Experimental and Computational Characterization of Biological Liquid Crystals: A Review of Single-Molecule Bioassays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sungsoo Na

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Quantitative understanding of the mechanical behavior of biological liquid crystals such as proteins is essential for gaining insight into their biological functions, since some proteins perform notable mechanical functions. Recently, single-molecule experiments have allowed not only the quantitative characterization of the mechanical behavior of proteins such as protein unfolding mechanics, but also the exploration of the free energy landscape for protein folding. In this work, we have reviewed the current state-of-art in single-molecule bioassays that enable quantitative studies on protein unfolding mechanics and/or various molecular interactions. Specifically, single-molecule pulling experiments based on atomic force microscopy (AFM have been overviewed. In addition, the computational simulations on single-molecule pulling experiments have been reviewed. We have also reviewed the AFM cantilever-based bioassay that provides insight into various molecular interactions. Our review highlights the AFM-based single-molecule bioassay for quantitative characterization of biological liquid crystals such as proteins.

Prospects for Studies of the Free Fall and Gravitational Quantum States of Antimatter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Dufour

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Different experiments are ongoing to measure the effect of gravity on cold neutral antimatter atoms such as positronium, muonium, and antihydrogen. Among those, the project GBAR at CERN aims to measure precisely the gravitational fall of ultracold antihydrogen atoms. In the ultracold regime, the interaction of antihydrogen atoms with a surface is governed by the phenomenon of quantum reflection which results in bouncing of antihydrogen atoms on matter surfaces. This allows the application of a filtering scheme to increase the precision of the free fall measurement. In the ultimate limit of smallest vertical velocities, antihydrogen atoms are settled in gravitational quantum states in close analogy to ultracold neutrons (UCNs. Positronium is another neutral system involving antimatter for which free fall under gravity is currently being investigated at UCL. Building on the experimental techniques under development for the free fall measurement, gravitational quantum states could also be observed in positronium. In this contribution, we report on the status of the ongoing experiments and discuss the prospects of observing gravitational quantum states of antimatter and their implications.

Verification of the universality of free fall by neutron gravity refractometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sears, V.F.

1982-01-01

Koester's method of verifying the universality of free fall from a comparison of the values of neutron scattering lengths measured in the presence and absence of significant gravitational interaction is analyzed and a number of conceptual errors are corrected. These errors are, however, trivial in the sense that they affect only the justification of the method and not its validity. An analysis of recent scattering-length data is shown to confirm the universality of free fall within a relative uncertainty of 3 x 10 -4 . The importance of Koester's method is providing a necessary complement to the more precise torsion-balance method is pointed out

Gamma ray detecting device using dislocation-free crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vali, V.; Chang, D.B.

1991-01-01

This patent describes a γ-ray detector. It comprises: a dislocation-free single crystal having an input surface and a transmission surface at opposite ends thereof; an active shield surrounding the crystal and functioning as an anticoincidence counter; and γ-ray detector means disposed adjacent the transmission surface of the crystal for receiving and detecting γ-rays of a predetermined wavelength incident on the input surface of the crystal at a specific Bragg angle and transmitted through the crystal

Multi-functional photonic crystal sensors enabled by biological silica (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Alan X.

2017-02-01

Diatoms are microalgae found in every habitat where water is present. They produce 40% of the ocean's yearly production of organic carbon and 20% of the oxygen that we breathe. Their abundance and wide distribution make them ideal materials for a wide range of applications as living organisms. In our previous work, we have demonstrated that diatom biosilica with self-assembled silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) can be used as ultra-sensitive, low-cost substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing. The enhancement comes from the photonic crystal enhancement of diatom frustules that could improve the hot-spots of Ag NPs. In this work, we report the unique micro-fluidic flow, analyte concentration effect, and thin layer chromatography (TLC) on diatom biosilica, which enables selection, separation, detection, and analysis of complex chemical and biological samples. Particularly, we show that the microscopic fluidic flow induced by the evaporation of liquid droplet can concentrate the analyte and achieve label-free sensing of single molecule detection of R6G and label-free sensing of 4.5×10-17g trinitrotoluene (TNT) from only 200 nano-liter solution. We also demonstrated a facile method for instant on-site separation and detection of analytes by TLC in tandem with SERS spectroscopy using high density diatom thin film. This lab-on-chip technology has been successfully applied for label-free detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from human plasma and histamine from salmon fish. Our research suggests that such cost-effective, multi-functional photonic crystal sensors enabled by diatom biosilica opens a new route for lab-on-chip systems and possess significant engineering potentials for chemical and biological sensing.

Discrimination between biological interfaces and crystal-packing contacts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuko Tsuchiya

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Yuko Tsuchiya1, Haruki Nakamura2, Kengo Kinoshita1,31Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minatoku, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan; 2Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; 3Bioinformatics Research and Development, JST, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama, 332-0012, JapanAbstract: A discrimination method between biologically relevant interfaces and artificial crystal-packing contacts in crystal structures was constructed. The method evaluates protein-protein interfaces in terms of complementarities for hydrophobicity, electrostatic potential and shape on the protein surfaces, and chooses the most probable biological interfaces among all possible contacts in the crystal. The method uses a discriminator named as “COMP”, which is a linear combination of the complementarities for the above three surface features and does not correlate with the contact area. The discrimination of homo-dimer interfaces from symmetry-related crystal-packing contacts based on the COMP value achieved the modest success rate. Subsequent detailed review of the discrimination results raised the success rate to about 88.8%. In addition, our discrimination method yielded some clues for understanding the interaction patterns in several examples in the PDB. Thus, the COMP discriminator can also be used as an indicator of the “biological-ness” of protein-protein interfaces.Keywords: protein-protein interaction, complementarity analysis, homo-dimer interface, crystal-packing contact, biological interfaces

Invited review liquid crystal models of biological materials and silk spinning.

Science.gov (United States)

Rey, Alejandro D; Herrera-Valencia, Edtson E

2012-06-01

A review of thermodynamic, materials science, and rheological liquid crystal models is presented and applied to a wide range of biological liquid crystals, including helicoidal plywoods, biopolymer solutions, and in vivo liquid crystals. The distinguishing characteristics of liquid crystals (self-assembly, packing, defects, functionalities, processability) are discussed in relation to biological materials and the strong correspondence between different synthetic and biological materials is established. Biological polymer processing based on liquid crystalline precursors includes viscoelastic flow to form and shape fibers. Viscoelastic models for nematic and chiral nematics are reviewed and discussed in terms of key parameters that facilitate understanding and quantitative information from optical textures and rheometers. It is shown that viscoelastic modeling the silk spinning process using liquid crystal theories sheds light on textural transitions in the duct of spiders and silk worms as well as on tactoidal drops and interfacial structures. The range and consistency of the predictions demonstrates that the use of mesoscopic liquid crystal models is another tool to develop the science and biomimetic applications of mesogenic biological soft matter. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Establishment and characterization of GSA-1, a human cell line highly susceptible to apoptosis after free-fall

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nomura, Jun; Himeda, Jyuni; Chen, Zheng; Sugaya, Shigeru; Takahashi, Shunji; Kita, Kazuko; Ichinose, Masaharu; Suzuki, Nobuo

2002-01-01

The induction of apoptosis by microgravity and/or gravity-changing stress is considered to be one of the important causes of cell death, although the molecular mechanisms of the apoptotic event remain unclarified. In this study, we established a cell line,GSA-1, from ethyl methanesulfonate-treated human RSa cells. GSA-1 cells were highly susceptible to apoptosis after a free-fall; 24.4% of these cells underwent apoptosis after free-fall, compared with only 6% of the RSa cells. The apoptosis of GSA-1 cells was augmented by ultraviolet (UV, principally 254-nm wavelength) irradiation before free-fall to a greater extents than those in RSa cells. The molecular mechanisms of apoptosis included p53 and Bax proteins; the expression of nuclear p53 and cytoplasmic Bax in GSA-1 cells increased at 4 h after free-fall irrespective of irradiation. In addition, the rate of removal of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) in UV-irradiated GSA-1 cells was higher in cells exposed to free-fall than in those under the l-G condition. Our results suggested that in GSA-1 cells, free-fall accelerates apoptosis, and that this process is associated with the accumulation of p53 and Bax, as well as CPD removal. Thus, GSA-1 cells should be useful for investigating the mechanism of cellular response, including the induction of apoptosis under gravity-changing stress. (author)

Defect free single crystal thin layer

KAUST Repository

Elafandy, Rami Tarek Mahmoud

2016-01-28

A gallium nitride film can be a dislocation free single crystal, which can be prepared by irradiating a surface of a substrate and contacting the surface with an etching solution that can selectively etch at dislocations.

Defect free single crystal thin layer

KAUST Repository

Elafandy, Rami Tarek Mahmoud; Ooi, Boon S.

2016-01-01

A gallium nitride film can be a dislocation free single crystal, which can be prepared by irradiating a surface of a substrate and contacting the surface with an etching solution that can selectively etch at dislocations.

Second harmonic generation in Te crystal using free electron laser

CERN Document Server

Yamauchi, T; Minehara, E J

2002-01-01

The second harmonic generation signal converted from the fundamental wavelength of 22 mu m of a free electron laser was observed for the first time using a birefringent Te crystal. The experimental conversion efficiency of Te crystal for second harmonic generation is 0.53%, which is equivalent to the theoretical value within a factor of 2. The Te crystal has been incorporated into an autocorrelator system to measure the micro-pulse width of infrared free electron laser successfully. (author)

The emerging age of cell-free synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Mark Thomas; Wilding, Kristen M; Hunt, Jeremy M; Bennett, Anthony M; Bundy, Bradley C

2014-08-25

The engineering of and mastery over biological parts has catalyzed the emergence of synthetic biology. This field has grown exponentially in the past decade. As increasingly more applications of synthetic biology are pursued, more challenges are encountered, such as delivering genetic material into cells and optimizing genetic circuits in vivo. An in vitro or cell-free approach to synthetic biology simplifies and avoids many of the pitfalls of in vivo synthetic biology. In this review, we describe some of the innate features that make cell-free systems compelling platforms for synthetic biology and discuss emerging improvements of cell-free technologies. We also select and highlight recent and emerging applications of cell-free synthetic biology. Copyright © 2014 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Study of airborne particle generated by free falling powder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacquelin, M.

2007-10-01

This study comes within the general framework of industrial facilities' safety research. Indeed, industrial processes, notably in the nuclear field, handle hazardous materials in powder form and can produce large quantities of fugitive dust. The study of the particles resuspension from powders is of interest of first order in order to estimate the consequences of this source term of contamination on the operator, the neighbouring installations and, if necessary, the environment. Up to now, there are very few reliable data in the scientific literature on the particulate emission in case of a scenario with an accidental free fall spill of powder. The powder dustiness evaluation is carried out using coefficients obtained in experiments, or using empirical correlations. The objective of the present work is to study the influence of some parameters involved in the airborne particles production by a free fall of powder. For that purpose, experiments are carried out in order to study the influence of parameters such as the type of discharge, the powder nature, the type of surface on which occurs the powder impaction, the system diameter used for discharge, and the falling mass. The results of mass fractions and number concentrations obtained highlighted the dominating parameters according to the type of discharge employed. Thereafter, the comparisons between our results and the empirical correlations available in the literature showed that those led to an undervaluation of the powder dustiness. This thus led us to develop, starting from the whole of experimental data, empirical correlations taking into account the various parameters studied as well as the interactions. (author)

Biological applications of ultraviolet free-electron lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sutherland, J.C.

1997-10-01

This review examines the possibilities for biological research using the three ultraviolet free-electron lasers that are nearing operational status in the US. The projected operating characteristics of major interest in biological research of the free-electron lasers at Brookhaven National Laboratory, the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, and Duke University are presented. Experimental applications in the areas of far- and vacuum ultraviolet photophysics and photochemistry, structural biology, environmental photobiology, and medical research are discussed and the prospects for advances in these areas, based upon the characteristics of the new ultraviolet free-electron lasers, are evaluated

Wrinkle-Free Single-Crystal Graphene Wafer Grown on Strain-Engineered Substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Bing; Pang, Zhenqian; Chen, Shulin; Li, Xin; Meng, Caixia; Li, Jiayu; Liu, Mengxi; Wu, Juanxia; Qi, Yue; Dang, Wenhui; Yang, Hao; Zhang, Yanfeng; Zhang, Jin; Kang, Ning; Xu, Hongqi; Fu, Qiang; Qiu, Xiaohui; Gao, Peng; Wei, Yujie; Liu, Zhongfan; Peng, Hailin

2017-12-26

Wrinkles are ubiquitous for graphene films grown on various substrates by chemical vapor deposition at high temperature due to the strain induced by thermal mismatch between the graphene and substrates, which greatly degrades the extraordinary properties of graphene. Here we show that the wrinkle formation of graphene grown on Cu substrates is strongly dependent on the crystallographic orientations. Wrinkle-free single-crystal graphene was grown on a wafer-scale twin-boundary-free single-crystal Cu(111) thin film fabricated on sapphire substrate through strain engineering. The wrinkle-free feature of graphene originated from the relatively small thermal expansion of the Cu(111) thin film substrate and the relatively strong interfacial coupling between Cu(111) and graphene, based on the strain analyses as well as molecular dynamics simulations. Moreover, we demonstrated the transfer of an ultraflat graphene film onto target substrates from the reusable single-crystal Cu(111)/sapphire growth substrate. The wrinkle-free graphene shows enhanced electrical mobility compared to graphene with wrinkles.

Analysis of Mechanical Energy Transport on Free-Falling Wedge during Water-Entry Phase

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen-Hua Wang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available For better discussing and understanding the physical phenomena and body-fluid interaction of water-entry problem, here mechanical-energy transport (wedge, fluid, and each other of water-entry model for free falling wedge is studied by numerical method based on free surface capturing method and Cartesian cut cell mesh. In this method, incompressible Euler equations for a variable density fluid are numerically calculated by the finite volume method. Then artificial compressibility method, dual-time stepping technique, and Roe's approximate Riemann solver are applied in the numerical scheme. Furthermore, the projection method of momentum equations and exact Riemann solution are used to calculate the fluid pressure on solid boundary. On this basis, during water-entry phase of the free-falling wedge, macroscopic energy conversion of overall body-fluid system and microscopic energy transformation in fluid field are analyzed and discussed. Finally, based on test cases, many useful conclusions about mechanical energy transport for water entry problem are made and presented.

Equivalence principle for quantum systems: dephasing and phase shift of free-falling particles

Science.gov (United States)

Anastopoulos, C.; Hu, B. L.

2018-02-01

We ask the question of how the (weak) equivalence principle established in classical gravitational physics should be reformulated and interpreted for massive quantum objects that may also have internal degrees of freedom (dof). This inquiry is necessary because even elementary concepts like a classical trajectory are not well defined in quantum physics—trajectories originating from quantum histories become viable entities only under stringent decoherence conditions. From this investigation we posit two logically and operationally distinct statements of the equivalence principle for quantum systems. Version A: the probability distribution of position for a free-falling particle is the same as the probability distribution of a free particle, modulo a mass-independent shift of its mean. Version B: any two particles with the same velocity wave-function behave identically in free fall, irrespective of their masses. Both statements apply to all quantum states, including those without a classical correspondence, and also for composite particles with quantum internal dof. We also investigate the consequences of the interaction between internal and external dof induced by free fall. For a class of initial states, we find dephasing occurs for the translational dof, namely, the suppression of the off-diagonal terms of the density matrix, in the position basis. We also find a gravitational phase shift in the reduced density matrix of the internal dof that does not depend on the particle’s mass. For classical states, the phase shift has a natural classical interpretation in terms of gravitational red-shift and special relativistic time-dilation.

Do free-falling quantum cats land on their feet?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chryssomalakos, C; Serrano-Ensástiga, E; Hernández-Coronado, H

2015-01-01

We present a quantum description of the mechanism by which a free-falling cat manages to reorient itself and land on its feet, having all along zero angular momentum. Our approach is geometrical, making use of the fiber bundle structure of the cat configuration space. We show how the classical picture can be recovered, but also point out a purely quantum scenario, that ends up with a Schroedinger cat. Finally, we sketch possible applications to molecular, nuclear, and nano-systems. (paper)

Fast pyrolysis of sugarcane and cassava residues in a free-fall reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pattiya, Adisak; Sukkasi, Sittha; Goodwin, Vituruch

2012-01-01

Fast pyrolysis of agricultural residues from sugarcane and cassava plantations was carried out in a laboratory-scale free-fall reactor unit. The objectives of this work were to investigate the effects of biomass types and pyroysis conditions, such as reactor temperature, condensation temperature, nitrogen flow rate and run duration, on pyrolysis product distribution, as well as to study the basic properties of the products. The results showed that all of the parameters affected the product distribution. The optimum reactor temperatures for maximising bio-oil yield were in the range of 350–450 °C. About 70 wt% of bio-oil yield could be obtained by pyrolysis of cassava stalk at a reactor temperature of 450 °C and a primary condensation temperature of 10 °C. It was also found that the minimum flow rate of nitrogen for obtaining high bio-oil yield was 1.5 l/min. The product characterisation showed that the bio-oil and char produced from the agricultural residues with the free-fall reactor unit were to a certain extent similar to those produced from different types of biomass with different types of pyrolysis reactor configurations. -- Highlights: ► Fast pyrolysis of sugarcane and cassava agricultural residues was carried out in a laboratory-scale free-fall reactor unit. ► The effects of process parameters on product yields were investigated. ► The process parameters included reactor temperature, condensation temperature, nitrogen flow rate and run duration. ► Basic properties of pyrolysis products were examined.

Retrieval-travel-time model for free-fall-flow-rack automated storage and retrieval system

Science.gov (United States)

Metahri, Dhiyaeddine; Hachemi, Khalid

2018-03-01

Automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RSs) are material handling systems that are frequently used in manufacturing and distribution centers. The modelling of the retrieval-travel time of an AS/RS (expected product delivery time) is practically important, because it allows us to evaluate and improve the system throughput. The free-fall-flow-rack AS/RS has emerged as a new technology for drug distribution. This system is a new variation of flow-rack AS/RS that uses an operator or a single machine for storage operations, and uses a combination between the free-fall movement and a transport conveyor for retrieval operations. The main contribution of this paper is to develop an analytical model of the expected retrieval-travel time for the free-fall flow-rack under a dedicated storage assignment policy. The proposed model, which is based on a continuous approach, is compared for accuracy, via simulation, with discrete model. The obtained results show that the maximum deviation between the continuous model and the simulation is less than 5%, which shows the accuracy of our model to estimate the retrieval time. The analytical model is useful to optimise the dimensions of the rack, assess the system throughput, and evaluate different storage policies.

Rise and fall of ferromagnetism in O-irradiated Al2O3 single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Qiang; Xu, Juping; Liu, Jiandang; Du, Huaijiang; Ye, Bangjiao

2015-01-01

In dilute magnetic semiconductors studies, sapphire was usually used as non-magnetic substrate for films. We observed weak ferromagnetic component in Al 2 O 3 single crystal substrate, and excluded the possibility of ferromagnetic contaminations carefully by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The ferromagnetism rise and fall during the process of annealing-oxygen irradiation-annealing of the sapphire. The ferromagnetic changes are consistent with Al-vacancy related defects detected by positron annihilation spectroscopy. With first-principle calculations, we confirm that Al-vacancy can introduce magnetic moment for 3 μB in Al 2 O 3 crystal and form stable V Al -V Al ferromagnetic coupling at room temperature

Experimental study of sodium droplet burning in free fall. Evaluation of preliminary test results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyahara, Shinya; Ara, Kuniaki

1998-08-01

To study a sodium leak and combustion behavior phenomenologically and to construct the mechanistic evaluation method, an experimental series of a sodium droplet burning in free fall is under way. In this study, the accuracy of measurement technique used in the preliminary test was assessed and the modified technique was proposed for the next test series. Analytical study of the test results was also conducted to deduce dominant parameters and important measurement items which would play an important role in the droplet combustion behavior. The results and conclusions are as follows: (1) Assessment of measurement accuracy and modified technique proposed for the next test series. a) Control accuracy of sodium supply system using β-alumina solid electrolyte was sufficient for generation of objective size of single droplet. However, it is necessary to calibrate the correlation between the quantity of electric charge for sodium supply system and that of supplied sodium. b) Measurement accuracy of falling velocity using high-speed video was ±0.33 m/s at an upper part and ±0.48 m/s at a lower part of the measurement. To reduce the error, a high-speed stroboscopic method is recommended to measure the falling velocity of droplet. (2) Results of analytical study and deduced dominant parameters and important measurement items. a) The falling behavior of a burning droplet was described solving the equation of free falling motion for a rigid sphere. In the case of higher falling height, it is necessary to study the burning effects on the falling behavior. b) The mass burned of a falling droplet was calculated using the combustion model according to 'D 2 ' law during the full burning phase. It is necessary to study the dominant chemical reaction in the burning flame because the mass burned depends on the composition of the reaction products. c) The mass burned was calculated using surface oxidation model for preignition phase together with above model. However, it is

Studying a free fall experiment using short sequences of images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vera, Francisco; Romanque, Cristian

2008-01-01

We discuss a new alternative for obtaining position and time coordinates from a video of a free fall experiment. In our approach, after converting the video to a short sequence of images, the images are analyzed using a web page application developed by the author. The main advantage of the setup explained in this work, is that it is simple to use, no software license fees are necessary, and can be scaled-up to be used by a big number of students in introductory physics courses. The steps involved in the full analysis of a falling object are: we grab a short digital video of the experiment and convert it to a sequence of images, then, using a web page that includes all the necessary javascript, the student can easily click on the object of interest to obtain the (x,y,t) coordinates, finally, the student analyze motion using a spreadsheet.

Hawking, fiducial, and free-fall temperature of black hole on gravity's rainbow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gim, Yongwan; Kim, Wontae [Sogang University, Department of Physics, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-03-15

On gravity's rainbow, the energy of test particles deforms the geometry of a black hole in such a way that the corresponding Hawking temperature is expected to be modified. It means that the fiducial and free-fall temperatures on the black hole background should also be modified according to deformation of the geometry. In this work, the probing energy of test particles is assumed as the average energy of the Hawking particle in order to study the particle back reaction of the geometry by using the advantage of gravity's rainbow. We shall obtain the modified fiducial and free-fall temperatures, respectively. The behaviors of these two temperatures on the horizon tell us that black hole complementarity is still well defined on gravity's rainbow. (orig.)

Cell-free synthetic biology for environmental sensing and remediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Karig, David K

2017-06-01

The fields of biosensing and bioremediation leverage the phenomenal array of sensing and metabolic capabilities offered by natural microbes. Synthetic biology provides tools for transforming these fields through complex integration of natural and novel biological components to achieve sophisticated sensing, regulation, and metabolic function. However, the majority of synthetic biology efforts are conducted in living cells, and concerns over releasing genetically modified organisms constitute a key barrier to environmental applications. Cell-free protein expression systems offer a path towards leveraging synthetic biology, while preventing the spread of engineered organisms in nature. Recent efforts in the areas of cell-free approaches for sensing, regulation, and metabolic pathway implementation, as well as for preserving and deploying cell-free expression components, embody key steps towards realizing the potential of cell-free systems for environmental sensing and remediation. Copyright © 2017 The Author. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Free-fall dynamics of a pair of rigidly linked disks

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Taehyun; Chang, Jaehyeock; Kim, Daegyoum

2018-03-01

We investigate experimentally the free-fall motion of a pair of identical disks rigidly connected to each other. The three-dimensional coordinates of the pair of falling disks were constructed to quantitatively describe its trajectory, and the flow structure formed by the disk pair was identified by using dye visualization. The rigidly linked disk pair exhibits a novel falling pattern that creates a helical path with a conical configuration in which the lower disk rotates in a wider radius than the upper disk with respect to a vertical axis. The helical motion occurs consistently for the range of disk separation examined in this study. The dye visualization reveals that a strong, noticeable helical vortex core is generated from the outer tip of the lower disk during the helical motion. With an increasing length ratio, which is the ratio of the disk separation to the diameter of the disks, the nutation angle and the rate of change in the precession angle that characterize the combined helical and conical kinematics decrease linearly, whereas the pitch of the helical path increases linearly. Although all disk pairs undergo this helical motion, the horizontal-drift patterns of the disk pair depend on the length ratio.

Extended abstracts Fall 2012 automorphisms of free groups

CERN Document Server

Lustig, Martin; Ventura, Enric

2014-01-01

This volume features seventeen extended conference abstracts corresponding to selected talks given by participants at the CRM research program “Automorphisms of Free Groups: Algorithms, Geometry and Dynamics”, which took place at the Centre de Recerca Matemàtica in Barcelona in fall 2012. Most of them are short articles giving preliminary presentations of new results not yet published in regular research journals. The articles are the result from a direct collaboration among active researchers in the area after working in a dynamic and productive atmosphere. The book is intended for established researchers in the area of Group Theory, as well as for PhD and postdoc students who wish to learn more about the latest advances in this active area of research.

Power Laws, Scale-Free Networks and Genome Biology

CERN Document Server

Koonin, Eugene V; Karev, Georgy P

2006-01-01

Power Laws, Scale-free Networks and Genome Biology deals with crucial aspects of the theoretical foundations of systems biology, namely power law distributions and scale-free networks which have emerged as the hallmarks of biological organization in the post-genomic era. The chapters in the book not only describe the interesting mathematical properties of biological networks but moves beyond phenomenology, toward models of evolution capable of explaining the emergence of these features. The collection of chapters, contributed by both physicists and biologists, strives to address the problems in this field in a rigorous but not excessively mathematical manner and to represent different viewpoints, which is crucial in this emerging discipline. Each chapter includes, in addition to technical descriptions of properties of biological networks and evolutionary models, a more general and accessible introduction to the respective problems. Most chapters emphasize the potential of theoretical systems biology for disco...

Bioscorodite: biological crystallization of scorodite for arsenic removal

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gonzalez-Contreras, P.A.

2012-01-01

The use of arsenic is banned for most applications, leading to its accumulation as arsenic trioxide and ferric arsenate sludge. The aim of this thesis was to develop a controlled process for biological crystallization of scorodite from metallurgical streams. In this thesis, the proof of

General Observations of the Time-Dependent Flow Field Around Flat Plates in Free Fall

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hærvig, Jakob; Jensen, Anna Lyhne; Pedersen, Marie Cecilie

2015-01-01

a six degrees of freedom (6DOF) solver and a dynamic mesh. To validate the simulation, the trajectories of aluminium plates falling in water are recorded by digital camera recordings and compared to the simulation. The simulation is able to calculate the motion of the plate within each time step...... with high accuracy, and thereby allowing the whole trajectory to be predicted with fair accuracy. With the numerical model able to predict the free fall and the complex plate fluid interactions, fluids forces can be extracted for model development in future studies....

Photonic Crystal Biosensor Chip for Label-Free Detection of Bacteria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Martin; Krüger, Asger Christian; Groothoff, Nathaniel

Narrow polarization-mixing resonances in planar photonic crystals are studied as candidate components for label-free refractive index sensors for detecting bacteria causing sepsis through the identification of DNA strands....

Ferroelectricity and Piezoelectricity in Free-Standing Polycrystalline Films of Plastic Crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Harada, Jun; Yoneyama, Naho; Yokokura, Seiya; Takahashi, Yukihiro; Miura, Atsushi; Kitamura, Noboru; Inabe, Tamotsu

2018-01-10

Plastic crystals represent a unique compound class that is often encountered in molecules with globular structures. The highly symmetric cubic crystal structure of plastic crystals endows these materials with multiaxial ferroelectricity that allows a three-dimensional realignment of the polarization axes of the crystals, which cannot be achieved using conventional molecular ferroelectric crystals with low crystal symmetry. In this work, we focused our attention on malleability as another characteristic feature of plastic crystals. We have synthesized the new plastic/ferroelectric ionic crystals tetramethylammonium tetrachloroferrate(III) and tetramethylammonium bromotrichloroferrate(III), and discovered that free-standing translucent films can be easily prepared by pressing powdered samples of these compounds. The thus obtained polycrystalline films exhibit ferroelectric polarization switching and a relatively large piezoelectric response at room temperature. The ready availability of functional films demonstrates the practical utility of such plastic/ferroelectric crystals, and considering the vast variety of possible constituent cations and anions, a wide range of applications should be expected for these unique and attractive functional materials.

Identification of the Spawning, Rearing and Migratory Requirements of Fall Chinook Salmon in the Columbia River Basin, Annual Report 1992.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rondorf, Dennis W.; Miller, William H.

1994-03-01

This document is the 1992 annual progress report for selected studies of fall chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha conducted by the National Biological Survey (NBS) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The decline in abundance of fall chinook salmon in the Snake River basin has become a growing concern. Effective recovery efforts for fall chinook salmon cannot be developed until we increase our knowledge of the factors that are limiting the various life history stages. This study attempts to identify those physical and biological factors which influence spawning of fall chinook salmon in the free-flowing Snake River and their rearing and seaward migration through Columbia River basin reservoirs.

Quantifying the connectivity of scale-free and biological networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shiner, J.S. E-mail: shiner@alumni.duke.edu; Davison, Matt E-mail: mdavison@uwo.ca

2004-07-01

Scale-free and biological networks follow a power law distribution p{sub k}{proportional_to}k{sup -{alpha}} for the probability that a node is connected to k other nodes; the corresponding ranges for {alpha} (biological: 1<{alpha}<2; scale-free: 2<{alpha}{<=}3) yield a diverging variance for the connectivity k and lack of predictability for the average connectivity. Predictability can be achieved with the Renyi, Tsallis and Landsberg-Vedral extended entropies and corresponding 'disorders' for correctly chosen values of the entropy index q. Escort distributions p{sub k}{proportional_to}k{sup -{alpha}}{sup q} with q>3/{alpha} also yield a nondiverging variance and predictability. It is argued that the Tsallis entropies may be the appropriate quantities for the study of scale-free and biological networks.

Methods for growth of relatively large step-free SiC crystal surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Neudeck, Philip G. (Inventor); Powell, J. Anthony (Inventor)

2002-01-01

A method for growing arrays of large-area device-size films of step-free (i.e., atomically flat) SiC surfaces for semiconductor electronic device applications is disclosed. This method utilizes a lateral growth process that better overcomes the effect of extended defects in the seed crystal substrate that limited the obtainable step-free area achievable by prior art processes. The step-free SiC surface is particularly suited for the heteroepitaxial growth of 3C (cubic) SiC, AlN, and GaN films used for the fabrication of both surface-sensitive devices (i.e., surface channel field effect transistors such as HEMT's and MOSFET's) as well as high-electric field devices (pn diodes and other solid-state power switching devices) that are sensitive to extended crystal defects.

Rise and fall of ferromagnetism in O-irradiated Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} single crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Qiang [State Key Laboratory of Particle Detection and Electronics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026 (China); China Spallation Neutron Source, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dongguan 523803 (China); Xu, Juping; Liu, Jiandang; Du, Huaijiang; Ye, Bangjiao, E-mail: bjye@ustc.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Particle Detection and Electronics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026 (China)

2015-06-21

In dilute magnetic semiconductors studies, sapphire was usually used as non-magnetic substrate for films. We observed weak ferromagnetic component in Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} single crystal substrate, and excluded the possibility of ferromagnetic contaminations carefully by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The ferromagnetism rise and fall during the process of annealing-oxygen irradiation-annealing of the sapphire. The ferromagnetic changes are consistent with Al-vacancy related defects detected by positron annihilation spectroscopy. With first-principle calculations, we confirm that Al-vacancy can introduce magnetic moment for 3 μB in Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} crystal and form stable V{sub Al}-V{sub Al} ferromagnetic coupling at room temperature.

Flash hydropyrolysis of coal using a small scale of free fall reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miura, K.; Morozumi, F. [Kyoto University, Kyoto (Japan). Department of Chemical Engineering

1998-07-01

A small scale of high-pressure free fall reactor was developed for the flash hydropyrolysis of coal. Taiheiyo coal (a Japanese subbituminous coal) was pyrolysed under a high hydrogen pressure without difficulty by use of this reactor. The effect of gas atmosphere, residence time, pressure, and temperature on the product yield was examined in detail. A flash hydropyrolysis reaction model was developed based on the experimental data, and its validity was examined. 8 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.

Solvent-free preparation of co-crystals of phenazine and acridine with vanillin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Braga, Dario, E-mail: dario.braga@unibo.it [Dipartimento di Chimica ' G.Ciamician' , Universita degli studi di Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna (Italy); Grepioni, Fabrizia; Maini, Lucia; Mazzeo, Paolo P.; Rubini, Katia [Dipartimento di Chimica ' G.Ciamician' , Universita degli studi di Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna (Italy)

2010-08-10

Co-crystals of phenazine and acridine with vanillin have been obtained by solvent-free reaction or thermal treatment of the solid reactants: their structures, thermal behaviour and eutectic formation have been investigated via single crystal X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), variable temperature X-ray powder diffraction and hot-stage microscopy (HSM). Polymorph screening of the reagents has also been carried out.

