfactants are known to produce undesirable emulsions that create operational problems and are difficult to break. Other water-based methods have been less studied in this sense. EOR processes such as polymer flooding and LoSalTM injection require adjustments of water chemistry, mainly by lowering the ionic strength of the solution or by decreasing hardness. The decreased ionic strength of EOR solutions can give rise to more stable water-in-oil emulsions, which are speculated to improve mobility ratio between the injectant and the displaced oil. The first step toward understanding the connection between the emulsions and EOR mechanisms is to show that EOR conditions, such as salinity and hardness requirements, among others, are conducive to stabilizing emulsions. In order to do this, adequate stability proxies are required. This paper reviews commonly used emulsion stability proxies and explains the advantages and disadvantage of methods reviewed. This paper also reviews aqueous-based EOR processes with focus on heavy oil to contextualize in-situ emulsion stabilization conditions. This context sets the basis for comparison of emulsion stability proxies.

  2. Inducing half-metallicity with enhanced stability in zigzag graphene nanoribbons via fluorine passivation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jaiswal, Neeraj K., E-mail: neerajkjaiswal@gmail.com [Discipline of Physics, Indian Institute of Information Technology Design & Manufacturing, Jabalpur 482005 (India); Tyagi, Neha [Department of Applied Physics, Delhi Technological University, Delhi 110042 (India); Kumar, Amit [Discipline of Physics, Indian Institute of Information Technology Design & Manufacturing, Jabalpur 482005 (India); Srivastava, Pankaj [Nanomaterials Research Group, ABV-Indian Institute of Information Technology & Management, Gwalior 474015 (India)

    2017-02-28

    Highlights: • F passivated zigzag graphene nanoribbon (F-ZGNR) are more favorable than pristine ones. • External electric field induces half metallicity in F-ZGNR. • The observed half metallicity is independent of ribbon widths. • Enhanced stability makes F-ZGNR preferable over pristine ribbon. - Abstract: Half metals are the primary ingredients for the realization of novel spintronic devices. In the present work, by employing density functional theory based first-principles calculation, we predict half metallic behavior in fluorine passivated zigzag graphene nanoribbons (F-ZGNR). Four different structures have been investigated viz. one edge F passivated ZGNR (F-ZGNR-1), both edges F passivated ZGNR (F-ZGNR-2), F passivation on alternate sites in first configuration (alt-1) and F passivation on alternate sites in second configuration (alt-2). Interestingly, it is noticed that F passivation is analogous to H passivation (pristine), however, F-ZGNR are reckoned energetically more stable than pristine ones. An spin induced band gap is noticed for all F-ZGNR irrespective of their widths although its magnitude is slightly less than the pristine counterparts. With an external transverse electric field, ribbons undergo semiconducting to half metallic transformation. The observed half metallic character with enhanced stability present F-ZGNR as a better candidate than pristine ZGNR towards the realization of upcoming spintronic devices.

  3. Solutions Stability of Initial Boundary Problem, Modeling of Dynamics of Some Discrete Continuum Mechanical System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. A. Eliseev

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The solution stability of an initial boundary problem for a linear hybrid system of differential equations, which models the rotation of a rigid body with two elastic rods located in the same plane is studied in the paper. To an axis passing through the mass center of the rigid body perpendicularly to the rods location plane is applied the stabilizing moment proportional to the angle of the system rotation, derivative of the angle, integral of the angle. The external moment provides a feedback. A method of studying the behavior of solutions of the initial boundary problem is proposed. This method allows to exclude from the hybrid system of differential equations partial differential equations, which describe the dynamics of distributed elements of a mechanical system. It allows us to build one equation for an angle of the system rotation. Its characteristic equation defines the stability of solutions of all the system. In the space of feedback-coefficients the areas that provide the asymptotic stability of solutions of the initial boundary problem are built up.

  4. Quadrant Dynamic with Automatic Plateau Limit Histogram Equalization for Image Enhancement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Jagatheeswari

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The fundamental and important preprocessing stage in image processing is the image contrast enhancement technique. Histogram equalization is an effective contrast enhancement technique. In this paper, a histogram equalization based technique called quadrant dynamic with automatic plateau limit histogram equalization (QDAPLHE is introduced. In this method, a hybrid of dynamic and clipped histogram equalization methods are used to increase the brightness preservation and to reduce the overenhancement. Initially, the proposed QDAPLHE algorithm passes the input image through a median filter to remove the noises present in the image. Then the histogram of the filtered image is divided into four subhistograms while maintaining second separated point as the mean brightness. Then the clipping process is implemented by calculating automatically the plateau limit as the clipped level. The clipped portion of the histogram is modified to reduce the loss of image intensity value. Finally the clipped portion is redistributed uniformly to the entire dynamic range and the conventional histogram equalization is executed in each subhistogram independently. Based on the qualitative and the quantitative analysis, the QDAPLHE method outperforms some existing methods in literature.

  5. Study of the influence of imperfections on the dynamic stability of tanks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uras, R.A.; Liu, Wing Kam; Chen, Yi-Jung

    1990-01-01

    The influence of geometrical imperfections on the dynamic stability of liquid-filled shells under horizontal ground excitation is studied. Some basic concepts in the large deformation and large deformation thin shell theory are recalled. The work done by inertial and internal forces are given in the Gaussian surface coordinate system. A general imperfection pattern in the circumferential direction is introduced. The emphasis is particularly dedicated to the analysis of the geometrical stiffness term. Different patterns are studied to explain the occurrence of additional instability regions. 6 refs., 1 fig., 3 tabs

  6. Evaluation of dynamic enhanced CT scanning in the differentiation of adrenal lipid-poor adenomas with metastases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fang Xiangming; Hu Chunhong; Hu Xiaoyun; Chen Hongwei; Wu Liyuan; Zou Xinnong; Qian Pingyan

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate dynamic enhanced CT in differentiating adrenal metastases from adrenal lipid-poor adenomas(ALPA). Methods: Both plain and dynamic enhanced CT scanning was performed in 9 metastases with 13 masses and 28 lipid-poor adenoma with 30 masses. The types of time-density curve according to peak time(PT) and relative washout percentage(Washr) besides shape, size, margin, internal structure, surrounding status and enhanced pattern of each lesion were measuerd and compared between the two groups of metastases and ALPA. Results: There is difference between metastases and ALPA in the aspects of shape, density, neighboring structure and the type of enhancement. The type of TDC of matastases was characterized by fast-washin and fast-washout, which was quite differed from the type of TDC of ALPA characterized by fast-washin and slow-washout. According to this, the sensitiveity and specificity for differentiating metastases from ALPA were 96.7%, 92.3%. Conclusion: The types of TDC of dynamic enhanced CT is of great value in differentiating metastases from ALPA. (authors)

  7. Estimating the arterial input function from dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI data with compensation for flow enhancement (I): Theory, method, and phantom experiments

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Schie, Jeroen J. N.; Lavini, Cristina; van Vliet, Lucas J.; Vos, Frans M.

    2017-01-01

    The arterial input function (AIF) represents the time-dependent arterial contrast agent (CA) concentration that is used in pharmacokinetic modeling. To develop a novel method for estimating the AIF from dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE-) MRI data, while compensating for flow enhancement. Signal

  8. Bee species diversity enhances productivity and stability in a perennial crop.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shelley R Rogers

    Full Text Available Wild bees provide important pollination services to agroecoystems, but the mechanisms which underlie their contribution to ecosystem functioning--and, therefore, their importance in maintaining and enhancing these services-remain unclear. We evaluated several mechanisms through which wild bees contribute to crop productivity, the stability of pollinator visitation, and the efficiency of individual pollinators in a highly bee-pollination dependent plant, highbush blueberry. We surveyed the bee community (through transect sampling and pan trapping and measured pollination of both open- and singly-visited flowers. We found that the abundance of managed honey bees, Apis mellifera, and wild-bee richness were equally important in describing resulting open pollination. Wild-bee richness was a better predictor of pollination than wild-bee abundance. We also found evidence suggesting pollinator visitation (and subsequent pollination are stabilized through the differential response of bee taxa to weather (i.e., response diversity. Variation in the individual visit efficiency of A. mellifera and the southeastern blueberry bee, Habropoda laboriosa, a wild specialist, was not associated with changes in the pollinator community. Our findings add to a growing literature that diverse pollinator communities provide more stable and productive ecosystem services.

  9. Bee species diversity enhances productivity and stability in a perennial crop.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogers, Shelley R; Tarpy, David R; Burrack, Hannah J

    2014-01-01

    Wild bees provide important pollination services to agroecoystems, but the mechanisms which underlie their contribution to ecosystem functioning--and, therefore, their importance in maintaining and enhancing these services-remain unclear. We evaluated several mechanisms through which wild bees contribute to crop productivity, the stability of pollinator visitation, and the efficiency of individual pollinators in a highly bee-pollination dependent plant, highbush blueberry. We surveyed the bee community (through transect sampling and pan trapping) and measured pollination of both open- and singly-visited flowers. We found that the abundance of managed honey bees, Apis mellifera, and wild-bee richness were equally important in describing resulting open pollination. Wild-bee richness was a better predictor of pollination than wild-bee abundance. We also found evidence suggesting pollinator visitation (and subsequent pollination) are stabilized through the differential response of bee taxa to weather (i.e., response diversity). Variation in the individual visit efficiency of A. mellifera and the southeastern blueberry bee, Habropoda laboriosa, a wild specialist, was not associated with changes in the pollinator community. Our findings add to a growing literature that diverse pollinator communities provide more stable and productive ecosystem services.

