High aspect ratio channels in glass and porous silicon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liang, H.D. [Centre for Ion Beam Applications (CIBA), Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117542 (Singapore); Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411 (Singapore); Dang, Z.Y. [Centre for Ion Beam Applications (CIBA), Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117542 (Singapore); Wu, J.F. [Centre for Ion Beam Applications (CIBA), Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117542 (Singapore); Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117583 (Singapore); Kan, J.A. van; Qureshi, S. [Centre for Ion Beam Applications (CIBA), Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117542 (Singapore); Ynsa, M.D.; Torres-Costa, V. [Department of Applied Physics, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Centro de Micro-Análisis de Materiales (CMAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco Edif. 22, Faraday 3, E-28049 Madrid (Spain); Maira, A. [Department of Applied Physics, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Venkatesan, T.V. [Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), National University of Singapore, Singapore 117411 (Singapore); Breese, M.B.H., E-mail: phymbhb@nus.edu.sg [Centre for Ion Beam Applications (CIBA), Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117542 (Singapore)

2017-03-01

We have developed a micromachining process to produce high-aspect-ratio channels and holes in glass and porous silicon. Our process utilizes MeV proton beam irradiation of silicon using direct writing with a focused beam, followed by electrochemical etching. To increase throughput we have also developed another process for large area ion irradiation based on a radiation-resistant gold surface mask, allowing many square inches to be patterned. We present a study of the achievable channel width, depth and period and sidewall verticality for a range of channels which can be over 100 μm deep or 100 nm wide with aspect ratios up to 80. This process overcomes the difficulty of machining glass on a micro- and nanometer scale which has limited many areas of applications in different fields such as microelectronics and microfluidics.

Sex ratio at birth: scenario from normal- and high-level natural radiation areas of Kerala coast in south-west India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koya, P.K.M.; Jaikrishan, G.; Sudheer, K.R.; Madhusoodhanan, M.; Jagadeesan, C.K.; Das, Birajalaxmi; Andrews, V.J.

2015-01-01

Newborns were monitored for congenital malformations in four government hospitals located in high-level (ambient dose >1.5 mGy/year) and normal-level (≤1.5 mGy/year) natural radiation areas of Kerala, India, from August 1995 to December 2012. Sex ratio at birth (SRB) among live singleton newborns and among previous children, if any, of their mothers without history of any abortion, stillbirth or twins is reported here. In the absence of environmental stress or selective abortion of females, global average of SRB is about 1050 males to 1000 females. A total of 151,478 singleton, 1031 twins, 12 triplets and 1 quadruplet deliveries were monitored during the study period. Sex ratio among live singleton newborns was 1046 males (95 % CI 1036-1057) for 1000 females (77,153 males:73,730 females) and was comparable to the global average. It was similar in high-level and normal-level radiation areas of Kerala with SRB of 1050 and 1041, respectively. It was consistently more than 1000 and had no association with background radiation levels, maternal and paternal age at birth, parental age difference, gravida status, ethnicity, consanguinity or year of birth. Analysis of SRB of the children of 139,556 women whose reproductive histories were available suggested that couples having male child were likely to opt for more children and this, together with enhanced rate of males at all birth order, was skewing the overall SRB in favour of male children. Though preference for male child was apparent, extreme steps of sex-selective abortion or infanticide were not prevalent. (orig.)

Sex ratio at birth: scenario from normal- and high-level natural radiation areas of Kerala coast in south-west India

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koya, P.K.M.; Jaikrishan, G.; Sudheer, K.R. [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Low Level Radiation Research Laboratory, Low Level Radiation Research Section, Radiation Biology and Health Sciences Division, Bio-Science Group, Kollam (India); Madhusoodhanan, M. [Victoria Hospital, Department of Paediatrics, Kollam (India); Jagadeesan, C.K. [Directorate of Health Services, Thiruvananthapuram (India); Das, Birajalaxmi [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Low Level Radiation Research Section, Radiation Biology and Health Sciences Division, Bio-Science Group, Mumbai (India); Andrews, V.J.

2015-11-15

Newborns were monitored for congenital malformations in four government hospitals located in high-level (ambient dose >1.5 mGy/year) and normal-level (≤1.5 mGy/year) natural radiation areas of Kerala, India, from August 1995 to December 2012. Sex ratio at birth (SRB) among live singleton newborns and among previous children, if any, of their mothers without history of any abortion, stillbirth or twins is reported here. In the absence of environmental stress or selective abortion of females, global average of SRB is about 1050 males to 1000 females. A total of 151,478 singleton, 1031 twins, 12 triplets and 1 quadruplet deliveries were monitored during the study period. Sex ratio among live singleton newborns was 1046 males (95 % CI 1036-1057) for 1000 females (77,153 males:73,730 females) and was comparable to the global average. It was similar in high-level and normal-level radiation areas of Kerala with SRB of 1050 and 1041, respectively. It was consistently more than 1000 and had no association with background radiation levels, maternal and paternal age at birth, parental age difference, gravida status, ethnicity, consanguinity or year of birth. Analysis of SRB of the children of 139,556 women whose reproductive histories were available suggested that couples having male child were likely to opt for more children and this, together with enhanced rate of males at all birth order, was skewing the overall SRB in favour of male children. Though preference for male child was apparent, extreme steps of sex-selective abortion or infanticide were not prevalent. (orig.)

Design and implementation of a high dimming ratio LED drive controller

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Xiaoru; Wu Xiaobo; Zhao Menglian; Yan Xiaolang

2009-01-01

This paper presents a high dimming ratio light emitting diode (LED) drive controller chip with digital mode dimming (DMD). The chip is composed of a boost power converter and a dimming control block. A novel constant on time (COT) control strategy is proposed for boost converter to achieve high dimming ratio. In addition, a fast enough load transient response of the converter power stage ensures its high dimming ratio. The COT control circuit operates mainly based on two current-capacitor timers and a finite state machine (FSM). The LED drive controller chip is designed and fabricated in 1.5 μm bipolar CMOS-DMOS (BCD) process with a die area of 1.31 x 1.43 mm 2 . Experimental results show that the proposed LED drive system works well. And, as expected, the minimum LED dimming on time of 1.0 μs and the corresponding dimming ratio of 1000:1 at 1 kHz dimming frequency are successfully achieved.

High ratio recirculating gas compressor

Science.gov (United States)

Weinbrecht, J.F.

1989-08-22

A high ratio positive displacement recirculating rotary compressor is disclosed. The compressor includes an integral heat exchanger and recirculation conduits for returning cooled, high pressure discharge gas to the compressor housing to reducing heating of the compressor and enable higher pressure ratios to be sustained. The compressor features a recirculation system which results in continuous and uninterrupted flow of recirculation gas to the compressor with no direct leakage to either the discharge port or the intake port of the compressor, resulting in a capability of higher sustained pressure ratios without overheating of the compressor. 10 figs.

Effects of mid-foot contact area ratio on lower body kinetics/kinematics in sagittal plane during stair descent in women.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jinkyu; Hong, Yoon No Gregory; Shin, Choongsoo S

2016-07-01

The mid-foot contact area relative to the total foot contact area can facilitate foot arch structure evaluation. A stair descent motion consistently provides initial fore-foot contact and utilizes the foot arch more actively for energy absorption. The purpose of this study was to compare ankle and knee joint angle, moment, and work in sagittal plane during stair descending between low and high Mid-Foot-Contact-Area (MFCA) ratio group. The twenty-two female subjects were tested and classified into two groups (high MFCA and low MFCA) using their static MFCA ratios. The ground reaction force (GRF) and kinematics of ankle and knee joints were measured while stair descending. During the period between initial contact and the first peak in vertical GRF (early absorption phase), ankle negative work for the low MFCA ratio group was 33% higher than that for the high MFCA ratio group (pcontact and peak dorsiflexion angle (early absorption phase+late absorption phase). The peak ankle dorsiflexion angle was smaller in the low MFCA ratio group (p<0.05). Our results suggest that strategy of energy absorption at the ankle and foot differs depending upon foot arch types classified by MFCA. The low MFCA ratio group seemed to absorb more impact energy using strain in the planar fascia during early absorption phase, whereas the high MFCA ratio group absorbed more impact energy using increased dorsiflexion during late absorption phase. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Peak-area Ratios and Percentage Peak Area Derived from HPLC-evaporative Light Scattering and Refractive Index Detectors for Palm Oil and its Fractions.

Science.gov (United States)

Ping, Bonnie Tay Yen; Aziz, Haliza Abdul; Idris, Zainab

2018-01-01

High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) methods via evaporative light scattering (ELS) and refractive index (RI) detectors are used by the local palm oil industry to monitor the TAG profiles of palm oil and its fractions. The quantitation method used is based on area normalization of the TAG components and expressed as percentage area. Although not frequently used, peak-area ratios based on TAG profiles are a possible qualitative method for characterizing the TAG of palm oil and its fractions. This paper aims to compare these two detectors in terms of peak-area ratio, percentage peak area composition, and TAG elution profiles. The triacylglycerol (TAG) composition for palm oil and its fractions were analysed under similar HPLC conditions i.e. mobile phase and column. However, different sample concentrations were used for the detectors while remaining within the linearity limits of the detectors. These concentrations also gave a good baseline resolved separation for all the TAGs components. The results of the ELSD method's percentage area composition for the TAGs of palm oil and its fractions differed from those of RID. This indicates an unequal response of TAGs for palm oil and its fractions using the ELSD, also affecting the peak area ratios. They were found not to be equivalent to those obtained using the HPLC-RID. The ELSD method showed a better baseline separation for the TAGs components, with a more stable baseline as compared with the corresponding HPLC-RID. In conclusion, the percentage area compositions and peak-area ratios for palm oil and its fractions as derived from HPLC-ELSD and RID were not equivalent due to different responses of TAG components to the ELSD detector. The HPLC-RID has a better accuracy for percentage area composition and peak-area ratio because the TAG components response equally to the detector.

Watershed area ratio accurately predicts daily streamflow in nested catchments in the Catskills, New York

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Chris C. Gianfagna

2015-09-01

New hydrological insights for the region: Watershed area ratio was the most important basin parameter for estimating flow at upstream sites based on downstream flow. The area ratio alone explained 93% of the variance in the slopes of relationships between upstream and downstream flows. Regression analysis indicated that flow at any upstream point can be estimated by multiplying the flow at a downstream reference gage by the watershed area ratio. This method accurately predicted upstream flows at area ratios as low as 0.005. We also observed a very strong relationship (R2 = 0.79 between area ratio and flow–flow slopes in non-nested catchments. Our results indicate that a simple flow estimation method based on watershed area ratios is justifiable, and indeed preferred, for the estimation of daily streamflow in ungaged watersheds in the Catskills region.

Parametric analysis of diffuser requirements for high expansion ratio space engine

Science.gov (United States)

Wojciechowski, C. J.; Anderson, P. G.

1981-01-01

A supersonic diffuser ejector design computer program was developed. Using empirically modified one dimensional flow methods the diffuser ejector geometry is specified by the code. The design code results for calculations up to the end of the diffuser second throat were verified. Diffuser requirements for sea level testing of high expansion ratio space engines were defined. The feasibility of an ejector system using two commonly available turbojet engines feeding two variable area ratio ejectors was demonstrated.

Tracing lead pollution sources in abandoned mine areas using stable Pb isotope ratios.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Eun-Jin; Lee, Jung-A; Park, Jae-Seon; Lee, Khanghyun; Lee, Won-Seok; Han, Jin-Seok; Choi, Jong-Woo

2014-02-01

This study focused on Pb isotope ratios of sediments in areas around an abandoned mine to determine if the ratios can be used as a source tracer. For pretreatment, sediment samples were dissolved with mixed acids, and a multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS, Nu plasma II) was used to investigate the Pb isotopic composition of the samples. The measured isotope ratios were then corrected for instrumental mass fractionation by measuring the (203)Tl/(205)Tl ratio. Repeated measurements with the NIST SRM 981 reference material showed that the precision of all ratios was below 104 ppm (±2σ) for 50 ng/g. The isotope ratios ((207)Pb/(206)Pb) found were 0.85073 ± 0.0004~0.85373 ± 0.0003 for the main stream, while they were 0.83736 ± 0.0010 for the tributary and 0.84393 ± 0.0002 for the confluence. A binary mixing equation for isotope ratios showed that the contributions of mine lead to neighboring areas were up to 60%. Therefore, Pb isotope ratios can be a good source tracer for areas around abandoned mines.

Solar Radiation Pressure Estimation and Analysis of a GEO Class of High Area-to-Mass Ratio Debris Objects

Science.gov (United States)

Kelecy, Tom; Payne, Tim; Thurston, Robin; Stansbery, Gene

2007-01-01

A population of deep space objects is thought to be high area-to-mass ratio (AMR) debris having origins from sources in the geosynchronous orbit (GEO) belt. The typical AMR values have been observed to range anywhere from 1's to 10's of m(sup 2)/kg, and hence, higher than average solar radiation pressure effects result in long-term migration of eccentricity (0.1-0.6) and inclination over time. However, the nature of the debris orientation-dependent dynamics also results time-varying solar radiation forces about the average which complicate the short-term orbit determination processing. The orbit determination results are presented for several of these debris objects, and highlight their unique and varied dynamic attributes. Estimation or the solar pressure dynamics over time scales suitable for resolving the shorter term dynamics improves the orbit estimation, and hence, the orbit predictions needed to conduct follow-up observations.

Measles vaccination coverage in high-incidence areas of the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

including cold-chain maintenance.[5] ... Methods. Households were consecutively sampled in high-incidence areas identified using measles epidemic surveillance data. ... ratio in under-5s was 6.9/1 000 (Department of Health, Provincial.

Holes at High Blowing Ratios

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Phillip M. Ligrani

1996-01-01

Full Text Available Experimental results are presented which describe the development and structure of flow downstream of a single row of holes with compound angle orientations producing film cooling at high blowing ratios. This film cooling configuration is important because similar arrangements are frequently employed on the first stage of rotating blades of operating gas turbine engines. With this configuration, holes are spaced 6d apart in the spanwise direction, with inclination angles of 24 degrees, and angles of orientation of 50.5 degrees. Blowing ratios range from 1.5 to 4.0 and the ratio of injectant to freestream density is near 1.0. Results show that spanwise averaged adiabatic effectiveness, spanwise-averaged iso-energetic Stanton number ratios, surveys of streamwise mean velocity, and surveys of injectant distributions change by important amounts as the blowing ratio increases. This is due to injectant lift-off from the test surface just downstream of the holes.

Correlation of maternal age, gravida status, major malformations, stillbirth and sex ratio in high level natural radiation areas of Kerala coast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sudheer, K.R.; Koya, P.K.M.; Jaikrishan, G.; Das, Birajalaxmi

2016-01-01

As a part of the ongoing study on biological and health effects of chronic low dose and/or dose rate on human population, consecutive births were monitored in selected Govt. hospitals located in normal and high level natural radiation areas (HLNRA) of Kerala coast. This area is unique because of its vast population size and varied range of background radiation level due to natural deposit of monazite containing thorium. The objective is to elucidate the role of chronic low dose radiation, if any, on the adverse pregnancy outcome. Since 1995, ∼1,70,000 newborns were monitored in this area, of which 74,238 singleton first births were monitored. Of these, 634 (0.85%) cases were observed with detectable major congenital malformations (that include serious structural, functional or cosmetic disability requiring surgical or medical management) and 240 (0.32%) cases were stillborn. Sex ratio at first birth was observed in the ratio of 1050 males to 1000 females. The distribution of age at marriage of the mothers was stratified into the following groups: d"18 years (15.5%), 19 20 years (25.9%), 21 22 years (25.6%), 23 24 years (17.2%) and >25 years (15.8%). It was observed that about 78.9% mothers had their first birth within one year of marriage, 13.7% had their first birth within 1.1 2 years and 5.2% within 2.1 4 years. About 2.2% (1613) mothers had their first child after 4 years or more. Individual, combined and interactive effects of age at marriage, first birth interval (first gravida status), background radiation levels and gender of the newborn on major congenital malformation and stillbirth will be discussed. (author)

The effect of sunny area ratios on the thermal performance of solar ponds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bozkurt, Ismail; Karakilcik, Mehmet

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The effect of sunny area ratio on model solar ponds in different geometries. • The sunny area ratio was calculated for 8 different cases. • The efficiency of the model solar pond was determined for 8 different cases. • The energy efficiencies of the solar pond are affected by the sizes of the solar pond, strongly. • The results help to select the sizes of the solar pond before construction. - Abstract: In this study, we investigated the effect of the sunny area ratios on thermal efficiency of model solar pond for different cases in Adiyaman, Turkey. For this purpose, we modeled the solar ponds to compute theoretical sunny area ratios of the zones and temperature distributions in order to find the performance of the model solar ponds. Incorporating the finite difference approach, one and two dimensional heat balances were written for inner zones and insulation side walls. Through, careful determination of the dimensions, insulation parameter and incoming solar radiation reaching the storage zone increased the efficiency of the solar pond. The efficiencies of the model solar pond were determined for case1a–2a–3a–4a to be maximum 14.93%, 20.42%, 23.51% and 27.84%, and for case1b–2b–3b–4b to be maximum 12.65%, 16.76%, 21.37% and 23.30% in August, respectively. With the increase of the sunny area ratio, the performance of the solar pond significantly increased. However, with the increasing rate of the surface area, performance increase rate decreased gradually. The results provide a strong perspective to determine the dimensions of the solar pond before starting the project of a solar pond

Simulation and Measurement of Neuroelectrodes' Characteristics with Integrated High Aspect Ratio Nano Structures

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Christoph Nick

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Improving the interface between electrodes and neurons has been the focus of research for the last decade. Neuroelectrodes should show small geometrical surface area and low impedance for measuring and high charge injection capacities for stimulation. Increasing the electrochemically active surface area by using nanoporous electrode material or by integrating nanostructures onto planar electrodes is a common approach to improve this interface. In this paper a simulation approach for neuro electrodes' characteristics with integrated high aspect ratio nano structures based on a point-contact-model is presented. The results are compared with experimental findings conducted with real nanostructured microelectrodes. In particular, effects of carbon nanotubes and gold nanowires integrated onto microelectrodes are described. Simulated and measured impedance properties are presented and its effects onto the transfer function between the neural membrane potential and the amplifier output signal are studied based on the point-contact-model. Simulations show, in good agreement with experimental results, that electrode impedances can be dramatically reduced by the integration of high aspect ratio nanostructures such as gold nanowires and carbon nanotubes. This lowers thermal noise and improves the signal-to-noise ratio for measuring electrodes. It also may increase the adhesion of cells to the substrate and thus increase measurable signal amplitudes.

Geostationary secular dynamics revisited: application to high area-to-mass ratio objects

Science.gov (United States)

Gachet, Fabien; Celletti, Alessandra; Pucacco, Giuseppe; Efthymiopoulos, Christos

2017-06-01

The long-term dynamics of the geostationary Earth orbits (GEO) is revisited through the application of canonical perturbation theory. We consider a Hamiltonian model accounting for all major perturbations: geopotential at order and degree two, lunisolar perturbations with a realistic model for the Sun and Moon orbits, and solar radiation pressure. The long-term dynamics of the GEO region has been studied both numerically and analytically, in view of the relevance of such studies to the issue of space debris or to the disposal of GEO satellites. Past studies focused on the orbital evolution of objects around a nominal solution, hereafter called the forced equilibrium solution, which shows a particularly strong dependence on the area-to-mass ratio. Here, we (i) give theoretical estimates for the long-term behavior of such orbits, and (ii) we examine the nature of the forced equilibrium itself. In the lowest approximation, the forced equilibrium implies motion with a constant non-zero average `forced eccentricity', as well as a constant non-zero average inclination, otherwise known in satellite dynamics as the inclination of the invariant `Laplace plane'. Using a higher order normal form, we demonstrate that this equilibrium actually represents not a point in phase space, but a trajectory taking place on a lower-dimensional torus. We give analytical expressions for this special trajectory, and we compare our results to those found by numerical orbit propagation. We finally discuss the use of proper elements, i.e., approximate integrals of motion for the GEO orbits.

Feasibility For Measuring Transverse Area Ratios And Asymmetry Of Lumbosacral Region Paraspinal Muscles In Working Dogs Using Computed Tomography

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Bethany eCain

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Describe computed tomographic (CT anatomy of canine lumbosacral paraspinal muscles, a method for measuring paraspinal muscle transverse area ratios and asymmetry using CT, and application of this method in a small sample of working dogs with versus without lumbosacral pain.Methods: Published anatomy references and atlases were reviewed and discrepancies resolved by examination of anatomic specimens and multi-planar reformatted images to describe transverse CT anatomy of lumbosacral region paraspinal muscles. Sixteen Belgian malinois military working dogs were retrospectively recruited and assigned to lumbosacral pain positive versus negative groups based on medical record entries. A single observer unaware of dog group measured CT transverse areas of paraspinal muscles and adjacent vertebral bodies, in triplicate, for L5-S1 vertebral locations. A statistician compared muscle transverse area ratios and asymmetry at each vertebral location between groups. Results: The relative co-efficient of variation for triplicate CT area measurements averaged 2.15% (N=16. Multifidus lumborum (L6-7, psoas/iliopsoas (L5-6, L6-7, and sacrocaudalis dorsalis lateralis (L6-7, L7-S1 transverse area ratios were significantly smaller in dogs with lumbosacral pain (n=11 vs. without lumbosacral pain (n=5 (p< 0.05. Muscle asymmetry values were not significantly greater in dogs with vs. without lumbosacral pain. Clinical relevance: Computed tomographic morphometry of lumbosacral region paraspinal muscles is a feasible objective method for use in future evidence-based research studies in working dogs. Potential future research applications include determining whether decreased paraspinal muscle area ratios and/or increased paraspinal muscle asymmetry could be used as markers for preclinical lumbosacral pain in stoic dogs or risk factors for other injuries in high performance canine athletes; or determining whether core muscle strengthening exercise prescriptions

Influence of La/W ratio on electrical conductivity of lanthanum tungstate with high La/W ratio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kojo, Gen; Shono, Yohei; Ushiyama, Hiroshi; Oshima, Yoshito; Otomo, Junichiro

2017-01-01

The proton-conducting properties of lanthanum tungstates (LWOs) with high La/W ratios were investigated using electrochemical measurements and quantum chemical calculations. Single phases of LWOs with high La/W ratios (6.3≤La/W≤6.7) were synthesized by high-temperature sintering at around 1700 °C. The electrical conductivity of LWO increased with increasing La/W ratio in the single-phase region. The LWO synthesized at the optimum sintering temperature and time, and with the optimum La/W ratio gave the maximum conductivity, i.e., 2.7×10 −3 S cm −1 with La/W=6.7 at 500 °C. Density functional theory calculations, using the nudged elastic band method, were performed to investigate the proton diffusion barrier. The results suggest that the proton diffusion paths around La sites have the lowest proton diffusion barrier. These findings improve our understanding of LWO synthesis and the proton-conducting mechanism and provide a strategy for improving proton conduction in LWOs. - Graphical abstract: The LWOs with high La/W ratios were synthesized for the first time. The optimum La/W ratio gave the maximum conductivity with La/W=6.7 at 500 °C. The proton diffusion paths were also considered with density functional theory calculations. - Highlights: • The proton-conducting properties of lanthanum tungstates (LWOs) were investigated. • Single phase LWOs with high La/W ratios (6.3≤La/W≤6.7) were synthesized successfully. • LWOs with the high La/W ratios showed high proton conductivity. • The DFT calculation suggested the lowest proton diffusion barrier in the path around La sites.

High aspect ratio spheromak experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robertson, S.; Schmid, P.

1987-05-01

The Reversatron RFP (R/a = 50cm/8cm) has been operated as an ohmically heated spheromak of high aspect ratio. We find that the dynamo can drive the toroidal field upward at rates as high as 10 6 G/sec. Discharges can be initiated and ramped upward from seed fields as low as 50 G. Small toroidal bias fields of either polarity (-0.2 < F < 0.2) do not significantly affect operation. 5 refs., 3 figs

High-speed and high-ratio referential genome compression.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yuansheng; Peng, Hui; Wong, Limsoon; Li, Jinyan

2017-11-01

The rapidly increasing number of genomes generated by high-throughput sequencing platforms and assembly algorithms is accompanied by problems in data storage, compression and communication. Traditional compression algorithms are unable to meet the demand of high compression ratio due to the intrinsic challenging features of DNA sequences such as small alphabet size, frequent repeats and palindromes. Reference-based lossless compression, by which only the differences between two similar genomes are stored, is a promising approach with high compression ratio. We present a high-performance referential genome compression algorithm named HiRGC. It is based on a 2-bit encoding scheme and an advanced greedy-matching search on a hash table. We compare the performance of HiRGC with four state-of-the-art compression methods on a benchmark dataset of eight human genomes. HiRGC takes compress about 21 gigabytes of each set of the seven target genomes into 96-260 megabytes, achieving compression ratios of 217 to 82 times. This performance is at least 1.9 times better than the best competing algorithm on its best case. Our compression speed is also at least 2.9 times faster. HiRGC is stable and robust to deal with different reference genomes. In contrast, the competing methods' performance varies widely on different reference genomes. More experiments on 100 human genomes from the 1000 Genome Project and on genomes of several other species again demonstrate that HiRGC's performance is consistently excellent. The C ++ and Java source codes of our algorithm are freely available for academic and non-commercial use. They can be downloaded from https://github.com/yuansliu/HiRGC. jinyan.li@uts.edu.au. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Design and Analyses of High Aspect Ratio Nozzles for Distributed Propulsion Acoustic Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Dippold, Vance F., III

2016-01-01

A series of three convergent round-to-rectangular high-aspect ratio nozzles were designed for acoustics measurements. The nozzles have exit area aspect ratios of 8:1, 12:1, and 16:1. With septa inserts, these nozzles will mimic an array of distributed propulsion system nozzles, as found on hybrid wing-body aircraft concepts. Analyses were performed for the three nozzle designs and showed that the flow through the nozzles was free of separated flow and shocks. The exit flow was mostly uniform with the exception of a pair of vortices at each span-wise end of the nozzle.

Age Estimation of African Lions Panthera leo by Ratio of Tooth Areas.

Science.gov (United States)

White, Paula A; Ikanda, Dennis; Ferrante, Luigi; Chardonnet, Philippe; Mesochina, Pascal; Cameriere, Roberto

2016-01-01

Improved age estimation of African lions Panthera leo is needed to address a number of pressing conservation issues. Here we present a formula for estimating lion age to within six months of known age based on measuring the extent of pulp closure from X-rays, or Ratio Of tooth AReas (ROAR). Derived from measurements taken from lions aged 3-13 years for which exact ages were known, the formula explains 92% of the total variance. The method of calculating the pulp/tooth area ratio, which has been used extensively in forensic science, is novel in the study of lion aging. As a quantifiable measure, ROAR offers improved lion age estimates for population modeling and investigations of age-related mortality, and may assist national and international wildlife authorities in judging compliance with regulatory measures involving age.

Growth of high-aspect ratio horizontally-aligned ZnO nanowire arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Soman, Pranav; Darnell, Max; Feldman, Marc D; Chen, Shaochen

2011-08-01

A method of fabricating horizontally-aligned zinc-oxide (ZnO) nanowire (NW) arrays with full control over the width and length is demonstrated. SEM images reveal the hexagonal structure typical of zinc oxide NWs. Arrays of high-aspect ratio horizontal ZnO NWs are fabricated by making use of the lateral overgrowth from dot patterns created by electron beam lithography (EBL). An array of patterned wires are lifted off and transferred to a flexible PDMS substrate with possible applications in several key nanotechnology areas.

Electrical Characteristics of the Contour-Vibration-Mode Piezoelectric Transformer with Ring/Dot Electrode Area Ratio

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Juhyun; Yoon, Kwanghee; Lee, Yongwoo; Suh, Sungjae; Kim, Jongsun; Yoo, Chungsik

2000-05-01

Contour-vibration-mode Pb(Sb1/2Nb1/2)O3-Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 [PSN-PZT] piezoelectric transformers with different ring/dot electrode area ratios were fabricated to the size of 27.5× 27.5× 2.5 mm3 by cold isostatic pressing. The electrical properties and characteristic temperature rises caused by the vibration were measured at various load resistances. Efficiencies above 90% with load resistance were obtained from all the transformers. The voltage step-up ratio appeared to be proportional to the dot electrode area. A 14 W fluorescent lamp, T5, was successfully driven by all of the fabricated transformers. The transformer with ring/dot electrode area ratio of 4.85 exhibited the best properties in terms of output power, efficiency and characteristic temperature rise, 14.88 W, 98% and 5°C, respectively.

Age Estimation of African Lions Panthera leo by Ratio of Tooth Areas.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paula A White

Full Text Available Improved age estimation of African lions Panthera leo is needed to address a number of pressing conservation issues. Here we present a formula for estimating lion age to within six months of known age based on measuring the extent of pulp closure from X-rays, or Ratio Of tooth AReas (ROAR. Derived from measurements taken from lions aged 3-13 years for which exact ages were known, the formula explains 92% of the total variance. The method of calculating the pulp/tooth area ratio, which has been used extensively in forensic science, is novel in the study of lion aging. As a quantifiable measure, ROAR offers improved lion age estimates for population modeling and investigations of age-related mortality, and may assist national and international wildlife authorities in judging compliance with regulatory measures involving age.

A Caulobacter MreB mutant with irregular cell shape exhibits compensatory widening to maintain a preferred surface area to volume ratio

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Leigh K.; Dye, Natalie A.; Theriot, Julie A.

2014-01-01

Summary Rod-shaped bacteria typically elongate at a uniform width. To investigate the genetic and physiological determinants involved in this process, we studied a mutation in the morphogenetic protein MreB in Caulobacter crescentus that gives rise to cells with a variable-width phenotype, where cells have regions that are both thinner and wider than wild-type. During growth, individual cells develop a balance of wide and thin regions, and mutant MreB dynamically localizes to poles and thin regions. Surprisingly, the surface area to volume ratio of these irregularly-shaped cells is, on average, very similar to wild-type. We propose that, while mutant MreB localizes to thin regions and promotes rod-like growth there, wide regions develop as a compensatory mechanism, allowing cells to maintain a wild-type-like surface area to volume ratio. To support this model, we have shown that cell widening is abrogated in growth conditions that promote higher surface area to volume ratios, and we have observed individual cells with high ratios return to wild-type levels over several hours by developing wide regions, suggesting that compensation can take place at the level of individual cells. PMID:25266768

Comparative study of low and high aspect ratio devices for ITER design options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugihara, Masayoshi; Tada, Eisuke; Shimomura, Yasuo; Tsunematsu, Toshihide; Nishio, Satoshi; Nakazato, Toshiko; Murakami, Yoshiki; Koizumi, Koichi

1992-09-01

Comparative study on the plasma performance and the engineering characteristics of low and high aspect ratio devices for ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) design option is done to examine quantitatively the expected merit and demerit of high aspect ratio device on steady state operation. Device parameters of aspect ratio A=3 and 4 are chosen based on ITER-power scaling law. Improvement of steady state operation with A=4 is found only moderate. Reduction of stability margin in vertical instability is about 20% and plasma elongation must be decreased from 2 down to about 1.8 to recover this reduction of stability margin with A=4. If such lower elongation is employed, single null divertor configuration should be employed to reduce the capacity of poloidal field system. Detailed 2D divertor code calculation shows that peak heat load per unit area of A=4 device with SN configuration increases compared with A=3 device with DN configuration, contrary to the predictions so far made. Preliminary engineering studies indicate that A=4 device would have less space for handling the in-vessel components and doubled toroidal field magnet weight and winding length, and hence is less desirable when compared with the present ITER design (A=3). Based on these examinations, it is concluded that high aspect ratio device does not have remarkable advantage than low aspect ratio device, and the latter device has similar capability for the prospect of future commercial reactor to the former device. (J.P.N.)

Preparation of high surface area and high conductivity polyaniline nanoparticles using chemical oxidation polymerization technique

Science.gov (United States)

Budi, S.; Yusmaniar; Juliana, A.; Cahyana, U.; Purwanto, A.; Imaduddin, A.; Handoko, E.

2018-03-01

In this work, polyaniline nanoparticles were synthesized using a chemical oxidation polymerization technique. The ammonium peroxydisulfate (APS)/aniline ratio, APS dropping time, and polymerization temperature were optimized to increase the surface area and conductivity of the polyaniline.The Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum confirmed the formation of emeraldine salt polyaniline. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicated that amorphous and crystalline phases of the polyaniline were formed with crystallinity less than 40%. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs showed that the finest nanoparticles with uniform size distribution were obtained at the polymerization temperature of 0°C. A surface area analyzer (SAA) showed that the highest Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area (SBET ) of 42.14 m2/gwas obtained from an APS/aniline ratio of 0.75 with a dropping time of 0 s at a polymerization temperature of 0°C. A four-point probe measurement conducted at 75–300K indicated relatively high conductivity of the semiconductor characteristic of the polyaniline.

High aspect ratio catalytic reactor and catalyst inserts therefor

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Jiefeng; Kelly, Sean M.

2018-04-10

The present invention relates to high efficient tubular catalytic steam reforming reactor configured from about 0.2 inch to about 2 inch inside diameter high temperature metal alloy tube or pipe and loaded with a plurality of rolled catalyst inserts comprising metallic monoliths. The catalyst insert substrate is formed from a single metal foil without a central supporting structure in the form of a spiral monolith. The single metal foil is treated to have 3-dimensional surface features that provide mechanical support and establish open gas channels between each of the rolled layers. This unique geometry accelerates gas mixing and heat transfer and provides a high catalytic active surface area. The small diameter, high aspect ratio tubular catalytic steam reforming reactors loaded with rolled catalyst inserts can be arranged in a multi-pass non-vertical parallel configuration thermally coupled with a heat source to carry out steam reforming of hydrocarbon-containing feeds. The rolled catalyst inserts are self-supported on the reactor wall and enable efficient heat transfer from the reactor wall to the reactor interior, and lower pressure drop than known particulate catalysts. The heat source can be oxygen transport membrane reactors.

A design aid for sizing filter strips using buffer area ratio

Science.gov (United States)

M.G. Dosskey; M.J. Helmers; D.E. Eisenhauer

2011-01-01

Nonuniform field runoff can reduce the effectiveness of filter strips that are a uniform size along a field margin. Effectiveness can be improved by placing more filter strip where the runoff load is greater and less where the load is smaller. A modeling analysis was conducted of the relationship between pollutant trapping efficiency and the ratio of filter strip area...

Column ratio mapping: a processing technique for atomic resolution high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) images.

Science.gov (United States)

Robb, Paul D; Craven, Alan J

2008-12-01

An image processing technique is presented for atomic resolution high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) images that have been acquired using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). This technique is termed column ratio mapping and involves the automated process of measuring atomic column intensity ratios in high-resolution HAADF images. This technique was developed to provide a fuller analysis of HAADF images than the usual method of drawing single intensity line profiles across a few areas of interest. For instance, column ratio mapping reveals the compositional distribution across the whole HAADF image and allows a statistical analysis and an estimation of errors. This has proven to be a very valuable technique as it can provide a more detailed assessment of the sharpness of interfacial structures from HAADF images. The technique of column ratio mapping is described in terms of a [110]-oriented zinc-blende structured AlAs/GaAs superlattice using the 1 angstroms-scale resolution capability of the aberration-corrected SuperSTEM 1 instrument.

Column ratio mapping: A processing technique for atomic resolution high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robb, Paul D.; Craven, Alan J.

2008-01-01

An image processing technique is presented for atomic resolution high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) images that have been acquired using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). This technique is termed column ratio mapping and involves the automated process of measuring atomic column intensity ratios in high-resolution HAADF images. This technique was developed to provide a fuller analysis of HAADF images than the usual method of drawing single intensity line profiles across a few areas of interest. For instance, column ratio mapping reveals the compositional distribution across the whole HAADF image and allows a statistical analysis and an estimation of errors. This has proven to be a very valuable technique as it can provide a more detailed assessment of the sharpness of interfacial structures from HAADF images. The technique of column ratio mapping is described in terms of a [1 1 0]-oriented zinc-blende structured AlAs/GaAs superlattice using the 1 A-scale resolution capability of the aberration-corrected SuperSTEM 1 instrument.

Comments on the note by L.S. Nelson: ''unusually high (oxidizer/Pu) ratios in the macro-residues from plutonium droplet combustion''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, M.D.; Morgan, L.G.

1982-01-01

An alternative explanation for unusually high ratios of oxidizers/plutonium in the residues from plutonium droplet combustion is offered in response to a note by L.S. Nelson. Two additional experiments are suggested that would be helpful in clarifying the high oxidizer/Pu ratios. The first would be to measure the true surface area for a spherule after its explosion. The second is an experiment analogous to a gas analysis experiment. The conclusion is put forth that adsorbed gases are the most likely cause of the high O/M ratios described by Nelson

Geological survey by high resolution electrical survey on granite areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugimoto, Yoshihiro; Yamada, Naoyuki

2002-03-01

As an Integral part of the geological survey in 'The study of the regions ground water flow system' that we are carrying out with Tono Geoscience Center, we proved the relation between the uncontinuation structure such as lineament in the base rock and resistivity structure (resistivity distribution), for the purpose of that confirms the efficacy of the high resolution electrical survey as geological survey, we carried out high resolution electrical survey on granite area. We obtained the following result, by the comparison of resistivity distribution with established geological survey, lineament analysis and investigative drilling. 1. The resistivity structure of this survey area is almost able to classify it into the following four range. 1) the low resistivity range of 50-800 Ωm, 2) The resistivity range like the middle of 200-2000 Ωm, 3) The high resistivity range of 2000 Ωm over, 4) The low resistivity range of depth of the survey line 400-550 section. 2. The low resistivity range of 4) that correspond with the established geological data is not admitted. 3. It was confirmed that resistivity structure almost correspond to geological structure by the comparison with the established data. 4. The small-scale low resistivity area is admitted in the point equivalent to the lineament position of established. 5. We carried out it with the simulation method about the low resistivity range of 4). As a result, it understood that it has the possibility that the narrow ratio low resistivity area is shown as the wide ratio resistivity range in the analysis section. In the survey in this time, it is conceivable that the resistivity distribution with the possibility of the unhomogeneous and uncontinuation structure of the base rock is being shown conspicuously, the efficacy of the high resolution resistivity survey as geological survey on granite was shown. (author)

Stability of high β large aspect ratio tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cowley, S.C.

1991-10-01

High β(β much-gt ε/q 2 ) large aspect ratio (ε much-gt 1) tokamak equilibria are shown to be always stable to ideal M.H.D. modes that are localized about a flux surface. Both the ballooning and interchange modes are shown to be stable. This work uses the analytic high β large aspect ratio tokamak equilibria developed by Cowley et.al., which are valid for arbitrary pressure and safety factor profiles. The stability results make no assumption about these profiles or the shape of the boundary. 14 refs., 4 figs

EFFECT OF RATIO OF SURFACE AREA ON THE CORROSION RATE

OpenAIRE

Dody Prayitno; M. Irsyad

2018-01-01

Aluminum and steel are used to be a construction for a building outdoor panel. Aluminum and steel are connected by bolt and nut. An atmosphere due to a corrosion of the aluminum. The corrosion possibly to cause the hole diameter of bolt and nut to become larger. Thus the bolt and nut can not enough strong to hold the panel. The panel may collapse. The aim of the research is first to answer a question where does the corrosion starts. The second is to know the effect of ratio surface area of st...

Achieving high aspect ratio wrinkles by modifying material network stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yu-Cheng; Wang, Yan; McCarthy, Thomas J; Crosby, Alfred J

2017-06-07

Wrinkle aspect ratio, or the amplitude divided by the wavelength, is hindered by strain localization transitions when an increasing global compressive stress is applied to synthetic material systems. However, many examples from living organisms show extremely high aspect ratios, such as gut villi and flower petals. We use three experimental approaches to demonstrate that these high aspect ratio structures can be achieved by modifying the network stress in the wrinkle substrate. We modify the wrinkle stress and effectively delay the strain localization transition, such as folding, to larger aspect ratios by using a zero-stress initial wavy substrate, creating a secondary network with post-curing, or using chemical stress relaxation materials. A wrinkle aspect ratio as high as 0.85, almost three times higher than common values of synthetic wrinkles, is achieved, and a quantitative framework is presented to provide understanding the different strategies and predictions for future investigations.

The relationship between tree height and leaf area: sapwood area ratio.

Science.gov (United States)

McDowell, N; Barnard, H; Bond, B; Hinckley, T; Hubbard, R; Ishii, H; Köstner, B; Magnani, F; Marshall, J; Meinzer, F; Phillips, N; Ryan, M; Whitehead, D

2002-06-01

The leaf area to sapwood area ratio (A l :A s ) of trees has been hypothesized to decrease as trees become older and taller. Theory suggests that A l :A s must decrease to maintain leaf-specific hydraulic sufficiency as path length, gravity, and tortuosity constrain whole-plant hydraulic conductance. We tested the hypothesis that A l :A s declines with tree height. Whole-tree A l :A s was measured on 15 individuals of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii) ranging in height from 13 to 62 m (aged 20-450 years). A l :A s declined substantially as height increased (P=0.02). Our test of the hypothesis that A l :A s declines with tree height was extended using a combination of original and published data on nine species across a range of maximum heights and climates. Meta-analysis of 13 whole-tree studies revealed a consistent and significant reduction in A l :A s with increasing height (P<0.05). However, two species (Picea abies and Abies balsamea) exhibited an increase in A l :A s with height, although the reason for this is not clear. The slope of the relationship between A l :A s and tree height (ΔA l :A s /Δh) was unrelated to mean annual precipitation. Maximum potential height was positively correlated with ΔA l :A s /Δh. The decrease in A l :A s with increasing tree size that we observed in the majority of species may be a homeostatic mechanism that partially compensates for decreased hydraulic conductance as trees grow in height.

Fabrication of high aspect ratio nanocell lattices by ion beam irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishikawa, Osamu; Nitta, Noriko; Taniwaki, Masafumi

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Nanocell lattice with a high aspect ratio on InSb semiconductor surface was fabricated by ion beam irradiation. • The fabrication technique consisting of top-down and bottom-up processes was performed in FIB. • High aspect ratio of 2 was achieved in nanocell lattice with a 100 nm interval. • The intermediate-flux irradiation is favorable for fabrication of nanocell with a high aspect ratio. - Abstract: A high aspect ratio nanocell lattice was fabricated on the InSb semiconductor surface using the migration of point defects induced by ion beam irradiation. The fabrication technique consisting of the top-down (formation of voids and holes) and bottom-up (growth of voids and holes into nanocells) processes was performed using a focused ion beam (FIB) system. A cell aspect ratio of 2 (cell height/cell diameter) was achieved for the nanocell lattice with a 100 nm dot interval The intermediate-flux ion irradiation during the bottom-up process was found to be optimal for the fabrication of a high aspect ratio nanocell.

Relationship between paraspinal muscle cross-sectional area and relative proprioceptive weighting ratio of older persons with lumbar spondylosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, Tadashi; Sakai, Yoshihito; Nakamura, Eishi; Yamazaki, Kazunori; Yamada, Ayaka; Sato, Noritaka; Morita, Yoshifumi

2015-07-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the paraspinal muscle cross-sectional area and the relative proprioceptive weighting ratio during local vibratory stimulation of older persons with lumbar spondylosis in an upright position. [Subjects] In all, 74 older persons hospitalized for lumbar spondylosis were included. [Methods] We measured the relative proprioceptive weighting ratio of postural sway using a Wii board while vibratory stimulations of 30, 60, or 240 Hz were applied to the subjects' paraspinal or gastrocnemius muscles. Back strength, abdominal muscle strength, and erector spinae muscle (L1/L2, L4/L5) and lumbar multifidus (L1/L2, L4/L5) cross-sectional areas were evaluated. [Results] The erector spinae muscle (L1/L2) cross-sectional area was associated with the relative proprioceptive weighting ratio during 60Hz stimulation. [Conclusion] These findings show that the relative proprioceptive weighting ratio compared to the erector spinae muscle (L1/L2) cross-sectional area under 60Hz proprioceptive stimulation might be a good indicator of trunk proprioceptive sensitivity.

High Yield Chemical Vapor Deposition Growth of High Quality Large-Area AB Stacked Bilayer Graphene

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Lixin; Zhou, Hailong; Cheng, Rui; Yu, Woo Jong; Liu, Yuan; Chen, Yu; Shaw, Jonathan; Zhong, Xing; Huang, Yu; Duan, Xiangfeng

2012-01-01

Bernal stacked (AB stacked) bilayer graphene is of significant interest for functional electronic and photonic devices due to the feasibility to continuously tune its band gap with a vertical electrical field. Mechanical exfoliation can be used to produce AB stacked bilayer graphene flakes but typically with the sizes limited to a few micrometers. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has been recently explored for the synthesis of bilayer graphene but usually with limited coverage and a mixture of AB and randomly stacked structures. Herein we report a rational approach to produce large-area high quality AB stacked bilayer graphene. We show that the self-limiting effect of graphene growth on Cu foil can be broken by using a high H2/CH4 ratio in a low pressure CVD process to enable the continued growth of bilayer graphene. A high temperature and low pressure nucleation step is found to be critical for the formation of bilayer graphene nuclei with high AB stacking ratio. A rational design of a two-step CVD process is developed for the growth of bilayer graphene with high AB stacking ratio (up to 90 %) and high coverage (up to 99 %). The electrical transport studies demonstrated that devices made of the as-grown bilayer graphene exhibit typical characteristics of AB stacked bilayer graphene with the highest carrier mobility exceeding 4,000 cm2/V·s at room temperature, comparable to that of the exfoliated bilayer graphene. PMID:22906199

Human genetics studies in areas of high natural radiation. IV. Research in radioactive areas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freire-Maia, A [Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas e Biologicas de Botucatu (Brazil). Departamento de Genetica

1974-01-01

A review is made on researches performed in areas with high levels of natural radioactivity. Some considerations are made on the importance and difficulties involved in projects of this kind. Although there is no doubt that natural radioactivity is one of the causes of the so-called spontaneous mutations, the practical demonstration of this assertion is extremely complex. Projects trying to correlate high levels of natural radioactivity with the occurrence of cancer (in general, or specific), leukemia, congenital malformations (in general or specific), neuro-vegetative disturbs, sex ratio, mortality, and physical development, as well as other characteristics. Some researches with animals are also mentioned, and references are given for plant studies. A critical analysis is made of some works relating to human populations.

Human genetics studies in areas of high natural radiation.IV. Research in radioactive areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freire-Maia, A.

1974-01-01

A review is made on researches performed in areas with high levels of natural radioactivity. Some considerations are made on the importance and difficulties involved in projects of this kind. Although there is no doubt that natural radioactivity is one of the causes of the so-called spontaneous mutations, the practical demonstration of this assertion is extremely complex. Projects trying to correlate high levels of natural radioactivity with the occurrence of cancer (in general, or specific), leukemia, congenital malformations (in general or specific), neuro-vegetative disturbs, sex ratio, mortality, and physical development, as well as other characteristics. Some researches with animals are also mentioned, and references are given for plant studies. A critical analysis is made of some works relating to human populations [pt

Scattering and extinction from high-aspect-ratio trenches

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roberts, Alexander Sylvester; Søndergaard, Thomas; Chirumamilla, Manohar

2015-01-01

We construct a semi-analytical model describing the scattering, extinction and absorption properties of a high aspect-ratio trench in a metallic film. We find that these trenches act as highly efficient scatterers of free waves. In the perfect conductor limit, which for many metals is approached...

Decrease in N-acetylaspartate/creatine ratio in the motor area and the frontal lobe in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abe, K.; Takanashi, M.; Yanagihara, T.; Watanabe, Y.; Tanaka, H.; Fujita, N.; Hirabuki, N.

2001-01-01

We studied whether N-acetylaspartate (NAA), a neuronal marker, is reduced in the brain of 14 patients with clinically definite amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and whether NAA levels in the motor area and frontal lobe correlate with the clinical features, including frontal lobe function. We also studied 14 normal controls were evaluated. We obtained peak integrals in 1 H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) for NAA, creatine (Cr), and choline-containing compounds (Cho). Severity of the disease was determined using the manual muscle strength test, and the Norris limb and bulbar scales. In the patients, the NAA/Cr ratio was reduced in the motor area and frontal lobe, while the Cho/Cr ratio was normal throughout the brain. There were significant correlations between the NAA/Cr ratio in the motor area and the Norris limb scale (r = 0.50; P < 0.01) and between the NAA/Cr ratio in the frontal lobe and the number of categories achieved in the Wisconsin Card Sorting test (r = 0.71; P < 0.05), implying frontal lobe dysfunction. These correlations suggest that a reduced NAA/Cr ratio is a marker of cortical neuronal loss and dysfunction in ALS. (orig.)

Decrease in N-acetylaspartate/creatine ratio in the motor area and the frontal lobe in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abe, K.; Takanashi, M.; Yanagihara, T. [Dept. of Neurology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine (Japan); Watanabe, Y.; Tanaka, H.; Fujita, N.; Hirabuki, N. [Dept. of Radiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine (Japan)

2001-07-01

We studied whether N-acetylaspartate (NAA), a neuronal marker, is reduced in the brain of 14 patients with clinically definite amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and whether NAA levels in the motor area and frontal lobe correlate with the clinical features, including frontal lobe function. We also studied 14 normal controls were evaluated. We obtained peak integrals in {sup 1}H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) for NAA, creatine (Cr), and choline-containing compounds (Cho). Severity of the disease was determined using the manual muscle strength test, and the Norris limb and bulbar scales. In the patients, the NAA/Cr ratio was reduced in the motor area and frontal lobe, while the Cho/Cr ratio was normal throughout the brain. There were significant correlations between the NAA/Cr ratio in the motor area and the Norris limb scale (r = 0.50; P < 0.01) and between the NAA/Cr ratio in the frontal lobe and the number of categories achieved in the Wisconsin Card Sorting test (r = 0.71; P < 0.05), implying frontal lobe dysfunction. These correlations suggest that a reduced NAA/Cr ratio is a marker of cortical neuronal loss and dysfunction in ALS. (orig.)

Growth of salmonid fishes from heated and unheated areas of Lake Michigan: as measured by RNA-DNA ratios

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spigarelli, S.A.; Smith, D.W.

1975-01-01

Relative growth rate comparisons were made between tagged thermal plume resident fish and fish collected from two ambient temperature areas (control). Plume fish were tagged, released and subsequently recaptured in the thermal discharge area of the Point Beach Nuclear Plant (near Two Rivers, Wisconsin). Total tag days indicated minimum residence time and temperature-sensitive tags gave estimates of time spent at discharge temperatures. Growth rate estimates were based on RNA-DNA ratios in epaxial muscle samples taken from brown and rainbow trout and chinook salmon. Mean RNA-DNA ratios of plume rainbow trout and chinook salmon were not significantly different from mean ratios of combined control groups for each species. The mean ratio of plume brown trout was significantly higher than that of combined control fish. Significant differences between mean ratios of control groups for each species suggest considerable natural variability in growth rates among individuals of a population. (U.S.)