Solvent-free preparation of co-crystals of phenazine and acridine with vanillin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braga, Dario; Grepioni, Fabrizia; Maini, Lucia; Mazzeo, Paolo P.; Rubini, Katia

2010-01-01

Co-crystals of phenazine and acridine with vanillin have been obtained by solvent-free reaction or thermal treatment of the solid reactants: their structures, thermal behaviour and eutectic formation have been investigated via single crystal X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), variable temperature X-ray powder diffraction and hot-stage microscopy (HSM). Polymorph screening of the reagents has also been carried out.

Strain-free polished channel-cut crystal monochromators: a new approach and results

Science.gov (United States)

Kasman, Elina; Montgomery, Jonathan; Huang, XianRong; Lerch, Jason; Assoufid, Lahsen

2017-08-01

The use of channel-cut crystal monochromators has been traditionally limited to applications that can tolerate the rough surface quality from wet etching without polishing. We have previously presented and discussed the motivation for producing channel cut crystals with strain-free polished surfaces [1]. Afterwards, we have undertaken an effort to design and implement an automated machine for polishing channel-cut crystals. The initial effort led to inefficient results. Since then, we conceptualized, designed, and implemented a new version of the channel-cut polishing machine, now called C-CHiRP (Channel-Cut High Resolution Polisher), also known as CCPM V2.0. The new machine design no longer utilizes Figure-8 motion that mimics manual polishing. Instead, the polishing is achieved by a combination of rotary and linear functions of two coordinated motion systems. Here we present the new design of C-CHiRP, its capabilities and features. Multiple channel-cut crystals polished using the C-CHiRP have been deployed into several beamlines at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). We present the measurements of surface finish, flatness, as well as topography results obtained at 1-BM of APS, as compared with results typically achieved when polishing flat-surface monochromator crystals using conventional polishing processes. Limitations of the current machine design, capabilities and considerations for strain-free polishing of highly complex crystals are also discussed, together with an outlook for future developments and improvements.

Automation in biological crystallization.

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Patrick Shaw; Mueller-Dieckmann, Jochen

2014-06-01

Crystallization remains the bottleneck in the crystallographic process leading from a gene to a three-dimensional model of the encoded protein or RNA. Automation of the individual steps of a crystallization experiment, from the preparation of crystallization cocktails for initial or optimization screens to the imaging of the experiments, has been the response to address this issue. Today, large high-throughput crystallization facilities, many of them open to the general user community, are capable of setting up thousands of crystallization trials per day. It is thus possible to test multiple constructs of each target for their ability to form crystals on a production-line basis. This has improved success rates and made crystallization much more convenient. High-throughput crystallization, however, cannot relieve users of the task of producing samples of high quality. Moreover, the time gained from eliminating manual preparations must now be invested in the careful evaluation of the increased number of experiments. The latter requires a sophisticated data and laboratory information-management system. A review of the current state of automation at the individual steps of crystallization with specific attention to the automation of optimization is given.

Synthesis, crystal structure and biological activity of novel diester cyclophanes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Pengfei; Yang, Bingqin; Fang, Xianwen; Cheng, Zhao; Yang, Meipan

2012-01-01

A series of novel diester cyclophanes was synthesized by esterification of 1,2-benzenedicarbonyl chloride with eight different diols under high dilution conditions. The structures of the compounds were verified by elemental analysis, 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), IR spectroscopy and high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The crystal structures of two compounds were characterized by single crystal X-ray diffractometry (XRD). All the new cyclophanes were evaluated for biological activities and the results showed that some of these compounds have low antibacterial or antifungal activities (author)

Cell-free synthetic biology: thinking outside the cell.

Science.gov (United States)

Hodgman, C Eric; Jewett, Michael C

2012-05-01

Cell-free synthetic biology is emerging as a powerful approach aimed to understand, harness, and expand the capabilities of natural biological systems without using intact cells. Cell-free systems bypass cell walls and remove genetic regulation to enable direct access to the inner workings of the cell. The unprecedented level of control and freedom of design, relative to in vivo systems, has inspired the rapid development of engineering foundations for cell-free systems in recent years. These efforts have led to programmed circuits, spatially organized pathways, co-activated catalytic ensembles, rational optimization of synthetic multi-enzyme pathways, and linear scalability from the micro-liter to the 100-liter scale. It is now clear that cell-free systems offer a versatile test-bed for understanding why nature's designs work the way they do and also for enabling biosynthetic routes to novel chemicals, sustainable fuels, and new classes of tunable materials. While challenges remain, the emergence of cell-free systems is poised to open the way to novel products that until now have been impractical, if not impossible, to produce by other means. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Batch crystallization of rhodopsin for structural dynamics using an X-ray free-electron laser

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Wenting; Nogly, Przemyslaw; Rheinberger, Jan; Kick, Leonhard M.; Gati, Cornelius; Nelson, Garrett; Deupi, Xavier; Standfuss, Jörg; Schertler, Gebhard; Panneels, Valérie, E-mail: valerie.panneels@psi.ch [Paul Scherrer Institute, OFLC/103, 5232 Villigen-PSI (Switzerland)

2015-06-27

A new batch preparation method is presented for high-density micrometre-sized crystals of the G protein-coupled receptor rhodopsin for use in time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography at an X-ray free-electron laser using a liquid jet. Rhodopsin is a membrane protein from the G protein-coupled receptor family. Together with its ligand retinal, it forms the visual pigment responsible for night vision. In order to perform ultrafast dynamics studies, a time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography method is required owing to the nonreversible activation of rhodopsin. In such an approach, microcrystals in suspension are delivered into the X-ray pulses of an X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) after a precise photoactivation delay. Here, a millilitre batch production of high-density microcrystals was developed by four methodical conversion steps starting from known vapour-diffusion crystallization protocols: (i) screening the low-salt crystallization conditions preferred for serial crystallography by vapour diffusion, (ii) optimization of batch crystallization, (iii) testing the crystal size and quality using second-harmonic generation (SHG) imaging and X-ray powder diffraction and (iv) production of millilitres of rhodopsin crystal suspension in batches for serial crystallography tests; these crystals diffracted at an XFEL at the Linac Coherent Light Source using a liquid-jet setup.

Structural and Biomechanical Adaptations to Free-Fall Landing in Hindlimb Cortical Bone of Growing Female Rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsin-Shih Lin, Ho-Seng Wang, Hung-Ta Chiu, Kuang-You B. Cheng, Ar-Tyan Hsu, Tsang-Hai Huang

2018-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the study was to investigate the adaptation process of hindlimb cortical bone subjected to free-fall landing training. Female Wistar rats (7 weeks old were randomly assigned to four landing (L groups and four age-matched control (C groups (n = 12 per group: L1, L2, L4 L8, C1, C2, C4 and C8. Animals in the L1, L2, L4 and L8 groups were respectively subjected to 1, 2, 4 and 8 weeks of free-fall-landing training (40 cm height, 30 times/day and 5 days/week while the C1, C2, C4 and C8 groups served as age-matched control groups. The tibiae of the L8 group were higher in cortical bone mineral content (BMC than those in the C8 group (p < 0.05. Except for the higher bone mineralization over bone surface ratio (MS/BS, % shown in the tibiae of the L1 group (p < 0.05, dynamic histomorphometry in the tibial and femoral cortical bone showed no difference between landing groups and their age-matched control groups. In the femora, the L1 group was lower than the C1 group in cortical bone area (Ct.Ar and cortical thickness (Ct.Th (p < 0.05; however, the L4 group was higher than the C4 group in Ct.Ar and Ct.Th (p <0 .05. In the tibiae, the moment of inertia about the antero-posterior axis (Iap, Ct.Ar and Ct.Th was significantly higher in the L8 group than in the C8 group (p < 0.05. In biomechanical testing, fracture load (FL of femora was lower in the L1 group than in the C1 group (p < 0.05. Conversely, yield load (YL, FL and yield load energy (YE of femora, as well as FL of tibiae were all significantly higher in the L8 group than in the C8 group (p < 0.05. Free-fall landing training may initially compromise bone material. However, over time, the current free-fall landing training induced improvements in biomechanical properties and/or the structure of growing bones.

Structural and Biomechanical Adaptations to Free-Fall Landing in Hindlimb Cortical Bone of Growing Female Rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Hsin-Shih; Wang, Ho-Seng; Chiu, Hung-Ta; Cheng, Kuang-You B; Hsu, Ar-Tyan; Huang, Tsang-Hai

2018-06-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate the adaptation process of hindlimb cortical bone subjected to free-fall landing training. Female Wistar rats (7 weeks old) were randomly assigned to four landing (L) groups and four age-matched control (C) groups (n = 12 per group): L1, L2, L4 L8, C1, C2, C4 and C8. Animals in the L1, L2, L4 and L8 groups were respectively subjected to 1, 2, 4 and 8 weeks of free-fall-landing training (40 cm height, 30 times/day and 5 days/week) while the C1, C2, C4 and C8 groups served as age-matched control groups. The tibiae of the L8 group were higher in cortical bone mineral content (BMC) than those in the C8 group (p < 0.05). Except for the higher bone mineralization over bone surface ratio (MS/BS, %) shown in the tibiae of the L1 group (p < 0.05), dynamic histomorphometry in the tibial and femoral cortical bone showed no difference between landing groups and their age-matched control groups. In the femora, the L1 group was lower than the C1 group in cortical bone area (Ct.Ar) and cortical thickness (Ct.Th) (p < 0.05); however, the L4 group was higher than the C4 group in Ct.Ar and Ct.Th (p <0 .05). In the tibiae, the moment of inertia about the antero-posterior axis ( I ap ), Ct.Ar and Ct.Th was significantly higher in the L8 group than in the C8 group (p < 0.05). In biomechanical testing, fracture load (FL) of femora was lower in the L1 group than in the C1 group (p < 0.05). Conversely, yield load (YL), FL and yield load energy (YE) of femora, as well as FL of tibiae were all significantly higher in the L8 group than in the C8 group (p < 0.05). Free-fall landing training may initially compromise bone material. However, over time, the current free-fall landing training induced improvements in biomechanical properties and/or the structure of growing bones.

Synthesis, crystal structure and biological activity of novel diester cyclophanes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Pengfei; Yang, Bingqin; Fang, Xianwen; Cheng, Zhao; Yang, Meipan, E-mail: yangbq@nwu.edu.cn [Department of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry, Northwest University, Shaanxi (China)

2012-10-15

A series of novel diester cyclophanes was synthesized by esterification of 1,2-benzenedicarbonyl chloride with eight different diols under high dilution conditions. The structures of the compounds were verified by elemental analysis, {sup 1}H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), IR spectroscopy and high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The crystal structures of two compounds were characterized by single crystal X-ray diffractometry (XRD). All the new cyclophanes were evaluated for biological activities and the results showed that some of these compounds have low antibacterial or antifungal activities (author)

Experimental Evaluation of the Drag Coefficient of Water Rockets by a Simple Free-Fall Test

Science.gov (United States)

Barrio-Perotti, R.; Blanco-Marigorta, E. Arguelles-Diaz, K.; Fernandez-Oro, J.

2009-01-01

The flight trajectory of a water rocket can be reasonably calculated if the magnitude of the drag coefficient is known. The experimental determination of this coefficient with enough precision is usually quite difficult, but in this paper we propose a simple free-fall experiment for undergraduate students to reasonably estimate the drag…

Using Tracker to understand ‘toss up’ and free fall motion: a case study

Science.gov (United States)

Wee, Loo Kang; Kia Tan, Kim; Leong, Tze Kwang; Tan, Ching

2015-07-01

This paper reports the use of Tracker as a computer-based learning tool to support effective learning and teaching of ‘toss up’ and free fall motion for beginning secondary three (15 year-old) students. The case study involved (N = 123) students from express pure physics classes at a mainstream school in Singapore. We used eight multiple-choice questions pre- and post-test to gauge the impact on learning. The experimental group showed learning gains of d = 0.79  ±  0.23 (large effect) for Cohen’s d effect size analysis, and gains with a gradient of  total = 0.42  ±  0.08 (medium gain) above the traditional baseline value of  non interactive = 0.23 for Hake’s normalized gain regression analysis. This applied to all of the teachers and students who participated in this study. Our initial research findings suggest that allowing learners to relate abstract physics concepts to real life through coupling traditional video analysis with video modelling might be an innovative and effective method for teaching and learning about free fall motion.

Slamming pressures on the bottom of a free-falling vertical wedge

Science.gov (United States)

Ikeda, C. M.; Judge, C. Q.

2013-11-01

High-speed planing boats are subjected to repeat impacts due to slamming, which can cause structural damage and injury to passengers. A first step in understanding and predicting the physics of a craft re-entering the water after becoming partially airborne is an experimental vertical drop test of a prismastic wedge (deadrise angle, β =20° beam, B = 300 mm; and length, L = 600 mm). The acrylic wedge was mounted to a rig allowing it to free-fall into a deep-water tank (5.2m × 5.2m × 4.2m deep) from heights 0 camera (1000 fps, resolution of 1920 × 1200 pixels) is mounted above the wedge model to record the wetted surface as the wedge descended below the free surface. The pressure measurements taken with both conventional surface pressure transducers and the pressure mapping system agree within 10% of the peak pressure values (0.7 bar, typical). Supported by the Office of Naval Research.

Free Fall Misconceptions: Results of a Graph Based Pre-Test of Sophomore Civil Engineering Students

Science.gov (United States)

Montecinos, Alicia M.

2014-01-01

A partially unusual behaviour was found among 14 sophomore students of civil engineering who took a pre test for a free fall laboratory session, in the context of a general mechanics course. An analysis contemplating mathematics models and physics models consistency was made. In all cases, the students presented evidence favoring a correct free…

Force-free state in a superconducting single crystal and angle-dependent vortex helical instability

Science.gov (United States)

del Valle, J.; Gomez, A.; Gonzalez, E. M.; Manas-Valero, S.; Coronado, E.; Vicent, J. L.

2017-06-01

Superconducting 2 H -NbS e2 single crystals show intrinsic low pinning values. Therefore, they are ideal materials with which to explore fundamental properties of vortices. (V , I ) characteristics are the experimental data we have used to investigate the dissipation mechanisms in a rectangular-shaped 2 H -NbS e2 single crystal. Particularly, we have studied dissipation behavior with magnetic fields applied in the plane of the crystal and parallel to the injected currents, i.e., in the force-free state where the vortex helical instability governs the vortex dynamics. In this regime, the data follow the elliptic critical state model and the voltage dissipation shows an exponential dependence, V ∝eα (I -IC ∥ ) , IC ∥ being the critical current in the force-free configuration and α a linear temperature-dependent parameter. Moreover, this exponential dependence can be observed for in-plane applied magnetic fields up to 40° off the current direction, which implies that the vortex helical instability plays a role in dissipation even out of the force-free configuration.

A Piece of Paper Falling Faster than Free Fall

Science.gov (United States)

Vera, F.; Rivera, R.

2011-01-01

We report a simple experiment that clearly demonstrates a common error in the explanation of the classic experiment where a small piece of paper is put over a book and the system is let fall. This classic demonstration is used in introductory physics courses to show that after eliminating the friction force with the air, the piece of paper falls…

Biological and medical sensor technologies

CERN Document Server

Iniewski, Krzysztof

2012-01-01

Biological and Medical Sensor Technologies presents contributions from top experts who explore the development and implementation of sensors for various applications used in medicine and biology. Edited by a pioneer in the area of advanced semiconductor materials, the book is divided into two sections. The first part covers sensors for biological applications. Topics include: Advanced sensing and communication in the biological world DNA-derivative architectures for long-wavelength bio-sensing Label-free silicon photonics Quartz crystal microbalance-based biosensors Lab-on-chip technologies fo

Experimental evaluation of the drag coefficient of water rockets by a simple free-fall test

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barrio-Perotti, R; Blanco-Marigorta, E; Argueelles-Diaz, K; Fernandez-Oro, J [Departamento de Energia, Universidad de Oviedo, Campus de Viesques, 33271 Gijon, Asturias (Spain)], E-mail: barrioraul@uniovi.es

2009-09-15

The flight trajectory of a water rocket can be reasonably calculated if the magnitude of the drag coefficient is known. The experimental determination of this coefficient with enough precision is usually quite difficult, but in this paper we propose a simple free-fall experiment for undergraduate students to reasonably estimate the drag coefficient of water rockets made from plastic soft drink bottles. The experiment is performed using relatively small fall distances (only about 14 m) in addition with a simple digital-sound-recording device. The fall time is inferred from the recorded signal with quite good precision, and it is subsequently introduced as an input of a Matlab (registered) program that estimates the magnitude of the drag coefficient. This procedure was tested first with a toy ball, obtaining a result with a deviation from the typical sphere value of only about 3%. For the particular water rocket used in the present investigation, a drag coefficient of 0.345 was estimated.

Crystal lattice dependency of the free radicals found in irradiated glycine

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bie, M.J.A. de; Braams, R.

1969-01-01

The EPR spectra, and hence the stable free radicals, are different for the - or γ-irradiated α-, β- and γ-crystal forms of polycrystalline glycone. Therefore comparisons of the trideutero-glycine EPR spectrum with the EPR spectra of non-deuterated glycine are open to question

Cell-free synthetic biology for in vitro prototype engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Simon J; MacDonald, James T; Freemont, Paul S

2017-06-15

Cell-free transcription-translation is an expanding field in synthetic biology as a rapid prototyping platform for blueprinting the design of synthetic biological devices. Exemplar efforts include translation of prototype designs into medical test kits for on-site identification of viruses (Zika and Ebola), while gene circuit cascades can be tested, debugged and re-designed within rapid turnover times. Coupled with mathematical modelling, this discipline lends itself towards the precision engineering of new synthetic life. The next stages of cell-free look set to unlock new microbial hosts that remain slow to engineer and unsuited to rapid iterative design cycles. It is hoped that the development of such systems will provide new tools to aid the transition from cell-free prototype designs to functioning synthetic genetic circuits and engineered natural product pathways in living cells. © 2017 The Author(s).

Product Characterization and Kinetics of Biomass Pyrolysis in a Three-Zone Free-Fall Reactor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natthaya Punsuwan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Pyrolysis of biomass including palm shell, palm kernel, and cassava pulp residue was studied in a laboratory free-fall reactor with three separated hot zones. The effects of pyrolysis temperature (250–1050°C and particle size (0.18–1.55 mm on the distribution and properties of pyrolysis products were investigated. A higher pyrolysis temperature and smaller particle size increased the gas yield but decreased the char yield. Cassava pulp residue gave more volatiles and less char than those of palm kernel and palm shell. The derived solid product (char gave a high calorific value of 29.87 MJ/kg and a reasonably high BET surface area of 200 m2/g. The biooil from palm shell is less attractive to use as a direct fuel, due to its high water contents, low calorific value, and high acidity. On gas composition, carbon monoxide was the dominant component in the gas product. A pyrolysis model for biomass pyrolysis in the free-fall reactor was developed, based on solving the proposed two-parallel reactions kinetic model and equations of particle motion, which gave excellent prediction of char yields for all biomass precursors under all pyrolysis conditions studied.

The free fall of an apple: conceptual subtleties and implications for physics teaching

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koch Torres Assis, André; Avelar Sotomaior Karam, Ricardo

2018-01-01

The study of free fall is thoroughly present in physics teaching at all levels. From the point of view of Newtonian dynamics it appears to be extremely simple, as it consists of a two-body problem with a constant force generating a constant acceleration. However, there are several important...... conceptual subtleties and hidden assumptions involved in this problem, which are rarely discussed in educational settings. In this work we present some of these subtleties and argue that explicitly addressing them has significant pedagogical benefits....

The free fall of an apple: conceptual subtleties and implications for physics teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Assis, A. K. T.; Karam, R. A. S.

2018-05-01

The study of free fall is thoroughly present in physics teaching at all levels. From the point of view of Newtonian dynamics it appears to be extremely simple, as it consists of a two-body problem with a constant force generating a constant acceleration. However, there are several important conceptual subtleties and hidden assumptions involved in this problem, which are rarely discussed in educational settings. In this work we present some of these subtleties and argue that explicitly addressing them has significant pedagogical benefits.

Toward Additive-Free Small-Molecule Organic Solar Cells: Roles of the Donor Crystallization Pathway and Dynamics

KAUST Repository

Abdelsamie, Maged; Treat, Neil D.; Zhao, Kui; McDowell, Caitlin; Burgers, Mark A.; Li, Ruipeng; Smilgies, Detlef M.; Stingelin, Natalie; Bazan, Guillermo C.; Amassian, Aram

2015-01-01

processing to promote crystallization, phase separation, and efficient light harvesting. A donor material (X2) that crystallizes directly from solution yields additive-free solar cells with an efficiency of 7.6%. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGa

Thermal stability of radiation-induced free radicals in γ-irradiated l-alanine single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maltar-Strmecki, N.; Rakvin, B.

2005-01-01

Decay of the radiation-induced stable free radicals in l-alanine single crystals and powders at the temperatures from 379 to 476K was examined by electron paramagnetic resonance. For single crystals, the calculated activation energy of the radical decay is 104.3±1.7kJ/mol (i.e. 12 538+/-202K) and the frequency factor lnν 0 is 24.1±0.4min -1 . The lifetime of the radical in single crystals at 296K is 162 years. The results confirm the long-term stability of the radicals, but the decay was found to be faster in large crystals than in powders

Applications of cell-free protein synthesis in synthetic biology: Interfacing bio-machinery with synthetic environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kyung-Ho; Kim, Dong-Myung

2013-11-01

Synthetic biology is built on the synthesis, engineering, and assembly of biological parts. Proteins are the first components considered for the construction of systems with designed biological functions because proteins carry out most of the biological functions and chemical reactions inside cells. Protein synthesis is considered to comprise the most basic levels of the hierarchical structure of synthetic biology. Cell-free protein synthesis has emerged as a powerful technology that can potentially transform the concept of bioprocesses. With the ability to harness the synthetic power of biology without many of the constraints of cell-based systems, cell-free protein synthesis enables the rapid creation of protein molecules from diverse sources of genetic information. Cell-free protein synthesis is virtually free from the intrinsic constraints of cell-based methods and offers greater flexibility in system design and manipulability of biological synthetic machinery. Among its potential applications, cell-free protein synthesis can be combined with various man-made devices for rapid functional analysis of genomic sequences. This review covers recent efforts to integrate cell-free protein synthesis with various reaction devices and analytical platforms. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Free-standing nanomechanical and nanophotonic structures in single-crystal diamond

Science.gov (United States)

Burek, Michael John

Realizing complex three-dimensional structures in a range of material systems is critical to a variety of emerging nanotechnologies. This is particularly true of nanomechanical and nanophotonic systems, both relying on free-standing small-scale components. In the case of nanomechanics, necessary mechanical degrees of freedom require physically isolated structures, such as suspended beams, cantilevers, and membranes. For nanophotonics, elements like waveguides and photonic crystal cavities rely on light confinement provided by total internal reflection or distributed Bragg reflection, both of which require refractive index contrast between the device and surrounding medium (often air). Such suspended nanostructures are typically fabricated in a heterolayer structure, comprising of device (top) and sacrificial (middle) layers supported by a substrate (bottom), using standard surface nanomachining techniques. A selective, isotropic etch is then used to remove the sacrificial layer, resulting in free-standing devices. While high-quality, crystalline, thin film heterolayer structures are readily available for silicon (as silicon-on-insulator (SOI)) or III-V semiconductors (i.e. GaAs/AlGaAs), there remains an extensive list of materials with attractive electro-optic, piezoelectric, quantum optical, and other properties for which high quality single-crystal thin film heterolayer structures are not available. These include complex metal oxides like lithium niobate (LiNbO3), silicon-based compounds such as silicon carbide (SiC), III-V nitrides including gallium nitride (GaN), and inert single-crystals such as diamond. Diamond is especially attractive for a variety of nanoscale technologies due to its exceptional physical and chemical properties, including high mechanical hardness, stiffness, and thermal conductivity. Optically, it is transparent over a wide wavelength range (from 220 nm to the far infrared), has a high refractive index (n ~ 2.4), and is host to a vast

Quantum self-controlling free-falling cats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chryssomalakos, C; Serrano-Ensástiga, E; Hernández-Coronado, H

2015-01-01

In the separation of rotations from internal motions in the n-body problem, there appear some gauge fields which physically represent Coriolis effects. These fields are also present in the “falling cat” problem: at the kinematical level they map changes in the cat's shape to changes in its orientation whereas at the dynamical level they show up as gauge potentials in the Hamiltonian. Classically, the vanishing angular momentum condition allows for the orientation degrees of freedom to decouple from the internal ones and the cat's re-orientation can be accounted for at the kinematical level, partially. In the quantum case the cat's reorientation description requires to be done on dynamical grounds. In this paper we explore the quantum version of the falling cat modelled as a three body problem. (paper)

Null result for violation of the equivalence principle with free-fall rotating gyroscopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, J.; Zhou, Z.B.; Nie, Y.X.; Zhang, Y.Z.

2002-01-01

The differential acceleration between a rotating mechanical gyroscope and a nonrotating one is directly measured by using a double free-fall interferometer, and no apparent differential acceleration has been observed at the relative level of 2x10 -6 . It means that the equivalence principle is still valid for rotating extended bodies, i.e., the spin-gravity interaction between the extended bodies has not been observed at this level. Also, to the limit of our experimental sensitivity, there is no observed asymmetrical effect or antigravity of the rotating gyroscopes as reported by Hayasaka et al

Ultrasensitive Sensing Material Based on Opal Photonic Crystal for Label-Free Monitoring of Transferrin.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Enqi; Peng, Yuan; Zhang, Xihao; Bai, Jialei; Song, Yanqiu; He, Houluo; Fan, Longxing; Qu, Xiaochen; Gao, Zhixian; Liu, Ying; Ning, Baoan

2017-02-22

A new opal photonic crystal (PC) sensing material, allowing label-free detection of transferrin (TRF), is proposed in the current study. This photonic crystal was prepared via a vertical convective self-assembly method with monodisperse microspheres polymerized by methyl methacrylate (MMA) and 3-acrylamidophenylboronic acid (AAPBA). FTIR, TG, and DLS were used to characterize the components and particle size of the monodisperse microspheres. SEM was used to observe the morphology of the PC. The diffraction peak intensity decreases as the TRF concentration increase. This was due to the combination of TRF to the boronic acid group of the photonic crystal. After condition optimization, a standard curve was obtained and the linear range of TRF concentration was from 2 × 10 -3 ng/mL to 200 ng/mL. Measurement of TRF concentration in simulated urine sample was also investigated using the sensing material. The results indicated that the PC provided a cheap, label-free, and easy-to-use alternative for TRF determination in clinical diagnostics.

Nonisothermal nematic liquid crystal flows with the Ball-Majumdar free energy

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Feireisl, Eduard; Schimperna, G.; Rocca, E.; Zarnescu, A.

2015-01-01

Roč. 194, č. 5 (2015), s. 1269-1299 ISSN 0373-3114 EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 320078 - MATHEF Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : nematic liquid crystal * Ball-Majumdar free theory * nonisothermal model * existence theorem Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.861, year: 2015 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10231-014-0419-1

Can pharmaceutical co-crystals provide an opportunity to modify the biological properties of drugs?

Science.gov (United States)

Dalpiaz, Alessandro; Pavan, Barbara; Ferretti, Valeria

2017-08-01

Poorly soluble and/or permeable molecules jeopardize the discovery and development of innovative medicines. Pharmaceutical co-crystals, formed by an active pharmaceutical substance (API) and a co-crystal former, can show enhanced dissolution and permeation values compared with those of the parent crystalline pure phases. It is currently assumed that co-crystallization with pharmaceutical excipients does not affect the pharmacological activity of an API or, indeed, might even improve physical properties such as solubility and permeability. However, as we highlight here, the biological behavior of co-crystals can differ drastically with respect to that of their parent physical mixtures. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Applications of Free Electron Lasers in Biology and Medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pelka, J.B.; Tybor, K.R.; Nietubyc, R.; Wrochna, G.

2010-01-01

The advent of free electron lasers opens up new opportunities to probe the dynamics of ultrafast processes and the structure of matter with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. New methods inaccessible with other known types of radiation sources can be developed, resulting in a breakthrough in deep understanding the fundamentals of life as well as in numerous medical and biological applications. In the present work the properties of free electron laser radiation that make the sources excellent for probing biological matter at an arbitrary wavelength, in a wide range of intensities and pulse durations are briefly discussed. A number of biophysical and biomedical applications of the new sources, currently considered among the most promising in the field, are presented. (author)

High-Q Defect-Free 2D Photonic Crystal Cavity from Random Localised Disorder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kelvin Chung

2014-07-01

Full Text Available We propose a high-Q photonic crystal cavity formed by introducing random disorder to the central region of an otherwise defect-free photonic crystal slab (PhC. Three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain simulations determine the frequency, quality factor, Q, and modal volume, V, of the localized modes formed by the disorder. Relatively large Purcell factors of 500–800 are calculated for these cavities, which can be achieved for a large range of degrees of disorders.

PEG-nanotube liquid crystals as templates for construction of surfactant-free gold nanorods.

Science.gov (United States)

Kameta, Naohiro; Shiroishi, Hidenobu

2018-04-23

Lyotropic liquid crystals, in which nanotubes coated with polyethylene glycol were aligned side-by-side in aqueous dispersions, acted as templates for the construction of surfactant-free gold nanorods with controllable diameters, functionalizable surfaces, and tunable optical properties.

Wide-field imaging of birefringent synovial fluid crystals using lens-free polarized microscopy for gout diagnosis

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yibo; Lee, Seung Yoon Celine; Zhang, Yun; Furst, Daniel; Fitzgerald, John; Ozcan, Aydogan

2016-06-01

Gout is a form of crystal arthropathy where monosodium urate (MSU) crystals deposit and elicit inflammation in a joint. Diagnosis of gout relies on identification of MSU crystals under a compensated polarized light microscope (CPLM) in synovial fluid aspirated from the patient’s joint. The detection of MSU crystals by optical microscopy is enhanced by their birefringent properties. However, CPLM partially suffers from the high-cost and bulkiness of conventional lens-based microscopy, and its relatively small field-of-view (FOV) limits the efficiency and accuracy of gout diagnosis. Here we present a lens-free polarized microscope which adopts a novel differential and angle-mismatched polarizing optical design achieving wide-field and high-resolution holographic imaging of birefringent objects with a color contrast similar to that of a standard CPLM. The performance of this computational polarization microscope is validated by imaging MSU crystals made from a gout patient’s tophus and steroid crystals used as negative control. This lens-free polarized microscope, with its wide FOV (>20 mm2), cost-effectiveness and field-portability, can significantly improve the efficiency and accuracy of gout diagnosis, reduce costs, and can be deployed even at the point-of-care and in resource-limited clinical settings.

Hemispherical Brillouin zone imaging of a diamond-type biological photonic crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Wilts, Bodo D.; Michielsen, Kristel; De Raedt, Hans; Stavenga, Doekele G.

2012-01-01

The brilliant structural body colours of many animals are created by three-dimensional biological photonic crystals that act as wavelength-specific reflectors. Here, we report a study on the vividly coloured scales of the diamond weevil, Entimus imperialis. Electron microscopy identified the chitin and air assemblies inside the scales as domains of a single-network diamond (Fd3m) photonic crystal. We visualized the topology of the first Brillouin zone (FBZ) by imaging scatterometry, and we reconstructed the complete photonic band structure diagram (PBSD) of the chitinous photonic crystal from reflectance spectra. Comparison with calculated PBSDs indeed showed a perfect overlap. The unique method of non-invasive hemispherical imaging of the FBZ provides key insights for the investigation of photonic crystals in the visible wavelength range. The characterized extremely large biophotonic nanostructures of E. imperialis are structurally optimized for high reflectance and may thus be well suited for use as a template for producing novel photonic devices, e.g. through biomimicry or direct infiltration from dielectric material. PMID:22188768

A vibration correction method for free-fall absolute gravimeters

Science.gov (United States)

Qian, J.; Wang, G.; Wu, K.; Wang, L. J.

2018-02-01

An accurate determination of gravitational acceleration, usually approximated as 9.8 m s-2, has been playing an important role in the areas of metrology, geophysics, and geodetics. Absolute gravimetry has been experiencing rapid developments in recent years. Most absolute gravimeters today employ a free-fall method to measure gravitational acceleration. Noise from ground vibration has become one of the most serious factors limiting measurement precision. Compared to vibration isolators, the vibration correction method is a simple and feasible way to reduce the influence of ground vibrations. A modified vibration correction method is proposed and demonstrated. A two-dimensional golden section search algorithm is used to search for the best parameters of the hypothetical transfer function. Experiments using a T-1 absolute gravimeter are performed. It is verified that for an identical group of drop data, the modified method proposed in this paper can achieve better correction effects with much less computation than previous methods. Compared to vibration isolators, the correction method applies to more hostile environments and even dynamic platforms, and is expected to be used in a wider range of applications.