  10. Pioneer factors govern super-enhancer dynamics in stem cell plasticity and lineage choice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adam, Rene C.; Yang, Hanseul; Rockowitz, Shira; Larsen, Samantha B.; Nikolova, Maria; Oristian, Daniel S.; Polak, Lisa; Kadaja, Meelis; Asare, Amma; Zheng, Deyou; Fuchs, Elaine

    2015-01-01

    Adult stem cells (SCs) reside in niches which balance self-renewal with lineage selection and progression during tissue homeostasis. Following injury, culture or transplantation, SCs outside their niche often display fate flexibility1-4. Here we show that super-enhancers5 underlie the identity, lineage commitment and plasticity of adult SCs in vivo. Using hair follicle (HF) as model, we map the global chromatin domains of HFSCs and their committed progenitors in their native microenvironments. We show that super-enhancers and their dense clusters (‘epicenters’) of transcription factor (TF) binding sites change upon lineage progression. New fate is acquired by decommissioning old and establishing new super-enhancers and/or epicenters, an auto-regulatory process that abates one master regulator subset while enhancing another. We further show that when outside their niche, either in vitro or in wound-repair, HFSCs dynamically remodel super-enhancers in response to changes in their microenvironment. Intriguingly, some key super-enhancers shift epicenters, enabling them to remain active and maintain a transitional state in an ever-changing transcriptional landscape. Finally, we identify SOX9 as a crucial chromatin rheostat of HFSC super-enhancers, and provide functional evidence that super-enhancers are dynamic, dense TF-binding platforms which are acutely sensitive to pioneer master regulators whose levels define not only spatial and temporal features of lineage-status, but also stemness, plasticity in transitional states and differentiation. PMID:25799994

  11. Integrating EDDS-enhanced washing with low-cost stabilization of metal-contaminated soil from an e-waste recycling site.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beiyuan, Jingzi; Tsang, Daniel C W; Ok, Yong Sik; Zhang, Weihua; Yang, Xin; Baek, Kitae; Li, Xiang-Dong

    2016-09-01

    While chelant-enhanced soil washing has been widely studied for metal extraction from contaminated soils, there are concerns about destabilization and leaching of residual metals after remediation. This study integrated 2-h soil washing enhanced by biodegradable ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS) and 2-month stabilization using agricultural waste product (soybean stover biochar pyrolyzed at 300 and 700 °C), industrial by-product (coal fly ash (CFA)), and their mixture. After integration with 2-month stabilization, the leachability and mobility of residual metals (Cu, Zn, and Pb) in the field-contaminated soil were significantly reduced, especially for Cu, in comparison with 2-h EDDS washing alone. This suggested that the metals destabilized by EDDS-washing could be immobilized by subsequent stabilization with biochar and CFA. Moreover, when the remediation performance was evaluated for phytoavailability and bioaccessibility, prior EDDS washing helped to achieve a greater reduction in the bioavailable fraction of metals than sole stabilization treatment. This was probably because the weakly-bound metals were first removed by EDDS washing before stabilization. Both individual and combined applications of biochar and CFA showed comparable effectiveness regardless of the difference in material properties, possibly due to the high level of amendments (150 ton ha(-1)). Based on the mobility and bioaccessibility results, the estimated human health risk (primarily resulting from Pb) could be mitigated to an acceptable level in water consumption pathway or reduced by half in soil ingestion pathway. These results suggest that an integration of EDDS washing with soil stabilization can alleviate post-remediation impacts of residual metals in the treated soil. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Independent component analysis of dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography images

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koh, T S [School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Ave, Singapore 639798 (Singapore); Yang, X [School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Ave, Singapore 639798 (Singapore); Bisdas, S [Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Hospital, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, D-60590 Frankfurt (Germany); Lim, C C T [Department of Neuroradiology, National Neuroscience Institute, 11 Jalan Tan Tock Seng, Singapore 308433 (Singapore)

    2006-10-07

    Independent component analysis (ICA) was applied on dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography images of cerebral tumours to extract spatial component maps of the underlying vascular structures, which correspond to different haemodynamic phases as depicted by the passage of the contrast medium. The locations of arteries, veins and tumours can be separately identified on these spatial component maps. As the contrast enhancement behaviour of the cerebral tumour differs from the normal tissues, ICA yields a tumour component map that reveals the location and extent of the tumour. Tumour outlines can be generated using the tumour component maps, with relatively simple segmentation methods. (note)

  13. Enhanced capacity and stability for the separation of cesium in electrically switched ion exchange

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tawfic, A.F.; Dickson, S.E.; Kim, Y.; Mekky, W.

    2015-01-01

    Electrically switched ion exchange (ESIX) can be used to separate ionic contaminants from industrial wastewater, including that generated by the nuclear industry. The ESIX method involves sequential application of reduction and oxidation potentials to an ion exchange film to induce the respective loading and unloading of cesium. This technology is superior to conventional methods (e.g electrodialysis reversal or reverse osmosis) as it requires very little energy for ionic separation. In previous studies, ESIX films have demonstrated relatively low ion exchange capacities and limited film stabilities over repeated potential applications. In this study, the methodology for the deposition of electro-active films (nickel hexacyanoferrate) on nickel electrodes was modified to improve the ion exchange capacity for cesium removal using ESIX. Cyclic voltammetry was used to investigate the ion exchange capacity and stability. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize the modified film surfaces. Additionally, the films were examined for the separation of cesium ions. This modified film preparation technique enhanced the ion exchange capacity and improves the film stability compared to previous methods for the deposition of ESIX films. (authors)

  14. Enhanced capacity and stability for the separation of cesium in electrically switched ion exchange

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tawfic, A.F.; Dickson, S.E.; Kim, Y. [McMaster University, Hamilton, ON (Canada); Mekky, W. [AMEC NSS, Power and Process America, Toronto (Canada)

    2015-03-15

    Electrically switched ion exchange (ESIX) can be used to separate ionic contaminants from industrial wastewater, including that generated by the nuclear industry. The ESIX method involves sequential application of reduction and oxidation potentials to an ion exchange film to induce the respective loading and unloading of cesium. This technology is superior to conventional methods (e.g electrodialysis reversal or reverse osmosis) as it requires very little energy for ionic separation. In previous studies, ESIX films have demonstrated relatively low ion exchange capacities and limited film stabilities over repeated potential applications. In this study, the methodology for the deposition of electro-active films (nickel hexacyanoferrate) on nickel electrodes was modified to improve the ion exchange capacity for cesium removal using ESIX. Cyclic voltammetry was used to investigate the ion exchange capacity and stability. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize the modified film surfaces. Additionally, the films were examined for the separation of cesium ions. This modified film preparation technique enhanced the ion exchange capacity and improves the film stability compared to previous methods for the deposition of ESIX films. (authors)

  15. Dynamics of Stability of Orientation Maps Recorded with Optical Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shumikhina, S I; Bondar, I V; Svinov, M M

    2018-03-15

    Orientation selectivity is an important feature of visual cortical neurons. Optical imaging of the visual cortex allows for the generation of maps of orientation selectivity that reflect the activity of large populations of neurons. To estimate the statistical significance of effects of experimental manipulations, evaluation of the stability of cortical maps over time is required. Here, we performed optical imaging recordings of the visual cortex of anesthetized adult cats. Monocular stimulation with moving clockwise square-wave gratings that continuously changed orientation and direction was used as the mapping stimulus. Recordings were repeated at various time intervals, from 15 min to 16 h. Quantification of map stability was performed on a pixel-by-pixel basis using several techniques. Map reproducibility showed clear dynamics over time. The highest degree of stability was seen in maps recorded 15-45 min apart. Averaging across all time intervals and all stimulus orientations revealed a mean shift of 2.2 ± 0.1°. There was a significant tendency for larger shifts to occur at longer time intervals. Shifts between 2.8° (mean ± 2SD) and 5° were observed more frequently at oblique orientations, while shifts greater than 5° appeared more frequently at cardinal orientations. Shifts greater than 5° occurred rarely overall (5.4% of cases) and never exceeded 11°. Shifts of 10-10.6° (0.7%) were seen occasionally at time intervals of more than 4 h. Our findings should be considered when evaluating the potential effect of experimental manipulations on orientation selectivity mapping studies. Copyright © 2018 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Designing a Fuzzy Logic Controller to Enhance Directional Stability of Vehicles under Difficult Maneuvers

    OpenAIRE

    Mehrdad N. Khajavi; Golamhassan Paygane; Ali Hakima

    2009-01-01

    Vehicle which are turning or maneuvering at high speeds are susceptible to sliding and subsequently deviate from desired path. In this paper the dynamics governing the Yaw/Roll behavior of a vehicle has been simulated. Two different simulations have been used one for the real vehicle, for which a fuzzy controller is designed to increase its directional stability property. The other simulation is for a hypothetical vehicle with much higher tire cornering stiffness which is ca...