HIGH-GRADIENT, HIGH-TRANSFORMER-RATIO, DIELECTRIC WAKE FIELD ACCELERATOR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirshfield, Jay L

2012-04-12

The Phase I work reported here responds to DoE'ss stated need "...to develop improved accelerator designs that can provide very high gradient (>200 MV/m for electrons...) acceleration of intense bunches of particles." Omega-P's approach to this goal is through use of a ramped train of annular electron bunches to drive a coaxial dielectric wakefield accelerator (CDWA) structure. This approach is a direct extension of the CDWA concept from acceleration in wake fields caused by a single drive bunch, to the more efficient acceleration that we predict can be realized from a tailored (or ramped) train of several drive bunches. This is possible because of a much higher transformer ratio for the latter. The CDWA structure itself has a number of unique features, including: a high accelerating gradient G, potentially with G > 1 GeV/m; continuous energy coupling from drive to test bunches without transfer structures; inherent transverse focusing forces for particles in the accelerated bunch; highly stable motion of high charge annular drive bunches; acceptable alignment tolerances for a multi-section system. What is new in the present approach is that the coaxial dielectric structure is now to be energized by-not one-but by a short train of ramped annular-shaped drive bunches moving in the outer coaxial channel of the structure. We have shown that this allows acceleration of an electron bunch traveling along the axis in the inner channel with a markedly higher transformer ratio T than for a single drive bunch. As described in this report, the structure will be a GHz-scale prototype with cm-scale transverse dimensions that is expected to confirm principles that can be applied to the design of a future THz-scale high gradient (> 500 MV/m) accelerator with mm-scale transverse dimensions. We show here a new means to significantly increase the transformer ratio T of the device, and thereby to significantly improve its suitability as a flexible and effective component in

The effects of the glass surface area/solution volume ratio on glass corrosion: A critical review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebert, W.L.

1995-03-01

This report reviews and summarizes the present state of knowledge regarding the effects of the glass surface area/solution volume (SA/V) ratio on the corrosion behavior of borosilicate waste glasses. The SA/V ratio affects the rate of glass corrosion through the extent of dilution of corrosion products released from the glass into the leachate solution: glass corrosion products are diluted more in tests conducted at low SA/V ratios than they are in tests conducted at high SA/V ratios. Differences in the solution chemistries generated in tests conducted at different SA/V ratios then affect the observed glass corrosion behavior. Therefore, any testing parameter that affects the solution chemistry will also affect the glass corrosion rate. The results of static leach tests conducted to assess the effects of the SA/V are discussed with regard to the effects of SA/V on the solution chemistry. Test results show several remaining issues with regard to the long-term glass corrosion behavior: can the SA/V ratio be used as an accelerating parameter to characterize the advanced stages of glass corrosion relevant to long disposal times; is the alteration of the glass surface the same in tests conducted at different SA/V, and in tests conducted with monolithic and crushed glass samples; what are the effects of the SA/V and the extent of glass corrosion on the disposition of released radionuclides? These issues will bear on the prediction of the long-term performance of waste glasses during storage. The results of an experimental program conducted at ANL to address these and other remaining issues regarding the effects of SA/V on glass corrosion are described. 288 refs., 59 figs., 16 tabs

The effects of the glass surface area/solution volume ratio on glass corrosion: A critical review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ebert, W.L. [Argonne National Lab., IL (United States). Chemical Technology Div.

1995-03-01

This report reviews and summarizes the present state of knowledge regarding the effects of the glass surface area/solution volume (SA/V) ratio on the corrosion behavior of borosilicate waste glasses. The SA/V ratio affects the rate of glass corrosion through the extent of dilution of corrosion products released from the glass into the leachate solution: glass corrosion products are diluted more in tests conducted at low SA/V ratios than they are in tests conducted at high SA/V ratios. Differences in the solution chemistries generated in tests conducted at different SA/V ratios then affect the observed glass corrosion behavior. Therefore, any testing parameter that affects the solution chemistry will also affect the glass corrosion rate. The results of static leach tests conducted to assess the effects of the SA/V are discussed with regard to the effects of SA/V on the solution chemistry. Test results show several remaining issues with regard to the long-term glass corrosion behavior: can the SA/V ratio be used as an accelerating parameter to characterize the advanced stages of glass corrosion relevant to long disposal times; is the alteration of the glass surface the same in tests conducted at different SA/V, and in tests conducted with monolithic and crushed glass samples; what are the effects of the SA/V and the extent of glass corrosion on the disposition of released radionuclides? These issues will bear on the prediction of the long-term performance of waste glasses during storage. The results of an experimental program conducted at ANL to address these and other remaining issues regarding the effects of SA/V on glass corrosion are described. 288 refs., 59 figs., 16 tabs.

Myocardial Infarction Area Quantification using High-Resolution SPECT Images in Rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oliveira, Luciano Fonseca Lemos de [Divisão de Cardiologia, Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil); Mejia, Jorge [Faculdade de Medicina de São José do Rio Preto, São José do Rio Preto, SP (Brazil); Carvalho, Eduardo Elias Vieira de; Lataro, Renata Maria; Frassetto, Sarita Nasbine [Divisão de Cardiologia, Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil); Fazan, Rubens Jr.; Salgado, Hélio Cesar [Departamento de Fisiologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil); Galvis-Alonso, Orfa Yineth [Faculdade de Medicina de São José do Rio Preto, São José do Rio Preto, SP (Brazil); Simões, Marcus Vinícius, E-mail: msimoes@fmrp.usp.br [Divisão de Cardiologia, Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil)

2013-07-15

Imaging techniques enable in vivo sequential assessment of the morphology and function of animal organs in experimental models. We developed a device for high-resolution single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging based on an adapted pinhole collimator. To determine the accuracy of this system for quantification of myocardial infarct area in rats. Thirteen male Wistar rats (250 g) underwent experimental myocardial infarction by occlusion of the left coronary artery. After 4 weeks, SPECT images were acquired 1.5 hours after intravenous injection of 555 MBq of 99mTc-Sestamibi. The tomographic reconstruction was performed by using specially developed software based on the Maximum Likelihood algorithm. The analysis of the data included the correlation between the area of perfusion defects detected by scintigraphy and extent of myocardial fibrosis assessed by histology. The images showed a high target organ/background ratio with adequate visualization of the left ventricular walls and cavity. All animals presenting infarction areas were correctly identified by the perfusion images. There was no difference of the infarct area as measured by SPECT (21.1 ± 21.2%) and by histology (21.7 ± 22.0%; p=0.45). There was a strong correlation between individual values of the area of infarction measured by these two methods. The developed system presented adequate spatial resolution and high accuracy for the detection and quantification of myocardial infarction areas, consisting in a low cost and versatile option for high-resolution SPECT imaging of small rodents.

A 3-dimensional in vitro model of epithelioid granulomas induced by high aspect ratio nanomaterials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hurt Robert H

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The most common causes of granulomatous inflammation are persistent pathogens and poorly-degradable irritating materials. A characteristic pathological reaction to intratracheal instillation, pharyngeal aspiration, or inhalation of carbon nanotubes is formation of epithelioid granulomas accompanied by interstitial fibrosis in the lungs. In the mesothelium, a similar response is induced by high aspect ratio nanomaterials, including asbestos fibers, following intraperitoneal injection. This asbestos-like behaviour of some engineered nanomaterials is a concern for their potential adverse health effects in the lungs and mesothelium. We hypothesize that high aspect ratio nanomaterials will induce epithelioid granulomas in nonadherent macrophages in 3D cultures. Results Carbon black particles (Printex 90 and crocidolite asbestos fibers were used as well-characterized reference materials and compared with three commercial samples of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs. Doses were identified in 2D and 3D cultures in order to minimize acute toxicity and to reflect realistic occupational exposures in humans and in previous inhalation studies in rodents. Under serum-free conditions, exposure of nonadherent primary murine bone marrow-derived macrophages to 0.5 μg/ml (0.38 μg/cm2 of crocidolite asbestos fibers or MWCNTs, but not carbon black, induced macrophage differentiation into epithelioid cells and formation of stable aggregates with the characteristic morphology of granulomas. Formation of multinucleated giant cells was also induced by asbestos fibers or MWCNTs in this 3D in vitro model. After 7-14 days, macrophages exposed to high aspect ratio nanomaterials co-expressed proinflammatory (M1 as well as profibrotic (M2 phenotypic markers. Conclusions Induction of epithelioid granulomas appears to correlate with high aspect ratio and complex 3D structure of carbon nanotubes, not with their iron content or surface area. This model

High aspect ratio MEMS capacitor for high frequency impedance matching applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yalcinkaya, Arda Deniz; Jensen, Søren; Hansen, Ole

2003-01-01

We present a microelectromechanical tunable capacitor with a low control voltage, a wide tuning range and adequate electrical quality factor. The device is fabricated in a single-crystalline silicon layer using deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) for obtaining high-aspect ratio (> 20) parallel comb...

System and method for high precision isotope ratio destructive analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Bushaw, Bruce A; Anheier, Norman C; Phillips, Jon R

2013-07-02

A system and process are disclosed that provide high accuracy and high precision destructive analysis measurements for isotope ratio determination of relative isotope abundance distributions in liquids, solids, and particulate samples. The invention utilizes a collinear probe beam to interrogate a laser ablated plume. This invention provides enhanced single-shot detection sensitivity approaching the femtogram range, and isotope ratios that can be determined at approximately 1% or better precision and accuracy (relative standard deviation).

Poisson's ratio analysis (Vp/Vs) on volcanoes and geothermal potential areas in Central Java using tomography travel time method of grid search relocation hypocenter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raharjo, W.; Palupi, I. R.; Nurdian, S. W.; Giamboro, W. S.; Soesilo, J.

2016-01-01

Poisson's Ratio illustrates the elasticity properties of a rock. The value is affected by the ratio between the value of P and S wave velocity, where the high value ratio associated with partial melting while the low associated with gas saturated rock. Java which has many volcanoes as a result of the collision between the Australian and Eurasian plates also effects of earthquakes that result the P and S wave. By tomography techniques the distribution of the value of Poisson's ratio can be known. Western Java was dominated by high Poisson's Ratio until Mount Slamet and Dieng in Central Java, while the eastern part of Java is dominated by low Poisson's Ratio. The difference of Poisson's Ratio is located in Central Java that is also supported by the difference characteristic of hot water manifestation in geothermal potential area in the west and east of Central Java Province. Poisson's ratio value is also lower with increasing depth proving that the cold oceanic plate entrance under the continental plate. (paper)

Modeling and characterization of dielectrophoretically structured piezoelectric composites using piezoceramic particle inclusions with high aspect ratios

Science.gov (United States)

van den Ende, D. A.; Maier, R. A.; van Neer, P. L. M. J.; van der Zwaag, S.; Randall, C. A.; Groen, W. A.

2013-01-01

In this work, the piezoelectric properties at high electric fields of dielectrophoretically aligned PZT—polymer composites containing high aspect ratio particles (such as short fibers) are presented. Polarization and strain as a function of electric field are evaluated. The properties of the composites are compared to those of PZT-polymer composites with equiaxed particles, continuous PZT fiber-polymer composites, and bulk PZT ceramics. From high-field polarization and strain measurements, the effective field dependent permittivity and piezoelectric charge constant in the poling direction are determined for dielectrophoresis structured PZT-polymer composites, continuous PZT fiber-polymer composites, and bulk PZT ceramics. The changes in dielectric properties of the inclusions and the matrix at high fields influence the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of the composites. It is found that the permittivity and piezoelectric charge constants increase towards a maximum at an applied field of around 2.5-5 kV/mm. The electric field at which the maximum occurs depends on the aspect ratio and degree of alignment of the inclusions. Experimental values of d33 at low and high applied fields are compared to a model describing the composites as a continuous polymer matrix containing PZT particles of various aspect ratios arranged into chains. Thickness mode coupling factors were determined from measured impedance data using fitted equivalent circuit model simulations. The relatively high piezoelectric strain constants, voltage constants, and thickness coupling factors indicate that such aligned short fiber composites could be useful as flexible large area transducers.

Deep Reactive Ion Etching for High Aspect Ratio Microelectromechanical Components

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Søren; Yalcinkaya, Arda Deniz; Jacobsen, S.

2004-01-01

A deep reactive ion etch (DRIE) process for fabrication of high aspect ratio trenches has been developed. Trenches with aspect ratios exceeding 20 and vertical sidewalls with low roughness have been demonstrated. The process has successfully been used in the fabrication of silicon-on-insulator (SOI...

Fatigue crack closure behavior at high stress ratios

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, C. Christopher; Carman, C. Davis; Hillberry, Ben M.

1988-01-01

Fatigue crack delay behavior at high stress ratio caused by single peak overloads was investigated in two thicknesses of 7475-T731 aluminum alloy. Closure measurements indicated no closure occurred before or throughout the overload plastic zones following the overload. This was further substantiated by comparing the specimen compliance following the overload with the compliance of a low R ratio test when the crack was fully open. Scanning electron microscope studies revealed that crack tunneling and possibly reinitiation of the crack occurred, most likely a result of crack-tip blunting. The number of delay cycles was greater for the thinner mixed mode stress state specimen than for the thicker plane strain stress state specimen, which is similar to low R ratio test results and may be due to a larger plastic zone for the mixed mode cased.

High aspect ratio titanium nitride trench structures as plasmonic biosensor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shkondin, Evgeniy; Repän, Taavi; Takayama, Osamu

2017-01-01

High aspect ratio titanium nitride (TiN) grating structures are fabricated by the combination of deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) techniques. TiN is deposited at 500 ◦C on a silicon trench template. Silicon between vertical TiN layers is selectively etched...... to fabricate the high aspect ratio TiN trenches with the pitch of 400 nm and height of around 2.7 µm. Dielectric functions of TiN films with different thicknesses of 18 - 105 nm and post-annealing temperatures of 700 - 900 ◦C are characterized by an ellipsometer. We found that the highest annealing temperature...... of 900 ◦C gives the most pronounced plasmonic behavior with the highest plasma frequency, ωp = 2.53 eV (λp = 490 nm). Such high aspect ratio trench structures function as a plasmonic grating sensor that supports the Rayleigh-Woods anomalies (RWAs), enabling the measurement of changes in the refractive...

Location of irrigated land classified from satellite imagery - High Plains Area, nominal date 1992

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Sharon L.; Konduris, Alexandria; Litke, David W.; Dupree, Jean

2002-01-01

Satellite imagery from the Landsat Thematic Mapper (nominal date 1992) was used to classify and map the location of irrigated land overlying the High Plains aquifer. The High Plains aquifer underlies 174,000 square miles in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. The U.S. Geological Survey is conducting a water-quality study of the High Plains aquifer as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program. To help interpret data and select sites for the study, it is helpful to know the location of irrigated land within the study area. To date, the only information available for the entire area is 20 years old. To update the data on irrigated land, 40 summer and 40 spring images (nominal date 1992) were acquired from the National Land Cover Data set and processed using a band-ratio method (Landsat Thematic Mapper band 4 divided by band 3) to enhance the vegetation signatures. The study area was divided into nine subregions with similar environmental characteristics, and a band-ratio threshold was selected from imagery in each subregion that differentiated the cutoff between irrigated and nonirrigated land. The classified images for each subregion were mosaicked to produce an irrigated-land map for the study area. The total amount of irrigated land classified from the 1992 imagery was 13.1 million acres, or about 12 percent of the total land in the High Plains. This estimate is approximately 1.5 percent greater than the amount of irrigated land reported in the 1992 Census of Agriculture (12.8 millions acres).

Ambient pressure dried tetrapropoxysilane-based silica aerogels with high specific surface area

Science.gov (United States)

Parale, Vinayak G.; Han, Wooje; Jung, Hae-Noo-Ree; Lee, Kyu-Yeon; Park, Hyung-Ho

2018-01-01

In the present paper, we report the synthesis of tetrapropoxysilane (TPOS)-based silica aerogels with high surface area and large pore volume. The silica aerogels were prepared by a two-step sol-gel process followed by surface modification via a simple ambient pressure drying approach. In order to minimize drying shrinkage and obtain hydrophobic aerogels, the surface of the alcogels was modified using trichloromethylsilane as a silylating agent. The effect of the sol-gel compositional parameters on the polymerization of aerogels prepared by TPOS, one of the precursors belonging to the Si(OR)4 family, was reported for the first time. The oxalic acid and NH4OH concentrations were adjusted to achieve good-quality aerogels with high surface area, low density, and high transparency. Controlling the hydrolysis and condensation reactions of the TPOS precursor turned out to be the most important factor to determine the pore characteristics of the aerogel. Highly transparent aerogels with high specific surface area (938 m2/g) and low density (0.047 g/cm3) could be obtained using an optimized TPOS/MeOH molar ratio with appropriate concentrations of oxalic acid and NH4OH.

A high signal-to-noise ratio composite quasar spectrum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Francis, P.J.; Hewett, P.C.; Foltz, C.B.; Chaffee, F.H.; Weymann, R.J.

1991-01-01

A very high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N of about 400) composite spectrum of the rest-frame ultraviolet and optical region of high luminosity quasars is presented. The spectrum is derived from 718 individual spectra obtained as part of the Large Bright Quasar Survey. The moderate resolution, 4A or less, and high signal-to-noise ratio allow numerous weak emission features to be identified. Of particular note is the large equivalent-width of the Fe II emission in the rest-frame ultraviolet and the blue continuum slope of the composite. The primary aim of this paper is to provide a reference spectrum for use in line identifications, and a series of large-scale representations of the composite spectrum are shown. A measure of the standard deviation of the individual quasar spectra from the composite spectrum is also presented. 12 refs

High extinction ratio integrated optical modulator for quantum telecommunication systems

Science.gov (United States)

Tronev, A.; Parfenov, M.; Agruzov, P.; Ilichev, I.; Shamray, A.

2018-01-01

A method for increasing the extinction ratio of integrated optical Mach-Zehnder modulators based on LiNbO3 via the photorefractive effect is proposed. The influence of the photorefractive effect on the X- and Y-splitters of intensity modulators is experimentally studied. An increase in the modulator extinction ratio by 17 dB (from 30 to 47 dB) is obtained. It is shown that fabricated modulators with a high extinction ratio are important for quantum key distribution systems.

Fabrication of high aspect ratio through-wafer copper interconnects by reverse pulse electroplating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu, Changdong; Zhang, Tong-Yi; Xu, Hui

2009-01-01

This study aims to fabricate high aspect ratio through-wafer copper interconnects by a simple reverse pulse electroplating technique. High aspect-ratio (∼18) through-wafer holes obtained by a two-step deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) process exhibit a taper profile, which might automatically optimize the local current density distribution during the electroplating process, thereby achieving void-free high aspect-ratio copper vias

Nanocomposites with increased energy density through high aspect ratio PZT nanowires.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Haixiong; Lin, Yirong; Andrews, Clark; Sodano, Henry A

2011-01-07

High energy storage plays an important role in the modern electric industry. Herein, we investigated the role of filler aspect ratio in nanocomposites for energy storage. Nanocomposites were synthesized using lead zirconate titanate (PZT) with two different aspect ratio (nanowires, nanorods) fillers at various volume fractions dispersed in a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix. The permittivity constants of composites containing nanowires (NWs) were higher than those with nanorods (NRs) at the same inclusion volume fraction. It was also indicated that the high frequency loss tangent of samples with PZT nanowires was smaller than for those with nanorods, demonstrating the high electrical energy storage efficiency of the PZT NW nanocomposite. The high aspect ratio PZT NWs showed a 77.8% increase in energy density over the lower aspect ratio PZT NRs, under an electric field of 15 kV mm(-1) and 50% volume fraction. The breakdown strength was found to decrease with the increasing volume fraction of PZT NWs, but to only change slightly from a volume fraction of around 20%-50%. The maximum calculated energy density of nanocomposites is as high as 1.158 J cm(-3) at 50% PZT NWs in PVDF. Since the breakdown strength is lower compared to a PVDF copolymer such as poly(vinylidene fluoride-tertrifluoroethylene-terchlorotrifluoroethylene) P(VDF-TreEE-CTFE) and poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) P(VDF-HFP), the energy density of the nanocomposite could be significantly increased through the use of PZT NWs and a polymer with greater breakdown strength. These results indicate that higher aspect ratio fillers show promising potential to improve the energy density of nanocomposites, leading to the development of advanced capacitors with high energy density.

Improving surface acousto-optical interaction by high aspect ratio electrodes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dühring, Maria Bayard; Laude, Vincent; Khelif, Abdelkrim

2009-01-01

The acousto-optical interaction of an optical wave confined inside a waveguide and a surface acoustic wave launched by an interdigital transducer (IDT) at the surface of a piezoelectric material is considered. The IDT with high aspect ratio electrodes supports several acoustic modes that are stro......The acousto-optical interaction of an optical wave confined inside a waveguide and a surface acoustic wave launched by an interdigital transducer (IDT) at the surface of a piezoelectric material is considered. The IDT with high aspect ratio electrodes supports several acoustic modes...

Experimental characterization of the concrete behaviour under high confinement: influence of the saturation ratio and of the water/cement ratio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vu, X.H.

2007-08-01

The objective of this thesis is to experimentally characterize the influence of the saturation ratio and of the water/cement ratio of concrete on its behaviour under high confinement. This thesis lies within a more general scope of the understanding of concrete behaviour under severe loading situations (near field detonation or ballistic impacts). A near field detonation or an impact on a concrete structure generate very high levels of stress associated with complex loading paths in the concrete material. To validate concrete behaviour models, experimental results are required. The work presented in this thesis concerns tests conducted using a static triaxial press that allows to obtain stress levels of the order of the giga Pascal. The porous character of concrete and the high confinement required on the one hand, a development of a specimen protection device, and on the other hand, a development of an instrumentation with strain gauges, which is unprecedented for such high confinements. Hydrostatic and triaxial tests, conducted on the one hand on model materials and on the other hand on concrete, allowed to validate the developed experimental procedures as well as the technique of strain and stress measurements. The studies concerning the influence of the saturation ratio and of the water/cement ratio of concrete on its behaviour required the formulation of a plain baseline concrete and of two modified concretes with different water/cement ratios. The analysis of triaxial tests performed on the baseline concrete shows that the saturation ratio of concrete has a major influence on its static behaviour under high confinement. This influence is particularly marked for the concrete loading capacity and for the shape of limit state curves for saturation ratios greater than 50%. The concrete loading capacity increases with the confinement pressure for tests on dry concrete whereas beyond a given confinement pressure, it remains limited for wet or saturated concrete

THE CONFLUENCE RATIO OF THE TRANSYLVANIAN BASIN RIVERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ROŞIAN GH.

2014-03-01

Full Text Available There are many possibilities to assess the hydrological and geomorphological evolution of a territory. Among them, one remarks the confluence ratio of the rivers belonging to different catchment areas. The values of this indicator may provide information regarding the stage of evolution of the fluvial landforms in the Transylvanian Basin. Also, the values may serve for the calculation of other parameters of catchment areas like: the degree of finishing of the drainage basin for its corresponding order, the density of river segments within a catchment area etc. To calculate the confluence ratio, 35 catchment areas of different orders have been selected. The confluence ratio varies between 3.04 and 6.07. The large range of values demonstrates the existence of a heterogeneous lithology and of morphological and hydrographical contrasts from one catchment area to the other. The existence of values above 5, correlated also with observations in the field, reveals an accelerated dynamics of the geomorphological processes in those catchment areas. This dynamic is mainly supported by the high landform fragmentation due to the first order rivers. In contrast, the catchment areas that have a confluence ratio below 5 are in a more advanced stage of evolution with stable slopes, unable to initiate new first order river segments.

The effect of tip speed ratio on a vertical axis wind turbine at high Reynolds numbers

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Colin M.; Leftwich, Megan C.

2016-05-01

This work visualizes the flow surrounding a scaled model vertical axis wind turbine at realistic operating conditions. The model closely matches geometric and dynamic properties—tip speed ratio and Reynolds number—of a full-size turbine. The flow is visualized using particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) in the midplane upstream, around, and after (up to 4 turbine diameters downstream) the turbine, as well as a vertical plane behind the turbine. Time-averaged results show an asymmetric wake behind the turbine, regardless of tip speed ratio, with a larger velocity deficit for a higher tip speed ratio. For the higher tip speed ratio, an area of averaged flow reversal is present with a maximum reverse flow of -0.04U_∞. Phase-averaged vorticity fields—achieved by syncing the PIV system with the rotation of the turbine—show distinct structures form from each turbine blade. There were distinct differences in results by tip speed ratios of 0.9, 1.3, and 2.2 of when in the cycle structures are shed into the wake—switching from two pairs to a single pair of vortices being shed—and how they convect into the wake—the middle tip speed ratio vortices convect downstream inside the wake, while the high tip speed ratio pair is shed into the shear layer of the wake. Finally, results show that the wake structure is much more sensitive to changes in tip speed ratio than to changes in Reynolds number.

Measurement and properties of the dose-area product ratio in external small-beam radiotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Niemelä, Jarkko; Partanen, Mari; Ojala, Jarkko; Sipilä, Petri; Björkqvist, Mikko; Kapanen, Mika; Keyriläinen, Jani

2017-06-21

In small-beam radiation therapy (RT) the measurement of the beam quality parameter, i.e. the tissue-phantom ratio or TPR 20,10 , using a conventional point detector is a challenge. To obtain reliable results, one has to consider potential sources of error, including volume averaging and adjustment of the point detector into the narrow beam. To overcome these challenges, a different type of beam quality parameter in small beams was studied, namely the dose-area product ratio, or DAPR 20,10 . With this method, the measurement of a dose-area product (DAP) using a large-area plane-parallel chamber (LAC) eliminates the uncertainties in detector positioning and volume averaging that are present when using a point detector. In this study, the properties of the DAPR 20,10 of a cone-collimated 6 MV photon beam were investigated using Monte Carlo (MC) calculations and the obtained values were compared to measurements obtained using two LAC detectors, PTW Type 34073 and PTW Type 34070. In addition, the possibility of determining the DAP using EBT3 film and a Razor diode detector was studied. The determination of the DAPR 20,10 value was found to be feasible in external small-beam radiotherapy using cone-collimated beams with diameters from 4-40 mm, based on the results of the two LACs, the MC calculations and the Razor diode. The measurements indicated a constant DAPR 20,10 value for fields 20-40 mm in diameter, with a maximum relative change of 0.6%, but an increase of 7.0% for fields from 20-4 mm in diameter for the PTW Type 34070 chamber. Simulations and measurements showed an increase of DAPR 20,10 with increasing LAC size or dose integral area for the studied 4-40 mm cone-collimated 6 MV photon beams. This has the consequence that there should be a reference to the size of the used LAC active area or the DAP integration area with the reported DAPR 20,10 value.

Measurement and properties of the dose-area product ratio in external small-beam radiotherapy

Science.gov (United States)

Niemelä, Jarkko; Partanen, Mari; Ojala, Jarkko; Sipilä, Petri; Björkqvist, Mikko; Kapanen, Mika; Keyriläinen, Jani

2017-06-01

In small-beam radiation therapy (RT) the measurement of the beam quality parameter, i.e. the tissue-phantom ratio or TPR20,10, using a conventional point detector is a challenge. To obtain reliable results, one has to consider potential sources of error, including volume averaging and adjustment of the point detector into the narrow beam. To overcome these challenges, a different type of beam quality parameter in small beams was studied, namely the dose-area product ratio, or DAPR20,10. With this method, the measurement of a dose-area product (DAP) using a large-area plane-parallel chamber (LAC) eliminates the uncertainties in detector positioning and volume averaging that are present when using a point detector. In this study, the properties of the DAPR20,10 of a cone-collimated 6 MV photon beam were investigated using Monte Carlo (MC) calculations and the obtained values were compared to measurements obtained using two LAC detectors, PTW Type 34073 and PTW Type 34070. In addition, the possibility of determining the DAP using EBT3 film and a Razor diode detector was studied. The determination of the DAPR20,10 value was found to be feasible in external small-beam radiotherapy using cone-collimated beams with diameters from 4-40 mm, based on the results of the two LACs, the MC calculations and the Razor diode. The measurements indicated a constant DAPR20,10 value for fields 20-40 mm in diameter, with a maximum relative change of 0.6%, but an increase of 7.0% for fields from 20-4 mm in diameter for the PTW Type 34070 chamber. Simulations and measurements showed an increase of DAPR20,10 with increasing LAC size or dose integral area for the studied 4-40 mm cone-collimated 6 MV photon beams. This has the consequence that there should be a reference to the size of the used LAC active area or the DAP integration area with the reported DAPR20,10 value.

High conversion ratio plutonium recycle in pressurized water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edlund, M.C.

1975-01-01

The use of Pu light water reactors in such a way as to minimise the depletion of Pu needed for future use, and therefore to reduce projected demands for U ore and U enrichment is envisaged. Fuel utilisation in PWRs could be improved by tightly-packed fuel rod lattices with conversion ratios of 0.8 to 0.9 compared with ratios of about 0.5 in Pu recycle designs using fuel to water volume ratios of currently operating PWRs. A conceptual design for the Babcock and Wilcox Company reactors now in operation is presented and for illustrative purposes thermalhydraulic design considerations and the reactor physics are described. Principle considerations in the mechanical design of the fuel assemblies are the effect of hydraulic forces, thermal expansion, and fission gas release. The impact of high conversion ratio plutionium recycle in separative work and natural U requirements for PWRs likely to be in operation by 1985 are examined. (U.K.)

Key Techniques on Preparing High Aspect Ratio Micro and Nano Structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jian, Zhao; Lianhe, Dong; Xiaoli, Zhu

2016-01-01

effectively. The mechanism of action between NaCl and HSQ was analyzed. The collapse and adhesion of resist structure due to the effect of gas-liquid interfacial capillary surface tension were suppressed by the CO2 supercritical drying method. Large-area dense nano-structures with the aspect ratio of 12...

Masks for high aspect ratio x-ray lithography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malek, C.K.; Jackson, K.H.; Bonivert, W.D.; Hruby, J.

1997-01-01

Fabrication of very high aspect ratio microstructures, as well as ultra-high precision manufacturing is of increasing interest in a multitude of applications. Fields as diverse as micromechanics, robotics, integrated optics, and sensors benefit from this technology. The scale-length of this spatial regime is between what can be achieved using classical machine tool operations and that which is used in microelectronics. This requires new manufacturing techniques, such as the LIGA process, which combines x-ray lithography, electroforming, and plastic molding

Primary response of high-aspect-ratio thermoresistive sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Majlesein, H. R.; Mitchell, D. L.; Bhattacharya, Pradeep K.; Singh, A.; Anderson, James A.

1997-07-01

There is a growing need for sensors in monitoring performance in modern quality products such as in electronics to monitor heat build up, substrate delaminations, and thermal runaway. In processing instruments, intelligent sensors are needed to measure deposited layer thickness and resistivities for process control, and in environmental electrical enclosures, they are used for climate monitoring and control. A yaw sensor for skid prevention utilizes very fine moveable components, and an automobile engine controller blends a microprocessor and sensor on the same chip. An Active-Pixel Image Sensor is integrated with a digital readout circuit to perform most of the functions in a video camera. Magnetostrictive transducers sense and damp vibrations. Improved acoustic sensors will be used in flow detection of air and other fluids, even at subsonic speeds. Optoelectronic sensor systems are being developed for installation on rocket engines to monitor exhaust gases for signs of wear in the engines. With new freon-free coolants being available the problems of A/C system corrosion have gone up in automobiles and need to be monitored more frequently. Defense cutbacks compel the storage of hardware in safe-custody for an indeterminate period of time, and this makes monitoring more essential. Just-in-time customized manufacturing in modern industries also needs dramatic adjustment in productivity of various selected items, leaving some manufacturing equipment idle for a long time, and therefore, it will be prone to more corrosion, and corrosion sensors are needed. In the medical device industry, development of implantable medical devices using both potentiometric and amperometric determination of parameters has, until now, been used with insufficient micro miniaturization, and thus, requires surgical implantation. In many applications, high-aspect- ratio devices, made possible by the use of synchrotron radiation lithography, allow more useful devices to be produced. High-aspect-ratio

Low power very high frequency resonant converter with high step down ratio

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Mickey Pierre; Knott, Arnold; Andersen, Michael A. E.

2013-01-01

This paper presents the design of a resonant converter with a switching frequency in the very high frequency range (30-300MHz), a large step down ratio and low output power. This gives the designed converters specifications which are far from previous results. The class E inverter and rectifier...

Atmospheric carbon tetrachloride in rural background and industry surrounded urban areas in Northern Iberian Peninsula: Mixing ratios, trends, and potential sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blas, Maite de; Uria-Tellaetxe, Iratxe; Gomez, Maria Carmen; Navazo, Marino; Alonso, Lucio; García, Jose Antonio; Durana, Nieves; Iza, Jon; Ramón, Jarol Derley

2016-01-01

Latest investigations on atmospheric carbon tetrachloride (CTC) are focused on its ozone depleting potential, adverse effects on the human health, and radiative efficiency and Global Warming Potential as a greenhouse gas. CTC mixing ratios have been thoroughly studied since its restriction under the Montreal Protocol, mostly in remote areas with the aim of reporting long-term trends after its banning. The observed decrease of the CTC background mixing ratio, however, was not as strong as expected. In order to explain this behavior CTC lifetime should be adjusted by estimating the relative significance of its sinks and by identifying ongoing potential sources. Looking for possible sources, CTC was measured with high-time resolution in two sites in Northern Spain, using auto-GC systems and specifically developed acquisition and processing methodologies. The first site, Bilbao, is an urban area influenced by the surrounding industry, where measurements were performed with GC–MSD for a one-year period (2007–2008). The second site, at Valderejo Natural Park (VNP), is a rural background area where measurements were carried out with GC-FID and covering CTC data a nonsuccessive five-year period (2003–2005, 2010–2011, and 2014–2015 years). Median yearly CTC mixing ratios were slightly higher in the urban area (120 pptv) than in VNP (80–100 pptv). CTC was reported to be well mixed in the atmosphere and no sources were noticed to impact the rural site. The observed long-term trend in VNP was in agreement with the estimated global CTC emissions. In the urban site, apart from industrial and commercial CTC sources, chlorine-bleach products used as cleaning agents were reported as promotors of indoor sources. - Highlights: • A methodology was developed to measure CTC using GC-MSD and GC-FID. • CTC ongoing sources were noticed in an industry surrounded urban area. • No noticeable nearby CTC sources impacted the rural site. • Long-term CTC trend in agreement

Atmospheric carbon tetrachloride in rural background and industry surrounded urban areas in Northern Iberian Peninsula: Mixing ratios, trends, and potential sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blas, Maite de, E-mail: maite.deblas@ehu.eus [School of Engineering of Bilbao, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU (Spain); Uria-Tellaetxe, Iratxe; Gomez, Maria Carmen [School of Engineering of Bilbao, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU (Spain); Navazo, Marino [University College of Engineering of Vitoria-Gasteiz, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU (Spain); Alonso, Lucio; García, Jose Antonio; Durana, Nieves; Iza, Jon; Ramón, Jarol Derley [School of Engineering of Bilbao, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU (Spain)

2016-08-15

Latest investigations on atmospheric carbon tetrachloride (CTC) are focused on its ozone depleting potential, adverse effects on the human health, and radiative efficiency and Global Warming Potential as a greenhouse gas. CTC mixing ratios have been thoroughly studied since its restriction under the Montreal Protocol, mostly in remote areas with the aim of reporting long-term trends after its banning. The observed decrease of the CTC background mixing ratio, however, was not as strong as expected. In order to explain this behavior CTC lifetime should be adjusted by estimating the relative significance of its sinks and by identifying ongoing potential sources. Looking for possible sources, CTC was measured with high-time resolution in two sites in Northern Spain, using auto-GC systems and specifically developed acquisition and processing methodologies. The first site, Bilbao, is an urban area influenced by the surrounding industry, where measurements were performed with GC–MSD for a one-year period (2007–2008). The second site, at Valderejo Natural Park (VNP), is a rural background area where measurements were carried out with GC-FID and covering CTC data a nonsuccessive five-year period (2003–2005, 2010–2011, and 2014–2015 years). Median yearly CTC mixing ratios were slightly higher in the urban area (120 pptv) than in VNP (80–100 pptv). CTC was reported to be well mixed in the atmosphere and no sources were noticed to impact the rural site. The observed long-term trend in VNP was in agreement with the estimated global CTC emissions. In the urban site, apart from industrial and commercial CTC sources, chlorine-bleach products used as cleaning agents were reported as promotors of indoor sources. - Highlights: • A methodology was developed to measure CTC using GC-MSD and GC-FID. • CTC ongoing sources were noticed in an industry surrounded urban area. • No noticeable nearby CTC sources impacted the rural site. • Long-term CTC trend in agreement

The influence of high fat diets with different ketogenic ratios on the hippocampal accumulation of creatine - FTIR microspectroscopy study

Science.gov (United States)

Skoczen, A.; Setkowicz, Z.; Janeczko, K.; Sandt, Ch.; Borondics, F.; Chwiej, J.

2017-09-01

The main purpose of this study was the determination and comparison of anomalies in creatine (Cr) accumulation occurring within CA3 and DG areas of hippocampal formation as a result of two high-fat, carbohydrate-restricted ketogenic diets (KD) with different ketogenic ratio (KR). To reach this goal, Fourier transformed infrared microspectroscopy with synchrotron radiation source (SRFTIR microspectroscopy) was applied for chemical mapping of creatine absorption bands, occurring around 1304, 1398 and 2800 cm- 1. The samples were taken from three groups of experimental animals: control group (N) fed with standard laboratory diet, KD1 and KD2 groups fed with high-fat diets with KR 5:1 and 9:1 respectively. Additionally, the possible influence on the phosphocreatine (PhCr, the high energetic form of creatine) content was evaluated by comparative analysis of chemical maps obtained for creatine and for compounds containing phosphate groups which manifest in the spectra at the wavenumbers of around 1240 and 1080 cm- 1. Our results showed that KD2 strongly modifies the frequency of Cr inclusions in both analyzed hippocampal areas. Statistical analysis, performed with Mann-Whitney U test revealed increased accumulation of Cr within CA3 and DG areas of KD2 fed rats compared to both normal rats and KD1 experimental group. Moreover, KD2 diet may modify the frequency of PhCr deposits as well as the PhCr to Cr ratio.

Stable carbon isotopes in high-productive littoral areas of Lake Constance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chondrogianni, C.

1992-01-01

The investigation attempted to extend understanding of C fractionation in aquatic systems and to facilitate the interpretation of palaeolimnological isotope data. Particular interest was taken in the aspect of bicarbonate assimilation at high productivity and in the exchange processes between water and atmosphere. Littoral areas of lakes were chosen as areas of investigation as they offer a high-productivity environment with large populations of submersed macrophytes and periphytes. To get a better picture of the factors influencing C fractionation, litteral and pellagial regions were compared on the one hand and a mesotrophic (Ueberlingersee) and a eutrophic (Gnadensee) lake section on the other hand. Further factors of differentiation between the two lake parts were: Volume, the proportional share of the litteral area, and water exchange. Two main fields of interest were investigated: - Determination of the C isotope ratio (δ 13 C) in the dissolved bicarbonate of water in the sediments of a single year for the purpose of calibrating its fractionation in the basis of the present chemical and physical status of the lake water (water programme). - Determination of δ 13 C in selected carbonate components from sedimentary cores in order to find out about palaeolimnological events in the areas of investigation (sediment programme). (orig.) [de

Moisture availability constraints on the leaf area to sapwood area ratio: analysis of measurements on Australian evergreen angiosperm trees

Science.gov (United States)

Togashi, Henrique; Prentice, Colin; Evans, Bradley; Forrester, David; Drake, Paul; Feikema, Paul; Brooksbank, Kim; Eamus, Derek; Taylor, Daniel

2014-05-01

The leaf area to sapwood area ratio (LA:SA) is a key plant trait that links photosynthesis to transpiration. Pipe model theory states that the sapwood cross-sectional area of a stem or branch at any point should scale isometrically with the area of leaves distal to that point. Optimization theory further suggests that LA:SA should decrease towards drier climates. Although acclimation of LA:SA to climate has been reported within species, much less is known about the scaling of this trait with climate among species. We compiled LA:SA measurements from 184 species of Australian evergreen angiosperm trees. The pipe model was broadly confirmed, based on measurements on branches and trunks of trees from one to 27 years old. We found considerable scatter in LA:SA among species. However quantile regression showed strong (0.2

Morphological and moisture availability controls of the leaf area-to-sapwood area ratio: analysis of measurements on Australian trees.

Science.gov (United States)

Togashi, Henrique Furstenau; Prentice, Iain Colin; Evans, Bradley John; Forrester, David Ian; Drake, Paul; Feikema, Paul; Brooksbank, Kim; Eamus, Derek; Taylor, Daniel

2015-03-01

The leaf area-to-sapwood area ratio (LA:SA) is a key plant trait that links photosynthesis to transpiration. The pipe model theory states that the sapwood cross-sectional area of a stem or branch at any point should scale isometrically with the area of leaves distal to that point. Optimization theory further suggests that LA:SA should decrease toward drier climates. Although acclimation of LA:SA to climate has been reported within species, much less is known about the scaling of this trait with climate among species. We compiled LA:SA measurements from 184 species of Australian evergreen angiosperm trees. The pipe model was broadly confirmed, based on measurements on branches and trunks of trees from one to 27 years old. Despite considerable scatter in LA:SA among species, quantile regression showed strong (0.2 < R1 < 0.65) positive relationships between two climatic moisture indices and the lowermost (5%) and uppermost (5-15%) quantiles of log LA:SA, suggesting that moisture availability constrains the envelope of minimum and maximum values of LA:SA typical for any given climate. Interspecific differences in plant hydraulic conductivity are probably responsible for the large scatter of values in the mid-quantile range and may be an important determinant of tree morphology.

Restoration thinning and influence of tree size and leaf area to sapwood area ratio on water relations of Pinus ponderosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Simonin, K; Kolb, T E; Montes-Helu, M; Koch, G W

2006-04-01

Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex P. Laws) forest stand density has increased significantly over the last century (Covington et al. 1997). To understand the effect of increased intraspecific competition, tree size (height and diameter at breast height (DBH)) and leaf area to sapwood area ratio (A(L):A(S)) on water relations, we compared hydraulic conductance from soil to leaf (kl) and transpiration per unit leaf area (Q(L)) of ponderosa pine trees in an unthinned plot to trees in a thinned plot in the first and second years after thinning in a dense Arizona forest. We calculated kl and Q(L) based on whole- tree sap flux measured with heat dissipation sensors. Thinning increased tree predawn water potential within two weeks of treatment. Effects of thinning on kl and Q(L) depended on DBH, A(L):A(S) and drought severity. During severe drought in the first growing season after thinning, kl and Q(L) of trees with low A(L):A(S) (160-250 mm DBH; 9-11 m height) were lower in the thinned plot than the unthinned plot, suggesting a reduction in stomatal conductance (g(s)) or reduced sapwood specific conductivity (K(S)), or both, in response to thinning. In contrast kl and Q(L) were similar in the thinned plot and unthinned plot for trees with high A(L):A(S) (260-360 mm DBH; 13-16 m height). During non-drought periods, kl and Q(L) were greater in the thinned plot than in the unthinned plot for all but the largest trees. Contrary to previous studies of ponderosa pine, A(L):A(S) was positively correlated with tree height and DBH. Furthermore, kl and Q(L) showed a weak negative correlation with tree height and a strong negative correlation with A(S) and thus A(L):A(S) in both the thinned and unthinned plots, suggesting that trees with high A(L):A(S) had lower g(s). Our results highlight the important influence of stand competitive environment on tree-size-related variation in A(L):A(S) and the roles of A(L):A(S) and drought on whole-tree water relations in response to

THE ENIGMA OF ETHIOPIAN SEX RATIOS AT BIRTH.

Science.gov (United States)

Garenne, Michel

2017-09-01

This study analysed sex ratios at birth (defined as the number of male births per 100 female births) using data on children ever-born from three censuses conducted in Ethiopia in 1984, 1994 and 2007. The results showed very high values by any standard, with an average of 108.4 for a sample of some 8.2 million births, with somewhat lower values in urban areas. Analysis of socioeconomic correlates revealed that the sex ratio varied very much by household wealth, from about 110 for very poor women to about 102 for wealthier women. The high value of the sex ratio at birth in Ethiopia could be explained by poverty, used as a proxy for poor nutritional status. In multivariate analysis, the effects of living in urban areas and of maternal education were less important than household wealth. Among the many ethno-linguistic groups, the Nilotic family had higher sex ratios than other groups. The results were confirmed using data from DHS surveys conducted in the country, and by the analysis of children still living at time of census.

R7T7 nuclear waste glass behavior in moist clay: role of the clay mass/glass surface area ratio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Godon, N.; Vernaz, E.

1989-01-01

R7T7 glass alteration was investigated in the presence of various moist clays. In contact with smectite 4a, selected in France as a potential engineered barrier material, the glass was significantly corroded: after 6 months the glass corrosion rate was practically the same as the initial alteration rate in double-distilled water. Substantially lower alteration was observed in contact with bentonite 6 activated by sodium carbonate. Smectite 4a consumes silicon released by glass corrosion, and thus retards the rise to high silicon concentrations in solution at which the glass corrosion rate diminishes. Glass can therefore in some cases be altered as much in moist clay as in water with high renewal rates. Other experiments with smaller quantities of smectite 4a showed that the phenomenon becomes less important in time: its duration is proportional to the ratio between the clay mass (C) and the glass surface area (SA). Comparing the results of studies at different C/SA ratios indicates that low glass corrosion rates are obtained more slowly at higher C/SA ratios. Tests with 239 Pu-doped R7T7 glass also showed that the radionuclide retention factor in the alteration film at the glass surface is only 6, compared with a factor of nearly 50 in double-distilled water

Remote sensing of potential lunar resources. 2: High spatial resolution mapping of spectral reflectance ratios and implications for nearside mare TiO2 content`

Science.gov (United States)

Melendrez, David E.; Johnson, Jeffrey R.; Larson, Stephen M.; Singer, Robert B.

1994-01-01

High spatial resolution maps illustrating variations in spectral reflectance 400/560 nm ratio values have been generated for the following mare regions: (1) the border between southern Mare Serenitatis and northern Mare Tranquillitatis (including the MS-2 standard area and Apollo 17 landing site), (2) central Mare Tranquillitatis, (3) Oceanus Procellarum near Seleucus, and (4) southern Oceanus Procellarum and Flamsteed. We have also obtained 320-1000 nm reflectance spectra of several sites relative to MS-2 to facilitate scaling of the images and provide additional information on surface composition. Inferred TiO2 abundances for these mare regions have been determined using an empirical calibration which relates the weight percent TiO2 in mature mare regolith to the observed 400/560 nm ratio. Mare areas with high TiO2 abundances are probably rich in ilmenite (FeTiO3) a potential lunar resource. The highest potential TiO2 concentrations we have identified in the nearside maria occur in central Mare Tranquillitatis. Inferred TiO2 contents for these areas are greater than 9 wt% and are spatially consistent with the highest-TiO2 regions mapped previously at lower spatial resolution. We note that the morphology of surface units with high 400/560 nm ratio values increases in complexity at higher spatial resolutions. Comparisons have been made with previously published geologic maps, Lunar Orbiter IV, and ground-based images, and some possible morphologic correlatins have been found between our mapped 400/560 nm ratio values and volcanic landforms such as lava flows, mare domes, and collapse pits.

Reusable High Aspect Ratio 3-D Nickel Shadow Mask

Science.gov (United States)

Shandhi, M.M.H.; Leber, M.; Hogan, A.; Warren, D.J.; Bhandari, R.; Negi, S.

2017-01-01

Shadow Mask technology has been used over the years for resistless patterning and to pattern on unconventional surfaces, fragile substrate and biomaterial. In this work, we are presenting a novel method to fabricate high aspect ratio (15:1) three-dimensional (3D) Nickel (Ni) shadow mask with vertical pattern length and width of 1.2 mm and 40 μm respectively. The Ni shadow mask is 1.5 mm tall and 100 μm wide at the base. The aspect ratio of the shadow mask is 15. Ni shadow mask is mechanically robust and hence easy to handle. It is also reusable and used to pattern the sidewalls of unconventional and complex 3D geometries such as microneedles or neural electrodes (such as the Utah array). The standard Utah array has 100 active sites at the tip of the shaft. Using the proposed high aspect ratio Ni shadow mask, the Utah array can accommodate 300 active sites, 200 of which will be along and around the shaft. The robust Ni shadow mask is fabricated using laser patterning and electroplating techniques. The use of Ni 3D shadow mask will lower the fabrication cost, complexity and time for patterning out-of-plane structures. PMID:29056835

Computer-controlled detection system for high-precision isotope ratio measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCord, B.R.; Taylor, J.W.

1986-01-01

In this paper the authors describe a detection system for high-precision isotope ratio measurements. In this new system, the requirement for a ratioing digital voltmeter has been eliminated, and a standard digital voltmeter interfaced to a computer is employed. Instead of measuring the ratio of the two steadily increasing output voltages simultaneously, the digital voltmeter alternately samples the outputs at a precise rate over a certain period of time. The data are sent to the computer which calculates the rate of charge of each amplifier and divides the two rates to obtain the isotopic ratio. These results simulate a coincident measurement of the output of both integrators. The charge rate is calculated by using a linear regression method, and the standard error of the slope gives a measure of the stability of the system at the time the measurement was taken

A Four-Phase High Voltage Conversion Ratio Bidirectional DC-DC Converter for Battery Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li-Kun Xue

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This study presents a four-phase interleaved high voltage conversion ratio bidirectional DC-DC converter circuit based on coupled inductors and switched capacitors, which can eliminate the defects of conventional high voltage conversion ratio bidirectional DC-DC converters in terms of high-voltage/current stress, less efficiency and low-power limitation. Parallel channels are used to reduce current stress at the low-voltage side and series connected switched capacitors are used to enlarge voltage conversion ratio, reduce voltage stress and achieve auto current sharing. This paper proposes the operation principle, feature analysis and optimization design considerations. On this basis the objectives of high voltage conversion ratio, low voltage/current stress, high power density, high efficiency and high-power applications can be achieved. Some experimental results based on a 500 W prototype converter (24 V to 48 V at low-voltage side, 400 V at high-voltage side are given to verify the theoretical analysis and the effectiveness of the proposed converter.

Cryogenic Etching of High Aspect Ratio 400 nm Pitch Silicon Gratings.