A flow-free droplet-based device for high throughput polymorphic crystallization.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Shih-Mo; Zhang, Dapeng; Chen, Wang; Chen, Shih-Chi

2015-06-21

Crystallization is one of the most crucial steps in the process of pharmaceutical formulation. In recent years, emulsion-based platforms have been developed and broadly adopted to generate high quality products. However, these conventional approaches such as stirring are still limited in several aspects, e.g., unstable crystallization conditions and broad size distribution; besides, only simple crystal forms can be produced. In this paper, we present a new flow-free droplet-based formation process for producing highly controlled crystallization with two examples: (1) NaCl crystallization reveals the ability to package saturated solution into nanoliter droplets, and (2) glycine crystallization demonstrates the ability to produce polymorphic crystallization forms by controlling the droplet size and temperature. In our process, the saturated solution automatically fills the microwell array powered by degassed bulk PDMS. A critical oil covering step is then introduced to isolate the saturated solution and control the water dissolution rate. Utilizing surface tension, the solution is uniformly packaged in the form of thousands of isolating droplets at the bottom of each microwell of 50-300 μm diameter. After water dissolution, individual crystal structures are automatically formed inside the microwell array. This approach facilitates the study of different glycine growth processes: α-form generated inside the droplets and γ-form generated at the edge of the droplets. With precise temperature control over nanoliter-sized droplets, the growth of ellipsoidal crystalline agglomerates of glycine was achieved for the first time. Optical and SEM images illustrate that the ellipsoidal agglomerates consist of 2-5 μm glycine clusters with inner spiral structures of ~35 μm screw pitch. Lastly, the size distribution of spherical crystalline agglomerates (SAs) produced from microwells of different sizes was measured to have a coefficient variation (CV) of less than 5%, showing

Mechanical resistance of UO{sub 2} pellet by means of free-fall-impact testing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Tae-sik; Lee, Seung-jae; Kim, Jae-ik; Jo, Young-ho; Park, Bo-yong; Ko, Sang-ern [KEPCO NF, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-10-15

A fuel rod failed during a power transient can be seen in Fig 1. and conjunction of a chipped pellet with a cladding crack has been observed in commercial reactors through the post-irradiation examinations. It revealed that missing-pellet-surface(MPS) was one of the reasons of the fuel failure. The mechanism of this failure mode that MPS induces the asymmetry of the pellet-cladding mechanical system mainly comprises a stress concentration at the inner surface resulting in non-classical PCI. The fracture toughness is largely close to material property. It is assumed that by optimizing surface design of UO{sub 2} pellet, the strength arises because theoretical strength is considerably affected by geometry as one of a parameter of factor 'f'. Pellet research for design optimization to achieve better resistance to external load should be accompanied with volumetric approach to the improvement of mechanical behavior of pellet being still ongoing. At this work, the resistance to external load is analyzed varying with the geometry of pellets and angles of impact on UO{sub 2} pellet surface by the free-fall-impact test method. The tested specimens were equivalently produced and sintered for having the same volumetric property such as sinter density and grain size expect the surface with different geometry design at the end face and shoulder which includes dish, chamfer and land in dimension and angle. Missing-pellet-surface(MPS) on UO{sub 2} pellet is inevitable behavior during manufacturing, handling and burning in reactor and brings about non-classical PCI behavior that could damage fuel rod integrity. For this reason, the free-fall-drop tester was developed by KEPCO NF Material Development laboratory in Daejeon for quantitatively investigating the mechanical behavior of UO{sub 2}. The free-fall-impact test is performed by dropping hammer on pellet shoulder with certain impact energy and at various angles. The result is quantitatively measured with weighing

Abstracts of 2. symposium on free radicals in biology and medicine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1994-12-31

The abstracts presented in the booklet concern influence of free radicals (frequently generated by ionizing radiation) on DNA, proteins, lipids and chromatin of various living organisms. Works show, that free radicals cause serious damages in biological systems leading to carcinogenesis and many genetic diseases. Thus understanding of mechanisms of free radical action is important issue in medicine and life sciences.

Abstracts of 2. symposium on free radicals in biology and medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

The abstracts presented in the booklet concern influence of free radicals (frequently generated by ionizing radiation) on DNA, proteins, lipids and chromatin of various living organisms. Works show, that free radicals cause serious damages in biological systems leading to carcinogenesis and many genetic diseases. Thus understanding of mechanisms of free radical action is important issue in medicine and life sciences

Rayleigh oscillations localized near free surface of a fcc crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kosevich, A.M.; Matsokin, D.V.; Savotchenko, S.E.

1997-01-01

The waves, which are localized near the free (001) surface of a fcc crystal and propagate in the [110] direction, are described using the model of central interaction of the nearest neighbors. The frequencies of these waves come into the gaps within the frequency spectrum of bulk harmonic oscillations with a fixed wave vector k component along the surface. The long-wave limit and the case of wave vectors close to the Brillouin band boundary are studied analytically. These limit dependences are in agreement with other authors results which were obtained by numerical methods. Analytical calculations in the limit intervals of k are supplemented by numerical calculations for any values of the wave vector. It is essential that these waves have a displacement component which is perpendicular to the crystal surface and can, therefore, be studied by methods of He atoms inelastic scattering

Toward Additive-Free Small-Molecule Organic Solar Cells: Roles of the Donor Crystallization Pathway and Dynamics

KAUST Repository

Abdelsamie, Maged

2015-09-29

The ease with which small-molecule donors crystallize during solution processing is directly linked to the need for solvent additives. Donor molecules that get trapped in disordered (H1) or liquid crystalline (T1) mesophases require additive processing to promote crystallization, phase separation, and efficient light harvesting. A donor material (X2) that crystallizes directly from solution yields additive-free solar cells with an efficiency of 7.6%. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Study of the In2O3 molecule in the free state and in the crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplan, Ilya G.; Miranda, Ulises; Trakhtenberg, Leonid I.

2018-03-01

The nanomaterials based on the In2O3 molecule are widely used as catalysts and sensors among other applications. In the present study, we discuss the possibility of using nanoclusters of In2O3 as molecular photomotors. A comparative analysis of the electronic structure of the In2O3 molecule in the free state and in the crystal is performed. For the free In2O3 molecule the geometry of its lowest structures, V-shape and linear, was optimised at the CCSD(T) level, which is the most precise computational method applied up to date to study In2O3. Using experimental crystallographic data, we determined the geometry of In2O3 in the crystal. It has a zigzag, not symmetric structure and possesses a dipole moment with magnitude slightly smaller than that of the V-structure of the free molecule (the linear structure due to its symmetry has no dipole moment). According to the Natural Atomic population analysis, the chemical structure of the linear In2O3 can be represented as O = In-O-In = O; the V-shaped molecule has the similar double- and single-bond structure. The construction of nanoclusters from ´bricksʼ of In2O3 with geometry extracted from crystal (or nanoclusters extracted directly from crystal) and their use as photo-driven molecular motors are discussed.

The low thermal gradient CZ technique as a way of growing of dislocation-free germanium crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Moskovskih, V. A.; Kasimkin, P. V.; Shlegel, V. N.; Vasiliev, Y. V.; Gridchin, V. A.; Podkopaev, O. I.

2014-09-01

This paper considers the possibility of growth of dislocation-free germanium single crystals. This is achieved by reducing the temperature gradients at the level of 1 K/cm and lower. Single germanium crystals 45-48 mm in diameter with a dislocation density of 102 cm-2 were grown by a Low Thermal Gradient Czochralski technique (LTG CZ).

Constraints on the nature of inertial motion arising from the universality of free fall and the conformal causal structure of space-time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coleman, R.A.; Korte, H.

1984-01-01

According to the principle of the universality of free fall, the motions of all neutral monopole particles are governed by one common path structure. This principle does not, however, require the path structure to be geodesic; that is, the path structure need not be a projective structure. It is shown that any equation of motion structure (either a curve or a path structure) that has sufficient microisotropy to be compatible with the conformal causal structure of space-time must be geodesic and must be unique. Hence, the empirically well-supported principles of conformal causality and of the universality of free fall together require the existence of a unique Weyl structure on space-time

Analysis of co-crystallized free phytosterols with triacylglycerols as a functional food ingredient.

Science.gov (United States)

Acevedo, Nuria C; Franchetti, Danielle

2016-07-01

This research focuses on the analysis of mixtures of free phytosterols (FPSs) with fully hydrogenated soybean oil (FHSO):soybean oil (SO) mixtures as a potential zero-trans substitute for various types of shortenings. Oil binding capacity as well as the thermal, rheological and structural properties of FHSO:SO blends containing 0, 20 and 25wt.% β-sitosterol or stigmasterol were investigated in this study. Differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy and wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXRD) revealed that co-crystallization of FPSs with FHSO:SO blends occurred. Polymorphic forms were characterized as a mixture of β' and β for all samples. The addition of FPSs decreased oil loss (OL) of FHSO:SO samples. Melting profiles of the prepared FPS-TAG (triacylglycerol) blends were extended to higher temperatures compared to a commercial shortening. Rheological properties were comparable to those of commercial puff pastry shortening suggesting that FPS-TAG blends may be acceptable for bakery applications. FPSs co-crystallized with FHSO and SO may be a suitable trans-fat free substitute for a number of types of shortening, including puff pastry shortening. The manufacturing of co-crystallized /FPS-TAG matrices will possibly bring large economic benefits as their functionalization can potentially be achieved by using existing simple shear processing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Angle- and strain-independent coloured free-standing films incorporating non-spherical colloidal photonic crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeo, Seon Ju; Tu, Fuquan; Kim, Seung-hyun; Yi, Gi-Ra; Yoo, Pil J; Lee, Daeyeon

2015-02-28

Colloidal photonic crystals (CPCs) provide a convenient way to generate structural colour with high stability against degradation under environmental factors. For a number of applications including flexible electronic and energy devices, it is important to generate flexible structural colour that maintains its colour regardless of the angle of observation and the extent of mechanical deformation. However, it is challenging to simultaneously achieve these goals because anisotropy in typical CPC structures (e.g., CPC films) tends to lead to angle-dependent photonic properties and also changes in the lattice constant due to mechanical deformation lead to changes in the photonic properties of CPCs. To overcome these challenges, we present a means of fabricating large-area free-standing films of CPC structures that exhibit angle- and strain-independent photonic characteristics. First, monodisperse double emulsions encapsulating colloidal crystal arrays are prepared using a microfluidic device. By inducing crystallization of highly charged polystyrene particles in the core of double emulsions using osmotic annealing, we generate angle independent colloidal photonic crystal (CPC) supraparticles. Moreover, the shape and crystallinity of the CPC supraparticles can be tuned by changing the concentration of salt in the solution used for osmotic annealing. Subsequently, an array of CPC supraparticles is embedded inside an elastomeric matrix to form a flexible free-standing film, which exhibits structural colours that are independent of viewing angles and externally applied strain.

Disorder effects on free excitons in CdSsub(1-x)Sesub(x) mixed crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goede, O.; Hennig, D.; John, L.

1979-01-01

In CdSsub(1-x)Sesub(x) mixed crystals the energies and transition probability ratios for free A, B, and C excitons are obtained as a function of the composition x by reflection and emission measurements at 77 K. The observation of the disorder-allowed A(GAMMA 6 ) exciton transition, the bowing of the energy difference between A and C exciton, and the broadening of the exciton lines clearly demonstrate the importance of disorder effects in these mixed crystals. This conclusion is further supported by the stress-induced enhancement of the A(GAMMA 6 ) exciton transition probability by uniaxial stress parallel to the c-axis of the mixed crystals. The experimental results are discussed on the basis of an effective exciton Hamiltonian consisting of a quasi-cubic VCA-Hamiltonian for wurtzite-type mixed crystals and an additional lower-symmetric term which describes the disorder effects phenomenologically by two fluctuating crystal fields parallel and perpendicular to the c-axis, respectively. (author)

The Design of Ocean Turbulence Measurement with a Free Fall Vertical Profiler

Science.gov (United States)

Luan, Xin; Xin, Jia; Zhu, Tieyi; Yang, Hua; Teng, Yuru; Song, Dalei

2018-03-01

The newly designed instrument Free Fall Vertical Profiler (FFVP) developed by Ocean University of China (OUC) had been deployed in the Western Pacific in March 08, 2017 and succeed to collect turbulence signals about 350-m-deep water. According to the requirements of turbulence measurement, the mechanical design was developed for turbulence platform to achieve stability and good flow tracking. By analysing the Heading, Pitch and Roll, the results suggested that the platform satisfies the requirements of stability. The power spectrum of the cleaned shear signals using the noise correction algorithm match well with the theoretical Nasmyth spectrum and the rate of turbulence dissipation are approximately 10-8 W/kg. In general, the FFVP was rationally designed and provided a good measurement platform for turbulence observation.

Prospects for measuring the gravitational free-fall of antihydrogen with emulsion detectors

CERN Document Server

Aghion, S.; Amsler, C.; Ariga, A.; Ariga, T.; Belov, A.S.; Bonomi, G.; Bräunig, P.; Bremer, J.; Brusa, R.S.; Cabaret, L.; Canali, C.; Caravita, R.; Castelli, F.; Cerchiari, G.; Cialdi, S.; Comparat, D.; Consolati, G.; Derking, J.H.; Di Domizio, S.; Di Noto, L.; Doser, M.; Dudarev, A.; Ereditato, A.; Ferragut, R.; Fontana, A.; Genova, P.; Giammarchi, M.; Gligorova, A.; Gninenko, S.N.; Haider, S.; Harasimovicz, J.; Hogan, S.D.; Huse, T.; Jordan, E.; Jørgensen, L.V.; Kaltenbacher, T.; Kawada, J.; Kellerbauer, A.; Kimura, M.; Knecht, A.; Krasnický, D.; Lagomarsino, V.; Magnani, A.; Mariazzi, S.; Matveev, V.A.; Moia, F.; Nebbia, G.; Nédélec, P.; Oberthaler, M.K.; Pacifico, N.; Petráček, V.; Pistillo, C.; Prelz, F.; Prevedelli, M.; Regenfus, C.; Riccardi, C.; Røhne, O.; Rotondi, A.; Sandaker, H.; Scampoli, P.; Sosa, A.; Storey, J.; Subieta Vasquez, M.A.; Špaček, M.; Testera, G.; Trezzi, D.; Vaccarone, R.; Welsch, C.P.; Zavatarelli, S.

2013-01-01

The main goal of the AEgIS experiment at CERN is to test the weak equivalence principle for antimatter. AEgIS will measure the free-fall of an antihydrogen beam traversing a moir\\'e deflectometer. The goal is to determine the gravitational acceleration g for antihydrogen with an initial relative accuracy of 1% by using an emulsion detector combined with a silicon micro-strip detector to measure the time of flight. Nuclear emulsions can measure the annihilation vertex of antihydrogen atoms with a precision of about 1 - 2 microns r.m.s. We present here results for emulsion detectors operated in vacuum using low energy antiprotons from the CERN antiproton decelerator. We compare with Monte Carlo simulations, and discuss the impact on the AEgIS project.

The mean free path of mobile dislocations in ionic crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alsem, W.H.M.

1981-01-01

In this thesis results are presented of investigations on dislocation motion in deforming NaCl single crystals using the technique of pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance. In particular, the spin-locking pulse sequence is used to measure Tsub(lrho), which is the spin-lattice relaxation time in the presence of a resonant rf magnetic field. Tsub(lrho) depends strongly on the mean free path L, which is covered by the dislocations during successive jumps between obstacles in their glide plane. (Auth.)

Identification of the Spawning, Rearing, and Migratory Requirements of Fall Chinook Salmon in the Columbia River Basin, 1991 Annual Progress Report.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rondorf, Dennis W.; Miller, William H.

1993-07-01

This document is the 1991 annual progress report for selected studies of fall chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The decline in abundance of fall chinook salmon in the Snake River basin has become a growing concern. In April 1992, Snake River fall chinook salmon were listed as ``threatened`` under the Endangered Species Act. Effective recovery efforts for fall chinook salmon can not be developed until we increase our knowledge of the factors that are limiting the various life history stages. This study attempts to identify those physical and biological factors which influence spawning of fall chinook salmon in the free-flowing Snake River and their rearing and seaward migration through Columbia River basin reservoirs.

Do field-free electromagnetic potentials play a role in biology?

Science.gov (United States)

Szasz, A; Vincze, G; Andocs, G; Szasz, O

2009-01-01

All bio-systems are imperfect dielectrics. Their general properties however cannot be described by conventional simple electrodynamics; the system is more complex. A central question in our present paper is centered on a controversial debate of the possible effect of the zero fields (only potentials exist). We show that the identical use of the "field-free," "curl-free," and "force-free" terminologies is incorrect, there have definitely different meanings. It is shown that the effective electro-dynamical parameters that describe and modify living systems are the potentials and not the fields. We discuss how the potentials have a role in biological processes even in field-free cases.

Clinical and Community Strategies to Prevent Falls and Fall-Related Injuries Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor-Piliae, Ruth E; Peterson, Rachel; Mohler, Martha Jane

2017-09-01

Falls in older adults are the result of several risk factors across biological and behavioral aspects of the person, along with environmental factors. Falls can trigger a downward spiral in activities of daily living, independence, and overall health outcomes. Clinicians who care for older adults should screen them annually for falls. A multifactorial comprehensive clinical fall assessment coupled with tailored interventions can result in a dramatic public health impact, while improving older adult quality of life. For community-dwelling older adults, effective fall prevention has the potential to reduce serious fall-related injuries, emergency room visits, hospitalizations, institutionalization, and functional decline. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electrostatic Positioning System for a free fall test at drop tower Bremen and an overview of tests for the Weak Equivalence Principle in past, present and future

Science.gov (United States)

Sondag, Andrea; Dittus, Hansjörg

2016-08-01

The Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP) is at the basis of General Relativity - the best theory for gravitation today. It has been and still is tested with different methods and accuracies. In this paper an overview of tests of the Weak Equivalence Principle done in the past, developed in the present and planned for the future is given. The best result up to now is derived from the data of torsion balance experiments by Schlamminger et al. (2008). An intuitive test of the WEP consists of the comparison of the accelerations of two free falling test masses of different composition. This has been carried through by Kuroda & Mio (1989, 1990) with the up to date most precise result for this setup. There is still more potential in this method, especially with a longer free fall time and sensors with a higher resolution. Providing a free fall time of 4.74 s (9.3 s using the catapult) the drop tower of the Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM) at the University of Bremen is a perfect facility for further improvements. In 2001 a free fall experiment with high sensitive SQUID (Superconductive QUantum Interference Device) sensors tested the WEP with an accuracy of 10-7 (Nietzsche, 2001). For optimal conditions one could reach an accuracy of 10-13 with this setup (Vodel et al., 2001). A description of this experiment and its results is given in the next part of this paper. For the free fall of macroscopic test masses it is important to start with precisely defined starting conditions concerning the positions and velocities of the test masses. An Electrostatic Positioning System (EPS) has been developed to this purpose. It is described in the last part of this paper.

Free radicals in biology. Volume II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pryor, W.A.

1976-01-01

This volume continues the treatment of topics in free radical biology and free radical pathology from Volume I. In the first chapter, pyridinyl radicals, radicals which are models for those derived from NAD, are discussed. Pyridinyl radicals can be synthesized and isolated and directly studied in a number of chemical systems. The next chapter treats the role of glutathione in the cell. It is becoming even more apparent that this vital thiol controls a large number of important cellular functions. The GSH/GSSG balance has recently been implicated as a control for cellular development; this balance also may be important in relaying the effects of oxidants from one site to another in the body. The next chapter outlines the reactions of singlet oxygen; some of these involve free radicals and some do not. This reactive intermediate appears to be important both in photochemical smog and in cellular chemistry where singlet oxygen is produced by nonphotochemical processes. The production of free radicals from dry tissues, a controversial area with conflicting claims is reviewed. The next chapter outlines the current status of the studies of photochemical smog. The next two chapters treat specific reactive materials which are present in smog. The first discusses the chemistry of nitrogen oxides and ozone. The second chapter treats the chemistry of the peroxyacyl nitrites. These compounds, although present in only small concentration, are among the most toxic components of smog. The last two chapters treat radiation damage to proteins and radiation protection and radical reactions produced by radiation in nucleic acids

Amine free crystal structure: The crystal structure of d(CGCGCG)2 and methylamine complex crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohishi, Hirofumi; Tsukamoto, Koji; Hiyama, Yoichi; Maezaki, Naoyoshi; Tanaka, Tetsuaki; Ishida, Toshimasa

2006-01-01

We succeeded in the crystallization of d(CGCGCG) 2 and methylamine Complex. The crystal was clear and of sufficient size to collect the X-ray crystallographic data up to 1.0 A resolution using synchrotron radiation. As a result of X-ray crystallographic analysis of 2F o - F c map was much clear and easily traced. It is First time monoamine co-crystallizes with d(CGCGCG) 2 . However, methylamine was not found from the complex crystal of d(CGCGCG) 2 and methylamine. Five Mg ions were found around d(CGCGCG) 2 molecules. These Mg ions neutralized the anion of 10 values of the phosphate group of DNA with five Mg 2+ . DNA stabilized only by a metallic ion and there is no example of analyzing the X-ray crystal structure like this. Mg ion stabilizes the conformation of Z-DNA. To use monoamine for crystallization of DNA, we found that we can get only d(CGCGCG) 2 and Mg cation crystal. Only Mg cation can stabilize the conformation of Z-DNA. The method of using the monoamine for the crystallization of DNA can be applied to the crystallization of DNA of long chain of length in the future like this

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of peptide deformylase (PDF) from Bacillus cereus in ligand-free and actinonin-bound forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Joon Kyu; Moon, Jin Ho; Kim, Jae-Hong; Kim, Eunice EunKyeong

2004-01-01

Peptide deformylase (PDF) from B. cereus has been overexpressed, purified and crystallized in ligand-free and actinonin-bound forms. Diffraction data have been collected from these crystals to 1.7 and 2.0 Å resolution, respectively. In bacteria, protein expression initiates with an N-formyl group and this needs to be removed in order to ensure proper bacterial growth. These formylation and deformylation processes are unique to eubacteria; therefore, inhibition of these would provide a novel antibacterial therapy. Deformylation is carried out by peptide deformylase (PDF). PDF from Bacillus cereus, one of the major pathogenic bacteria, was cloned into expression plasmid pET-28a (Novagen), overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) and purified to high quality. Crystals have been obtained of both ligand-free PDF and PDF to which actinonin, a highly potent naturally occurring inhibitor, is bound. Both crystals belong to space group P2 1 2 1 2 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 42.72, b = 44.04, c = 85.19 Å and a = 41.31, b = 44.56, c = 84.47 Å, respectively. Diffraction data were collected to 1.7 Å resolution for the inhibitor-free crystals and to 2.0 Å resolution for the actinonin-bound crystals

Piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties of lead-free niobium-rich potassium lithium tantalate niobate single crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Jun, E-mail: lijuna@hit.edu.cn [Department of Physics, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Li, Yang [Department of chemistry, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Zhou, Zhongxiang [Department of Physics, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Guo, Ruyan; Bhalla, Amar S. [Multifunctional Electronic Materials and Device Research Lab, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio 78249 (United States)

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Lead-free K{sub 0.95}Li{sub 0.05}Ta{sub 1−x}Nb{sub x}O{sub 3} single crystals were grown using the top-seeded melt growth method. • The piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties of as-grown crystals were systematically investigated. • The piezoelectric properties are very attractive, e.g. for x = 0.60 composition, k{sub t} ≈ 70%, k{sub 31} ≈ 70%, k{sub 33} ≈ 77%, d{sub 31} ≈ 230 pC/N, d{sub 33} ≈ 600 pC/N. • The coercive fields of P–E hysteresis loops are quite small, about or less than 1 kV/mm. - Abstract: Lead-free potassium lithium tantalate niobate single crystals with the composition of K{sub 0.95}Li{sub 0.05}Ta{sub 1−x}Nb{sub x}O{sub 3} (abbreviated as KLTN, x = 0.51, 0.60, 0.69, 0.78) were grown using the top-seeded melt growth method. Their piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties in as-grown crystals have been systematically investigated. The phase transitions and Curie temperatures were determined from dielectric and pyroelectric measurements. Piezoelectric coefficients and electromechanical coupling factors in thickness mode, length-extensional mode and longitudinal mode were obtained. The piezoelectric properties are very attractive, e.g. for x = 0.60 composition, k{sub t} ≈ 70%, k{sub 31} ≈ 70%, k{sub 33} ≈ 77%, d{sub 31} ≈ 230 pC/N, d{sub 33} ≈ 600 pC/N are comparable to the lead-based PZT composition. The polarization versus electric field hysteresis loops show saturated shapes. In short, lead-free niobium-rich KLTN system possesses comparable properties to those in important lead-based piezoelectric material nowadays.

Heart rate response to a climber’s fall in sport climbing

OpenAIRE

Chaloupsky, David

2015-01-01

The research deals with response of heart rate to a climber’s simulated fall in a leading position when indoor climbing. Heart rate of climbers was recorded during ascents of an overhanging route in the leading position, to the given point high above the ground, followed by falling into the last protection. The length of the free fall was defined by the place of the last belay anchor, which was at the height of climber’s ankles. The length of the fall was about two meters of free fall plus th...

Near-field interferometry of a free-falling nanoparticle from a point-like source

Science.gov (United States)

Bateman, James; Nimmrichter, Stefan; Hornberger, Klaus; Ulbricht, Hendrik

2014-09-01

Matter-wave interferometry performed with massive objects elucidates their wave nature and thus tests the quantum superposition principle at large scales. Whereas standard quantum theory places no limit on particle size, alternative, yet untested theories—conceived to explain the apparent quantum to classical transition—forbid macroscopic superpositions. Here we propose an interferometer with a levitated, optically cooled and then free-falling silicon nanoparticle in the mass range of one million atomic mass units, delocalized over >150 nm. The scheme employs the near-field Talbot effect with a single standing-wave laser pulse as a phase grating. Our analysis, which accounts for all relevant sources of decoherence, indicates that this is a viable route towards macroscopic high-mass superpositions using available technology.

Fully automatic characterization and data collection from crystals of biological macromolecules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svensson, Olof; Malbet-Monaco, Stéphanie; Popov, Alexander; Nurizzo, Didier; Bowler, Matthew W.

2015-01-01

A fully automatic system has been developed that performs X-ray centring and characterization of, and data collection from, large numbers of cryocooled crystals without human intervention. Considerable effort is dedicated to evaluating macromolecular crystals at synchrotron sources, even for well established and robust systems. Much of this work is repetitive, and the time spent could be better invested in the interpretation of the results. In order to decrease the need for manual intervention in the most repetitive steps of structural biology projects, initial screening and data collection, a fully automatic system has been developed to mount, locate, centre to the optimal diffraction volume, characterize and, if possible, collect data from multiple cryocooled crystals. Using the capabilities of pixel-array detectors, the system is as fast as a human operator, taking an average of 6 min per sample depending on the sample size and the level of characterization required. Using a fast X-ray-based routine, samples are located and centred systematically at the position of highest diffraction signal and important parameters for sample characterization, such as flux, beam size and crystal volume, are automatically taken into account, ensuring the calculation of optimal data-collection strategies. The system is now in operation at the new ESRF beamline MASSIF-1 and has been used by both industrial and academic users for many different sample types, including crystals of less than 20 µm in the smallest dimension. To date, over 8000 samples have been evaluated on MASSIF-1 without any human intervention

Fully automatic characterization and data collection from crystals of biological macromolecules

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Svensson, Olof; Malbet-Monaco, Stéphanie; Popov, Alexander; Nurizzo, Didier, E-mail: nurizzo@esrf.fr [European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS 40220, 38043 Grenoble (France); Bowler, Matthew W., E-mail: nurizzo@esrf.fr [European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Grenoble Outstation, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS 90181, 38042 Grenoble (France); Université Grenoble Alpes–EMBL–CNRS, Grenoble Outstation, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS 90181, 38042 Grenoble (France); European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS 40220, 38043 Grenoble (France)

2015-07-31

A fully automatic system has been developed that performs X-ray centring and characterization of, and data collection from, large numbers of cryocooled crystals without human intervention. Considerable effort is dedicated to evaluating macromolecular crystals at synchrotron sources, even for well established and robust systems. Much of this work is repetitive, and the time spent could be better invested in the interpretation of the results. In order to decrease the need for manual intervention in the most repetitive steps of structural biology projects, initial screening and data collection, a fully automatic system has been developed to mount, locate, centre to the optimal diffraction volume, characterize and, if possible, collect data from multiple cryocooled crystals. Using the capabilities of pixel-array detectors, the system is as fast as a human operator, taking an average of 6 min per sample depending on the sample size and the level of characterization required. Using a fast X-ray-based routine, samples are located and centred systematically at the position of highest diffraction signal and important parameters for sample characterization, such as flux, beam size and crystal volume, are automatically taken into account, ensuring the calculation of optimal data-collection strategies. The system is now in operation at the new ESRF beamline MASSIF-1 and has been used by both industrial and academic users for many different sample types, including crystals of less than 20 µm in the smallest dimension. To date, over 8000 samples have been evaluated on MASSIF-1 without any human intervention.

Fully automatic characterization and data collection from crystals of biological macromolecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Svensson, Olof; Malbet-Monaco, Stéphanie; Popov, Alexander; Nurizzo, Didier; Bowler, Matthew W

2015-08-01

Considerable effort is dedicated to evaluating macromolecular crystals at synchrotron sources, even for well established and robust systems. Much of this work is repetitive, and the time spent could be better invested in the interpretation of the results. In order to decrease the need for manual intervention in the most repetitive steps of structural biology projects, initial screening and data collection, a fully automatic system has been developed to mount, locate, centre to the optimal diffraction volume, characterize and, if possible, collect data from multiple cryocooled crystals. Using the capabilities of pixel-array detectors, the system is as fast as a human operator, taking an average of 6 min per sample depending on the sample size and the level of characterization required. Using a fast X-ray-based routine, samples are located and centred systematically at the position of highest diffraction signal and important parameters for sample characterization, such as flux, beam size and crystal volume, are automatically taken into account, ensuring the calculation of optimal data-collection strategies. The system is now in operation at the new ESRF beamline MASSIF-1 and has been used by both industrial and academic users for many different sample types, including crystals of less than 20 µm in the smallest dimension. To date, over 8000 samples have been evaluated on MASSIF-1 without any human intervention.

Fabrication of cryogenic inertial-confinement-fusion targets using target free-fall technique. Report No. 2-82

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, K.; Murphy, M.J.

1982-04-01

Techniques for fabricating cryogenic inertial confinement fusion targets (i.e., spherical shells containing a uniform layer of DT ice) are investigated using target free-fall concept. Detection and characterization of the moving targets are effected by optoelectronic means, of which the principal is an RF ac-interferometer. This interferometer system demonstrates, for the first time, the speed capabilities of the phase-modulation ac-interferometry. New techiques developed for handling, holding, launching, and transporting targets are also described. Results obtained at both room and cryogenic temperatures are presented

Advances in Structural Biology and the Application to Biological Filament Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Popp, David; Koh, Fujiet; Scipion, Clement P M; Ghoshdastider, Umesh; Narita, Akihiro; Holmes, Kenneth C; Robinson, Robert C

2018-04-01

Structural biology has experienced several transformative technological advances in recent years. These include: development of extremely bright X-ray sources (microfocus synchrotron beamlines and free electron lasers) and the use of electrons to extend protein crystallography to ever decreasing crystal sizes; and an increase in the resolution attainable by cryo-electron microscopy. Here we discuss the use of these techniques in general terms and highlight their application for biological filament systems, an area that is severely underrepresented in atomic resolution structures. We assemble a model of a capped tropomyosin-actin minifilament to demonstrate the utility of combining structures determined by different techniques. Finally, we survey the methods that attempt to transform high resolution structural biology into more physiological environments, such as the cell. Together these techniques promise a compelling decade for structural biology and, more importantly, they will provide exciting discoveries in understanding the designs and purposes of biological machines. © 2018 The Authors. BioEssays Published by WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

Testosterone, free testosterone, and free androgen index in women: Reference intervals, biological variation, and diagnostic value in polycystic ovary syndrome

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bui, H.N.; Sluss, P.M.; Hayes, F.J.; Blincko, S.; Knol, D.L.; Blankenstein, M.A.; Heijboer, A.C.