  17. Engineering bright solitons to enhance the stability of two-component Bose-Einstein condensates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radha, R.; Vinayagam, P. S.; Sudharsan, J. B.; Liu, Wu-Ming; Malomed, Boris A.

    2015-12-01

    We consider a system of coupled Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) equations describing a binary quasi-one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) with intrinsic time-dependent attractive interactions, placed in a time-dependent expulsive parabolic potential, in a special case when the system is integrable (a deformed Manakov's system). Since the nonlinearity in the integrable system which represents binary attractive interactions exponentially decays with time, solitons are also subject to decay. Nevertheless, it is shown that the robustness of bright solitons can be enhanced in this system, making their respective lifetime longer, by matching the time dependence of the interaction strength (adjusted with the help of the Feshbach-resonance management) to the time modulation of the strength of the parabolic potential. The analytical results, and their stability, are corroborated by numerical simulations. In particular, we demonstrate that the addition of random noise does not impact the stability of the solitons.

  18. Enhancing the crumb rubber modified asphalt’s storage stability through the control of its internal network structure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohyeldin Ragab

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The current research investigated the effect of the internal network structure developed in the crumb rubber modified asphalt (CRMA on its storage stability. The authors investigated the influence of asphalt-crumb rubber modifier (CRM interaction parameters (interaction time, interaction speed, and interaction temperature on the development of the internal network structure in CRMA. The authors found that the existence of three dimensional (3D network structures in the CRMA enhanced its storage stability. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR Spectroscopy was utilized to determine the nature of CRM components responsible for the development of 3D network structure in the liquid phase of CRMA. This was achieved by monitoring the changes of the IR distinctive peaks in the CRMA liquid phase. Dissolution tests and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA were carried out on the extracted CRM after interaction with asphalt to determine the role of CRM dissolved amounts and released components on the development of 3D network structure in CRMA. The asphalt-CRM interaction parameters were found to be essential to induce the formation of the 3D network structure within the liquid phase of the CRMA through controlling the swelling, dissolution and release of CRM components into the asphalt liquid phase. The existence of 3D network structure in the CRMA had determinant impact on the enhancement of its storage stability. Keywords: Storage stability, Three dimensional (3D network, Crumb rubber modified asphalt

  19. Dynamics of microresonator frequency comb generation: models and stability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hansson Tobias

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Microresonator frequency combs hold promise for enabling a new class of light sources that are simultaneously both broadband and coherent, and that could allow for a profusion of potential applications. In this article, we review various theoretical models for describing the temporal dynamics and formation of optical frequency combs. These models form the basis for performing numerical simulations that can be used in order to better understand the comb generation process, for example helping to identify the universal combcharacteristics and their different associated physical phenomena. Moreover, models allow for the study, design and optimization of comb properties prior to the fabrication of actual devices. We consider and derive theoretical formalisms based on the Ikeda map, the modal expansion approach, and the Lugiato-Lefever equation. We further discuss the generation of frequency combs in silicon resonators featuring multiphoton absorption and free-carrier effects. Additionally, we review comb stability properties and consider the role of modulational instability as well as of parametric instabilities due to the boundary conditions of the cavity. These instability mechanisms are the basis for comprehending the process of frequency comb formation, for identifying the different dynamical regimes and the associated dependence on the comb parameters. Finally, we also discuss the phenomena of continuous wave bi- and multistability and its relation to the observation of mode-locked cavity solitons.

  20. Influence of neuromuscular noise and walking speed on fall risk and dynamic stability in a 3D dynamic walking model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roos, Paulien E; Dingwell, Jonathan B

    2013-06-21

    Older adults and those with increased fall risk tend to walk slower. They may do this voluntarily to reduce their fall risk. However, both slower and faster walking speeds can predict increased risk of different types of falls. The mechanisms that contribute to fall risk across speeds are not well known. Faster walking requires greater forward propulsion, generated by larger muscle forces. However, greater muscle activation induces increased signal-dependent neuromuscular noise. These speed-related increases in neuromuscular noise may contribute to the increased fall risk observed at faster walking speeds. Using a 3D dynamic walking model, we systematically varied walking speed without and with physiologically-appropriate neuromuscular noise. We quantified how actual fall risk changed with gait speed, how neuromuscular noise affected speed-related changes in fall risk, and how well orbital and local dynamic stability measures predicted changes in fall risk across speeds. When we included physiologically-appropriate noise to the 'push-off' force in our model, fall risk increased with increasing walking speed. Changes in kinematic variability, orbital, and local dynamic stability did not predict these speed-related changes in fall risk. Thus, the increased neuromuscular variability that results from increased signal-dependent noise that is necessitated by the greater muscular force requirements of faster walking may contribute to the increased fall risk observed at faster walking speeds. The lower fall risk observed at slower speeds supports experimental evidence that slowing down can be an effective strategy to reduce fall risk. This may help explain the slower walking speeds observed in older adults and others. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Blowoff dynamics of bluff body stabilized turbulent premixed flames

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chaudhuri, Swetaprovo; Kostka, Stanislav; Renfro, Michael W.; Cetegen, Baki M. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut, 191 Auditorium Road, U-3139, Storrs, CT 06269 (United States)

    2010-04-15

    This article concerns the flame dynamics of a bluff body stabilized turbulent premixed flame as it approaches lean blowoff. Time resolved chemiluminescence imaging along with simultaneous particle image velocimetry and OH planar laser-induced fluorescence were utilized in an axisymmetric bluff body stabilized, propane-air flame to determine the sequence of events leading to blowoff and provide a quantitative analysis of the experimental results. It was found that as lean blowoff is approached by reduction of equivalence ratio, flame speed decreases and the flame shape progressively changes from a conical to a columnar shape. For a stably burning conical flame away from blowoff, the flame front envelopes the shear layer vortices. Near blowoff, the columnar flame front and shear layer vortices overlap to induce high local stretch rates that exceed the extinction stretch rates instantaneously and in the mean, resulting in local flame extinction along the shear layers. Following shear layer extinction, fresh reactants can pass through the shear layers to react within the recirculation zone with all other parts of the flame extinguished. This flame kernel within the recirculation zone may survive for a few milliseconds and can reignite the shear layers such that the entire flame is reestablished for a short period. This extinction and reignition event can happen several times before final blowoff which occurs when the flame kernel fails to reignite the shear layers and ultimately leads to total flame extinguishment. (author)

  2. Nonlinear stability of ideal fluid equilibria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holm, D.D.

    1988-01-01

    The Lyapunov method for establishing stability is related to well- known energy principles for nondissipative dynamical systems. A development of the Lyapunov method for Hamiltonian systems due to Arnold establishes sufficient conditions for Lyapunov stability by using the energy plus other conserved quantities, together with second variations and convexity estimates. When treating the stability of ideal fluid dynamics within the Hamiltonian framework, a useful class of these conserved quantities consists of the Casimir functionals, which Poisson-commute with all functionals of the dynamical fluid variables. Such conserved quantities, when added to the energy, help to provide convexity estimates that bound the growth of perturbations. These convexity estimates, in turn, provide norms necessary for establishing Lyapunov stability under the nonlinear evolution. In contrast, the commonly used second variation or spectral stability arguments only prove linearized stability. As ideal fluid examples, in these lectures we discuss planar barotropic compressible fluid dynamics, the three-dimensional hydrostatic Boussinesq model, and a new set of shallow water equations with nonlinear dispersion due to Basdenkov, Morosov, and Pogutse[1985]. Remarkably, all three of these samples have the same Hamiltonian structure and, thus, possess the same Casimir functionals upon which their stability analyses are based. We also treat stability of modified quasigeostrophic flow, a problem whose Hamiltonian structure and Casimirs closely resemble Arnold's original example. Finally, we discuss some aspects of conditional stability and the applicability of Arnold's development of the Lyapunov technique. 100 refs

  3. SiC-dopped MCM-41 materials with enhanced thermal and hydrothermal stabilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Yingyong; Jin, Guoqiang; Tong, Xili; Guo, Xiangyun

    2011-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Novel SiC-dopped MCM-41 materials were synthesized by adding silicon carbide suspension in the molecular sieve precursor solvent followed by in situ hydrothermal synthesis. The dopped materials have a wormhole-like mesoporous structure and exhibit enhanced thermal and hydrothermal stabilities. Highlights: → SiC-dopped MCM-41 was synthesized by in situ hydrothermal synthesis of molecular sieve precursor combined with SiC. → The dopped MCM-41 materials show a wormhole-like mesoporous structure. → The thermal stability of the dopped materials have an increment of almost 100 o C compared with the pure MCM-41. → The hydrothermal stability of the dopped materials is also better than that of the pure MCM-41. -- Abstract: SiC-dopped MCM-41 mesoporous materials were synthesized by the in situ hydrothermal synthesis, in which a small amount of SiC was added in the precursor solvent of molecular sieve before the hydrothermal treatment. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, N 2 physical adsorption and thermogravimetric analysis, respectively. The results show that the thermal and hydrothermal stabilities of MCM-41 materials can be improved obviously by incorporating a small amount of SiC. The structure collapse temperature of SiC-dopped MCM-41 materials is 100 o C higher than that of pure MCM-41 according to the differential scanning calorimetry analysis. Hydrothermal treatment experiments also show that the pure MCM-41 will losses it's ordered mesoporous structure in boiling water for 24 h while the SiC-dopped MCM-41 materials still keep partial porous structure.