Science.gov (United States)

Miao, Houxun; Chen, Lei; Mirzaeimoghri, Mona; Kasica, Richard; Wen, Han

2016-10-01

The cryogenic process and Bosch process are two widely used processes for reactive ion etching of high aspect ratio silicon structures. This paper focuses on the cryogenic deep etching of 400 nm pitch silicon gratings with various etching mask materials including polymer, Cr, SiO 2 and Cr-on-polymer. The undercut is found to be the key factor limiting the achievable aspect ratio for the direct hard masks of Cr and SiO 2 , while the etch selectivity responds to the limitation of the polymer mask. The Cr-on-polymer mask provides the same high selectivity as Cr and reduces the excessive undercut introduced by direct hard masks. By optimizing the etching parameters, we etched a 400 nm pitch grating to ≈ 10.6 μ m depth, corresponding to an aspect ratio of ≈ 53.

Synthesis of high aspect ratio ZnO nanowires with an inexpensive handcrafted electrochemical setup

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taheri, Ali, E-mail: at1361@aut.ac.ir, E-mail: atahery@aeoi.org.ir [Nuclear Science and Technology Institute (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Saramad, Shahyar; Setayeshi, Saeed [Amirkabir University of Technology, Faculty of Energy Engineering and Physics (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-12-15

In this work, high aspect ratio zinc oxide nanowires are synthesized using templated one-step electrodeposition technique. Electrodeposition of the nanowires is done using a handcrafted electronic system. Nuclear track-etched polycarbonate membrane is used as a template to form the high aspect ratio nanowires. The result of X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy shows that nanowires with a good crystallinity and an aspect ratio of more than 30 can be achieved in a suitable condition. The height of electrodeposited nanowires reaches to about 11 μm. Based on the obtained results, high aspect ratio ZnO nanowires can be formed using inexpensive electrodeposition setup with an acceptable quality.

A novel fabrication method for suspended high-aspect-ratio microstructures

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yao-Joe; Kuo, Wen-Cheng

2005-11-01

Suspended high-aspect-ratio structures (suspended HARS) are widely used for MEMS devices such as micro-gyroscopes, micro-accelerometers, optical switches and so on. Various fabrication methods, such as SOI, SCREAM, AIM, SBM and BELST processes, were proposed to fabricate HARS. However, these methods focus on the fabrication of suspended microstructures with relatively small widths of trench opening (e.g. less than 10 µm). In this paper, we propose a novel process for fabricating very high-aspect-ratio suspended structures with large widths of trench opening using photoresist as an etching mask. By enhancing the microtrenching effect, we can easily release the suspended structure without thoroughly removing the floor polymer inside the trenches for the cases with a relatively small trench aspect ratio. All the process steps can be integrated into a single-run single-mask ICP-RIE process, which effectively reduces the process complexity and fabrication cost. We also discuss the phenomenon of corner erosion, which results in the undesired etching of silicon structures during the structure-releasing step. By using the proposed process, 100 µm thick suspended structures with the trench aspect ratio of about 20 are demonstrated. Also, the proposed process can be used to fabricate devices for applications which require large in-plane displacement. This paper was orally presented in the Transducers'05, Seoul, Korea (paper ID: 3B1.3).

Development of large area, high efficiency amorphous silicon solar cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoon, K.S.; Kim, S.; Kim, D.W. [Yu Kong Taedok Institute of Technology (Korea, Republic of)

1996-02-01

The objective of the research is to develop the mass-production technologies of high efficiency amorphous silicon solar cells in order to reduce the costs of solar cells and dissemination of solar cells. Amorphous silicon solar cell is the most promising option of thin film solar cells which are relatively easy to reduce the costs. The final goal of the research is to develop amorphous silicon solar cells having the efficiency of 10%, the ratio of light-induced degradation 15% in the area of 1200 cm{sup 2} and test the cells in the form of 2 Kw grid-connected photovoltaic system. (author) 35 refs., 8 tabs., 67 figs.

Highly Manufacturable Deep (Sub-Millimeter) Etching Enabled High Aspect Ratio Complex Geometry Lego-Like Silicon Electronics

KAUST Repository

Ghoneim, Mohamed T.; Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa

2017-01-01

A highly manufacturable deep reactive ion etching based process involving a hybrid soft/hard mask process technology shows high aspect ratio complex geometry Lego-like silicon electronics formation enabling free-form (physically flexible

The impact of sex ratio and economic status on local birth rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Chipman, A; Morrison, E

2013-04-23

Human mating and reproductive behaviour can vary depending on various mechanisms, including the local sex ratio. Previous research shows that as sex ratios become female-biased, women from economically deprived areas are less likely to delay reproductive opportunities to wait for a high-investing mate but instead begin their reproductive careers sooner. Here, we show that the local sex ratio also has an impact on female fertility schedules. At young ages, a female-biased ratio is associated with higher birth rates in the poorest areas, whereas the opposite is true for the richest areas. At older ages, a female-biased ratio is associated with higher birth rates in the richest, but not the poorest areas. These patterns suggest that female-female competition encourages poorer women to adopt a fast life-history strategy and give birth early, and richer women to adopt a slow life-history strategy and delay reproduction.

A father effect explains sex-ratio bias.

Science.gov (United States)

Malo, Aurelio F; Martinez-Pastor, Felipe; Garcia-Gonzalez, Francisco; Garde, Julián; Ballou, Jonathan D; Lacy, Robert C

2017-08-30

Sex ratio allocation has important fitness consequences, and theory predicts that parents should adjust offspring sex ratio in cases where the fitness returns of producing male and female offspring vary. The ability of fathers to bias offspring sex ratios has traditionally been dismissed given the expectation of an equal proportion of X- and Y-chromosome-bearing sperm (CBS) in ejaculates due to segregation of sex chromosomes at meiosis. This expectation has been recently refuted. Here we used Peromyscus leucopus to demonstrate that sex ratio is explained by an exclusive effect of the father, and suggest a likely mechanism by which male-driven sex-ratio bias is attained. We identified a male sperm morphological marker that is associated with the mechanism leading to sex ratio bias; differences among males in the sperm nucleus area (a proxy for the sex chromosome that the sperm contains) explain 22% variation in litter sex ratio. We further show the role played by the sperm nucleus area as a mediator in the relationship between individual genetic variation and sex-ratio bias. Fathers with high levels of genetic variation had ejaculates with a higher proportion of sperm with small nuclei area. This, in turn, led to siring a higher proportion of sons (25% increase in sons per 0.1 decrease in the inbreeding coefficient). Our results reveal a plausible mechanism underlying unexplored male-driven sex-ratio biases. We also discuss why this pattern of paternal bias can be adaptive. This research puts to rest the idea that father contribution to sex ratio variation should be disregarded in vertebrates, and will stimulate research on evolutionary constraints to sex ratios-for example, whether fathers and mothers have divergent, coinciding, or neutral sex allocation interests. Finally, these results offer a potential explanation for those intriguing cases in which there are sex ratio biases, such as in humans. © 2017 The Author(s).

High aspect ratio, remote controlled pumping assembly

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Steve B.; Milanovich, Fred P.

1995-01-01

A miniature dual syringe-type pump assembly which has a high aspect ratio and which is remotely controlled, for use such as in a small diameter penetrometer cone or well packer used in water contamination applications. The pump assembly may be used to supply and remove a reagent to a water contamination sensor, for example, and includes a motor, gearhead and motor encoder assembly for turning a drive screw for an actuator which provides pushing on one syringe and pulling on the other syringe for injecting new reagent and withdrawing used reagent from an associated sensor.

Allometric relationships predicting foliar biomass and leaf area:sapwood area ratio from tree height in five Costa Rican rain forest species.

Science.gov (United States)

Calvo-Alvarado, J C; McDowell, N G; Waring, R H

2008-11-01

We developed allometric equations to predict whole-tree leaf area (A(l)), leaf biomass (M(l)) and leaf area to sapwood area ratio (A(l):A(s)) in five rain forest tree species of Costa Rica: Pentaclethra macroloba (Willd.) Kuntze (Fabaceae/Mim), Carapa guianensis Aubl. (Meliaceae), Vochysia ferru-gi-nea Mart. (Vochysiaceae), Virola koshnii Warb. (Myristicaceae) and Tetragastris panamensis (Engl.) Kuntze (Burseraceae). By destructive analyses (n = 11-14 trees per species), we observed strong nonlinear allometric relationships (r(2) > or = 0.9) for predicting A(l) or M(l) from stem diameters or A(s) measured at breast height. Linear relationships were less accurate. In general, A(l):A(s) at breast height increased linearly with tree height except for Penta-clethra, which showed a negative trend. All species, however, showed increased total A(l) with height. The observation that four of the five species increased in A(l):A(s) with height is consistent with hypotheses about trade--offs between morphological and anatomical adaptations that favor efficient water flow through variation in the amount of leaf area supported by sapwood and those imposed by the need to respond quickly to light gaps in the canopy.

Neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio is associated with low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in healthy young men

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Duran Tok

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Objective: It has been reported that the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio is significantly elevated in patients with low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (<35 mg/dL. But in this study, some patients had hypertension that may have affected the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio. This study consisted of 1274 asymptomatic healthy young men. In contrast with the previous study, we investigated the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio in healthy young men with low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol compared with controls. Methods: We studied 1274 asymptomatic young males (military personnel screening who underwent routine health check-up. Of them, 102 subjects had low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Results: The neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio was significantly higher among the men with low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol than that of the control group (P < 0.001. Conclusion: We conclude that the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio is significantly elevated in asymptomatic healthy young men with low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol compared with control participants.

Highly Manufacturable Deep (Sub-Millimeter) Etching Enabled High Aspect Ratio Complex Geometry Lego-Like Silicon Electronics

KAUST Repository

Ghoneim, Mohamed T.

2017-02-01

A highly manufacturable deep reactive ion etching based process involving a hybrid soft/hard mask process technology shows high aspect ratio complex geometry Lego-like silicon electronics formation enabling free-form (physically flexible, stretchable, and reconfigurable) electronic systems.

Simultaneous fabrication of very high aspect ratio positive nano- to milliscale structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Long Qing; Chan-Park, Mary B; Zhang, Qing; Chen, Peng; Li, Chang Ming; Li, Sai

2009-05-01

A simple and inexpensive technique for the simultaneous fabrication of positive (i.e., protruding), very high aspect (>10) ratio nanostructures together with micro- or millistructures is developed. The method involves using residual patterns of thin-film over-etching (RPTO) to produce sub-micro-/nanoscale features. The residual thin-film nanopattern is used as an etching mask for Si deep reactive ion etching. The etched Si structures are further reduced in size by Si thermal oxidation to produce amorphous SiO(2), which is subsequently etched away by HF. Two arrays of positive Si nanowalls are demonstrated with this combined RPTO-SiO(2)-HF technique. One array has a feature size of 150 nm and an aspect ratio of 26.7 and another has a feature size of 50 nm and an aspect ratio of 15. No other parallel reduction technique can achieve such a very high aspect ratio for 50-nm-wide nanowalls. As a demonstration of the technique to simultaneously achieve nano- and milliscale features, a simple Si nanofluidic master mold with positive features with dimensions varying continuously from 1 mm to 200 nm and a highest aspect ratio of 6.75 is fabricated; the narrow 200-nm section is 4.5 mm long. This Si master mold is then used as a mold for UV embossing. The embossed open channels are then closed by a cover with glue bonding. A high aspect ratio is necessary to produce unblocked closed channels after the cover bonding process of the nanofluidic chip. The combined method of RPTO, Si thermal oxidation, and HF etching can be used to make complex nanofluidic systems and nano-/micro-/millistructures for diverse applications.

Renal Parenchyma to Hydronephrosis Area Ratio (PHAR) as a Predictor of Future Surgical Intervention for Infants With High-grade Prenatal Hydronephrosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rickard, Mandy; Lorenzo, Armando J; Braga, Luis H

2017-03-01

To explore the potential value of an objective assessment, renal parenchyma to hydronephrosis area ratio (PHAR), as an early predictor of surgery. Initial sagittal renal ultrasound (US) images of patients prospectively entered into a prenatal hydronephrosis database from January 2008 to January 2016 with baseline Society for Fetal Urology (SFU) grades III and IV prenatal hydronephrosis, without vesicoureteral reflux, were evaluated using the National Institutes of Health-sponsored image processing software. PHAR, anteroposterior diameter, SFU grade, and urinary tract dilation risk categories were contrasted with nuclear scan data (differential renal function and drainage time [t 1/2 ]) and analyzed for predictive value in determining the decision to proceed with surgery by drawing receiver operating characteristic curves. Out of 196 infants (162 male; 138 left sided hydronephrosis), 58 (30%) underwent surgery to address obstruction. Surgical patients compared with those managed conservatively had longer t 1/2 (60 vs 18 min; P hydronephrosis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biomass-derived nitrogen-doped porous carbons with tailored hierarchical porosity and high specific surface area for high energy and power density supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Junting; Niu, Jin; Liu, Mengyue; Ji, Jing; Dou, Meiling; Wang, Feng

2018-01-01

Porous carbon materials with hierarchical structures attract intense interest for the development of high-performance supercapacitors. Herein, we demonstrate a facile and efficient strategy to synthesize nitrogen-doped hierarchically porous carbons with tailored porous structure combined with high specific surface area (SSA), which involves a pre-carbonization and a subsequent carbonization combined with KOH activation of silkworm cocoon precursors. Through adjusting the mass ratio of the activator (KOH) to pre-carbonized precursor in the activation process, the hierarchically porous carbon prepared at the mass ratio of 2 (referred to as NHPC-2) possesses a high defect density and a high SSA of 3386 m2 g-1 as well as the relatively high volumetric proportion of mesopores and macropores (45.5%). As a result, the energy density and power density of the symmetric supercapacitor based on NHPC-2 electrode are as high as 34.41 Wh kg-1 and 31.25 kW kg-1 in organic-solvent electrolyte, and are further improved to 112.1 Wh kg-1 and 23.91 kW kg-1 in ionic-liquid electrolyte.

Modeled effects on permittivity measurements of water content in high surface area porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, S.B.; Or, Dani

2003-01-01

Time domain reflectometry (TDR) has become an important measurement technique for determination of porous media water content and electrical conductivity due to its accuracy, fast response and automation capability. Water content is inferred from the measured bulk dielectric constant based on travel time analysis along simple transmission lines. TDR measurements in low surface area porous media accurately describe water content using an empirical relationship. Measurement discrepancies arise from dominating influences such as bound water due to high surface area, extreme aspect ratio particles or atypical water phase configuration. Our objectives were to highlight primary factors affecting dielectric permittivity measurements for water content determination in porous mixtures, and demonstrate the influence of these factors on mixture permittivity as predicted by a three-phase dielectric mixture model. Modeled results considering water binding, higher porosity, constituent geometry or phase configuration suggest any of these effects individually are capable of causing permittivity reduction, though all likely contribute in high surface area porous media

The experimental research on electrodischarge drilling of high aspect ratio holes in Inconel 718

Science.gov (United States)

Lipiec, Piotr; Machno, Magdalena; Skoczypiec, Sebastian

2018-05-01

In recent years the drilling operations become important area of electrodischarge machining (EDM) application. This especially concerns drilling of, small (D 10) holes in difficult-to-cut materials (i.e. nickel or titanium alloys). Drilling of such a holes is significantly beyond mechanical drilling capabilities. Therefore electrodischarge machining is good and cost efficient alternative for such application. EDM gives possibility to drill accurate, burr free and high aspect ratio holes and is applicable to machine wide range of conductive materials, irrespective of their hardness and toughness. However it is worth to underline its main disadvantages such as: significant tool wear, low material removal rate and poor surface integrity. The last one is especially important in reliable applications in aircraft or medical industry.

Munsell color analysis of Landsat color-ratio-composite images of limonitic areas in southwest New Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Kruse, F. A.

1985-01-01

The causes of color variations in the green areas on Landsat 4/5-4/6-6/7 (red-blue-green) color-ratio-composite (CRC) images, defined as limonitic areas, were investigated by analyzing the CRC images of the Lordsburg, New Mexico area. The red-blue-green additive color system was mathematically transformed into the cylindrical Munsell color coordinates (hue, saturation, and value), and selected areas were digitally analyzed for color variation. The obtained precise color characteristics were then correlated with properties of surface material. The amount of limonite (L) visible to the sensor was found to be the primary cause of the observed color differences. The visible L is, is turn, affected by the amount of L on the material's surface and by within-pixel mixing of limonitic and nonlimonitic materials. The secondary cause of variation was vegetation density, which shifted CRC hues towards yellow-green, decreased saturation, and increased value.

High yield polyol synthesis of round- and sharp-end silver nanowires with high aspect ratio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nekahi, A.; Marashi, S.P.H., E-mail: pmarashi@aut.ac.ir; Fatmesari, D. Haghshenas

2016-12-01

Long silver nanowires (average length of 28 μm, average aspect ratio of 130) with uniform diameter along their length were produced by polyol synthesis of AgNO{sub 3} in ethylene glycol in the presence of PVP as preferential growth agent. Nanowires were produced with no addition of chloride salts such as NaCl or CuCl{sub 2} (or other additives such as Na{sub 2}S) which are usually used for lowering reduction rate of Ag ions by additional etchant of O{sub 2}/Cl{sup −}. Lower reduction rate was obtained by increasing the injection time of PVP and AgNO{sub 3} solutions, which was the significant factor in the formation of nanowires. Therefore, there was enough time for reduced Ag atoms to be deposited preferentially in the direction of PVP chains, resulting in high yield (the fraction of nanowires in the products) of nanowires (more than 95%) with high aspect ratio. The produced nanowires had both round- and sharp-ends with pentagonal cross section. Higher energy level of Ag atoms in borders of MTPs, which increases the dissolution rate of precipitated atoms, in addition to partial melting of MTPs at high synthesis temperatures, leads to the curving of the surfaces of exposed (111) crystalline planes in some MTPs and the formation of round-end silver nanowires. - Highlights: • Long silver nanowires with high aspect ratio of 130 were produced. • More than 95% nanowires were produced in products. • The produced nanowires had round- and sharp-ends with pentagonal cross section. • Additives were needed neither for high yield synthesis nor for round-end nanowires. • Melting and etching of MTPs in high energy borders resulted to round-end nanowires.

Ultra-high aspect ratio replaceable AFM tips using deformation-suppressed focused ion beam milling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Savenko, Alexey; Yildiz, Izzet; Petersen, Dirch Hjorth

2013-01-01

Fabrication of ultra-high aspect ratio exchangeable and customizable tips for atomic force microscopy (AFM) using lateral focused ion beam (FIB) milling is presented. While on-axis FIB milling does allow high aspect ratio (HAR) AFM tips to be defined, lateral milling gives far better flexibility...

Flight Loads Prediction of High Aspect Ratio Wing Aircraft Using Multibody Dynamics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michele Castellani

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A framework based on multibody dynamics has been developed for the static and dynamic aeroelastic analyses of flexible high aspect ratio wing aircraft subject to structural geometric nonlinearities. Multibody dynamics allows kinematic nonlinearities and nonlinear relationships in the forces definition and is an efficient and promising methodology to model high aspect ratio wings, which are known to be prone to structural nonlinear effects because of the high deflections in flight. The multibody dynamics framework developed employs quasi-steady aerodynamics strip theory and discretizes the wing as a series of rigid bodies interconnected by beam elements, representative of the stiffness distribution, which can undergo arbitrarily large displacements and rotations. The method is applied to a flexible high aspect ratio wing commercial aircraft and both trim and gust response analyses are performed in order to calculate flight loads. These results are then compared to those obtained with the standard linear aeroelastic approach provided by the Finite Element Solver Nastran. Nonlinear effects come into play mainly because of the need of taking into account the large deflections of the wing for flight loads computation and of considering the aerodynamic forces as follower forces.

Anomalously high intercombination line ratios in symbiotic stars; extreme Bowen pumping?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kastner, S.O.; Bhatia, A.K.; Feibelman, W.A.

1989-01-01

We assemble International Ultraviolet Explorer observations of the ratio of the O III intercombination lines near 1660 A, showing that the observed ratios in symbiotic stars are significantly higher than the theoretically predicted optically thin limit of 2.5. The presence of an enhancing physical process is thereby indicated. It is suggested that Bowen pumping of the lower level of the 1666.2 A line in an 'external saturation' limit, coupled with appreciable optical depth, could logically explain the high ratios. Some tentative evidence for this is presented and the relevance of far-infrared observations of the O III 51.8 and 88.3 μm lines in symbiotic sources is emphasized. (author)

A soft-switching coupled inductor bidirectional DC-DC converter with high-conversion ratio

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Kuei-Hsiang; Jheng, Yi-Cing

2018-01-01

A soft-switching bidirectional DC-DC converter is presented herein as a way to improve the conversion efficiency of a photovoltaic (PV) system. Adoption of coupled inductors enables the presented converter not only to provide a high-conversion ratio but also to suppress the transient surge voltage via the release of the energy stored in leakage flux of the coupled inductors, and the cost can kept down consequently. A combined use of a switching mechanism and an auxiliary resonant branch enables the converter to successfully perform zero-voltage switching operations on the main switches and improves the efficiency accordingly. It was testified by experiments that our proposed converter works relatively efficiently in full-load working range. Additionally, the framework of the converter intended for testifying has high-conversion ratio. The results of a test, where a generating system using PV module array coupled with batteries as energy storage device was used as the low-voltage input side, and DC link was used as high-voltage side, demonstrated our proposed converter framework with high-conversion ratio on both high-voltage and low-voltage sides.

Solution Process Synthesis of High Aspect Ratio ZnO Nanorods on Electrode Surface for Sensitive Electrochemical Detection of Uric Acid

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Rafiq; Tripathy, Nirmalya; Ahn, Min-Sang; Hahn, Yoon-Bong

2017-04-01

This study demonstrates a highly stable, selective and sensitive uric acid (UA) biosensor based on high aspect ratio zinc oxide nanorods (ZNRs) vertical grown on electrode surface via a simple one-step low temperature solution route. Uricase enzyme was immobilized on the ZNRs followed by Nafion covering to fabricate UA sensing electrodes (Nafion/Uricase-ZNRs/Ag). The fabricated electrodes showed enhanced performance with attractive analytical response, such as a high sensitivity of 239.67 μA cm-2 mM-1 in wide-linear range (0.01-4.56 mM), rapid response time (~3 s), low detection limit (5 nM), and low value of apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (Kmapp, 0.025 mM). In addition, selectivity, reproducibility and long-term storage stability of biosensor was also demonstrated. These results can be attributed to the high aspect ratio of vertically grown ZNRs which provides high surface area leading to enhanced enzyme immobilization, high electrocatalytic activity, and direct electron transfer during electrochemical detection of UA. We expect that this biosensor platform will be advantageous to fabricate ultrasensitive, robust, low-cost sensing device for numerous analyte detection.

Isotopic ratio based source apportionment of children's blood lead around coking plant area.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Suzhen; Duan, Xiaoli; Zhao, Xiuge; Wang, Beibei; Ma, Jin; Fan, Delong; Sun, Chengye; He, Bin; Wei, Fusheng; Jiang, Guibin

2014-12-01

Lead exposure in the environment is a major hazard affecting human health, particularly for children. The blood lead levels in the local children living around the largest coking area in China were measured, and the source of blood lead and the main pathways of lead exposure were investigated based on lead isotopic ratios ((207)Pb/(206)Pb and (208)Pb/(206)Pb) in blood and in a variety of media, including food, airborne particulate matter, soil, dust and drinking water. The children's blood lead level was 5.25 (1.59 to 34.36 as range) μg dL(-1), lower than the threshold in the current criteria of China defined by the US Centers for Disease Control (10 μg dL(-1)). The isotopic ratios in the blood were 2.111±0.018 for (208)Pb/(206)Pb and 0.864±0.005 for (207)Pb/(206)Pb, similar to those of vegetables, wheat, drinking water, airborne particulate matter, but different from those of vehicle emission and soil/dust, suggesting that the formers were the main pathway of lead exposure among the children. The exposure pathway analysis based on the isotopic ratios and the human health risk assessment showed that dietary intake of food and drinking water contributed 93.67% of total exposed lead. The study further indicated that the coal used in the coking plant is the dominant pollution source of lead in children's blood. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Possible Association of High Urinary Magnesium and Taurine to Creatinine Ratios with Metabolic Syndrome Risk Reduction in Australian Aboriginals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atsumi Hamada

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Because of the epidemic of metabolic syndrome (MS in Australian Aboriginals known for their higher cardiovascular mortality and shorter life expectancy, we analyzed the possible relationship of their MS risks with the current dietary custom. Methods. The subjects were 84 people aged 16–79 years. The health examination was conducted according to the basic protocol of WHO-CARDIAC (Cardiovascular Diseases and Alimentary Comparison Study. Results. The highest prevalence among MS risks was abdominal obesity (over 60%. After controlling for age and sex, the odds of obesity decreased significantly with high level of urinary magnesium/creatinine ratio (Mg/cre (OR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.02–0.57; P<.05. The significant inverse associations of fat intake with Mg/cre and of fast food intake with urinary taurine/creatinine ratio were revealed. Conclusions. The high prevalence of obesity in the Aboriginal people of this area may partly be due to the reduction of beneficial nutrients intake including Mg and taurine.

Subsurface occurrence and potential source areas of chlorinated ethenes identified using concentrations and concentration ratios, Air Force Plant 4 and Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base Carswell Field, Fort Worth, Texas

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia, C. Amanda

2005-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force Aeronautical Systems Center, Environmental Management Directorate, conducted a study during 2003-05 to characterize the subsurface occurrence and identify potential source areas of the volatile organic compounds classified as chlorinated ethenes at U.S. Air Force Plant 4 (AFP4) and adjacent Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base Carswell Field (NAS-JRB) at Fort Worth, Texas. The solubilized chlorinated ethenes detected in the alluvial aquifer originated as either released solvents (tetrachloroethene [PCE], trichloroethene [TCE], and trans-1,2-dichloroethene [trans-DCE]) or degradation products of the released solvents (TCE, cis-1,2-dichloroethene [cis-DCE], and trans-DCE). The combined influences of topographic- and bedrock-surface configurations result in a water table that generally slopes away from a ground-water divide approximately coincident with bedrock highs and the 1-mile-long aircraft assembly building at AFP4. Highest TCE concentrations (10,000 to 920,000 micrograms per liter) occur near Building 181, west of Building 12, and at landfill 3. Highest PCE concentrations (500 to 920 micrograms per liter) occur near Buildings 4 and 5. Highest cis-DCE concentrations (5,000 to 710,000 micrograms per liter) occur at landfill 3. Highest trans-DCE concentrations (1,000 to 1,700 micrograms per liter) occur just south of Building 181 and at landfill 3. Ratios of parent-compound to daughter-product concentrations that increase in relatively short distances (tens to 100s of feet) along downgradient ground-water flow paths can indicate a contributing source in the vicinity of the increase. Largest increases in ratio of PCE to TCE concentrations are three orders of magnitude from 0.01 to 2.7 and 7.1 between nearby wells in the northeastern part of NAS-JRB. In the northern part of NAS-JRB, the largest increases in TCE to total DCE concentration ratios relative to ratios at upgradient wells are from 17 to

The role and function of chlorine in the preparation of high-ratio cake flour.

Science.gov (United States)

Gough, B M; Whitehouse, M E; Greenwood, C T

1978-01-01

The literature on the role of chlorine treatment of flour for use in high-ratio cake production is discussed in relation to current knowledge of cereal chemistry and cake technology. A brief perspective of the present use of chlorine in high-ratio cake flours is included. Investigations of the uptake of gaseous chlorine by flour and its distribution among and chemical action upon the major flour components (water, protein, lipid, and carbohydrate) are assessed. The physical effects of chlorination as demonstrated by experiments with batters and cakes and by physicochemical observations of flour and its fractions are also considered. The characteristics of the starch in flour appear to be critical in high-ratio cakes. Chlorine treatment modifies the gelatinization behavior of the starch granules yet does not change their gelatinization temperature not is there evidence of chemical attack upon the starch molecules. Therefore, it is suggested that chlorine effects the necessary changes in starch behavior by reacting with the noncarbohydrate surface contaminants on the granules. Alternative methods of improving high-ratio cake flours are mentioned, particularly heat-treatment processes.

Performance of AC/graphite capacitors at high weight ratios of AC/graphite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Hongyu [IM and T Ltd., Advanced Research Center, Saga University, 1341 Yoga-machi, Saga 840-0047 (Japan); Yoshio, Masaki [Advanced Research Center, Department of Applied Chemistry, Saga University, 1341 Yoga-machi, Saga 840-0047 (Japan)

2008-03-01

The effect of negative to positive electrode materials' weight ratio on the electrochemical performance of both activated carbon (AC)/AC and AC/graphite capacitors has been investigated, especially in the terms of capacity and cycle-ability. The limited capacity charge mode has been proposed to improve the cycle performance of AC/graphite capacitors at high weight ratios of AC/graphite. (author)

Jet-Surface Interaction - High Aspect Ratio Nozzle Test: Test Summary

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Clifford A.

2016-01-01

The Jet-Surface Interaction High Aspect Ratio Nozzle Test was conducted in the Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory at the NASA Glenn Research Center in the fall of 2015. There were four primary goals specified for this test: (1) extend the current noise database for rectangular nozzles to higher aspect ratios, (2) verify data previously acquired at small-scale with data from a larger model, (3) acquired jet-surface interaction noise data suitable for creating verifying empirical noise models and (4) investigate the effect of nozzle septa on the jet-mixing and jet-surface interaction noise. These slides give a summary of the test with representative results for each goal.

Signal-to-noise ratios of multiplexing spectrometers in high backgrounds

Science.gov (United States)

Knacke, R. F.

1978-01-01

Signal-to-noise ratios and the amount of multiplexing gain achieved with a Michelson spectrometer during detector and background noise are studied. Noise caused by the warm background is found in 10 and 20-micron atmospheric windows in high resolution Fourier spectroscopy. An equation is derived for the signal-to-noise ratio based on the number of channels, total time to obtain the complete spectrum, the signal power in one spectral element, and the detector noise equivalent power in the presence of negligible background. Similar expressions are derived for backgrounds yielding a noise equivalent power to a spectral element, and backgrounds having flat spectra in the frequency range under investigation.

Highly Manufacturable Deep (Sub-Millimeter) Etching Enabled High Aspect Ratio Complex Geometry Lego-Like Silicon Electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghoneim, Mohamed Tarek; Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa

2017-04-01

A highly manufacturable deep reactive ion etching based process involving a hybrid soft/hard mask process technology shows high aspect ratio complex geometry Lego-like silicon electronics formation enabling free-form (physically flexible, stretchable, and reconfigurable) electronic systems. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Using snowflake surface-area-to-volume ratio to model and interpret snowfall triple-frequency radar signatures

Science.gov (United States)

Gergely, Mathias; Cooper, Steven J.; Garrett, Timothy J.

2017-10-01

The snowflake microstructure determines the microwave scattering properties of individual snowflakes and has a strong impact on snowfall radar signatures. In this study, individual snowflakes are represented by collections of randomly distributed ice spheres where the size and number of the constituent ice spheres are specified by the snowflake mass and surface-area-to-volume ratio (SAV) and the bounding volume of each ice sphere collection is given by the snowflake maximum dimension. Radar backscatter cross sections for the ice sphere collections are calculated at X-, Ku-, Ka-, and W-band frequencies and then used to model triple-frequency radar signatures for exponential snowflake size distributions (SSDs). Additionally, snowflake complexity values obtained from high-resolution multi-view snowflake images are used as an indicator of snowflake SAV to derive snowfall triple-frequency radar signatures. The modeled snowfall triple-frequency radar signatures cover a wide range of triple-frequency signatures that were previously determined from radar reflectivity measurements and illustrate characteristic differences related to snow type, quantified through snowflake SAV, and snowflake size. The results show high sensitivity to snowflake SAV and SSD maximum size but are generally less affected by uncertainties in the parameterization of snowflake mass, indicating the importance of snowflake SAV for the interpretation of snowfall triple-frequency radar signatures.

Nano-scaled graphene platelets with a high length-to-width aspect ratio

Science.gov (United States)

Zhamu, Aruna; Guo, Jiusheng; Jang, Bor Z.

2010-09-07

This invention provides a nano-scaled graphene platelet (NGP) having a thickness no greater than 100 nm and a length-to-width ratio no less than 3 (preferably greater than 10). The NGP with a high length-to-width ratio can be prepared by using a method comprising (a) intercalating a carbon fiber or graphite fiber with an intercalate to form an intercalated fiber; (b) exfoliating the intercalated fiber to obtain an exfoliated fiber comprising graphene sheets or flakes; and (c) separating the graphene sheets or flakes to obtain nano-scaled graphene platelets. The invention also provides a nanocomposite material comprising an NGP with a high length-to-width ratio. Such a nanocomposite can become electrically conductive with a small weight fraction of NGPs. Conductive composites are particularly useful for shielding of sensitive electronic equipment against electromagnetic interference (EMI) or radio frequency interference (RFI), and for electrostatic charge dissipation.

Trade-off analysis of high-aspect-ratio-cooling-channels for rocket engines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pizzarelli, Marco; Nasuti, Francesco; Onofri, Marcello

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Aspect ratio has a significant effect on cooling efficiency and hydraulic losses. • Minimizing power loss is of paramount importance in liquid rocket engine cooling. • A suitable quasi-2D model is used to get fast cooling system analysis. • Trade-off with assigned weight, temperature, and channel height or wall thickness. • Aspect ratio is found that minimizes power loss in the cooling circuit. -- Abstract: High performance liquid rocket engines are often characterized by rectangular cooling channels with high aspect ratio (channel height-to-width ratio) because of their proven superior cooling efficiency with respect to a conventional design. However, the identification of the optimum aspect ratio is not a trivial task. In the present study a trade-off analysis is performed on a cooling channel system that can be of interest for rocket engines. This analysis requires multiple cooling channel flow calculations and thus cannot be efficiently performed by CFD solvers. Therefore, a proper numerical approach, referred to as quasi-2D model, is used to have fast and accurate predictions of cooling system properties. This approach relies on its capability of describing the thermal stratification that occurs in the coolant and in the wall structure, as well as the coolant warming and pressure drop along the channel length. Validation of the model is carried out by comparison with solutions obtained with a validated CFD solver. Results of the analysis show the existence of an optimum channel aspect ratio that minimizes the requested pump power needed to overcome losses in the cooling circuit

A design study of high breeding ratio sodium cooled metal fuel core without blanket fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Noboru; Ogawa, Takashi; Ohki, Shigeo; Mizuno, Tomoyasu; Ogata, Takanari

2009-01-01

The metal fuel core is superior to the mixed oxide fuel core because of its high breeding ratio and compact core size resulting from hard neutron spectrum and high heavy metal densities. Utilizing these characteristics, a conceptual design for a high breeding ratio was performed without blanket fuels. The design conditions were set so a sodium void worth of less than 8 $, a core height of less than 150 cm, the maximum cladding temperature of 650degC, and the maximum fuel pin bundle pressure drop of 0.4 MPa. The breeding ratio of the resultant core was 1.34 with 6wt% zirconium content fuel. Applying 3wt% zirconium content fuel enhanced the breeding ratio up to 1.40. (author)

Vapor-melt Ratio in Laser Fine Cutting of Slot Arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xuyue; Meng Qingxuan; Kang Renke; Xu Wenji; Guo Dongming; Wang Lianji

2011-01-01

In order to improve cut quality for slot arrays, a new method of laser fine cutting under the consideration of the ratio of vapor to melt is presented. Laser cutting of 6063 aluminum alloy sheet, 0.5 mm in thickness, was carried out on a JK701H Nd:YAG pulse laser cutting system. The effects of vapor-melt ratio on kerf width, surface roughness and recast layer were studied which relate cutting qualities. Observation on the cut samples with different vapor-melt ratios (0.687, 1.574, 3.601 varied with laser power increasing, and 1.535, 3.601, 7.661 with decreasing of beam cutting speed) shows that high vapor-melt ratio improves laser cut quality clearly. Kerf width 0.2 mm of smooth area on kerf top area and thickness 2.03 μm of recast layer are obtained. No dross was found on the kerf bottom and the percentage of the smooth area is up to 40% out of whole kerf side. The research on vapor-melt ratio provides a deeper understanding of laser cutting and improves laser cut quality effectively.

Influence of Coke Ratio on the Sintering Behavior of High-Chromium Vanadium-Titanium Magnetite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Songtao Yang

2017-06-01

Full Text Available High-chromium vanadium and titanium magnetite (HCVTM sinter has poor properties. The coke ratio has an important effect on the behavior of HCVTM sintering as it affects the mineral phases in the high-chromium vanadium and titanium sinter (HCVTS via changing the sintering temperature and atmosphere. In this work, the sintering behavior of HCVTM mixed with varying coke ratios was investigated through sintering pot tests, X-ray diffraction (XRD, gas chromatographic analysis, and mineral phase analysis. The results show that, with the increase of the coke ratio from 4.0% to 6.0%, leading to the increase of the combustion ratio of the flue gas, the vertical sintering rate and sinter productivity decrease. Meanwhile, with the change of the coke ratio, the content of magnetite, silicate, and perovskite increase, while the hematite and calcium ferrite decrease. In addition, the tumble strength and reduction ability of HCVTS decrease, and its degradation strength increase. It was found that the appropriate coke ratio for the sintering process was 5.0 wt %.

Waist-to-Height Ratio as an Indicator of High Blood Pressure in Urban Indian School Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, P E; Shastri, L; Thomas, T; Duggan, C; Bosch, R; McDonald, C M; Kurpad, A V; Kuriyan, R

2015-09-01

To examine the utility of waist-to-height ratio to identify risk of high blood pressure when compared to body mass index and waist circumference in South Indian urban school children. Secondary data analysis from a cross-sectional study. Urban schools around Bangalore, India. 1913 children (58.1% males) aged 6-16 years with no prior history of chronic illness (PEACH study). Height, weight, waist circumference and of blood pressure were measured. Children with blood pressure ?90th percentile of age-, sex-, and height-adjusted standards were labelled as having high blood pressure. 13.9% had a high waist-to-height ratio, 15.1% were overweight /obese and 21.7% had high waist circumference. High obesity indicators were associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure. The adjusted risk ratios (95% CI) of high systolic blood pressure with waist-to-height ratio, body mass index and waist circumference were 2.48 (1.76, 3.47), 2.59 (1.66, 4.04) and 2.38 (1.74, 3.26), respectively. Similar results were seen with high diastolic blood pressure. Obesity indicators, especially waist-to-height ratio due to its ease of measurement, can be useful initial screening tools for risk of high blood pressure in urban Indian school children.

High-precision branching ratio measurement for the superallowed β+ emitter 62Ga

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finlay, P.E.J.

2007-01-01

A high-precision branching ratio measurement for the superallowed β + decay of 62 Ga was performed at the Isotope Separator and Accelerator radioactive ion beam facility. An array of 20 high-purity germanium detectors known as the 8π spectrometer was employed to detect the rays emitted following the Gamow-Teller and non-analog Fermi decays of 62 Ga, while the plastic scintillator array known as SCEPTAR was used to detect the emitted particles. A total of 32 γ rays were identified, establishing the superallowed branching ratio to be 99:859(8)%. Combined with the most recent half-life and Q-value measurements for 62 Ga, this branching ratio yields an ft-value of 3074.3 ± 1.1 s. Comparisons between the superallowed ft-value determined in this work and the world average Ft-bar are made, providing a benchmark for the refinement of theoretical models used to describe isospin-symmetry breaking in A ≥ 62 nuclei. (author)

High 36Cl/Cl ratios in Chernobyl groundwater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roux, Céline; Le Gal La Salle, Corinne; Simonucci, Caroline; Van Meir, Nathalie; Fifield, L. Keith; Diez, Olivier; Bassot, Sylvain

2014-01-01

After the explosion of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in April 1986, contaminated material was buried in shallow trenches within the exclusion zone. A 90 Sr plume was evidenced downgradient of one of these trenches, trench T22. Due to its conservative properties, 36 Cl is investigated here as a potential tracer to determine the maximal extent of the contamination plume from the trench in groundwater. 36 Cl/Cl ratios measured in groundwater, trench soil water and leaf leachates are 1–5 orders of magnitude higher than the theoretical natural 36 Cl/Cl ratio. This contamination occurred after the Chernobyl explosion and currently persists. Trench T22 acts as an obvious modern point source of 36 Cl, however other sources have to be involved to explain such contamination. 36 Cl contamination of groundwater can be explained by dilution of trench soil water by uncontaminated water (rainwater or deep groundwater). With a plume extending further than that of 90 Sr, radionuclide which is impacted by retention and decay processes, 36 Cl can be considered as a suitable tracer of contamination from the trench in groundwater provided that modern release processes of 36 Cl from trench soil are better characterized. - Highlights: • High 36 Cl/Cl ratios measured in the Chernobyl Pilot Site groundwater. • Trench T22 acts as a modern source of groundwater contamination by 36 Cl but other sources are involved. • Contamination results from dilution of a contaminated “T22” soil water with rainwater. • Processes involved in the modern release need to be investigated

Real-Time Counting People in Crowded Areas by Using Local Empirical Templates and Density Ratios

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, Dao-Huu; Hsu, Gee-Sern; Chung, Sheng-Luen; Saito, Hideo

In this paper, a fast and automated method of counting pedestrians in crowded areas is proposed along with three contributions. We firstly propose Local Empirical Templates (LET), which are able to outline the foregrounds, typically made by single pedestrians in a scene. LET are extracted by clustering foregrounds of single pedestrians with similar features in silhouettes. This process is done automatically for unknown scenes. Secondly, comparing the size of group foreground made by a group of pedestrians to that of appropriate LET captured in the same image patch with the group foreground produces the density ratio. Because of the local scale normalization between sizes, the density ratio appears to have a bound closely related to the number of pedestrians who induce the group foreground. Finally, to extract the bounds of density ratios for groups of different number of pedestrians, we propose a 3D human models based simulation in which camera viewpoints and pedestrians' proximity are easily manipulated. We collect hundreds of typical occluded-people patterns with distinct degrees of human proximity and under a variety of camera viewpoints. Distributions of density ratios with respect to the number of pedestrians are built based on the computed density ratios of these patterns for extracting density ratio bounds. The simulation is performed in the offline learning phase to extract the bounds from the distributions, which are used to count pedestrians in online settings. We reveal that the bounds seem to be invariant to camera viewpoints and humans' proximity. The performance of our proposed method is evaluated with our collected videos and PETS 2009's datasets. For our collected videos with the resolution of 320x240, our method runs in real-time with good accuracy and frame rate of around 30 fps, and consumes a small amount of computing resources. For PETS 2009's datasets, our proposed method achieves competitive results with other methods tested on the same

High precision measurements of carbon isotopic ratio of atmospheric methane using a continuous flow mass spectrometer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shinji Morimoto

2009-03-01

Full Text Available A high-precision measurement system for the carbon isotope ratio of atmospheric CH4 (δ^(13CH_4 was developed using a pre-concentration device for CH4 and a gas chromatograph-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometer (GC-C-IRMS. The measurement system required 100 mlSTP of an atmospheric air sample, corresponding to approximately 0.18μlSTP of CH_4, to determine the δ^(13CH_4 value with a reproducibility of 0.07‰. Replicated analyses of a CH_4-in-air standard gas during the period from 2002 to 2008 indicated that the value of δ^(13CH_4 measured by this system was consistent within the measurement reproducibility. To evaluate the δ^(13CH_4 measurement system, thus developed, diurnal variations of the atmospheric CH_4 concentration and δ^(13CH_4 were observed in the northern part of the Tokyo metropolitan area. From the relationship between the CH_4 concentration and δ^(13CH_4, dominant sources of the observed CH4 fluctuations were identified.

Highly Efficient Method for the Synthesis of Activated Mesoporous Biocarbons with Extremely High Surface Area for High-Pressure CO2 Adsorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Gurwinder; Lakhi, Kripal S; Kim, In Young; Kim, Sungho; Srivastava, Prashant; Naidu, Ravi; Vinu, Ajayan

2017-09-06

A simple and efficient way to synthesize activated mesoporous biocarbons (AMBs) with extremely high BET surface area and large pore volume has been achieved for the first time through a simple solid state activation of freely available biomass, Arundo donax, with zinc chloride. The textural parameters of the AMB can easily be controlled by varying the activation temperature. It is demonstrated that the mesoporosity of AMB can be finely tuned with a simple adjustment of the amount of activating agent. AMB with almost 100% mesoporosity can be achieved using the activating agent and the biomass ratio of 5 and carbonization at 500 °C. Under the optimized conditions, AMB with a BET surface area of 3298 m 2 g -1 and a pore volume of 1.9 cm 3 g -1 can be prepared. While being used as an adsorbent for CO 2 capture, AMB registers an impressively high pressure CO 2 adsorption capacity of 30.2 mmol g -1 at 30 bar which is much higher than that of activated carbon (AC), multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), highly ordered mesoporous carbons, and mesoporous carbon nitrides. AMB also shows high stability with excellent regeneration properties under vacuum and temperatures of up to 250 °C. These impressive textural parameters and high CO 2 adsorption capacity of AMB clearly reveal its potential as a promising adsorbent for high-pressure CO 2 capture and storage application. Also, the simple one-step synthesis strategy outlined in this work would provide a pathway to generate a series of novel mesoporous activated biocarbons from different biomasses.

A Switched-Capacitor Based High Conversion Ratio Converter for Renewable Energy Applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Kerui; Yin, Zhijian; Yang, Yongheng

2017-01-01

A high step-up switched-capacitor based converter is proposed in this paper. The proposed converter features high conversion ratio, low voltage stress and continuous input current, which makes it very suitable for renewable energy applications like photovoltaic systems. More importantly...... voltage gain, low voltage stress on the switches, continuous input current, and relatively high efficiency....

Glass-surface area to solution-volume ratio and its implications to accelerated leach testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pederson, L.R.; Buckwalter, C.Q.; McVay, G.L.; Riddle, B.L.

1982-10-01

The value of glass surface area to solution volume ratio (SA/V) can strongly influence the leaching rate of PNL 76-68 glass. The leaching rate is largely governed by silicon solubility constraints. Silicic acid in solution reduced the elemental release of all glass components. No components are leached to depths greater than that of silicon. The presence of the reaction layer had no measurable effect on the rate of leaching. Accelerated leach testing is possible since PNL 76-68 glass leaching is solubility-controlled (except at very low SA/V values). A series of glasses leached with SA/V x time = constant will yield identical elemental release

Noise Measurements of High Aspect Ratio Distributed Exhaust Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Bridges, James E.

2015-01-01

This paper covers far-field acoustic measurements of a family of rectangular nozzles with aspect ratio 8, in the high subsonic flow regime. Several variations of nozzle geometry, commonly found in embedded exhaust systems, are explored, including bevels, slants, single broad chevrons and notches, and internal septae. Far-field acoustic results, presented previously for the simple rectangular nozzle, showed that increasing aspect ratio increases the high frequency noise, especially directed in the plane containing the minor axis of the nozzle. Detailed changes to the nozzle geometry generally made little difference in the noise, and the differences were greatest at low speed. Having an extended lip on one broad side (bevel) did produce up to 3 decibels more noise in all directions, while extending the lip on the narrow side (slant) produced up to 2 decibels more noise, primarily on the side with the extension. Adding a single, non-intrusive chevron, made no significant change to the noise, while inverting the chevron (notch) produced up to 2decibels increase in the noise. Having internal walls (septae) within the nozzle, such as would be required for structural support or when multiple fan ducts are aggregated, reduced the noise of the rectangular jet, but could produce a highly directional shedding tone from the septae trailing edges. Finally, a nozzle with both septae and a beveled nozzle, representative of the exhaust system envisioned for a distributed electric propulsion aircraft with a common rectangular duct, produced almost as much noise as the beveled nozzle, with the septae not contributing much reduction in noise.

Few-layer SnSe{sub 2} transistors with high on/off ratios

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pei, Tengfei; Bao, Lihong, E-mail: lhbao@iphy.ac.cn; Wang, Guocai; Ma, Ruisong; Yang, Haifang; Li, Junjie; Gu, Changzhi; Du, Shixuan; Gao, Hong-jun [Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 603, Beijing 100190 (China); Pantelides, Sokrates [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235 (United States); Material Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37381 (United States)

2016-02-01

We report few-layer SnSe{sub 2} field effect transistors (FETs) with high current on/off ratios. By trying different gate configurations, 300 nm SiO{sub 2} and 70 nm HfO{sub 2} as back gate only and 70 nm HfO{sub 2} as back gate combined with a top capping layer of polymer electrolyte, few-layer SnSe{sub 2} FET with a current on/off ratio of 10{sup 4} can be obtained. This provides a reliable solution for electrically modulating quasi-two-dimensional materials with high electron density (over 10{sup 13} cm{sup −2}) for field-effect transistor applications.

Fabrication of high-aspect-ratio microgrooves using an electrochemical discharge micromilling process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Min-Seop; Chae, Ki Woon; Min, Byung-Kwon

2017-01-01

In this study, we created high-aspect-ratio microgrooves in hard, brittle materials using an electrochemical discharge machining (ECDM) process by introducing microtextured machining tool. To enhance the electrical discharge activity, the morphology of the tool side surface was treated via micro-electrical discharge machining to produce fine microprotrusive patterns. The resulting microtextured surface morphology enhanced the electric field and played a key role in improving the step milling depth in the ECDM process. Using the FEM analysis, the evaluation of the field enhancement factor is also addressed. Our experimental investigation revealed microgrooves having an aspect ratio of 1:4, with high geometric accuracy and crack-free surfaces, using one-step ECDM. (paper)

Formation of high aspect ratio polyamide-6 nanofibers via electrically induced double layer during electrospinning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nirmala, R.; Nam, Ki Taek; Park, Soo-Jin; Shin, Yu-Shik; Navamathavan, R.; Kim, Hak Yong

2010-01-01

In the present study, the formation of high aspect ratio nanofibers in polyamide-6 was investigated as a function of applied voltage ranging from 15 to 25 kV using electrospinning technique. All other experimental parameters were kept constant. The electrospun polyamide-6 nanofibers were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF). FE-SEM images of polyamide-6 nanofibers showed that the diameter of the electrospun fiber was decreased with increasing applied voltage. At the critical applied voltage, the polymer solution was completely ionized to form the dense high aspect ratio nanofibers in between the main nanofibers. The diameter of the polyamide-6 nanofibers was observed to be in the range of 75-110 nm, whereas the high aspect ratio structures consisted of regularly distributed very fine nanofibers with diameters of about 9-28 nm. Trends in fiber diameter and diameter distribution were discussed for the high aspect ratio nanofibers. TEM results revealed that the formation of double layers in polyamide-6 nanofibers and then split-up into ultrafine fibers. The electrically induced double layer in combination with the polyelectrolytic nature of solution is proposed as the suitable mechanisms for the formation of high aspect ratio nanofibers in polyamide-6.