2015-01-01

Objective: The objective of our study was to determine reference intervals and biologic variation for testosterone (T), free testosterone (fT), and free androgen index (FAI) in women with accurate methods and to test the discriminative value of these parameters in a polycystic ovary syndrome

Determination of the rate of crystal growth from the gas phase under conditions of turbulent free convection

Science.gov (United States)

Alad'Ev, S. I.

1987-04-01

Crystal growth in vertical and horizontal cylindrical vials, with the substrate and the source serving as the vial ends, is investigated analytically, assuming that the medium consists of a binary mixture of an active and an inert gas. The active gas is made up of the gaseous products of reactions taking place at the substrate and at the source. It is shown that turbulent free convection leads to an increase in crystal growth rate. All other conditions being equal, crystal growth in vertical vials is greater than that in horizontal ones; in both cases crystal growth rate increases with the vial radius, temperature gradient in the gas phase, and gas phase density. The results are compared with experimental data on the growth of Ge crystals in the Ge-GeI4 system.

Surface defect free growth of a spin dimer TlCuCl{sub 3} compound crystals and investigations on its optical and magnetic properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ryu, Gihun, E-mail: G.Ryu@fkf.mpg.de [Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Heisenbergstraße 1, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany); Son, Kwanghyo [Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstraße 3, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany)

2016-05-15

A defect-free high quality single crystal of spin dimer TlCuCl{sub 3} compound is firstly synthesized at the optimal growth temperature using the vertical Bridgman method. In this study, we clearly found that the cupric chloride is easily decomposed into the Cl{sup −} deficient composition at ≥470 °C. The Cl{sup −}- related gas phase at the high temperature region also always gives rise to a pinhole-like surface defect at the surface of crystal. Therefore, we clearly verified an exotic anisotropic magnetic behavior (anisotropic ratio of M{sub b}/M{sub (201)} at 2 K, 7 T=10) using the defect-free TlCuCl{sub 3} crystals in this three-dimensional spin dimer TlCuCl{sub 3} compound, relatively stronger magnetic ordering in the H//b than that of H//(201) direction at above the transition magnetic field. - Graphical abstract: A single crystal of spin dimer TlCuCl{sub 3} compound with a defect free is successfully synthesized on the basis of TG/DTA result. We newly found that this cupric chloride compound is easily decomposed into the Cl{sup −} deficient composition at ≥470 °C and Cl{sup −} related gas phases also give rise to the defects like a pinhole on the surface of TlCuCl{sub 3} crystal. Using the crystals with a surface defect free, we also clearly verified the crystal structure of spin dimer TlCuCl{sub 3} compound.

Cell-free protein synthesis enabled rapid prototyping for metabolic engineering and synthetic biology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lihong Jiang

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Advances in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology have facilitated the manufacturing of many valuable-added compounds and commodity chemicals using microbial cell factories in the past decade. However, due to complexity of cellular metabolism, the optimization of metabolic pathways for maximal production represents a grand challenge and an unavoidable barrier for metabolic engineering. Recently, cell-free protein synthesis system (CFPS has been emerging as an enabling alternative to address challenges in biomanufacturing. This review summarizes the recent progresses of CFPS in rapid prototyping of biosynthetic pathways and genetic circuits (biosensors to speed up design-build-test (DBT cycles of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology. Keywords: Cell-free protein synthesis, Metabolic pathway optimization, Genetic circuits, Metabolic engineering, Synthetic biology

Insertion of liquid crystal molecules into hydrocarbon monolayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Popov, Piotr, E-mail: ppopov@kent.edu; Mann, Elizabeth K. [Department of Physics, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242 (United States); Lacks, Daniel J. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 (United States); Jákli, Antal [Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242-0001 (United States)

2014-08-07

Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations were carried out to investigate the molecular mechanisms of vertical surface alignment of liquid crystals. We study the insertion of nCB (4-Cyano-4{sup ′}-n-biphenyl) molecules with n = 0,…,6 into a bent-core liquid crystal monolayer that was recently found to provide good vertical alignment for liquid crystals. The results suggest a complex-free energy landscape for the liquid crystal within the layer. The preferred insertion direction of the nCB molecules (core or tail first) varies with n, which can be explained by entropic considerations. The role of the dipole moments was found to be negligible. As vertical alignment is the leading form of present day liquid crystal displays (LCD), these results will help guide improvement of the LCD technology, as well as lend insight into the more general problem of insertion of biological and other molecules into lipid and surfactant layers.

Synthetic Biology Outside the Cell: Linking Computational Tools to Cell-Free Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, Daniel D.; Villarreal, Fernando D.; Wu, Fan; Tan, Cheemeng

2014-01-01

As mathematical models become more commonly integrated into the study of biology, a common language for describing biological processes is manifesting. Many tools have emerged for the simulation of in vivo synthetic biological systems, with only a few examples of prominent work done on predicting the dynamics of cell-free synthetic systems. At the same time, experimental biologists have begun to study dynamics of in vitro systems encapsulated by amphiphilic molecules, opening the door for the development of a new generation of biomimetic systems. In this review, we explore both in vivo and in vitro models of biochemical networks with a special focus on tools that could be applied to the construction of cell-free expression systems. We believe that quantitative studies of complex cellular mechanisms and pathways in synthetic systems can yield important insights into what makes cells different from conventional chemical systems.

Synthetic Biology Outside the Cell: Linking Computational Tools to Cell-Free Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lewis, Daniel D. [Integrative Genetics and Genomics, University of California Davis, Davis, CA (United States); Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Davis, Davis, CA (United States); Villarreal, Fernando D.; Wu, Fan; Tan, Cheemeng, E-mail: cmtan@ucdavis.edu [Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Davis, Davis, CA (United States)

2014-12-09

As mathematical models become more commonly integrated into the study of biology, a common language for describing biological processes is manifesting. Many tools have emerged for the simulation of in vivo synthetic biological systems, with only a few examples of prominent work done on predicting the dynamics of cell-free synthetic systems. At the same time, experimental biologists have begun to study dynamics of in vitro systems encapsulated by amphiphilic molecules, opening the door for the development of a new generation of biomimetic systems. In this review, we explore both in vivo and in vitro models of biochemical networks with a special focus on tools that could be applied to the construction of cell-free expression systems. We believe that quantitative studies of complex cellular mechanisms and pathways in synthetic systems can yield important insights into what makes cells different from conventional chemical systems.

Single crystal growth, characterization and high-pressure Raman spectroscopy of impurity-free magnesite (MgCO3)

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Wen; Li, Zeming; Yin, Yuan; Li, Rui; Chen, Lin; He, Yu; Dong, Haini; Dai, Lidong; Li, Heping

2018-05-01

The understanding of the physical and chemical properties of magnesite (MgCO3) under deep-mantle conditions is highly important to capture the essence of deep-carbon storage in Earth's interior. To develop standard rating scales, the impurity-free magnesite single crystal, paying particular attention to the case of avoiding adverse impacts of Ca2+, Fe2+, and Mn2+ impurities in natural magnesite, is undoubtedly necessary for all research of magnesite, including crystalline structural phase transitions, anisotropic elasticity and conductivity, and equation of state (EoS). Thus, a high-quality single crystal of impurity-free magnesite was grown successfully for the first time using the self-flux method under high pressure-temperature conditions. The size of the magnesite single crystal, observed in a plane-polarized microscope, exceeds 200 μm, and the crystal exhibits a rhombohedral structure to cleave along the (101) plane. In addition, its composition of Mg0.999 ± 0.001CO3 was quantified through electron probing analysis. The structural property was investigated by means of single crystal X-ray diffraction and the unit cell dimensions obtained in the rhombohedral symmetry of the R\\bar {3}c space group are a = 4.6255 (3) and c = 14.987 (2), and the final R = 0.0243 for 718 reflections. High-pressure Raman spectroscopy of the magnesite single crystal was performed up to 27 GPa at ambient temperature. All Raman active bands, ν i, without any splitting increased almost linearly with increasing pressure. In combination with the high-pressure Raman results {{d/ν _i}}{{{d}P}} and the bulk modulus K T (103 GPa) reported from magnesite EoS studies, the mode Grüneisen parameters (1.49, 1.40, 0.26, and 0.27) of each vibration ( T, L, ν 4, and ν 1) were calculated.

ESR-ENDOR study of x-irradiated single crystals of α.D.glucopyranose and α-methyl.D.glucopyranoside; environmental effects upon radiation and free radical chemistry in carbohydrate model systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madden, K.P.

1980-01-01

Single crystals of x-irradiated α-D-glucopyranose (αGlu) and α-methyl-D-glucopyranoside (αMeGlu) were studied using electron spin resonance and electron nuclear double resonance spectroscopy, to determine products and reaction mechanisms in carbohydrate radiation and free-radical chemistry. Four free-radical products were identified in αMeGlu single crystals irradiated and studied at 77K. Irradiation and observation at 12K produced yet another species. Four free radicals were identified in αGlu single crystals irradiated and observed at 12K and 77K. Free radical reaction in αGlu and αMeGlu were induced by slowly warming crystals irradiated at 77K until conversion occurred. Environmental influences upon these free-radical reaction mechanisms are discussed. The results from previous work on irradiated aqueous glasses of αGlu is briefly reviewed, and compared to those obtained from the single crystal system

[Assessment and training of strength and balance for fall prevention in the elderly: recommendations of an interdisciplinary expert panel].

Science.gov (United States)

Granacher, U; Muehlbauer, T; Gschwind, Y J; Pfenninger, B; Kressig, R W

2014-08-01

The proportion of elderly people in societies of western industrialized countries is continuously rising. Biologic aging induces deficits in balance and muscle strength/power in old age, which is responsible for an increased prevalence of falls. Therefore, nationwide and easy-to-administer fall prevention programs have to be developed in order to contribute to the autonomy and quality of life in old age and to help reduce the financial burden on the public health care system due to the treatment of fall-related injuries. This narrative (qualitative) literature review deals with a) the reasons for an increased prevalence of falls in old age, b) important clinical tests for fall-risk assessment, and c) evidence-based intervention/training programs for fall prevention in old age. The findings of this literature review are based on a cost-free practice guide that is available to the public (via the internet) and that was created by an expert panel (i.e., geriatricians, exercise scientists, physiotherapists, geriatric therapists). The present review provides the scientific foundation of the practice guide.

Isotope-selective high-order interferometry with large organic molecules in free fall

Science.gov (United States)

Rodewald, Jonas; Dörre, Nadine; Grimaldi, Andrea; Geyer, Philipp; Felix, Lukas; Mayor, Marcel; Shayeghi, Armin; Arndt, Markus

2018-03-01

Interferometry in the time domain has proven valuable for matter-wave based measurements. This concept has recently been generalized to cold molecular clusters using short-pulse standing light waves which realized photo-depletion gratings, arranged in a time-domain Talbot–Lau interferometer (OTIMA). Here we extend this idea further to large organic molecules and demonstrate a new scheme to scan the emerging molecular interferogram in position space. The capability of analyzing different isotopes of the same monomer under identical conditions opens perspectives for studying the interference fringe shift as a function of time in gravitational free fall. The universality of OTIMA interferometry allows one to handle a large variety of particles. In our present work, quasi-continuous laser evaporation allows transferring fragile organic molecules into the gas phase, covering more than an order of magnitude in mass between 614 amu and 6509 amu, i.e. 300% more massive than in previous OTIMA experiments. For all masses, we find about 30% fringe visibility.

Experimental evaluation of the drag coefficient for smooth spheres by free fall experiments in old mines

Science.gov (United States)

Maroto, J. A.; Dueñas-Molina, J.; de Dios, J.

2005-05-01

Mines of Linares, Jaén, Spain, have been exploited from the age of the Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Romans. These silver and lead mines reached their maximum splendour at the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century. Nevertheless, all the mining works finished in the 1970s and the diverse machinery was sold. Only the shafts remain since then which has now permitted carrying out interesting free fall experiments using smooth spheres of both cork and cast iron. The experiments were facilitated by the fact that the tubular shape of the shafts provides excellent transmission of sound, which made feasible the recording of the impact sound of the spheres with water at the bottom of the shafts at distances of up to 200 m. By using these experimental data, we have carried out an evaluation of the drag coefficient for the movement of smooth spheres through the air in the laminar regime with Reynolds number in the interval 103 to 2 × 105. This evaluation was in excellent agreement with the literature data. From the theoretical point of view, the analysis of the free fall movement includes a variety of concepts such as Newton's second law, the drag force, Archimedes principle and the velocity of sound, which makes these experiments very attractive for both physics teachers and physics students at university level. Finally, an easy experiment is proposed in this paper which has permitted an approximate evaluation of the drag coefficient for smooth spheres to be carried out in a laboratory environment.

X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy analyses on the crystallinity of engineered biological hydroxyapatite for medical application

Science.gov (United States)

Poralan, G. M., Jr.; Gambe, J. E.; Alcantara, E. M.; Vequizo, R. M.

2015-06-01

Biological hydroxyapatite (BHAp) derived from thermally-treated fish bones was successfully produced. However, the obtained biological HAp was amorphous and thus making it unfavorable for medical application. Consequently, this research exploits and engineers the crystallinity of BHAp powders by addition of CaCO3 and investigates its degree of crystallinity using XRD and IR spectroscopy. On XRD, the HAp powders with [Ca]/[P] ratios 1.42, 1.46, 1.61 and 1.93 have degree of crystallinity equal to 58.08, 72.13, 85.79, 75.85% and crystal size equal to 0.67, 0.74, 0.75, 0.72 nm, respectively. The degree of crystallinity and crystal size of the obtained calcium deficient biological HAp powders increase as their [Ca]/[P] ratio approaches the stoichiometric ratio by addition of CaCO3 as source of Ca2+ ions. These results show the possibility of engineering the crystallinity and crystal size of biological HAp by addition of CaCO3. Moreover, the splitting factor of PO4 vibration matches the result with % crystallinity on XRD. Also, the area of phosphate-substitution site of PO4 vibration shows linear relationship (R2 = 0.994) with crystal size calculated from XRD. It is worth noting that the crystallinity of the biological HAp with [Ca]/[P] ratios 1.42 and 1.48 fall near the range 60-70% for highly resorbable HAp used in the medical application.

Measuring fN force variations in the presence of constant nN forces: a torsion pendulum ground test of the LISA Pathfinder free-fall mode

Science.gov (United States)

Russano, G.; Cavalleri, A.; Cesarini, A.; Dolesi, R.; Ferroni, V.; Gibert, F.; Giusteri, R.; Hueller, M.; Liu, L.; Pivato, P.; Tu, H. B.; Vetrugno, D.; Vitale, S.; Weber, W. J.

2018-02-01

LISA Pathfinder is a differential accelerometer with the main goal being to demonstrate the near perfect free-fall of reference test masses, as is needed for an orbiting gravitational wave observatory, with a target sensitivity of 30 fm s‑2 Hz-1/2 at 1 mHz. Any lasting background differential acceleration between the two test masses must be actively compensated, and noise associated with the applied actuation force can be a dominant source of noise. To remove this actuation, and the associated force noise, a ‘free-fall’ actuation control scheme has been designed; actuation is limited to brief impulses, with both test masses in free-fall in the time between the impulses, allowing measurement of the remaining acceleration noise sources. In this work, we present an on-ground torsion pendulum testing campaign of this technique and associated data analysis algorithms at a level nearing the sub-femto-g/\\sqrtHz performance required for LISA Pathfinder.

Lab-on-a-chip for label free biological semiconductor analysis of Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yang, Minghui; Sun, Steven; Bruck, Hugh Alan; Kostov, Yordan; Rasooly, Avraham

2010-01-01

We describe a new lab-on-a-chip (LOC) which utilizes a biological semiconductor (BSC) transducer for label free analysis of Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B (SEB) (or other biological interactions) directly and electronically. BSCs are new transducers based on electrical percolation through a

What Are Ways to Prevent Falls and Related Fractures?

Science.gov (United States)

... risk of falling. Some tips to help prevent falls outdoors are: Use a cane or walker Wear rubber-soled shoes so you don’t slip Walk on grass when sidewalks are slick Put salt or kitty litter on icy sidewalks. Some ways to help prevent falls indoors are: Keep rooms free of clutter, especially ...

Numerical Simulation of Flows about a Stationary and a Free-Falling Cylinder Using Immersed Boundary-Finite Difference Lattice Boltzmann Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Rojas

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The applicability of the immersed boundary-finite difference lattice Boltzmann method (IB-FDLBM to high Reynolds number flows about a circular cylinder is examined. Two-dimensional simulations of flows past a stationary circular cylinder are carried out for a wide range of the Reynolds number, Re, i.e., 1 ≤ Re ≤ 1×105. An immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method (IB-LBM is also used for comparison. Then free-falling circular cylinders are simulated to demonstrate the feasibility of predicting moving particles at high Reynolds numbers. The main conclusions obtained are as follows: (1 steady and unsteady flows about a stationary cylinder are well predicted with IB-LBM and IB-FDLBM, provided that the spatial resolution is high enough to satisfy the conditions of numerical stability, (2 high spatial resolution is required for stable IB-LBM simulation of high Reynolds number flows, (3 IB-FDLBM can stably simulate flows at very high Reynolds numbers without increasing the spatial resolution, (4 IB-FDLBM gives reasonable predictions of the drag coefficient for 1 ≤ Re ≤ 1×105, and (5 IB-FDLBM gives accurate predictions for the motion of free-falling cylinders at intermediate Reynolds numbers.

Damage-free vibrational spectroscopy of biological materials in the electron microscope.

Science.gov (United States)

Rez, Peter; Aoki, Toshihiro; March, Katia; Gur, Dvir; Krivanek, Ondrej L; Dellby, Niklas; Lovejoy, Tracy C; Wolf, Sharon G; Cohen, Hagai

2016-03-10

Vibrational spectroscopy in the electron microscope would be transformative in the study of biological samples, provided that radiation damage could be prevented. However, electron beams typically create high-energy excitations that severely accelerate sample degradation. Here this major difficulty is overcome using an 'aloof' electron beam, positioned tens of nanometres away from the sample: high-energy excitations are suppressed, while vibrational modes of energies electron energy loss spectra from biogenic guanine crystals in their native state, resolving their characteristic C-H, N-H and C=O vibrational signatures with no observable radiation damage. The technique opens up the possibility of non-damaging compositional analyses of organic functional groups, including non-crystalline biological materials, at a spatial resolution of ∼10 nm, simultaneously combined with imaging in the electron microscope.

Strong and anisotropic magnetoelectricity in composites of magnetostrictive Ni and solid-state grown lead-free piezoelectric BZT–BCT single crystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haribabu Palneedi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Aimed at developing lead-free magnetoelectric (ME composites with performances as good as lead (Pb-based ones, this study employed (001 and (011 oriented 82BaTiO3-10BaZrO3-8CaTiO3 (BZT–BCT piezoelectric single crystals, fabricated by the cost-effective solid-state single crystal growth (SSCG method, in combination with inexpensive, magnetostrictive base metal Nickel (Ni. The off-resonance, direct ME coupling in the prepared Ni/BZT–BCT/Ni laminate composites was found to be strongly dependent on the crystallographic orientation of the BZT–BCT single crystals, as well as the applied magnetic field direction. Larger and anisotropic ME voltage coefficients were observed for the composite made using the (011 oriented BZT–BCT single crystal. The optimized ME coupling of 1 V/cm Oe was obtained from the Ni/(011 BZT–BCT single crystal/Ni composite, in the d32 mode of the single crystal, when a magnetic field was applied along its [100] direction. This performance is similar to that reported for the Ni/Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3O3-Pb(Zr,TiO3 (PMN–PZT single crystal/Ni, but larger than that obtained from the Ni/Pb(Zr,TiO3 ceramic/Ni composites. The results of this work demonstrate that the use of lead-free piezoelectric single crystals with special orientations permits the selection of desired anisotropic properties, enabling the realization of customized ME effects in composites.

Conductivity equations of protons transporting through 2D crystals obtained with the rate process theory and free volume concept

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Tian; Xu, Yuanze; Hao, Ting

2018-04-01

The Eyring's rate process theory and free volume concept are employed to treat protons (or other particles) transporting through a 2D (two dimensional) crystal like graphene and hexagonal boron nitride. The protons are assumed to be activated first in order to participate conduction and the conduction rate is dependent on how much free volume available in the system. The obtained proton conductivity equations show that only the number of conduction protons, proton size and packing structure, and the energy barrier associated with 2D crystals are critical; the quantization conductance is unexpectedly predicted with a simple Arrhenius type temperature dependence. The predictions agree well with experimental observations and clear out many puzzles like much smaller energy barrier determined from experiments than from the density function calculations and isotope separation rate independent of the energy barrier of 2D crystals, etc. Our work may deepen our understandings on how protons transport through a membrane and has direct implications on hydrogen related technology and proton involved bioprocesses.

Hybrid inorganic/organic photonic crystal biochips for cancer biomarkers detection

Science.gov (United States)

Sinibaldi, Alberto; Danz, Norbert; Munzert, Peter; Michelotti, Francesco

2018-06-01

We report on hybrid inorganic/organic one-dimensional photonic crystal biochips sustaining Bloch surface waves. The biochips were used, together with an optical platform operating in a label-free and fluorescence configuration simultaneously, to detect the cancer biomarker Angiopoietin 2 in a protein base buffer. The hybrid photonic crystals embed in their geometry a thin functionalization poly-acrylic acid layer deposited by plasma polymerization, which is used to immobilize a monoclonal antibody for highly specific biological recognition. The fluorescence operation mode is described in detail, putting into evidence the role of field enhancement and localization at the photonic crystal surface in the shaping and intensification of the angular fluorescence pattern. In the fluorescence operation mode, the hybrid biochips can attain the limit of detection 6 ng/ml.

Carbon nanostructure-based field-effect transistors for label-free chemical/biological sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, PingAn; Zhang, Jia; Li, Le; Wang, Zhenlong; O'Neill, William; Estrela, Pedro

2010-01-01

Over the past decade, electrical detection of chemical and biological species using novel nanostructure-based devices has attracted significant attention for chemical, genomics, biomedical diagnostics, and drug discovery applications. The use of nanostructured devices in chemical/biological sensors in place of conventional sensing technologies has advantages of high sensitivity, low decreased energy consumption and potentially highly miniaturized integration. Owing to their particular structure, excellent electrical properties and high chemical stability, carbon nanotube and graphene based electrical devices have been widely developed for high performance label-free chemical/biological sensors. Here, we review the latest developments of carbon nanostructure-based transistor sensors in ultrasensitive detection of chemical/biological entities, such as poisonous gases, nucleic acids, proteins and cells.

Probing the biology of cell boundary conditions through confinement of Xenopus cell-free cytoplasmic extracts.

Science.gov (United States)

Bermudez, Jessica G; Chen, Hui; Einstein, Lily C; Good, Matthew C

2017-01-01

Cell-free cytoplasmic extracts prepared from Xenopus eggs and embryos have for decades provided a biochemical system with which to interrogate complex cell biological processes in vitro. Recently, the application of microfabrication and microfluidic strategies in biology has narrowed the gap between in vitro and in vivo studies by enabling formation of cell-size compartments containing functional cytoplasm. These approaches provide numerous advantages over traditional biochemical experiments performed in a test tube. Most notably, the cell-free cytoplasm is confined using a two- or three-dimensional boundary, which mimics the natural configuration of a cell. This strategy enables characterization of the spatial organization of a cell, and the role that boundaries play in regulating intracellular assembly and function. In this review, we describe the marriage of Xenopus cell-free cytoplasm and confinement technologies to generate synthetic cell-like systems, the recent biological insights they have enabled, and the promise they hold for future scientific discovery. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Identification of the Spawning, Rearing, and Migratory Requirements of Fall Chinook Salmon in the Columbia River Basin, Annual Report 1993.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rondorf, Dennis W.; Tiffan, Kenneth F.

1994-12-01

Recovery efforts for the endangered fall chinook salmon necessitates knowledge of the factors limiting the various life history stages. This study attempts to identify those physical and biological factors which affect spawning of the fish in the free-flowing Snake River and their rearing seward migration through Columbia River basin reservoirs. The spawning was generally a November event in 1993, with some activity in late Oct. and early Dec. Spawning habitat availability was assessed by applying hydraulic and habitat models to known fall chinook salmon spawning sites. Juveniles were seined and PIT tagged in the free-flowing Snake River, and in the Columbia River in he Hanford Reach and in McNary Reservoir. Subyearling fish were marked at McNary Dam to relate river flow and migration patterns of juveniles to adult returns. Hydroacoustic surveys were conducted on McNary and John Day reservoirs and in net pens.

Transport mean free path in K5Bi1-xNdx(MoO4)4 laser crystal powders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Illarramendi, M A; Aramburu, I; Fernandez, J; Balda, R; Al-Saleh, M

2007-01-01

In this work, we calculate in two different ways the transport mean free paths in K 5 Bi 1-x Nd x (MoO 4 ) 4 (x = 0.05, 0.2, 1) laser crystal powders by using the diffuse spectral reflectance and transmittance of the powders and the absorption coefficient of the crystal materials. The theoretical calculations have been made by assuming a diffusive propagation of light in these materials. Similar results have been obtained from both methods

Unraveling the association between SSRI use and falls: an experimental study of risk factors for accidental falls in long-term paroxetine users.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hegeman, J.; Bemt, B.J.F van den; Weerdesteijn, V.G.M.; Nienhuis, B.; Limbeek, J. van; Duysens, J.E.J.

2011-01-01

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are widely used to treat depression and are also associated with an increased falls risk. However, the biological mechanism underlying accidental falls with SSRI intake has yet to be elucidated. The present experimental study was designed to

Characterization of hollow cathode fall field strength measured by Doppler-free two-photon optogalvanic spectroscopy via Stark splitting of the 2S level of hydrogen and deuterium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perez, C; De la Rosa, M I; Gruetzmacher, K, E-mail: concha@opt.uva.e [Universidad de Valladolid, Facultad de Ciencias, 47071 Valladolid (Spain)

2010-05-01

Doppler-free two-photon optogalvanic spectroscopy has been applied to measure the strong electric field strength and the cathode fall characteristics of hollow cathode discharges operated in hydrogen and deuterium via the Stark splitting of the 2S level of atomic hydrogen isotopes. In this paper we show similarities and differences in the tendencies of the cathode fall characteristics of hydrogen and deuterium in a wide range of identical discharge parameters.

Characterization of hollow cathode fall field strength measured by Doppler-free two-photon optogalvanic spectroscopy via Stark splitting of the 2S level of hydrogen and deuterium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perez, C; De la Rosa, M I; Gruetzmacher, K

2010-01-01

Doppler-free two-photon optogalvanic spectroscopy has been applied to measure the strong electric field strength and the cathode fall characteristics of hollow cathode discharges operated in hydrogen and deuterium via the Stark splitting of the 2S level of atomic hydrogen isotopes. In this paper we show similarities and differences in the tendencies of the cathode fall characteristics of hydrogen and deuterium in a wide range of identical discharge parameters.

Modulation of LISA free-fall orbits due to the Earth-Moon system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cerdonio, Massimo; Marzari, Francesco [Department of Physics, University of Padova and INFN Padova, via Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova (Italy); De Marchi, Fabrizio [Department of Physics, University of Trento and INFN Trento, I-38100 Povo (Trento) (Italy); De Pietri, Roberto [Department of Physics, University of Parma and INFN Parma I-43100 Parma (Italy); Jetzer, Philippe [Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of Zuerich, Winterhurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zuerich (Switzerland); Mazzolo, Giulio [Max Planck Institut fuer Gravitationsphysik, Callinstrasse 38, 30167 Hannover (Germany); Ortolan, Antonello [INFN Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Viale dell' Universita 35020 Legnaro (Padova) (Italy); Sereno, Mauro, E-mail: fdemarchi@science.unitn.i [Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino (Italy)

2010-08-21

We calculate the effect of the Earth-Moon (EM) system on the free-fall motion of LISA test masses. We show that the periodic gravitational pulling of the EM system induces a resonance with fundamental frequency 1 yr{sup -1} and a series of periodic perturbations with frequencies equal to integer harmonics of the synodic month ({approx_equal} 3.92 x 10{sup -7} Hz). We then evaluate the effects of these perturbations (up to the 6th harmonics) on the relative motions between each test mass couple, finding that they range between 3 mm and 10 pm for the 2nd and 6th harmonic, respectively. If we take the LISA sensitivity curve, as extrapolated down to 10{sup -6} Hz in Bender (2003 Class. Quantum Grav. 20 301-10), we obtain that a few harmonics of the EM system can be detected in the Doppler data collected by the LISA space mission. This suggests that the EM system gravitational near field could provide an additional crosscheck to the calibration of LISA, as extended to such low frequencies.

High pressure hydropyrolysis of coals by using a continuous free-fall reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

W.-C. Xu; K. Matsuoka; H. Akiho; M. Kumagai; A. Tomita [Institute of Research and Innovation, Kashiwa (Japan)

2003-04-01

Rapid hydropyrolysis of coal was carried out at temperatures ranging from 923 to 1123 K and H{sub 2} pressures up to 7 MPa by using a continuous free-fall pyrolyzer. The effects of the reaction conditions on product yields were investigated. Carbon mass balance was fairly good. It was revealed that a large amount of methane was produced due to the hydrogenolysis of higher hydrocarbons and the hydrogasification of char. The influence of pyrolysis temperature was significant on both reactions while H{sub 2} pressure mainly affected the latter. A considerable amount of reactive carbon was formed during hydropyrolysis of coal. It was converted to methane at high temperatures and high H{sub 2} pressures, while the hydrogasification of reactive carbon takes place relatively slowly at low temperatures and low H{sub 2} pressures, resulting in a low overall carbon conversion. The coal conversions observed in the present study were much higher than those obtained with using reactors where the contact between coal particles and H{sub 2} is insufficient. 25 refs., 6 figs., 6 tabs.

Modulation of LISA free-fall orbits due to the Earth-Moon system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cerdonio, Massimo; Marzari, Francesco; De Marchi, Fabrizio; De Pietri, Roberto; Jetzer, Philippe; Mazzolo, Giulio; Ortolan, Antonello; Sereno, Mauro

2010-01-01

We calculate the effect of the Earth-Moon (EM) system on the free-fall motion of LISA test masses. We show that the periodic gravitational pulling of the EM system induces a resonance with fundamental frequency 1 yr -1 and a series of periodic perturbations with frequencies equal to integer harmonics of the synodic month (≅ 3.92 x 10 -7 Hz). We then evaluate the effects of these perturbations (up to the 6th harmonics) on the relative motions between each test mass couple, finding that they range between 3 mm and 10 pm for the 2nd and 6th harmonic, respectively. If we take the LISA sensitivity curve, as extrapolated down to 10 -6 Hz in Bender (2003 Class. Quantum Grav. 20 301-10), we obtain that a few harmonics of the EM system can be detected in the Doppler data collected by the LISA space mission. This suggests that the EM system gravitational near field could provide an additional crosscheck to the calibration of LISA, as extended to such low frequencies.

Silumins alloy crystallization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Pietrowski

2009-07-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the results of research, by ATD method, of hypo-, near- and hyperutectic silumins crystallization containing the following alloying additives: Mg, Ni, Cu, Cr, Mo, W, V. It has been shown that, depending on their concentration may crystallize pre-eutectic or eutectic multicomponent phases containing these alloy additives. It has been revealed that any subsequent crystallizable phase nucleate and grows near the liquid/former crystallized phase interface. In multiphases compound also falls the silicon, resulting in a reduction in its quantity and the fragmentation in the eutectic mixture. As a result, it gets a high hardness of silumins in terms of 110-220HB.

Predicting the onset of nucleate boiling in wavy free-falling turbulent liquid films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marsh, W J; Mudawar, I [Purdue Univ., Lafayette, IN (USA). School of Mechanical Engineering

1989-02-01

Experiments are performed to develop a fundamental understanding of boiling incipience in wavy free-falling turbulent liquid films. Incipience conditions are measured and correlated for water and a fluorocarbon (FC-72) liquid. Incipience in water films is influenced by turbulent eddies and, to a larger extent, by interfacial waves. A new approach to predicting incipience in water and other non-wetting fluids is presented. This approach utilizes physical parameters of commonly accepted incipience models and provides a means of correcting these models for the effects of turbulent eddies and roll waves. This study also demonstrates some unique incipience characteristics of fluorocarbon films. The weak surface tension forces of FC-72 allow droplets and liquid streams to break of the crests of incoming roll waves prior to, and during nucleate boiling. The low contact angle of FC-72 allows the liquid to penetrate deep inside wall cavities. Thus incipience from these flooded cavities requires much higher wall superheat than predicted from incipience models. (author).

Predicting the onset of nucleate boiling in wavy free-falling turbulent liquid films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marsh, W.J.; Mudawar, I.