  4. Thermal conductivity enhancement of sodium acetate trihydrate by adding graphite powder and the effect on stability of supercooling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johansen, Jakob Berg; Dannemand, Mark; Kong, Weiqiang

    2015-01-01

    . The graphite powder was stabilized using carboxymetyl cellulose and successfully tested in heating and supercooling cycles with no loss of performance. Thermal conductivity enhancing properties of graphite powder was shown in samples. Since the experiments were conducted in small scale, at 200 g per sample......, large scale experiments are required to validate graphite as a thermo conductivity enhancing agent, suitable for use in seasonal heat storage applications utilizing SAT....

  5. Enhanced exo-inulinase activity and stability by fusion of an inulin-binding module.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Shun-Hua; Liu, Yuan; Zhao, Yu-Juan; Chi, Zhe; Chi, Zhen-Ming; Liu, Guang-Lei

    2016-09-01

    In this study, an inulin-binding module from Bacillus macerans was successfully fused to an exo-inulinase from Kluyveromyces marxianus, creating a hybrid functional enzyme. The recombinant exo-inulinase (rINU), the hybrid enzyme (rINUIBM), and the recombinant inulin-binding module (rIBM) were, respectively, heterologously expressed and biochemically characterized. It was found that both the inulinase activity and the catalytic efficiency (k cat/K m(app)) of the rINUIBM were considerably higher than those of rINU. Though the rINU and the rINUIBM shared the same optimum pH of 4.5, the optimum temperature of the rINUIBM (60 °C) was 5 °C higher than that of the rINU. Notably, the fused IBM significantly enhanced both the pH stability and the thermostability of the rINUIBM, suggesting that the rINUIBM obtained would have more extensive potential applications. Furthermore, the fusion of the IBM could substantially improve the inulin-binding capability of the rINUIBM, which was consistent with the determination of the K m(app). This meant that the fused IBM could play a critical role in the recognition of polysaccharides and enhanced the hydrolase activity of the associated inulinase by increasing enzyme-substrate proximity. Besides, the extra supplement of the independent non-catalytic rIBM could also improve the inulinase activity of the rINU. However, this improvement was much better in case of the fusion. Consequently, the IBM could be designated as a multifunctional domain that was responsible for the activity enhancement, the stabilization, and the substrate binding of the rINUIBM. All these features obtained in this study make the rINUIBM become an attractive candidate for an efficient inulin hydrolysis.

  6. Dynamic contrast enhanced ultrasound for therapy monitoring

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hudson, John M. [Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON (Canada); Williams, Ross [Imaging Research, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON (Canada); Tremblay-Darveau, Charles; Sheeran, Paul S. [Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON (Canada); Milot, Laurent [Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON (Canada); Bjarnason, Georg A. [Department of Medical Oncology, University of Toronto, and Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON (Canada); Burns, Peter N., E-mail: burns@sri.utoronto.ca [Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON (Canada); Imaging Research, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON (Canada); Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON (Canada)

    2015-09-15

    Quantitative imaging is a crucial component of the assessment of therapies that target the vasculature of angiogenic or inflamed tissue. Dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (DCE-US) using microbubble contrast offers the advantages of being sensitive to perfusion, non-invasive, cost effective and well suited to repeated use at the bedside. Uniquely, it employs an agent that is truly intravascular. This papers reviews the principles and methodology of DCE-US, especially as applied to anti-angiogenic cancer therapies. Reproducibility is an important attribute of such a monitoring method: results are discussed. More recent technical advances in parametric and 3D DCE-US imaging are also summarised and illustrated.

  7. Impact of regulation and supervision on European banks’ stability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Faten Ben Bouheni

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available This article applies the Generalized Method of Moments technique for dynamic panels, using bank-level data for the selected European countries over the period 2005 to 2011, to investigate the impact of regulation and supervision on risk taking. Three conclusions are reached. First, in France, Germany and UK, restriction on bank activities boosts banking stability. However, supervisors’ power and capital adequacy encourage risk taking. Second, in Italy, Greece and Spain, we find that with more supervisors’ power, largest banks tend to take greater risks and strengthening regulation and supervision weakens the bank’s stability. However, the capital requirements decrease the risk taking. Third, strengthening regulatory and supervisory framework, and compliance with Basel principles enhance financial stability in Europe. These different results between European countries show that the application of regulation and supervision depends on the monitoring mode and the rhythm of application of regulatory policies

  8. Enhancement of ionic conductivity in stabilized zirconia ceramics under millimeter-wave irradiation heating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kishimoto, Akira; Ayano, Keiko; Hayashi, Hidetaka

    2011-01-01

    Ionic conductivity in yttria-stabilized zirconia ceramics under millimeter-wave irradiation heating was compared with that obtained using conventional heating. The former was found to result in higher conductivity than the latter. Enhancement of the ionic conductivity and the reduction in activation energy seemed to depend on self-heating resulting from the millimeter-wave irradiation. Millimeter-wave irradiation heating restricted the degradation in conductivity accompanying over-substitution, suggesting the optimum structure that provided the maximum conductivity could be different between the two heating methods.

  9. Quantum-Enhanced Sensing Based on Time Reversal of Nonlinear Dynamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linnemann, D; Strobel, H; Muessel, W; Schulz, J; Lewis-Swan, R J; Kheruntsyan, K V; Oberthaler, M K

    2016-07-01

    We experimentally demonstrate a nonlinear detection scheme exploiting time-reversal dynamics that disentangles continuous variable entangled states for feasible readout. Spin-exchange dynamics of Bose-Einstein condensates is used as the nonlinear mechanism which not only generates entangled states but can also be time reversed by controlled phase imprinting. For demonstration of a quantum-enhanced measurement we construct an active atom SU(1,1) interferometer, where entangled state preparation and nonlinear readout both consist of parametric amplification. This scheme is capable of exhausting the quantum resource by detecting solely mean atom numbers. Controlled nonlinear transformations widen the spectrum of useful entangled states for applied quantum technologies.

  10. Dynamic range enhancement and amplitude regeneration in single pump fibre optic parametric amplifiers using DPSK modulation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Peucheret, Christophe; Lorenzen, Michael Rodas; Seoane, Jorge

    2008-01-01

    Input power dynamic range enhancement and amplitude regeneration of highly distorted signals are demonstrated experimentally for 40 Gbit/s RZ-DPSK in a single-pump fibre parametric amplifier with 22 dB smallsignal gain.......Input power dynamic range enhancement and amplitude regeneration of highly distorted signals are demonstrated experimentally for 40 Gbit/s RZ-DPSK in a single-pump fibre parametric amplifier with 22 dB smallsignal gain....

  11. Effects of a cognitive dual task on variability and local dynamic stability in sustained repetitive arm movements using principal component analysis: a pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Longo, Alessia; Federolf, Peter; Haid, Thomas; Meulenbroek, Ruud

    2018-06-01

    In many daily jobs, repetitive arm movements are performed for extended periods of time under continuous cognitive demands. Even highly monotonous tasks exhibit an inherent motor variability and subtle fluctuations in movement stability. Variability and stability are different aspects of system dynamics, whose magnitude may be further affected by a cognitive load. Thus, the aim of the study was to explore and compare the effects of a cognitive dual task on the variability and local dynamic stability in a repetitive bimanual task. Thirteen healthy volunteers performed the repetitive motor task with and without a concurrent cognitive task of counting aloud backwards in multiples of three. Upper-body 3D kinematics were collected and postural reconfigurations-the variability related to the volunteer's postural change-were determined through a principal component analysis-based procedure. Subsequently, the most salient component was selected for the analysis of (1) cycle-to-cycle spatial and temporal variability, and (2) local dynamic stability as reflected by the largest Lyapunov exponent. Finally, end-point variability was evaluated as a control measure. The dual cognitive task proved to increase the temporal variability and reduce the local dynamic stability, marginally decrease endpoint variability, and substantially lower the incidence of postural reconfigurations. Particularly, the latter effect is considered to be relevant for the prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders since reduced variability in sustained repetitive tasks might increase the risk of overuse injuries.

  12. Dynamic shear stabilization of hydromagnetic instabilities in low-beta plasma column by a frequency near the ion cyclotron frequency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Minami, Kazuo; Sato, Kazunori.