High-precision branching ratio measurement for the superallowed β+ emitter Ga62

Science.gov (United States)

Finlay, P.; Ball, G. C.; Leslie, J. R.; Svensson, C. E.; Towner, I. S.; Austin, R. A. E.; Bandyopadhyay, D.; Chaffey, A.; Chakrawarthy, R. S.; Garrett, P. E.; Grinyer, G. F.; Hackman, G.; Hyland, B.; Kanungo, R.; Leach, K. G.; Mattoon, C. M.; Morton, A. C.; Pearson, C. J.; Phillips, A. A.; Ressler, J. J.; Sarazin, F.; Savajols, H.; Schumaker, M. A.; Wong, J.

2008-08-01

A high-precision branching ratio measurement for the superallowed β+ decay of Ga62 was performed at the Isotope Separator and Accelerator (ISAC) radioactive ion beam facility. The 8π spectrometer, an array of 20 high-purity germanium detectors, was employed to detect the γ rays emitted following Gamow-Teller and nonanalog Fermi β+ decays of Ga62, and the SCEPTAR plastic scintillator array was used to detect the emitted β particles. Thirty γ rays were identified following Ga62 decay, establishing the superallowed branching ratio to be 99.858(8)%. Combined with the world-average half-life and a recent high-precision Q-value measurement for Ga62, this branching ratio yields an ft value of 3074.3±1.1 s, making Ga62 among the most precisely determined superallowed ft values. Comparison between the superallowed ft value determined in this work and the world-average corrected F tmacr value allows the large nuclear-structure-dependent correction for Ga62 decay to be experimentally determined from the CVC hypothesis to better than 7% of its own value, the most precise experimental determination for any superallowed emitter. These results provide a benchmark for the refinement of the theoretical description of isospin-symmetry breaking in A⩾62 superallowed decays.

The impact of sex ratio and economic status on local birth rates

OpenAIRE

Chipman, A.; Morrison, E.

2013-01-01

Human mating and reproductive behaviour can vary depending on various mechanisms, including the local sex ratio. Previous research shows that as sex ratios become female-biased, women from economically deprived areas are less likely to delay reproductive opportunities to wait for a high-investing mate but instead begin their reproductive careers sooner. Here, we show that the local sex ratio also has an impact on female fertility schedules. At young ages, a female-biased ratio is associated w...

Using snowflake surface-area-to-volume ratio to model and interpret snowfall triple-frequency radar signatures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Gergely

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The snowflake microstructure determines the microwave scattering properties of individual snowflakes and has a strong impact on snowfall radar signatures. In this study, individual snowflakes are represented by collections of randomly distributed ice spheres where the size and number of the constituent ice spheres are specified by the snowflake mass and surface-area-to-volume ratio (SAV and the bounding volume of each ice sphere collection is given by the snowflake maximum dimension. Radar backscatter cross sections for the ice sphere collections are calculated at X-, Ku-, Ka-, and W-band frequencies and then used to model triple-frequency radar signatures for exponential snowflake size distributions (SSDs. Additionally, snowflake complexity values obtained from high-resolution multi-view snowflake images are used as an indicator of snowflake SAV to derive snowfall triple-frequency radar signatures. The modeled snowfall triple-frequency radar signatures cover a wide range of triple-frequency signatures that were previously determined from radar reflectivity measurements and illustrate characteristic differences related to snow type, quantified through snowflake SAV, and snowflake size. The results show high sensitivity to snowflake SAV and SSD maximum size but are generally less affected by uncertainties in the parameterization of snowflake mass, indicating the importance of snowflake SAV for the interpretation of snowfall triple-frequency radar signatures.

Flash Flood Hazard Susceptibility Mapping Using Frequency Ratio and Statistical Index Methods in Coalmine Subsidence Areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Cao

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This study focused on producing flash flood hazard susceptibility maps (FFHSM using frequency ratio (FR and statistical index (SI models in the Xiqu Gully (XQG of Beijing, China. First, a total of 85 flash flood hazard locations (n = 85 were surveyed in the field and plotted using geographic information system (GIS software. Based on the flash flood hazard locations, a flood hazard inventory map was built. Seventy percent (n = 60 of the flooding hazard locations were randomly selected for building the models. The remaining 30% (n = 25 of the flooded hazard locations were used for validation. Considering that the XQG used to be a coal mining area, coalmine caves and subsidence caused by coal mining exist in this catchment, as well as many ground fissures. Thus, this study took the subsidence risk level into consideration for FFHSM. The ten conditioning parameters were elevation, slope, curvature, land use, geology, soil texture, subsidence risk area, stream power index (SPI, topographic wetness index (TWI, and short-term heavy rain. This study also tested different classification schemes for the values for each conditional parameter and checked their impacts on the results. The accuracy of the FFHSM was validated using area under the curve (AUC analysis. Classification accuracies were 86.61%, 83.35%, and 78.52% using frequency ratio (FR-natural breaks, statistical index (SI-natural breaks and FR-manual classification schemes, respectively. Associated prediction accuracies were 83.69%, 81.22%, and 74.23%, respectively. It was found that FR modeling using a natural breaks classification method was more appropriate for generating FFHSM for the Xiqu Gully.

Large area high-speed metrology SPM system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klapetek, P; Valtr, M; Martinek, J; Picco, L; Payton, O D; Miles, M; Yacoot, A

2015-01-01

We present a large area high-speed measuring system capable of rapidly generating nanometre resolution scanning probe microscopy data over mm 2 regions. The system combines a slow moving but accurate large area XYZ scanner with a very fast but less accurate small area XY scanner. This arrangement enables very large areas to be scanned by stitching together the small, rapidly acquired, images from the fast XY scanner while simultaneously moving the slow XYZ scanner across the region of interest. In order to successfully merge the image sequences together two software approaches for calibrating the data from the fast scanner are described. The first utilizes the low uncertainty interferometric sensors of the XYZ scanner while the second implements a genetic algorithm with multiple parameter fitting during the data merging step of the image stitching process. The basic uncertainty components related to these high-speed measurements are also discussed. Both techniques are shown to successfully enable high-resolution, large area images to be generated at least an order of magnitude faster than with a conventional atomic force microscope. (paper)

Large area high-speed metrology SPM system

Science.gov (United States)

Klapetek, P.; Valtr, M.; Picco, L.; Payton, O. D.; Martinek, J.; Yacoot, A.; Miles, M.

2015-02-01

We present a large area high-speed measuring system capable of rapidly generating nanometre resolution scanning probe microscopy data over mm2 regions. The system combines a slow moving but accurate large area XYZ scanner with a very fast but less accurate small area XY scanner. This arrangement enables very large areas to be scanned by stitching together the small, rapidly acquired, images from the fast XY scanner while simultaneously moving the slow XYZ scanner across the region of interest. In order to successfully merge the image sequences together two software approaches for calibrating the data from the fast scanner are described. The first utilizes the low uncertainty interferometric sensors of the XYZ scanner while the second implements a genetic algorithm with multiple parameter fitting during the data merging step of the image stitching process. The basic uncertainty components related to these high-speed measurements are also discussed. Both techniques are shown to successfully enable high-resolution, large area images to be generated at least an order of magnitude faster than with a conventional atomic force microscope.

Fabrication of nanopore and nanoparticle arrays with high aspect ratio AAO masks

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Z. P.; Xu, Z. M.; Qu, X. P.; Wang, S. B.; Peng, J.; Mei, L. H.

2017-03-01

How to use high aspect ratio anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes as an etching and evaporation mask is one of the unsolved problems in the application of nanostructured arrays. Here we describe the versatile utilizations of the highly ordered AAO membranes with a high aspect ratio of more than 20 used as universal masks for the formation of various nanostructure arrays on various substrates. The result shows that the fabricated nanopore and nanoparticle arrays of substrates inherit the regularity of the AAO membranes completely. The flat AAO substrates and uneven AAO frontages were attached to the Si substrates respectively as an etching mask, which demonstrates that the two kinds of replication, positive and negative, represent the replication of the mirroring of Si substrates relative to the flat AAO substrates and uneven AAO frontages. Our work is a breakthrough for the broad research field of surface nano-masking.

Metallization of high aspect ratio, out of plane structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vazquez, Patricia; Dimaki, Maria; Svendsen, Winnie Edith

2009-01-01

This work is dedicated to developing a novel three dimensional structure for electrochemical measurements in neuronal studies. The final prototype will allow not only for the study and culture on chip of neuronal cells, but also of brain tissue. The use of out-of-plane electrodes instead of planar...... ones increases the sensitivity of the system and increases the signal-to-noise ratio in the recorded signals, due to the higher availability of surface area. The main bottleneck of the out-of-plane electrode fabrication lies in the metallization process for transforming them into active electrodes......, since the coverage of the side walls of almost vertical pillars is not trivial by standard processes in a clean room facility. This paper will discuss the different steps taken towards this goal and present the results that we have obtained so far....

Elevated mortality among birds in Chernobyl as judged from skewed age and sex ratios.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anders Pape Møller

Full Text Available Radiation has negative effects on survival of animals including humans, although the generality of this claim is poorly documented under low-dose field conditions. Because females may suffer disproportionately from the effects of radiation on survival due to differences in sex roles during reproduction, radiation-induced mortality may result in male-skewed adult sex ratios.We estimated the effects of low-dose radiation on adult survival rates in birds by determining age ratios of adults captured in mist nets during the breeding season in relation to background radiation levels around Chernobyl and in nearby uncontaminated control areas. Age ratios were skewed towards yearlings, especially in the most contaminated areas, implying that adult survival rates were reduced in contaminated areas, and that populations in such areas could only be maintained through immigration from nearby uncontaminated areas. Differential mortality in females resulted in a strongly male-skewed sex ratio in the most contaminated areas. In addition, males sang disproportionately commonly in the most contaminated areas where the sex ratio was male skewed presumably because males had difficulty finding and acquiring mates when females were rare. The results were not caused by permanent emigration by females from the most contaminated areas because none of the recaptured birds had changed breeding site, and the proportion of individuals with morphological abnormalities did not differ significantly between the sexes for areas with normal and higher levels of contamination.These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the adult survival rate of female birds is particularly susceptible to the effects of low-dose radiation, resulting in male skewed sex ratios at high levels of radiation. Such skewed age ratios towards yearlings in contaminated areas are consistent with the hypothesis that an area exceeding 30,000 km(2 in Chernobyl's surroundings constitutes an

Optimal design and installation of ultra high bypass ratio turbofan nacelle

Science.gov (United States)

Savelyev, Andrey; Zlenko, Nikolay; Matyash, Evgeniy; Mikhaylov, Sergey; Shenkin, Andrey

2016-10-01

The paper is devoted to the problem of designing and optimizing the nacelle of turbojet bypass engine with high bypass ratio and high thrust. An optimization algorithm EGO based on development of surrogate models and the method for maximizing the probability of improving the objective function has been used. The designing methodology has been based on the numerical solution of the Reynolds equations system. Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model has been chosen for RANS closure. The effective thrust losses has been uses as an objective function in optimizing the engine nacelle. As a result of optimization, effective thrust has been increased by 1.5 %. The Blended wing body aircraft configuration has been studied as a possible application. Two variants of the engine layout arrangement have been considered. It has been shown that the power plant changes the pressure distribution on the aircraft surface. It results in essential diminishing the configuration lift-drag ratio.

Elevation-relief ratio, hypsometric integral, and geomorphic area-altitude analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Pike, R. J.; Wilson, S. E.

1971-01-01

Mathematical proof establishes identity of hypsometric integral and elevation-relief ratio, two quantitative topographic descriptors developed independently of one another for entirely different purposes. Operationally, values of both measures are in excellent agreement for arbitrarily bounded topographic samples, as well as for low-order fluvial watersheds. By using a point-sampling technique rather than planimetry, elevation-relief ratio (defined as mean elevation minus minimum elevation divided by relief) is calculated manually in about a third of the time required for the hypsometric integral.

Elucidating the underlying causes of oral cancer through spatial clustering in high-risk areas of Taiwan with a distinct gender ratio of incidence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chi-Ting Chiang

2010-05-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to elucidate whether or not high-risk clusters of oral cancer (OC incidence spatially correlate with the prevalence rates of betel quid chewing (BQC and cigarette smoking (CS in Taiwan. The spatial autocorrelation and potential clusters of OC incidence among the 307 townships and heavy metal content of soil throughout Taiwan were identified using the Anselin’s local Moran test. Additionally, the spatial correlations among the incidence of OC, the prevalence of BQC and CS and heavy metal content of soil were determined based on a comparison of spatial clusters. High-risk OC (Moran’s I = 0.638, P <0.001 clusters were located in central and eastern Taiwan, while “hot spots” of BQC and CS prevalence were located mainly in eastern Taiwan. The distributions of BQC and CS lifestyle factors (P <0.001 were spatially autocorrelated. The “hot spots” of OC largely coincided with the “hot spots” of BQC, except for the Changhua and Yunlin counties, which are located in central Taiwan. However, high soil contents of nickel and chromium (P <0.001 in central Taiwan also coincided with the high-risk areas of OC incidence. In particular, Changhua county has incurred several decades of serious heavy-metal pollution, with inhabitants living in polluted areas having high-risk exposure to these metals. Results of this study suggest that, in addition to BQC and CS, anthropogenic pollution may profoundly impact the complexity of OC aetiology in central Taiwan.

Midinfrared Surface Waves on a High Aspect Ratio Nanotrench Platform

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Takayama, Osamu; Shkondin, Evgeniy; Bodganov, Andrey

2017-01-01

ameliorate surface wave propagation and even generate new types of waves. Here, we demonstrate that high aspect ratio (1:20) grating structures with plasmonic lamellas in deep nanoscale trenches, whose pitch is 1/10 – 1/35 of a wavelength, function as a versatile platform supporting both surface and guided...... bulk infrared waves. The surface waves exhibit a unique combination of properties: directionality, broadband existence (from 4 µm to at least 14 μm and beyond) and high localization, making them an attractive tool for effective control of light in an extended range of infrared frequencies....

Patterns and Environmental Determinants of Medicinal Plant : Vascular Plant Ratios in Xinjiang, Northwest China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Bengang; Xiao, Peigen; Qi, Yaodong; Zhang, Zhao; Liu, Haitao; Li, Xiaojin; Wang, Guoping; Terwei, André

2016-01-01

With both a full collection of native vascular plant distributions and a full checklist of source plants of the Chinese Materia Medica (CMM), the Uygur Medicine (UM), and the Kazak Medicine (KM) for the Xinjiang region, we defined medicinal plant: vascular plant ratios (simplified as medicinal plant ratios hereafter) as the value of medicinal plant richness divided by vascular plant richness. We aimed to find whether the ratios are constant or change in different environments, which environmental variables determine medicinal plant ratios, and whether the ratios are more influenced by human or by natural environments. Finally, suggestions for medicinal plant conservation were addressed. We found that (1) medicinal plant ratios were not constant, and they were high in the Tarim Basin which was largely covered by desert, while they were relatively low in mountainous areas, especially in the Tianshan Mountains where the general species richness was high; (2) medicinal plant ratios were not significantly influenced by human activities, indicated by human population density distributions, but they were highly correlated with plant species richness and climate, i.e. ratios decreased with plant species richness and MAP, and were related quadratically with MAT; (3) CMM ratio and UM ratio were more influenced by plant richness than by climate, while KM ratio was more influenced by climate. We concluded that the percentages of plants used as medicines were not influenced by distances from human settlements, but were determined by species richness or climate. We suggest that (1), in general, the medicinal plant ratio could be a complementary indicator for medicinal plant conservation planning and (2), for the region of Xinjiang, not only high diversity areas, but also some extreme environments should be considered as compensation for a better protection of medicinal plants. PMID:27391239

Patterns and Environmental Determinants of Medicinal Plant : Vascular Plant Ratios in Xinjiang, Northwest China.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liping Li

Full Text Available With both a full collection of native vascular plant distributions and a full checklist of source plants of the Chinese Materia Medica (CMM, the Uygur Medicine (UM, and the Kazak Medicine (KM for the Xinjiang region, we defined medicinal plant: vascular plant ratios (simplified as medicinal plant ratios hereafter as the value of medicinal plant richness divided by vascular plant richness. We aimed to find whether the ratios are constant or change in different environments, which environmental variables determine medicinal plant ratios, and whether the ratios are more influenced by human or by natural environments. Finally, suggestions for medicinal plant conservation were addressed. We found that (1 medicinal plant ratios were not constant, and they were high in the Tarim Basin which was largely covered by desert, while they were relatively low in mountainous areas, especially in the Tianshan Mountains where the general species richness was high; (2 medicinal plant ratios were not significantly influenced by human activities, indicated by human population density distributions, but they were highly correlated with plant species richness and climate, i.e. ratios decreased with plant species richness and MAP, and were related quadratically with MAT; (3 CMM ratio and UM ratio were more influenced by plant richness than by climate, while KM ratio was more influenced by climate. We concluded that the percentages of plants used as medicines were not influenced by distances from human settlements, but were determined by species richness or climate. We suggest that (1, in general, the medicinal plant ratio could be a complementary indicator for medicinal plant conservation planning and (2, for the region of Xinjiang, not only high diversity areas, but also some extreme environments should be considered as compensation for a better protection of medicinal plants.

Patterns and Environmental Determinants of Medicinal Plant : Vascular Plant Ratios in Xinjiang, Northwest China.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Liping; Zhang, Bengang; Xiao, Peigen; Qi, Yaodong; Zhang, Zhao; Liu, Haitao; Li, Xiaojin; Wang, Guoping; Terwei, André

2016-01-01

With both a full collection of native vascular plant distributions and a full checklist of source plants of the Chinese Materia Medica (CMM), the Uygur Medicine (UM), and the Kazak Medicine (KM) for the Xinjiang region, we defined medicinal plant: vascular plant ratios (simplified as medicinal plant ratios hereafter) as the value of medicinal plant richness divided by vascular plant richness. We aimed to find whether the ratios are constant or change in different environments, which environmental variables determine medicinal plant ratios, and whether the ratios are more influenced by human or by natural environments. Finally, suggestions for medicinal plant conservation were addressed. We found that (1) medicinal plant ratios were not constant, and they were high in the Tarim Basin which was largely covered by desert, while they were relatively low in mountainous areas, especially in the Tianshan Mountains where the general species richness was high; (2) medicinal plant ratios were not significantly influenced by human activities, indicated by human population density distributions, but they were highly correlated with plant species richness and climate, i.e. ratios decreased with plant species richness and MAP, and were related quadratically with MAT; (3) CMM ratio and UM ratio were more influenced by plant richness than by climate, while KM ratio was more influenced by climate. We concluded that the percentages of plants used as medicines were not influenced by distances from human settlements, but were determined by species richness or climate. We suggest that (1), in general, the medicinal plant ratio could be a complementary indicator for medicinal plant conservation planning and (2), for the region of Xinjiang, not only high diversity areas, but also some extreme environments should be considered as compensation for a better protection of medicinal plants.

The Application of Advanced Technique of Fan Frame Unit on High Bypass Ratio Aero Engine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hou Peng

2017-01-01

Full Text Available High bypass ratio aero-engine was widely used on military and civil aviation domain, as the power of larger aircraft. Fan frame unit was the main bearing frame of high bypass ratio aero-engine, which composed of strut, HUB MID BOX and external bypass parts. Resin/composite was used on external bypass parts(acoustic liner, containment ring, fan outlet guide vane and fan case skin fillets, which not only reduced the weight and manufacturing cost, but also improved the noise absorption, containment and anti-fatigue ability of engine. The design of composite was becoming a key technique for high bypass ratio aero-engine. In special test of the core engine, nitrogen cooling system was designed to cool the cavity of spool. The nitrogen pipeline passed through the inner cavity of fan frame, then inserted into NO. 3 bearing seal, so nitrogen gas was sent into the cavity of core engine spool. On high bypass ratio aero-engine, the external bypass and fan frame inner cavity were the design platform for advanced technique, such as composite and pipeline system, and also provided guarantee for reliable operation of engine.

Aspect Ratio Scaling of Ideal No-wall Stability Limits in High Bootstrap Fraction Tokamak Plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menard, J.E.; Bell, M.G.; Bell, R.E.; Gates, D.A.; Kaye, S.M.; LeBlanc, B.P.; Maingi, R.; Sabbagh, S.A.; Soukhanovskii, V.; Stutman, D.

2003-01-01

Recent experiments in the low aspect ratio National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) [M. Ono et al., Nucl. Fusion 40 (2000) 557] have achieved normalized beta values twice the conventional tokamak limit at low internal inductance and with significant bootstrap current. These experimental results have motivated a computational re-examination of the plasma aspect ratio dependence of ideal no-wall magnetohydrodynamic stability limits. These calculations find that the profile-optimized no-wall stability limit in high bootstrap fraction regimes is well described by a nearly aspect ratio invariant normalized beta parameter utilizing the total magnetic field energy density inside the plasma. However, the scaling of normalized beta with internal inductance is found to be strongly aspect ratio dependent at sufficiently low aspect ratio. These calculations and detailed stability analyses of experimental equilibria indicate that the nonrotating plasma no-wall stability limit has been exceeded by as much as 30% in NSTX in a high bootstrap fraction regime

Design, manufacture and spin test of high contact ratio helicopter transmission utilizing Self-Aligning Bearingless Planetary (SABP)

Science.gov (United States)

Folenta, Dezi; Lebo, William

1988-01-01

A 450 hp high ratio Self-Aligning Bearingless Planetary (SABP) for a helicopter application was designed, manufactured, and spin tested under NASA contract NAS3-24539. The objective of the program was to conduct research and development work on a high contact ratio helical gear SABP to reduce weight and noise and to improve efficiency. The results accomplished include the design, manufacturing, and no-load spin testing of two prototype helicopter transmissions, rated at 450 hp with an input speed of 35,000 rpm and an output speed of 350 rpm. The weight power density ratio of these gear units is 0.33 lb hp. The measured airborne noise at 35,000 rpm input speed and light load is 94 dB at 5 ft. The high speed, high contact ratio SABP transmission appears to be significantly lighter and quieter than comtemporary helicopter transmissions. The concept of the SABP is applicable not only to high ratio helicopter type transmissions but also to other rotorcraft and aircraft propulsion systems.

Fabrication process for tall, sharp, hollow, high aspect ratio polymer microneedles on a platform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ceyssens, Frederik; Chaudhri, Buddhadev Paul; Van Hoof, Chris; Puers, Robert

2013-01-01

This paper reports on a new lithographic process for fabricating arrays of tall, high aspect ratio (defined as height/wall thickness), hollow, polymer microneedles on a platform. The microneedles feature a high sharpness (down to 3 µm tip radius) and aspect ratio (>65) which is a factor 2 and 4 better than the state of the art, respectively. The maximum achievable needle shaft length is over 1 mm. The improved performance was obtained by using an anisotropically patterned silicon substrate covered with an antireflective layer as mold for the needle tip and an optimized SU-8 lithographic process. Furthermore, a platform containing liquid feedthroughs holding an arbitrary number of needles out of plane can be manufactured with only one additional process step. The high aspect ratio microneedles undergo failure at the critical load of around 230 mN in the case of 1 mm long hollow needles with triangular cross section and a base of 175 µm. Penetration into human skin is demonstrated as well. (paper)

Inorganic Nitrogen Deposition and Its Impacts on N:P-Ratios and Lake Productivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dag O. Hessen

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The pronounced increase in the cycling and deposition of biologically reactive dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN over large areas globally not only cause increased concentrations of DIN in surface waters, but it will also affect nutrient ratios in rivers, lakes and coastal areas. This review addresses the flux and fate of DIN, focusing NO3 in lakes of boreal and alpine catchments. Not only DIN-deposition, but also catchment properties strongly affect the concentrations of NO3 in lakes, as well as NO3:total P (TP ratios. This ratio displays an extreme variability, and does also serve as an indicator of shift between N and P-limitation of aquatic autotrophs. A high share of forests and bogs in the catchment generally decreases NO3:total P ratios, while alpine and subalpine catchments with sparse vegetation cover may have high NO3:total P ratios, especially in regions with high DIN-deposition. Several empirical and experimental studies indicate a shift from an initial N to P-limitation, but for N-limited lakes, an increased growth of phytoplankton, periphytes and macrophytes may be accredited to elevated inputs of DIN. An intensified P-limitation may also be a consequence of elevated DIN-deposition. This P-limitation may again yield higher C:P-ratios in autotrophs with negative impacts on grazers and higher trophic levels.

Assessment of anthropometric parameters including area of the psoas, area of the back muscle, and psoas-vertebra distance as indices for prediction of vertebral fracture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Tamotsu; Morita, Masahumi; Mabuchi, Kiyoshi

2005-01-01

We assessed some anthropometric parameters as indices for the prediction of vertebral compression fracture. We measured the area of the total cross section, area of the back muscle, area of the psoas, area of subcutaneous fat tissue, ratio of the right and left area of the psoas, psoas-vertebra distance, the mediolateral length of the back muscle, anteroposterior length of the back muscle, the mediolateral length of the psoas, and anteroposterior length of the psoas, on computed tomography images. Logistic regression analysis was performed in order to test the correlation between each anthropometric parameter and the incidence of fracture. The odds ratio corresponding to one standard deviation of each parameter was calculated. The ratio of center and anterior vertebral heights and the ratio of center and posterior vertebral heights were measured from the positioning image. The smaller value of these was defined as the vertebral height ratio value. Vertebral height ratio was used as the parameter directly related to vertebral fracture. The subjects for research were 25 women with vertebral compression fracture and 36 women without fracture. Vertebral height ratio had a significant correlation with area of the psoas (correlation coefficient, r=0.609 p<0.001), area of the back muscle (r=0.547 p<0.001), and the psoas-vertebra distance (r=-0.523 p<0.001) in the anthropometric parameters. The odds ratios of the area of the psoas (odds ratio, OR:0.18, 95% confidence interval, CI:0.43 to 0.08), area of the back muscle (OR:0.13, 95% CI:0.37 to 0.05), and the psoas-vertebra distance (OR:3.01, 95% CI:6.22 to 1.46) were high. The odds ratio of the mediolateral length of the psoas (OR:0.34, 95% CI:0.67 to 0.18), and the left-to-right area ratio of the psoas (OR:0.41, 95% CI:0.76 to 0.22) were rather high. However, the vertebral height ratio had no significant correlation with the left-to-right area ratio of the psoas. It was considered that area of the psoas, area of the back

Angle resolved mass spectrometry of positive ions transmitted through high aspect ratio channels in a radio frequency discharge

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stoffels - Adamowicz, E.; Stoffels, W.W.; Tachibana, K.; Imai, S.

1997-01-01

The behavior of positive ions in high aspect ratio structures, relevant to the reactive ion etching of deep trenches, has been studied by means of energy resolved mass spectrometry. High aspect ratio trenches are simulated by capillary plates with various aspect ratios. Angle resolved measurements

High-precision branching-ratio measurement for the superallowed β+ emitter 26Alm

Science.gov (United States)

Finlay, P.; Ball, G. C.; Leslie, J. R.; Svensson, C. E.; Andreoiu, C.; Austin, R. A. E.; Bandyopadhyay, D.; Cross, D. S.; Demand, G.; Djongolov, M.; Ettenauer, S.; Garrett, P. E.; Green, K. L.; Grinyer, G. F.; Hackman, G.; Leach, K. G.; Pearson, C. J.; Phillips, A. A.; Rand, E. T.; Sumithrarachchi, C. S.; Triambak, S.; Williams, S. J.

2012-05-01

A high-precision branching-ratio measurement for the superallowed β+ emitter 26Alm was performed at the TRIUMF-ISAC radioactive ion beam facility. An upper limit of ⩽12 ppm at 90% confidence level was found for the second forbidden β+ decay of 26Alm to the 21+ state at 1809 keV in 26Mg. An inclusive upper limit of ⩽15 ppm at 90% confidence level was found when considering all possible nonanalog β+/EC decay branches of 26Alm, resulting in a superallowed branching ratio of 100.0000-0.0015+0%.

Bosch-like method for creating high aspect ratio poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) structures

KAUST Repository

Haiducu, Marius

2012-02-02

This paper presents a method for etching millimetre-deep trenches in commercial grade PMMA using deep-UV at 254 nm. The method is based on consecutive cycles of irradiation and development of the exposed areas, respectively. The exposure segment is performed using an inexpensive, in-house built irradiation box while the development part is accomplished using an isopropyl alcohol (IPA):H2O developer. The method was tested and characterized by etching various dimension square test structures in commercial grade, mirrored acrylic. The undercut of the sidewalls due to the uncollimated nature of the irradiation light was dramatically alleviated by using a honeycomb metallic grid in between the irradiation source and the acrylic substrate and by rotating the latter using a direct current (DC) motor-driven stage. By using an extremely affordable set-up and non-toxic, environmentally friendly materials and substances, this process represents an excellent alternative to microfabricating microfluidic devices in particular and high aspect ratio structures in general using PMMA as substrate. © 2012 SPIE.

Ultra-high aspect ratio replaceable AFM tips using deformation-suppressed focused ion beam milling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savenko, Alexey; Yildiz, Izzet; Petersen, Dirch Hjorth; Bøggild, Peter; Bartenwerfer, Malte; Krohs, Florian; Oliva, Maria; Harzendorf, Torsten

2013-01-01

Fabrication of ultra-high aspect ratio exchangeable and customizable tips for atomic force microscopy (AFM) using lateral focused ion beam (FIB) milling is presented. While on-axis FIB milling does allow high aspect ratio (HAR) AFM tips to be defined, lateral milling gives far better flexibility in terms of defining the shape and size of the tip. Due to beam-induced deformation, it has so far not been possible to define HAR structures using lateral FIB milling. In this work we obtain aspect ratios of up to 45, with tip diameters down to 9 nm, by a deformation-suppressing writing strategy. Several FIB milling strategies for obtaining sharper tips are discussed. Finally, assembly of the HAR tips on a custom-designed probe as well as the first AFM scanning is shown. (paper)

High ambient contrast ratio OLED and QLED without a circular polarizer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tan, Guanjun; Zhu, Ruidong; Luo, Zhenyue; Wu, Shin-Tson; Tsai, Yi-Shou; Lee, Kuo-Chang; Lee, Yuh-Zheng

2016-01-01

A high ambient contrast ratio display device using a transparent organic light emitting diode (OLED) or transparent quantum-dot light-emitting diode (QLED) with embedded multilayered structure and absorber is proposed and its performance is simulated. With the help of multilayered structure, the device structure allows almost all ambient light to get through the display device and be absorbed by the absorber. Because the reflected ambient light is greatly reduced, the ambient contrast ratio of the display system is improved significantly. Meanwhile, the multilayered structure helps to lower the effective refractive index, which in turn improves the out-coupling efficiency of the display system. Potential applications for sunlight readable flexible and rollable displays are emphasized. (paper)

Recent development in isotope ratio mass spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Platzner, I.

1992-01-01

Within the limited of this review the following topics will be briefly discussed: a) Accuracy, precision, internal relative standard deviation (RISD) and external relative standard deviation (RESD) of isotope ratio measurements. With advanced instrumentation and use of standard reference materials, high accuracy and RESD = 0.002% (or better) may be achieved; b) The advantages of modern automatic isotope ratio mass spectrometer are briefly described. Computer controlled operation and data acquisition, and multiple ion collection are the recent important improvement; c) The isotopic fractionation during the course of isotope ratio measurement is considered as a major source of errors in thermal ionization of metallic elements. The phenomenon in strontium, neodymium, uranium, lead and calcium and methods to correct the measured data are discussed; d) Applications of isotope ratio mass spectrometry in atomic weight determinations, the isotope dilution technique, isotope geology, and isotope effects in biological systems are described together with specific applications in various research and technology area. (author)

Correction of differential renal function for asymmetric renal area ratio in unilateral hydronephrosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Aktaş, Gul Ege; Sarıkaya, Ali

2015-11-01

Children with unilateral hydronephrosis are followed up with anteroposterior pelvic diameter (APD), hydronephrosis grade, mercaptoacetyltriglycine (MAG-3) drainage pattern and differential renal function (DRF). Indeterminate drainage preserved DRF in higher grades of hydronephrosis, in some situations, complicating the decision-making process. Due to an asymmetric renal area ratio, falsely negative DRF estimations can result in missed optimal surgery times. This study was designed to assess whether correcting the DRF estimation according to kidney area could reflect the clinical situation of a hydronephrotic kidney better than a classical DRF calculation, concurrently with the hydronephrosis grade, APD and MAG-3 drainage pattern. We reviewed the MAG-3, dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scans and ultrasonography (US) of 23 children (6 girls, 17 boys, mean age: 29 ± 50 months) with unilateral hydronephrosis. MAG-3 and DMSA scans were performed within 3 months (mean 25.4 ± 30.7 days). The closest US findings (mean 41.5 ± 28.2 days) were used. DMSA DRF estimations were obtained using the geometric mean method. Secondary calculations were performed to correct the counts (the total counts divided by the number of pixels in ROI) according to kidney area. The renogram patterns of patients were evaluated and separated into subgroups. The visual assessment of DMSA scans was noted and the hydronephrotic kidney was classified in comparison to the normal contralateral kidney's uptake. The correlations of the DRF values of classical and area-corrected methods with MAG-3 renogram patterns, the visual classification of DMSA scan, the hydronephrosis grade and the APD were assessed. DRF estimations of two methods were statistically different (p: 0.001). The categories of 12 hydronephrotic kidneys were changed. There were no correlations between classical DRF estimations and the hydronephrosis grade, APD, visual classification of the DMSA scan and uptake evaluation. The DRF

Impact of Skeletal Muscle Mass Index, Intramuscular Adipose Tissue Content, and Visceral to Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue Area Ratio on Early Mortality of Living Donor Liver Transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamaguchi, Yuhei; Kaido, Toshimi; Okumura, Shinya; Kobayashi, Atsushi; Shirai, Hisaya; Yagi, Shintaro; Kamo, Naoko; Okajima, Hideaki; Uemoto, Shinji

2017-03-01

Skeletal muscle depletion has been shown to be an independent risk factor for poor survival in various diseases. However, in surgery, the significance of other body components including visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue remains unclear. This retrospective study included 250 adult patients undergoing living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) between January 2008 and April 2015. Using preoperative plain computed tomography imaging at the third lumbar vertebra level, skeletal muscle mass, muscle quality, and visceral adiposity were evaluated by the skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), intramuscular adipose tissue content (IMAC), and visceral to subcutaneous adipose tissue area ratio (VSR), respectively. The cutoff values of these parameters were determined for men and women separately using the data of 657 healthy donors for LDLT between 2005 and 2016. Impact of these parameters on outcomes after LDLT was analyzed. VSR was significantly correlated with patient age (P = 0.041), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (P mass index (P normal group. On multivariate analysis, low SMI (hazard ratio [HR], 2.367, P = 0.002), high IMAC (HR, 2.096, P = 0.004), and high VSR (HR, 2.213, P = 0.003) were identified as independent risk factors for death after LDLT. Preoperative visceral adiposity, as well as low muscularity, was closely involved with posttransplant mortality.

RATIO_TOOL - SOFTWARE FOR COMPUTING IMAGE RATIOS

Science.gov (United States)

Yates, G. L.

1994-01-01

Geological studies analyze spectral data in order to gain information on surface materials. RATIO_TOOL is an interactive program for viewing and analyzing large multispectral image data sets that have been created by an imaging spectrometer. While the standard approach to classification of multispectral data is to match the spectrum for each input pixel against a library of known mineral spectra, RATIO_TOOL uses ratios of spectral bands in order to spot significant areas of interest within a multispectral image. Each image band can be viewed iteratively, or a selected image band of the data set can be requested and displayed. When the image ratios are computed, the result is displayed as a gray scale image. At this point a histogram option helps in viewing the distribution of values. A thresholding option can then be used to segment the ratio image result into two to four classes. The segmented image is then color coded to indicate threshold classes and displayed alongside the gray scale image. RATIO_TOOL is written in C language for Sun series computers running SunOS 4.0 and later. It requires the XView toolkit and the OpenWindows window manager (version 2.0 or 3.0). The XView toolkit is distributed with Open Windows. A color monitor is also required. The standard distribution medium for RATIO_TOOL is a .25 inch streaming magnetic tape cartridge in UNIX tar format. An electronic copy of the documentation is included on the program media. RATIO_TOOL was developed in 1992 and is a copyrighted work with all copyright vested in NASA. Sun, SunOS, and OpenWindows are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories.

Cell formation effects on the burning speeds and flame front area of synthetic gas at high pressures and temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Askari, Omid; Elia, Mimmo; Ferrari, Matthew; Metghalchi, Hameed

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Effect of cell formation on burning speed and flame surface area is investigated. • A new developed non-dimensional number called cellularity factor is introduced. • Cellular burning speed and mass burning rate are calculated using differential based multi-shell model. • Flame instability is studied using thermo-diffusive and hydrodynamics effects. • Power law correlations are developed for cellular burning speeds and mass burning rates. - Abstract: Cellular burning speeds and mass burning rates of premixed syngas/oxidizer/diluent (H_2/CO/O_2/He) have been determined at high pressures and temperatures over a wide range of equivalence ratios which are at engine-relevant conditions. Working on high pressure combustion helps to reduce the pollution and increase the energy efficiency in combustion devices. The experimental facilities consisted of two spherical and cylindrical chambers. The spherical chamber, which can withstand high pressures up to 400 atm, was used to collect pressure rise data due to combustion, to calculate cellular burning speed and mass burning rate. For flame structure and instability analysis the cylindrical chamber was used to take pictures of propagating flame using a high speed CMOS camera and a schlieren photography system. A new differential based multi-shell model based on pressure rise data was used to determine the cellular burning speed and mass burning rate. In this paper, cellular burning speed and mass burning rate of H_2/CO/O_2/He mixture have been measured for a wide range of equivalence ratios from 0.6 to 2, temperatures from 400 to 750 K and pressures from 2 to 50 atm for three hydrogen concentrations of 5, 10 and 25% in the syngas. The power law correlations for cellular burning speed and mass burning rate were developed as a function of equivalence ratio, temperature and pressure. In this study a new developed parameter, called cellularity factor, which indicates the cell formation effect on flame

Equivalence ratio and constriction effects on RBCC thrust augmentation

Science.gov (United States)

Koupriyanov, M.; Etele, J.

2011-06-01

A theoretical analysis of a variable area rocket based combined cycle engine with and without simultaneous mixing and combustion is presented. The flowfield is solved using a steady, quasi-one-dimensional, inviscid control volume formulation with combustion effects included via a generalized equilibrium calculation. Compression augmentation is shown to be sensitive to the equivalence ratio within the primary rocket chamber, where ejector section performance is greatest at both low and high equivalence ratios but near a minimum at stoichiometric conditions. The thrust generated by the RBCC engine compared to that generated by the same rocket in isolation can be increased by as much as 12% at constriction ratios of between 45% and 50%. Thrust augmentation is also shown to vary with equivalence ratio, where for a fixed geometry the maximum thrust is generated at equivalence ratios slightly below unity.

Jet-Surface Interaction: High Aspect Ratio Nozzle Test, Nozzle Design and Preliminary Data

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Clifford; Dippold, Vance

2015-01-01

The Jet-Surface Interaction High Aspect Ratio (JSI-HAR) nozzle test is part of an ongoing effort to measure and predict the noise created when an aircraft engine exhausts close to an airframe surface. The JSI-HAR test is focused on parameters derived from the Turbo-electric Distributed Propulsion (TeDP) concept aircraft which include a high-aspect ratio mailslot exhaust nozzle, internal septa, and an aft deck. The size and mass flow rate limits of the test rig also limited the test nozzle to a 16:1 aspect ratio, half the approximately 32:1 on the TeDP concept. Also, unlike the aircraft, the test nozzle must transition from a single round duct on the High Flow Jet Exit Rig, located in the AeroAcoustic Propulsion Laboratory at the NASA Glenn Research Center, to the rectangular shape at the nozzle exit. A parametric nozzle design method was developed to design three low noise round-to-rectangular transitions, with 8:1, 12:1, and 16: aspect ratios, that minimizes flow separations and shocks while providing a flat flow profile at the nozzle exit. These designs validated using the WIND-US CFD code. A preliminary analysis of the test data shows that the actual flow profile is close to that predicted and that the noise results appear consistent with data from previous, smaller scale, tests. The JSI-HAR test is ongoing through October 2015. The results shown in the presentation are intended to provide an overview of the test and a first look at the preliminary results.

Age standardized cancer mortality ratios in areas heavily exposed to methyl mercury.

Science.gov (United States)

Yorifuji, Takashi; Tsuda, Toshihide; Kawakami, Norito

2007-08-01

Methyl-mercury (MeHg) was discharged from a chemical factory in Minamata, and consequently spread throughout the Shiranui Sea in Kumamoto, Japan. Although many studies have focused on MeHg-induced neurological disorders, the association between MeHg and malignant neoplasms has not been adequately investigated. Therefore, we explored this association using the age standardized mortality ratio (ASMR) in an ecologic study over a wide area allowing for a long empirical induction period. The subjects were residents in areas around the Shiranui Sea. We divided these areas into exposure groups 1 (Minamata and Ashikita regions) and 2 (Amakusa region). Exposure group 1 was contaminated from the late 1930s, and exposure group 2 was contaminated from the late 1950s. In addition, exposure group 1 was contaminated more heavily than exposure group 2. There were 92,525 and 152,541 residents in each group in 1960, respectively. We analyzed the cancer ASMR in both exposure groups using data from two reference populations (Japan and Kumamoto prefecture) from 1961 to 1997. There were 94,301,494 and 1,856,192 people in each reference group in 1960, respectively. We abstracted population and mortality data from the censuses and the vital statistics of the prefecture and Japan. An increased leukemia ASMR and a decreased gastric cancer ASMR were observed in both exposure groups, while other ASMRs were around unity and less precise. Furthermore, the leukemia ASMRs were elevated differently between the two exposure groups: the leukemia ASMR was already elevated early in the study period in exposure group 1 and increased gradually in exposure group 2. While the negative association between MeHg and gastric cancer might be explained by salt intake, the positive association between MeHg and leukemia could not be explained by potential confounders. Despite some limitations mainly due to its ecologic design, this study indicates the necessity of an individual-level study evaluating the

Relationship between fruit weight and the fruit-to-leaf area ratio, at the spur and whole-tree level, for three sweet cherry varieties

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cittadini, E.D.; Ridder, de N.; Peri, P.L.; Keulen, van H.

2008-01-01

Fruit weight is the main quality parameter of sweet cherries and leaf area/fruit is the most important characteristic influencing fruit weight. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between Mean Fruit Weight (MFW) and the Fruit Number to Leaf Area Ratio (FNLAR) for `Bing¿,

Thyroid nodularity and chromosome aberrations among women in areas of high background radiation in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Z.Y.; Boice, J.D. Jr.; Wei, L.X.; Beebe, G.W.; Zha, Y.R.; Kaplan, M.M.; Tao, Z.F.; Maxon, H.R. III; Zhang, S.Z.; Schneider, A.B.

1990-01-01

Thyroid nodularity following continuous low-dose radiation exposure in China was determined in 1,001 women aged 50-65 years who resided in areas of high background radiation (330 mR/yr) their entire lives, and in 1,005 comparison subjects exposed to normal levels of radiation (114 mR/yr). Cumulative doses to the thyroid were estimated to be of the order of 14 cGy and 5 cGy, respectively. Personal interviews and physical examinations were conducted, and measurements were made of serum thyroid hormone levels, urinary iodine concentrations, and chromosome aberrations in circulating lymphocytes. For all nodular disease, the prevalences in the high background and control areas were 9.5% and 9.3%, respectively. For single nodules, the prevalences were 7.4% in the high background area and 6.6% in the control area (prevalence ratio = 1.13; 95% confidence interval = 0.82-1.55). There were no differences found in serum levels of thyroid hormones. Women in the high background region, however, had significantly lower concentrations of urinary iodine and significantly higher frequencies of stable and unstable chromosome aberrations. Increased intake of allium vegetables such as garlic and onions was associated with a decreased risk of nodular disease, which seems consistent with experimental studies suggesting that allium compounds can inhibit tumor growth and proliferation. The prevalence of mild diffuse goiter was higher in the high background radiation region, perhaps related to a low dietary intake of iodine. These data suggest that continuous exposure to low-level radiation throughout life is unlikely to appreciably increase the risk of thyroid cancer. However, such exposure may cause chromosomal damage

Why Gas Hydrate Occurrenced Over Topographic Highs in Shenhu Area Northern South China Sea？

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, J.

2015-12-01

Methane gas hydrate has been drilled by China Geological Survey in shenhu area northern south china sea in 2007 .Shenhu area is located in the middle-lower continental slope and 17 submarine canyons are incised into the shelf,gas hydrtae was observed in boreholes over topographic highs,but origin of the hydrate is controversial.Accumulation of gas hydrate is depending on temperature-pressure field and supply quantities of methane and some other factors,in the same depth of the shallow sediments there is the same press,so temperature field and supply quantities of methane become the most important factors.Lachenbruch(1968) calculated the topographic disturbance to geothermal gradients,in shenhu area consistent local variations were observed, notably low heat flow values over prominent topographic highs and high heat flow values over the flanks of the topographic highs. At some localities over a horizontal distance of 2.5 km, heat flow increased by as much as 50%, from typical values of 65 to 100 mW/m2 .Some vertical fractures were observed beneath topographic highs in previous studies.Based on the profile across borehole SH7,we designed four experiments:A,uniform distribution of heat flux with no vertical fractures；B,Uniform distribution of heat flux with vertical fractures beneath geographic highs;C,uneven distribution of heat flux with no vertical fractures;D,uneven distribution of heat flux with vertical fractures beneath geographic highs.According to previous studies,we restored Palaeobathymetry,abundance of organic matters, sandstone-madstone ratio ,porosity and permeability of each,and parameters of vertical fractures.The result of experiment D shows the similar distribution characteristic with the drilling result,so We believe that low heat flux and Vertical fractures are the most important factors . This work was supported by the National Science Foundation of China(grant no. 41406080).

Sol-gel preparation of high surface area potassium tetratitanate for the immobilization of nuclear waste metal ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, K.T.; Shul, Y.G.; Moon, J.K.; Oh, W.J.

1997-01-01

Potassium tetratinates(K 2 Ti 4 O 9 ) were synthesized by using the sol-gel method to produce ion-exchangeable materials with high surface area. The effects of mole ratios of K/Ti and H 2 O/Ti were examined. K 2 Ti 4 O 9 was obtained at 740 deg. C by the sol-gel method, which uses a lower temperature than the melting method. After calcination at 800 deg. C, K 2 Ti 4 O exhibits a needle shape which is quite different from the shape of K 2 Ti 6 O 13 powder. The surface areas of K 2 Ti 4 O 9 was 15 m 2 /g by the sol-gel method after calcining at 800 C. The enhancement of BET area to 25 m 2 /g was obtained after supercritical drying using EtOH as solvent. By using the sodium alginate method, needle type potassium titanate 10μm in length, the longest aspect ratio of 1,3 x 10 3 could be obtained. There are variations in the Sr 2+ ion exchange rate and capacity according to the preparation method. Larger BET surface area provides fast ion exchange and larger capacity for Sr 2+ ion in the order; sol-gel process with supercritical drying > sol-gel process > melting process. (author). 17 refs, 21 figs, 1 tab

Framework to model neutral particle flux in convex high aspect ratio structures using one-dimensional radiosity

Science.gov (United States)

Manstetten, Paul; Filipovic, Lado; Hössinger, Andreas; Weinbub, Josef; Selberherr, Siegfried

2017-02-01

We present a computationally efficient framework to compute the neutral flux in high aspect ratio structures during three-dimensional plasma etching simulations. The framework is based on a one-dimensional radiosity approach and is applicable to simulations of convex rotationally symmetric holes and convex symmetric trenches with a constant cross-section. The framework is intended to replace the full three-dimensional simulation step required to calculate the neutral flux during plasma etching simulations. Especially for high aspect ratio structures, the computational effort, required to perform the full three-dimensional simulation of the neutral flux at the desired spatial resolution, conflicts with practical simulation time constraints. Our results are in agreement with those obtained by three-dimensional Monte Carlo based ray tracing simulations for various aspect ratios and convex geometries. With this framework we present a comprehensive analysis of the influence of the geometrical properties of high aspect ratio structures as well as of the particle sticking probability on the neutral particle flux.

Geothermic analysis of high temperature hydrothermal activities area in Western plateau of Sichuan province, China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, J.

2016-12-01

There is a high temperature hydrothermal activity area in the western plateau of Sichuan. More than 200 hot springs points have been found in the region, including 11 hot spring water temperature above local boiling point. Most of these distribute along Jinshajjiang fracture, Dege-Xiangcheng fracture, Ganzi-Litang fracture as well as Xianshuihe fracture, and form three high-temperature hydrothermal activity strips in the NW-SE direction. Using gravity, magnetic, seismic and helium isotope data, this paper analyzed the crust-mantle heat flow structure, crustal heat source distribution and water heating system. The results show that the geothermal activity mainly controlled by the "hot" crust. The ratio of crustal heat flow and surface heat flow is higher than 60%. In the high temperature hydrothermal activities area, there is lower S wave velocity zone with VsGeothermal water mainly reserve in the Triassic strata of the containing water good carbonate rocks, and in the intrusive granite which is along the fault zone. The thermal energy of Surface heat thermal activities mainly comes from the high-temperature hot source which is located in the middle and lower crust. Being in the deep crustal fracture, the groundwater infiltrated to the deep crust and absorbed heat, then, quickly got back to the surface and formed high hot springs.

A high voltage ratio and low ripple interleaved DC-DC converter for fuel cell applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Long-Yi; Chao, Kuei-Hsiang; Chang, Tsang-Chih

2012-01-01

This paper proposes a high voltage ratio and low ripple interleaved boost DC-DC converter, which can be used to reduce the output voltage ripple. This converter transfers the low DC voltage of fuel cell to high DC voltage in DC link. The structure of the converter is parallel with two voltage-doubler boost converters by interleaving their output voltages to reduce the voltage ripple ratio. Besides, it can lower the current stress for the switches and inductors in the system. First, the PSIM software was used to establish a proton exchange membrane fuel cell and a converter circuit model. The simulated and measured results of the fuel cell output characteristic curve are made to verify the correctness of the established simulation model. In addition, some experimental results are made to validate the effectiveness in improving output voltage ripple of the proposed high voltage ratio interleaved boost DC-DC converters.

Sulfur isotope ratios and the origins of the aerosols and cloud droplets in California stratus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ludwig, F.L.