1989-01-01

Experiments are performed to develop a fundamental understanding of boiling incipience in wavy free-falling turbulent liquid films. Incipience conditions are measured and correlated for water and a fluorocarbon (FC-72) liquid. Incipience in water films is influenced by turbulent eddies and, to a larger extent, by interfacial waves. A new approach to predicting incipience in water and other non-wetting fluids is presented. This approach utilizes physical parameters of commonly accepted incipience models and provides a means of correcting these models for the effects of turbulent eddies and roll waves. This study also demonstrates some unique incipience characteristics of fluorocarbon films. The weak surface tension forces of FC-72 allow droplets and liquid streams to break of the crests of incoming roll waves prior to, and during nucleate boiling. The low contact angle of FC-72 allows the liquid to penetrate deep inside wall cavities. Thus incipience from these flooded cavities requires much higher wall superheat than predicted from incipience models. (author)

The "Aachen fall prevention App" - a Smartphone application app for the self-assessment of elderly patients at risk for ground level falls.

Science.gov (United States)

Rasche, Peter; Mertens, Alexander; Bröhl, Christina; Theis, Sabine; Seinsch, Tobias; Wille, Matthias; Pape, Hans-Christoph; Knobe, Matthias

2017-01-01

Fall incidents are a major problem for patients and healthcare. The "Aachen Fall Prevention App" (AFPA) represents the first mobile Health (mHealth) application (app) empowering older patients (persons 50+ years) to self-assess and monitor their individual fall risk. Self-assessment is based on the "Aachen Fall Prevention Scale," which consists of three steps. First, patients answer ten standardized yes-no questions (positive criterion ≥ 5 "Yes" responses). Second, a ten-second test of free standing without compensatory movement is performed (positive criterion: compensatory movement). Finally, during the third step, patients rate their subjective fall risk on a 10-point Likert scale, based on the results of steps one and two. The purpose of this app is (1) to offer a low-threshold service through which individuals can independently monitor their individual fall risk and (2) to collect data about how a patient-centered mHealth app for fall risk assessment is used in the field. The results represent the first year of an ongoing field study. From December 2015 to December 2016, 197 persons downloaded the AFPA (iOS ™ and Android ™ ; free of charge). N  = 111 of these persons voluntarily shared their data and thereby participated in the field study. Data from a final number of n  = 79 persons were analyzed due to exclusion criteria (age, missing objective fall risk, missing self-assessment). The objective fall risk and the self-assessed subjective risk measured by the AFPA showed a significant positive relationship. The "Aachen Fall Prevention App" (AFPA) is an mHealth app released for iOS and Android. This field study revealed the AFPA as a promising tool to raise older adults' awareness of their individual fall risk by means of a low-threshold patient-driven fall risk assessment tool.

Two-Dimensional Photonic Crystals for Sensitive Microscale Chemical and Biochemical Sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Benjamin L.

2015-01-01

Photonic crystals – optical devices able to respond to changes in the refractive index of a small volume of space – are an emerging class of label-free chemical-and bio-sensors. This review focuses on one class of photonic crystal, in which light is confined to a patterned planar material layer of sub-wavelength thickness. These devices are small (on the order of tens to 100s of microns square), suitable for incorporation into lab-on-a-chip systems, and in theory can provide exceptional sensitivity. We introduce the defining characteristics and basic operation of two-dimensional photonic crystal sensors, describe variations of their basic design geometry, and summarize reported detection results from chemical and biological sensing experiments. PMID:25563402

A simple method of fabricating mask-free microfluidic devices for biological analysis.

KAUST Repository

Yi, Xin; Kodzius, Rimantas; Gong, Xiuqing; Xiao, Kang; Wen, Weijia

2010-01-01

We report a simple, low-cost, rapid, and mask-free method to fabricate two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) microfluidic chip for biological analysis researches. In this fabrication process, a laser system is used to cut through paper

Structural study of hydrogen and hydration by the IBARAKI biological crystal diffractometer (iBIX)/industrial use

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Ichiro; Hosoya, Takaaki; Kusaka, Katsuhiro; Niimura, Nobuo; Yamada, Taro; Tomoyori, Katsuaki; Yokoyama, Takeshi; Ohhara, Takashi; Kurihara, Kazuo; Ohnishi, Yuki; Yoshimura, Masashi; Kawamura, Takahiro; Oosumi, Takashi; Uchida, Hirohisa; Suzuki, Eiichiro; Kashiwagi, Tatsuki; Miyamoto, Akio; Furukawa, Yasunori

2011-01-01

IBARAKI Biological Crystal Diffractometer (iBIX), a new neutron diffractometer for protein crystallography, was constructed as a next generation neutron source in J-PARC (Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex) and it has begun operation since December 2008. During a fiscal year of 2009, 14 detector units, the basic part of data reduction software and an equipment of cryostream cooler to 20K became available, and measurements and structural analysis of an organic standard crystal were succeeded. Since 120kW accelerator operation in December 2009, neutron measurements for structural analysis of several crystals of inorganic, organic compounds and proteins including industrial users' have been carried out and some of these data sets have been analyzed to the degree that positions of the hydrogen and the hydrated water could be identified. (author)

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of peptide deformylase (PDF) from Bacillus cereus in ligand-free and actinonin-bound forms.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Joon Kyu; Moon, Jin Ho; Kim, Jae-Hong; Kim, Eunice EunKyeong

2005-01-01

In bacteria, protein expression initiates with an N-formyl group and this needs to be removed in order to ensure proper bacterial growth. These formylation and deformylation processes are unique to eubacteria; therefore, inhibition of these would provide a novel antibacterial therapy. Deformylation is carried out by peptide deformylase (PDF). PDF from Bacillus cereus, one of the major pathogenic bacteria, was cloned into expression plasmid pET-28a (Novagen), overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) and purified to high quality. Crystals have been obtained of both ligand-free PDF and PDF to which actinonin, a highly potent naturally occurring inhibitor, is bound. Both crystals belong to space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 42.72, b = 44.04, c = 85.19 A and a = 41.31, b = 44.56, c = 84.47 A, respectively. Diffraction data were collected to 1.7 A resolution for the inhibitor-free crystals and to 2.0 A resolution for the actinonin-bound crystals.

Interfacial free energy of the NaCl crystal-melt interface from capillary wave fluctuations.

Science.gov (United States)

Benet, Jorge; MacDowell, Luis G; Sanz, Eduardo

2015-04-07

In this work we study, by means of molecular dynamics simulations, the solid-liquid interface of NaCl under coexistence conditions. By analysing capillary waves, we obtain the stiffness for different orientations of the solid and calculate the interfacial free energy by expanding the dependency of the interfacial free energy with the solid orientation in terms of cubic harmonics. We obtain an average value for the solid-fluid interfacial free energy of 89 ± 6 mN m(-1) that is consistent with previous results based on the measure of nucleation free energy barriers [Valeriani et al., J. Chem. Phys. 122, 194501 (2005)]. We analyse the influence of the simulation setup on interfacial properties and find that facets prepared as an elongated rectangular stripe give the same results as those prepared as squares for all cases but the 111 face. For some crystal orientations, we observe at small wave-vectors a behaviour not consistent with capillary wave theory and show that this behavior does not depend on the simulation setup.

Observation of piezoelectricity in free-standing monolayer MoS₂.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Hanyu; Wang, Yuan; Xiao, Jun; Liu, Ming; Xiong, Shaomin; Wong, Zi Jing; Ye, Ziliang; Ye, Yu; Yin, Xiaobo; Zhang, Xiang

2015-02-01

Piezoelectricity allows precise and robust conversion between electricity and mechanical force, and arises from the broken inversion symmetry in the atomic structure. Reducing the dimensionality of bulk materials has been suggested to enhance piezoelectricity. However, when the thickness of a material approaches a single molecular layer, the large surface energy can cause piezoelectric structures to be thermodynamically unstable. Transition-metal dichalcogenides can retain their atomic structures down to the single-layer limit without lattice reconstruction, even under ambient conditions. Recent calculations have predicted the existence of piezoelectricity in these two-dimensional crystals due to their broken inversion symmetry. Here, we report experimental evidence of piezoelectricity in a free-standing single layer of molybdenum disulphide (MoS₂) and a measured piezoelectric coefficient of e₁₁ = 2.9 × 10(-10) C m(-1). The measurement of the intrinsic piezoelectricity in such free-standing crystals is free from substrate effects such as doping and parasitic charges. We observed a finite and zero piezoelectric response in MoS₂ in odd and even number of layers, respectively, in sharp contrast to bulk piezoelectric materials. This oscillation is due to the breaking and recovery of the inversion symmetry of the two-dimensional crystal. Through the angular dependence of electromechanical coupling, we determined the two-dimensional crystal orientation. The piezoelectricity discovered in this single molecular membrane promises new applications in low-power logic switches for computing and ultrasensitive biological sensors scaled down to a single atomic unit cell.

Aberrant Free Radical Biology Is a Unifying Theme in the Etiology and Pathogenesis of Major Human Diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frederick E. Domann

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The seemingly disparate areas of oxygen toxicity, radiation exposure, and aging are now recognized to share a common feature—the aberrant production and/or removal of biologically derived free radicals and other reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS. Advances in our understanding of the effects of free radicals in biology and medicine have been, and continue to be, actively translated into clinically tractable diagnostic and therapeutic applications. This issue is dedicated to recent advances, both basic discoveries and clinical applications, in the field of free radicals in biology and medicine. As more is understood about the proximal biological targets of aberrantly produced or removed reactive species, their sensors, and effectors of compensatory response, a great deal more will be learned about the commonalities in mechanisms underlying seemingly disparate disease states. Together with this deeper understanding, opportunities will arise to devise rational therapeutic interventions to decrease the incidence and severity of these diseases and positively impact the human healthspan.

Crystallization Pathways in Biomineralization

Science.gov (United States)

Weiner, Steve; Addadi, Lia

2011-08-01

A crystallization pathway describes the movement of ions from their source to the final product. Cells are intimately involved in biological crystallization pathways. In many pathways the cells utilize a unique strategy: They temporarily concentrate ions in intracellular membrane-bound vesicles in the form of a highly disordered solid phase. This phase is then transported to the final mineralization site, where it is destabilized and crystallizes. We present four case studies, each of which demonstrates specific aspects of biological crystallization pathways: seawater uptake by foraminifera, calcite spicule formation by sea urchin larvae, goethite formation in the teeth of limpets, and guanine crystal formation in fish skin and spider cuticles. Three representative crystallization pathways are described, and aspects of the different stages of crystallization are discussed. An in-depth understanding of these complex processes can lead to new ideas for synthetic crystallization processes of interest to materials science.

Synthetic Biology Outside the Cell: Linking Computational Tools to Cell-Free Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel eLewis

2014-12-01

Full Text Available As mathematical models become more commonly integrated into the study of biology, a common language for describing biological processes is manifesting. Many tools have emerged for the simulation of in vivo systems, with only a few examples of prominent work done on predicting the dynamics of cell-free systems. At the same time, experimental biologists have begun to study dynamics of in vitro systems encapsulated by amphiphilic molecules, opening the door for the development of a new generation of biomimetic systems. In this review, we explore both in vivo and in vitro models of biochemical networks with a special focus on tools that could be applied to the construction of cell-free expression systems. We believe that quantitative studies of complex cellular mechanisms and pathways in synthetic systems can yield important insights into what makes cells different from conventional chemical systems.

Understanding the Interaction of Peptides and Proteins with Abiotic Surfaces: Towards Water-Free Biologics

Science.gov (United States)

2018-02-03

engineering , materials, spectroscopy, laser techniques, chemical biology, computational chemistry, and nanoscience and nanotechnology . We have regular bi...water-free biologics” based on engineered abiotic/biotic interfaces. Using knowledge gained from studies in Aim 1, we aim to a) engineer peptides...universities. The research is highly interdisciplinary, covering many research areas in biology, chemistry, engineering , and physics. The

Detection of Myoglobin with an Open-Cavity-Based Label-Free Photonic Crystal Biosensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Bailin; Tamez-Vela, Juan Manuel; Solis, Steven; Bustamante, Gilbert; Peterson, Ralph; Rahman, Shafiqur; Morales, Andres; Tang, Liang; Ye, Jing Yong

2013-01-01

The label-free detection of one of the cardiac biomarkers, myoglobin, using a photonic-crystal-based biosensor in a total-internal-reflection configuration (PC-TIR) is presented in this paper. The PC-TIR sensor possesses a unique open optical microcavity that allows for several key advantages in biomolecular assays. In contrast to a conventional closed microcavity, the open configuration allows easy functionalization of the sensing surface for rapid biomolecular binding assays. Moreover, the properties of PC structures make it easy to be designed and engineered for operating at any optical wavelength. Through fine design of the photonic crystal structure, biochemical modification of the sensor surface, and integration with a microfluidic system, we have demonstrated that the detection sensitivity of the sensor for myoglobin has reached the clinically significant concentration range, enabling potential usage of this biosensor for diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. The real-time response of the sensor to the myoglobin binding may potentially provide point-of-care monitoring of patients and treatment effects.

An equivalent dipole analysis of PZT ceramics and lead-free piezoelectric single crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Andrew J.

2016-04-01

The recently proposed Equivalent Dipole Model for describing the electromechanical properties of ionic solids in terms of 3 ions and 2 bonds has been applied to PZT ceramics and lead-free single crystal piezoelectric materials, providing analysis in terms of an effective ionic charge and the asymmetry of the interatomic force constants. For PZT it is shown that, as a function of composition across the morphotropic phase boundary, the dominant bond compliance peaks at 52% ZrO2. The stiffer of the two bonds shows little composition dependence with no anomaly at the phase boundary. The effective charge has a maximum value at 50% ZrO2, decreasing across the phase boundary region, but becoming constant in the rhombohedral phase. The single crystals confirm that both the asymmetry in the force constants and the magnitude of effective charge are equally important in determining the values of the piezoelectric charge coefficient and the electromechanical coupling coefficient. Both are apparently temperature dependent, increasing markedly on approaching the Curie temperature.

Unsaturated glycerophospholipids mediate heme crystallization: biological implications for hemozoin formation in the kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renata Stiebler

Full Text Available Hemozoin (Hz is a heme crystal produced by some blood-feeding organisms, as an efficient way to detoxify heme derived from hemoglobin digestion. In the triatomine insect Rhodnius prolixus, Hz is essentially produced by midgut extracellular phospholipid membranes known as perimicrovillar membranes (PMVM. Here, we investigated the role of commercial glycerophospholipids containing serine, choline and ethanolamine as headgroups and R. prolixus midgut lipids (RML in heme crystallization. All commercial unsaturated forms of phospholipids, as well as RML, mediated fast and efficient β-hematin formation by means of two kinetically distinct mechanisms: an early and fast component, followed by a late and slow one. The fastest reactions observed were induced by unsaturated forms of phosphatidylethanolamine (uPE and phosphatidylcholine (uPC, with half-lives of 0.04 and 0.7 minutes, respectively. β-hematin crystal morphologies were strikingly distinct among groups, with uPE producing homogeneous regular brick-shaped crystals. Interestingly, uPC-mediated reactions resulted in two morphologically distinct crystal populations: one less representative group of regular crystals, resembling those induced by uPE, and the other largely represented by crystals with numerous sharp edges and tapered ends. Heme crystallization reactions induced by RML were efficient, with a heme to β-hematin conversion rate higher than 70%, but clearly slower (t1/2 of 9.9-17.7 minutes than those induced by uPC and uPE. Interestingly, crystals produced by RML were homogeneous in shape and quite similar to those mediated by uPE. Thus, β-hematin formation can be rapidly and efficiently induced by unsaturated glycerophospholipids, particularly uPE and uPC, and may play a role on biological heme crystallization in R. prolixus midgut.

Colour centre-free perovskite single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petit, Pierre-Olivier; Petit, Johan; Goldner, Philippe; Viana, Bruno

2009-01-01

Yb 3+ :YAlO 3 (YAP) and Yb 3+ :GdAlO 3 (GAP) are interesting 1 μm high-power laser media thanks to their very good thermo-mechanical properties. However, as-grown perovskite single crystals exhibit colour centres. Parasitic thermal load generated by these centres is deleterious for high-power laser action and can lead to crystal damages. Moreover these defects decrease Yb 3+ lifetime. They are related to trapped holes on the oxygen network. In the present work, several schemes to remove colour centres are presented. Attention is focused on cerium codoping, thermal annealing under reducing atmosphere and growth of non-stoechiometric compounds.

Falling-sphere radioactive viscometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, R. de.

1987-01-01

In this work the falling sphere viscometric method was studies experimentally using a sphere tagged with 198 Au radiosotopo, the objective being the demosntration of the advantages of this technique in relation to the traditional method. The utilisation of the falling radioactive sphere permits the point-point monitoring of sphere position as a function of count rate. The fall tube wall and end effects were determined by this technique. Tests were performed with spheres of different diameters in four tubes. The application of this technique demosntrated the wall and end effects in sphere speed. The case of sphere fall in the steady slow regime allowed the determination of the terminal velocity, showing the increase of botton end effect as the sphere approaches the tube base. In the case the transient slow regime, the sphere was initially in a state of respose near the top surface. The data obtained show the influence of the free surface and wall on the sphere acceleration. These experimental data were applied to the Basset equation on order to verify the behaviour of the terms in this equation. (author) [pt

Lead-free/rare earth-free Green-light-emitting crystal based on organic-inorganic hybrid [(C10H16N)2][MnBr4] with high emissive quantum yields and large crystal size

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Xing-Wei; Zhao, Yu-Yuan; Li, Hong; Huang, Cui-Ping; Zhou, Zhen

2018-06-01

With the flourishing development of emitting materials, tremendous technological progress has been accomplished. However, they still face great challenges in convenient economical environmental-friendly large-scale commercial production. Herein we designed this organic-inorganic hybrid lead-free compound, an emerging class of high-efficiency emitting materials, [(C10H16N)2][MnBr4] (1), which emits intense greenish photoluminescence with a high emissive quantum yields of 72.26%, was prepared through the convenient economical solution method. What's more, compared with rare earth fluorescent materials (especially green-emitting Tb), Mn material is rich in natural resources and low commercial cost, which would possess an increasingly predominant advantage in the preparation of luminescent materials. Additionally, the exceptional thermal stability as well as the low-cost/convenient preparation process makes crystal 1 with the large size of more than 1 cm to be an ideal technologically important green-emitting material and it would open up a new route towards the commercialization process of lead-free/rare earth-free hybrid emitting materials in display and sensing.

Macromolecular crystallization in microgravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Snell, Edward H; Helliwell, John R

2005-01-01

Density difference fluid flows and sedimentation of growing crystals are greatly reduced when crystallization takes place in a reduced gravity environment. In the case of macromolecular crystallography a crystal of a biological macromolecule is used for diffraction experiments (x-ray or neutron) so as to determine the three-dimensional structure of the macromolecule. The better the internal order of the crystal then the greater the molecular structure detail that can be extracted. It is this structural information that enables an understanding of how the molecule functions. This knowledge is changing the biological and chemical sciences, with major potential in understanding disease pathologies. In this review, we examine the use of microgravity as an environment to grow macromolecular crystals. We describe the crystallization procedures used on the ground, how the resulting crystals are studied and the knowledge obtained from those crystals. We address the features desired in an ordered crystal and the techniques used to evaluate those features in detail. We then introduce the microgravity environment, the techniques to access that environment and the theory and evidence behind the use of microgravity for crystallization experiments. We describe how ground-based laboratory techniques have been adapted to microgravity flights and look at some of the methods used to analyse the resulting data. Several case studies illustrate the physical crystal quality improvements and the macromolecular structural advances. Finally, limitations and alternatives to microgravity and future directions for this research are covered. Macromolecular structural crystallography in general is a remarkable field where physics, biology, chemistry and mathematics meet to enable insight to the fundamentals of life. As the reader will see, there is a great deal of physics involved when the microgravity environment is applied to crystallization, some of it known, and undoubtedly much yet to

Functional, balance and health determinants of falls in a free living community Amazon riparian elderly.

Science.gov (United States)

Maia Ribeiro, Ednéa Aguiar; Ribeiro, Euler Esteves; Viegas, Karin; Teixeira, Fernanda; dos Santos Montagner, Greice Franciele Feyh; Mota, Kennya Márcia; Barbisan, Fernanda; da Cruz, Ivana Beatrice Mânica; de Paz, Jose Antonio

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate socio-economic, clinical, anthropometric, balance and functional fitness factors present in Amazon riparian older persons that can be associated with a risk of falling. A cross sectional study was performed with 637 riverine elderly residents (≥60 years old) in Maués city Amazonas, Brazil. The elderly were grouped in two categories with and without a history of falls in the past six months. The following variables were compared between these groups: self-reported social and health conditions; biochemical and physiological variables related to the control of metabolic diseases; body composition; hand grip strength; functional fitness evaluation using the Senior Fitness Test (SFT) battery, and balance condition using the Berg Balance Test (BBT). The prevalence of at least one fall in the past six months was 24.6% (n=157) and was similar between the sexes. The mean age between males and females with and without a history of falls was also similar (males with falls=72.67 ± 8.86; males with no falls=73.26 ± 7.58) female falls=71.78 ± 8.18, female with no falls=71.48 ± 8.17). A history of falls was associated with hospitalization in the last year and to self-health perception to both sexes and presence of chronic morbidity and percentage of body fat (BF) to women. However, the other variables including balance and functional fitness, did not present differences between elderly with and without a history of falls. These results suggest that falls experienced by the riparian elderly are strongly associated to accidents due to environmental conditions related to daily life. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fall prevention in central coast community pharmacies.

Science.gov (United States)

Stuart, Gina M; Kale, Helen L

2018-04-19

Fall injuries among people aged 65 years and over (older people) cause substantial health decline and cost to the health system. In 2009 in New South Wales, 25.6% of older people fell in the previous year, and 10.7% (32 000) were hospitalised. Pharmacists are trusted professionals, who interact extensively with older people and have potential to augment fall prevention in pharmacies. This brief report describes how professional development improved pharmacist's knowledge and confidence in fall prevention, encouraged implementation of fall prevention plans and facilitated the provision of brief fall prevention interventions for older clients, after identification of fall risk. In 2014, pharmacists from all Central Coast pharmacies (n = 76) were invited to free, continuing professional development (CPD) in fall prevention. It provided education and resources to identify clients' fall risk, conduct brief fall prevention interventions and implement fall prevention health promotion plans (FPHPP). Pharmacists completed written: Baseline and post-workshop questionnaires to assess changes in pharmacist's knowledge and confidence, and existing fall prevention in pharmacies. Logs of client fall risk and brief fall prevention interventions offered to clients. Four-month follow-up questionnaires to assess implementation of FPHPPs and pharmacy practice changes. Pharmacists representing 36% of pharmacies participated. At four-month follow-up, 67% had implemented FPHPPs, and 62% delivered brief interventions determined by client fall risk. Fall prevention in pharmacies can be augmented through locally provided CPD tailored for pharmacists. SO WHAT?: This model could increase fall prevention reach. It is transferable to settings where health professionals provide services to older adults and require reregistration through professional development. © 2018 Australian Health Promotion Association.

Comparative crystal-structure study of Ag-free lilliantite and galenobismutite from vulcano, Aeolian Islands, Italy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pinto, Daniela; Balic Zunic, Tonci; Garavelli, Anna

2006-01-01

The crystal structures of natural Ag-free lillianite of fumarolic origin from Vulcano, Aeolian Islands, Italy, Pb2.88Bi2.12(S5.67 Se0.33)S6.00, with a 13.567(1), b 20.655(2), c 4.1216(4) Å, V 1155.0(2) Å3, space group Bbmm, Z = 4, and galenobismutite also from Vulcano, Pb1.00Bi2.03(S3.87Se0...

Oxide nano crystals for in vivo imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heinrich, E.

2005-01-01

For small animal, fluorescence imaging is complementary with other techniques such as nuclear imaging (PET, SPECT). In vivo imaging studies imply the development of new luminescent probes, with a better sensitivity and a better biological targeting. These markers must filled biological and optical conditions. Our goal is to study new doped lanthanides oxide nano-crystals, their properties, their functionalization and their ability to target biological molecules. Characterizations of Y 2 O 3 :Eu and Y 2 SiO 5 :Eu nano-crystals (light diffusion, spectrometry, microscopy) allowed the determination of their size, their fluorescence properties but also their photo-bleaching. Means of stabilization of the nanoparticles were also studied in order to decrease their aggregation. Gd 2 O 3 :Eu nano-crystals were as well excited by X rays. Nano-crystals of Y 2 SiO 5 :Eu were functionalized, and organic ligands grafting evidenced by fluorescence and NMR. The functionalized nano-crystals could then recognized biological targets (streptavidin-biotin) and be incubated in the presence of HeLa cells. This report deals with the properties of these nano-crystals and their ability to meet the optical and biological conditions required for the application of in vivo imaging. (author)

Can a road-driven car outrace a free-falling car?

Science.gov (United States)

Castaño, Diego J.

2011-11-01

Motivated by an advertising scenario in which a luxury sports sedan races against a similar car falling under the influence of gravity, a calculation using undergraduate physics and calculus is performed to theoretically predict the outcome.

Effects of Phonon Coupling and Free Carriers on Band-Edge Emission at Room Temperature in n-type ZnO Crystals

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Giles, N. C; Xu, Chunchuan; Callahan, M. J; Wang, Buguo; Neal, J. S; Boatner, L. A

2008-01-01

Room-temperature photoluminescence has been studied in II-type bulk ZnO crystals representing three different growth methods and having free-carrier concentrations (n) ranging from 10(exp 13) to 10(exp 18) /cu cm...

Preparation of poly(BMA-co-MMA) particles by soap-free emulsion polymerization and its optical properties as photonic crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ki-Chang; Choo, Hun-Seung

2014-11-01

Narrowly dispersed poly(BMA-co-MMA) and PBMA latices with particle diameters ranging within 216-435 nm were synthesized successfully by surfactant-free emulsion polymerization with KPS and AIBA. The average particle diameter and particle size distribution, average molecular weight and its distribution, glass transition temperature, reflectance spectra in visible wavelength, and refractive indices for the respective poly(BMA-co-MMA) latices and their photonic crystals were systematically investigated in terms of BMA/MMA ratio, BMA content, polymerization temperature, and DVB effect. The rate of polymerization increased with increasing MMA concentration in BMA/MMA ratio. The particle diameter increased with BMA concentration in BMA/MMA ratio. The molecular weight increased with BMA concentration in BMA/MMA ratio and monomer concentration. The drying of the latices offered self-assembled shiny colloidal crystal films showing the characteristic structural colors in visible wavelength. All the poly(BMA-co-MMA) latices prepared in the study were fallen within the range of photonic grade microspheres. The reflectance measurement on the colloidal photonic crystals having different particle diameters clearly exhibited narrow stopbands. The reflection maxima (λ(max)) measured in this study were well close to the λ(max) calculated, derived from the Bragg's equation. The refractive indices of poly(BMA-co-MMA) photonic crystals were found to be almost same as the theoretical values and increased proportionally from 1.50 to 1.57 with BMA content in BMA/MMA ratios. It was, thus, found that the optical reflectance properties of the poly(BMA-co-MMA) colloidal photonic crystals can be controlled easily by adjusting the reaction conditions and BMA/MMA ratio in soap-free emulsion copolymerization of BMA and MMA.

Taxol crystals can masquerade as stabilized microtubules.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margit Foss

Full Text Available Taxol is a potent anti-mitotic drug used in chemotherapy, angioplastic stents, and cell biology research. By binding and stabilizing microtubules, Taxol inhibits their dynamics, crucial for cell division, motility, and survival. The drug has also been reported to induce formation of asters and bundles composed of stabilized microtubules. Surprisingly, at commonly used concentrations, Taxol forms crystals that rapidly bind fluorescent tubulin subunits, generating structures with an uncanny resemblance to microtubule asters and bundles. Kinetic and topological considerations suggest that tubulin subunits, rather than microtubules, bind the crystals. This sequestration of tubulin from the subunit pool would be expected to shift the equilibrium of free to polymerized tubulin to disfavor assembly. Our results imply that some previously reported Taxol-induced asters or bundles could include or be composed of tubulin-decorated Taxol crystals. Thus, reevaluation of certain morphological, chemical, and physical properties of Taxol-treated microtubules may be necessary. Moreover, our findings suggest a novel mechanism for chemotherapy-induced cytotoxicity in non-dividing cells, with far-reaching medical implications.

Scale-free crystallization of two-dimensional complex plasmas: Domain analysis using Minkowski tensors

Science.gov (United States)

Böbel, A.; Knapek, C. A.; Räth, C.

2018-05-01

Experiments of the recrystallization processes in two-dimensional complex plasmas are analyzed to rigorously test a recently developed scale-free phase transition theory. The "fractal-domain-structure" (FDS) theory is based on the kinetic theory of Frenkel. It assumes the formation of homogeneous domains, separated by defect lines, during crystallization and a fractal relationship between domain area and boundary length. For the defect number fraction and system energy a scale-free power-law relation is predicted. The long-range scaling behavior of the bond-order correlation function shows clearly that the complex plasma phase transitions are not of the Kosterlitz, Thouless, Halperin, Nelson, and Young type. Previous preliminary results obtained by counting the number of dislocations and applying a bond-order metric for structural analysis are reproduced. These findings are supplemented by extending the use of the bond-order metric to measure the defect number fraction and furthermore applying state-of-the-art analysis methods, allowing a systematic testing of the FDS theory with unprecedented scrutiny: A morphological analysis of lattice structure is performed via Minkowski tensor methods. Minkowski tensors form a complete family of additive, motion covariant and continuous morphological measures that are sensitive to nonlinear properties. The FDS theory is rigorously confirmed and predictions of the theory are reproduced extremely well. The predicted scale-free power-law relation between defect fraction number and system energy is verified for one more order of magnitude at high energies compared to the inherently discontinuous bond-order metric. It is found that the fractal relation between crystalline domain area and circumference is independent of the experiment, the particular Minkowski tensor method, and the particular choice of parameters. Thus, the fractal relationship seems to be inherent to two-dimensional phase transitions in complex plasmas. Minkowski

An equivalent dipole analysis of PZT ceramics and lead-free piezoelectric single crystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew J. Bell

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The recently proposed Equivalent Dipole Model for describing the electromechanical properties of ionic solids in terms of 3 ions and 2 bonds has been applied to PZT ceramics and lead-free single crystal piezoelectric materials, providing analysis in terms of an effective ionic charge and the asymmetry of the interatomic force constants. For PZT it is shown that, as a function of composition across the morphotropic phase boundary, the dominant bond compliance peaks at 52% ZrO2. The stiffer of the two bonds shows little composition dependence with no anomaly at the phase boundary. The effective charge has a maximum value at 50% ZrO2, decreasing across the phase boundary region, but becoming constant in the rhombohedral phase. The single crystals confirm that both the asymmetry in the force constants and the magnitude of effective charge are equally important in determining the values of the piezoelectric charge coefficient and the electromechanical coupling coefficient. Both are apparently temperature dependent, increasing markedly on approaching the Curie temperature.

Box of ideal gas in free fall

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kothawala, Dawood, E-mail: dawood@physics.iitm.ac.in [Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3 (Canada)

2013-03-26

We study the quantum partition function of non-relativistic, ideal gas in a (non-cubical) box falling freely in arbitrary curved spacetime with center 4-velocity u{sup a}. When perturbed energy eigenvalues are properly taken into account, we find that corrections to various thermodynamic quantities include a very specific, sub-dominant term which is independent of kinematic details such as box dimensions and mass of particles. This term is characterized by the dimensionless quantity, Ξ=R{sub 0{sup ^}0{sup ^}}Λ{sup 2}, where R{sub 0{sup ^}0{sup ^}}=R{sub ab}u{sup a}u{sup b} and Λ=βℏc, and, quite intriguingly, produces Euler relation of homogeneity two between entropy and energy – a relation familiar from black hole thermodynamics.

Suppression of Raman electron spin relaxation of radicals in crystals. Comparison of Cu2+ and free radical relaxation in triglycine sulfate and Tutton salt single crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffmann, S K; Goslar, J; Lijewski, S

2011-08-31

Electron spin-lattice relaxation was measured by the electron spin echo method in a broad temperature range above 4.2 K for Cu(2+) ions and free radicals produced by ionizing radiation in triglycine sulfate (TGS) and Tutton salt (NH4)(2)Zn(SO4)2 ⋅ 6H2O crystals. Localization of the paramagnetic centres in the crystal unit cells was determined from continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance spectra. Various spin relaxation processes and mechanisms are outlined. Cu(2+) ions relax fast via two-phonon Raman processes in both crystals involving the whole phonon spectrum of the host lattice. This relaxation is slightly slower for TGS where Cu(2+) ions are in the interstitial position. The ordinary Raman processes do not contribute to the radical relaxation which relaxes via the local phonon mode. The local mode lies within the acoustic phonon band for radicals in TGS but within the optical phonon range in (NH4)(2)Zn(SO4)2 ⋅ 6H2O. In the latter the cross-relaxation was considered. A lack of phonons around the radical molecules suggested a local crystal amorphisation produced by x- or γ-rays.