    1978-09-01

    The dynamic shear stabilization of the hydromagnetic instability in low-beta plasmas by an axial RF current whose frequency is not much smaller than the ion cyclotron frequency ωsub(ci) is analyzed in some detail. We adopt the simple model of a uniform plasma column with infinite conductivity. Attention is limited to the case of the m = 1 kink mode with long wave lengths. The Mathieu equation, in which the effect of the ion cyclotron motion is taken into account, is derived. It is shown that the dynamic shear stabilization is still effective, even if the frequency of the applied RF current is of the order of ωsub(ci), which is considerably higher than the frequencies believed to be available in the previous analyses. (author)

  13. Quantitative assessment of synovial inflammation by dynamic gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. A study of the effect of intra-articular methylprednisolone on the rate of early synovial enhancement

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Østergaard, Mikkel; Stoltenberg, M; Henriksen, O

    1996-01-01

    The effect of temporary inflammatory suppression on synovial membrane enhancement, as determined by dynamic and static gadolinium-DTPA enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), was studied. MRI of 18 arthritic knees was performed before and 1, 7, 30 and 180 days after intra-articular methylpredn......The effect of temporary inflammatory suppression on synovial membrane enhancement, as determined by dynamic and static gadolinium-DTPA enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), was studied. MRI of 18 arthritic knees was performed before and 1, 7, 30 and 180 days after intra...

  14. Dynamic behavior of tripolar hip endoprostheses under physiological conditions and their effect on stability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fabry, Christian; Kaehler, Michael; Herrmann, Sven; Woernle, Christoph; Bader, Rainer

    2014-01-01

    Tripolar systems have been implanted to reduce the risk of recurrent dislocation. However, there is little known about the dynamic behavior of tripolar hip endoprostheses under daily life conditions and achieved joint stability. Hence, the objective of this biomechanical study was to examine the in vivo dynamics and dislocation behavior of two types of tripolar systems compared to a standard total hip replacement (THR) with the same outer head diameter. Several load cases of daily life activities were applied to an eccentric and a concentric tripolar system by an industrial robot. During testing, the motion of the intermediate component was measured using a stereo camera system. Additionally, their behavior under different dislocation scenarios was investigated in comparison to a standard THR. For the eccentric tripolar system, the intermediate component demonstrated the shifting into moderate valgus-positions, regardless of the type of movement. This implant showed the highest resisting torque against dislocation in combination with a large range of motion. In contrast, the concentric tripolar system tended to remain in varus-positions and was primarily moved after stem contact. According to the results, eccentric tripolar systems can work well under in vivo conditions and increase hip joint stability in comparison to standard THRs. Copyright © 2013 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Induced Unbalance as a Method for Improving the Dynamic Stability of High-Speed Turbochargers

    KAUST Repository

    Gordon Kirk, R.; Alsaeed, Ali A.

    2011-01-01

    The high-speed diesel engine turbocharger is known to have subsynchronous vibrations for a wide speed range. The bearing fluid-film instability is the main source of the vibration. The nonlinear forces inside the bearings are causing the rotor to whirl in a limit cycle. This study presents a new method for improving the dynamic stability by inducing the turbocharger rotor unbalance in order to suppress the subsynchronous vibration. The finite-element model of the turbocharger with floating-ring bearings is numerically solved for the nonlinear time-transient response. Both compressor and turbine added unbalance are induced and the dynamic stability is computed. The turbocharger model with linearized floating-ring bearings is also solved for eigenvalues to predict the modes of instability. The linear analysis demonstrates that the forward whirling mode of the floating-ring at the compressor end also becomes unstable at the higher turbocharger speeds, in addition to the unstable forward conical and cylindrical modes. The numerical predictions are also compared to the former experimental results of a similar turbocharger. The results of the study show that the subsynchronous frequency amplitude of the dominant first mode is reduced when inducing either the compressor or the turbine unbalance at a certain level. © 2011 R. Gordon Kirk and Ali A. Alsaeed.

  16. Differentiation of benign and malignant solitary pulmonary nodules : value of contrast-enhanced dynamic MR imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jeong Ho; Kim, Hyung Jin; Han, Heon; Lee, Hong Lyeol; Kim, Kwang Ho; Suh, Chang Hae

    1999-01-01

    To evaluate the usefulness of contrast-enhanced dynamic MR imaging for differentiation of benign and malignant solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs). Twenty-three patients with histologically or radiologically provened SPNs smaller than 40mm (14 benign, 9 malignant) underwent MR examination using the breath-hold fast multiplanar spoiled gradient echo (FMPSPGR) technique. Pre-enhancement MR examination was followed by serial scans obtained at one-minute intervals, beginning one-minute after the onset of bolus injection of paramagnetic contrast agent for a total of five scans. Signal intensities of SPNs were measured from pre- and post-contrast enhanced MR images and peak percentage increase in signal intensity (p%SI) was calculated. Mean percentage increase in signal intensity (m%SI) was also calculated and the time-m%SI curve was plotted. The enhancement patterns of SPNs were classified as homogeneous, peripheral rim-like, inhomogeneous, or no (or minimal) enhancement. We compared differences in p%SI, the pattern of the time-m%SI curve, and the pattern of enhancement between benign and malignant SPNs. On dynamic MR images, alignant SPNs (n=9) showed a significantly higher p%SI than benign SPNs (n=14) (malignant : mean 120.6, range 81.8-171.6; benign : mean 29.5, range 3.7-78.9)(p<0.0001). With 80 p%SI as the threshold for malignancy-positive, both sensitivity and specificity were 100%. The m%SI of malignant SPNs rapidly increased at one minute after enhancement and decreased gradually thereafter, whereas that of benign SPNs increased more slowly to form a plateau. Eighty-nine percent (8/9) of malignant SPNs showed homogeneous enhancement. In contrast, among benign SPNs, peripheral rim-like enhancement and no (or minimal) enhancement occurred in the same proportion of cases : 50%(7/14). The superb demonstration of different enhancement characteristics obtained using dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging is useful to discriminate malignant from benign SPNs

  17. Cohesion-Induced Stabilization in Stick-Slip Dynamics of Weakly Wet, Sheared Granular Fault Gouge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dorostkar, Omid; Guyer, Robert A.; Johnson, Paul A.; Marone, Chris; Carmeliet, Jan

    2018-03-01

    We use three-dimensional discrete element calculations to study stick-slip dynamics in a weakly wet granular layer designed to simulate fault gouge. The granular gouge is constituted by 8,000 spherical particles with a polydisperse size distribution. At very low liquid content, liquids impose cohesive and viscous forces on particles. Our simulations show that by increasing the liquid content, friction increases and granular layer shows higher recurrence time between slip events. We also observe that slip events exhibit larger friction drop and layer compaction in wet system compared to dry. We demonstrate that a small volume of liquid induces cohesive forces between wet particles that are responsible for an increase in coordination number leading to a more stable arrangement of particles. This stabilization is evidenced with 2 orders of magnitude lower particle kinetic energy in wet system during stick phase. Similar to previous experimental studies, we observe enhanced frictional strength for wet granular layers. In experiments, the physicochemical processes are believed to be the main reason for such behavior; we show, however, that at low confining stresses, the hydromechanical effects of induced cohesion are sufficient for observed behavior. Our simulations illuminate the role of particle interactions and demonstrate the conditions under which induced cohesion plays a significant role in fault zone processes, including slip initiation, weakening, and failure.

  18. THE DETERMINATION OF A CRITICAL VALUE FOR DYNAMIC STABILITY OF SEMICONDUCTOR LASER DIODE WITH EXTERNAL OPTICAL FEEDBACK

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Remzi YILDIRIM

    1998-01-01

    Full Text Available In this study, dynamic stability analysis of semiconductor laser diodes with external optical feedback has been realized. In the analysis the frequency response of the transfer function of laser diode H jw( , the transfer m function of laser diode with external optical feedback TF jw( , and optical feedback transfer function m K jw( obtained from small signal equations has been m accomplished using Nyquist stability analysis in complex domain. The effect of optical feedback on the stability of the system has been introduced and to bring the laser diode to stable condition the working critical boundary range of dampig frequency and reflection power constant (R has been determined. In the study the reflection power has been taken as ( .

  19. Enhanced Cycling Stability of Rechargeable Li-O2 Batteries Using High Concentration Electrolytes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Bin; Xu, Wu; Yan, Pengfei; Sun, Xiuliang; Bowden, Mark E.; Read, Jeffrey; Qian, Jiangfeng; Mei, Donghai; Wang, Chong M.; Zhang, Jiguang

    2016-01-26

    The electrolyte stability against reactive reduced-oxygen species is crucial for the development of rechargeable Li-O2 batteries. In this work, we systematically investigated the effect of lithium salt concentration in 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME)-based electrolytes on the cycling stability of Li-O2 batteries. Cells with high concentration electrolyte illustrate largely enhanced cycling stability under both the full discharge/charge (2.0-4.5 V vs. Li/Li+) and the capacity limited (at 1,000 mAh g-1) conditions. These cells also exhibit much less reaction-residual on the charged air electrode surface, and much less corrosion to the Li metal anode. The density functional theory calculations are conducted on the molecular orbital energies of the electrolyte components and the Gibbs activation barriers for superoxide radical anion to attack DME solvent and Li+-(DME)n solvates. In a highly concentrated electrolyte, all DME molecules have been coordinated with salt and the C-H bond scission of a DME molecule becomes more difficult. Therefore, the decomposition of highly concentrated electrolyte in a Li-O2 battery can be mitigated and both air-cathodes and Li-metal anodes exhibits much better reversibility. As a results, the cyclability of Li-O2 can be largely improved.