1976-01-01

Marine aerosols often have sulfur-to-chloride ratios greater than that found in seawater. Sulfur isotope ratios ( 34 S/ 32 S) were measured in aerosol and cloud droplet samples collected in the San Francisco Bay Area in an attempt to understand the processes that produce the observed sulfur-to-chloride ratios. Seawater sulfur usually has very high sulfur isotope ratios: fossil fuel sulfur tends to have smaller isotope ratios and sulfur of bacteriogenic origin still smaller. Samples collected in unpolluted marine air over the hills south of San Francisco had sulfur ratios that were significantly lower than the values for samples collected in nearby areas that were subject to urban pollution. The highest sulfur isotope ratios were found in the offshore seawater. The results suggest bacteriogenic origins, of the marine air sulfur aerosol material. The low isotope ratios in the marine air cannot be explained as a mixture of seawater sulfur and pollutant sulfur, because both tend to have higher isotope ratios. (Auth.)

Hybrid UV Lithography for 3D High-Aspect-Ratio Microstructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Sungmin; Nam, Gyungmok; Kim, Jonghun; Yoon, Sang-Hee [Inha Univ, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-08-15

Three-dimensional (3D) high-aspect-ratio (HAR) microstructures for biomedical applications (e.g., microneedle, microadhesive, etc.) are microfabricated using the hybrid ultraviolet (UV) lithography in which inclined, rotational, and reverse-side UV exposure processes are combined together. The inclined and rotational UV exposure processes are intended to fabricate tapered axisymmetric HAR microstructures; the reverse-side UV exposure process is designed to sharpen the end tip of the microstructures by suppressing the UV reflection on a bottom substrate which is inevitable in conventional UV lithography. Hybrid UV lithography involves fabricating 3D HAR microstructures with an epoxy-based negative photoresist, SU-8, using our customized UV exposure system. The effects of hybrid UV lithography parameters on the geometry of the 3D HAR microstructures (aspect ratio, radius of curvature of the end tip, etc.) are measured. The dependence of the end-tip shape on SU-8 soft-baking condition is also discussed.

Hybrid UV Lithography for 3D High-Aspect-Ratio Microstructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Sungmin; Nam, Gyungmok; Kim, Jonghun; Yoon, Sang-Hee

2016-01-01

Three-dimensional (3D) high-aspect-ratio (HAR) microstructures for biomedical applications (e.g., microneedle, microadhesive, etc.) are microfabricated using the hybrid ultraviolet (UV) lithography in which inclined, rotational, and reverse-side UV exposure processes are combined together. The inclined and rotational UV exposure processes are intended to fabricate tapered axisymmetric HAR microstructures; the reverse-side UV exposure process is designed to sharpen the end tip of the microstructures by suppressing the UV reflection on a bottom substrate which is inevitable in conventional UV lithography. Hybrid UV lithography involves fabricating 3D HAR microstructures with an epoxy-based negative photoresist, SU-8, using our customized UV exposure system. The effects of hybrid UV lithography parameters on the geometry of the 3D HAR microstructures (aspect ratio, radius of curvature of the end tip, etc.) are measured. The dependence of the end-tip shape on SU-8 soft-baking condition is also discussed

Seasonal variation of 228Ra/226Ra ratio in seaweed: implications for water circulation patterns in coastal areas of the Noto Peninsula, Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inoue, M.; Kofuji, H.; Yamamoto, M.; Komura, K.

2005-01-01

To examine water circulation patterns of coastal water, 72 seaweed (Sargasso) samples and 27 coastal water samples were collected from coastal areas of the Noto Peninsula, Japan, during the period from December 1998 to June 2002. The 228 Ra and 226 Ra activities of those samples were measured by low-background γ-ray spectrometry. There was a wide range of activities of 228 Ra (0.5-2 Bq/kg-fresh) and 226 Ra (0.5-1.2 Bq/kg-fresh) in the Sargasso samples. The 228 Ra/ 226 Ra activity ratio of Sargasso samples exhibited seasonal variation with minimum values in June ( 228 Ra/ 226 Ra = ∼1) and maximum values in December (1.5-2.5), which was mainly governed by changes in 228 Ra activity. It is also notable that the seasonal variation of the 228 Ra/ 226 Ra ratio of Sargasso is in approximate agreement with that of the ambient coastal water. Sargasso samples appear to have retained the 228 Ra/ 226 Ra ratio of the ambient coastal waters, and the temporal variations in that ratio provide insight into seasonal changes in water circulation in the Noto Peninsula coastal area

Maintaining high precision of isotope ratio analysis over extended periods of time.

Science.gov (United States)

Brand, Willi A

2009-06-01

Stable isotope ratios are reliable and long lasting process tracers. In order to compare data from different locations or different sampling times at a high level of precision, a measurement strategy must include reliable traceability to an international stable isotope scale via a reference material (RM). Since these international RMs are available in low quantities only, we have developed our own analysis schemes involving laboratory working RM. In addition, quality assurance RMs are used to control the long-term performance of the delta-value assignments. The analysis schemes allow the construction of quality assurance performance charts over years of operation. In this contribution, the performance of three typical techniques established in IsoLab at the MPI-BGC in Jena is discussed. The techniques are (1) isotope ratio mass spectrometry with an elemental analyser for delta(15)N and delta(13)C analysis of bulk (organic) material, (2) high precision delta(13)C and delta(18)O analysis of CO(2) in clean-air samples, and (3) stable isotope analysis of water samples using a high-temperature reaction with carbon. In addition, reference strategies on a laser ablation system for high spatial resolution delta(13)C analysis in tree rings is exemplified briefly.

Simulation of high consequence areas for gas pipelines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Orlando Díaz-Parra

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The gas pipeline is used for the transport of natural gas at a great distance. Risks derived from the handling of a combustible material transported under high pressure, by pipelines that pass close to where people live, makes it necessary to adopt prevention, mitigation and control measures to reduce the effect in case of ignition of a gas leak. This work shows the development of a new mathematical model to determine areas of high consequence and their application, using widely available and easy to use software, such as Google Earth and Excel, to determine and visualize the area up to which the level of radiation can affect the integrity of people and buildings. The model takes into account the pressure drop into the gas pipeline from the compression station, the gas leakage rate and possible forms of gas ignition. This development is an alternative to the use of specialized software and highly trained personnel. The simulation is applied to a traced of the Miraflores-Tunja gas pipeline, using a macro developed in Excel to determine the impact area and compare it with the coordinates of the vulnerable areas. The zones where these areas intersect are constituted in high consequence areas and are identified along with the sections of the pipeline that affect them, to provide the operator with a risk analysis tool for the determination and visualization of the gas pipeline and its environment.

Development of a small-aperture slit system for a high collimator ratio at the thermal neutron radiography facility in JRR-3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yasuda, Ryo; Nojima, Takehiro; Iikura, Hiroshi; Sakai, Takuro; Matsubayashi, Masahito

2011-01-01

A small-aperture slit system has been developed and installed to enhance the collimator ratio ('L/D') of the thermal neutron radiography facility (TNRF) in JRR-3. The degree of unsharpness on neutron images is reduced by increasing the L/D. The small-aperture slit system increased the L/D by creating a small aperture size ('D'). Image sharpness improved when the aperture size was reduced to below 10 mm by 10 mm in the TNRF. On the other hand, there was almost no difference in unsharpness on images obtained above 10 mm by 10 mm in aperture size. These results indicate that an aperture size of less than 10 mm by 10 mm should be used for high-spatial-resolution imaging at the TNRF. The beam area of the small-aperture slits was relatively small in comparison with that of a conventional large collimator, though gradually increasing with increasing aperture size. Even with an aperture size of 5 mm by 5 mm, the practical beam area for imaging examinations corresponded to around 25 mm by 20 mm, which is enough area to carry out high-spatial-resolution imaging. (author)

High-surface-area active carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Grady, T.M.; Wennerberg, A.N.

1986-01-01

This paper describes the preparation and properties of a unique active carbon having exceptionally high surface areas, over 2500 m 2 /gm, and extraordinary adsorptive capacities. The carbon is made by a direct chemical activation route in which petroleum coke or other carbonaceous sources are reacted with excess potassium hydroxide at 400 0 to 500 0 C to an intermediate product that is subsequently pyrolyzed at 800 0 to 900 0 C to active carbon containing potassium salts. These are removed by water washing and the carbon is dried to produce a powdered product. A granular carbon can also be made by further processing the powdered carbon by using specialized granulation techniques. Typical properties of the carbon include Iodine Numbers of 3000 to 3600, methylene blue adsorption of 650 to 750 mg/gm, pore volumes of 2.0 to 2.6 cc/gm and less than 3.0% ash. This carbon's high adsorption capacities make it uniquely suited for numerous demanding applications in the medical area, purifications, removal of toxic substances, as catalyst carriers, etc

Finite element analysis of surface acoustic waves in high aspect ratio electrodes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dühring, Maria Bayard; Laude, Vincent; Khelif, Abdelkrim

2008-01-01

This paper elaborates on how the finite element method is employed to model surface acoustic waves generated by high aspect ratio electrodes and their interaction with optical waves in a waveguide. With a periodic model it is shown that these electrodes act as a mechanical resonator which slows...

Quantifying object and material surface areas in residences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hodgson, Alfred T.; Ming, Katherine Y.; Singer, Brett C.

2005-01-05

The dynamic behavior of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor environments depends, in part, on sorptive interactions between VOCs in the gas phase and material surfaces. Since information on the types and quantities of interior material surfaces is not generally available, this pilot-scale study was conducted in occupied residences to develop and demonstrate a method for quantifying surface areas of objects and materials in rooms. Access to 33 rooms in nine residences consisting of bathrooms, bedroom/offices and common areas was solicited from among research group members living in the East San Francisco Bay Area. A systematic approach was implemented for measuring rooms and objects from 300 cm{sup 2} and larger. The ventilated air volumes of the rooms were estimated and surface area-to-volume ratios were calculated for objects and materials, each segregated into 20 or more categories. Total surface area-to-volume ratios also were determined for each room. The bathrooms had the highest total surface area-to-volume ratios. Bedrooms generally had higher ratios than common areas consisting of kitchens, living/dining rooms and transitional rooms. Total surface area-to-volume ratios for the 12 bedrooms ranged between 2.3 and 4.7 m{sup 2} m{sup -3}. The importance of individual objects and materials with respect to sorption will depend upon the sorption coefficients for the various VOC/materials combinations. When combined, the highly permeable material categories, which may contribute to significant interactions, had a median ratio of about 0.5 m{sup 2} m{sup -3} for all three types of rooms.

Magnesium-to-calcium ratio in tap water, and its relationship to geological features and the incidence of calcium-containing urinary stones.

Science.gov (United States)

Kohri, K; Kodama, M; Ishikawa, Y; Katayama, Y; Takada, M; Katoh, Y; Kataoka, K; Iguchi, M; Kurita, T

1989-11-01

We examined the relationship among magnesium and calcium content in tap water, the geological features and urinary stone incidence in Japan. The magnesium-to-calcium ratio in tap water correlated negatively with the incidence of urolithiasis. There was no correlation between calcium and magnesium concentration in tap water and urinary stone incidence. Geological features in Japan were classified into 5 groups. The magnesium-to-calcium ratio in the basalt areas was higher than in the other areas, while ratio in the granite areas was low. In the sedimentary rock areas calcium and magnesium concentrations were high; the magnesium-to-calcium ratio in these areas was between those of the basalt and granite areas. The limestone areas had a much higher calcium concentration. The incidence of urinary stones in the sedimentary rock and basalt areas was lower than that of the granite areas, while that in the limestone areas was the highest. Thus, the incidence of urinary stone is related to the magnesium-to-calcium ratio in tap water and the geological area.

Dilution correction equation revisited: The impact of stream slope, relief ratio and area size of basin on geochemical anomalies

Science.gov (United States)

Shahrestani, Shahed; Mokhtari, Ahmad Reza

2017-04-01

Stream sediment sampling is a well-known technique used to discover the geochemical anomalies in regional exploration activities. In an upstream catchment basin of stream sediment sample, the geochemical signals originating from probable mineralization could be diluted due to mixing with the weathering material coming from the non-anomalous sources. Hawkes's equation (1976) was an attempt to overcome the problem in which the area size of catchment basin was used to remove dilution from geochemical anomalies. However, the metal content of a stream sediment sample could be linked to several geomorphological, sedimentological, climatic and geological factors. The area size is not itself a comprehensive representative of dilution taking place in a catchment basin. The aim of the present study was to consider a number of geomorphological factors affecting the sediment supply, transportation processes, storage and in general, the geochemistry of stream sediments and their incorporation in the dilution correction procedure. This was organized through employing the concept of sediment yield and sediment delivery ratio and linking such characteristics to the dilution phenomenon in a catchment basin. Main stream slope (MSS), relief ratio (RR) and area size (Aa) of catchment basin were selected as the important proxies (PSDRa) for sediment delivery ratio and then entered to the Hawkes's equation. Then, Hawkes's and new equations were applied on the stream sediment dataset collected from Takhte-Soleyman district, west of Iran for Au, As and Sb values. A number of large and small gold, antimony and arsenic mineral occurrences were used to evaluate the results. Anomaly maps based on the new equations displayed improvement in anomaly delineation taking the spatial distribution of mineral deposits into account and could present new catchment basins containing known mineralization as the anomaly class, especially in the case of Au and As. Four catchment basins having Au and As

When selection ratios are high: predicting the expatriation willingness of prospective domestic entry-level job applicants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mol, S.T.; Born, M.P.; Willemsen, M.E.; van der Molen, H.T.; Derous, E.

2009-01-01

High expatriate selection ratios thwart the ability of multinational organizations to select expatriates. Reducing the selection ratio may be accomplished by selecting those applicants for entry level domestic positions who have expatriate aspirations. Regression analyses conducted on data from a

Ratio of ovarian stroma and total ovarian area by ultrasound in prediction of hyperandrogenemia in reproductive-aged Thai women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a diagnostic test.

Science.gov (United States)

Leerasiri, Pichai; Wongwananuruk, Thanyarat; Rattanachaiyanont, Manee; Indhavivadhana, Suchada; Techatraisak, Kitirat; Angsuwathana, Surasak

2015-02-01

To evaluate the performance of ovarian stromal area to total ovarian area (S/A) ratio for the prediction of biochemical hyperandrogenism in Thai women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A cross-sectional study was performed in 222 reproductive-aged Thai women with PCOS attending the Gynecologic Endocrinology Unit (GEU), Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital from May 2007 to January 2009. The patients were interviewed for medical history and examined for anthropometry and clinical hyperandrogenism. Venous blood samples were obtained for androgen profiles. An ovarian ultrasonogram was obtained via transvaginal or transrectal ultrasonography. The prevalences of clinical and biochemical hyperandrogenism were 48.6% and 81.1%, respectively. The S/A ratio at a cut-off point of 0.33 had modest predictability for hyperandrogenism, namely, 0.537 area under the receiver-operator curve, 36.6% sensitivity, 72.1% specificity, 83.8% positive predictive value (PPV) and 20.9% negative predictive value (NPV). The combination of clinical hyperandrogenism and S/A ratio improved the predictability for biochemical hyperandrogenism, with sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of 72.1%, 58.1%, 87.8% and 33.3%, respectively. The S/A ratio alone is not a good predictor for biochemical hyperandrogenism in Thai PCOS women attending GEU for menstrual dysfunction. The combination of S/A ratio and clinical hyperandrogenism has better performance than the S/A ratio alone to predict biochemical hyperandrogenism. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research © 2014 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The high moderating ratio reactor using 100% MOX reloads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbrault, P.

1994-06-01

This report presents the concept of a High Moderating ratio Reactor, which should accept 100% MOX reloads. This reactor aims to be the plutonium version of the European Pressurized Reactor (EPR), which is developed jointly by French and German companies. A moderating ration of 2.5 (instead of the standard value of 2.0) is obtained by replacing several fuel rods by water holes. The core would contain 241 Fuel Assemblies. We present some advantages of over-moderation for plutonium fuel, a description of the core and assemblies, calculations of fuel reload schemes and Reactivity Shutdown Margins, and the behavior of the core during two occidental transients. (author). 2 refs., 9 figs., 2 tabs

High aspect ratio nanoholes in glass generated by femtosecond laser pulses with picosecond intervals

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, Sanghoon; Choi, Jiyeon; Noh, Jiwhan; Cho, Sung-Hak

2018-02-01

Because of its potential uses, high aspect ratio nanostructures have been interested for last few decades. In order to generate nanostructures, various techniques have been attempted. Femtosecond laser ablation is one of techniques for generating nanostructures inside a transparent material. For generating nanostructures by femtosecond laser ablation, previous studies have been attempted beam shaping such as Bessel beam and temporal tailored beam. Both methods suppress electron excitation at near surface and initiate interference of photons at certain depth. Recent researches indicate that shape of nanostructures is related with temporal change of electron density and number of self-trapped excitons. In this study, we try to use the temporal change of electron density induced by femtosecond laser pulse for generating high aspect ratio nanoholes. In order to reveal the effect of temporal change of electron density, secondary pulses are irradiated from 100 to 1000 ps after the irradiation of first pulse. Our result shows that diameter of nanoholes is increasing and depth of nanoholes is decreasing as pulse to pulse interval is getting longer. With manipulating of pulse to pulse interval, we could generate high aspect ratio nanoholes with diameter of 250-350 nm and depth of 4∼6 μm inside a glass.

High Surface Area Tunnels in Hexagonal WO₃.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Wanmei; Yeung, Michael T; Lech, Andrew T; Lin, Cheng-Wei; Lee, Chain; Li, Tianqi; Duan, Xiangfeng; Zhou, Jun; Kaner, Richard B

2015-07-08

High surface area in h-WO3 has been verified from the intracrystalline tunnels. This bottom-up approach differs from conventional templating-type methods. The 3.67 Å diameter tunnels are characterized by low-pressure CO2 adsorption isotherms with nonlocal density functional theory fitting, transmission electron microscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis. These open and rigid tunnels absorb H(+) and Li(+), but not Na(+) in aqueous electrolytes without inducing a phase transformation, accessing both internal and external active sites. Moreover, these tunnel structures demonstrate high specific pseudocapacitance and good stability in an H2SO4 aqueous electrolyte. Thus, the high surface area created from 3.67 Å diameter tunnels in h-WO3 shows potential applications in electrochemical energy storage, selective ion transfer, and selective gas adsorption.

Fabrication of high-aspect-ratio microstructures using dielectrophoresis-electrocapillary force-driven UV-imprinting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Xiangming; Shao, Jinyou; Tian, Hongmiao; Ding, Yucheng; Li, Xiangmeng

2011-01-01

We propose a novel method for fabricating high-aspect-ratio micro-/nano-structures by dielectrophoresis-electrocapillary force (DEP-ECF)-driven UV-imprinting. The force of DEP-ECF, acting on an air–liquid interface and an air–liquid–solid three-phase contact line, is generated by applying voltage between an electrically conductive mold and a substrate, and tends to pull the dielectric liquid (a UV-curable pre-polymer) into the mold micro-cavities. The existence of DEP-ECF is explained theoretically and demonstrated experimentally by the electrically induced reduction of the contact angle. Furthermore, DEP-ECF is proven to play a critical role in forcing the polymer to fill into the mold cavities by the real-time observation of the dynamic filling process. Using the DEP-ECF-driven UV-imprinting process, high-aspect-ratio polymer micro-/nano-structures (more than 10:1) are fabricated with high consistency. This patterning method can overcome the drawbacks of the mechanically induced mold deformation and position shift in conventional imprinting lithography and maximize the pattern uniformity which is usually poor in capillary force lithography

Biomimetic Ant-Nest Electrode Structures for High Sulfur Ratio Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Ai, Guo; Dai, Yiling; Mao, Wenfeng; Zhao, Hui; Fu, Yanbao; Song, Xiangyun; En, Yunfei; Battaglia, Vincent S; Srinivasan, Venkat; Liu, Gao

2016-09-14

The lithium-sulfur (Li-S) rechargeable battery has the benefit of high gravimetric energy density and low cost. Significant research currently focuses on increasing the sulfur loading and sulfur/inactive-materials ratio, to improve life and capacity. Inspired by nature's ant-nest structure, this research results in a novel Li-S electrode that is designed to meet both goals. With only three simple manufacturing-friendly steps, which include slurry ball-milling, doctor-blade-based laminate casting, and the use of the sacrificial method with water to dissolve away table salt, the ant-nest design has been successfully recreated in an Li-S electrode. The efficient capabilities of the ant-nest structure are adopted to facilitate fast ion transportation, sustain polysulfide dissolution, and assist efficient precipitation. High cycling stability in the Li-S batteries, for practical applications, has been achieved with up to 3 mg·cm(-2) sulfur loading. Li-S electrodes with up to a 85% sulfur ratio have also been achieved for the efficient design of this novel ant-nest structure.

49 CFR 195.452 - Pipeline integrity management in high consequence areas.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Pipeline integrity management in high consequence... Management § 195.452 Pipeline integrity management in high consequence areas. (a) Which pipelines are covered... that could affect a high consequence area, including any pipeline located in a high consequence area...

Enumeration of an extremely high particle-to-PFU ratio for Varicella-zoster virus.

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, John E; Henderson, Ernesto P; Grose, Charles

2009-07-01

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is renowned for its low titers. Yet investigations to explore the low infectivity are hampered by the fact that the VZV particle-to-PFU ratio has never been determined with precision. Herein, we accomplish that task by applying newer imaging technology. More than 300 images were taken of VZV-infected cells on 4 different samples at high magnification. We enumerated the total number of viral particles within 25 cm(2) of the infected monolayer at 415 million. Based on these numbers, the VZV particle:PFU ratio was approximately 40,000:1 for a cell-free inoculum.

High-aspect-ratio, silicon oxide-enclosed pillar structures in microfluidic liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Lisa C; Lavrik, Nickolay V; Sepaniak, Michael J

2010-11-15

The present paper discusses the ability to separate chemical species using high-aspect-ratio, silicon oxide-enclosed pillar arrays. These miniaturized chromatographic systems require smaller sample volumes, experience less flow resistance, and generate superior separation efficiency over traditional packed bed liquid chromatographic columns, improvements controlled by the increased order and decreased pore size of the systems. In our distinctive fabrication sequence, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) of silicon oxide is used to alter the surface and structural properties of the pillars for facile surface modification while improving the pillar mechanical stability and increasing surface area. The separation behavior of model compounds within our pillar systems indicated an unexpected hydrophobic-like separation mechanism. The effects of organic modifier, ionic concentration, and pressure-driven flow rate were studied. A decrease in the organic content of the mobile phase increased peak resolution while detrimentally effecting peak shape. A resolution of 4.7 (RSD = 3.7%) was obtained for nearly perfect Gaussian shaped peaks, exhibiting plate heights as low as 1.1 and 1.8 μm for fluorescein and sulforhodamine B, respectively. Contact angle measurements and DART mass spectrometry analysis indicate that our employed elastomeric soft bonding technique modifies pillar properties, creating a fortuitous stationary phase. This discovery provides evidence supporting the ability to easily functionalize PECVD oxide surfaces by gas-phase reactions.

Vasoconstrictor effect of high FFA/albumin ratios in adipose tissue in vivo

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bülow, J; Madsen, J; Astrup, A

1985-01-01

Subcutaneous or perirenal adipose tissue blood flow was measured with the 133Xe-washout technique before and after intravenous injection or infusion of Intralipid in six anesthetized, otherwise intact mongrel dogs. In four anesthetized mongrel puppies adipose tissue blood flow was measured...... as well as in young dogs after this treatment. The administration of Intralipid did not per se induce the vasoconstriction. The vasoconstriction took place simultaneously with increasing FFA/albumin molar ratios. The results support our previous findings in perfused fat pads that high molar FFA....../albumin ratios increase vascular resistance in adipose tissue and they give further support to our suggestion that this vasoconstriction may be a link in a negative-feedback mechanism regulating FFA-mobilization in relation to FFA utilization....

Radioactivity in food crops from high background radiation area in southwest area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shanthi, G.; Maniyan, C.G.; Allan Gnana Raj, G.; Thampi Thanka Kumaran, J.

2009-01-01

The study was carried out to evaluate radioactive concentration in food crops grown in naturally high-background radiation areas in southwest India. Seventeen varieties of food crops were collected from different parts of Kanyakumari district. The gross alpha and beta activities of the collected samples were measured using alpha scintillation counter and low beta counter respectively. The alpha activity was maximum in tapioca (497± 72 Bq kg -1 ) and the beta activity was maximum in paddy grain (10,946±583 Bq kg -1 ). The gamma activity of the food samples was studied by measuring the activity concentration of the radionuclides ( 226 Ra, 228 Th, 238 U, 40 K) in the food crops. The radioactivity content of the food crops from high-background radiation area was higher when compared to similar samples collected from low-background radiation area. The daily radionuclide intake from the food crops grown and consumed by the public was 127.696 Bq and daily internal dose resulting from ingestion of radionuclides in food was 2.34 μSv. (author)

High-precision branching-ratio measurement for the superallowed β+ emitter 74Rb

Science.gov (United States)

Dunlop, R.; Ball, G. C.; Leslie, J. R.; Svensson, C. E.; Towner, I. S.; Andreoiu, C.; Chagnon-Lessard, S.; Chester, A.; Cross, D. S.; Finlay, P.; Garnsworthy, A. B.; Garrett, P. E.; Glister, J.; Hackman, G.; Hadinia, B.; Leach, K. G.; Rand, E. T.; Starosta, K.; Tardiff, E. R.; Triambak, S.; Williams, S. J.; Wong, J.; Yates, S. W.; Zganjar, E. F.

2013-10-01

A high-precision branching-ratio measurement for the superallowed β+ decay of 74Rb was performed at the TRIUMF Isotope Separator and Accelerator (ISAC) radioactive ion-beam facility. The scintillating electron-positron tagging array (SCEPTAR), composed of 10 thin plastic scintillators, was used to detect the emitted β particles; the 8π spectrometer, an array of 20 Compton-suppressed HPGe detectors, was used for detecting γ rays that were emitted following Gamow-Teller and nonanalog Fermi β+ decays of 74Rb; and the Pentagonal Array of Conversion Electron Spectrometers (PACES), an array of 5 Si(Li) detectors, was employed for measuring β-delayed conversion electrons. Twenty-three excited states were identified in 74Kr following 8.241(4)×108 detected 74Rb β decays. A total of 58 γ-ray and electron transitions were placed in the decay scheme, allowing the superallowed branching ratio to be determined as B0=99.545(31)%. Combined with previous half-life and Q-value measurements, the superallowed branching ratio measured in this work leads to a superallowed ft value of 3082.8(65) s. Comparisons between this superallowed ft value and the world-average-corrected Ft¯ value, as well as the nonanalog Fermi branching ratios determined in this work, provide guidance for theoretical models of the isospin-symmetry-breaking corrections in this mass region.

Optimization of HNA etching parameters to produce high aspect ratio solid silicon microneedles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamzah, A A; Yeop Majlis, B; Yunas, J; Dee, C F; Abd Aziz, N; Bais, B

2012-01-01

High aspect ratio solid silicon microneedles with a concave conic shape were fabricated. Hydrofluoric acid–nitric acid–acetic acid (HNA) etching parameters were characterized and optimized to produce microneedles that have long and narrow bodies with smooth surfaces, suitable for transdermal drug delivery applications. The etching parameters were characterized by varying the HNA composition, the optical mask's window size, the etching temperature and bath agitation. An L9 orthogonal Taguchi experiment with three factors, each having three levels, was utilized to determine the optimal fabrication parameters. Isoetch contours for HNA composition with 0% and 10% acetic acid concentrations were presented and a high nitric acid region was identified to produce microneedles with smooth surfaces. It is observed that an increase in window size indiscriminately increases the etch rate in both the vertical and lateral directions, while an increase in etching temperature beyond 35 °C causes the etching to become rapid and uncontrollable. Bath agitation and sample placement could be manipulated to achieve a higher vertical etch rate compared to its lateral counterpart in order to construct high aspect ratio microneedles. The Taguchi experiment performed suggests that a HNA composition of 2:7:1 (HF:HNO 3 :CH 3 COOH), window size of 500 µm and agitation rate of 450 RPM are optimal. Solid silicon microneedles with an average height of 159.4 µm, an average base width of 110.9 µm, an aspect ratio of 1.44, and a tip angle and diameter of 19.2° and 0.38 µm respectively were successfully fabricated. (paper)

The Relationship between the Triglyceride to High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio and Metabolic Syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Hyun-Gyu; Kim, Young-Kwang; Kim, Yong-Hwan; Jung, Yo-Han; Kang, Hee-Cheol

2017-11-01

Metabolic syndrome is associated with cardiovascular diseases and is characterized by insulin resistance. Recent studies suggest that the triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDLC) ratio predicts insulin resistance better than individual lipid levels, including TG, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), or HDLC. We aimed to elucidate the relationship between the TG/HDLC ratio and metabolic syndrome in the general Korean population. We evaluated the data of adults ≥20 years old who were enrolled in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2013 and 2014. Subjects with angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, stroke, or cancer were excluded. Metabolic syndrome was defined by the harmonized definition. We examined the odds ratios (ORs) of metabolic syndrome according to TG/HDLC ratio quartiles using logistic regression analysis (SAS ver. 9.4; SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). Weighted complex sample analysis was also conducted. We found a significant association between the TG/HDLC ratio and metabolic syndrome. The cutoff value of the TG/HDLC ratio for the fourth quartile was ≥3.52. After adjustment, the OR for metabolic syndrome in the fourth quartile compared with that of the first quartile was 29.65 in men and 20.60 in women (Pmetabolic syndrome.

Evaluation of atmospheric particulate concentrations derived from analysis of ratio Thematic Mapper data

Science.gov (United States)

Carnahan, W. H.; Mausel, P. W.; Zhou, G. P.

1984-01-01

An approach for atmospheric particulate concentration evaluation above urban areas using ratio Thematic Mapper (TM) data is discussed. October 25, 1982 TM data over Chicago, IL are analyzed using TM band ratios of 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, and 1/6 and particulate concentration estimates derived from TM ratios are tested over low reflective turbid water sites and highly reflective concrete highways. From analysis of the data it is evident that for water, the pattern of increasing particulate concentration is associated with decreasing ratio values in all band combinations used. Over concrete features, the TM band 1/4 ratio values follow the predicted pattern, while the TM band 1/6 has ratios which are reversed from anticipated values.

High beta plasma confinement and neoclassical effects in a small aspect ratio reversed field pinch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayase, K.; Sugimoto, H.; Ashida, H.

2003-01-01

The high β equilibrium and stability of a reversed field pinch (RFP) configuration with a small aspect ratio are theoretically studied. The equilibrium profile, high beta limit and the bootstrap current effect on those are calculated. The Mercier stable critical β decreases with 1/A, but β∼0.2 is permissible at A=2 with help of edge current profile modification. The effect of bootstrap current is evaluated for various pressure and current profiles and cross-sectional shapes of plasma by a self-consistent neoclassical PRSM equilibrium formulation. The high bootstrap current fraction (F bs ) increases the shear stabilization effect in the core region, which enhances significantly the stability β limit compared with that for the classical equilibrium. These features of small aspect ratio RFP, high β and high F bs , and a possibly easier access to the quasi-single helicity state beside the intrinsic compact structure are attractive for the feasible economical RFP reactor concept. (author)

Visceral adiposity, not abdominal subcutaneous fat area, is associated with high blood pressure in Japanese men. The Ohtori study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koh, Hideo; Hayashi, Tomoshige; Kogawa Sato, Kyoko

2011-01-01

Visceral adiposity is considered to have a key role in cardiometabolic diseases. The purpose of this study is to investigate cross-sectionally the association between intra-abdominal fat area (IAFA) measured by computed tomography (CT) and high blood pressure independent of abdominal subcutaneous fat area (ASFA) and insulin resistance. Study participants included 624 Japanese men not taking oral hypoglycemic medications or insulin. Abdominal, thoracic and thigh fat areas were measured by CT. Total fat area (TFA) was calculated as the sum of abdominal, thoracic and thigh fat area. Total subcutaneous fat area (TSFA) was defined as TFA minus IAFA. Hypertension and high normal blood pressure were defined using the 1999 criteria of the World Health Organization. Multiple-adjusted odds ratios of hypertension for tertiles of IAFA were 2.64 (95% confidence interval, 1.35-5.16) for tertile 2, and 5.08 (2.48-10.39) for tertile 3, compared with tertile 1 after adjusting for age, fasting immunoreactive insulin, diabetes status, ASFA, alcohol consumption, regular physical exercise and smoking habit. IAFA remained significantly associated with hypertension even after adjustment for ASFA, TSFA, TFA, body mass index or waist circumference, and no other measure of regional or total adiposity was associated with the odds of hypertension in models, which included IAFA. Similar results were obtained for the association between IAFA and the prevalence of high normal blood pressure or hypertension. In conclusion, greater visceral adiposity was associated with a higher odds of high blood pressure in Japanese men. (author)

Impact of the Triglyceride/High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio and the Hypertriglyceremic-Waist Phenotype to Predict the Metabolic Syndrome and Insulin Resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

von Bibra, Helene; Saha, Sarama; Hapfelmeier, Alexander; Müller, Gabriele; Schwarz, Peter E H

2017-07-01

Insulin resistance is the underlying mechanism for the metabolic syndrome and associated dyslipidaemia that theoretically implies a practical tool for identifying individuals at risk for cardiovascular disease and type-2-diabetes. Another screening tool is the hypertriglyceremic-waist phenotype (HTW). There is important impact of the ethnic background but a lack of studied European populations for the association of the triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio and insulin resistance. This observational, retrospective study evaluated lipid ratios and the HTW for predicting the metabolic syndrome/insulin resistance in 1932 non-diabetic individuals from Germany in the fasting state and during a glucose tolerance test. The relations of triglyceride/HDL-C, total-cholesterol/HDL-C, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol/HDL-C with 5 surrogate estimates of insulin resistance/sensitivity and metabolic syndrome were analysed by linear regression analysis and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) in participants with normal (n=1 333) or impaired fasting glucose (n=599), also for the impact of gender. Within the lipid ratios, triglyceride/HDL-C had the strongest associations with insulin resistance/sensitivity markers. In the prediction of metabolic syndrome, diagnostic accuracy was good for triglyceride/HDL-C (area under the ROC curve 0.817) with optimal cut-off points (in mg/dl units) of 2.8 for men (80% sensitivity, 71% specificity) and 1.9 for women (80% sensitivity, 75% specificity) and fair for HTW and HOMA-IR (area under the curve 0.773 and 0.761). These data suggest the triglyceride/HDL-C ratio as a physiologically relevant and practical index for predicting the concomitant presence of metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and dyslipidaemia for therapeutic and preventive care in apparently healthy European populations. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers in rural areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Monk, David H

2007-01-01

In examining recruitment and retention of teachers in rural areas, David Monk begins by noting the numerous possible characteristics of rural communities--small size, sparse settlement, distance from population concentrations, and an economic reliance on agricultural industries that are increasingly using seasonal and immigrant workers to minimize labor costs. Many, though not all, rural areas, he says, are seriously impoverished. Classes in rural schools are relatively small, and teachers tend to report satisfaction with their work environments and relatively few problems with discipline. But teacher turnover is often high, and hiring can be difficult. Monk observes that rural schools have a below-average share of highly trained teachers. Compensation in rural schools tends to be low, perhaps because of a lower fiscal capacity in rural areas, thus complicating efforts to attract and retain teachers. Several student characteristics, including relatively large shares of students with special needs and with limited English skills and lower shares of students attending college, can also make it difficult to recruit and retain high-quality teachers. Other challenges include meeting the needs of highly mobile children of low-income migrant farm workers. With respect to public policy, Monk asserts a need to focus on a subcategory of what might be called hard-to-staff rural schools rather than to develop a blanket set of policies for all rural schools. In particular, he recommends a focus on such indicators as low teacher qualifications, teaching in fields far removed from the area of training, difficulty in hiring, high turnover, a lack of diversity among teachers in the school, and the presence of migrant farm workers' children. Successful efforts to stimulate economic growth in these areas would be highly beneficial. He also calls attention to the potential for modern telecommunication and computing technologies to offset some of the drawbacks associated with teaching

Determinants of High-School Dropout: A Longitudinal Study in a Deprived Area of Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabuchi, Takahiro; Fujihara, Sho; Shinozaki, Tomohiro; Fukuhara, Hiroyuki

2018-05-19

Our objective in this study was to find determinants of high-school dropout in a deprived area of Japan using longitudinal data, including socio-demographic and junior high school-period information. We followed 695 students who graduated the junior high school located in a deprived area of Japan between 2002 and 2010 for 3 years after graduation (614 students: follow-up rate, 88.3%). Multivariable log-binomial regression models were used to calculate the prevalence ratios (PRs) for high-school dropout, using multiple imputation (MI) to account for non-response at follow-up. The MI model estimated that 18.7% of students dropped out of high school in approximately 3 years. In the covariates-adjusted model, three factors were significantly associated with high-school dropout: ≥10 days of tardy arrival in junior high school (PR 6.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.69-24.6 for "10-29 days of tardy arrival" and PR 8.01; 95% CI, 2.05-31.3 for "≥30 days of tardy arrival" compared with "0 day of tardy arrival"), daily smoking (PR 2.01; 95% CI, 1.41-2.86) and severe problems, such as abuse and neglect (PR 1.66; 95% CI, 1.16-2.39). Among students with ≥30 days of tardy arrival in addition to daily smoking or experience of severe problems, ≥50% high-school dropout rates were observed. Three determinants of high-school dropout were found: smoking, tardy arrival, and experience of severe problems. These factors were correlated and should be treated as warning signs of complex behavioral and academic problems. Parents, educators, and policy makers should work together to implement effective strategies to prevent school dropout.

Building Coverage Ratio at the Eastern Corridor of Jalan Ir. H. Djuanda Bandung

Science.gov (United States)

Megayanti, T.; Widaningsih, L.; Minggra, R.; Dewi, N. I. K.

2018-01-01

Historically in the Colonial period, the Corridor of Jalan Ir. H. Juanda or better known as Jalan Dago was designed as a residential area. As the high development of commercial activity along of Bandung City, almost all of buildings in this area are turned its’ function to supported commercial activity. The change is shown in many aspects from the shape of the building and even occur in changing the old building into a new one due to a high intensity of this commercial activity. This paper investigates the use of Building Coverage Ratio regulation related to functional change in the Corridor of Jalan Ir. H. Juanda Bandung. The aim is to what extent the regulations related to Building Coverage area are implemented. This study used a descriptive qualitative method by conducting observation to identify buildings on the Corridor by dividing it into three segments. The results show quantitatively there is a lot of irrelevancies to Building Coverage Ratio regulation which is shown in the second and third segment. Most of the building in the first segment has in compliance with the regulation. However, to build a harmony in characters of City corridor is not only created by Building Coverage Ratio but also others parameters such as the land use, the shape of buildings, façade, and design concept. Thus, it is highly recommended to create a detail regulation regarding those parameters.

High aspect ratio problem in simulation of a fault current limiter based on superconducting tapes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Velichko, A V; Coombs, T A [Electrical Engineering Division, University of Cambridge (United Kingdom)

2006-06-15

We are offering a solution for the high-aspect-ratio problem relevant to the numerical simulation of AC loss in superconductors and metals with high aspect (width-to-thickness) ratio. This is particularly relevant to simulation of fault current limiters (FCLs) based on second generation YBCO tapes on RABiTS. By assuming a linear scaling of the electric and thermal properties with the size of the structure, we can replace the real sample with an effective sample of a reduced aspect ratio by introducing size multipliers into the equations that govern the physics of the system. The simulation is performed using both a proprietary equivalent circuit software and a commercial FEM software. The correctness of the procedure is verified by simulating temperature and current distributions for samples with all three dimensions varying within 10{sup -3}-10{sup 3} of the original size. Qualitatively the distributions for the original and scaled samples are indistinguishable, whereas quantitative differences in the worst case do not exceed 10%.

High aspect ratio problem in simulation of a fault current limiter based on superconducting tapes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Velichko, A V; Coombs, T A

2006-01-01

We are offering a solution for the high-aspect-ratio problem relevant to the numerical simulation of AC loss in superconductors and metals with high aspect (width-to-thickness) ratio. This is particularly relevant to simulation of fault current limiters (FCLs) based on second generation YBCO tapes on RABiTS. By assuming a linear scaling of the electric and thermal properties with the size of the structure, we can replace the real sample with an effective sample of a reduced aspect ratio by introducing size multipliers into the equations that govern the physics of the system. The simulation is performed using both a proprietary equivalent circuit software and a commercial FEM software. The correctness of the procedure is verified by simulating temperature and current distributions for samples with all three dimensions varying within 10 -3 -10 3 of the original size. Qualitatively the distributions for the original and scaled samples are indistinguishable, whereas quantitative differences in the worst case do not exceed 10%

Intrinsic ratios of glucose, fructose, glycerol and ethanol 13C/12C isotopic ratio determined by HPLC-co-IRMS: toward determining constants for wine authentication.

Science.gov (United States)

Guyon, François; Gaillard, Laetitia; Salagoïty, Marie-Hélène; Médina, Bernard

2011-09-01

High-performance liquid chromatography linked to isotope ratio mass spectrometry (HPLC-co-IRMS) via a Liquiface© interface has been used to simultaneously determine (13)C isotope ratios of glucose (G), fructose (F), glycerol (Gly) and ethanol (Eth) in sweet and semi-sweet wines. The data has been used the study of wine authenticity. For this purpose, 20 authentic wines from various French production areas and various vintages have been analyzed after dilution in pure water from 20 to 200 times according to sugar content. If the (13)C isotope ratios vary according to the production area and the vintage, it appears that internal ratios of (13)C isotope ratios (R((13)C)) of the four compounds studied can be considered as a constant. Thus, ratios of isotope ratios are found to be 1.00 ± 0.04 and 1.02 ± 0.08 for R((13)C(G/F)) and R((13)C(Gly/Eth)), respectively. Moreover, R((13)C(Eth/Sugar)) is found to be 1.15 ± 0.10 and 1.16 ± 0.08 for R((13)C(Gly/Sugar)). Additions of glucose, fructose and glycerol to a reference wine show a variation of the R((13)C) value for a single product addition as low as 2.5 g/L(-1). Eighteen commercial wines and 17 concentrated musts have been analyzed. Three wine samples are suspicious as the R((13)C) values are out of range indicating a sweetening treatment. Moreover, concentrated must analysis shows that (13)C isotope ratio can be also used directly to determine the authenticity of the matrix.

On the specific surface area of nanoporous materials

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Detsi, E.; De Jong, E.; Zinchenko, A.; Vukovic, Z.; Vukovic, I.; Punzhin, S.; Loos, K.; ten Brinke, G.; De Raedt, H. A.; Onck, P. R.; De Hosson, J. T. M.

2011-01-01

A proper quantification of the specific surface area of nanoporous materials is necessary for a better understanding of the properties that are affected by the high surface-area-to-volume ratio of nanoporous metals, nanoporous polymers and nanoporous ceramics. In this paper we derive an analytical

Microfluidic active mixers employing ultra-high aspect-ratio rare-earth magnetic nano-composite polymer artificial cilia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahbar, Mona; Gray, Bonnie L; Shannon, Lesley

2014-01-01

We present a new micromixer based on highly magnetic, flexible, high aspect-ratio, artificial cilia that are fabricated as individual micromixer elements or in arrays for improved mixing performance. These new cilia enable high efficiency, fast mixing in a microchamber, and are controlled by small electromagnetic fields. The artificial cilia are fabricated using a new micromolding process for nano-composite polymers. Cilia fibers with aspect-ratios as high as 8:0.13 demonstrate the fabrication technique's capability in creating ultra-high aspect-ratio microstructures. Cilia, which are realized in polydimethylsiloxane doped with rare-earth magnetic powder, are magnetized to produce permanent magnetic structures with bidirectional deflection capabilities, making them highly suitable as mixers controlled by electromagnetic fields. Due to the high magnetization level of the polarized nano-composite polymer, we are able to use miniature electromagnets providing relatively small magnetic fields of 1.1 to 7 mT to actuate the cilia microstructures over a very wide motion range. Mixing performances of a single cilium, as well as different arrays of multiple cilia ranging from 2 to 8 per reaction chamber, are characterized and compared with passive diffusion mixing performance. The mixer cilia are actuated at different amplitudes and frequencies to optimize mixing performance. We demonstrate that more than 85% of the total volume of the reaction chamber is fully mixed after 3.5 min using a single cilium mixer at 7 mT compared with only 20% of the total volume mixed with passive diffusion. The time to achieve over 85% mixing is further reduced to 70 s using an array of eight cilia microstructures. The novel microfabrication technique and use of rare-earth permanently-magnetizable nano-composite polymers in mixer applications has not been reported elsewhere by other researchers. We further demonstrate improved mixing over other cilia micromixers as enabled by the high

Determination of 240Pu/239Pu isotopic ratios in human tissues collected from areas around the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site by sector-field high resolution ICP-MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, M; Oikawa, S; Sakaguchi, A; Tomita, J; Hoshi, M; Apsalikov, K N

2008-09-01

Information on the 240Pu/239Pu isotope ratios in human tissues for people living around the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (SNTS) was deduced from 9 sets of soft tissues and bones, and 23 other bone samples obtained by autopsy. Plutonium was radiochemically separated and purified, and plutonium isotopes (239Pu and 240Pu) were determined by sector-field high resolution inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. For most of the tissue samples from the former nine subjects, low 240Pu/239Pu isotope ratios were determined: bone, 0.125 +/- 0.018 (0.113-0.145, n = 4); lungs, 0.063 +/- 0.010 (0.051-0.078, n = 5); and liver, 0.148 +/- 0.026 (0.104-0.189, n = 9). Only 239Pu was detected in the kidney samples; the amount of 240Pu was too small to be measured, probably due to the small size of samples analyzed. The mean 240Pu/239Pu isotope ratio for bone samples from the latter 23 subjects was 0.152 +/- 0.034, ranging from 0.088 to 0.207. A significant difference (a two-tailed Student's t test; 95% significant level, alpha = 0.05) between mean 240Pu/239Pu isotope ratios for the tissue samples and for the global fallout value (0.178 +/- 0.014) indicated that weapons-grade plutonium from the atomic bombs has been incorporated into the human tissues, especially lungs, in the residents living around the SNTS. The present 239,240Pu concentrations in bone, lung, and liver samples were, however, not much different from ranges found for human tissues from other countries that were due solely to global fallout during the 1970's-1980's.

A continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry method for high precision determination of dissolved gas ratios and isotopic composition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Charoenpong, C. N.; Bristow, L. A.; Altabet, M. A.

2014-01-01

ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS). A continuous flow of He carrier gas completely degasses the sample, and passes through the preparation and purification system before entering the IRMS for analysis. The use of this continuous He carrier permits short analysis times (less than 8 min per sample......) as compared with current high-precision methods. In addition to reference gases, calibration is achieved using air-equilibrated water standards of known temperature and salinity. Assessment of reference gas injections, air equilibrated standards, as well as samples collected in the field shows the accuracy...

Dense high-aspect ratio 3D carbon pillars on interdigitated microelectrode arrays

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Amato, Letizia; Heiskanen, Arto; Hansen, Rasmus

2015-01-01

In this work we present high-aspect ratio carbon pillars (1.4 μm in diameter and ∼11 μm in height) on top of interdigitated electrode arrays to be used for electrochemical applications. For this purpose, different types of 2D and 3D pyrolysed carbon structures were fabricated and characterised...... of pyrolysed carbon films with increased film resistance due to oxidation during storage....

Fundamental research of two-phase flows with high liquid/gas density ratios

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishima, Kaichiro; Hibiki, Takashi; Saito, Yasushi; Tobita, Yoshiharu; Konishi, Kensuke; Suzuki, Tohru

2000-07-01

In order to analyze the boiling of a fuel-steel mixture pool formed during the core disruptive accident in a fast breeder reactor, it is important to understand the flow characteristics of gas-liquid two-phase pools containing molten reactor materials. Since the liquid/gas density ratio is high, the characteristics of such two-phase flows may differ from those of ordinary flows such as water/air flow. In this study, as a fundamental research of two-phase flows with a high liquid/gas density ratio, the experiments were performed to visualize and measure molten metal (lead-bismuth)/nitrogen gas two-phase flows using a neutron radiography technique. From these experiments, fundamental data such as bubble shapes, void fractions and liquid velocity fields were obtained. In addition, the momentum exchange model of SIMMER-III, which has been developed by JNC, was assessed and improved using the experimental data. In the visualization by neutron radiography, it was found that deformed ellipsoidal bubbles could be seen with smaller gas flux or lower void fractions, and spherical cap bubbles could be seen with larger gas flux or higher void fractions. In addition, a correlation applicable to SIMMER-III was proposed through a comparison between the experimental data and traditional empirical correlations. Furthermore, a visualization experiment using gold-cadmium tracer particles showed that the image processing technique used in the quantification of void fractions is applicable to the measurement of the liquid velocity fields. On the other hand, in the analysis by SIMMER-III, it was confirmed that the original momentum exchange model was appropriate for ellipsoidal bobby flows and that the accuracy of SIMMER-III for cap bubbly flows was much improved with the proposed correlation. Moreover, a new procedure, in which the appropriate drag coefficient could be automatically selected according to bubble shape, was developed. The SIMMER-III code improved through this study can

Model Persamaan Massa Karbon Akar Pohon dan Root-Shoot Ratio Massa Karbon (Equation Models of Tree Root Carbon Mass and Root-Shoot Carbon Mass Ratio

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elias .

2011-03-01

Full Text Available The case study was conducted in the area of Acacia mangium plantation at BKPH Parung Panjang, KPH Bogor. The objective of the study was to formulate equation models of tree root carbon mass and root to shoot carbon mass ratio of the plantation. It was found that carbon content in the parts of tree biomass (stems, branches, twigs, leaves, and roots was different, in which the highest and the lowest carbon content was in the main stem of the tree and in the leaves, respectively. The main stem and leaves of tree accounted for 70% of tree biomass. The root-shoot ratio of root biomass to tree biomass above the ground and the root-shoot ratio of root biomass to main stem biomass was 0.1443 and 0.25771, respectively, in which 75% of tree carbon mass was in the main stem and roots of tree. It was also found that the root-shoot ratio of root carbon mass to tree carbon mass above the ground and the root-shoot ratio of root carbon mass to tree main stem carbon mass was 0.1442 and 0.2034, respectively. All allometric equation models of tree root carbon mass of A. mangium have a high goodness-of-fit as indicated by its high adjusted R2.Keywords: Acacia mangium, allometric, root-shoot ratio, biomass, carbon mass

Effects of blend ratio between high density polyethylene and biomass on co-gasification behavior in a two-stage gasification system

KAUST Repository

Park, Jae Hyun

2016-08-12

The co-gasification of a high density polyethylene (HDPE) blended with a biomass has been carried out in a two-stage gasification system which comprises an oxidative pyrolysis reactor and a thermal plasma reactor. The equivalence ratio was changed from 0.38 to 0.85 according to the variation of blend ratio between HDPE and biomass. The highest production yield was achieved to be 71.4 mol/h, when the equivalence ratio was 0.47. A large amount of hydrocarbons was produced from the oxidative pyrolysis reactor as decreasing equivalence ratio below 0.41, while the CO2 concentration significantly increased with a high equivalence ratio over 0.65. The production yield was improved by the thermal plasma reactor due to the conversion of hydrocarbons into syngas in a high temperature region of thermal plasma. At the equivalence ratio of 0.47, conversion selectivities of CO and H2 from hydrocarbons were calculated to be 74% and 44%, respectively. © 2016 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC.