The dissolution phenomenon of lysozyme crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller, C.; Ulrich, J. [Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Department of Thermal Separation Processes, Centre of Engineering Science, Halle/Saale (Germany)

2012-02-15

Dissolution studies on lysozyme crystals were carried out since the observed dissolution pattern look different from non-protein dissolved crystals. The Tetragonal, High Temperature and Low Temperature Orthorhombic morphologies, crystallized using sodium chloride, were chosen and the influence of different pH, salt and protein concentration on their dissolution was investigated. An increase in pH and/or salt concentration can modify the dissolution behaviour. The pattern of the crystals during the dissolution process will, therefore, develop differently. Frequently a skeleton like crystal pattern followed by a falling apart of the crystals is observed. The multi-component character of the lysozyme crystal (protein, water, buffer, salt) as well as ''solvatomorphism'' gives first insights in the phenomena happening in the dissolution process. (copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

High sensitivity and high Q-factor nanoslotted parallel quadrabeam photonic crystal cavity for real-time and label-free sensing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Daquan [Rowland Institute at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142 (United States); State Key Laboratory of Information Photonics and Optical Communications, School of Information and Communication Engineering, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing 100876 (China); School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 (United States); Kita, Shota; Wang, Cheng; Lončar, Marko [School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 (United States); Liang, Feng; Quan, Qimin [Rowland Institute at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142 (United States); Tian, Huiping; Ji, Yuefeng [State Key Laboratory of Information Photonics and Optical Communications, School of Information and Communication Engineering, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing 100876 (China)

2014-08-11

We experimentally demonstrate a label-free sensor based on nanoslotted parallel quadrabeam photonic crystal cavity (NPQC). The NPQC possesses both high sensitivity and high Q-factor. We achieved sensitivity (S) of 451 nm/refractive index unit and Q-factor >7000 in water at telecom wavelength range, featuring a sensor figure of merit >2000, an order of magnitude improvement over the previous photonic crystal sensors. In addition, we measured the streptavidin-biotin binding affinity and detected 10 ag/mL concentrated streptavidin in the phosphate buffered saline solution.

Churchill Falls (Labrador) Corporation Limited and Twin Falls Power Corporation Limited : 1997 auditors` report and financial statements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-02-01

The consolidated balance sheet of Churchill Falls (Labrador) Corp. Ltd., and Twin Falls Power Corp. Ltd. for the year 1997 were presented by the Corporation`s auditors, certifying that the statements of income and retained earnings and changes in financial position at year-end were accurate and free of material errors. A summary of significant accounting policies was also provided. In the auditors` view the financial statements from 1997 reflect the financial position of the companies accurately. Corresponding data from 1996 were included to allow for comparisons. tabs.

Traceable atomic force microscopy of high-quality solvent-free crystals of [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester

Science.gov (United States)

Lazzerini, Giovanni Mattia; Paternò, Giuseppe Maria; Tregnago, Giulia; Treat, Neil; Stingelin, Natalie; Yacoot, Andrew; Cacialli, Franco

2016-02-01

We report high-resolution, traceable atomic force microscopy measurements of high-quality, solvent-free single crystals of [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). These were grown by drop-casting PCBM solutions onto the spectrosil substrates and by removing the residual solvent in a vacuum. A home-built atomic force microscope featuring a plane mirror differential optical interferometer, fiber-fed from a frequency-stabilized laser (emitting at 632.8 nm), was used to measure the crystals' height. The optical interferometer together with the stabilized laser provides traceability (via the laser wavelength) of the vertical measurements made with the atomic force microscope. We find that the crystals can conform to the surface topography, thanks to their height being significantly smaller compared to their lateral dimensions (namely, heights between about 50 nm and 140 nm, for the crystals analysed, vs. several tens of microns lateral dimensions). The vast majority of the crystals are flat, but an isolated, non-flat crystal provides insights into the growth mechanism and allows identification of "molecular terraces" whose height corresponds to one of the lattice constants of the single PCBM crystal (1.4 nm) as measured with X-ray diffraction.

Emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization produces highly charged, monodisperse particles for near infrared photonic crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Reese, Chad E; Asher, Sanford A

2002-04-01

We have developed emulsifier-free, emulsion polymerization recipes for the synthesis of highly charged, monodisperse latex particles of diameters between 500 and 1100 nm. These latexes consist of poly[styrene-(co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)] spherical particles whose surfaces are functionalized with sulfate and carboxylic acid groups. These highly charged, monodisperse particles readily self-assemble into robust, three-dimensionally ordered crystalline colloidal array photonic crystals that Bragg diffract light in the near infrared spectral region. By altering the particle number density, the diffraction wavelength can be tuned from approximately 1000 to approximately 4000 nm.

Experimental investigation and crystal-field modeling of Er{sup 3+} energy levels in GSGG crystal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, J.Y., E-mail: jygao1985@sina.com [Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Sun, D.L.; Zhang, Q.L. [Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Wang, X.F. [Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Liu, W.P.; Luo, J.Q.; Sun, G.H.; Yin, S.T. [Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China)

2016-06-25

The Er{sup 3+}-doped Gd{sub 3}Sc{sub 2}Ga{sub 3}O{sub 12} (Er{sup 3+}:GSGG) single crystal, a excellent medium of the mid-infrared and anti-radiation solid state laser pumped by laser diode, was grown by Czochralski method successfully. The absorption spectra were measured and analyzed in a wider spectral wavelength range of 350–1700 nm at different temperatures of 7.6, 77, 200 and 300 K. The free-ions and crystal-field parameters were fitted to the experimental energy levels with the root mean square deviation of 9.86 cm{sup −1}. According to the crystal-field calculations, 124 degenerate energy levels of Er{sup 3+} in GSGG host crystals were assigned. The fitting results of free-ions and crystal-field parameters were compared with those already reported of Er{sup 3+}:YSGG. The results indicated that the free-ions parameters for Er{sup 3+} in GSGG host are similar to those in YSGG host crystals, and the crystal-field interaction of GSGG is weaker than that of YSGG, which may result in the better laser characterization of Er{sup 3+}:GSGG crystal. - Highlights: • The efficient diode-end-pumped laser crystal Er:GSGG has been grown successfully. • The absorption spectra of Er:GSGG have been measured in range of 350–1700 nm. • The fitting result is very well for the root mean square deviation is 9.86 cm{sup −1}. • The 124 levels of Er:GSGG have been assigned from the crystal-field calculations.

Approaching an experimental electron density model of the biologically active trans -epoxysuccinyl amide group-Substituent effects vs. crystal packing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shi, Ming W.; Stewart, Scott G.; Sobolev, Alexandre N.; Dittrich, Birger; Schirmeister, Tanja; Luger, Peter; Hesse, Malte; Chen, Yu-Sheng; Spackman, Peter R.; Spackman, Mark A.; Grabowsky, Simon (Heinrich-Heine); (Freie); (UC); (Bremen); (JG-UM); (UWA)

2017-01-24

The trans-epoxysuccinyl amide group as a biologically active moiety in cysteine protease inhibitors such as loxistatin acid E64c has been used as a benchmark system for theoretical studies of environmental effects on the electron density of small active ingredients in relation to their biological activity. Here, the synthesis and the electronic properties of the smallest possible active site model compound are reported to close the gap between the unknown experimental electron density of trans-epoxysuccinyl amides and the well-known function of related drugs. Intramolecular substituent effects are separated from intermolecular crystal packing effects on the electron density, which allows us to predict the conditions under which an experimental electron density investigation on trans-epoxysuccinyl amides will be possible. In this context, the special importance of the carboxylic acid function in the model compound for both crystal packing and biological activity is revealed through the novel tool of model energy analysis.

High temperature luminescence of ZnSe:Yb crystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Makhniy V. P.

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The problem of obtaining of effective edge luminescence with high temperature stability in the zinc selenide crystals is discussed. This task is solved by using as the dopant rare-earth element yttrium, which is introduced into the undoped ZnSe crystal by diffusion method. Doping was carried out in an evacuated to 10 -4 Torr. and a sealed quartz ampoule, in the opposite ends of which is a sample and a mixture of the crushed Yb and Se. It has been found that the diffusion coefficient of yttrium at a temperature of 1400 K is about 5⋅10 -7 cm 2/sec. It is shown that in the luminescence spectra of ZnSe:Yb samples in the temperature range 295-470 K only blue band is observed. Dependencies of parameters of this band from the excitation level are typical for the annihilation of excitons at their inelastic scattering by free carriers. The efficacy of blue radiation at 300 K is about 30% and does not fall more than twice with increasing temperature up to 470 K, indicating its high thermal stability.

On electromagnetic radiation of ultrarelativistic electrons in crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Podgoretskij, M.I.

1977-01-01

Electromagnetic radiation is considered caused by ultrarelativistic channeling electrons moving inside cylindrical regions formed with nuclear heat oscillations of a crystal lattice. An energy asymmetry is predicted for electrons and positrons, generated by γ-quanta falling to a crystal along the crystallographic axes. A possible connection of the above mentioned radiation with the anomalous multiphoton Schein showers is discussed

Measurements of Drag Coefficients and Rotation Rates of Free-Falling Helixes

KAUST Repository

Al-Omari, Abdulrhaman A.

2016-05-01

The motion of bacteria in the environment is relevant to several fields. At very small scales and with simple helical shapes, we are able to describe experimentally and mathematically the motion of solid spirals falling freely within a liquid pool. Using these shapes we intend to mimic the motion of bacteria called Spirochetes. We seek to experimentally investigate the linear and the rotational motion of such shapes. A better understanding of the dynamics of this process will be practical not only on engineering and physics, but the bioscience and environmental as well. In the following pages, we explore the role of the shape on the motion of passive solid helixes in different liquids. We fabricate three solid helical shapes and drop them under gravity in water, glycerol and a mixture of 30% glycerol in water. That generated rotation due to helical angle in water. However, we observe the rotation disappear in glycerol. The movement of the solid helical shapes is imaged using a high-speed video camera. Then, the images are analyzed using the supplied software and a computer. Using these simultaneous measurements, we examine the terminal velocity of solid helical shapes. Using this information we computed the drag coefficient and the drag force. We obtain the helical angular velocity and the torque applied to the solid. The results of this study will allow us to more accurately predict the motion of solid helical shape. This analysis will also shed light onto biological questions of bacteria movement.

Apparatus for mounting crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Longeway, Paul A.

1985-01-01

A thickness monitor useful in deposition or etching reactor systems comprising a crystal-controlled oscillator in which the crystal is deposited or etched to change the frequency of the oscillator. The crystal rests within a thermally conductive metallic housing and arranged to be temperature controlled. Electrode contacts are made to the surface primarily by gravity force such that the crystal is substantially free of stress otherwise induced by high temperature.

Growth of Ca, Zr co-doped BaTiO3 lead-free ferroelectric single crystal and its room-temperature piezoelectricity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donglin Liu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Lead-free Ca, Zr co-doped BaTiO3 (BCZT single crystal with a dimension up to 2mm×2mm×2mm was grown by a spontaneous nucleation technique using KF as the flux. The composition of the studied single crystal was defined to be Ba0.798Ca0.202Zr0.006Ti0.994O3, corresponding to a tetragonal phase at room temperature. The oriented single crystal exhibited a quasi-static piezoelectric constant of approximately 232 pC/N. The effective piezoelectric coefficient d33* of the single domain crystal obtained under a unipolar electric field of 35 kV/cm was 179 pm/V. Rayleigh analysis was used to identify the intrinsic and extrinsic contributions to the room-temperature piezoelectricity of BCZT single crystal. The extrinsic contribution was estimated up to 40% due to the irreversible domain wall movement. Furthermore a sixth-order polynomial of Landau expansion was employed to analyze the intrinsic contribution to piezoelectricity of BCZT single crystal. The large energy barriers inhibited polarization rotations, leading to the relatively low piezoelectricity.

Traceable atomic force microscopy of high-quality solvent-free crystals of [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lazzerini, Giovanni Mattia; Yacoot, Andrew; Paternò, Giuseppe Maria; Tregnago, Giulia; Cacialli, Franco; Treat, Neil; Stingelin, Natalie

2016-01-01

We report high-resolution, traceable atomic force microscopy measurements of high-quality, solvent-free single crystals of [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). These were grown by drop-casting PCBM solutions onto the spectrosil substrates and by removing the residual solvent in a vacuum. A home-built atomic force microscope featuring a plane mirror differential optical interferometer, fiber-fed from a frequency-stabilized laser (emitting at 632.8 nm), was used to measure the crystals' height. The optical interferometer together with the stabilized laser provides traceability (via the laser wavelength) of the vertical measurements made with the atomic force microscope. We find that the crystals can conform to the surface topography, thanks to their height being significantly smaller compared to their lateral dimensions (namely, heights between about 50 nm and 140 nm, for the crystals analysed, vs. several tens of microns lateral dimensions). The vast majority of the crystals are flat, but an isolated, non-flat crystal provides insights into the growth mechanism and allows identification of “molecular terraces” whose height corresponds to one of the lattice constants of the single PCBM crystal (1.4 nm) as measured with X-ray diffraction

Influence of the cone angle and crystal shape on the formation of twins in InP crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Xiaolan; Yang, Ruixia; Yang, Fan; Sun, Tongnian; Sun, Niefeng

2012-01-01

We present the investigation of twinning phenomena of LEC InP crystal growth which has been carried out in our laboratory in recent years. It is observed that the yield of twin-free single crystal InP can be grown by control the cone angle and crystal shape of a gradually increased diameter. Twin formation has been correlated to many growth factors. The influence of ingot shape on the formation of twins can be looked as the conical angle dependent twin probability of InP crystals. Twin-free InP crystals can be grown by large cone angle over 75 to 90 . (copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

On crystallization of bisphenol-A polycarbonate thin films upon annealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Chunhong; Li, Qichao; Mao, Wenfeng; Wang, Peng; He, Chunqing, E-mail: hecq@whu.edu.cn

2015-10-16

Crystallization of polycarbonate (PC) films as a function of annealing time has been investigated by various methods. A distinct diffraction peak at 17.56°, a sharp decrease of film thickness, an increase of refractive index and branch-type structures on the surface are found merely for the film after crystallization. Interestingly, positron annihilation parameters demonstrate fractional free-volumes in PC films vary significantly not only before crystallization but also at the early stage of annealing, which are not found by other methods. The results show that free-volumes in PC film must be increased remarkably before crystallization, which enables the occurrence of molecule rearrangement. - Highlights: • Fractional free-volume in PC film decreased of early stage of annealing. • Crystallization of PC film on Si substrate occurred after annealed for ∼48 hours. • Fractional free-volume in PC film increased remarkably before crystallization. • Positron diffusion length and S parameter revealed the variation of free volumes.

On crystallization of bisphenol-A polycarbonate thin films upon annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Chunhong; Li, Qichao; Mao, Wenfeng; Wang, Peng; He, Chunqing

2015-01-01

Crystallization of polycarbonate (PC) films as a function of annealing time has been investigated by various methods. A distinct diffraction peak at 17.56°, a sharp decrease of film thickness, an increase of refractive index and branch-type structures on the surface are found merely for the film after crystallization. Interestingly, positron annihilation parameters demonstrate fractional free-volumes in PC films vary significantly not only before crystallization but also at the early stage of annealing, which are not found by other methods. The results show that free-volumes in PC film must be increased remarkably before crystallization, which enables the occurrence of molecule rearrangement. - Highlights: • Fractional free-volume in PC film decreased of early stage of annealing. • Crystallization of PC film on Si substrate occurred after annealed for ∼48 hours. • Fractional free-volume in PC film increased remarkably before crystallization. • Positron diffusion length and S parameter revealed the variation of free volumes

Crystallization and X-ray diffraction studies of arginine kinase from the white Pacific shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez-Zavala, Alonso A.; Sotelo-Mundo, Rogerio R.; Garcia-Orozco, Karina D.; Isac-Martinez, Felipe; Brieba, Luis G.; Rudiño-Piñera, Enrique

2012-01-01

The crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis at 1.25 Å resolution of free-ligand arginine kinase from the Pacific whiteleg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei are reported. Crystals belong to space group P2 1 2 1 2 1 , phases were determined by molecular replacement and refinement was performed with Phenix. Crystals of an unligated monomeric arginine kinase from the Pacific whiteleg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (LvAK) were successfully obtained using the microbatch method. Crystallization conditions and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis to 1.25 Å resolution are reported. Data were collected at 100 K on NSLS beamline X6A. The crystals belonged to space group P2 1 2 1 2 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 56.5, b = 70.2, c = 81.7 Å. One monomer per asymmetric unit was found, with a Matthews coefficient (V M ) of 2.05 Å 3 Da −1 and 40% solvent content. Initial phases were determined by molecular replacement using a homology model of LvAK as the search model. Refinement was performed with PHENIX, with final R work and R free values of 0.15 and 0.19, respectively. Biological analysis of the structure is currently in progress

Measurements of IN and BIO-IN with the fast ice nucleus chamber FINCH at Mt. Zugspitze, Mt. Puy de Dôme and Jungfraujoch during fall and winter

Science.gov (United States)

Nillius, B.; Frank, F.; Bingemer, H.; Curtius, J.; Bundke, U.

2013-05-01

In this work we present IN measurements at Mt. Zugspitze, Germany, 2650 m.a.s.l., Mt. Puy de Dôme, France, 1464 m.a.s.l. and Jungfraujoch, Switzerland, 3580 m a.s.l during fall and winter 2012 with the instrument FINCH HALO (Fast Ice Nucleus Chamber for the High Altitude and LOng range research aircraft HALO). In this device the temperature and super saturation for activation of Ice Nuclei (IN) and the growth to ice crystals is obtained by mixing three gas flows of different temperatures and moisture. After the growth of IN and Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN) to macroscopic ice crystals and super-cooled water droplets in the development chamber, they are counted using an optical detector. The discrimination between ice and water is made by measuring the circular depolarization ratio of the backscattered laser light of each individual particle. IN are classified as biological particles by measuring their individual intrinsic-fluorescence during the winter campaigns in average 30-40 % of the IN show an intrinsic fluorescence and are supposed to be of biological origin.

Johnson Space Center's Free Range Bicycle Program.- Fall 2015 Intern Report

Science.gov (United States)

Lee-Stockton, Willem

2015-01-01

NASA's Johnson Space Center is a big place, encompassing 1,620 acres and more than a hundred buildings. Furthermore, there are reportedly 15 thousand employees, all of which have somewhere to be. To facilitate the movement of all these people JSC has historically relied on human power. Pedaling their way towards deep space, bicycles have been the go to method. Currently there are about 200 Free Range Bicycles at JSC. Free Range Bicycles belong to nobody, except NASA, and are available for anybody to use. They are not to be locked or hidden (although frequently are) and the intention is that there will always be a bike to hop on to get where you're going (although it may not be the bike you rode in on). Although not without its own shortcomings, the Free Range Bicycle Program has continued to provide low cost, simple transportation for NASA's JSC. In addition to the approximately 200 Free Range Bicycles, various larger divisions (like engineering) will often buy a few dozen bikes for their team members to use or individuals will bring their own personal bike to either commute or use on site. When these bicycles fall into disrepair or are abandoned (from retirees etc) they become a problem at JSC. They are an eye sore, create a safety hazard and make it harder to find a working bike in a time of need. The Free Range Program hopes to address this first problem by "tagging out" abandoned or out of service bicycles. A bright orange "DO NOT OPERATE" tag is placed on the bike and given a serial number for tracking purposes. See picture to the right. If the bike has an active owner with intentions to repair the bike the bottom of the tag has instructions for how to claim the abandoned bicycle. After being tagged the owner of the bicycle has 30 days to claim the bicycle and either haul it off site or get it repaired (and labeled) in accordance with Johnson's Bicycle Policy. If the abandoned bicycle is not claimed within 30 days it becomes the property of the Government. The

Volcanic Ash fall Impact on Vegetation, Colima 2005

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia, M. G.; Martin, A.; Fonseca, R.; Nieto, A.; Radillo, R.; Armienta, M.

2007-05-01

An ash sampling network was established arround Colima Volcano in 2005. Ash fall was sampled on the North, Northeast, East, Southeast, South, Southwest and West of the volcano. Samples were analyzed for ash components, geochemistry and leachates. Ash fall ocurred on April (12), May (10, 23), June (2, 6, 9, 10, 12, 14), July (27), September (27), October (23) and November (24). Most of the ash is made of andesitic dome-lithics but shows diferences in crystal, juvenile material and lithic content. In May, some samples contained grey and dark pumice (scoria). Texture varies from phi >4 to phi 0. Leachate concentration were low: SO4 (7.33-54.19) Cl- (2.29-4.97) and F- (0.16-0.37). During 2005, Colima Volcano's ash fall rotted some of the guava and peach fruits and had a drying effect on spearment and epazote plants. Even these small ash amounts could have hindered sugar cane and agave growth.

DC cancellation as a method of generating a t2-response and of solving the radial position error in a concentric free-falling two-sphere equivalence-principle experiment in a drag-free satellite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lange, Benjamin

2010-01-01

This paper presents a new method for doing a free-fall equivalence-principle (EP) experiment in a satellite at ambient temperature which solves two problems that have previously blocked this approach. By using large masses to change the gravity gradient at the proof masses, the orbit dynamics of a drag-free satellite may be changed in such a way that the experiment can mimic a free-fall experiment in a constant gravitational field on the earth. An experiment using a sphere surrounded by a spherical shell both completely unsupported and free falling has previously been impractical because (1) it is not possible to distinguish between a small EP violation and a slight difference in the semi-major axes of the orbits of the two proof masses and (2) the position difference in the orbit due to an EP violation only grows as t whereas the largest disturbance grows as t 3/2 . Furthermore, it has not been known how to independently measure the positions of a shell and a solid sphere with sufficient accuracy. The measurement problem can be solved by using a two-color transcollimator (see the main text), and since the radial-position-error and t-response problems arise from the earth's gravity gradient and not from its gravity field, one solution is to modify the earth's gravity gradient with local masses fixed in the satellite. Since the gravity gradient at the surface of a sphere, for example, depends only on its density, the gravity gradients of laboratory masses and of the earth unlike their fields are of the same order of magnitude. In a drag-free satellite spinning perpendicular to the orbit plane, two fixed spherical masses whose connecting line parallels the satellite spin axis can generate a dc gravity gradient at test masses located between them which cancels the combined gravity gradient of the earth and differential centrifugal force. With perfect cancellation, the position-error problem vanishes and the response grows as t 2 along a line which always points toward

Strontium ranelate changes the composition and crystal structure of the biological bone-like apatite produced in osteoblast cell cultures.

Science.gov (United States)

Querido, William; Campos, Andrea P C; Martins Ferreira, Erlon H; San Gil, Rosane A S; Rossi, Alexandre M; Farina, Marcos

2014-09-01

We evaluate the effects of strontium ranelate on the composition and crystal structure of the biological bone-like apatite produced in osteoblast cell cultures, a system that gave us the advantage of obtaining mineral samples produced exclusively during treatment. Cells were treated with strontium ranelate at concentrations of 0.05 and 0.5 mM Sr(2+). Mineral substances were isolated and analyzed by using a combination of methods: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, solid-state (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray diffraction, micro-Raman spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The minerals produced in all cell cultures were typical bone-like apatites. No changes occurred in the local structural order or crystal size of the minerals. However, we noticed several relevant changes in the mineral produced under 0.5 mM Sr(2+): (1) increase in type-B CO3 (2-) substitutions, which often lead to the creation of vacancies in Ca(2+) and OH(-) sites; (2) incorporation of Sr(2+) by substituting slightly less than 10 % of Ca(2+) in the apatite crystal lattice, resulting in an increase in both lattice parameters a and c; (3) change in the PO4 (3-) environments, possibly because of the expansion of the lattice; (4) the Ca/P ratio of this mineral was reduced, but its (Ca+Sr)/P ratio was the same as that of the control, indicating that its overall cation/P ratio was preserved. Thus, strontium ranelate changes the composition and crystal structure of the biological bone-like apatite produced in osteoblast cell cultures.

Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of the ATPase domain of human TAP in nucleotide-free and ADP-, vanadate- and azide-complexed forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meena, Sita R.; Gangwar, Shanti P.; Saxena, Ajay K.

2012-01-01

The ATPase domain of human TAP in nucleotide free, ADP, vanadate and azide complexed forms were purified and crystallized. The X-ray diffraction data sets were collected for all crystals in the resolution range of 2.8–3.0 Å. The human transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) protein belongs to the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily and is formed by the heterodimerization of TAP1 and TAP2 subunits. TAP selectively pumps cytosolic peptides into the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum in an ATP-dependent manner. The catalytic cycle of the ATPase domain of TAP is not understood at the molecular level. The structures of catalytic intermediates of the ATPase domain of TAP will contribute to the understanding of the chemical mechanism of ATP hydrolysis. In order to understand this mechanism, the ATPase domain of human TAP1 (NBD1) was expressed and purified, crystallized in nucleotide-free and transition-state complex forms and X-ray crystallographic studies were performed. The NBD1 protein was crystallized (i) in the nucleotide-free apo form; (ii) in complex with ADP–Mg 2+ , mimicking the product-bound state; (iii) in complex with vanadate–ADP–Mg 2+ , mimicking the ATP-bound state; and (iv) in complex with azide–ADP–Mg 2+ , also mimicking the ATP-bound state. X-ray diffraction data sets were collected for apo and complexed NBD1 using an in-house X-ray diffraction facility at a wavelength of 1.5418 Å. The apo and complexed NBD1 crystals belonged to the primitive hexagonal space group P6 2 , with one monomer in the asymmetric unit. Here, the crystallization, data collection and preliminary crystallographic analysis of apo and complexed NBD1 are reported

Large-bandwidth planar photonic crystal waveguides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søndergaard, Thomas; Lavrinenko, Andrei

2002-01-01

A general design principle is presented for making finite-height photonic crystal waveguides that support leakage-free guidance of light over large frequency intervals. The large bandwidth waveguides are designed by introducing line defects in photonic crystal slabs, where the material in the line...... defect has appropriate dispersion properties relative to the photonic crystal slab material surrounding the line defect. A three-dimensional theoretical analysis is given for large-bandwidth waveguide designs based on a silicon-air photonic crystal slab suspended in air. In one example, the leakage......-free single-mode guidance is found for a large frequency interval covering 60% of the photonic band-gap....

The dimer interface of the membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase hemopexin domain: crystal structure and biological functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Tochowicz, Anna; Goettig, Peter; Evans, Richard; Visse, Robert; Shitomi, Yasuyuki; Palmisano, Ralf; Ito, Noriko; Richter, Klaus; Maskos, Klaus; Franke, Daniel; Svergun, Dmitri; Nagase, Hideaki; Bode, Wolfram; Itoh, Yoshifumi

2011-03-04

Homodimerization is an essential step for membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) to activate proMMP-2 and to degrade collagen on the cell surface. To uncover the molecular basis of the hemopexin (Hpx) domain-driven dimerization of MT1-MMP, a crystal structure of the Hpx domain was solved at 1.7 Å resolution. Two interactions were identified as potential biological dimer interfaces in the crystal structure, and mutagenesis studies revealed that the biological dimer possesses a symmetrical interaction where blades II and III of molecule A interact with blades III and II of molecule B. The mutations of amino acids involved in the interaction weakened the dimer interaction of Hpx domains in solution, and incorporation of these mutations into the full-length enzyme significantly inhibited dimer-dependent functions on the cell surface, including proMMP-2 activation, collagen degradation, and invasion into the three-dimensional collagen matrix, whereas dimer-independent functions, including gelatin film degradation and two-dimensional cell migration, were not affected. These results shed light on the structural basis of MT1-MMP dimerization that is crucial to promote cellular invasion.

Risk factors of falls among elderly living in Urban Suez - Egypt

OpenAIRE

Kamel, Mohammed Hany; Abdulmajeed, Abdulmajeed Ahmed; Ismail, Sally El-Sayed

2013-01-01

Introduction Falling is one of the most common geriatric syndromes threatening the independence of older persons. Falls result from a complex and interactive mix of biological or medical, behavioral and environmental factors, many of which are preventable. Studying these diverse risk factors would aid early detection and management of them at the primary care level. Methods This is a cross sectional study about risk factors of falls was conducted to 340 elders in Urban Suez. Those are all pat...

Growth and characterization of lead-free (K,Na)NbO3-based piezoelectric single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Hairui

2016-01-01

Lead-free piezoelectric materials have received increasing attention in the last decade, driven by environmental issues and health concerns. Of considerable interest is the (K,Na)NbO 3 (KNN)-based system, which possesses a relatively high Curie temperature and good piezoelectric properties. Abundant publications on KNN-based polycrystalline ceramics increased the interest in studying their single-crystalline form, based on two major concerns. The first concern refers to the negative role of grain interactions on the electromechanical response. The second concern deals with domain engineering. The relationship between external electric field direction, crystallographic orientation, and spontaneous polarization vectors for a specific structure can be more readily established in single crystals and thus offers a pathway for an in-depth understanding of fundamental mechanism and potential applications. The exciting enhancement of both piezoelectric and ferroelectric response in lead-based single crystals also encourages the further exploration of KNN-based piezoelectric crystals, as they possess the same perovskite structure. The main goal of this thesis is to find possible approaches for improved electromechanical properties in KNN-based piezoelectric single crystals. In Chapter 2, the current development of KNN-based single crystals as piezoelectrics is reviewed, following a short introduction of fundamental knowledge on piezoelectrics and ferroelectrics. Both submerged-seed solution growth and top-seeded solution growth techniques were employed to produce single crystals, as described detailed in Chapter 3. Emphasis is subsequently placed on issues of the crystal growth process, effective methods to enhance electrical properties, and crystallographic orientation-dependent electrical properties in Li-, Ta-, and/or Sb-substituted KNN single crystals. The main conclusions from the crystal growth aspect are presented in Chapter 4 and can be summarized as follows: (i

Disappearance of the force-free current configuration at the first order vortex lattice phase transition in YBa 2Cu 3O 7-δ single crystals

Science.gov (United States)

van der Beek, C. J.; Indenbom, M. V.; Berseth, V.; Benoit, W.; Erb, A.; Flükiger, R.

1997-08-01

The anisotropy in the transverse AC susceptibility of YBa2Cu3O7-δ single crystals, induced by the periodic appearance of a force-free current configuration upon rotation of a superimposed DC field in the crystal plane, disappears at the vortex phase transition, indicating the loss of the vortex lines' stability against mutual cutting.

Time-resolved protein nano-crystallography using an X-ray free-electron laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aquila, Andrew; Hunter, Mark S.; Fromme, Petra; Fromme, Raimund; Grotjohann, Ingo; Doak, R. Bruce; Kirian, Richard A.; Schmidt, Kevin E.; Wang, Xiaoyu; Weierstall, Uwe; Spence, John C.H.; White, Thomas A.; Caleman, Carl; DePonte, Daniel P.; Fleckenstein, Holger; Gumprecht, Lars; Liang, Mengning; Martin, Andrew V.; Schulz, Joachim; Stellato, Francesco; Stern, Stephan; Barty, Anton; Andreasson, Jakob; Davidsson, Jan; Hajdu, Janos; Maia, Filipe R.N.C.; Seibert, M. Marvin; Timneanu, Nicusor; Arnlund, David; Johansson, Linda; Malmerberg, Erik; Neutze, Richard; Bajt, Sasa; Barthelmess, Miriam; Graafsma, Heinz; Hirsemann, Helmut; Wunderer, Cornelia; Barends, Thomas R.M.; Foucar, Lutz; Krasniqi, Faton; Lomb, Lukas; Rolles, Daniel; Schlichting, Ilme; Schmidt, Carlo; Bogan, Michael J.; Hampton, Christina Y.; Sierra, Raymond; Starodub, Dmitri; Bostedt, Christoph; Bozek, John D.; Messerschmidt, Marc; Williams, Garth J.; Bottin, Herve

2012-01-01

We demonstrate the use of an X-ray free electron laser synchronized with an optical pump laser to obtain X-ray diffraction snapshots from the photo-activated states of large membrane protein complexes in the form of nano-crystals flowing in a liquid jet. Light-induced changes of Photosystem I-Ferredoxin co-crystals were observed at time delays of 5 to 10 μs after excitation. The result correlates with the microsecond kinetics of electron transfer from Photosystem I to ferredoxin. The undocking process that follows the electron transfer leads to large rearrangements in the crystals that will terminally lead to the disintegration of the crystals. We describe the experimental setup and obtain the first time resolved femtosecond serial X-ray crystallography results from an irreversible photo-chemical reaction at the Linac Coherent Light Source. This technique opens the door to time-resolved structural studies of reaction dynamics in biological systems. (authors)

Magnetostriction of Tb-Dy-Fe crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mei Wu; Okane, T.; Umeda, T.