  20. Tuned dynamics stabilizes an idealized regenerative axial-torsional model of rotary drilling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Sunit K.; Wahi, Pankaj

    2018-01-01

    We present an exact stability analysis of a dynamical system idealizing rotary drilling. This system comprises lumped parameter axial-torsional modes of the drill-string coupled via the cutting forces and torques. The kinematics of cutting is modeled through a functional description of the cut surface which evolves as per a partial differential equation (PDE). Linearization of this model is straightforward as opposed to the traditional state-dependent delay (SDDE) model and both the approaches result in the same characteristic equation. A systematic study on the key system parameters influencing the stability characteristics reveals that torsional damping is very critical and stable drilling is, in general, not possible in its absence. The stable regime increases as the natural frequency of the axial mode approaches that of the torsional mode and a 1:1 internal resonance leads to a significant improvement in the system stability. Hence, from a practical point of view, a drill-string with 1:1 internal resonance is desirable to avoid vibrations during rotary drilling. For the non-resonant case, axial damping reduces the stable range of operating parameters while for the resonant case, an optimum value of axial damping (equal to the torsional damping) results in the largest stable regime. Interestingly, the resonant (tuned) system has a significant parameter regime corresponding to stable operation even in the absence of damping.

  1. Gender differences in head-neck segment dynamic stabilization during head acceleration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tierney, Ryan T; Sitler, Michael R; Swanik, C Buz; Swanik, Kathleen A; Higgins, Michael; Torg, Joseph

    2005-02-01

    Recent epidemiological research has revealed that gender differences exist in concussion incidence but no study has investigated why females may be at greater risk of concussion. Our purpose was to determine whether gender differences existed in head-neck segment kinematic and neuromuscular control variables responses to an external force application with and without neck muscle preactivation. Forty (20 females and 20 males) physically active volunteers participated in the study. The independent variables were gender, force application (known vs unknown), and force direction (forced flexion vs forced extension). The dependent variables were kinematic and EMG variables, head-neck segment stiffness, and head-neck segment flexor and extensor isometric strength. Statistical analyses consisted of multiple multivariate and univariate analyses of variance, follow-up univariate analyses of variance, and t-tests (P Gender differences existed in head-neck segment dynamic stabilization during head angular acceleration. Females exhibited significantly greater head-neck segment peak angular acceleration (50%) and displacement (39%) than males despite initiating muscle activity significantly earlier (SCM only) and using a greater percentage of their maximum head-neck segment muscle activity (79% peak activity and 117% muscle activity area). The head-neck segment angular acceleration differences may be because females exhibited significantly less isometric strength (49%), neck girth (30%), and head mass (43%), resulting in lower levels of head-neck segment stiffness (29%). For our subject demographic, the results revealed gender differences in head-neck segment dynamic stabilization during head acceleration in response to an external force application. Females exhibited significantly greater head-neck segment peak angular acceleration and displacement than males despite initiating muscle activity earlier (SCM only) and using a greater percentage of their maximum head-neck segment

  2. Ischemic Preconditioning of One Forearm Enhances Static and Dynamic Apnea

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjeld, Thomas; Rasmussen, Mads Reinholdt; Jattu, Timo

    2014-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Ischemic preconditioning enhances ergometer cycling and swimming performance. We evaluated whether ischemic preconditioning of one forearm (four times for 5 min) also affects static breath hold and underwater swimming, whereas the effect of similar preconditioning on ergometer rowing...... preconditioning reduced the forearm oxygen saturation from 65% ± 7% to 19% ± 7% (mean ± SD; P right thigh.......05). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that while the effect of ischemic preconditioning (of one forearm) on ergometer rowing was minimal, probably because of reduced muscle oxygenation during the warm-up, ischemic preconditioning does enhance both static and dynamic apnea, supporting that muscle ischemia is an important...

  3. Diagnostic Accuracy of Dynamic Contrast Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Characterizing Lung Masses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inan, Nagihan; Arslan, Arzu; Donmez, Muhammed; Sarisoy, Hasan Tahsin

    2016-01-01

    Background Imaging plays a critical role not only in the detection, but also in the characterization of lung masses as benign or malignant. Objectives To determine the diagnostic accuracy of dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant lung masses. Patients and Methods Ninety-four masses were included in this prospective study. Five dynamic series of T1-weighted spoiled gradient echo (FFE) images were obtained, followed by a T1-weighted FFE sequence in the late phase (5th minutes). Contrast enhancement patterns in the early (25th second) and late (5th minute) phase images were evaluated. For the quantitative evaluation, signal intensity (SI)-time curves were obtained and the maximum relative enhancement, wash-in rate, and time-to-peak enhancement of masses in both groups were calculated. Results The early phase contrast enhancement patterns were homogeneous in 78.2% of the benign masses, while heterogeneous in 74.4% of the malignant tumors. On the late phase images, 70.8% of the benign masses showed homogeneous enhancement, while most of the malignant masses showed heterogeneous enhancement (82.4%). During the first pass, the maximum relative enhancement and wash-in rate values of malignant masses were significantly higher than those of the benign masses (P = 0.03 and 0.04, respectively). The cutoff value at 15% yielded a sensitivity of 85.4%, specificity of 61.2%, and positive predictive value of 68.7% for the maximum relative enhancement. Conclusion Contrast enhancement patterns and SI-time curve analysis of MRI are helpful in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant lung masses. PMID:27703654

  4. Exponential Stabilization of Underactuated Vehicles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pettersen, K.Y.

    1996-12-31

    Underactuated vehicles are vehicles with fewer independent control actuators than degrees of freedom to be controlled. Such vehicles may be used in inspection of sub-sea cables, inspection and maintenance of offshore oil drilling platforms, and similar. This doctoral thesis discusses feedback stabilization of underactuated vehicles. The main objective has been to further develop methods from stabilization of nonholonomic systems to arrive at methods that are applicable to underactuated vehicles. A nonlinear model including both dynamics and kinematics is used to describe the vehicles, which may be surface vessels, spacecraft or autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). It is shown that for a certain class of underactuated vehicles the stabilization problem is not solvable by linear control theory. A new stability result for a class of homogeneous time-varying systems is derived and shown to be an important tool for developing continuous periodic time-varying feedback laws that stabilize underactuated vehicles without involving cancellation of dynamics. For position and orientation control of a surface vessel without side thruster a new continuous periodic feedback law is proposed that does not cancel any dynamics, and that exponentially stabilizes the origin of the underactuated surface vessel. A further issue considered is the stabilization of the attitude of an AUV. Finally, the thesis discusses stabilization of both position and attitude of an underactuated AUV. 55 refs., 28 figs.

  5. Global stability of a susceptible-infected-susceptible epidemic model on networks with individual awareness

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Ke-Zan; Xu Zhong-Pu; Zhu Guang-Hu; Ding Yong

    2014-01-01

    Recent research results indicate that individual awareness can play an important influence on epidemic spreading in networks. By local stability analysis, a significant conclusion is that the embedded awareness in an epidemic network can increase its epidemic threshold. In this paper, by using limit theory and dynamical system theory, we further give global stability analysis of a susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) epidemic model on networks with awareness. Results show that the obtained epidemic threshold is also a global stability condition for its endemic equilibrium, which implies the embedded awareness can enhance the epidemic threshold globally. Some numerical examples are presented to verify the theoretical results. (interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

  6. Video Enhancement and Dynamic Range Control of HDR Sequences for Automotive Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovanni Ramponi

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available CMOS video cameras with high dynamic range (HDR output are particularly suitable for driving assistance applications, where lighting conditions can strongly vary, going from direct sunlight to dark areas in tunnels. However, common visualization devices can only handle a low dynamic range, and thus a dynamic range reduction is needed. Many algorithms have been proposed in the literature to reduce the dynamic range of still pictures. Anyway, extending the available methods to video is not straightforward, due to the peculiar nature of video data. We propose an algorithm for both reducing the dynamic range of video sequences and enhancing its appearance, thus improving visual quality and reducing temporal artifacts. We also provide an optimized version of our algorithm for a viable hardware implementation on an FPGA. The feasibility of this implementation is demonstrated by means of a case study.