High rectification ratios of Fe-porphyrin molecules on Au facets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Xiaoyu; Wang, Gwo-Ching [Department of Physics, Applied Physics and Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110, 8th Street, Troy, NY 12180 (United States); Lewis, Kim M., E-mail: lewisk2@rpi.edu [Department of Physics, Applied Physics and Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110, 8th Street, Troy, NY 12180 (United States)

2012-09-14

We report room temperature measurements of current vs. voltage (I-V) from self-assembled Fe porphyrin [Fe(III) 5,15-di[4-(s-acetylthio)phenyl]-10,20-diphenyl porphine] molecular layers formed on annealed gold crystal facets on glass substrates. I-V curves were measured using an atomic force microscope with a conductive platinum tip. We observed a rectifier effect that shows asymmetric I-V curves from a monolayer of molecules. The majority rectification ratios at {+-}1 V obtained from hundreds of I-V lie in between 20 and 200, with the highest up to 9000. This is in contrast to the symmetric I-V curves measured from a few nm thick multilayer molecular islands. We contribute the observed rectification in ultrathin FeP molecular layers from asymmetric Schottky barriers that result from molecules in different bonding strengths to electrodes of gold and platinum. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer FeP molecular layers or islands of different thickness were self-assembled on Au. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer High rectification ratios up to 9000 observed in sub-nm thick FeP molecular layers. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Measured current vs. voltage using a conductive AFM tip as one electrode. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Observed rectification of symmetric molecules using two different electrodes.

Solar cycle variations of the energetic H/He intensity ratio at high heliolatitudes and in the ecliptic plane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Lario

Full Text Available We study the variability of the heliospheric energetic proton-to-helium abundance ratios during different phases of the solar cycle. We use energetic particle, solar wind, and magnetic field data from the Ulysses, ACE and IMP-8 spacecraft to compare the H/He intensity ratio at high heliographic latitudes and in the ecliptic plane. During the first out-of-ecliptic excursion of Ulysses (1992–1996, the HI-SCALE instrument measured corotating energetic particle intensity enhancements characterized by low values (< 10 of the 0.5–1.0 MeV nucleon^-1 H/He intensity ratio. During the second out-of-ecliptic excursion of Ulysses (1999–2002, the more frequent occurrence of solar energetic particle events resulted in almost continuously high (< 20 values of the H/He ratio, even at the highest heliolatitudes reached by Ulysses. Comparison with in-ecliptic measurements from an identical instrument on the ACE spacecraft showed similar H/He values at ACE and Ulysses, suggesting a remarkable uniformity of energetic particle intensities in the solar maximum heliosphere at high heliolatitudes and in the ecliptic plane. In-ecliptic observations of the H/He intensity ratio from the IMP-8 spacecraft show variations between solar maximum and solar minimum similar to those observed by Ulysses at high heliographic latitudes. We suggest that the variation of the H/He intensity ratio throughout the solar cycle is due to the different level of transient solar activity, as well as the different structure and duration that corotating solar wind structures have under solar maximum and solar minimum conditions. During solar minimum, the interactions between the two different types of solar wind streams (slow vs. fast are strong and long-lasting, allowing for a continuous and efficient acceleration of interstellar pickup He +. During solar maximum, transient events of solar origin (characterized by high values of the H/He ratio are able to globally

High-Temperature-Short-Time Annealing Process for High-Performance Large-Area Perovskite Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Minjin; Kim, Gi-Hwan; Oh, Kyoung Suk; Jo, Yimhyun; Yoon, Hyun; Kim, Ka-Hyun; Lee, Heon; Kim, Jin Young; Kim, Dong Suk

2017-06-27

Organic-inorganic hybrid metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are attracting tremendous research interest due to their high solar-to-electric power conversion efficiency with a high possibility of cost-effective fabrication and certified power conversion efficiency now exceeding 22%. Although many effective methods for their application have been developed over the past decade, their practical transition to large-size devices has been restricted by difficulties in achieving high performance. Here we report on the development of a simple and cost-effective production method with high-temperature and short-time annealing processing to obtain uniform, smooth, and large-size grain domains of perovskite films over large areas. With high-temperature short-time annealing at 400 °C for 4 s, the perovskite film with an average domain size of 1 μm was obtained, which resulted in fast solvent evaporation. Solar cells fabricated using this processing technique had a maximum power conversion efficiency exceeding 20% over a 0.1 cm 2 active area and 18% over a 1 cm 2 active area. We believe our approach will enable the realization of highly efficient large-area PCSs for practical development with a very simple and short-time procedure. This simple method should lead the field toward the fabrication of uniform large-scale perovskite films, which are necessary for the production of high-efficiency solar cells that may also be applicable to several other material systems for more widespread practical deployment.

Large-area high-efficiency flexible PHOLED lighting panels

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Huiqing; Mandlik, Prashant; Levermore, Peter A.; Silvernail, Jeff; Ma, Ruiqing; Brown, Julie J.

2012-09-01

Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) provide various attractive features for next generation illumination systems, including high efficiency, low power, thin and flexible form factor. In this work, we incorporated phosphorescent emitters and demonstrated highly efficient white phosphorescent OLED (PHOLED) devices on flexible plastic substrates. The 0.94 cm2 small-area device has total thickness of approximately 0.25 mm and achieved 63 lm/W at 1,000 cd/m2 with CRI = 85 and CCT = 2920 K. We further designed and fabricated a 15 cm x 15 cm large-area flexible white OLED lighting panels, finished with a hybrid single-layer ultra-low permeability single layer barrier (SLB) encapsulation film. The flexible panel has an active area of 116.4 cm2, and achieved a power efficacy of 47 lm/W at 1,000 cd/m2 with CRI = 83 and CCT = 3470 K. The efficacy of the panel at 3,000 cd/m2 is 43 lm/W. The large-area flexible PHOLED lighting panel is to bring out enormous possibilities to the future general lighting applications.

Relationship between the incidence infection stones and the magnesium-calcium ratio of tap water.

Science.gov (United States)

Kohri, K; Ishikawa, Y; Iguchi, M; Kurita, T; Okada, Y; Yoshida, O

1993-01-01

In a previous study we showed that the magnesium-calcium ratio of tap water is negatively correlated with the incidence of calcium-containing urinary stones. In this study we examined the relationship between the incidence of struvite stones, water hardness and the regional geological features on the basis of our previous study and an epidemiological study of urolithiasis performed in Japan. The magnesium-calcium ratio of tap water was found to correlate positively with the incidence of struvite stones. The tap water magnesium-calcium ratio was high in regions of basalt and sedimentary rock and was low in granite and limestone areas. The incidence of struvite stones in the regions of basalt and sedimentary rock was higher than that in the granite and limestone areas. Thus, this study suggested that the incidence of struvite stones is related to the magnesium-calcium ratio of tap water and to the regional geology, as is the case for calcium-containing stones.

The application of stable carbon isotope ratios as water quality indicators in coastal areas of Karachi, Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qureshi, R.M.; Mashiatullah, A.; Javed, T.; Tasneem, M.A.; Sajjad, M.I.; Saleem, M.; Khan, S.H.; Rizvi, S.H.N.; Siddiqui, S.A.; Qari, R.

1998-01-01

Stable carbon isotope ratios (δ 13 C) of total dissolved inorganic carbon (TDIC), total inorganic and organic carbon in bottom sediments, as well as sea plants in polluted water sources, non-polluted Karachi Sea water and pollution recipients are used to elaborate pollution scenario of shallow marine environment off Karachi coast. These results are supplemented with stable isotope composition of nitrogen (δ 15 N) in seaweeds and mangroves, toxic/trace metal concentration in sea-bottom sediments, total Coliform bacterial population, electrical conductivity, temperature and turbidity. Isotopic data shows that the mangrove ecosystem and the tidal fluctuations play a key role in controlling contamination inventories in shallow sea water off Karachi coast, specifically the Manora Channel. The Karachi harbour zone is found to be the most heavily polluted marine site in Manora channel during high as well as low tide regimes. Significant concentrations of toxic metals such as Pb, Ni, Cr, Zn, V, U are observed in off-shore sediments of Karachi coast. The results show that sewage and industrial wastes are the main sources of heavy metal pollution in Karachi harbour, Manora Channel exit zone and the southeast coast. However, as compared to other coastal areas, the Karachi coast is moderately polluted. Studies suggest incorporation of quick remedial measures to combat pollution in shallow marine environments off Karachi Coast. (author)

Online stable carbon isotope ratio measurement in formic acid, acetic acid, methanol and ethanol in water by high performance liquid chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tagami, Keiko; Uchida, Shigeo

2008-01-01

A suitable analysis condition was determined for high performance liquid chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (HPLC-IRMS) while making sequential measurements of stable carbon isotope ratios of δ 13 C in formic acid, acetic acid, methanol and ethanol dissolved in water. For this online column separation method, organic reagents are not applicable due to carbon contamination; thus, water and KH 2 PO 4 at low concentrations were tested as mobile phase in combination with a HyPURITY AQUASTAR TM column. Formic acid, acetic acid, methanol and ethanol were separated when 2 mM KH 2 PO 4 aqueous solution was used. Under the determined analysis condition for HPLC-IRMS, carbon concentrations could be measured quantitatively as well as carbon isotope ratio when carbon concentration was higher than 0.4 mM L for each chemical

Large aspect ratio tokamak study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reid, R.L.; Holmes, J.A.; Houlberg, W.A.; Peng, Y.K.M.; Strickler, D.J.; Brown, T.G.; Sardella, C.; Wiseman, G.W.

1979-01-01

The Large Aspect Ratio Tokamak Study (LARTS) investigated the potential for producing a viable long burn tokamak reactor through enhanced volt-second capability of the ohmic heating transformer by employing high aspect ratio designs. The plasma physics, engineering, and economic implications of high aspect ratio tokamaks were accessed in the context of extended burn operation. Plasma startup and burn parameters were addressed using a one-dimensional transport code. The pulsed electrical power requirements for the poloidal field system, which have a major impact on reactor economics, were minimized by optimizing the field in the ohmic heating coil and the wave shape of the ohmic heating discharge. A high aspect ratio reference reactor was chosen and configured

Fabrication of High-Aspect-Ratio 3D Hydrogel Microstructures Using Optically Induced Electrokinetics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi Li

2016-04-01

Full Text Available We present a rapid hydrogel polymerization and prototyping microfabrication technique using an optically induced electrokinetics (OEK chip, which is based on a non-UV hydrogel curing principle. Using this technique, micro-scale high-aspect-ratio three-dimensional polymer features with different geometric sizes can be fabricated within 1–10 min by projecting pre-defined visible light image patterns onto the OEK chip. This method eliminates the need for traditional photolithography masks used for patterning and fabricating polymer microstructures and simplifies the fabrication processes. This technique uses cross-link hydrogels, such as poly(ethylene glycol (PEG-diacrylate (PEGDA, as fabrication materials. We demonstrated that hydrogel micropillar arrays rapidly fabricated using this technique can be used as molds to create micron-scale cavities in PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane substrates. Furthermore, hollow, circular tubes with controllable wall thicknesses and high-aspect ratios can also be fabricated. These results show the potential of this technique to become a rapid prototyping technology for producing microfluidic devices. In addition, we show that rapid prototyping of three-dimensional suspended polymer structures is possible without any sacrificial etching process.

Associations between soil lead concentrations and populations by race/ethnicity and income-to-poverty ratio in urban and rural areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Aelion, C Marjorie; Davis, Harley T; Lawson, Andrew B; Cai, Bo; McDermott, Suzanne

2013-02-01

Lead (Pb) is a well-studied environmental contaminant that has many negative health effects, especially for children. Both racial/ethnic and income disparities have been documented with respect to exposure to Pb in soils. The objectives of this study were to assess whether soil Pb concentrations in rural and urban areas of South Carolina USA, previously identified as having clusters of intellectual disabilities (ID) in children, were positively associated with populations of minority and low-income individuals and children (≤ 6 years of age). Surface soils from two rural and two urban areas with identified clusters of ID were analyzed for Pb and concentrations were spatially interpolated using inverse distance weighted analysis. Population race/ethnicity and income-to-poverty ratio (ITPR) from United States Census 2000 block group data were aerially interpolated by block group within each area. Urban areas had significantly higher concentrations of Pb than rural areas. Significant positive associations between black, non-Hispanic Latino, individuals and children ≤ 6 years of age and mean estimated Pb concentrations were observed in both urban (r = 0.38, p = 0.0007) and rural (r = 0.53, p = 0.04) areas. Significant positive associations also were observed between individuals and children with an ITPR urban areas. Racial/ethnic minorities and low ITPR individuals, including children, may be at elevated risk for exposure to Pb in soils.

Reflections on Developing Secondary Vocational Education in High-Poverty Areas

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jiang; Chen, Guofeng

2013-01-01

Developing vocational education is a necessity for the economic and social development of high-poverty areas in China. But vocational education in impoverished areas lacks social recognition and faces funding shortages, along with difficulties in recruiting students. Vocational high schools themselves also have shortcomings. This article considers…

Use of strontium isotopes to identify buried water main leakage into groundwater in a highly urbanized coastal area.

Science.gov (United States)

Leung, Chi-Man; Jiao, Jiu Jimmy

2006-11-01

Previous studies indicate that the local aquifer systems in the Mid-Levels, a highly urbanized coastal area in Hong Kong, have commonly been affected by leakage from water mains. The identification of leakage locations was done by conventional water quality parameters including major and trace elements. However, these parameters may lead to ambiguous results and fail to identify leakage locations especially where the leakage is from drinking water mains because the chemical composition of drinking water is similar to that of natural groundwater. In this study, natural groundwater, seepage in the developed spaces, leakage from water mains, and parent aquifer materials were measured for strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) compositions to explore the feasibility of using these ratios to better constrain the seepage sources. The results show that the 87Sr/86Sr ratios of natural groundwater and leakage from water mains are distinctly different and thus, they can provide additional information on the sources of seepage in developed spaces. A classification system based on the aqueous 87Sr/86Sr ratio is proposed for seepage source identification.

Constructing binary black hole initial data with high mass ratios and spins

Science.gov (United States)

Ossokine, Serguei; Foucart, Francois; Pfeiffer, Harald; Szilagyi, Bela; Simulating Extreme Spacetimes Collaboration

2015-04-01

Binary black hole systems have now been successfully modelled in full numerical relativity by many groups. In order to explore high-mass-ratio (larger than 1:10), high-spin systems (above 0.9 of the maximal BH spin), we revisit the initial-data problem for binary black holes. The initial-data solver in the Spectral Einstein Code (SpEC) was not able to solve for such initial data reliably and robustly. I will present recent improvements to this solver, among them adaptive mesh refinement and control of motion of the center of mass of the binary, and will discuss the much larger region of parameter space this code can now address.

Multiaxial Fatigue Properties of 2A12 Aluminum Alloy Under Different Stress Amplitude Ratio Loadings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CHEN Ya-jun

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The multiaxial fatigue behavior of 2A12 aluminum alloy was studied with SDN100/1000 electro-hydraulic servo tension-torsion fatigue tester under different stress amplitude ratios, the fracture morphology and the fatigue loading curve were observed to study the failure mechanism. The results show that, under the one stage loading condition, the fatigue life prolongs with the stress amplitude ratio increasing. Under pure torsion loading, smooth and even area exists in the fracture surface. As the stress amplitude ratio increases, the number of scratch reduces, the fatigue striation and some special morphology such as the fishbone pattern, scale pattern and honeycomb pattern can be observed; under cumulative paths of different stress amplitude ratios, the variation of multiaxial fatigue life changes with first stage loading cycles; under cumulative paths of high-low stress amplitude ratio, the cycle hardening occurs obviously in the axial direction for the first stage high stress amplitude ratio loading and 2A12 alloy shows training effect.

Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) of High Aspect Ratio SiC Microstructures using a Time-Multiplexed Etch-Passivate Process

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Laura J.; Beheim, Glenn M.

2006-01-01

High aspect ratio silicon carbide (SiC) microstructures are needed for microengines and other harsh environment micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). Previously, deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) of low aspect ratio (AR less than or = 1) deep (greater than 100 micron) trenches in SiC has been reported. However, existing DRIE processes for SiC are not well-suited for definition of high aspect ratio features because such simple etch-only processes provide insufficient control over sidewall roughness and slope. Therefore, we have investigated the use of a time-multiplexed etch-passivate (TMEP) process, which alternates etching with polymer passivation of the etch sidewalls. An optimized TMEP process was used to etch high aspect ratio (AR greater than 5) deep (less than 100 micron) trenches in 6H-SiC. Power MEMS structures (micro turbine blades) in 6H-SiC were also fabricated.

Cause and Cure - Deterioration in Accuracy of CFD Simulations With Use of High-Aspect-Ratio Triangular Tetrahedral Grids

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Sin-Chung; Chang, Chau-Lyan; Venkatachari, Balaji Shankar

2017-01-01

Traditionally high-aspect ratio triangular/tetrahedral meshes are avoided by CFD re-searchers in the vicinity of a solid wall, as it is known to reduce the accuracy of gradient computations in those regions and also cause numerical instability. Although for certain complex geometries, the use of high-aspect ratio triangular/tetrahedral elements in the vicinity of a solid wall can be replaced by quadrilateral/prismatic elements, ability to use triangular/tetrahedral elements in such regions without any degradation in accuracy can be beneficial from a mesh generation point of view. The benefits also carry over to numerical frameworks such as the space-time conservation element and solution element (CESE), where triangular/tetrahedral elements are the mandatory building blocks. With the requirement of the CESE method in mind, a rigorous mathematical framework that clearly identities the reason behind the difficulties in use of such high-aspect ratio triangular/tetrahedral elements is presented here. As will be shown, it turns out that the degree of accuracy deterioration of gradient computation involving a triangular element is hinged on the value of its shape factor Gamma def = sq sin Alpha1 + sq sin Alpha2 + sq sin Alpha3, where Alpha1; Alpha2 and Alpha3 are the internal angles of the element. In fact, it is shown that the degree of accuracy deterioration increases monotonically as the value of Gamma decreases monotonically from its maximal value 9/4 (attained by an equilateral triangle only) to a value much less than 1 (associated with a highly obtuse triangle). By taking advantage of the fact that a high-aspect ratio triangle is not necessarily highly obtuse, and in fact it can have a shape factor whose value is close to the maximal value 9/4, a potential solution to avoid accuracy deterioration of gradient computation associated with a high-aspect ratio triangular grid is given. Also a brief discussion on the extension of the current mathematical framework to the

Triglycerides to High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio Can Predict Impaired Glucose Tolerance in Young Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Do Kyeong; Lee, Hyejin; Sung, Yeon Ah; Oh, Jee Young

2016-11-01

The triglycerides to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio could be related to insulin resistance (IR). We previously reported that Korean women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) had a high prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). We aimed to determine the cutoff value of the TG/HDL-C ratio for predicting IR and to examine whether the TG/HDL-C ratio is useful for identifying individuals at risk of IGT in young Korean women with PCOS. We recruited 450 women with PCOS (24±5 yrs) and performed a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). IR was assessed by a homeostasis model assessment index over that of the 95th percentile of regular-cycling women who served as the controls (n=450, 24±4 yrs). The cutoff value of the TG/HDL-C ratio for predicting IR was 2.5 in women with PCOS. Among the women with PCOS who had normal fasting glucose (NFG), the prevalence of IGT was significantly higher in the women with PCOS who had a high TG/HDL-C ratio compared with those with a low TG/HDL-C ratio (15.6% vs. 5.6%, p2.5 are recommended to be administered an OGTT to detect IGT even if they have NFG.

Research in high speed fiber optics local area networks

Science.gov (United States)

Tobagi, F. A.

1986-01-01

The design of high speed local area networks (HSLAN) for communication among distributed devices requires solving problems in three areas: the network medium and its topology, the medium access control, and the network interface. Considerable progress was already made in the first two areas. Accomplishments are divided into two groups according to their theoretical or experimental nature. A brief summary is given.

New non-linear control strategy for non-isolated DC/DC converter with high voltage ratio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shahin, A.; Huang, B.; Martin, J.P.; Pierfederici, S.; Davat, B. [Groupe de Recherche en Electronique et en Electrotechnique de Nancy - INPL - Nancy Universite, 2, Avenue de la Foret de Haye, 54516 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy Cedex (France)

2010-01-15

In this paper, a non-isolated DC/DC converter with high voltage ratio is proposed to allow the interface between a low voltage power source like fuel cell and a high voltage DC bus. To take into account the low voltage-high density characteristics of power sources, a cascaded structure composed of two sub-converters has been chosen and allows obtaining a high voltage ratio. The choice of each sub-converter is based on the requirements of the source and its performances. Consequently, we have chosen a three-interleaved boost converter as the 1st sub-converter whereas the 2nd sub-converter is a three-level boost converter. The control of the whole system is realized thanks to energetic trajectories planning based on flatness properties of the system. The control of both the current and the balance of voltage across the output serial capacitors of the three-level boost converter is ensured by non-linear controllers based on a new non-linear model. Experimental results allow validating the proposed power architecture and its associated control. (author)

New non-linear control strategy for non-isolated DC/DC converter with high voltage ratio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shahin, A.; Huang, B.; Martin, J.P.; Pierfederici, S.; Davat, B.

2010-01-01

In this paper, a non-isolated DC/DC converter with high voltage ratio is proposed to allow the interface between a low voltage power source like fuel cell and a high voltage DC bus. To take into account the low voltage-high density characteristics of power sources, a cascaded structure composed of two sub-converters has been chosen and allows obtaining a high voltage ratio. The choice of each sub-converter is based on the requirements of the source and its performances. Consequently, we have chosen a three-interleaved boost converter as the 1st sub-converter whereas the 2nd sub-converter is a three-level boost converter. The control of the whole system is realized thanks to energetic trajectories planning based on flatness properties of the system. The control of both the current and the balance of voltage across the output serial capacitors of the three-level boost converter is ensured by non-linear controllers based on a new non-linear model. Experimental results allow validating the proposed power architecture and its associated control.

Usefulness of radionuclide angiocardiography in predicting stenotic mitral orifice area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burns, R.J.; Armitage, D.L.; Fountas, P.N.; Tremblay, P.C.; Druck, M.N.

1986-01-01

Fifteen patients with pure mitral stenosis (MS) underwent high-temporal-resolution radionuclide angiocardiography for calculation of the ratio of peak left ventricular (LV) filling rate divided by mean LV filling rate (filling ratio). Whereas LV filling normally occurs in 3 phases, in MS it is more uniform. Thus, in 13 patients the filling ratio was below the normal range of 2.21 to 2.88 (p less than 0.001). In 11 patients in atrial fibrillation, filling ratio divided by mean cardiac cycle length and by LV ejection fraction provided good correlation (r = 0.85) with modified Gorlin formula derived mitral area and excellent correlation with echocardiographic mitral area (r = 0.95). Significant MS can be detected using radionuclide angiocardiography to calculate filling ratio. In the absence of the confounding influence of atrial systole calculation of 0.14 (filling ratio divided by cardiac cycle length divided by LV ejection fraction) + 0.40 cm2 enables accurate prediction of mitral area (+/- 4%). Our data support the contention that the modified Gorlin formula, based on steady-state hemodynamics, provides less certain estimates of mitral area for patients with MS and atrial fibrillation, in whom echocardiography and radionuclide angiocardiography may be more accurate

Millimeter-wave Line Ratios and Sub-beam Volume Density Distributions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leroy, Adam K.; Gallagher, Molly [Department of Astronomy, The Ohio State University, 140 West 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Usero, Antonio [Observatorio Astronmico Nacional (IGN), C/Alfonso XII, 3, E-28014 Madrid (Spain); Schruba, Andreas [Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstraße 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Bigiel, Frank [Institute für theoretische Astrophysik, Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg, Albert-Ueberle Str. 2, D-69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Kruijssen, J. M. Diederik; Schinnerer, Eva [Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg, Mönchhofstraße 12-14, D-69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Kepley, Amanda [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903 (United States); Blanc, Guillermo A. [Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 36-D, Santiago (Chile); Bolatto, Alberto D. [Department of Astronomy, Laboratory for Millimeter-wave Astronomy, and Joint Space Institute, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Cormier, Diane; Jiménez-Donaire, Maria J. [Max Planck Institute für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117, Heidelberg (Germany); Hughes, Annie [CNRS, IRAP, 9 av. du Colonel Roche, BP 44346, F-31028 Toulouse cedex 4 (France); Rosolowsky, Erik [Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB (Canada)

2017-02-01

We explore the use of mm-wave emission line ratios to trace molecular gas density when observations integrate over a wide range of volume densities within a single telescope beam. For observations targeting external galaxies, this case is unavoidable. Using a framework similar to that of Krumholz and Thompson, we model emission for a set of common extragalactic lines from lognormal and power law density distributions. We consider the median density of gas that produces emission and the ability to predict density variations from observed line ratios. We emphasize line ratio variations because these do not require us to know the absolute abundance of our tracers. Patterns of line ratio variations have the potential to illuminate the high-end shape of the density distribution, and to capture changes in the dense gas fraction and median volume density. Our results with and without a high-density power law tail differ appreciably; we highlight better knowledge of the probability density function (PDF) shape as an important area. We also show the implications of sub-beam density distributions for isotopologue studies targeting dense gas tracers. Differential excitation often implies a significant correction to the naive case. We provide tabulated versions of many of our results, which can be used to interpret changes in mm-wave line ratios in terms of adjustments to the underlying density distributions.

Highly Flexible and High-Performance Complementary Inverters of Large-Area Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Monolayers

KAUST Repository

Pu, Jiang

2016-03-23

Complementary inverters constructed from large-area monolayers of WSe2 and MoS2 achieve excellent logic swings and yield an extremely high gain, large total noise margin, low power consumption, and good switching speed. Moreover, the WSe2 complementary-like inverters built on plastic substrates exhibit high mechanical stability. The results provide a path toward large-area flexible electronics. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Modeling the Hourly Distribution of Population at a High Spatiotemporal Resolution Using Subway Smart Card Data: A Case Study in the Central Area of Beijing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yunjia Ma

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The accurate estimation of the dynamic changes in population is a key component in effective urban planning and emergency management. We developed a model to estimate hourly dynamic changes in population at the community level based on subway smart card data. The hourly population of each community in six central districts of Beijing was calculated, followed by a study of the spatiotemporal patterns and diurnal dynamic changes of population and an exploration of the main sources and sinks of the observed human mobility. The maximum daytime population of the six central districts of Beijing was approximately 0.7 million larger than the night-time population. The administrative and commercial districts of Dongcheng and Xicheng had high values of population ratio of day to night of 1.35 and 1.22, respectively, whereas Shijingshan, a residential district, had the lowest value of 0.84. Areas with a high population ratio were mainly concentrated in Dongcheng, Xicheng, West Chaoyang, and Southeast Haidian. The daytime population distribution showed a hierarchical spatial pattern of planar centers and second scattered centers as opposed to multiple scattered centers during the night-time. This was because most people moved inward from the areas with a low–high to high–low population ratio of day to night from night-time to daytime, which can be explained by the process of commuting between residential areas and workplaces. Several distinctive phenomena (e.g., the distribution of new industrial parks, the so-called old residential areas, and colleges and universities in the development of China are reflected by the spatiotemporal pattern of the distribution of population. The general consistency of the population ratios of day to night, population distribution, population variation of typical communities, and population mobility pattern with previous research suggests that the subway smart card data has potential in analyzing dynamic diurnal

The relationship between dental caries and dental fluorosis in areas with moderate- and high-fluoride drinking water in Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Wondwossen, Fantaye; Astrøm, Anne Nordrehaug; Bjorvatn, Kjell; Bårdsen, Asgeir

2004-10-01

The aim of the study is to assess the relationship between caries and dental fluorosis in Ethiopian children living in Rift Valley areas known for endemic fluorosis. A total of 306 children (12-15 years old), selected from areas with moderate (0.3-2.2 mg/l), or high (10-14 mg/l) fluoride concentration in the drinking water were interviewed and examined for caries and dental fluorosis. Scorings were recorded according to the DMF system, and the Thylstrup-Fejerskov (TF) Index. Prevalence of dental fluorosis (TF-score > or = 1) was 91.8% (moderate area) and 100% (high-fluoride area). The corresponding caries prevalence and mean DMFT in the areas were 45.3% versus 61.6%, and 1.2 versus 1.8, respectively. Age and severity of dental fluorosis were found to be independent predictors for DMFT > or = 1. When compared with 12-year olds with TF-scores 0-4, odds ratios were 3.0 (95% CI 1.6-5.7) and 2.0 (95% CI 1.2-3.2) if TF-scores were > or = 5 and age 13-15 years, respectively. A positive relationship between caries and fluorosis was observed across tooth types in both areas. The percentage of children with DMFT > or = 1 was highest in groups with TF-score > or = 5 in the second molar, followed by the first molar. The present findings indicate that the second molar is the tooth most severely affected by dental fluorosis and dental caries. Dental caries increased with increasing severity of dental fluorosis, both in moderate- and high-fluoride areas. Thus, a positive relationship between dental caries and dental fluorosis was observed across various tooth types, in both areas. Copyright Blackwell Munksgaard, 2004

High-surface-area silica nanospheres (KCC-1) with a fibrous morphology

KAUST Repository

Polshettiwar, Vivek; Cha, Dong Kyu; Zhang, Xixiang; Basset, Jean-Marie

2010-01-01

Fibrous nanosilica: A new family of high-surface-area silica nanospheres (KCC-1) have been prepared (see picture). KCC-1 features excellent physical properties, including high surface area, unprecedented fibrous surface morphology, high thermal (up to 950 °C) and hydrothermal stabilities, and high mechanical stability. Copyright © 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

High-surface-area silica nanospheres (KCC-1) with a fibrous morphology

KAUST Repository

Polshettiwar, Vivek

2010-08-02

Fibrous nanosilica: A new family of high-surface-area silica nanospheres (KCC-1) have been prepared (see picture). KCC-1 features excellent physical properties, including high surface area, unprecedented fibrous surface morphology, high thermal (up to 950 °C) and hydrothermal stabilities, and high mechanical stability. Copyright © 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Compact printed two dipole array antenna with a high front-back ratio for ultra-high-frequency radio-frequency identification handheld reader applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Qi; Zhang, Shuai; He, Sailing

2015-01-01

A printed two-dipole array antenna with a high front-back ratio is proposed for ultra-high-frequency (UHF) radio-frequency identification handheld readers. The proposed antenna is a parasitic dual-element array with the ends of both elements folded back towards each other for additional coupling....

Strong geographical variation in wing aspect ratio of a damselfly, Calopteryx maculata (Odonata: Zygoptera

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher Hassall

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Geographical patterns in body size have been described across a wide range of species, leading to the development of a series of fundamental biological rules. However, shape variables are less well-described despite having substantial consequences for organism performance. Wing aspect ratio (AR has been proposed as a key shape parameter that determines function in flying animals, with high AR corresponding to longer, thinner wings that promote high manoeuvrability, low speed flight, and low AR corresponding to shorter, broader wings that promote high efficiency long distance flight. From this principle it might be predicted that populations living in cooler areas would exhibit low AR wings to compensate for reduced muscle efficiency at lower temperatures. I test this hypothesis using the riverine damselfly, Calopteryx maculata, sampled from 34 sites across its range margin in North America. Nine hundred and seven male specimens were captured from across the 34 sites (mean = 26.7 ± 2.9 SE per site, dissected and measured to quantify the area and length of all four wings. Geometric morphometrics were employed to investigate geographical variation in wing shape. The majority of variation in wing shape involved changes in wing aspect ratio, confirmed independently by geometric morphometrics and wing measurements. There was a strong negative relationship between wing aspect ratio and the maximum temperature of the warmest month which varies from west-east in North America, creating a positive relationship with longitude. This pattern suggests that higher aspect ratio may be associated with areas in which greater flight efficiency is required: regions of lower temperatures during the flight season. I discuss my findings in light of research of the functional ecology of wing shape across vertebrate and invertebrate taxa.

A modified time-of-flight method for precise determination of high speed ratios in molecular beams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salvador Palau, A.; Eder, S. D., E-mail: sabrina.eder@uib.no; Kaltenbacher, T.; Samelin, B.; Holst, B. [Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Allégaten 55, 5007 Bergen (Norway); Bracco, G. [Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Allégaten 55, 5007 Bergen (Norway); CNR-IMEM, Department of Physics, University of Genova, V. Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova (Italy)

2016-02-15

Time-of-flight (TOF) is a standard experimental technique for determining, among others, the speed ratio S (velocity spread) of a molecular beam. The speed ratio is a measure for the monochromaticity of the beam and an accurate determination of S is crucial for various applications, for example, for characterising chromatic aberrations in focussing experiments related to helium microscopy or for precise measurements of surface phonons and surface structures in molecular beam scattering experiments. For both of these applications, it is desirable to have as high a speed ratio as possible. Molecular beam TOF measurements are typically performed by chopping the beam using a rotating chopper with one or more slit openings. The TOF spectra are evaluated using a standard deconvolution method. However, for higher speed ratios, this method is very sensitive to errors related to the determination of the slit width and the beam diameter. The exact sensitivity depends on the beam diameter, the number of slits, the chopper radius, and the chopper rotation frequency. We present a modified method suitable for the evaluation of TOF measurements of high speed ratio beams. The modified method is based on a systematic variation of the chopper convolution parameters so that a set of independent measurements that can be fitted with an appropriate function are obtained. We show that with this modified method, it is possible to reduce the error by typically one order of magnitude compared to the standard method.

Sex Ratio Elasticity Influences the Selection of Sex Ratio Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yaqiang; Wang, Ruiwu; Li, Yaotang; (Sam) Ma, Zhanshan

2016-12-01

There are three sex ratio strategies (SRS) in nature—male-biased sex ratio, female-biased sex ratio and, equal sex ratio. It was R. A. Fisher who first explained why most species in nature display a sex ratio of ½. Consequent SRS theories such as Hamilton’s local mate competition (LMC) and Clark’s local resource competition (LRC) separately explained the observed deviations from the seemingly universal 1:1 ratio. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is not yet a unified theory that accounts for the mechanisms of the three SRS. Here, we introduce the price elasticity theory in economics to define sex ratio elasticity (SRE), and present an analytical model that derives three SRSs based on the following assumption: simultaneously existing competitions for both resources A and resources B influence the level of SRE in both sexes differently. Consequently, it is the difference (between two sexes) in the level of their sex ratio elasticity that leads to three different SRS. Our analytical results demonstrate that the elasticity-based model not only reveals a highly plausible mechanism that explains the evolution of SRS in nature, but also offers a novel framework for unifying two major classical theories (i.e., LMC & LRC) in the field of SRS research.

High surface area fibrous silica nanoparticles

KAUST Repository

Polshettiwar, Vivek; Basset, Jean-Marie

2014-01-01

Disclosed are high surface area nanoparticles that have a fibrous morphology. The nanoparticles have a plurality of fibers, wherein each fiber is in contact with one other fiber and each fiber has a length of between about 1 nm and about 5000 nm. Also disclosed are applications of the nanoparticles of the present invention, and methods of fabrication of the nanoparticles of the present invention.

High surface area fibrous silica nanoparticles

KAUST Repository

Polshettiwar, Vivek

2014-11-11

Disclosed are high surface area nanoparticles that have a fibrous morphology. The nanoparticles have a plurality of fibers, wherein each fiber is in contact with one other fiber and each fiber has a length of between about 1 nm and about 5000 nm. Also disclosed are applications of the nanoparticles of the present invention, and methods of fabrication of the nanoparticles of the present invention.

High ratio of triglycerides to hdl-cholesterol predicts extensive coronary disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Protasio Lemos da Luz

2008-01-01

Full Text Available An abnormal ratio of triglycerides to HDL-cholesterol (TG/HDL-c indicates an atherogenic lipid profile and a risk for the development of coronary disease. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between lipid levels, specifically TG/HDL-c, and the extent of coronary disease. METHODS: High-risk patients (n = 374 submitted for coronary angiography had their lipid variables measured and coronary disease extent scored by the Friesinger index. RESULTS: The subjects consisted of 220 males and 154 females, age 57.2 ± 11.1 years, with total cholesterol of 210± 50.3 mg/dL, triglycerides of 173.8 ± 169.8 mg/dL, HDL-cholesterol (HDL-c of 40.1 ± 12.8 mg/dL, LDL-cholesterol (LDL-c of 137.3 ± 46.2 mg/dL, TG/HDL-c of 5.1 ± 5.3, and a Friesinger index of 6.6 ± 4.7. The relationship between the extent of coronary disease (dichotomized by a Friesenger index of 5 and lipid levels (normal vs. abnormal was statistically significant for the following: triglycerides, odds ratio of 2.02 (1.31-3.1; p = 0.0018; HDL-c, odds ratio of 2.21 (1.42-3.43; p = 0.0005; and TG/HDL-c, odds ratio of 2.01(1.30-3.09; p = 0.0018. However, the relationship was not significant between extent of coronary disease and total cholesterol [1.25 (0.82-1.91; p = 0.33] or LDL-c [1.47 (0.96-2.25; p = 0.0842]. The chi-square for linear trends for Friesinger > 4 and lipid quartiles was statistically significant for triglycerides (p = 0.0017, HDL-c (p = 0.0001, and TG/HDL-c (p = 0.0018, but not for total cholesterol (p = 0.393 or LDL-c (p = 0.0568. The multivariate analysis by logistic regression OR gave 1.3 ± 0.79 (p = .0001 for TG/HDL-c, 0.779 ± 0.074 (p = .0001 for HDL-c, and 1.234 ± 0.097 (p = 0.03 for LDL. Analysis of receiver operating characteristic curves showed that only TG/HDL-c and HDL-c were useful for detecting extensive coronary disease, with the former more strongly associated with disease. CONCLUSIONS: Although some lipid variables were associated with the extent of

Dual-Frequency Impedance Transformer Using Coupled-Line For Ultra-High Transforming Ratio

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. K. Barik

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a new type of dual-frequency impedance transformer is presented for ultra-high transforming ratio. The proposed configuration consists of parallel coupled-line, series transmission lines and short-ended stubs. The even and odd-mode analysis is applied to obtain the design equations and hence to provide an accurate solution. Three examples of the dual-frequency transformer with load impedance of 500, 1000 and 1500 Ω are designed to study the matching capability and bandwidth property. To prove the frequency agility of the proposed network, three prototypes of dual-frequency impedance transformer with transforming ratio of 10, 20 and 30 are fabricated and tested. The measured return loss is greater than 15 dB at two operating frequencies for all the prototypes. Also, the bandwidth is more than 60 MHz at each frequency band for all the prototypes. The measured return loss is found in good agreement with the circuit and full-wave simulations.

Preoperative C-Reactive Protein/Albumin Ratio Predicts Prognosis of Patients after Curative Resection for Gastric Cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xuechao Liu

2015-08-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: An elevated preoperative C-reactive protein/albumin (CRP/Alb ratio has been reported to be associated with a poor prognosis for hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic value of the preoperative CRP/Alb ratio and compare it with other systemic inflammatory response markers in patients with gastric cancer (GC. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed in 455 patients with GC undergoing curative resection. We investigated the correlations between the preoperative CRP/Alb ratio and overall survival (OS. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models were used to assess independent prognostic factors. The area under the curve was used to compare the prognostic value of different markers. RESULTS: On multivariate analysis, the CRP/Alb ratio were independently associated with OS in patients with GC (hazard ratio: 1.626; 95% confidence interval: 1.191-2.219; P = .002, along with age (P = .003, preoperative body weight loss (P = .001, tumor location (P = .008, metastatic lymph node ratio (P < .001, and seventh tumor-nodes-metastasis stage (American Joint Committee on Cancer (P = .007. However, several other systemic inflammation–based prognostic scores (neutrophil lymphocyte ratio, platelet lymphocyte ratio and systemic immune-inflammation index, Glasgow Prognostic Score, modified Glasgow prognostic score, and high-sensitivity modified Glasgow prognostic score were not. In addition, the CRP/Alb ratio had a higher area under the curve value (0.625 compared with several other systemic inflammation–based prognostic scores (P < .001. CONCLUSION: The preoperative CRP/Alb ratio, a system inflammation-based prognostic score, is a superior predictor of OS in patients undergoing curative resection for GC and may help to identify the high-risk patients for treatment decisions.

Broadband measurements of high-frequency electric field levels and exposure ratios determination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vulević Branislav

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The exposure of people to high-frequency electromagnetic fields (over 100 kHz that emanate from modern wireless information transmission systems is inevitable in modern times. Due to the rapid development of new technologies, measuring devices and their connection to measuring systems, the first fifteen years of the 21st century are characterized by the appearance of different approaches to measurements. This prompts the need for the assessment of the exposure of people to these fields. The main purpose of this paper is to show how to determine the exposure ratios based on the results of broadband measurements of the high-frequency electric field in the range of 3 MHz to 18 GHz in the environment.

Measurement of circumsolar ratio in high dust loading regions using a photographic method

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Ansary, Hany; Shafiq, Talha; Rizvi, Arslan; El-Leathy, Abdelrahman

2017-06-01

Performance of concentrating solar power (CSP) plants is highly affected by direct normal irradiance (DNI). However, it is also important to consider circumsolar radiation in any simulation of a CSP plant, especially in desert regions where dust loading in the atmosphere is expected. There are a number of methods to measure circumsolar radiation. However, most of them require expensive instrumentation. This work introduces a simple method to estimate circumsolar radiation. It involves taking high-resolution photographs of the sun and processing them using a computer code that identifies the sun's disk. The code then uses pixel intensities to obtain the solar intensity distribution across the sun's disk and in the aureole region. The solar intensity distribution is then used to obtain the circumsolar ratio (CSR) which represents the shape of the sun. To test this method, numerous photos of the sun were taken during the month of April and September 2016 at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Riyadh is a region that is well known for high dust-loading, especially during the summer. Two days of different atmospheric conditions were selected in September for comparative analysis. Results show that this method produces repeatable results, and that the CSR can increase significantly due to high dust loading and passing clouds. The CSR is found to be a strong function of DNI, ranging from about 4.5% at DNI values above 800 W/m2 and increasing to as much as 8.5% when DNI drops to about 400 W/m2, due to passing clouds. Furthermore, the results show that circumsolar ratio tends to be high in the early morning and late afternoon due to the high air mass, while its values tend to be lowest around solar noon when the air mass is lowest.

Effects of Non-Guidance Activities, Supervision, and Student-to-Counselor Ratios on School Counselor Burnout

Science.gov (United States)

Moyer, Michael

2011-01-01

School counselors, like all mental health professionals are at high risk for burnout. High caseloads, job role ambiguity, and lack of supervision increase their propensity for burnout. Three areas were selected for study in this article due to their potential impact on burnout: supervision, student-to-counselor-ratios, and non-guidance related…

Area-to-Area Poisson Kriging and Spatial Bayesian Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Asmarian, Naeimehossadat; Jafari-Koshki, Tohid; Soleimani, Ali; Taghi Ayatollahi, Seyyed Mohammad

2016-10-01

Background: In many countries gastric cancer has the highest incidence among the gastrointestinal cancers and is the second most common cancer in Iran. The aim of this study was to identify and map high risk gastric cancer regions at the county-level in Iran. Methods: In this study we analyzed gastric cancer data for Iran in the years 2003-2010. Areato- area Poisson kriging and Besag, York and Mollie (BYM) spatial models were applied to smoothing the standardized incidence ratios of gastric cancer for the 373 counties surveyed in this study. The two methods were compared in term of accuracy and precision in identifying high risk regions. Result: The highest smoothed standardized incidence rate (SIR) according to area-to-area Poisson kriging was in Meshkinshahr county in Ardabil province in north-western Iran (2.4,SD=0.05), while the highest smoothed standardized incidence rate (SIR) according to the BYM model was in Ardabil, the capital of that province (2.9,SD=0.09). Conclusion: Both methods of mapping, ATA Poisson kriging and BYM, showed the gastric cancer incidence rate to be highest in north and north-west Iran. However, area-to-area Poisson kriging was more precise than the BYM model and required less smoothing. According to the results obtained, preventive measures and treatment programs should be focused on particular counties of Iran. Creative Commons Attribution License

Large Aspect Ratio Tokamak Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reid, R.L.; Holmes, J.A.; Houlberg, W.A.; Peng, Y.K.M.; Strickler, D.J.; Brown, T.G.; Wiseman, G.W.

1980-06-01

The Large Aspect Ratio Tokamak Study (LARTS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) investigated the potential for producing a viable longburn tokamak reactor by enhancing the volt-second capability of the ohmic heating transformer through the use of high aspect ratio designs. The plasma physics, engineering, and economic implications of high aspect ratio tokamaks were assessed in the context of extended burn operation. Using a one-dimensional transport code plasma startup and burn parameters were addressed. The pulsed electrical power requirements for the poloidal field system, which have a major impact on reactor economics, were minimized by optimizing the startup and shutdown portions of the tokamak cycle. A representative large aspect ratio tokamak with an aspect ratio of 8 was found to achieve a burn time of 3.5 h at capital cost only approx. 25% greater than that of a moderate aspect ratio design tokamak

Graphene/Pentacene Barristor with Ion-Gel Gate Dielectric: Flexible Ambipolar Transistor with High Mobility and On/Off Ratio.

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Gwangtaek; Kim, Jin-Soo; Jeon, Ji Hoon; Won, EunA; Son, Jong Wan; Lee, Duk Hyun; Kim, Cheol Kyeom; Jang, Jingon; Lee, Takhee; Park, Bae Ho

2015-07-28

High-quality channel layer is required for next-generation flexible electronic devices. Graphene is a good candidate due to its high carrier mobility and unique ambipolar transport characteristics but typically shows a low on/off ratio caused by gapless band structure. Popularly investigated organic semiconductors, such as pentacene, suffer from poor carrier mobility. Here, we propose a graphene/pentacene channel layer with high-k ion-gel gate dielectric. The graphene/pentacene device shows both high on/off ratio and carrier mobility as well as excellent mechanical flexibility. Most importantly, it reveals ambipolar behaviors and related negative differential resistance, which are controlled by external bias. Therefore, our graphene/pentacene barristor with ion-gel gate dielectric can offer various flexible device applications with high performances.

Unsteady rans simulation of the off-design operation of a high expansion ratio ORC radial turbine

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rinaldi, E.; Pecnik, R.; Colonna di Paliano, P.

2015-01-01

The design of Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) turbines is a challenging task due to the complex thermodynamic behavior of the working fluid, the typical high expansion ratio which leads to a highly supersonic flow, the flow unsteadiness, and the continuous shift of operation between on- and off-design

Isotope ratios of lead as pollutant source indicators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chow, T.J.; Snyder, C.B.; Earal, J.L.

1975-01-01

Each lead ore deposit has its characteristic isotope ratios which are fixed during mineral ore genesis, and this unique property can be used to indicate the source of lead pollutants in the environment. The wolld production of primary lead is tabulated, and the geochemical significances of lead isotope ratios are discussed. The manufacture of lead alkyl additives for gasoline, which is the major source of lead pollutants, utilizes about 10% of the world annual consumption of lead. The isotope ratios of lead in gasoline, aerosols, soils and plants are correlated. Lead additives in various brands of gasoline sold in one region do not have the same isotope ratios. Regional variations in isotope ratios of lead additives were observed. This reflects the fact that petroleum refineries obtained the additives from various lead alkyl manufacturers which utilized lead from different mining districts. A definite changing trend of isotope ratios of lead pollutants in the San Diego, California (USA), area was detected. The lead shows a gradual increase in its radiogenic components during the past decade. This trend can be explained by the change of lead sources used by the additive manufacturers: Lead isotope ratios of the mid-1960's gasoline additives in the United States of America reflected those of less radiogenic leads imported from Canada, Australia, Peru and Mexico. Since then, the U.S. lead production has doubled-mainly from the Missouri district of highly radiogenic lead. Meanwhile, there has been a decrease in total lead imports. These combined effects result in changes in isotope ratios, from the less to more radiogenic, of the pooled lead. (aothor)

Fabrication method to create high-aspect ratio pillars for photonic coupling of board level interconnects

Science.gov (United States)

Debaes, C.; Van Erps, J.; Karppinen, M.; Hiltunen, J.; Suyal, H.; Last, A.; Lee, M. G.; Karioja, P.; Taghizadeh, M.; Mohr, J.; Thienpont, H.; Glebov, A. L.

2008-04-01

An important challenge that remains to date in board level optical interconnects is the coupling between the optical waveguides on printed wiring boards and the packaged optoelectronics chips, which are preferably surface mountable on the boards. One possible solution is the use of Ball Grid Array (BGA) packages. This approach offers a reliable attachment despite the large CTE mismatch between the organic FR4 board and the semiconductor materials. Collimation via micro-lenses is here typically deployed to couple the light vertically from the waveguide substrate to the optoelectronics while allowing for a small misalignment between board and package. In this work, we explore the fabrication issues of an alternative approach in which the vertical photonic connection between board and package is governed by a micro-optical pillar which is attached both to the board substrate and to the optoelectronic chips. Such an approach allows for high density connections and small, high-speed detector footprints while maintaining an acceptable tolerance between board and package. The pillar should exhibit some flexibility and thus a high-aspect ratio is preferred. This work presents and compares different fabrication methods and applies different materials for such high-aspect ratio pillars. The different fabrication methods are: photolithography, direct laser writing and deep proton writing. The selection of optical materials that was investigated is: SU8, Ormocers, PU and a multifunctional acrylate polymer. The resulting optical pillars have diameters ranging from 20um up to 80um, with total heights ranging between 30um and 100um (symbol for micron). The aspect-ratio of the fabricated structures ranges from 1.5 to 5.

Investigation of Pockels Cells Crystal Contrast Ratio Distribution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giedrius Sinkevičius

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The BBO Pockel’s cell has been investigated. The investigation results of optimal operating area on the surface of the crystal dependent of intrinsic contrast ratio (ICR and voltage contrast ratio (VCR for Pockel’s cell are presented. The block diagram of Pockel’s cells contrast measurement stand and measurement methodology are introduced and discussed. The graphs of intrinsic contrast ratio distribution on crystal surface, contrast ratio with voltage dependency and voltage contrast ratio distribution on crystal surface with half-wave voltage are presented.