1998-01-01

left angle 111 right angle -oriented twin free Tb-Dy-Fe single crystals, left angle 112 right angle - and left angle 110 right angle -oriented twinned ''single'' Tb-Dy-Fe crystals were prepared using floating zone melting crystal growth methods. Magnetostrictive performances of the crystals were investigated. Better low-field properties were observed in the left angle 110 right angle twinned crystals than in the left angle 112 right angle crystals. The highest properties were achieved in the left angle 111 right angle twin free single crystals. Even though there were still oxidized particles in the present left angle 111 right angle single crystals, a large magnetostrictive jump of 1700 ppm and a very low saturation magnetic field of 500 Oe were obtained. To understand magnetization and magnetostriction of different Tb-Dy-Fe crystals, theoretical modeling was carried out based on a simplified domain rotation model. Magnetization moment rotation paths of different domains were simulated and hence the resultant magnetostriction was obtained, which could adequately account for the experimental results of different crystals. The limitation of the domain rotation model was also discussed. (orig.)

Implications of the Homogeneous Nucleation Barrier for Top-Down Crystallization in Mercury's Core

Science.gov (United States)

Huguet, L.; Hauck, S. A.; Van Orman, J. A.; Jing, Z.

2018-05-01

Crystallization of solids in planetary cores depends both on ambient temperatures falling below the liquidus and on the ability to nucleate crystal growth. We discuss the implications of the nucleation barrier for thermal evolution of Mercury's core.

Traceable atomic force microscopy of high-quality solvent-free crystals of [6,6]-phenyl-C{sub 61}-butyric acid methyl ester

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lazzerini, Giovanni Mattia; Yacoot, Andrew [National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 0LW (United Kingdom); Paternò, Giuseppe Maria; Tregnago, Giulia; Cacialli, Franco [Department of Physics and Astronomy and London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT (United Kingdom); Treat, Neil; Stingelin, Natalie [Department of Materials Science, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)

2016-02-01

We report high-resolution, traceable atomic force microscopy measurements of high-quality, solvent-free single crystals of [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). These were grown by drop-casting PCBM solutions onto the spectrosil substrates and by removing the residual solvent in a vacuum. A home-built atomic force microscope featuring a plane mirror differential optical interferometer, fiber-fed from a frequency-stabilized laser (emitting at 632.8 nm), was used to measure the crystals' height. The optical interferometer together with the stabilized laser provides traceability (via the laser wavelength) of the vertical measurements made with the atomic force microscope. We find that the crystals can conform to the surface topography, thanks to their height being significantly smaller compared to their lateral dimensions (namely, heights between about 50 nm and 140 nm, for the crystals analysed, vs. several tens of microns lateral dimensions). The vast majority of the crystals are flat, but an isolated, non-flat crystal provides insights into the growth mechanism and allows identification of “molecular terraces” whose height corresponds to one of the lattice constants of the single PCBM crystal (1.4 nm) as measured with X-ray diffraction.

Automated GC-MS analysis of free amino acids in biological fluids.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaspar, Hannelore; Dettmer, Katja; Gronwald, Wolfram; Oefner, Peter J

2008-07-15

A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method was developed for the quantitative analysis of free amino acids as their propyl chloroformate derivatives in biological fluids. Derivatization with propyl chloroformate is carried out directly in the biological samples without prior protein precipitation or solid-phase extraction of the amino acids, thereby allowing automation of the entire procedure, including addition of reagents, extraction and injection into the GC-MS. The total analysis time was 30 min and 30 amino acids could be reliably quantified using 19 stable isotope-labeled amino acids as internal standards. Limits of detection (LOD) and lower limits of quantification (LLOQ) were in the range of 0.03-12 microM and 0.3-30 microM, respectively. The method was validated using a certified amino acid standard and reference plasma, and its applicability to different biological fluids was shown. Intra-day precision for the analysis of human urine, blood plasma, and cell culture medium was 2.0-8.8%, 0.9-8.3%, and 2.0-14.3%, respectively, while the inter-day precision for human urine was 1.5-14.1%.

Crystal Structure of Escherichia coli L-Arabinose Isomerase (ECAI), The Putative Target of Biological Tagatose Production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manjasetty,B.; Chance, M.

2006-01-01

Escherichia coli L-arabinose isomerase (ECAI; EC 5.3.1.4) catalyzes the isomerization of L-arabinose to L-ribulose in vivo. This enzyme is also of commercial interest as it catalyzes the conversion of D-galactose to D-tagatose in vitro. The crystal structure of ECAI was solved and refined at 2.6 Angstroms resolution. The subunit structure of ECAI is organized into three domains: an N-terminal, a central and a C-terminal domain. It forms a crystallographic trimeric architecture in the asymmetric unit. Packing within the crystal suggests the idea that ECAI can form a hexameric assembly. Previous electron microscopic and biochemical studies supports that ECAI is hexameric in solution. A comparison with other known structures reveals that ECAI adopts a protein fold most similar to E. coli fucose isomerase (ECFI) despite very low sequence identity 9.7%. The structural similarity between ECAI and ECFI with regard to number of domains, overall fold, biological assembly, and active site architecture strongly suggests that the enzymes have functional similarities. Further, the crystal structure of ECAI forms a basis for identifying molecular determinants responsible for isomerization of arabinose to ribulose in vivo and galactose to tagatose in vitro.

Order-parameter-aided temperature-accelerated sampling for the exploration of crystal polymorphism and solid-liquid phase transitions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Tang-Qing; Vanden-Eijnden, Eric; Chen, Pei-Yang; Chen, Ming; Samanta, Amit; Tuckerman, Mark

2014-01-01

The problem of predicting polymorphism in atomic and molecular crystals constitutes a significant challenge both experimentally and theoretically. From the theoretical viewpoint, polymorphism prediction falls into the general class of problems characterized by an underlying rough energy landscape, and consequently, free energy based enhanced sampling approaches can be brought to bear on the problem. In this paper, we build on a scheme previously introduced by two of the authors in which the lengths and angles of the supercell are targeted for enhanced sampling via temperature accelerated adiabatic free energy dynamics [T. Q. Yu and M. E. Tuckerman, Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 015701 (2011)]. Here, that framework is expanded to include general order parameters that distinguish different crystalline arrangements as target collective variables for enhanced sampling. The resulting free energy surface, being of quite high dimension, is nontrivial to reconstruct, and we discuss one particular strategy for performing the free energy analysis. The method is applied to the study of polymorphism in xenon crystals at high pressure and temperature using the Steinhardt order parameters without and with the supercell included in the set of collective variables. The expected fcc and bcc structures are obtained, and when the supercell parameters are included as collective variables, we also find several new structures, including fcc states with hcp stacking faults. We also apply the new method to the solid-liquid phase transition in copper at 1300 K using the same Steinhardt order parameters. Our method is able to melt and refreeze the system repeatedly, and the free energy profile can be obtained with high efficiency

Executive function and falls in older adults: new findings from a five-year prospective study link fall risk to cognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirelman, Anat; Herman, Talia; Brozgol, Marina; Dorfman, Moran; Sprecher, Elliot; Schweiger, Avraham; Giladi, Nir; Hausdorff, Jeffrey M

2012-01-01

Recent findings suggest that executive function (EF) plays a critical role in the regulation of gait in older adults, especially under complex and challenging conditions, and that EF deficits may, therefore, contribute to fall risk. The objective of this study was to evaluate if reduced EF is a risk factor for future falls over the course of 5 years of follow-up. Secondary objectives were to assess whether single and dual task walking abilities, an alternative window into EF, were associated with fall risk. We longitudinally followed 256 community-living older adults (age: 76.4±4.5 yrs; 61% women) who were dementia free and had good mobility upon entrance into the study. At baseline, a computerized cognitive battery generated an index of EF, attention, a closely related construct, and other cognitive domains. Gait was assessed during single and dual task conditions. Falls data were collected prospectively using monthly calendars. Negative binomial regression quantified risk ratios (RR). After adjusting for age, gender and the number of falls in the year prior to the study, only the EF index (RR: .85; CI: .74-.98, p = .021), the attention index (RR: .84; CI: .75-.94, p = .002) and dual tasking gait variability (RR: 1.11; CI: 1.01-1.23; p = .027) were associated with future fall risk. Other cognitive function measures were not related to falls. Survival analyses indicated that subjects with the lowest EF scores were more likely to fall sooner and more likely to experience multiple falls during the 66 months of follow-up (pfalls was predicted by performance on EF and attention tests conducted 5 years earlier. The present results link falls among older adults to cognition, indicating that screening EF will likely enhance fall risk assessment, and that treatment of EF may reduce fall risk.

Radionuclide composition in the surface layer of particles in the troposphere and stratosphere falls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prokof'ev, O.N.

1977-01-01

Radionuclide content in troposphere and stratosphere fall-outs as well as radionuclide washing-off from fall-out particle; are important to determine internal irradiation doses received by separate critical organs of human body. In surface-contaminated products (floury products of grain contaminated while in ears, vegetables, fruits, berries, noncovered or insufficiently covered products during fall-outs) radionuclides initially (in an initial state) are connected with fall-out particles. Radionuclides in biologically contaminated products (milk, meat etc.) are not connected with the particles and have the assimilable form. However, the degree of radionuclide transition from forage (grasses, hay etc.) surface-contaminated as a results of fall-outs into animal produce (milk, meat etc.) also depends on radionuclide washing-off from fall-out particles, which in the latter results from the formation nature and a kind of particles of the main substance. Radionuclide washing-off degree (and, consequently, biological availability) by glazed silicate particles is caused by radionuclide distribution between particle volume and surface in an appropriate sample. According to Israel Yu.A. method calculated were the shares of surface-bound atoms for all the particle totality in an explosion cloud for mass chains, which composition includes biologically important radionuclides. Particle solidification time is taken to equal 7 and 40s. Independent yields of chain radionuclides and its total yield are taken for 228 U fission under 14 MeV neutron effect. The calculation results are presented in the tables

Crystallization of protein–ligand complexes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassell, Anne M.; An, Gang; Bledsoe, Randy K.; Bynum, Jane M.; Carter, H. Luke III; Deng, Su-Jun J.; Gampe, Robert T.; Grisard, Tamara E.; Madauss, Kevin P.; Nolte, Robert T.; Rocque, Warren J.; Wang, Liping; Weaver, Kurt L.; Williams, Shawn P.; Wisely, G. Bruce; Xu, Robert; Shewchuk, Lisa M.

2007-01-01

Methods presented for growing protein–ligand complexes fall into the categories of co-expression of the protein with the ligands of interest, use of the ligands during protein purification, cocrystallization and soaking the ligands into existing crystals. Obtaining diffraction-quality crystals has long been a bottleneck in solving the three-dimensional structures of proteins. Often proteins may be stabilized when they are complexed with a substrate, nucleic acid, cofactor or small molecule. These ligands, on the other hand, have the potential to induce significant conformational changes to the protein and ab initio screening may be required to find a new crystal form. This paper presents an overview of strategies in the following areas for obtaining crystals of protein–ligand complexes: (i) co-expression of the protein with the ligands of interest, (ii) use of the ligands during protein purification, (iii) cocrystallization and (iv) soaks

Jaundice and an itch following a fall | Nghona | Continuing Medical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Jaundice and an itch following a fall. N Nghona, MW Sonderup, CWN Spearman. Abstract. No Abstract. Full Text: EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT · AJOL African Journals Online. HOW TO USE AJOL... for Researchers · for Librarians · for Authors · FAQ's ...

Growth and characterization of lead-free (K,Na)NbO{sub 3}-based piezoelectric single crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Hairui

2016-10-19

Lead-free piezoelectric materials have received increasing attention in the last decade, driven by environmental issues and health concerns. Of considerable interest is the (K,Na)NbO{sub 3} (KNN)-based system, which possesses a relatively high Curie temperature and good piezoelectric properties. Abundant publications on KNN-based polycrystalline ceramics increased the interest in studying their single-crystalline form, based on two major concerns. The first concern refers to the negative role of grain interactions on the electromechanical response. The second concern deals with domain engineering. The relationship between external electric field direction, crystallographic orientation, and spontaneous polarization vectors for a specific structure can be more readily established in single crystals and thus offers a pathway for an in-depth understanding of fundamental mechanism and potential applications. The exciting enhancement of both piezoelectric and ferroelectric response in lead-based single crystals also encourages the further exploration of KNN-based piezoelectric crystals, as they possess the same perovskite structure. The main goal of this thesis is to find possible approaches for improved electromechanical properties in KNN-based piezoelectric single crystals. In Chapter 2, the current development of KNN-based single crystals as piezoelectrics is reviewed, following a short introduction of fundamental knowledge on piezoelectrics and ferroelectrics. Both submerged-seed solution growth and top-seeded solution growth techniques were employed to produce single crystals, as described detailed in Chapter 3. Emphasis is subsequently placed on issues of the crystal growth process, effective methods to enhance electrical properties, and crystallographic orientation-dependent electrical properties in Li-, Ta-, and/or Sb-substituted KNN single crystals. The main conclusions from the crystal growth aspect are presented in Chapter 4 and can be summarized as follows

Executive function and falls in older adults: new findings from a five-year prospective study link fall risk to cognition.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anat Mirelman

Full Text Available Recent findings suggest that executive function (EF plays a critical role in the regulation of gait in older adults, especially under complex and challenging conditions, and that EF deficits may, therefore, contribute to fall risk. The objective of this study was to evaluate if reduced EF is a risk factor for future falls over the course of 5 years of follow-up. Secondary objectives were to assess whether single and dual task walking abilities, an alternative window into EF, were associated with fall risk.We longitudinally followed 256 community-living older adults (age: 76.4±4.5 yrs; 61% women who were dementia free and had good mobility upon entrance into the study. At baseline, a computerized cognitive battery generated an index of EF, attention, a closely related construct, and other cognitive domains. Gait was assessed during single and dual task conditions. Falls data were collected prospectively using monthly calendars. Negative binomial regression quantified risk ratios (RR. After adjusting for age, gender and the number of falls in the year prior to the study, only the EF index (RR: .85; CI: .74-.98, p = .021, the attention index (RR: .84; CI: .75-.94, p = .002 and dual tasking gait variability (RR: 1.11; CI: 1.01-1.23; p = .027 were associated with future fall risk. Other cognitive function measures were not related to falls. Survival analyses indicated that subjects with the lowest EF scores were more likely to fall sooner and more likely to experience multiple falls during the 66 months of follow-up (p<0.02.These findings demonstrate that among community-living older adults, the risk of future falls was predicted by performance on EF and attention tests conducted 5 years earlier. The present results link falls among older adults to cognition, indicating that screening EF will likely enhance fall risk assessment, and that treatment of EF may reduce fall risk.

Micro-electromembrane extraction across free liquid membranes. Extractions of basic drugs from undiluted biological samples

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kubáň, Pavel; Boček, Petr

2014-01-01

Roč. 1337, Apr (2014), s. 32-39 ISSN 0021-9673 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA13-05762S Institutional support: RVO:68081715 Keywords : micro-electromembrane extraction * free liquid membranes * biological samples Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation Impact factor: 4.169, year: 2014

Black hole radiation with modified dispersion relation in tunneling paradigm: free-fall frame

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Peng; Yang, Haitang; Ying, Shuxuan [Sichuan University, Center for Theoretical Physics, College of Physical Science and Technology, Chengdu (China)

2016-01-15

Due to the exponential high gravitational red shift near the event horizon of a black hole, it might appear that the Hawking radiation would be highly sensitive to some unknown high energy physics. To study the effects of any unknown physics at the Planck scale on the Hawking radiation, the dispersive field theory models have been proposed, which are variations of Unruh's sonic black hole analogy. In this paper, we use the Hamilton-Jacobi method to investigate the dispersive field theory models. The preferred frame is the free-fall frame of the black hole. The dispersion relation adopted agrees with the relativistic one at low energy but is modified near the Planck mass m{sub p}. The corrections to the Hawking temperature are calculated for massive and charged particles to O(m{sub p}{sup -2}) and neutral and massless particles with λ = 0 to all orders. The Hawking temperature of radiation agrees with the standard one at the leading order. After the spectrum of radiation near the horizon is obtained, we use the brick wall model to compute the thermal entropy of a massless scalar field near the horizon of a 4D spherically symmetric black hole and a 2D one. Finally, the luminosity of a Schwarzschild black hole is calculated by using the geometric optics approximation. (orig.)

STE-QUEST—test of the universality of free fall using cold atom interferometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aguilera, D N; Braxmaier, C; Ahlers, H; Ertmer, W; Gaaloul, N; Hartwig, J; Battelier, B; Bertoldi, A; Bouyer, P; Bawamia, A; Bondarescu, R; Bongs, K; Cacciapuoti, L; Gehler, M; Chaloner, C; Chwalla, M; Gerardi, D; Franz, M; Gesa, L; Gürlebeck, N

2014-01-01

The theory of general relativity describes macroscopic phenomena driven by the influence of gravity while quantum mechanics brilliantly accounts for microscopic effects. Despite their tremendous individual success, a complete unification of fundamental interactions is missing and remains one of the most challenging and important quests in modern theoretical physics. The spacetime explorer and quantum equivalence principle space test satellite mission, proposed as a medium-size mission within the Cosmic Vision program of the European Space Agency (ESA), aims for testing general relativity with high precision in two experiments by performing a measurement of the gravitational redshift of the Sun and the Moon by comparing terrestrial clocks, and by performing a test of the universality of free fall of matter waves in the gravitational field of Earth comparing the trajectory of two Bose–Einstein condensates of 85 Rb and 87 Rb. The two ultracold atom clouds are monitored very precisely thanks to techniques of atom interferometry. This allows to reach down to an uncertainty in the Eötvös parameter of at least 2 × 10 −15 . In this paper, we report about the results of the phase A mission study of the atom interferometer instrument covering the description of the main payload elements, the atomic source concept, and the systematic error sources. (paper)

Growth of dopamine crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patil, Vidya, E-mail: vidya.patil@ruparel.edu; Patki, Mugdha, E-mail: mugdha.patki@ruparel.edu [D. G. Ruparel College, Senapati Bapat Marg, Mahim, Mumbai – 400 016 (India)

2016-05-06

Many nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals have been identified as potential candidates in optical and electro-optical devices. Use of NLO organic crystals is expected in photonic applications. Hence organic nonlinear optical materials have been intensely investigated due to their potentially high nonlinearities, and rapid response in electro-optic effect compared to inorganic NLO materials. There are many methods to grow organic crystals such as vapor growth method, melt growth method and solution growth method. Out of these methods, solution growth method is useful in providing constraint free crystal. Single crystals of Dopamine have been grown by evaporating the solvents from aqueous solution. Crystals obtained were of the size of orders of mm. The crystal structure of dopamine was determined using XRD technique. Images of crystals were obtained using FEG SEM Quanta Series under high vacuum and low KV.

Proceedings of the Conference and Symposium Korean Association for Radiation Protection Fall Meeting 2013

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-11-15

This proceedings contains articles of the Korean Association for Radiation Protection Fall Meeting, 2013. It was held on Nov.20-22, 2013 Ramada Plaza Hotel in Suwon, Korea and subject of the Korean Association for Radiation Protection Fall Meeting 2013. This proceedings is comprised of 7 sessions. The main topic titles of session are as follows: Medical treatment and Biology 1, Measurement and Analysis 1, Radiation protection1, Medical treatment and Biology 2, Measurement and Analysis 2, Radiation protection 2, Radiation protection 3.

Falls following discharge after an in-hospital fall

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kessler Lori A

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Falls are among the most common adverse events reported in hospitalized patients. While there is a growing body of literature on fall prevention in the hospital, the data examining the fall rate and risk factors for falls in the immediate post-hospitalization period has not been well described. The objectives of the present study were to determine the fall rate of in-hospital fallers at home and to explore the risk factors for falls during the immediate post-hospitalization period. Methods We identified patients who sustained a fall on one of 16 medical/surgical nursing units during an inpatient admission to an urban community teaching hospital. After discharge, falls were ascertained using weekly telephone surveillance for 4 weeks post-discharge. Patients were followed until death, loss to follow up or end of study (four weeks. Time spent rehospitalized or institutionalized was censored in rate calculations. Results Of 95 hospitalized patients who fell during recruitment, 65 (68% met inclusion criteria and agreed to participate. These subjects contributed 1498 person-days to the study (mean duration of follow-up = 23 days. Seventy-five percent were African-American and 43% were women. Sixteen patients (25% had multiple falls during hospitalization and 23 patients (35% suffered a fall-related injury during hospitalization. Nineteen patients (29% experienced 38 falls at their homes, yielding a fall rate of 25.4/1,000 person-days (95% CI: 17.3-33.4. Twenty-three patients (35% were readmitted and 3(5% died. One patient experienced a hip fracture. In exploratory univariate analysis, persons who were likely to fall at home were those who sustained multiple falls in the hospital (p = 0.008. Conclusion Patients who fall during hospitalization, especially on more than one occasion, are at high risk for falling at home following hospital discharge. Interventions to reduce falls would be appropriate to test in this high-risk population.

Molecular dynamics simulations of liquid crystals at interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shield, Mark

2002-01-01

Molecular dynamics simulations of an atomistic model of 4-n-octyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl (8CB) were performed for thin films of 8CB on solid substrates (a pseudopotential representation of the molecular topography of the (100) crystal surface of polyethylene (PE), a highly ordered atomistic model of a pseudo-crystalline PE surface and an atomistic model of a partially orientated film of PE), free standing thin films of 8CB and 8CB droplets in a hexagonal pit. The systems showed strong homeotropic anchoring at the free volume interface and planar anchoring at the solid interface whose strength was dependent upon the surface present. The free volume interface also demonstrated weak signs of smectic wetting of the bulk. Simulations of thin free standing films of liquid crystals showed the ordered nature of the liquid crystals at the two free volume interfaces can be adopted by the region of liquid crystal molecules between the homeotropic layer at each interface only if there is a certain number of liquid crystal molecules present. The perpendicular anchoring imposed by the free volume interface and the solid interface for the thin films on the solid substrates resulted in some evidence for the liquid crystal director undergoing a continual rotation at low temperatures and a definite discontinuous change at higher temperatures. The liquid crystal alignment imparted by these substrates was found to depend upon the topography of the surface and not the direction of the polymer chains in the substrate. The liquid crystal was found to order via an epitaxy-like mechanism. The perpendicular anchoring results in a drop in the order - disorder transition temperature for the molecules in the region between the homeotropic layer at the free volume interface and the planar layers at the solid interface. An increase in the size of this region does not alter the transition temperature. The shape of the liquid crystal molecules is dependent upon the degree of order and thus the nematic

Women's perspectives on falls and fall prevention during pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Brewin, Dorothy; Naninni, Angela

2014-01-01

Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury in women. During pregnancy, even a minor fall can result in adverse consequences. Evidence to inform effective and developmentally appropriate pregnancy fall prevention programs is lacking. Early research on pregnancy fall prevention suggests that exercise may reduce falls. However, acceptability and effectiveness of pregnancy fall prevention programs are untested. To better understand postpartum women's perspective and preferences on fall prevention strategies during pregnancy to formulate an intervention. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted with 31 postpartum women using descriptive qualitative methodology. Discussion of falls during pregnancy and fall prevention strategies was guided by a focus group protocol and enhanced by 1- to 3-minute videos on proposed interventions. Focus groups were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using NVivo 10 software. Emerging themes were environmental circumstances and physical changes of pregnancy leading to a fall, prevention strategies, barriers, safety concerns, and marketing a fall prevention program. Wet surfaces and inappropriate footwear commonly contributed to falls. Women preferred direct provider counseling and programs including yoga and Pilates. Fall prevention strategies tailored to pregnant women are needed. Perspectives of postpartum women support fall prevention through provider counseling and individual or supervised exercise programs.

Waveguiding in supported phononic crystal plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasseur, J; Hladky-Hennion, A-C; Deymier, P; Djafari-Rouhani, B; Duval, F; Dubus, B; Pennec, Y

2007-01-01

We investigate, with the help of the finite element method, the existence of absolute band gaps in the band structure of a free-standing phononic crystal plate and of a phononic crystal slab deposited on a substrate. The two-dimensional phononic crystal is constituted by a square array of holes drilled in an active piezoelectric (PZT5A or AlN) matrix. For both matrix materials, an absolute band gap occurs in the band structure of the free-standing plate provided the thickness of the plate is on the order of magnitude of the lattice parameter. When the plate is deposited on a Si substrate, the absolute band gap still remains when the matrix of the phononic crystal is made of PZT5A. The AlN phononic crystal plate losses its gap when supported by the Si substrate. In the case of the PZT5A matrix, we also study the possibility of localized modes associated with a linear defect created by removing one row of air holes in the deposited phononic crystal plate

Proceedings of the Conference and Symposium Korean Association for Radiation Protection Fall Meeting 2014

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2014-11-15

This proceedings contains articles of the Korean Association for Radiation Protection Fall Meeting, 2014. It was held on Nov.19-21, 2014 in Jeju, Korea and subject of the Korean Association for Radiation Protection Fall Meeting 2014. This proceedings is comprised of 8 sessions. The main topic titles of session are as follows: Radiation protection 1, Medical treatment and Biology 1, Radiation measurement 1, Radiation environment and protection 1, Radiation protection 2, Medical treatment and Biology 2, Radiation Measurement 2, Radiation environment and protection 2.

Primary and secondary fragmentation of crystal-bearing intermediate magma

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Thomas J.; McNamara, Keri; Eychenne, Julia; Rust, Alison C.; Cashman, Katharine V.; Scheu, Bettina; Edwards, Robyn

2016-11-01

Crystal-rich intermediate magmas are subjected to both primary and secondary fragmentation processes, each of which may produce texturally distinct tephra. Of particular interest for volcanic hazards is the extent to which each process contributes ash to volcanic plumes. One way to address this question is by fragmenting pyroclasts under controlled conditions. We fragmented pumice samples from Soufriere Hills Volcano (SHV), Montserrat, by three methods: rapid decompression in a shock tube-like apparatus, impact by a falling piston, and milling in a ball mill. Grain size distributions of the products reveal that all three mechanisms produce fractal breakage patterns, and that the fractal dimension increases from a minimum of 2.1 for decompression fragmentation (primary fragmentation) to a maximum of 2.7 by repeated impact (secondary fragmentation). To assess the details of the fragmentation process, we quantified the shape, texture and components of constituent ash particles. Ash shape analysis shows that the axial ratio increases during milling and that particle convexity increases with repeated impacts. We also quantify the extent to which the matrix is separated from the crystals, which shows that secondary processes efficiently remove adhering matrix from crystals, particularly during milling (abrasion). Furthermore, measurements of crystal size distributions before (using x-ray computed tomography) and after (by componentry of individual grain size classes) decompression-driven fragmentation show not only that crystals influence particular size fractions across the total grain size distribution, but also that free crystals are smaller in the fragmented material than in the original pumice clast. Taken together, our results confirm previous work showing both the control of initial texture on the primary fragmentation process and the contributions of secondary processes to ash formation. Critically, however, our extension of previous analyses to characterisation

Geometric triangular chiral hexagon crystal-like complexes organization in pathological tissues biological collision order.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jairo A Díaz

Full Text Available The present study describes and documents self-assembly of geometric triangular chiral hexagon crystal like complex organizations (GTCHC in human pathological tissues. The authors have found this architectural geometric expression at macroscopic and microscopic levels mainly in cancer processes. This study is based essentially on macroscopic and histopathologic analyses of 3000 surgical specimens: 2600 inflammatory lesions and 400 malignant tumours. Geometric complexes identified photographically at macroscopic level were located in the gross surgical specimen, and these areas were carefully dissected. Samples were taken to carry out histologic analysis. Based on the hypothesis of a collision genesis mechanism and because it is difficult to carry out an appropriate methodological observation in biological systems, the authors designed a model base on other dynamic systems to obtain indirect information in which a strong white flash wave light discharge, generated by an electronic device, hits over the lines of electrical conductance structured in helicoidal pattern. In their experimental model, the authors were able to reproduce and to predict polarity, chirality, helicoid geometry, triangular and hexagonal clusters through electromagnetic sequential collisions. They determined that similar events among constituents of extracelular matrix which drive and produce piezoelectric activity are responsible for the genesis of GTCHC complexes in pathological tissues. This research suggests that molecular crystals represented by triangular chiral hexagons derived from a collision-attraction event against collagen type I fibrils emerge at microscopic and macroscopic scales presenting a lateral assembly of each side of hypertrophy helicoid fibers, that represent energy flow in cooperative hierarchically chiral electromagnetic interaction in pathological tissues and arises as a geometry of the equilibrium in perturbed biological systems. Further

Geometric triangular chiral hexagon crystal-like complexes organization in pathological tissues biological collision order.

Science.gov (United States)

Díaz, Jairo A; Jaramillo, Natalia A; Murillo, Mauricio F

2007-12-12

The present study describes and documents self-assembly of geometric triangular chiral hexagon crystal like complex organizations (GTCHC) in human pathological tissues. The authors have found this architectural geometric expression at macroscopic and microscopic levels mainly in cancer processes. This study is based essentially on macroscopic and histopathologic analyses of 3000 surgical specimens: 2600 inflammatory lesions and 400 malignant tumours. Geometric complexes identified photographically at macroscopic level were located in the gross surgical specimen, and these areas were carefully dissected. Samples were taken to carry out histologic analysis. Based on the hypothesis of a collision genesis mechanism and because it is difficult to carry out an appropriate methodological observation in biological systems, the authors designed a model base on other dynamic systems to obtain indirect information in which a strong white flash wave light discharge, generated by an electronic device, hits over the lines of electrical conductance structured in helicoidal pattern. In their experimental model, the authors were able to reproduce and to predict polarity, chirality, helicoid geometry, triangular and hexagonal clusters through electromagnetic sequential collisions. They determined that similar events among constituents of extracelular matrix which drive and produce piezoelectric activity are responsible for the genesis of GTCHC complexes in pathological tissues. This research suggests that molecular crystals represented by triangular chiral hexagons derived from a collision-attraction event against collagen type I fibrils emerge at microscopic and macroscopic scales presenting a lateral assembly of each side of hypertrophy helicoid fibers, that represent energy flow in cooperative hierarchically chiral electromagnetic interaction in pathological tissues and arises as a geometry of the equilibrium in perturbed biological systems. Further interdisciplinary studies must

Tetragonal-to-Tetragonal Phase Transition in Lead-Free (KxNa1−xNbO3 (x = 0.11 and 0.17 Crystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dabin Lin

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Lead free piezoelectric crystals of (KxNa1−xNbO3 (x = 0.11 and 0.17 have been grown by the modified Bridgman method. The structure and chemical composition of the obtained crystals were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA. The domain structure evolution with increasing temperature for (KxNa1−xNbO3 (x = 0.11 and 0.17 crystals was observed using polarized light microscopy (PLM, where distinguished changes of the domain structures were found to occur at 400 °C and 412 °C respectively, corresponding to the tetragonal to tetragonal phase transition temperatures. Dielectric measurements performed on (K0.11Na0.89NbO3 crystals exhibited tetragonal to tetragonal and tetragonal to cubic phase transitions temperatures at 405 °C and 496 °C, respectively.

The development of a fear of falling interdisciplinary intervention program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando Gomez

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Fernando Gomez, Carmen-Lucia CurcioResearch Group on Gerontology and Geriatrics, Health Sciences Faculty, University of Caldas, Manizales, ColombiaObjective: To describe the development process of a protocol for a fear of falling interdisciplinary intervention program based on the main factors associated with fear of falling.Design/methods: The process of developing a protocol consisted of defining the target population, selecting the initial assessment components, adapting the intervention program based on findings about fear of falling and restriction of activities in this population.Settings: University-affiliated outpatient vertigo, dizziness and falls clinic in coffee-growers zone of Colombian Andes Mountains.Results: An intervention program was developed based on three main falling conceptual models. A medical intervention, based on a biomedical and pathophysiological model, a physiotherapeutic intervention based on a postural control model and a psychological intervention based on a biological-behavioral model.Conclusion: This interdisciplinary fear of falling intervention program developed is based on particular characteristics of target population, with differences in the inclusion criteria and the program intervention components; with emphasis on medical (recurrent falls and dizziness evaluation and management, psychological (cognitive-behavioral therapy and physiotherapeutic (balance and transfers training components.Keywords: fear of falling, elderly programs, Colombian, intervention

High frequency transducer for vessel imaging based on lead-free Mn-doped (K0.44Na0.56)NbO3 single crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Jinpeng; Xue, Saidong; Zhao, Xiangyong; Wang, Feifei; Tang, Yanxue; Duan, Zhihua; Wang, Tao; Shi, Wangzhou; Yue, Qingwen; Zhou, Huifang; Luo, Haosu; Fang, Bijun

2017-08-01

We report a high frequency ultrasonic transducer up to 50 MHz for vessel imaging based on a lead-free (K0.44Na0.56)NbO3-0.5 mol. % Mn (Mn-KNN) single crystal, which has a high electromechanical coupling coefficient kt of 0.64 and a large thickness frequency constant Nt of 3210 kHz . mm. The Krimholtz, Leedom, and Mattaei (KLM) equivalent circuit model was utilized to simulate and optimize the pulse-echo response combined with PiezoCAD software. Theoretically, a high -6 dB bandwidth of 74.94% was obtained at a center frequency of 50.47 MHz and optimized matching conditions. The experimental results showed a center frequency of 51.8 MHz with a -6 dB bandwidth of 70.2%. The excellent global performance makes this lead-free single-crystal transducer quite potential in an environmentally friendly vessel imaging transducer.