  7. Elevated CO2 and water addition enhance nitrogen turnover in grassland plants with implications for temporal stability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dijkstra, Feike A; Carrillo, Yolima; Blumenthal, Dana M; Mueller, Kevin E; LeCain, Dan R; Morgan, Jack A; Zelikova, Tamara J; Williams, David G; Follett, Ronald F; Pendall, Elise

    2018-05-01

    Temporal variation in soil nitrogen (N) availability affects growth of grassland communities that differ in their use and reuse of N. In a 7-year-long climate change experiment in a semi-arid grassland, the temporal stability of plant biomass production varied with plant N turnover (reliance on externally acquired N relative to internally recycled N). Species with high N turnover were less stable in time compared to species with low N turnover. In contrast, N turnover at the community level was positively associated with asynchrony in biomass production, which in turn increased community temporal stability. Elevated CO 2 and summer irrigation, but not warming, enhanced community N turnover and stability, possibly because treatments promoted greater abundance of species with high N turnover. Our study highlights the importance of plant N turnover for determining the temporal stability of individual species and plant communities affected by climate change. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

  8. Advanced vehicle dynamics of heavy trucks with the perspective of road safety

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trigell, Annika Stensson; Rothhämel, Malte; Pauwelussen, Joop; Kural, Karel

    2017-10-01

    This paper presents state-of-the art within advanced vehicle dynamics of heavy trucks with the perspective of road safety. The most common accidents with heavy trucks involved are truck against passenger cars. Safety critical situations are for example loss of control (such as rollover and lateral stability) and a majority of these occur during speed when cornering. Other critical situations are avoidance manoeuvre and road edge recovery. The dynamic behaviour of heavy trucks have significant differences compared to passenger cars and as a consequence, successful application of vehicle dynamic functions for enhanced safety of trucks might differ from the functions in passenger cars. Here, the differences between vehicle dynamics of heavy trucks and passenger cars are clarified. Advanced vehicle dynamics solutions with the perspective of road safety of trucks are presented, beginning with the topic vehicle stability, followed by the steering system, the braking system and driver assistance systems that differ in some way from that of passenger cars as well.

  9. Dynamic Analysis of a Pendulum Dynamic Automatic Balancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jin-Seung Sohn

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available The automatic dynamic balancer is a device to reduce the vibration from unbalanced mass of rotors. Instead of considering prevailing ball automatic dynamic balancer, pendulum automatic dynamic balancer is analyzed. For the analysis of dynamic stability and behavior, the nonlinear equations of motion for a system are derived with respect to polar coordinates by the Lagrange's equations. The perturbation method is applied to investigate the dynamic behavior of the system around the equilibrium position. Based on the linearized equations, the dynamic stability of the system around the equilibrium positions is investigated by the eigenvalue analysis.

  10. Active site CP-loop dynamics modulate substrate binding, catalysis, oligomerization, stability, over-oxidation and recycling of 2-Cys Peroxiredoxins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamariah, Neelagandan; Eisenhaber, Birgit; Eisenhaber, Frank; Grüber, Gerhard

    2018-04-01

    Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) catalyse the rapid reduction of hydrogen peroxide, organic hydroperoxide and peroxynitrite, using a fully conserved peroxidatic cysteine (C P ) located in a conserved sequence Pxxx(T/S)xxC P motif known as C P -loop. In addition, Prxs are involved in cellular signaling pathways and regulate several redox-dependent process related disease. The effective catalysis of Prxs is associated with alterations in the C P -loop between reduced, Fully Folded (FF), and oxidized, Locally Unfolded (LU) conformations, which are linked to dramatic changes in the oligomeric structure. Despite many studies, little is known about the precise structural and dynamic roles of the C P -loop on Prxs functions. Herein, the comprehensive biochemical and biophysical studies on Escherichia coli alkyl hydroperoxide reductase subunit C (EcAhpC) and the C P -loop mutants, EcAhpC-F45A and EcAhpC-F45P reveal that the reduced form of the C P -loop adopts conformational dynamics, which is essential for effective peroxide reduction. Furthermore, the point mutants alter the structure and dynamics of the reduced form of the C P -loop and, thereby, affect substrate binding, catalysis, oligomerization, stability and overoxidiation. In the oxidized form, due to restricted C P -loop dynamics, the EcAhpC-F45P mutant favours a decamer formation, which enhances the effective recycling by physiological reductases compared to wild-type EcAhpC. In addition, the study reveals that residue F45 increases the specificity of Prxs-reductase interactions. Based on these studies, we propose an evolution of the C P -loop with confined sequence conservation within Prxs subfamilies that might optimize the functional adaptation of Prxs into various physiological roles. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Development of a Stirling System Dynamic Model with Enhanced Thermodynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Regan, Timothy F.; Lewandowski, Edward J.

    2005-02-01

    The Stirling Convertor System Dynamic Model developed at NASA Glenn Research Center is a software model developed from first principles that includes the mechanical and mounting dynamics, the thermodynamics, the linear alternator, and the controller of a free-piston Stirling power convertor, along with the end user load. As such it represents the first detailed modeling tool for fully integrated Stirling convertor-based power systems. The thermodynamics of the model were originally a form of the isothermal Stirling cycle. In some situations it may be desirable to improve the accuracy of the Stirling cycle portion of the model. An option under consideration is to enhance the SDM thermodynamics by coupling the model with Gedeon Associates' Sage simulation code. The result will be a model that gives a more accurate prediction of the performance and dynamics of the free-piston Stirling convertor. A method of integrating the Sage simulation code with the System Dynamic Model is described. Results of SDM and Sage simulation are compared to test data. Model parameter estimation and model validation are discussed.

  12. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI of the prostate. Comparison of two different post-processing algorithms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beyersdorff, Dirk; Franiel, T.; Luedemann, L.; Dietz, E.; Galler, D.; Marchot, P.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the usefulness of a commercially available post-processing software tool for detecting prostate cancer on dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to compare the results to those obtained with a custom-made post-processing algorithm already tested under clinical conditions. Materials and Methods: Forty-eight patients with proven prostate cancer were examined by standard MRI supplemented by dynamic contrast-enhanced dual susceptibility contrast (DCE-DSC) MRI prior to prostatectomy. A custom-made post-processing algorithm was used to analyze the MRI data sets and the results were compared to those obtained using a post-processing algorithm from Invivo Corporation (Dyna CAD for Prostate) applied to dynamic T 1-weighted images. Histology was used as the gold standard. Results: The sensitivity for prostate cancer detection was 78 % for the custom-made algorithm and 60 % for the commercial algorithm and the specificity was 79 % and 82 %, respectively. The accuracy was 79 % for our algorithm and 77.5 % for the commercial software tool. The chi-square test (McNemar-Bowker test) yielded no significant differences between the two tools (p = 0.06). Conclusion: The two investigated post-processing algorithms did not differ in terms of prostate cancer detection. The commercially available software tool allows reliable and fast analysis of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI for the detection of prostate cancer. (orig.)

  13. GECM-Based Voltage Stability Assessment Using Wide-Area Synchrophasors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heng-Yi Su

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Voltage instability is a crucial issue in the secure operation of power grids. Several methods for voltage stability assessment were presented. Some of them are highly computationally intensive, while others are reported not to work properly under all circumstances. This paper proposes a new methodology based on the generator equivalent circuit model (GECM and the phasor measurement unit (PMU technology for online voltage stability monitoring of a power grid. First, the proposed methodology utilizes synchronized phasor (synchrophasor measurements to determine the impedance parameters of a transmission grid by means of the recursive least squares (RLS algorithm. Furthermore, it incorporates the dynamic models of generators to handle the cases with generator reactive power limit violations. After that, an enhanced voltage stability index with GECMs incorporated is developed for reliable and accurate voltage stability assessment. The proposed methodology was first demonstrated on several standard IEEE power systems, and then applied to a practical power system, the Taiwan power (Taipower system. The test results demonstrate the flexibility and effectiveness of the proposed methodology.

  14. Investigations of slope stability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nonveiller, E.

    1979-01-01

    The dynamics of slope slides and parameters for calculating slope stability is discussed. Two types of slides are outlined: rotation slide and translation slide. Slide dynamics are analyzed according to A. Heim. A calculation example of a slide which occurred at Vajont, Yugoslavia is presented. Calculation results differ from those presented by Ciabatti. For investigation of slope stability the calculation methods of A.W. Bishop (1955), N. Morgenstern and M. Maksimovic are discussed. 12 references

  15. Stability and morphology of Ag nanoplatelets probed by depolarized dynamic light scattering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zimbone, M.; Contino, A.; Maccarrone, G.; Musumeci, P.; Lo Faro, M. J.; Calcagno, L.