Skewed Marriage Markets and Sex Ratios of Finnish People in their Twenties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lassi Lainiala

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This article studies variation in regional sex ratios in Finland and outlines potential implications of the skewed sex ratios for family formation patterns. Difficulties in finding a suitable partner are typically mentioned as one of the most important reasons for remaining childless, and we explore if this reason is apparent structurally at the regional macro level. We found significant variation in sex ratios in age-groups 18–30 at the regional and sub-regional levels. Of the whole 20–29-year old population in Finland, almost 50 percent live in sub-region areas with a male surplus. As expected, a higher proportion of men compared to women appears to increase fertility of women in younger age groups. Contrary to expectations, high male-female ratios were not related to higher proportion of women living with a partner

A high plasma: red blood cell transfusion ratio during liver transplantation is associated with decreased blood utilization.

Science.gov (United States)

Pagano, M B; Metcalf, R A; Hess, J R; Reyes, J; Perkins, J D; Montenovo, M I

2018-04-01

During massive transfusion, the volume ratio of administered plasma (PL Vol) to red blood cell (RBC Vol) appears to be associated with reduced blood utilization and improved survival. The aim of this study was to evaluate the optimal component ratio in the setting of liver transplantation. This is a retrospective chart review of patients who underwent liver transplantation and received at least 500 ml of red blood cells from January 2013 through December 2015. Kernel smoothing analysis determined the proper component ratios to evaluate were a ≥0·85:1 ratio (high) to a ≤0·85:1 ratio (low). Two groups, plasma volume to RBC volume (PL Vol/RBC Vol) and plasma contained in the platelet units added to the plasma calculation [PL + PLT (platelet)] Vol/RBC Vol, were used to evaluate the component ratios. A total of 188 patients were included in the analysis. In the PL Vol/RBC Vol evaluation, a low ratio revealed that 1238 ml (977-1653 ml) (P ratio, in the univariable and multivariable analysis, respectively. In the PL +PLT Vol/RBC Vol evaluation, a low ratio used 734 ml (193-1275) (P = 0·008) and 886 ml (431-1340) (P ratio in the univariable and multivariable analysis, respectively. In patients undergoing liver transplantation, the transfusion of plasma to RBC ratio ≥0·85 was associated with decreased need of RBC transfusions. © 2018 International Society of Blood Transfusion.

Levels and isomer profiles of Dechlorane Plus in the surface soils from e-waste recycling areas and industrial areas in South China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu Zhiqiang [State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environment and Resources, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640 (China); Lu Shaoyou; Gao Shutao; Wang Jingzhi [State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environment and Resources, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640 (China); Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039 (China); Li Huiru, E-mail: huiruli@gig.ac.c [State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environment and Resources, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640 (China); Zeng Xiangying; Sheng Guoying; Fu Jiamo [State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environment and Resources, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640 (China)

2010-09-15

Dechlorane Plus (DP) is a highly chlorinated flame retardant. Levels of DP were measured in surface soils from e-waste recycling areas and industrial areas in South China. Higher DP levels were found in e-waste recycling areas (undetectable-47.4 ng/g) than those in industrial areas (0.0336-4.65 ng/g) in South China. The highest DP concentration (3327 ng/g) was found at the e-waste recycling site in Qingyuan, while DP levels fell dramatically with increasing distance away from the recycling site, suggesting that the e-waste recycling activities are an important source of DP emissions. The mean ratios of anti-DP to total DP (f{sub anti}) for different sampling areas ranged from 0.58 to 0.76 and showed no significant difference from the ratio for the technical DP products (t-test, p > 0.05). Further intensive studies are needed to investigate the process of DP degradation and its degradation products. - High DP concentrations were found in the soils from e-waste recycling regions, and e-waste recycling was the major source of DP emissions in South China.

The Promise and Challenges of Ultra High Bypass Ratio Engine Technology and Integration

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Chris

2011-01-01

In this presentation, an overview of the research being conducted by the ERA Project in Ultra High Bypass aircraft propulsion and in partnership with Pratt & Whitney with their Geared TurboFan (GTF) is given. The ERA goals are shown followed by a discussion of what areas need to be addressed on the engine to achieve the goals and how the GTF is uniquely qualified to meet the goals through a discussion of what benefits the cycle provides. The first generation GTF architecture is then shown highlighting the areas of collaboration with NASA, and the fuel burn, noise and emissions reductions possible based on initial static ground test and flight test data of the first GTF engine. Finally, a 5 year technology roadmap is presented focusing on Ultra High Bypass propulsion technology research areas that are being pursued and being planned by ERA and P&W under their GTF program.

Triglyceride-to-high-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio is an index of heart disease mortality and of incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in men.

Science.gov (United States)

Vega, Gloria Lena; Barlow, Carolyn E; Grundy, Scott M; Leonard, David; DeFina, Laura F

2014-02-01

High triglyceride (TG) and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) impart risk for heart disease. This study examines the relationships of TG/HDL-C ratio to mortality from all causes, coronary heart disease (CHD), or cardiovascular disease (CVD). Survival analysis was done in 39,447 men grouped by TG/HDL-C ratio cut point of 3.5 and for metabolic syndrome. National Death Index International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9 and ICD-10) codes were used for CVD and CHD deaths occurring from 1970 to 2008. Incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) according to ratio was estimated in 22,215 men. Triglyceride/HDL-C ratio and cross-product of TG and fasting blood glucose (TyG index) were used in analysis. Men were followed up for 581,194 person-years. Triglyceride/HDL-C ratio predicted CHD, CVD, and all-cause mortality after adjustment for established risk factors and non-HDL-C. Mortality rates were higher in individuals with a high ratio than in those with a low ratio. Fifty-five percent of men had metabolic syndrome that was also predictive of CHD, CVD, and all-cause mortality. Annual incidence of DM was 2 times higher in men with high TG/HDL-C ratio than in those with a low ratio. Individuals with high TG/HDL-C ratio had a higher incidence of DM than those with a low ratio. The TyG index was not equally predictive of causes of mortality to TG/HDL-C, but both were equally predictive of diabetes incidence. Triglyceride/HDL-C ratio predicts CHD and CVD mortality as well as or better than do metabolic syndrome in men. Also, a high ratio predisposes to DM. The TyG index does not predict CHD, CVD, or all-cause mortality equally well, but like TG/HDL-C ratio, it predicts DM incidence.

Stress ratio determination from the core-disking phenomenon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehnhoff, T.F.; Stefansson, B.; Thirumalai, K.

1982-08-01

The ability to predict in situ stress conditions from standard core samples offers planning and site-selection advantages for most underground facilities. This paper presents an empirical relation for estimating the horizontal to vertical stress ratio in basalt. The resulting estimates can then be used to help assess the extent to which measurement of in situ stress is required. The core disking phenomenon has long been used as an indicator of high in situ stress. It is concluded that disks form as the result of tensile failure initiation rather than shear failure initiation of the core. It is deduced that the tensile failure begins at the edge of the core and propagates toward the center in shear rather than beginning at the center and propagating outward. An empirical relation for horizontal to vertical stress ratio variation with depth has been developed and is shown to agree substantially with previous measured horizontal to vertical stress ratios for locations in several areas of the world. The stress-ratio predictions are justified based on finite-element studies using linear elastic analysis and also nonlinear (tension cut-off) analysis. Indications of fracture propagation paths were determined from the analyses. The shape of the predicted propagation path agrees well with physical observations

Injection molding of high aspect ratio sub-100 nm nanostructures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Matschuk, Maria; Larsen, Niels B

2013-01-01

We have explored the use of mold coatings and optimized processing conditions to injection mold high aspect ratio nanostructures (height-to-width >1) in cyclic olefin copolymer (COC). Optimizing the molding parameters on uncoated nickel molds resulted in slight improvements in replication quality...... as described by height, width and uniformity of the nanoscopic features. Use of a mold temperature transiently above the polymer glass transition temperature (Tg) was the most important factor in increasing the replication fidelity. Surface coating of the nickel molds with a fluorocarbon-containing thin film...... (FDTS) greatly enhanced the quality of replicated features, in particular at transient mold temperatures above Tg. Injection molding using the latter mold temperature regime resulted in a bimodal distribution of pillar heights, corresponding to either full or very poor replication of the individual...

Cooperative simulation of lithography and topography for three-dimensional high-aspect-ratio etching

Science.gov (United States)

Ichikawa, Takashi; Yagisawa, Takashi; Furukawa, Shinichi; Taguchi, Takafumi; Nojima, Shigeki; Murakami, Sadatoshi; Tamaoki, Naoki

2018-06-01

A topography simulation of high-aspect-ratio etching considering transports of ions and neutrals is performed, and the mechanism of reactive ion etching (RIE) residues in three-dimensional corner patterns is revealed. Limited ion flux and CF2 diffusion from the wide space of the corner is found to have an effect on the RIE residues. Cooperative simulation of lithography and topography is used to solve the RIE residue problem.

Development of a Novel Bidirectional DC/DC Converter Topology with High Voltage Conversion Ratio for Electric Vehicles and DC-Microgrids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ching-Ming Lai

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this paper was to study a bidirectional direct current to direct current converter (BDC topology with a high voltage conversion ratio for electric vehicle (EV batteries connected to a dc-microgrid system. In this study, an unregulated level converter (ULC cascaded with a two-phase interleaved buck-boost charge-pump converter (IBCPC is introduced to achieve a high conversion ratio with a simpler control circuit. In discharge state, the topology acts as a two-stage voltage-doubler boost converter to achieve high step-up conversion ratio (48 V to 385 V. In charge state, the converter acts as two cascaded voltage-divider buck converters to achieve high voltage step-down conversion ratio (385 V to 48 V. The features, operation principles, steady-state analysis, simulation and experimental results are made to verify the performance of the studied novel BDC. Finally, a 500 W rating prototype system is constructed for verifying the validity of the operation principle. Experimental results show that highest efficiencies of 96% and 95% can be achieved, respectively, in charge and discharge states.

Performance and emission characteristics of a turbocharged CNG engine fueled by hydrogen-enriched compressed natural gas with high hydrogen ratio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Fanhua; Wang, Mingyue; Jiang, Long; Chen, Renzhe; Deng, Jiao; Naeve, Nashay; Zhao, Shuli [State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

2010-06-15

This paper investigates the effect of high hydrogen volumetric ratio of 55% on performance and emission characteristics in a turbocharged lean burn natural gas engine. The experimental data was conducted under various operating conditions including different spark timing, excess air ratio (lambda), and manifold pressure. It is found that the addition of hydrogen at a high volumetric ratio could significantly extend the lean burn limit, improve the engine lean burn ability, decrease burn duration, and yield higher thermal efficiency. The CO, CH{sub 4} emissions were reduced and NO{sub x} emission could be kept an acceptable low level with high hydrogen content under lean burn conditions when ignition timing were optimized. (author)

Inter-Annual Variability of Fledgling Sex Ratio in King Penguins.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Célia Bordier

Full Text Available As the number of breeding pairs depends on the adult sex ratio in a monogamous species with biparental care, investigating sex-ratio variability in natural populations is essential to understand population dynamics. Using 10 years of data (2000-2009 in a seasonally monogamous seabird, the king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus, we investigated the annual sex ratio at fledging, and the potential environmental causes for its variation. Over more than 4000 birds, the annual sex ratio at fledging was highly variable (ranging from 44.4% to 58.3% of males, and on average slightly biased towards males (51.6%. Yearly variation in sex-ratio bias was neither related to density within the colony, nor to global or local oceanographic conditions known to affect both the productivity and accessibility of penguin foraging areas. However, rising sea surface temperature coincided with an increase in fledging sex-ratio variability. Fledging sex ratio was also correlated with difference in body condition between male and female fledglings. When more males were produced in a given year, their body condition was higher (and reciprocally, suggesting that parents might adopt a sex-biased allocation strategy depending on yearly environmental conditions and/or that the effect of environmental parameters on chick condition and survival may be sex-dependent. The initial bias in sex ratio observed at the juvenile stage tended to return to 1∶1 equilibrium upon first breeding attempts, as would be expected from Fisher's classic theory of offspring sex-ratio variation.

Inter-Annual Variability of Fledgling Sex Ratio in King Penguins.

Science.gov (United States)

Bordier, Célia; Saraux, Claire; Viblanc, Vincent A; Gachot-Neveu, Hélène; Beaugey, Magali; Le Maho, Yvon; Le Bohec, Céline

2014-01-01

As the number of breeding pairs depends on the adult sex ratio in a monogamous species with biparental care, investigating sex-ratio variability in natural populations is essential to understand population dynamics. Using 10 years of data (2000-2009) in a seasonally monogamous seabird, the king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus), we investigated the annual sex ratio at fledging, and the potential environmental causes for its variation. Over more than 4000 birds, the annual sex ratio at fledging was highly variable (ranging from 44.4% to 58.3% of males), and on average slightly biased towards males (51.6%). Yearly variation in sex-ratio bias was neither related to density within the colony, nor to global or local oceanographic conditions known to affect both the productivity and accessibility of penguin foraging areas. However, rising sea surface temperature coincided with an increase in fledging sex-ratio variability. Fledging sex ratio was also correlated with difference in body condition between male and female fledglings. When more males were produced in a given year, their body condition was higher (and reciprocally), suggesting that parents might adopt a sex-biased allocation strategy depending on yearly environmental conditions and/or that the effect of environmental parameters on chick condition and survival may be sex-dependent. The initial bias in sex ratio observed at the juvenile stage tended to return to 1∶1 equilibrium upon first breeding attempts, as would be expected from Fisher's classic theory of offspring sex-ratio variation.

High-precision half-life and branching-ratio measurements for superallowed Fermi β+ emitters at TRIUMF - ISAC

Science.gov (United States)

Laffoley, A. T.; Dunlop, R.; Finlay, P.; Grinyer, G. F.; Andreoiu, C.; Austin, R. A. E.; Ball, G. C.; Bandyopadhyay, D.; Blank, B.; Bouzomita, H.; Chagnon-Lessard, S.; Chester, A.; Cross, D. S.; Demand, G.; Diaz Varela, A.; Djongolov, M.; Ettenauer, S.; Garnsworthy, A. B.; Garrett, P. E.; Giovinazzo, J.; Glister, J.; Green, K. L.; Hackman, G.; Hadinia, B.; Jamieson, D. S.; Ketelhut, S.; Leach, K. G.; Leslie, J. R.; Pearson, C. J.; Phillips, A. A.; Rand, E. T.; Starosta, K.; Sumithrarachchi, C. S.; Svensson, C. E.; Tardiff, E. R.; Thomas, J. C.; Towner, I. S.; Triambak, S.; Unsworth, C.; Williams, S. J.; Wong, J.; Yates, S. W.; Zganjar, E. F.

2014-03-01

A program of high-precision half-life and branching-ratio measurements for superallowed Fermi β emitters is being carried out at TRIUMF's Isotope Separator and Accelerator (ISAC) radioactive ion beam facility. Recent half-life measurements for the superallowed decays of 14O, 18Ne, and 26Alm, as well as branching-ratio measurements for 26Alm and 74Rb are reported. These results provide demanding tests of the Standard Model and the theoretical isospin symmetry breaking (ISB) corrections in superallowed Fermi β decays.

Leptothrix sp sheaths modified with iron oxide particles: Magnetically responsive, high aspect ratio functional material

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šafařík, Ivo; Angelova, R.; Baldíková, E.; Pospíšková, K.; Šafaříková, Miroslava

2017-01-01

Roč. 71, February (2017), s. 1342-1346 ISSN 0928-4931 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : Leptothrix * magnetic modification * iron oxide * high aspect ratio material Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism OBOR OECD: Materials engineering Impact factor: 4.164, year: 2016

High-Precision Half-Life and Branching Ratio Measurements for the Superallowed β+ Emitter 26Alm

Science.gov (United States)

Finlay, P.; Svensson, C. E.; Demand, G. A.; Garrett, P. E.; Green, K. L.; Leach, K. G.; Phillips, A. A.; Rand, E. T.; Ball, G.; Bandyopadhyay, D.; Djongolov, M.; Ettenauer, S.; Hackman, G.; Pearson, C. J.; Leslie, J. R.; Andreoiu, C.; Cross, D.; Austin, R. A. E.; Grinyer, G. F.; Sumithrarachchi, C. S.; Williams, S. J.; Triambak, S.

2013-03-01

High-precision half-life and branching-ratio measurements for the superallowed β+ emitter 26Alm were performed at the TRIUMF-ISAC radioactive ion beam facility. An upper limit of ≤ 15 ppm at 90% C.L. was determined for the sum of all possible non-analogue β+/EC decay branches of 26Alm, yielding a superallowed branching ratio of 100.0000+0-0.0015%. A value of T1/2 = 6:34654(76) s was determined for the 26Alm half-life which is consistent with, but 2.5 times more precise than, the previous world average. Combining these results with world-average measurements yields an ft value of 3037.58(60) s, the most precisely determined for any superallowed emitting nucleus to date. This high-precision ft value for 26Alm provides a new benchmark to refine theoretical models of isospin-symmetry-breaking effects in superallowed β decays.

Correction of nonlinear distortion in high-transverse-emittance ratio-beam production with linear accelerator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaoheng Wang

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Derbenev proposed producing a high quality flat beam of high-transverse-emittance ratio (HTER with a linear accelerator. Kim also discussed the round-to-flat transformation of angular-momentum-dominated beam. Fermilab/NICADD Photoinjector Laboratory has performed many experiments on HTER beam production. Experiments and simulations, collectively, showed an S-shaped transverse distribution in the flat beam. In this paper, the source of this emittance deterioration in the transformation is identified as the nonlinear rf cavity focusing force; and a solution is proposed.

Facile and high spatial resolution ratio-metric luminescence thermal mapping in microfluidics by near infrared excited upconversion nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Yu; Li, Shunbo; Wen, Weijia, E-mail: phwen@ust.hk [Department of Physics, KAUST-HKUST Joint Micro/Nanofluidic Laboratory, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon (Hong Kong); Cao, Wenbin [Nano Science and Technology Program, Department of Physics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon (Hong Kong)

2016-02-01

A local area temperature monitor is important for precise control of chemical and biological processes in microfluidics. In this work, we developed a facile method to realize micron spatial resolution of temperature mapping in a microfluidic channel quickly and cost effectively. Based on the temperature dependent fluorescence emission of NaYF{sub 4}:Yb{sup 3+}, Er{sup 3+} upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) under near-infrared irradiation, ratio-metric imaging of UCNPs doped polydimethylsiloxane can map detailed temperature distribution in the channel. Unlike some reported strategies that utilize temperature sensitive organic dye (such as Rhodamine) to achieve thermal sensing, our method is highly chemically inert and physically stable without any performance degradation in long term operation. Moreover, this method can be easily scaled up or down, since the spatial and temperature resolution is determined by an optical imaging system. Our method supplied a simple and efficient solution for temperature mapping on a heterogeneous surface where usage of an infrared thermal camera was limited.

Facile and high spatial resolution ratio-metric luminescence thermal mapping in microfluidics by near infrared excited upconversion nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Yu; Li, Shunbo; Wen, Weijia; Cao, Wenbin

2016-01-01

A local area temperature monitor is important for precise control of chemical and biological processes in microfluidics. In this work, we developed a facile method to realize micron spatial resolution of temperature mapping in a microfluidic channel quickly and cost effectively. Based on the temperature dependent fluorescence emission of NaYF 4 :Yb 3+ , Er 3+ upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) under near-infrared irradiation, ratio-metric imaging of UCNPs doped polydimethylsiloxane can map detailed temperature distribution in the channel. Unlike some reported strategies that utilize temperature sensitive organic dye (such as Rhodamine) to achieve thermal sensing, our method is highly chemically inert and physically stable without any performance degradation in long term operation. Moreover, this method can be easily scaled up or down, since the spatial and temperature resolution is determined by an optical imaging system. Our method supplied a simple and efficient solution for temperature mapping on a heterogeneous surface where usage of an infrared thermal camera was limited

High fat diet prevents over-crowding induced decrease of sex ratio in mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Madhukar Shivajirao Dama

Full Text Available Adaptive theory predicts that mothers would be advantaged by adjusting the sex ratio of their offspring in relation to their offspring's future reproductive success. In the present study, we tested the effect of housing mice under crowded condition on the sex ratio and whether the fat content of the diet has any influence on the outcome of pregnancies. Three-week-old mice were placed on the control diet (NFD for 3 weeks. Thereafter the mice were allotted randomly to two groups of 7 cages each with 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 mice in every cage to create increasing crowding gradient and fed either NFD or high fat diet (HFD. After 4 weeks, dams were bred and outcomes of pregnancy were analyzed. The average dam body weight (DBW at conception, litter size (LS and SR were significantly higher in HFD fed dams. Further, male biased litters declined with increasing crowding in NFD group but not in HFD. The LS and SR in NFD declined significantly with increasing crowding, whereas only LS was reduced in HFD group. We conclude that female mice housed under overcrowding conditions shift offspring SR in favor of daughters in consistent with the TW hypothesis and high fat diet reduces this influence of overcrowding.

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio is the best surrogate marker for insulin resistance in non-obese Japanese adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takayama Shuzo

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The aim of the present study was to examine how lipid profiles are associated with insulin resistance in Japanese community-dwelling adults. Methods This cross-sectional study included 614 men aged 58 ± 14 (mean ± standard deviation; range, 20-89 years and 779 women aged 60 ± 12 (range, 21-88 years. The study sample were 1,042 (74.8% non-obese (BMI 2 and 351 (25.2% overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 subjects. Insulin resistance was defined by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR of at least 2.5. The areas under the curve (AUC of the receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC were used to compare the power of these serum markers. Results In non-obese subjects, the best marker of insulin resistance was low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C ratio of 0.74 (95% confidence interval (CI, 0.66-0.80. The HDL-C, triglyceride (TG/HDL-C ratio, and non-HDL-C also discriminated insulin resistance, as the values for AUC were 0.31 (95% CI, 0.24-0.38, 0.69 (95% CI, 0.62-0.75 and 0.69 (95% CI, 0.62-0.75, respectively. In overweight subjects, the AUC for TG and TG/HDL-C ratio were 0.64 (0.58-0.71 and 0.64 (0.57-0.70, respectively. The optimal cut-off point to identifying insulin resistance for these markers yielded the following values: TG/HDL-C ratio of ≥1.50 and LDL-C/HDL-C ratio of ≥2.14 in non-obese subjects, and ≥2.20, ≥2.25 in overweight subjects. In non-obese subjects, the positive likelihood ratio was greatest for LDL-C/HDL-C ratio. Conclusion In non-obese Japanese adults, LDL-C/HDL-C ratio may be the best reliable marker of insulin resistance.

A study of radionuclides, metals and stable lead isotope ratios in sediments and soils in the vicinity of natural U-mineralisation areas in the Northern Territory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frostick, A.; Bollhoefer, A.; Parry, D.

2011-01-01

Australian guidelines recommend that tailings materials from uranium (U) mining and milling be contained without any detrimental impact on the environment for at least 1000 years. Natural analogue sites are being investigated to determine if they can provide data on the rates of natural erosion processes which occur over these timescales, for input into predictive geomorphic computer models. This paper presents radionuclide, metal and stable lead (Pb) isotope data from sediment cores and surface soils in the vicinity of two mineralised areas in the Alligator Rivers Region. Surface scrapes from the natural Anomaly no. 2, south of the Ranger mineral lease, exhibit radiogenic 206 Pb/ 207 Pb and 208 Pb/ 207 Pb ratios, and elevated U and metal concentrations typical for a near surface U anomaly. In contrast, samples taken from the Koongarra mineral lease (KML) show radionuclide activity and metal concentrations similar to natural areas elsewhere in the Alligator Rivers Region and Pb isotope ratios are closer to present day average crustal ratios (PDAC), as the orebodies at KML are covered by surficial sand. A sediment core collected from Anbangbang Billabong, downstream of KML, exhibits small variations in Pb isotope ratios that indicate that approximately 1% of the upper sediments in the sediment core may be derived from material originating from the U anomaly at Koongarra.

A study of radionuclides, metals and stable lead isotope ratios in sediments and soils in the vicinity of natural U-mineralisation areas in the Northern Territory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frostick, A., E-mail: Alison.Frostick@cdu.edu.au [Charles Darwin University, School of Environment and Life Sciences, Darwin NT 0909 (Australia); ERISS, GPO Box 461, Darwin NT 0801 (Australia); Bollhoefer, A. [ERISS, GPO Box 461, Darwin NT 0801 (Australia); Parry, D. [AIMS, PO Box 41775, Casuarina NT 0811 (Australia)

2011-10-15

Australian guidelines recommend that tailings materials from uranium (U) mining and milling be contained without any detrimental impact on the environment for at least 1000 years. Natural analogue sites are being investigated to determine if they can provide data on the rates of natural erosion processes which occur over these timescales, for input into predictive geomorphic computer models. This paper presents radionuclide, metal and stable lead (Pb) isotope data from sediment cores and surface soils in the vicinity of two mineralised areas in the Alligator Rivers Region. Surface scrapes from the natural Anomaly no. 2, south of the Ranger mineral lease, exhibit radiogenic {sup 206}Pb/{sup 207}Pb and {sup 208}Pb/{sup 207}Pb ratios, and elevated U and metal concentrations typical for a near surface U anomaly. In contrast, samples taken from the Koongarra mineral lease (KML) show radionuclide activity and metal concentrations similar to natural areas elsewhere in the Alligator Rivers Region and Pb isotope ratios are closer to present day average crustal ratios (PDAC), as the orebodies at KML are covered by surficial sand. A sediment core collected from Anbangbang Billabong, downstream of KML, exhibits small variations in Pb isotope ratios that indicate that approximately 1% of the upper sediments in the sediment core may be derived from material originating from the U anomaly at Koongarra.

Evaluation of a Candidate Trace Contaminant Control Subsystem Architecture: The High Velocity, Low Aspect Ratio (HVLA) Adsorption Process

Science.gov (United States)

Kayatin, Matthew J.; Perry, Jay L.

2017-01-01

Traditional gas-phase trace contaminant control adsorption process flow is constrained as required to maintain high contaminant single-pass adsorption efficiency. Specifically, the bed superficial velocity is controlled to limit the adsorption mass-transfer zone length relative to the physical adsorption bed; this is aided by traditional high-aspect ratio bed design. Through operation in this manner, most contaminants, including those with relatively high potential energy are readily adsorbed. A consequence of this operational approach, however, is a limited available operational flow margin. By considering a paradigm shift in adsorption architecture design and operations, in which flows of high superficial velocity are treated by low-aspect ratio sorbent beds, the range of well-adsorbed contaminants becomes limited, but the process flow is increased such that contaminant leaks or emerging contaminants of interest may be effectively controlled. To this end, the high velocity, low aspect ratio (HVLA) adsorption process architecture was demonstrated against a trace contaminant load representative of the International Space Station atmosphere. Two HVLA concept packaging designs (linear flow and radial flow) were tested. The performance of each design was evaluated and compared against computer simulation. Utilizing the HVLA process, long and sustained control of heavy organic contaminants was demonstrated.

Promotion of flavonoid biosynthesis in leaves and calli of ornamental crabapple (Malus sp.) by high carbon to nitrogen ratios.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Huihua; Zhang, Jie; Song, Tingting; Tian, Ji; Yao, Yuncong

2015-01-01

Flavonoids are secondary metabolites that play important roles in plant physiology. Despite numerous studies examined the effects of available carbon (C) or nitrogen (N) on flavonoid biosynthesis, the mechanism of C/N interactive effects on flavonoid metabolism is still unclear. In this study, we analyzed the composition of flavonoids and the expression levels of flavonoid-related genes in leaves and calli of crabapple (Malus sp.) cultivars with different leaf colors grown on media with different C/N ratios. Our results show that high C/N ratios induce anthocyanin pigmentation in leaves of the ever-red cultivar 'Royalty' and the spring-red cultivar 'Prairifire,' as well as in three types of calli derived from the ever-green cultivar 'Spring Snow,' but not in the leaves of the ever-green cultivar 'Flame.' This phenomenon therefore correlated with anthocyanin content in these different samples. In addition, high C/N ratios in the growth media resulted in an increase in the concentration of flavones and flavonols in the leaves of the three crabapple cultivars. The transcript levels of the general flavonoid pathway genes [from chalcone synthase (CHS) to uridine diphosphat-glucose: flavonoid 3-O-glycosyltransferase (UFGT) and flavonol synthase (FLS)] increased in response to high C/N ratios, and this in turn was correlated with the concentration of anthocyanins, flavones and flavonols in the leaves and calli. Expression of the late flavonoid/anthocyanin biosynthetic genes, anthocyanidin synthase (ANS), UFGT and FLS in particular, was more strongly influenced by C/N ratios than other structural genes, and the increased expression of the structural genes under high C/N ratios coincided with a coordinated increase in transcript levels of a MYB transcription factor, MYB10. These results are likely to be useful for future generation of plants with an optimized flavonoid/anthocyanin content or desirable organ coloration.

Promotion of flavonoid biosynthesis in leaves and calli of ornamental crabapple (Malus spp. by high carbon to nitrogen ratios

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huihua eWan

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Flavonoids are secondary metabolites that play important roles in plant physiology. Despite numerous studies examined the effects of available carbon (C or nitrogen (N on flavonoid biosynthesis, the mechanism of C/N interactive effects on flavonoid metabolism is still unclear. In this study, we analyzed the composition of flavonoids and the expression levels of flavonoid-related genes in leaves and calli of crabapple (Malus spp. cultivars with different leaf colors grown on media with different C/N ratios. Our results show that high C/N ratios induce anthocyanin pigmentation in leaves of the ever-red cultivar ‘Royalty’ and the spring-red cultivar ‘Prairifire’, as well as in three types of calli derived from the ever-green cultivar ‘Spring Snow’, but not in the leaves of the ever-green cultivar ‘Flame’. This phenomenon therefore correlated with anthocyanin content in these different samples. In addition, high C/N ratios in the growth media resulted in an increase in the concentration of flavones and flavonols in the leaves of the three crabapple cultivars. The transcript levels of the general flavonoid pathway genes [from chalcone synthase (CHS to uridine diphosphate (UDP-glucose: flavonoid 3-O-glycosyltransferase (UFGT and flavonol synthase (FLS] increased in response to high C/N ratios, and this in turn was correlated with the concentration of anthocyanin, flavone and flavonol in the leaves and calli. Expression of the late flavonoid/anthocyanin biosynthetic genes, anthocyanidin synthase (ANS, UFGT and FLS in particular, was more strongly influenced by C/N ratios than other structural genes, and the increased expression of the structural genes under high C/N ratios coincided with a coordinated increase in transcript levels of a MYB transcription factor, MYB10. These results are likely to be useful for future generation of plants with an optimized flavonoid/anthocyanin content or desirable organ coloration.

A hypothetical model for predicting the toxicity of high aspect ratio nanoparticles (HARN)

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, C. L.; Tantra, R.; Donaldson, K.; Stone, V.; Hankin, S. M.; Ross, B.; Aitken, R. J.; Jones, A. D.

2011-12-01

The ability to predict nanoparticle (dimensional structures which are less than 100 nm in size) toxicity through the use of a suitable model is an important goal if nanoparticles are to be regulated in terms of exposures and toxicological effects. Recently, a model to predict toxicity of nanoparticles with high aspect ratio has been put forward by a consortium of scientists. The High aspect ratio nanoparticles (HARN) model is a platform that relates the physical dimensions of HARN (specifically length and diameter ratio) and biopersistence to their toxicity in biological environments. Potentially, this model is of great public health and economic importance, as it can be used as a tool to not only predict toxicological activity but can be used to classify the toxicity of various fibrous nanoparticles, without the need to carry out time-consuming and expensive toxicology studies. However, this model of toxicity is currently hypothetical in nature and is based solely on drawing similarities in its dimensional geometry with that of asbestos and synthetic vitreous fibres. The aim of this review is two-fold: (a) to present findings from past literature, on the physicochemical property and pathogenicity bioassay testing of HARN (b) to identify some of the challenges and future research steps crucial before the HARN model can be accepted as a predictive model. By presenting what has been done, we are able to identify scientific challenges and research directions that are needed for the HARN model to gain public acceptance. Our recommendations for future research includes the need to: (a) accurately link physicochemical data with corresponding pathogenicity assay data, through the use of suitable reference standards and standardised protocols, (b) develop better tools/techniques for physicochemical characterisation, (c) to develop better ways of monitoring HARN in the workplace, (d) to reliably measure dose exposure levels, in order to support future epidemiological

A hypothetical model for predicting the toxicity of high aspect ratio nanoparticles (HARN)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tran, C. L.; Tantra, R.; Donaldson, K.; Stone, V.; Hankin, S. M.; Ross, B.; Aitken, R. J.; Jones, A. D.

2011-01-01

The ability to predict nanoparticle (dimensional structures which are less than 100 nm in size) toxicity through the use of a suitable model is an important goal if nanoparticles are to be regulated in terms of exposures and toxicological effects. Recently, a model to predict toxicity of nanoparticles with high aspect ratio has been put forward by a consortium of scientists. The High aspect ratio nanoparticles (HARN) model is a platform that relates the physical dimensions of HARN (specifically length and diameter ratio) and biopersistence to their toxicity in biological environments. Potentially, this model is of great public health and economic importance, as it can be used as a tool to not only predict toxicological activity but can be used to classify the toxicity of various fibrous nanoparticles, without the need to carry out time-consuming and expensive toxicology studies. However, this model of toxicity is currently hypothetical in nature and is based solely on drawing similarities in its dimensional geometry with that of asbestos and synthetic vitreous fibres. The aim of this review is two-fold: (a) to present findings from past literature, on the physicochemical property and pathogenicity bioassay testing of HARN (b) to identify some of the challenges and future research steps crucial before the HARN model can be accepted as a predictive model. By presenting what has been done, we are able to identify scientific challenges and research directions that are needed for the HARN model to gain public acceptance. Our recommendations for future research includes the need to: (a) accurately link physicochemical data with corresponding pathogenicity assay data, through the use of suitable reference standards and standardised protocols, (b) develop better tools/techniques for physicochemical characterisation, (c) to develop better ways of monitoring HARN in the workplace, (d) to reliably measure dose exposure levels, in order to support future epidemiological

High-precision comparison of the antiproton-to-proton charge-to-mass ratio.

Science.gov (United States)

Ulmer, S; Smorra, C; Mooser, A; Franke, K; Nagahama, H; Schneider, G; Higuchi, T; Van Gorp, S; Blaum, K; Matsuda, Y; Quint, W; Walz, J; Yamazaki, Y

2015-08-13

Invariance under the charge, parity, time-reversal (CPT) transformation is one of the fundamental symmetries of the standard model of particle physics. This CPT invariance implies that the fundamental properties of antiparticles and their matter-conjugates are identical, apart from signs. There is a deep link between CPT invariance and Lorentz symmetry--that is, the laws of nature seem to be invariant under the symmetry transformation of spacetime--although it is model dependent. A number of high-precision CPT and Lorentz invariance tests--using a co-magnetometer, a torsion pendulum and a maser, among others--have been performed, but only a few direct high-precision CPT tests that compare the fundamental properties of matter and antimatter are available. Here we report high-precision cyclotron frequency comparisons of a single antiproton and a negatively charged hydrogen ion (H(-)) carried out in a Penning trap system. From 13,000 frequency measurements we compare the charge-to-mass ratio for the antiproton (q/m)p- to that for the proton (q/m)p and obtain (q/m)p-/(q/m)p − 1 =1(69) × 10(-12). The measurements were performed at cyclotron frequencies of 29.6 megahertz, so our result shows that the CPT theorem holds at the atto-electronvolt scale. Our precision of 69 parts per trillion exceeds the energy resolution of previous antiproton-to-proton mass comparisons as well as the respective figure of merit of the standard model extension by a factor of four. In addition, we give a limit on sidereal variations in the measured ratio of baryonic antimatter, and it sets a new limit on the gravitational anomaly parameter of |α − 1| < 8.7 × 10(-7).

Tuberculosis Lymphadenitis, A Diagnostic Problem in Areas of High ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Introduction. Malawi has high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection rates. In 1993, 32% of mothers visiting the antenatal cI inic in an urban area, and 12% in rural areas, were sero-positive for HIV (1). The HIV epidemic is associated with a marked increase in the number of cases of tuberculosis in general (2) and ...

EJ-309 pulse shape discrimination performance with a high gamma-ray-to-neutron ratio and low threshold

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaplan, A.C., E-mail: Alexis.C.Kaplan@gmail.com [Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan, 2355 Bonisteel Blvd., Ann Arbor, MI 48104 (United States); Nuclear Engineering and Nonproliferation Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87544 (United States); Flaska, M.; Enqvist, A.; Dolan, J.L.; Pozzi, S.A. [Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan, 2355 Bonisteel Blvd., Ann Arbor, MI 48104 (United States)

2013-11-21

Measuring neutrons in the presence of high gamma-ray fluence is a challenge with multi-particle detectors. Organic liquid scintillators such as the EJ-309 are capable of accurate pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) but the chance for particle misclassification is not negligible for some applications. By varying the distance from an EJ-309 scintillator to a strong-gamma-ray source and keeping a weak-neutron source at a fixed position, various gamma-to-neutron ratios can be measured and PSD performance can be quantified. Comparing neutron pulse-height distributions allows for pulse-height specific PSD evaluation, and quantification and visualization of deviation from {sup 252}Cf alone. Even with the addition of the misclassified gamma-rays, the PSD is effective in separating particles so that neutron count rate can be predicted with less than 10% error up to a gamma-to-neutron ratio of almost 650. For applications which can afford a reduction in neutron detection efficiency, PSD can be sufficiently effective in discriminating particles to measure a weak neutron source in a high gamma-ray background. -- Highlights: •We measure neutrons in a high photon background with EJ-309 liquid scintillators. •A low threshold is used to test the limits of particle discrimination. •A weak neutron signal is detectable with a gamma/neutron ratio as high as 770. •Photon pileup most commonly adds to error in classification of neutrons. •Neutron count rates are within 10% of expected rate under high gamma background.

EJ-309 pulse shape discrimination performance with a high gamma-ray-to-neutron ratio and low threshold

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaplan, A.C.; Flaska, M.; Enqvist, A.; Dolan, J.L.; Pozzi, S.A.

2013-01-01

Measuring neutrons in the presence of high gamma-ray fluence is a challenge with multi-particle detectors. Organic liquid scintillators such as the EJ-309 are capable of accurate pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) but the chance for particle misclassification is not negligible for some applications. By varying the distance from an EJ-309 scintillator to a strong-gamma-ray source and keeping a weak-neutron source at a fixed position, various gamma-to-neutron ratios can be measured and PSD performance can be quantified. Comparing neutron pulse-height distributions allows for pulse-height specific PSD evaluation, and quantification and visualization of deviation from 252 Cf alone. Even with the addition of the misclassified gamma-rays, the PSD is effective in separating particles so that neutron count rate can be predicted with less than 10% error up to a gamma-to-neutron ratio of almost 650. For applications which can afford a reduction in neutron detection efficiency, PSD can be sufficiently effective in discriminating particles to measure a weak neutron source in a high gamma-ray background. -- Highlights: •We measure neutrons in a high photon background with EJ-309 liquid scintillators. •A low threshold is used to test the limits of particle discrimination. •A weak neutron signal is detectable with a gamma/neutron ratio as high as 770. •Photon pileup most commonly adds to error in classification of neutrons. •Neutron count rates are within 10% of expected rate under high gamma background

A screening on Specific Learning Disorders in an Italian speaking high genetic homogeneity area.

Science.gov (United States)

Cappa, Claudia; Giulivi, Sara; Schilirò, Antonino; Bastiani, Luca; Muzio, Carlo; Meloni, Fabrizio

2015-01-01

The aim of the present research is to investigate the prevalence of Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) in Ogliastra, an area of the island of Sardinia, Italy. Having experienced centuries of isolation, Ogliastra has become a high genetic homogeneity area, and is considered particularly interesting for studies on different kinds of pathologies. Here we are going to describe the results of a screening carried out throughout 2 consecutive years in 49 second grade classes (24 considered in the first year and 25 in the second year of the study) of the Ogliastra region. A total of 610 pupils (average age 7.54 years; 293 female, 317 male) corresponding to 68.69% of all pupils who were attending second grade in the area, took part in the study. The tool used for the screening was "RSR-DSA. Questionnaire for the detection of learning difficulties and disorders", which allowed the identification of 83 subjects at risk (13.61% of the whole sample involved in the study). These subjects took part in an enhancement training program of about 6 months. After the program, pupils underwent assessment for reading, writing and calculation abilities, as well as cognitive assessment. According to the results of the assessment, the prevalence of SLDs is 6.06%. For what concerns dyslexia, 4.75% of the total sample manifested this disorder either in isolation or in comorbidity with other disorders. According to the first national epidemiological investigation carried out in Italy, the prevalence of dyslexia is 3.1-3.2%, which is lower than the prevalence obtained in the present study. Given the genetic basis of SLDs, this result, together with the presence of several cases of SLD in isolation (17.14%) and with a 3:1 ratio of males to females diagnosed with a SLD, was to be expected in a sample coming from a high genetic homogeneity area. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Concentration ratios to great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) at Olkiluoto repository site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kangasniemi, Ville; Ikonen, Ari T.K. [Environmental Research and Assessment EnviroCase, Ltd., Hallituskatu 1 D 4, 28100 Pori (Finland); Haavisto, Fiia [FM Meri and Erae Oy, Seijaistentie 133a, 21230 Lemu (Finland); Salmi, Juhani A. [Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, Itaeinen Pitkaekatu 3, 20520 Turku (Finland)

2014-07-01

Olkiluoto Island on the western coast of Finland has been selected as a repository site for spent nuclear fuel disposal. The great cormorant was a common species in the Finnish coastal area and possibly also a resource for human uses before the decline of the cormorant population in the 18. century. During the last decade, the great cormorant has become again a relevant part of food web in the Bothnian Sea coastal area. Due to the regulatory requirements, the biosphere assessment demonstrating the long-term safety of the repository is developed into more and more site specific. As the adequate literature data on common waterfowl is sparse or in some cases lacking, samples of adult cormorants, eggs and guano together with water and fish samples were collected from the Olkiluoto coastal area. This contribution will present concentration ratios of stable element based on these samples with focus on the elements of a high relevance to the biosphere assessment of the Olkiluoto spent fuel repository together with discussion on the role of food (fish) versus the application of the water-to-bird concentration ratio. (authors)

[Waist-to-height ratio is an indicator of metabolic risk in children].

Science.gov (United States)

Valle-Leal, Jaime; Abundis-Castro, Leticia; Hernández-Escareño, Juan; Flores-Rubio, Salvador

2016-01-01

Abdominal fat, particularly visceral, is associated with a high risk of metabolic complications. The waist-height ratio (WHtR) is used to assess abdominal fat in individuals of all ages. To determine the ability of the waist-to-height ratio to detect metabolic risk in mexican schoolchildren. A study was conducted on children between 6 and 12 years. Obesity was diagnosed as a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 85th percentile, and an ICE ≥0.5 was considered abdominal obesity. Blood levels of glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides were measured. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative value, area under curve, the positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio of the WHtR and BMI were calculated in order to identify metabolic alterations. WHtR and BMI were compared to determine which had the best diagnostic efficiency. Of the 223 children included in the study, 51 had hypertriglyceridaemia, 27 with hypercholesterolaemia, and 9 with hyperglycaemia. On comparing the diagnostic efficiency of WHtR with that of BMI, there was a sensitivity of 100% vs. 56% for hyperglycaemia, 93 vs. 70% for cholesterol, and 76 vs. 59% for hypertriglyceridaemia. The specificity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and area under curve were also higher for WHtR. The WHtR is a more efficient indicator than BMI in identifying metabolic risk in mexican school-age. Copyright © 2015 Sociedad Chilena de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

High sex ratios in rural China: declining well-being with age in never-married men.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xudong; Hesketh, Therese

2017-09-19

In parts of rural China male-biased sex ratios at birth, combined with out-migration of women, have led to highly male-biased adult sex ratios, resulting in large numbers of men being unable to marry, in a culture where marriage and reproduction are an expectation. The aim of this study was to test the hypotheses that older unmarried men are more predisposed to depression, low self-esteem and aggression than both those who are married, and those who are younger and unmarried. Self-completion questionnaires were administered among men aged 20-40 in 48 villages in rural Guizhou province, southwestern China. Tools used included the Beck Depression Inventory, the Rosenberg's Self-esteem Scale and the Bryant-Smith Aggression Questionnaire. Regression models assessed psychological wellbeing while adjusting for socio-demographic variables. Completed questionnaires were obtained from 957 never-married men, 535 married men aged 30-40, 394 partnered men and 382 unpartnered men aged 20-29. After adjusting for socio-demographic variables, never-married men were more predisposed to depression ( p self-esteem ( p < 0.05) and suicidal tendencies ( p < 0.001). All the psychological measures deteriorated with age in never-married men. In contrast, married men remained stable on these dimensions with age. Never-married men are a psychologically highly vulnerable group in a society where marriage is an expectation. Since the highest birth sex-ratio cohorts have not yet reached reproductive age, the social tragedy of these men will last for at least another generation.This article is part of the themed issue 'Adult sex ratios and reproductive decisions: a critical re-examination of sex differences in human and animal societies'. © 2017 The Authors.

Fabrication of high aspect ratio micro electrode by using EDM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elsiti, Nagwa Mejid; Noordin, M.Y.; Alkali, Adam Umar

2016-01-01

The electrical discharge machining (EDM) process inherits characteristics that make it a promising micro-machining technique. Micro electrical discharge machining (micro- EDM) is a derived form of EDM, which is commonly used to manufacture micro and miniature parts and components by using the conventional electrical discharge machining fundamentals. Moving block electro discharge grinding (Moving BEDG) is one of the processes that can be used to fabricate micro-electrode. In this study, a conventional die sinker EDM machine was used to fabricate the micro-electrode. Modifications are made to the moving BEDG, which include changing the direction of movements and control gap in one electrode. Consequently current was controlled due to the use of roughing, semi-finishing and finishing parameters. Finally, a high aspect ratio micro-electrode with a diameter of 110.49μm and length of 6000μm was fabricated. (paper)

Hydrologic performance of bioretention in an expressway service area.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Jianping; Pan, Junkui; Hu, Ning; Xie, Chengzuo

2018-04-01

Bioretention can be an effective measure for stormwater treatment. However, there is a lack of systematic analysis of the impact of bioretention design parameters on hydrologic performance. Herein, SWMM and RECARGA models were applied to generate the typical annual rainfall runoff and simulate the water balance of the bioretention system in an expressway service area. The purpose of the investigation was to identify key design parameters for the bioretention system and delineate the priorities in developing the design. Results showed that the average groundwater recharge ratios for bioretention basins with and without an underdrain were 58.29% and 92.27%, respectively, the average overflow ratios were 4.13% and 4.19%, the average evapotranspiration ratios were 4.48% and 4.47%, and the average outflow ratio for bioretention with an underdrain was 33.94%. The ratio of the bioretention area to drainage area, and the saturated infiltration rates of planting soil and native soil were the main factors influencing water balance, while the underdrain diameter and gravel layer depth exerted little effect. Based on the impact analysis, multivariate nonlinear regression models of runoff reduction rate for two types of bioretention basin were established, which both exhibited high determination coefficients and acceptable Nash-Sutcliffe coefficients.

Light emitting diode with high aspect ratio submicron roughness for light extraction and methods of forming

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ting [Ventura, CA

2011-04-26

The surface morphology of an LED light emitting surface is changed by applying a reactive ion etch (RIE) process to the light emitting surface. High aspect ratio, submicron roughness is formed on the light emitting surface by transferring a thin film metal hard-mask having submicron patterns to the surface prior to applying a reactive ion etch process. The submicron patterns in the metal hard-mask can be formed using a low cost, commercially available nano-patterned template which is transferred to the surface with the mask. After subsequently binding the mask to the surface, the template is removed and the RIE process is applied for time duration sufficient to change the morphology of the surface. The modified surface contains non-symmetric, submicron structures having high aspect ratio which increase the efficiency of the device.

Preparation of High Surface Area Activated Carbon from Spent Phenolic Resin by Microwave Heating and KOH Activation

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Song; Zhang, Libo; Zhang, Shengzhou; Xia, Hongying; Peng, Jinhui

2018-01-01

The spent phenolic resin is as raw material for preparing high surface area activated carbon (HSAAC) by microwave-assisted KOH activation. The effects of microwave power, activation duration and impregnation ratio (IR) on the iodine adsorption capability and yield of HSAAC were investigated. The surface characteristics of HSAAC were characterized by nitrogen adsorption isotherms, FTIR, SEM and TEM. The operating variables were optimized utilizing the response surface methodology (RSM) and were identified to be microwave power of 700 W, activation duration of 15 min and IR of 4, corresponding to a yield of 51.25 % and an iodine number of 2,384 mg/g. The pore structure parameters of the HSAAC, i. e., Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area, total pore volume, and average pore diameter were estimated to be 4,269 m2/g, 2.396 ml/g and 2.25 nm, respectively, under optimum conditions. The findings strongly support the feasibility of microwave-assisted KOH activation for preparation of HSAAC from spent phenolic resin.

S-ratio method as criteria for renewable energy development in Indonesia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rinaldy Dalimi

2000-01-01

One of the strategy for national energy development in Indonesia is energy diversification, such as, by exploiting more renewable energy. Renewable energy development in the near future, particularly, is for rural electrification and remote area, where the electricity is not available and the price of conventional energy is higher than the possible electricity price. The government will give a priority to the rural area who already pay more for energy conventional. The conventional energy price is called as a substitute energy price (or willingness to pay). To determine which area can afford the renewable energy price, S-ratio method could also be used for the criteria. S-ratio is the ratio between net present value of the possible benefit and the investment needed. The possible benefit is calculated by using the substitute energy price. If the value of S-ratio is greater than 1 (one), it is the area can afford the renewable energy as a substitute energy. (Author)

High precision isotopic ratio analysis of volatile metal chelates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hachey, D.L.; Blais, J.C.; Klein, P.D.