Photonic Free-Electron Lasers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Slot, Petrus J.M.; Denis, T.; Lee, J.H.H.; van Dijk, M.W.; Boller, Klaus J.

2012-01-01

A photonic free-electron laser (pFEL) produces coherent Cerenkov radiation from a set of parallel electron beams streaming through a photonic crystal. The function of the crystal is to slow down the phase velocity of a copropagating electromagnetic wave, such that also mildly relativistic electrons

Bloch Surface Waves Biosensors for High Sensitivity Detection of Soluble ERBB2 in a Complex Biological Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinibaldi, Alberto; Sampaoli, Camilla; Danz, Norbert; Munzert, Peter; Sonntag, Frank; Centola, Fabio; Occhicone, Agostino; Tremante, Elisa; Giacomini, Patrizio; Michelotti, Francesco

2017-08-17

We report on the use of one-dimensional photonic crystals to detect clinically relevant concentrations of the cancer biomarker ERBB2 in cell lysates. Overexpression of the ERBB2 protein is associated with aggressive breast cancer subtypes. To detect soluble ERBB2, we developed an optical set-up which operates in both label-free and fluorescence modes. The detection approach makes use of a sandwich assay, in which the one-dimensional photonic crystals sustaining Bloch surface waves are modified with monoclonal antibodies, in order to guarantee high specificity during the biological recognition. We present the results of exemplary protein G based label-free assays in complex biological matrices, reaching an estimated limit of detection of 0.5 ng/mL. On-chip and chip-to-chip variability of the results is addressed too, providing repeatability rates. Moreover, results on fluorescence operation demonstrate the capability to perform high sensitive cancer biomarker assays reaching a resolution of 0.6 ng/mL, without protein G assistance. The resolution obtained in both modes meets international guidelines and recommendations (15 ng/mL) for ERBB2 quantification assays, providing an alternative tool to phenotype and diagnose molecular cancer subtypes.

Relationship between subjective fall risk assessment and falls and fall-related fractures in frail elderly people.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimada, Hiroyuki; Suzukawa, Megumi; Ishizaki, Tatsuro; Kobayashi, Kumiko; Kim, Hunkyung; Suzuki, Takao

2011-08-12

Objective measurements can be used to identify people with risks of falls, but many frail elderly adults cannot complete physical performance tests. The study examined the relationship between a subjective risk rating of specific tasks (SRRST) to screen for fall risks and falls and fall-related fractures in frail elderly people. The SRRST was investigated in 5,062 individuals aged 65 years or older who were utilized day-care services. The SRRST comprised 7 dichotomous questions to screen for fall risks during movements and behaviours such as walking, transferring, and wandering. The history of falls and fall-related fractures during the previous year was reported by participants or determined from an interview with the participant's family and care staff. All SRRST items showed significant differences between the participants with and without falls and fall-related fractures. In multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, diseases, and behavioural variables, the SRRST score was independently associated with history of falls and fractures. Odds ratios for those in the high-risk SRRST group (≥ 5 points) compared with the no risk SRRST group (0 point) were 6.15 (p fall, 15.04 (p falls, and 5.05 (p fall-related fractures. The results remained essentially unchanged in subgroup analysis accounting for locomotion status. These results suggest that subjective ratings by care staff can be utilized to determine the risks of falls and fall-related fractures in the frail elderly, however, these preliminary results require confirmation in further prospective research.

Heat transport in an anharmonic crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Acharya, Shiladitya; Mukherjee, Krishnendu

2018-04-01

We study transport of heat in an ordered, anharmonic crystal in the form of slab geometry in three dimensions. Apart from attaching baths of Langevin type to two extreme surfaces, we also attach baths of same type to the intermediate surfaces of the slab. Since the crystal is uninsulated, it exchanges energy with the intermediate heat baths. We find that both Fourier’s law of heat conduction and the Newton’s law of cooling hold to leading order in anharmonic coupling. The leading behavior of the temperature profile is exponentially falling from high to low temperature surface of the slab. As the anharmonicity increases, profiles fall more below the harmonic one in the log plot. In the thermodynamic limit thermal conductivity remains independent of the environment temperature and its leading order anharmonic contribution is linearly proportional to the temperature change between the two extreme surfaces of the slab. A fast crossover from one-dimensional (1D) to three-dimensional (3D) behavior of the thermal conductivity is observed in the system.

Proceedings of the Conference and Symposium Korean Association for Radiation Protection Fall Meeting 2012

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-11-15

This proceedings contains articles of the Korean Association for Radiation Protection Fall Meeting, 2012. It was held on Nov. 28-30, 2012 Phoenix Island in Jeju, Korea and subject of the Korean Association for Radiation Protection Fall Meeting 2012. This proceedings is comprised of 8 sessions. The main topic titles of session are as follows: The main topic titles of session are as follows: Medical treatment and Biology 1, Measurement and Analysis 1, Measurement and Analysis 2, Radiation protection 1, Radiation protection 2, Medical treatment and Biology 2, Measurement and Analysis 3, Radiation protection 3.

Proceedings of the Conference and Symposium Korean Association for Radiation Protection Fall Meeting 2015

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2015-10-15

This proceedings contains articles of the Korean Association for Radiation Protection Fall Meeting, 2015. It was held on Oct.23, 2015 Mayfield Hotel in Seoul, Korea and subject of the Korean Association for Radiation Protection Fall Meeting 2015. This proceedings is comprised of 8 sessions. The main topic titles of session are as follows: Radiation protection 1, Medical treatment and Biology 1, Radiation Measurement 1, Radiation environment and disasters prevention 1, Radiation protection 2, Medical treatment and Biology 2, Radiation Measurement 2, Radiation environment and disasters prevention 2.

Effect of chemical and isotope substitution in LiH crystals on polariton emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plekhanov, V.G.

1994-01-01

Measurements of fine structure of phonon-free line of free exciton radiation in mixed crystals LiH x F 1-x (o x D 1-x (O x F 1-x crystals a sharp increase in the intensity of phonon-free line of free exciton radiation as compared with its LO repetitions is observed. The experimental results suggest manifestation of polariton effects in mixed crystals produced on the basis of lithium hydride. 17 refs., 2 figs

Pulsar formation and the fall back mass fraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colgate, S.A.

1988-01-01

The picture of the explosion of 1987A following collapse to a neutron star and neutrino emission is difficult to reconcile with the subsequent behavior of the ejected mass. It is shown that the inner solar mass of ejected matter should progressively fall back onto the neutron star after it collides with the outer 10--15 M circle and after an initial phase of explosion driven by a hot bubble for t approx-gt 2 x 10 3 s. This fall back is augmented due to heating by the radioactive decay of 56 Ni. The matter accreted onto the neutron star rapidly cools due to neutrino emission and merges with the neutron star, thus resulting in zero back pressure to the free falling matter. The predicted fall back mass approx-gt 1 M circle is far larger than is consistent with observations. The author discusses how the most likely explanation is that the hot radiation dominated bubble is continuously heated by neutrino emission from continuing accretion. This accretion continues until the presumed pulsar magnetic field exceeds the bubble pressure

Separation of enantiomers by continuous preferential crystallization: Experimental realization using a coupled crystallizer configuration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chaaban, Joussef Hussein; Dam-Johansen, Kim; Kiil, Søren

2013-01-01

The experimental realization of a continuous preferential crystallization process, consisting of two mixed-flow crystallizers coupled via crystal-free liquid exchange streams and with only the liquid phases operating continuously, is addressed. Experiments in triplicate, using the conglomerate....... Successful enantioseparation by crystal growth, with the repeatability being within ±10% deviation, was obtained. However, slow crystal growth, due to a low surface integration rate, led to a negligible consumption of the desired enantiomer added in the feed solution, resulting in low productivities....... Productivities, yields, and purities of solid products were influenced by the morphological differences in the seed crystals. Due to irregularly shaped seed crystals, increase in the productivities and yields were achieved in the L-Tank. Lower purities of solid products from the L-Tank compared to purities...

A highly-sensitive label-free biosensor based on two dimensional photonic crystals with negative refraction

Science.gov (United States)

Malmir, Narges; Fasihi, Kiazand

2017-11-01

In this work, we present a novel high-sensitive optical label-free biosensor based on a two-dimensional photonic crystal (2D PC). The suggested structure is composed of a negative refraction structure in a hexagonal lattice PC, along with a positive refraction structure which is arranged in a square lattice PC. The frequency shift of the transmission peak is measured respect to the changes of refractive indices of the studied materials (the blood plasma, water, dry air and normal air). The studied materials are filled into a W1 line-defect waveguide which is located in the PC structure with positive refraction (the microfluidic nanochannel). Our numerical simulations, which are based on finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method, show that in the proposed structure, a sensitivity about 1100 nm/RIU and a transmission efficiency more than 75% can be achieved. With this design, to the best of our knowledge, the obtained sensitivity and the transmission efficiency are one of the highest values in the reported PC label-free biosensors.

Carboxylic acids in crystallization of macromolecules: learning from successful crystallization experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Offermann, Lesa R; He, John Z; Mank, Nicholas J; Booth, William T; Chruszcz, Maksymilian

2014-03-01

The production of macromolecular crystals suitable for structural analysis is one of the most important and limiting steps in the structure determination process. Often, preliminary crystallization trials are performed using hundreds of empirically selected conditions. Carboxylic acids and/or their salts are one of the most popular components of these empirically derived crystallization conditions. Our findings indicate that almost 40 % of entries deposited to the Protein Data Bank (PDB) reporting crystallization conditions contain at least one carboxylic acid. In order to analyze the role of carboxylic acids in macromolecular crystallization, a large-scale analysis of the successful crystallization experiments reported to the PDB was performed. The PDB is currently the largest source of crystallization data, however it is not easily searchable. These complications are due to a combination of a free text format, which is used to capture information on the crystallization experiments, and the inconsistent naming of chemicals used in crystallization experiments. Despite these difficulties, our approach allows for the extraction of over 47,000 crystallization conditions from the PDB. Initially, the selected conditions were investigated to determine which carboxylic acids or their salts are most often present in crystallization solutions. From this group, selected sets of crystallization conditions were analyzed in detail, assessing parameters such as concentration, pH, and precipitant used. Our findings will lead to the design of new crystallization screens focused around carboxylic acids.

Photonic crystals: role of architecture and disorder on spectral properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Verma, Rupesh; Audhkhasi, Romil; Thyagarajan, Krishna; Banerjee, Varsha

2018-03-01

Many of the present-day optical devices use photonic crystals. These are multilayers of dielectric media that control the reflection and transmission of light falling on them. In this paper, we study the optical properties of periodic, fractal, and aperiodic photonic crystals and compare them based on their attributes. Our calculations of the band reflectivity and degree of robustness reveal novel features, e.g., fractal photonic crystals are found to reflect the maximum amount of incident light. On the other hand, aperiodic photonic crystals have the largest immunity to disorder. We believe that such properties will be useful in a variety of applications in the field of optical communication.

Crystallization of aqueous ammonium sulfate particles internally mixed with soot and kaolinite: crystallization relative humidities and nucleation rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Pant, Atul; Parsons, Matthew T; Bertram, Allan K

2006-07-20

Using optical microscopy, we investigated the crystallization of aqueous ammonium sulfate droplets containing soot and kaolinite, as well as the crystallization of aqueous ammonium sulfate droplets free of solid material. Our results show that soot did not influence the crystallization RH of aqueous ammonium sulfate particles under our experimental conditions. In contrast, kaolinite increased the crystallization RH of the aqueous ammonium sulfate droplets by approximately 10%. In addition, our results show that the crystallization RH of aqueous ammonium sulfate droplets free of solid material does not depend strongly on particle size. This is consistent with conclusions made previously in the literature, based on comparisons of results from different laboratories. From the crystallization results we determined the homogeneous nucleation rates of crystalline ammonium sulfate in aqueous ammonium sulfate droplets and the heterogeneous nucleation rates of crystalline ammonium sulfate in aqueous ammonium sulfate particles containing kaolinite. Using classical nucleation theory and our experimental data, we determined that the interfacial tension between an ammonium sulfate critical nucleus and an aqueous ammonium sulfate solution is 0.064 +/- 0.003 J m(-2) (in agreement with our previous measurements), and the contact angle between an ammonium sulfate critical nucleus and a kaolinite surface is 59 +/- 2 degrees. On the basis of our results, we argue that soot will not influence the crystallization RH of aqueous ammonium sulfate droplets in the atmosphere, but kaolinite can significantly modify the crystallization RH of atmospheric ammonium sulfate droplets. As an example, the CRH50 (the relative humidity at which 50% of the droplets crystallize) ranges from about 41 to 51% RH when the diameter of the kaolinite inclusion ranges from 0.1 to 5 microm. For comparison, the CRH50 of aqueous ammonium sulfate droplets (0.5 microm diameter) free of solid material is

Radical distributions in ammonium tartrate single crystals exposed to photon and neutron beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marrale, M.; Longo, A.; Brai, M.; Barbon, A.; Brustolon, M.

2014-01-01

The radiation therapy carried out by means of heavy charged particles (such as carbon ions) and neutrons is rapidly becoming widespread worldwide. The success of these radiation therapies relies on the high density of energy released by these particles or by secondary particles produced after primary interaction with matter. The biological damages produced by ionising radiations in tissues and cells depend more properly on the energy released per unit pathlength, which is the linear energy transfer and which determines the radiation quality. To improve the therapy effectiveness, it is necessary to grasp the mechanisms of free radical production and distribution after irradiation with these particles when compared with the photon beams. In this work some preliminary results on the analysis of the spatial distributions of the free radicals produced after exposure of ammonium tartrate crystals to various radiation beams ( 60 Co gamma photons and thermal neutrons) were reported. Electron spin resonance analyses were performed by the electron spin echo technique, which allows the determination of local spin concentrations and by double electron-electron resonance technique, which is able to measure the spatial distance distribution (range 1.5-8 nm) among pairs of radicals in solids. The results of these analyses are discussed on the basis of the different distributions of free radicals produced by the two different radiation beams used. This paper extends to the single crystal case, a similar work done on AT powder irradiated with different beams, with assessment of microscopic radical concentration by determining the amount of ID contribution and obtaining the inter-radical distance distributions by double microwave irradiation. In this paper single crystals of AT have been exposed to 60 Co photons and neutrons. The results confirm that advanced pulse EPR techniques allow the direct measurement of the local free radical concentration and provide information about the

3D electron tomography of biological photonic crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Butz, Benjamin; Winter, Benjamin; Vieweg, Benito; Knoke, Isabel; Spallek, Stefanie; Spiecker, Erdmann [CENEM, Universitaet Erlangen-Nuernberg (Germany); Schroeder-Turk, Gerd; Mecke, Klaus [Theoretische Physik I, Universitaet Erlangen-Nuernberg (Germany)

2011-07-01

Photonic crystals, i.e. periodical nanostructures of materials with different dielectric constants, are highly interesting for applications in optics, optoelectronics, and sensing. By tailoring the geometrical parameters radically different and improved optical properties (e.g., optical band-gap structure, extreme refractive indices, or high anisotropy) can be achieved. Naturally occurring photonic crystals, like butterfly scales, exoskeletons of insects (chitin), or seashells (nacre), can serve as model systems for understanding the relationship between structure and optical properties. Butterfly scales are studied by TEM using a FEI Titan{sup 3} 80-300 instrument. An optimized FIB technique or ultramicrotome sectioning were used to prepare the sensitive specimens with desired thickness. Since the periodical structures have dimensions on the sub-{mu}m scale, HAADF-STEM tomography was employed for obtaining extended tilt series under conditions of atomic-number sensitive imaging. Since the solid crystal consists of chemically homogeneous chitin while the pores are unfilled, the distinct contrast in the images can easily be interpreted in terms of the local projected mass density allowing to reconstruct the chitin distribution within the optical unit cell of the scales with high 3D resolution.

Photonic crystal fiber interferometric pH sensor based on polyvinyl alcohol/polyacrylic acid hydrogel coating.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Pengbing; Dong, Xinyong; Wong, Wei Chang; Chen, Li Han; Ni, Kai; Chan, Chi Chiu

2015-04-01

We present a simple photonic crystal fiber interferometer (PCFI) that operates in reflection mode for pH measurement. The sensor is made by coating polyvinyl alcohol/polyacrylic acid (PVA/PAA) hydrogel onto the surface of the PCFI, constructed by splicing a stub of PCF at the distal end of a single-mode fiber with its free end airhole collapsed. The experimental results demonstrate a high average sensitivity of 0.9 nm/pH unit for the 11 wt.% PVA/PAA coated sensor in the pH range from 2.5 to 6.5. The sensor also displays high repeatability and stability and low cross-sensitivity to temperature. Fast, reversible rise and fall times of 12 s and 18 s, respectively, are achieved for the sensor time response.

A simple method of fabricating mask-free microfluidic devices for biological analysis.

KAUST Repository

Yi, Xin

2010-09-07

We report a simple, low-cost, rapid, and mask-free method to fabricate two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) microfluidic chip for biological analysis researches. In this fabrication process, a laser system is used to cut through paper to form intricate patterns and differently configured channels for specific purposes. Bonded with cyanoacrylate-based resin, the prepared paper sheet is sandwiched between glass slides (hydrophilic) or polymer-based plates (hydrophobic) to obtain a multilayer structure. In order to examine the chip\\'s biocompatibility and applicability, protein concentration was measured while DNA capillary electrophoresis was carried out, and both of them show positive results. With the utilization of direct laser cutting and one-step gas-sacrificing techniques, the whole fabrication processes for complicated 2D and 3D microfluidic devices are shorten into several minutes which make it a good alternative of poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic chips used in biological analysis researches.

Relationship between subjective fall risk assessment and falls and fall-related fractures in frail elderly people

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shimada Hiroyuki

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Objective measurements can be used to identify people with risks of falls, but many frail elderly adults cannot complete physical performance tests. The study examined the relationship between a subjective risk rating of specific tasks (SRRST to screen for fall risks and falls and fall-related fractures in frail elderly people. Methods The SRRST was investigated in 5,062 individuals aged 65 years or older who were utilized day-care services. The SRRST comprised 7 dichotomous questions to screen for fall risks during movements and behaviours such as walking, transferring, and wandering. The history of falls and fall-related fractures during the previous year was reported by participants or determined from an interview with the participant's family and care staff. Results All SRRST items showed significant differences between the participants with and without falls and fall-related fractures. In multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, diseases, and behavioural variables, the SRRST score was independently associated with history of falls and fractures. Odds ratios for those in the high-risk SRRST group (≥ 5 points compared with the no risk SRRST group (0 point were 6.15 (p Conclusion These results suggest that subjective ratings by care staff can be utilized to determine the risks of falls and fall-related fractures in the frail elderly, however, these preliminary results require confirmation in further prospective research.

Liquid crystalline biopolymers: A new arena for liquid crystal research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rizvi, Tasneem Zahra

2001-07-01

This paper gives a brief introduction to liquid crystals on the basis of biopolymers and reviews literature on liquid crystalline behaviour of biopolymers both in vitro and in vivo in relation to their implications in the fields of biology, medicine and material science. Knowledge in the field of biological liquid crystals is crucial for understanding complex phenomena at supramolecular level which will give information about processes involved in biological organization and function. The understanding of the interaction of theses crystals with electric, magnetic, optical and thermal fields will uncover mechanisms of near quantum-energy detection capabilities of biosystems

Patient centered fall risk awareness perspectives: clinical correlates and fall risk

Science.gov (United States)

Verghese, Joe

2016-01-01

Background While objective measures to assess risk of falls in older adults have been established; the value of patient self-reports in the context of falls is not known. Objectives To identify clinical correlates of patient centered fall risk awareness, and their validity for predicting falls. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting and Participants 316 non-demented and ambulatory community-dwelling older adults (mean age 78 years, 55% women). Measurements Fall risk awareness was assessed with a two-item questionnaire, which asked participants about overall likelihood and personal risk of falling over the next 12 months. Incident falls were recorded over study follow-up. Results Fifty-three participants (16.8%) responded positively to the first fall risk awareness question about being likely to have a fall in the next 12 months, and 100 (31.6%) reported being at personal risk of falling over the next 12 months. There was only fair correlation (kappa 0.370) between responses on the two questions. Prior falls and depressive symptoms were associated with positive responses on both fall risk awareness questions. Age and other established fall risk factors were not associated with responses on both fall risk awareness questions. The fall risk awareness questionnaire did not predict incident falls or injurious falls. Conclusion Fall risk awareness is low in older adults. While patient centered fall risk awareness is not predictive of falls, subjective risk perceptions should be considered when designing fall preventive strategies as they may influence participation and behaviors. PMID:27801936

Final Programme and Abstracts. COST Action CM0603 Free Radicals in Chemical Biology (CHEMBIORADICAL) Joint Working Group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

The main objective of the Action is to promote a chemical biology approach for the investigation of free radical pathways. Chemical reactivity and molecular libraries are the start of a multidisciplinary research context 'from small molecules to large systems', culminating in the biological complexity. The Action aims at improving communication and exchange among neighbouring scientific fields, such as chemistry with several domains of life sciences, specifically addressing the real barrier consisting of specialist language and tools. Four working groups address the formation, reactivity and fate of free radicals involving bio-molecules, such as unsaturated lipids, aromatic-, cyclic- and sulphur-containing amino acid residues, sugar and base moieties of nucleic acids. Tasks concern the role of free radicals in normal cell metabolism and in damages, defining structural and functional modifications, in the framework of physiologically and pathologically related processes relevant to human quality of life and health. In the programme are involved 19 universities and research institutions from nearly all European countries. The research programme of the group has been carried and is still continued based on close bilateral collaboration with many foreign laboratories from Europe, USA (Notre Dame Radiation Laboratory) and Chile

Fall-related activity avoidance in relation to a history of falls or near falls, fear of falling and disease severity in people with Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Kader, Manzur; Iwarsson, Susanne; Odin, Per; Nilsson, Maria H

2016-06-02

There is limited knowledge concerning fall-related activity avoidance in people with Parkinson's disease (PD); such knowledge would be of importance for the development of more efficient PD-care and rehabilitation. This study aimed to examine how fall-related activity avoidance relates to a history of self-reported falls/near falls and fear of falling (FOF) as well as to disease severity in people with PD. Data were collected from 251 (61 % men) participants with PD; their median (min-max) age and PD duration were 70 (45-93) and 8 (1-43) years, respectively. A self-administered postal survey preceded a home visit which included observations, clinical tests and interview-administered questionnaires. Fall-related activity avoidance was assessed using the modified Survey of Activities and Fear of Falling in the Elderly (mSAFFE) as well as by using a dichotomous (Yes/No) question. Further dichotomous questions concerned: the presence of FOF and the history (past 6 months) of falls or near falls, followed by stating the number of incidents. Disease severity was assessed according to the Hoehn and Yahr (HY) stages. In the total sample (n = 251), 41 % of the participants reported fall-related activity avoidance; the median mSAFFE score was 22. In relation to a history of fall, the proportions of participants (p fall-related activity avoidance were: non-fallers (30 %), single fallers (50 %) and recurrent fallers, i.e. ≥ 2 falls (57 %). Among those that reported near falls (but no falls), 51 % (26 out of 51) reported fall-related activity avoidance. Of those that reported FOF, 70 % reported fall-related activity avoidance. Fall-related activity avoidance ranged from 24 % in the early PD-stage (HY I) to 74 % in the most severe stages (HY IV-V). Results indicate that fall-related activity avoidance may be related to a history of self-reported falls/near falls, FOF and disease severity in people with PD. Importantly, fall-related activity avoidance is

Can radiation damage to protein crystals be reduced using small-molecule compounds?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kmetko, Jan [Kenyon College, Gambier, OH 43022 (United States); Warkentin, Matthew; Englich, Ulrich; Thorne, Robert E., E-mail: ret6@cornell.edu [Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Kenyon College, Gambier, OH 43022 (United States)

2011-10-01

Free-radical scavengers that are known to be effective protectors of proteins in solution are found to increase global radiation damage to protein crystals. Protective mechanisms may become deleterious in the protein-dense environment of a crystal. Recent studies have defined a data-collection protocol and a metric that provide a robust measure of global radiation damage to protein crystals. Using this protocol and metric, 19 small-molecule compounds (introduced either by cocrystallization or soaking) were evaluated for their ability to protect lysozyme crystals from radiation damage. The compounds were selected based upon their ability to interact with radiolytic products (e.g. hydrated electrons, hydrogen, hydroxyl and perhydroxyl radicals) and/or their efficacy in protecting biological molecules from radiation damage in dilute aqueous solutions. At room temperature, 12 compounds had no effect and six had a sensitizing effect on global damage. Only one compound, sodium nitrate, appeared to extend crystal lifetimes, but not in all proteins and only by a factor of two or less. No compound provided protection at T = 100 K. Scavengers are ineffective in protecting protein crystals from global damage because a large fraction of primary X-ray-induced excitations are generated in and/or directly attack the protein and because the ratio of scavenger molecules to protein molecules is too small to provide appreciable competitive protection. The same reactivity that makes some scavengers effective radioprotectors in protein solutions may explain their sensitizing effect in the protein-dense environment of a crystal. A more productive focus for future efforts may be to identify and eliminate sensitizing compounds from crystallization solutions.

Can radiation damage to protein crystals be reduced using small-molecule compounds?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kmetko, Jan; Warkentin, Matthew; Englich, Ulrich; Thorne, Robert E.

2011-01-01

Free-radical scavengers that are known to be effective protectors of proteins in solution are found to increase global radiation damage to protein crystals. Protective mechanisms may become deleterious in the protein-dense environment of a crystal. Recent studies have defined a data-collection protocol and a metric that provide a robust measure of global radiation damage to protein crystals. Using this protocol and metric, 19 small-molecule compounds (introduced either by cocrystallization or soaking) were evaluated for their ability to protect lysozyme crystals from radiation damage. The compounds were selected based upon their ability to interact with radiolytic products (e.g. hydrated electrons, hydrogen, hydroxyl and perhydroxyl radicals) and/or their efficacy in protecting biological molecules from radiation damage in dilute aqueous solutions. At room temperature, 12 compounds had no effect and six had a sensitizing effect on global damage. Only one compound, sodium nitrate, appeared to extend crystal lifetimes, but not in all proteins and only by a factor of two or less. No compound provided protection at T = 100 K. Scavengers are ineffective in protecting protein crystals from global damage because a large fraction of primary X-ray-induced excitations are generated in and/or directly attack the protein and because the ratio of scavenger molecules to protein molecules is too small to provide appreciable competitive protection. The same reactivity that makes some scavengers effective radioprotectors in protein solutions may explain their sensitizing effect in the protein-dense environment of a crystal. A more productive focus for future efforts may be to identify and eliminate sensitizing compounds from crystallization solutions

Label-free SERS in biological and biomedical applications: Recent progress, current challenges and opportunities

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Xiao-Shan; Jahn, Izabella Jolan; Weber, Karina; Cialla-May, Dana; Popp, Jürgen

2018-05-01

To achieve an insightful look within biomolecular processes on the cellular level, the development of diseases as well as the reliable detection of metabolites and pathogens, a modern analytical tool is needed that is highly sensitive, molecular-specific and exhibits fast detection. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is known to meet these requirements and, within this review article, the recent progress of label-free SERS in biological and biomedical applications is summarized and discussed. This includes the detection of biomolecules such as metabolites, nucleic acids and proteins. Further, the characterization and identification of microorganisms has been achieved by label-free SERS-based approaches. Eukaryotic cells can be characterized by SERS in order to gain information about the outer cell wall or to detect intracellular molecules and metabolites. The potential of SERS for medically relevant detection schemes is emphasized by the label-free detection of tissue, the investigation of body fluids as well as applications for therapeutic and illicit drug monitoring. The review article is concluded with an evaluation of the recent progress and current challenges in order to highlight the direction of label-free SERS in the future.

Accurate Fall Detection in a Top View Privacy Preserving Configuration.

Science.gov (United States)

Ricciuti, Manola; Spinsante, Susanna; Gambi, Ennio

2018-05-29

Fall detection is one of the most investigated themes in the research on assistive solutions for aged people. In particular, a false-alarm-free discrimination between falls and non-falls is indispensable, especially to assist elderly people living alone. Current technological solutions designed to monitor several types of activities in indoor environments can guarantee absolute privacy to the people that decide to rely on them. Devices integrating RGB and depth cameras, such as the Microsoft Kinect, can ensure privacy and anonymity, since the depth information is considered to extract only meaningful information from video streams. In this paper, we propose an accurate fall detection method investigating the depth frames of the human body using a single device in a top-view configuration, with the subjects located under the device inside a room. Features extracted from depth frames train a classifier based on a binary support vector machine learning algorithm. The dataset includes 32 falls and 8 activities considered for comparison, for a total of 800 sequences performed by 20 adults. The system showed an accuracy of 98.6% and only one false positive.

Mitigating fall risk: A community fall reduction program.

Science.gov (United States)

Reinoso, Humberto; McCaffrey, Ruth G; Taylor, David W M

One fourth of all American's over 65 years of age fall each year. Falls are a common and often devastating event that can pose a serious health risk for older adults. Healthcare providers are often unable to spend the time required to assist older adults with fall risk issues. Without a team approach to fall prevention the system remains focused on fragmented levels of health promotion and risk prevention. The specific aim of this project was to engage older adults from the community in a fall risk assessment program, using the Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries (STEADI) program, and provide feedback on individual participants' risks that participants could share with their primary care physician. Older adults who attended the risk screening were taking medications that are known to increase falls. They mentioned that their health care providers do not screen for falls and appreciated a community based screening. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The charm of protein crystals--Structural biology at a glance in the International Year of Crystallography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su Xiaodong; Cao Qin

2014-01-01

Crystallography is a typical intellectual endeavor that has spanned human history for centuries. Through the persistent efforts of generations of scientists, crystallography has been transformed from a mathematical hypothesis to actual physical reality, mainly thanks to X-ray diffraction technology. 2014 is celebrated as the International Year of Crystallography (IYCr-2014), to commemorate that about 100 years ago, when Max von Laue in Germany and the father-and-son Braggs (William Henry Bragg and William Lawrence Bragg) in England pioneered the use of X-rays to determine the atomic structure of crystals; for this pioneering work they were awarded Nobel prizes for physics in the years of 1914 and 1915. This article is dedicated to the IYCr to describe the use of protein crystals, an application that has developed into protein crystallography and subsequently structural biology. In our overview of the history and future prospects of this field, we discuss in detail one example of caspase-6, to demonstrate how protein crystallography can help us understand the structure-function relationship of important proteins. (authors)

Photoluminescence properties of boron doped InSe single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ertap, H.; Bacıoğlu, A.; Karabulut, M.

2015-01-01

Undoped and boron doped InSe single crystals were grown by Bridgman–Stockbarger technique. The PL properties of undoped, 0.1% and 0.5% boron doped InSe single crystals have been investigated at different temperatures. PL measurements revealed four emission bands labeled as A, B, C and D in all the single crystals studied. These emission bands were associated with the radiative recombination of direct free excitons (n=1), impurity-band transitions, donor–acceptor recombinations and structural defect related band (impurity atoms, defects, defect complexes, impurity-vacancy complex etc.), respectively. The direct free exciton (A) bands of undoped, 0.1% and 0.5% boron doped InSe single crystals were observed at 1.337 eV, 1.335 eV and 1.330 eV in the PL spectra measured at 12 K, respectively. Energy positions and PL intensities of the emission bands varied with boron addition. The FWHM of direct free exciton band increases while the FWHM of the D emission band decreases with boron doping. Band gap energies of undoped and boron doped InSe single crystals were calculated from the PL measurements. It was found that the band gap energies of InSe single crystals decreased with increasing boron content. - Highlights: • PL spectra of InSe crystals have been studied as a function of temperature. • Four emission bands were observed in the PL spectra at low temperatures. • PL intensity and position of free exciton band vary with doping and temperature. • Temperature dependences of the bands observed in the PL spectra were analyzed