    2018-06-01

    The stability of silver nanoplatelet (NP) suspensions prepared with different concentrations of trisodium citrate (TSC) was studied by depolarized dynamic light scattering (DDLS) and UV–vis spectrometry. The morphology of the nanoparticles, as well as the color and stability of the sols, are tuned by the concentration of the capping agent. The nanoparticles prepared with high TSC concentration (>10‑4 M) are blue triangular NPs showing a slight truncation of the tips with aging. When low TSC concentrations are used, the color of the sols changes from blue to yellow with aging time and a strong modification of the morphology occurs: the nanoparticle shape changes from triangular to spherical. Remarkably, they show a high degree of anisotropy. The aging process was followed by the UV–vis spectra and by measuring the rotational diffusion coefficient by DDLS, providing information on the nanoparticle size and shape evolution. The high intensity of depolarized signal and the high value of rotational diffusion coefficient suggest that the aging process increases the thickness and the roughness of the nanoparticles

  16. Posterior Transpedicular Dynamic Stabilization versus Total Disc Replacement in the Treatment of Lumbar Painful Degenerative Disc Disease: A Comparison of Clinical Results

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tunc Oktenoglu

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Study Design. Prospective clinical study. Objective. This study compares the clinical results of anterior lumbar total disc replacement and posterior transpedicular dynamic stabilization in the treatment of degenerative disc disease. Summary and Background Data. Over the last two decades, both techniques have emerged as alternative treatment options to fusion surgery. Methods. This study was conducted between 2004 and 2010 with a total of 50 patients (25 in each group. The mean age of the patients in total disc prosthesis group was 37,32 years. The mean age of the patients in posterior dynamic transpedicular stabilization was 43,08. Clinical (VAS and Oswestry and radiological evaluations (lumbar lordosis and segmental lordosis angles of the patients were carried out prior to the operation and 3, 12, and 24 months after the operation. We compared the average duration of surgery, blood loss during the surgery and the length of hospital stay of both groups. Results. Both techniques offered significant improvements in clinical parameters. There was no significant change in radiologic evaluations after the surgery for both techniques. Conclusion. Both dynamic systems provided spine stability. However, the posterior dynamic system had a slight advantage over anterior disc prosthesis because of its convenient application and fewer possible complications.

  17. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the breast: the value of pharmacokinetic parameters derived from fast dynamic imaging during initial enhancement in classifying lesions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Veltman, J.; Stoutjesdijk, M.; Mann, R.; Huisman, H.J.; Barentsz, J.O.; Blickman, J.G.; Boetes, C.

    2008-01-01

    The value of pharmacokinetic parameters derived from fast dynamic imaging during initial enhancement in characterizing breast lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was evaluated. Sixty-eight malignant and 34 benign lesions were included. In the scanning protocol, high temporal resolution imaging was combined with high spatial resolution imaging. The high temporal resolution images were recorded every 4.1 s during initial enhancement (fast dynamic analysis). The high spatial resolution images were recorded at a temporal resolution of 86 s (slow dynamic analysis). In the fast dynamic evaluation pharmacokinetic parameters (K trans , V e and k ep ) were evaluated. In the slow dynamic analysis, each lesion was scored according to the BI-RADS classification. Two readers evaluated all data prospectively. ROC and multivariate analysis were performed. The slow dynamic analysis resulted in an AUC of 0.85 and 0.83, respectively. The fast dynamic analysis resulted in an AUC of 0.83 in both readers. The combination of both the slow and fast dynamic analyses resulted in a significant improvement of diagnostic performance with an AUC of 0.93 and 0.90 (P = 0.02). The increased diagnostic performance found when combining both methods demonstrates the additional value of our method in further improving the diagnostic performance of breast MRI. (orig.)

  18. Vibration-enhanced posture stabilization achieved by tactile supplementation: may blind individuals get extra benefits?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magalhães, Fernando Henrique; Kohn, André Fabio

    2011-08-01

    Diminished balance ability poses a serious health risk due to the increased likelihood of falling, and impaired postural stability is significantly associated with blindness and poor vision. Noise stimulation (by improving the detection of sub-threshold somatosensory information) and tactile supplementation (i.e., additional haptic information provided by an external contact surface) have been shown to improve the performance of the postural control system. Moreover, vibratory noise added to the source of tactile supplementation (e.g., applied to a surface that the fingertip touches) has been shown to enhance balance stability more effectively than tactile supplementation alone. In view of the above findings, in addition to the well established consensus that blind subjects show superior abilities in the use of tactile information, we hypothesized that blind subjects may take extra benefits from the vibratory noise added to the tactile supplementation and hence show greater improvements in postural stability than those observed for sighted subjects. If confirmed, this hypothesis may lay the foundation for the development of noise-based assistive devices (e.g., canes, walking sticks) for improving somatosensation and hence prevent falls in blind individuals. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Chitosan nanocomposite films: enhanced electrical conductivity, thermal stability, and mechanical properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marroquin, Jason B; Rhee, K Y; Park, S J

    2013-02-15

    A novel, high-performance Fe(3)O(4)/MWNT/Chitosan nanocomposite has been prepared by a simple solution evaporation method. A significant synergistic effect of Fe(3)O(4) and MWNT provided enhanced electrical conductivity, mechanical properties, and thermal stability on the nanocomposites. A 5% (wt) loading of Fe(3)O(4)/MWNT in the nanocomposite increased conductivity from 5.34×10(-5) S/m to 1.49×10(-2) S/m compared to 5% (wt) MWNT loadings. The Fe(3)O(4)/MWNT/Chitosan films also exhibited increases in tensile strength and modulus of 70% and 155%, respectively. The integral procedure decomposition temperature (IPDT) was enhanced from 501 °C to 568 °C. These effects resulted from a number of factors: generation of a greater number of conductive channels through interactions between MWNT and Fe(3)O(4) surfaces, a higher relative crystallinity, the antiplasticizing effects of Fe(3)O(4), a restricted mobility and hindrance of depolymerization of the Chitosan chain segments, as well as uniform distribution, improved dispersion, and strong interfacial adhesion between the MWNT and Chitosan matrix. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Enhanced conjugation stability and blood circulation time of macromolecular gadolinium-DTPA contrast agent

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jenjob, Ratchapol [Department of New Drug Development, School of Medicine, Inha University, 2F A-dong, Jeongseok Bldg., Sinheung-dong 3-ga, Jung-gu, Incheon 400-712 (Korea, Republic of); Kun, Na [Department of Biotechnology, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 420-743 (Korea, Republic of); Ghee, Jung Yeon [Utah-Inha DDS and Advanced Therapeutics, B-403 Meet-You-All Tower, SongdoTechnopark, 7–50, Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 406-840 (Korea, Republic of); Shen, Zheyu; Wu, Xiaoxia [Division of Functional Materials and Nano-Devices, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology & Engineering (NIMTE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, 519 Zhuangshi Street, Zhenhai District, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315201 (China); Cho, Steve K., E-mail: scho@gist.ac.kr [Division of Liberal Arts and Science, GIST College, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Don Haeng [Utah-Inha DDS and Advanced Therapeutics, B-403 Meet-You-All Tower, SongdoTechnopark, 7–50, Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 406-840 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Inha University Hospital, Incheon 420-751 (Korea, Republic of); Yang, Su-Geun, E-mail: Sugeun.Yang@Inha.ac.kr [Department of New Drug Development, School of Medicine, Inha University, 2F A-dong, Jeongseok Bldg., Sinheung-dong 3-ga, Jung-gu, Incheon 400-712 (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-04-01

    In this study, we prepared macromolecular MR T1 contrast agent: pullulan-conjugated Gd diethylene triamine pentaacetate (Gd-DTPA-Pullulan) and estimated residual free Gd{sup 3+}, chelation stability in competition with metal ions, plasma and tissue pharmacokinetics, and abdominal MR contrast on rats. Residual free Gd{sup 3+} in Gd-DTPA-Pullulan was measured using colorimetric spectroscopy. The transmetalation of Gd{sup 3+} incubated with Ca{sup 2+} was performed by using a dialysis membrane (MWCO 100–500 Da) and investigated by ICP-OES. The plasma concentration profiles of Gd-DTPA-Pullulan were estimated after intravenous injection at a dose 0.1 mmol/kg of Gd. The coronal-plane abdominal images of normal rats were observed by MR imaging. The content of free Gd{sup 3+}, the toxic residual form, was less than 0.01%. Chelation stability of Gd-DTPA-Pullulan was estimated, and only 0.2% and 0.00045% of Gd{sup 3+} were released from Gd-DTPA-Pullulan after 2 h incubation with Ca{sup 2+} and Fe{sup 2+}, respectively. Gd-DTPA-Pullulan displayed the extended plasma half-life (t{sub 1/2,α} = 0.43 h, t{sub 1/2,β} = 2.32 h), much longer than 0.11 h and 0.79 h of Gd-EOB-DTPA. Abdominal MR imaging showed Gd-DTPA-Pullulan maintained initial MR contrast for 30 min. The extended plasma half-life of Gd-DTPA-Pullulan probably allows the prolonged MR acquisition time in clinic with enhanced MR contrast. - Highlights: • Macromolecule (pullulan) conjugated Gd contrast agent (Gd-DTPA-Pullulan) showed the extended plasma half-life (t{sub 1/2,α} = 0.43 h, t{sub 1/2,β} = 2.32 h) in comparison with Gd-EOB-DTPA • Gd-DTPA-pullulan T1 contrast agent exhibited strong chelation stability against Gd. • The extended blood circulation attributed the enhanced and prolonged MR contrast on abdominal region of rats. • The extended blood circulation may provide prolonged MR acquisition time window in clinics.