1980-01-01

High precision isotope ratio measurements have been made for a series of volatile alkaline earth and transition metal chelates using conventional GC/MS instrumentation. Electron ionization was used for alkaline earth chelates, whereas isobutane chemical ionization was used for transition metal studies. Natural isotopic abundances were determined for a series of Mg, Ca, Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, Cd, and Zn chelates. Absolute accuracy ranged between 0.01 and 1.19 at. %. Absolute precision ranged between +-0.01-0.27 at. % (RSD +- 0.07-10.26%) for elements that contained as many as eight natural isotopes. Calibration curves were prepared using natural abundance metals and their enriched 50 Cr, 60 Ni, and 65 Cu isotopes covering the range 0.1-1010.7 at. % excess. A separate multiple isotope calibration curve was similarly prepared using enriched 60 Ni (0.02-2.15 at. % excess) and 62 Ni (0.23-18.5 at. % excess). The samples were analyzed by GC/CI/MS. Human plasma, containing enriched 26 Mg and 44 Ca, was analyzed by EI/MS. 1 figure, 5 tables

Chromosome Aberration on High Level Background Natural Radiation Areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yanti-Lusiyanti; Zubaidah-Alatas

2001-01-01

When the body is irradiated, all cells can suffer cytogenetic damage that can be seen as structural damage of chromosome in the lymphocytes. People no matter where they live in world are exposed to background radiation from natural sources both internal and external such as cosmic radiation, terrestrial radiation, cosmogenic radiation radon and thoron. Level of area natural ionizing radiation is varies depending on the altitude, the soil or rock conditions, particular food chains and the building materials and construction features. Level of normal areas of background exposure is annual effective dose 2.4 mSv and the high level areas of background exposure 20 mSv. This paper discuses the frequency of aberration chromosome especially dysenteries in several countries having high level radiation background. It seems that frequency of chromosome aberrations increase, generally with the increase of age of the people and the accumulated dose received. (author)

Analysis and Prevention of Geo-Environmental Hazards with High-Intensive Coal Mining: A Case Study in China’s Western Eco-Environment Frangible Area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qiang Sun

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This study seeks to address the problems of major geo-environmental hazards caused by high-intensive coal mining in China’s western eco-environment frangible area including strong mining pressure, surface subsidence, soil and water loss, and land desertification. Using the high-intensive mining at the Xiao-jihan Coal Mine, this paper investigates the compaction characteristics of aeolian sand-based backfilling materials, and then the evolution of water-conducting fractures and surface deformation laws with different backfill material’s compression ratios (BMCRs by using physical simulation and numerical simulation analysis methods. This study presents the technical system of water-preserved and environmental protection with rapid-backfilling methods in China’s western eco-environment frangible area. The backfill coal mining technique and application prospects are assessed and discussed. The results will be helpful for coordinated development of coal resources exploitation and environmental protection in China’s western eco-environment frangible area.

Seasonal variations in 228Ra/226Ra ratio within coastal waters of the Sea of Japan: implications for water circulation patterns in coastal areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inoue, M.; Tanaka, K.; Watanabe, S.; Kofuji, H.; Yamamoto, M.; Komura, K.

2006-01-01

In this study, low-background γ-spectrometry was used to determine the 228 Ra/ 226 Ra ratio of 131 coastal water samples from various environments around Honshu Island, Japan (mainly around Noto Peninsula) at 1-3 month intervals from April 2003 until September 2005. Spatial variation in 228 Ra/ 226 Ra ratios was also assessed by analyzing 34 coastal water samples from five areas within the Sea of Japan during May and June 2004. The 228 Ra/ 226 Ra ratio of coastal water from all sites around Noto Peninsula shows seasonal variation, with minimum values during summer ( 228 Ra/ 226 Ra = 0.7) and maximum values during autumn-winter ( 228 Ra/ 226 Ra = 1.7-2). This seasonal variation is similar to that recorded for coastal water between Tsushima Strait and Noto Peninsula. The measured lateral variation in 228 Ra/ 226 Ra ratios within coastal water between Tsushima Strait and Noto Peninsula is only minor (0.5-0.7; May-June 2004). Coastal waters from two other sites (Pacific shore and Tsugaru Strait, north Honshu) show no clear seasonal variation in 228 Ra/ 226 Ra ratio. These measured variations in 228 Ra/ 226 Ra ratio, especially the temporal variations, have important implications for seasonal changes in patterns of coastal water circulation within the Sea of Japan

P-West High Intensity Secondary Beam Area Design Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cox, A.; Currier, R.; Eartly, D.; Guthke, A.; Johnson, G.; Lee, D.; Dram, R.; Villegas, E.; Rest, J.; Tilles, E.; Vander Arend, P.

1977-03-01

This report gives the initial design parameters of a 1000 GeV High Intensity Superconducting Secondary Beam Laboratory to be situated in the Proton Area downstream of the existing Proton West experimental station. The area will provide Fermilab with a major capability for experimentation with pion and antiproton beams of intensities and of energies available at no other laboratory and with an electron beam with excellent spot size, intensity, and purity at energies far above that available at electron machines. Detailed beam design, area layouts, and cost estimates are presented, along with the design considerations.

Charge dependence of the ratio of double to total ionization of a helium-like ion by Compton scattering of a high energy photon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suric, T.; Pisk, K.; Pratt, R.H.

1996-01-01

We examine the charge (Z) dependence of the nonrelativistic high energy limit for the double to total ionization ratio by Compton scattering of a photon, as well as by the photoeffect, utilizing our approach based on the impulse approximation or on the generalized shake-off theory. For all Z our high energy Compton ratio is about half the corresponding photoeffect ratio, calculated using the same assumptions or, alternatively, the ratio of double ionization by Compton scattering to double ionization by the photoeffect is about half the ratio for single ionization. We conclude that all current Compton calculations are consistent with this result, and we show that the recent calculation of Amusia and Mikhailov [Phys. Lett. A 199 (1995) 209] corresponds to our high Z results. (orig.)

Can Coronene and/or Benzo(a)pyrene/Coronene ratio act as unique markers for vehicle emission?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen, Guofeng; Chen, Yuanchen; Wei, Siye; Fu, Xiaofang; Ding, Aijun; Wu, Haisuo; Tao, Shu

2014-01-01

Coronene is a high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon with seven aromatic rings. It, more specifically a lower ratio of Benzo[a]pyrene to Coronone (BaP/COR), is suggested as a marker for vehicle emission. In the present study, emissions of Coronene were measured from residential combustions of wood, crop straw, and pellets. The detection of COR in non-vehicle emission sources, and comparable BaP/COR ratios between the solid fuel combustion and vehicle emissions indicated that the generality of COR or the BaP/COR ratio as markers for the vehicle emission would be questionable, especially for the area where solid fuel combustion dominated the PAHs emission. Highlights: • Coronene alone is not a unique marker for vehicle emission. • The specific ratio, BaP/Coronene, could be very high for gasoline emission. • The use of a specific ratio, BaP/Coronene, as a marker is debatable. -- Coronene alone is not a unique tracer for vehicle emission and the use of specific Benzo[a]pyrene to Coronene ratio needs more evaluation studies

Anatomical distribution of peptic ulcer in high incidence gastric cancer area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anuar Alonso Cedeño-Burbano

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Peptic ulcer makes reference to the solution of continuity of gastric or duodenal wall beyond muscularis mucosae. Previously, duodenal location was more common than gastric, in a ratio ranging from 2:1 to 4:1. Despite this, after the discovery of the association between peptic ulcer and Helicobacter pylori, relationship between gastric and duodenal ulcer has spread to the equality. However, in areas with high incidence of gastric cancer, peptic ulcer seems to have a different behavior, existing predominance of gastric ulcer. Department of Cauca is have the highest incidence of gastric cancer in Colombia, with an annual rate of 42.5 /100,000 for males and 28.6 / 100,000 for women; however, it is unknown how peptic ulcer anatomically are distributed. Objective: To determine the anatomical distribution of peptic ulcer at endoscopy service of San José University Hospital of Popayán-Cauca, Colombia 2006-2012. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was realized. Database of endoscopy service of San José University Hospital of Popayán was reviewed and reports with diagnosis of peptic ulcer were studied. Data were analyzed using SPSS-15. Results: Gastric ulcer was more common than duodenal ulcer. Gastric ulcer was more common in men (gastric and duodenal ulcer 1:1. In women duodenal ulcer is 1:1. Conclusion: At endoscopy service of San José University Hospital, gastric ulcer is more common than duodenal ulcer, with differences in gender, as in other areas with high incidence of gastric cancer. That fact are suggests in current literature could be related with the presence of stumps of Helicobacter pylori with combined virulence for cancer and ulcer at gastric level seems to be related to the presence in the medium of common virulence strains of Helicobacter pylori for stomach cancer and ulcer gastric, although the current literature is unclear about it, and still needs more validations.

Innovative GOCI algorithm to derive turbidity in highly turbid waters: a case study in the Zhejiang coastal area.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Zhongfeng; Zheng, Lufei; Zhou, Yan; Sun, Deyong; Wang, Shengqiang; Wu, Wei

2015-09-21

An innovative algorithm is developed and validated to estimate the turbidity in Zhejiang coastal area (highly turbid waters) using data from the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI). First, satellite-ground synchronous data (n = 850) was collected from 2014 to 2015 using 11 buoys equipped with a Yellow Spring Instrument (YSI) multi-parameter sonde capable of taking hourly turbidity measurements. The GOCI data-derived Rayleigh-corrected reflectance (R(rc)) was used in place of the widely used remote sensing reflectance (R(rs)) to model turbidity. Various band characteristics, including single band, band ratio, band subtraction, and selected band combinations, were analyzed to identify correlations with turbidity. The results indicated that band 6 had the closest relationship to turbidity; however, the combined bands 3 and 6 model simulated turbidity most accurately (R(2) = 0.821, pcoastal waters is feasible. As an example, the developed model was applied to 8 hourly GOCI images on 30 December 2014. Three cross sections were selected to identify the spatiotemporal variation of turbidity in the study area. Turbidity generally decreased from near-shore to offshore and from morning to afternoon. Overall, the findings of this study provide a simple and practical method, based on GOCI data, to estimate turbidity in highly turbid coastal waters at high temporal resolutions.

Cycle length and COD/N ratio determine properties of aerobic granules treating high-nitrogen wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Cydzik-Kwiatkowska, Agnieszka; Bernat, Katarzyna; Zielińska, Magdalena; Wojnowska-Baryła, Irena

2014-07-01

Aerobic granule characteristic in sequencing batch reactors treating high-nitrogen digester supernatant was investigated at cycle lengths (t) of 6, 8 and 12 h with the COD/N ratios in the influent of 4.5 and 2.3. The biomass production (Y obs) correlated with the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in grams per COD removed. Denitrification efficiency significantly decreased as the amount of EPS in biomass increased, suggesting that organic assimilation in EPS hampers nitrogen removal. Granule hydrophobicity was highest at t of 8 h; the t has to be long enough to remove pollutants, but not so long that excessive biomass starvation causes extracellular protein consumption that decreases hydrophobicity. At a given t, reducing the COD/N ratio improved hydrophobicity that stimulates cell aggregation. At t of 6 h and the COD/N ratio of 2.3, the dominance of 0.5-1.0 mm granules favored simultaneous nitrification and denitrification and resulted in the highest nitrogen removal.

High conversion burner type reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higuchi, Shin-ichi; Kawashima, Masatoshi

1987-01-01

Purpose: To simply and easily dismantle and reassemble densified fuel assemblies taken out of a high conversion ratio area thereby improve the neutron and fuel economy. Constitution: The burner portion for the purpose of fuel combustion is divided into a first burner region in adjacent with the high conversion ratio area at the center of the reactor core, and a second burner region formed to the outer circumference thereof and two types of fuels are charged therein. Densified fuel assemblies charged in the high conversion ratio area are separatably formed as fuel assemblies for use in the two types of burners. In this way, dense fuel assembly is separated into two types of fuel assemblies for use in burner of different number and arranging density of fuel elements which can be directly charged to the burner portion and facilitate the dismantling and reassembling of the fuel assemblies. Further, since the two types of fuel assemblies are charged in the burner portion, utilization factor for the neutron fuels can be improved. (Kamimura, M.)

Variation of strontium stable isotope ratios and origins of strontium in Japanese vegetables and comparison with Chinese vegetables.

Science.gov (United States)

Aoyama, Keisuke; Nakano, Takanori; Shin, Ki-Cheol; Izawa, Atsunobu; Morita, Sakie

2017-12-15

To evaluate the utility of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio for determining the geographical provenance of vegetables, we compared 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios and Sr concentrations in five vegetable species grown in Japan and China, and we also examined the relationships between 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios in vegetables, the soil-exchangeable pool, irrigation water, and fertilizer from 20 Japanese agricultural areas. The vegetable 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios in Japan were similar for all species within a given agricultural area, but tended to be low in northeast Japan and high in southwest Japan. The median 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio in Japanese vegetables was similar to that in fertilizer, suggesting that in addition to rock-derived Sr, vegetables contain Sr derived from fertilizers. In most cases, the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios for the Japanese and Chinese vegetables differed by approximately 0.710. Linear discriminant analysis using both 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and the Sr concentration allowed more accurate discrimination between vegetables from the two countries. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physiological intracellular crowdedness is defined by perimeter to area ratio of subcellular compartments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noriko eHiroi

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The intracellular environment is known to be a crowded and inhomogeneous space. Such an in vivo environment differs from a well-diluted, homogeneous environment for biochemical reactions. However, the effects of both crowdedness and the inhomogeneity of environment on the behavior of a mobile particle have not yet been investigated sufficiently. As described in this paper, we constructed artificial reaction spaces with fractal models, which are assumed to be non-reactive solid obstacles in a reaction space with crevices that function as operating ranges for mobile particles threading the space. Because of the homogeneity of the structures of artificial reaction spaces, the models succeeded in reproducing the physiological fractal dimension of solid structures with a smaller number of non-reactive obstacles than in the physiological condition. This incomplete compatibility was mitigated when we chose a suitable condition of a perimeter-to-area ratio of the operating range to our model. Our results also show that a simulation space is partitioned into convenient reaction compartments as an in vivo environment with the exact amount of solid structures estimated from TEM images. The characteristics of these compartments engender larger mean square displacement of a mobile particle than that of particles in smaller compartments. Subsequently, the particles start to show confined particle-like behavior. These results are compatible with our previously presented results, which predicted that a physiological environment would produce quick-response and slow-exhaustion reactions.

A high extinction ratio THz polarizer fabricated by double-bilayer wire grid structure

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Bin; Wang, Haitao; Shen, Jun; Yang, Jun; Mao, Hongyan; Xia, Liangping; Zhang, Weiguo; Wang, Guodong; Peng, Xiao-Yu; Wang, Deqiang

2016-02-01

We designed a new style of broadband terahertz (THz) polarizer with double-bilayer wire grid structure by fabricating them on both sides of silicon substrate. This THz polarizer shows a high average extinction ratio of 60dB in 0.5 to 2.0 THz frequency range and the maximum of 87 dB at 1.06 THz, which is much higher than that of conventional monolayer wire grid polarizers and single-bilayer wire grid ones.

A high extinction ratio THz polarizer fabricated by double-bilayer wire grid structure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bin Lu

2016-02-01

Full Text Available We designed a new style of broadband terahertz (THz polarizer with double-bilayer wire grid structure by fabricating them on both sides of silicon substrate. This THz polarizer shows a high average extinction ratio of 60dB in 0.5 to 2.0 THz frequency range and the maximum of 87 dB at 1.06 THz, which is much higher than that of conventional monolayer wire grid polarizers and single-bilayer wire grid ones.

Laser thermal annealing of Ge, optimized for highly activated dopants and diode ION/IOFF ratios

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shayesteh, M.; O'Connell, D.; Gity, F.

2014-01-01

The authors compared the influence of laser thermal annealing (LTA) and rapid thermal annealing (RTA) on dopant activation and electrical performance of phosphorus and arsenic doped n+/p junction. High carrier concentration above 1020 cm-3 as well as an ION/IOFF ratio of approximately 105 and ide...

Diagonal Likelihood Ratio Test for Equality of Mean Vectors in High-Dimensional Data

KAUST Repository

Hu, Zongliang

2017-10-27

We propose a likelihood ratio test framework for testing normal mean vectors in high-dimensional data under two common scenarios: the one-sample test and the two-sample test with equal covariance matrices. We derive the test statistics under the assumption that the covariance matrices follow a diagonal matrix structure. In comparison with the diagonal Hotelling\\'s tests, our proposed test statistics display some interesting characteristics. In particular, they are a summation of the log-transformed squared t-statistics rather than a direct summation of those components. More importantly, to derive the asymptotic normality of our test statistics under the null and local alternative hypotheses, we do not require the assumption that the covariance matrix follows a diagonal matrix structure. As a consequence, our proposed test methods are very flexible and can be widely applied in practice. Finally, simulation studies and a real data analysis are also conducted to demonstrate the advantages of our likelihood ratio test method.

Diagonal Likelihood Ratio Test for Equality of Mean Vectors in High-Dimensional Data

KAUST Repository

Hu, Zongliang; Tong, Tiejun; Genton, Marc G.

2017-01-01

We propose a likelihood ratio test framework for testing normal mean vectors in high-dimensional data under two common scenarios: the one-sample test and the two-sample test with equal covariance matrices. We derive the test statistics under the assumption that the covariance matrices follow a diagonal matrix structure. In comparison with the diagonal Hotelling's tests, our proposed test statistics display some interesting characteristics. In particular, they are a summation of the log-transformed squared t-statistics rather than a direct summation of those components. More importantly, to derive the asymptotic normality of our test statistics under the null and local alternative hypotheses, we do not require the assumption that the covariance matrix follows a diagonal matrix structure. As a consequence, our proposed test methods are very flexible and can be widely applied in practice. Finally, simulation studies and a real data analysis are also conducted to demonstrate the advantages of our likelihood ratio test method.

A geophysical tour of high background radiation areas of the world

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krishnan, D.; Kher, R.K.; Nambi, K.S.V.

1995-01-01

A comparison of the findings including health effects in four major high natural background areas of the world are given. Such high background areas could prove to be a radiation ecology laboratory gifted by nature and provide further insight in the relation of radiation, natural or otherwise and human health. 3 refs., 2 tabs

Large-area aligned growth of single-crystalline organic nanowire arrays for high-performance photodetectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Yiming; Zhang Xiujuan; Pan Huanhuan; Zhang Xiwei; Zhang Yuping; Zhang Xiaozhen; Jie Jiansheng

2013-01-01

Due to their extraordinary properties, single-crystalline organic nanowires (NWs) are important building blocks for future low-cost and efficient nano-optoelectronic devices. However, it remains a critical challenge to assemble organic NWs rationally in an orientation-, dimensionality- and location-controlled manner. Herein, we demonstrate a feasible method for aligned growth of single-crystalline copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) NW arrays with high density, large-area uniformity and perfect crossed alignment by using Au film as a template. The growth process was investigated in detail. The Au film was found to have a critical function in the aligned growth of NWs, but may only serve as the active site for NW nucleation because of the large surface energy, as well as direct the subsequent aligned growth. The as-prepared NWs were then transferred to construct single NW-based photoconductive devices, which demonstrated excellent photoresponse properties with robust stability and reproducibility; the device showed a high switching ratio of ∼180, a fast response speed of ∼100 ms and could stand continuous operation up to 2 h. Importantly, this strategy can be extended to other organic molecules for their synthesis of NW arrays, revealing great potential for use in the construction of large-scale high-performance functional nano-optoelectronic devices. (paper)

Quantitative Lesion-to-Fat Elasticity Ratio Measured by Shear-Wave Elastography for Breast Mass: Which Area Should Be Selected as the Fat Reference?

Science.gov (United States)

Youk, Ji Hyun; Son, Eun Ju; Gweon, Hye Mi; Han, Kyung Hwa; Kim, Jeong-Ah

2015-01-01

To investigate whether the diagnostic performance of lesion-to-fat elasticity ratio (Eratio) was affected by the location of the reference fat. For 257 breast masses in 250 women who underwent shear-wave elastography before biopsy or surgery, multiple Eratios were measured with a fixed region-of-interest (ROI) in the mass along with multiple ROIs over the surrounding fat in different locations. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine that Eratio was independently associated with malignancy adjusted for the location of fat ROI (depth, laterality, and distance from lesion or skin). Mean (Emean) and maximum (Emax) elasticity values of fat were divided into four groups according to their interquartile ranges. Diagnostic performance of each group was evaluated using the area under the ROC curve (AUC). False diagnoses of Eratio were reviewed for ROIs on areas showing artifactual high or low stiffness and analyzed by logistic regression analysis to determine variables (associated palpable abnormality, lesion size, the vertical distance from fat ROI to skin, and elasticity values of lesion or fat) independently associated with false results. Eratio was independently associated with malignancy adjusted for the location of fat ROI (P<0.0001). Among four groups of fat elasticity values, the AUC showed no significant difference (<25th percentile, 25th percentile~median, median~75th percentile, and ≥75th percentile; 0.973, 0.982, 0.967, and 0.954 for Emean; 0.977, 0.967, 0.966, and 0.957 for Emax). Fat elasticity values were independently associated with false results of Eratio with the cut-off of 3.18 from ROC curve (P<0.0001). ROIs were set on fat showing artifactual high stiffness in 90% of 10 false negatives and on lesion showing vertical striped artifact or fat showing artifactual low stiffness in 77.5% of 71 false positives. Eratio shows good diagnostic performance regardless of the location of reference fat, except when it is placed in areas of artifacts.

Quantitative Lesion-to-Fat Elasticity Ratio Measured by Shear-Wave Elastography for Breast Mass: Which Area Should Be Selected as the Fat Reference?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ji Hyun Youk

Full Text Available To investigate whether the diagnostic performance of lesion-to-fat elasticity ratio (Eratio was affected by the location of the reference fat.For 257 breast masses in 250 women who underwent shear-wave elastography before biopsy or surgery, multiple Eratios were measured with a fixed region-of-interest (ROI in the mass along with multiple ROIs over the surrounding fat in different locations. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine that Eratio was independently associated with malignancy adjusted for the location of fat ROI (depth, laterality, and distance from lesion or skin. Mean (Emean and maximum (Emax elasticity values of fat were divided into four groups according to their interquartile ranges. Diagnostic performance of each group was evaluated using the area under the ROC curve (AUC. False diagnoses of Eratio were reviewed for ROIs on areas showing artifactual high or low stiffness and analyzed by logistic regression analysis to determine variables (associated palpable abnormality, lesion size, the vertical distance from fat ROI to skin, and elasticity values of lesion or fat independently associated with false results.Eratio was independently associated with malignancy adjusted for the location of fat ROI (P<0.0001. Among four groups of fat elasticity values, the AUC showed no significant difference (<25th percentile, 25th percentile~median, median~75th percentile, and ≥75th percentile; 0.973, 0.982, 0.967, and 0.954 for Emean; 0.977, 0.967, 0.966, and 0.957 for Emax. Fat elasticity values were independently associated with false results of Eratio with the cut-off of 3.18 from ROC curve (P<0.0001. ROIs were set on fat showing artifactual high stiffness in 90% of 10 false negatives and on lesion showing vertical striped artifact or fat showing artifactual low stiffness in 77.5% of 71 false positives.Eratio shows good diagnostic performance regardless of the location of reference fat, except when it is placed in areas of

A Numerical Study of Anti-Vortex Film Cooling Designs at High Blowing Ratio

Science.gov (United States)

Heidmann, James D.

2008-01-01

A concept for mitigating the adverse effects of jet vorticity and liftoff at high blowing ratios for turbine film cooling flows has been developed and studied at NASA Glenn Research Center. This "anti-vortex" film cooling concept proposes the addition of two branched holes from each primary hole in order to produce a vorticity counter to the detrimental kidney vortices from the main jet. These vortices typically entrain hot freestream gas and are associated with jet separation from the turbine blade surface. The anti-vortex design is unique in that it requires only easily machinable round holes, unlike shaped film cooling holes and other advanced concepts. The anti-vortex film cooling hole concept has been modeled computationally for a single row of 30deg angled holes on a flat surface using the 3D Navier-Stokes solver Glenn-HT. A modification of the anti-vortex concept whereby the branched holes exit adjacent to the main hole has been studied computationally for blowing ratios of 1.0 and 2.0 and at density ratios of 1.0 and 2.0. This modified concept was selected because it has shown the most promise in recent experimental studies. The computational results show that the modified design improves the film cooling effectiveness relative to the round hole baseline and previous anti-vortex cases, in confirmation of the experimental studies.

Wavy channel transistor for area efficient high performance operation

KAUST Repository

Fahad, Hossain M.

2013-04-05

We report a wavy channel FinFET like transistor where the channel is wavy to increase its width without any area penalty and thereby increasing its drive current. Through simulation and experiments, we show the effectiveness of such device architecture is capable of high performance operation compared to conventional FinFETs with comparatively higher area efficiency and lower chip latency as well as lower power consumption.

Earthquake Hazard for Aswan High Dam Area

Science.gov (United States)

Ismail, Awad

2016-04-01

Earthquake activity and seismic hazard analysis are important components of the seismic aspects for very essential structures such as major dams. The Aswan High Dam (AHD) created the second man-made reservoir in the world (Lake Nasser) and is constructed near urban areas pose a high-risk potential for downstream life and property. The Dam area is one of the seismically active regions in Egypt and is occupied with several cross faults, which are dominant in the east-west and north-south. Epicenters were found to cluster around active faults in the northern part of Lake and AHD location. The space-time distribution and the relation of the seismicity with the lake water level fluctuations were studied. The Aswan seismicity separates into shallow and deep seismic zones, between 0 and 14 and 14 and 30 km, respectively. These two seismic zones behave differently over time, as indicated by the seismicity rate, lateral extent, b-value, and spatial clustering. It is characterized by earthquake swarm sequences showing activation of the clustering-events over time and space. The effect of the North African drought (1982 to present) is clearly seen in the reservoir water level. As it decreased and left the most active fault segments uncovered, the shallow activity was found to be more sensitive to rapid discharging than to the filling. This study indicates that geology, topography, lineations in seismicity, offsets in the faults, changes in fault trends and focal mechanisms are closely related. No relation was found between earthquake activity and both-ground water table fluctuations and water temperatures measured in wells located around the Kalabsha area. The peak ground acceleration is estimated in the dam site based on strong ground motion simulation. This seismic hazard analyses have indicated that AHD is stable with the present seismicity. The earthquake epicenters have recently took place approximately 5 km west of the AHD structure. This suggests that AHD dam must be

Analytic free-form lens design for imaging applications with high aspect ratio

Science.gov (United States)

Duerr, Fabian; Benítez, Pablo; Miñano, Juan Carlos; Meuret, Youri; Thienpont, Hugo

2012-10-01

A new three-dimensional analytic optics design method is presented that enables the coupling of three ray sets with only two free-form lens surfaces. Closely related to the Simultaneous Multiple Surface method in three dimensions (SMS3D), it is derived directly from Fermat's principle, leading to multiple sets of functional differential equations. The general solution of these equations makes it possible to calculate more than 80 coefficients for each implicit surface function. Ray tracing simulations of these free-form lenses demonstrate superior imaging performance for applications with high aspect ratio, compared to conventional rotational symmetric systems.

Determination of curie content and 134/137cesium ratios by gamma spectroscopy of high burnup plutonium-aluminum fuel assemblies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haggard, D.L.; Tanner, J.E.

1997-06-01

Nondestructive assay (NDA) gamma spectroscopy techniques were used to measure 134/137 Cs ratios on nine PuAl Mark 42 fuel assemblies. The purpose of the ratio measurement was to confirm theoretical burnup calculations. 134/137 Cs ratios were determined from the measured activity based on corrected net peak area counts for the 605 keV peak from 134 Cs and the 662 keV peak from 137 Cs/ 137m Ba. Assembly No. 2 134/137 Cs ratio measured on 4-15-92 was 0.19. The measured 134/137 Cs ratio was decay corrected to be 2.11 on 8-1-84 based on the half lives of 134 Cs and 137 Cs. The measured 134/137 Cs ratio range was 1.90--2.14 for all nine assemblies. These measured values compare to a theoretical ratio of 1.7 on 8-1-84 determined by burnup calculations. Total cesium curie content was also requested and determined using the NDA direct measurements. Gamma spectral data were measured on the nine sectioned Mark 42 fuel assemblies. Measured cesium curie content, decay corrected to 8-1-84, ranged from 18170--24480 curies of 134 Cs and 8620--11646 curies of 137 Cs. Theoretical cesium curie content of 8-1-84 was 15200 curies 134 Cs and 8973 curies 137 Cs. Direct assay cesium ratio is 12% to 26% higher than the predicted ratio of 1.7. The measured 134 Cs data indicate between 20%--61% more activity than that predicted by the burnup code, whereas the measured 137 Cs activity is between 4% less to 30% more than the predicted activity. This information may be used to address issues concerning criticality safety, storage, and shipping of this type of material

Fabrication of silicon-embedded low resistance high-aspect ratio planar copper microcoils

Science.gov (United States)

Syed Mohammed, Zishan Ali; Puiu, Poenar Daniel; Aditya, Sheel

2018-01-01

Low resistance is an important requirement for microcoils which act as a signal receiver to ensure low thermal noise during signal detection. High-aspect ratio (HAR) planar microcoils entrenched in blind silicon trenches have features that make them more attractive than their traditional counterparts employing electroplating through a patterned thick polymer or achieved through silicon vias. However, challenges met in fabrication of such coils have not been discussed in detail until now. This paper reports the realization of such HAR microcoils embedded in Si blind trenches, fabricated with a single lithography step by first etching blind trenches in the silicon substrate with an aspect ratio of almost 3∶1 and then filling them up using copper electroplating. The electroplating was followed by chemical wet etching as a faster way of removing excess copper than traditional chemical mechanical polishing. Electrical resistance was further reduced by annealing the microcoils. The process steps and challenges faced in the realization of such structures are reported here followed by their electrical characterization. The obtained electrical resistances are then compared with those of other similar microcoils embedded in blind vias.

Podiatry impact on high-low amputation ratio characteristics: A 16-year retrospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Brian M; Wrobel, James S; Munson, Michael; Rothenberg, Gary; Holmes, Crystal M

2017-04-01

Complications from diabetes mellitus including major lower extremity amputation may have significant impact on a patient's mortality. This study determined what impact the addition of a limb salvage and diabetic foot program involving podiatry had at an academic institution over 16years by analyzing high-low amputation ratio data. The high-low amputation ratio in the diabetic population who underwent non-traumatic amputation of the lower extremity was retrospectively evaluated at an academic institution via cohort discovery of the electronic medical record and analysis of billing over 16years. We directly compared two eras, one without podiatry and one with a podiatry presence. It was found that with the addition of a podiatry program, limb salvage rates significantly increased (R 2 (without podiatry)=0.45, R 2 (with podiatry)=0.26), with a significant change in both the rate of limb salvage per year (-0.11% per year versus -0.36% per year; ppodiatry to 0.60 with podiatry). Of note, approximately 40 major lower extremity amputations were avoided per year with the addition of a podiatry program (ppodiatry program present at an academic institution, major lower extremity amputations can be avoided and more limbs can be salvaged, thus preventing some of the moribund complications from this condition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Alternative method for variable aspect ratio vias using a vortex mask

Science.gov (United States)

Schepis, Anthony R.; Levinson, Zac; Burbine, Andrew; Smith, Bruce W.

2014-03-01

Historically IC (integrated circuit) device scaling has bridged the gap between technology nodes. Device size reduction is enabled by increased pattern density, enhancing functionality and effectively reducing cost per chip. Exemplifying this trend are aggressive reductions in memory cell sizes that have resulted in systems with diminishing area between bit/word lines. This affords an even greater challenge in the patterning of contact level features that are inherently difficult to resolve because of their relatively small area and complex aerial image. To accommodate these trends, semiconductor device design has shifted toward the implementation of elliptical contact features. This empowers designers to maximize the use of free device space, preserving contact area and effectively reducing the via dimension just along a single axis. It is therefore critical to provide methods that enhance the resolving capacity of varying aspect ratio vias for implementation in electronic design systems. Vortex masks, characterized by their helically induced propagation of light and consequent dark core, afford great potential for the patterning of such features when coupled with a high resolution negative tone resist system. This study investigates the integration of a vortex mask in a 193nm immersion (193i) lithography system and qualifies its ability to augment aspect ratio through feature density using aerial image vector simulation. It was found that vortex fabricated vias provide a distinct resolution advantage over traditionally patterned contact features employing a 6% attenuated phase shift mask (APM). 1:1 features were resolvable at 110nm pitch with a 38nm critical dimension (CD) and 110nm depth of focus (DOF) at 10% exposure latitude (EL). Furthermore, iterative source-mask optimization was executed as means to augment aspect ratio. By employing mask asymmetries and directionally biased sources aspect ratios ranging between 1:1 and 2:1 were achievable, however, this

Combustion and emissions characteristics of high n-butanol/diesel ratio blend in a heavy-duty diesel engine and EGR impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Zheng; Wu, Zhenkuo; Liu, Jingping; Lee, Chiafon

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Effects of EGR on high n-butanol/diesel ratio blend (Bu40) were investigated and compared with neat diesel (Bu00). • Bu40 has higher NOx due to wider combustion high-temperature region. • Bu40 has lower soot due to local lower equivalence ratio distribution. • Bu40 has higher CO due to lower gas temperature in the late expansion process. • For Bu40, EGR reduces NOx emissions dramatically with no obvious influence on soot. - Abstract: In this work, the combustion and emission fundamentals of high n-butanol/diesel ratio blend with 40% butanol (i.e., Bu40) in a heavy-duty diesel engine were investigated by experiment and simulation at constant engine speed of 1400 rpm and an IMEP of 1.0 MPa. Additionally, the impact of EGR was evaluated experimentally and compared with neat diesel fuel (i.e., Bu00). The results show that Bu40 has higher cylinder pressure, longer ignition delay, and faster burning rate than Bu00. Compared with Bu00, moreover, Bu40 has higher NOx due to wider combustion high-temperature region, lower soot due to local lower equivalence ratio distribution, and higher CO due to lower gas temperature in the late expansion process. For Bu40, EGR reduces NOx emissions dramatically with no obvious influence on soot. Meanwhile, there is no significant change in HC and CO emissions and indicated thermal efficiency (ITE) with EGR until EGR threshold is reached. When EGR rate exceeds the threshold level, HC and CO emissions increase dramatically, and ITE decreases markedly. Compared with Bu00, the threshold of Bu40 appears at lower EGR rate. Consequently, combining high butanol/diesel ratio blend with medium EGR has the potential to achieve ultra-low NOx and soot emissions simultaneously while maintaining high thermal efficiency level

The High Aspect Ratio Design (HARD): A candidate ITER concept with improved technology phase performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nevins, W.M.; Perkins, L.J.; Wesley, J.C.

1992-10-01

The High Aspect Ratio Design (HARD) International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) concept developed by the US ITER team is an alternate to the low-aspect-ratio ITER design developed by the ITER participants during the Conceptual Design Activity (CDA). The CDA design, referred to hereafter as ITER CDA, has an aspect ratio, A, of 2.79, a toroidal magnetic field, B T , of 4.85 T, and a plasma current, I p , of 22 MA for operation with an ignited plasma. In contrast, HARD employs higher aspect ratio, A = 4.0, higher toroidal field, B T = 7.11 T, and lower plasma current, I p = 14.8 MA for ignition operation. The cross sections of the two designs are compared in. The parameters and performance of HARD and ITER CDA for inductively driven ignition operation are compared in. The HARD parameters provide the same ignition performance (ignition margin evaluated against ITER-89P confinement scaling) as ITER CDA in a device with comparable size and cost. However, the reason for advancing HARD rather than ITER CDA as the ITER design concept is not inductively driven ignition performance but HARD's significantly enhanced potential to achieve the technology testing and steady-state operation goals of the ITER objectives with non-inductive current drive

Effective electro-optical modulation with high extinction ratio by a graphene-silicon microring resonator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ding, Yunhong; Zhu, Xiaolong; Xiao, Sanshui

2015-01-01

Graphene opens up for novel optoelectronic applications thanks to its high carrier mobility, ultra-large absorption bandwidth, and extremely fast material response. In particular, the opportunity to control optoelectronic properties through tuning of the Fermi level enables electro-optical modula......Graphene opens up for novel optoelectronic applications thanks to its high carrier mobility, ultra-large absorption bandwidth, and extremely fast material response. In particular, the opportunity to control optoelectronic properties through tuning of the Fermi level enables electro...... with an extinction ratio of 3.8 dB is successfully demonstrated by applying a square-waveform with a 4 V peak-to-peak voltage....

Digital color analysis of color-ratio composite LANDSAT scenes. [Nevada

Science.gov (United States)

Raines, G. L.

1977-01-01

A method is presented that can be used to calculate approximate Munsell coordinates of the colors produced by making a color composite from three registered images. Applied to the LANDSAT MSS data of the Goldfield, Nevada, area, this method permits precise and quantitative definition of the limonitic areas originally observed in a LANDSAT color ratio composite. In addition, areas of transported limonite can be discriminated from the limonite in the hydrothermally altered areas of the Goldfield mining district. From the analysis, the numerical distinction between limonitic and nonlimonitic ground is generally less than 3% using the LANDSAT bands and as much as 8% in ratios of LANDSAT MSS bands.

Underestimation of urinary albumin to creatinine ratio in morbidly obese subjects due to high urinary creatinine excretion.

Science.gov (United States)

Guidone, Caterina; Gniuli, Donatella; Castagneto-Gissey, Lidia; Leccesi, Laura; Arrighi, Eugenio; Iaconelli, Amerigo; Mingrone, Geltrude

2012-04-01

Albuminuria, a chronic kidney and/or cardiovascular disease biomarker, is currently measured as albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR). We hypothesize that in severely obese individuals ACR might be abnormally low in spite of relatively high levels of urinary albumin due to increased creatininuria. One-hundred-eighty-four subjects were divided into tertiles based on their BMI. Fat-free mass (FFM) and fat-mass were assessed by DEXA; 24-h creatinine and albumin excretion, ACR, lipid profile and blood pressure were measured. Twenty-four-hour creatinine highly correlated (R = 0.75) with FFM. Since both creatininuria and albuminuria increased with the BMI, being the increase in creatininuria preponderant in subjects with BMI>35, their ratio (AC-ratio) did not change significantly from that of subjects in the lower BMI tertile. ACR only correlated with the systolic blood pressure, while both albuminuria and cretininuria correlated (P = 0.01) with the absolute 10-year CHD risk. In subjects with BMI>35, 100 mg of albumin excreted with urine increased the CHD risk of 2%. Albumin-to-creatinine ratio is underestimated in severely obese individuals as a consequence of the large creatininuria, which is proportional to the increased FFM. Therefore, at least in this population 24-h albuminuria should be more reliable than ACR. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

Standardized morbidity ratio for leptospirosis mapping in Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Awang, Aznida Che; Samat, Nor Azah

2017-05-01

Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonotic disease that affects human health in many parts of the world including Malaysia. Leptospirosis is a disease caused by the infection of pathogenic Leptospira genus called Spirochaetes. Leptospirosis can be transmitted directly or indirectly from rats to human. The human infection is usually caused by human contact with urine or tissues of infected animal. This disease can be spread through mucus membrane such as mouth, nose and eyes, ingestion of contaminated food and water and also exposed injured skin to contaminated water or soil. There is still no vaccine currently available for the prevention or treatment of leptospirosis disease but this disease can be treated if it is diagnosed early. Therefore, the aim of this study is to estimate the relative risk for leptospirosis disease based initially on the most common statistic used in the study of disease mapping called Standardized Morbidity Ratio (SMR). We then apply SMR to leptospirosis data obtained in Malaysia. The results show that the states of Melaka have very high risk areas. The states of Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan are identified as high risk areas. The states of Perak, Perlis, Sabah and Sarawak showed medium risk areas. This is followed by low risk by other states except Pahang, Johor and Labuan with very low risk areas. In conclusion, SMR method is the best method for mapping leptospirosis because by referring to the relative risk maps, the states that deserve closer look and disease prevention can be identified.

An impedance bridge measuring the capacitance ratio in the high frequency range up to 1 MHz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dan Bee; Lee, Hyung Kew; Kim, Wan-Seop

2017-01-01

This paper describes a 2-terminal-pair impedance bridge, measuring the capacitance ratio in the high frequency range up to 1 MHz. The bridge was configured with two voltage sources and a phase control unit which enabled the bridge balance by synchronizing the voltage sources with an enhanced phase resolution. Without employing the transformers such as inductive voltage divider, injection and detection transformers, etc, the bridge system is quite simple to set up, and the balance procedure is quick and easy. Using this dual-source coaxial bridge, the 1:1 and 10:1 capacitance ratios were measured with 1 pF–1 nF capacitors in the frequency range from 1 kHz to 1 MHz. The measurement values obtained by the dual-source bridge were then compared with reference values measured using a commercial precision capacitance bridge of AH2700A, the Z -matrix method developed by ourselves, and the 4-terminal-pair coaxial bridge by the Czech Metrological Institute. All the measurements agreed within the reference uncertainty range of an order of 10 −6 –10 −5 , proving the bridge ability as a trustworthy tool for measuring the capacitance ratio in the high frequency range. (paper)

High Precision Measurement of the Proton Elastic Form Factor Ratio at Low Q2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiaohui Zhan

2009-12-01

A high precision measurement of the proton elastic form factor ratio µpGEp/GMp in the range Q2 = 0.3–0.7 GeV2/c2 was performed using recoil polarimetry in Jefferson Lab Hall A. In this low Q2 range, previous data from LEDEX [5] along with many fits and calculations [2, 3, 4] indicate substantial deviations of the ratio from unity. In this new measurement, with 80% polarized electron beam for 24 days, we are able to achieve <1% statistical uncertainty. Preliminary results are a few percent lower than expected from previous world data and fits, indicating a smaller GEp at this region. Beyond the intrinsic interest in nucleon structure, the improved form factor measurements also have implications for DVCS, determinations of the proton Zemach radius and strangeness form factors through parity violation experiments.

The neutron/proton ratio of squeezed-out nucleons and the high density behavior of the nuclear symmetry energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yong Gaochan; Li Baoan; Chen Liewen

2007-01-01

Within a transport model it is shown that the neutron/proton ratio of squeezed-out nucleons perpendicular to the reaction plane, especially at high transverse momenta, in heavy-ion reactions induced by high energy neutron-rich nuclei can be a useful tool for studying the high density behavior of the nuclear symmetry energy

Methods for oxygen/uranium ratio determination in substoichiometric uranium dioxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baranov, V.G.; Godin, Yu.G.; S'edin, Yu.D.; Kosykh, V.G.; Nepryakhin, A.M.; Komarenko, F.F.; Kutyreva, G.A.

1994-01-01

Investigations are performed into a possibility to use the methods of thermal gravimetric analysis, gas chromatography, hydration-dehydration, and e.m.f. of high-temperature solid-electrode galvanic cell for determining O-U atomic ratio in UO 2-x . It is shown that the investigated methods have an analysis error of ± 0.001 O/U units. However, the e.m.f. method, which feature a high accuracy near stoichiometry can be applied only within the limits of UO 2-x homogeneity. A possibility is shown to expend the area of e.m.f. method application during the analysis of substoichiometric uranium dioxide. 9 refs.; 1 tab

Case-control study of cancer deaths in high background radiation areas of China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tao Zufan; Cha Yongru; Zhou Shunyuan

1989-01-01

This paper presents the results of a case-control study of deaths from liver, stomach and lung cancers in the high background radiation areas (HBRA) in Yangjiang County and neighboring control areas (CA). The purpose of this study was to explore the probable relationship between the cancer deaths and the environmental mutation-related factors in the two areas, so that the role of elevated natural radiation in cancer mortality could be properly ascertained. The studied numbers of cases of liver, stomach and lung cancers were 64, 28 and 17 in HBRA, and 75, 36 and 13 in CA, respectively. The proportion of the number of cases to that of the controls was 1:1 for liver cancer and 1:2 for cancers of stomach and lung. The factors studied included pesticide, smoking, alcohol consumption, medical X-ray exposure, diet, and the socioeconomic status, such as occupation, education, economic income, living space etc. The data for this study were collected through interviewing. The data collected were analysed by methods of matched and unmatched studies. The results expressed by odds ratio (OR) show that there is no significant between most factors studied and cancer deaths, although the associations of desths from stomach cancer with drinking water of nonwell source and of lung cancer with alcohol consumption in HBRA, and the associations of liver cancer deaths with occupations involving poisonous and noxious substances, pesticide and alcohol, and of lung cancer with pesticide and lower family income in CA can be found. This study has provided some clues for explaining the difference in cancer mortalities between HBRA and CA

Identifying Malignant Pleural Effusion by A Cancer Ratio (Serum LDH: Pleural Fluid ADA Ratio).

Science.gov (United States)

Verma, Akash; Abisheganaden, John; Light, R W

2016-02-01

We studied the diagnostic potential of serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in malignant pleural effusion. Retrospective analysis of patients hospitalized with exudative pleural effusion in 2013. Serum LDH and serum LDH: pleural fluid ADA ratio was significantly higher in cancer patients presenting with exudative pleural effusion. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, pleural fluid ADA was negatively correlated 0.62 (0.45-0.85, p = 0.003) with malignancy, whereas serum LDH 1.02 (1.0-1.03, p = 0.004) and serum LDH: pleural fluid ADA ratio 0.94 (0.99-1.0, p = 0.04) was correlated positively with malignant pleural effusion. For serum LDH: pleural fluid ADA ratio, a cut-off level of >20 showed sensitivity, specificity of 0.98 (95 % CI 0.92-0.99) and 0.94 (95 % CI 0.83-0.98), respectively. The positive likelihood ratio was 32.6 (95 % CI 10.7-99.6), while the negative likelihood ratio at this cut-off was 0.03 (95 % CI 0.01-0.15). Higher serum LDH and serum LDH: pleural fluid ADA ratio in patients presenting with exudative pleural effusion can distinguish between malignant and non-malignant effusion on the first day of hospitalization. The cut-off level for serum LDH: pleural fluid ADA ratio of >20 is highly predictive of malignancy in patients with exudative pleural effusion (whether lymphocytic or neutrophilic) with high sensitivity and specificity.

Tuberculosis and pregnancy--Results of a study in a high prevalence area in London.

Science.gov (United States)

Kothari, Anjali; Mahadevan, Neila; Girling, Joanna

2006-05-01

The aim of the study was to characterise the incidence, type and presentation of tuberculosis in pregnancy over a 5-year period in women booked for antenatal care in a District General Hospital located in a high prevalence area in London. We also aimed to identify any problems and difficulties in the diagnosis and management of tuberculosis associated with pregnancy. Retrospective review of computer records and hospital notes over a period of 5 years from January 1997 to December 2001. Demographic and clinical data were collected for all the cases identified. All women with tuberculosis who conceived on antituberculous treatment, or had onset of symptoms or diagnosis made in pregnancy or the immediate postpartum period (6 weeks), and booked for antenatal care at a District General Hospital located in an area of high prevalence for tuberculosis (52.2 per 100,000 population in Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow Health authority according to the National Tuberculosis Survey of England and Wales in 1998). Thirty-two women were identified over the 5-year period, giving an incidence of 252/100,000 deliveries. The number of cases increased from 3 in 1997 to 10 in each of 2000 and 2001. All of these women were from ethnic minorities and 88% of them were immigrants with the median interval from arrival in UK being 2 years. Fifty-three percent were diagnosed with extrapulmonary tuberculosis, 38% with pulmonary tuberculosis and 9% had both. The median duration of symptoms prior to presentation was 31 days (being longer in women with extrapulmonary tuberculosis); the longest was 10 years. The median interval from presentation of symptoms to diagnosis was 32 days and the majority of women started treatment immediately. The commonest reason for a delay in diagnosis was late presentation (52%), followed by non-specific symptoms (in 38%). There was a trend towards late presentation among recent immigrants (odds ratio 2.14, 95% confidence interval 0.44-10.53) and those having

Development of a virtual probe tip with an application to high aspect ratio microscale features

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bauza, Marcin B.; Hocken, Robert J.; Smith, Stuart T.; Woody, Shane C.

2005-01-01

Nondestructive measurement of microscale features remains a challenging metrology problem. For example, to assess a high aspect ratio small hole it is currently common to cut a cross section and measure the features of interest using an atomic force microscope, scanning probe microscope, or scanning electron microscope. Typically, these metrology tools may be suitable for surface finish measurement but often lack the capability for dimensional metrology. The aim of this article is to discuss the development of a high aspect-ratio microscale probe for measurement of microscale features. A 700:1 high aspect ratio probe shank is fabricated with a 7 μm diameter, and attached at one end to an oscillator. The oscillator produces a standing wave in the oscillating probe shank as opposed to conventional probes that use a microscale sphere on the end of a comparatively rigid shank. As a result of the standing wave formed in steady state vibration, the free end of the shank generates an amplitude of oscillation greater than the probe shank diameter. Thus, the probe does not require a spherical ball to serve as the contact point and simply uses the contact diameter of the free end of the vibrating shank. This methodology is referred to as a virtual probe tip. The virtual probe tip in conjunction with a nanopositioning scanner is used to measure surface profile measurements over traverse lengths of 130 μm. In this article, results from profiles of a 500 nm step height and a ruby sphere of diameter 1 mm are presented. Experiments in this article indicate the ability to repeatedly resolve surface features of less than 5 nm while maintaining bandwidths greater than 1 kHz. Furthermore, adhesion problems often encountered with micrometer scaled probes were not observed during profile measurements with this virtual probe

High resistance ratio of bipolar resistive switching in a multiferroic/high-K Bi(Fe0.95Cr0.05)O3/ZrO2/Pt heterostructure

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, B. W.; Miao, Jun; Han, J. Z.; Shao, F.; Yuan, J.; Meng, K. K.; Wu, Y.; Xu, X. G.; Jiang, Y.

2018-03-01

An novel heterostructure composed of multiferroic Bi(Fe0.95Cr0.05)O3 (BFCO) and high-K ZrO2 (ZO) layers is investigated. Ferroelectric and electrical properties of the BFZO/ZO heterostructure have been investigated. A pronounced bipolar ferroelectric resistive switching characteristic was achieved in the heterostructure at room temperature. Interestingly, the BFCO/ZO structures exhibit a reproducible resistive switching with a high On/Off resistance ratio ∼2×103 and long retention time. The relationship between polarization and band structure at the interface of BFCO/ZO bilayer under the positive and negative sweepings has been discussed. As a result, the BFCO/ZO multiferroic/high-K heterostructure with high On/Off resistance ratio and long retention characterizes, exhibits a potential in future nonvolatile memory application.

Conversion of Blue Water into Green Water for Improving Utilization Ratio of Water Resources in Degraded Karst Areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ke Chen

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Vegetation deterioration and soil loss are the main causes of more precipitation leakages and surface water shortages in degraded karst areas. In order to improve the utilization of water resources in such regions, water storage engineering has been considered; however, site selection and cost associated with the special karstic geological structure have made this difficult. According to the principle of the Soil Plant Atmosphere Continuum, increasing both vegetation cover and soil thickness would change water cycle process, resulting in a transformation from leaked blue water (liquid form into green water (gas or saturated water form for terrestrial plant ecosystems, thereby improving the utilization of water resources. Using the Soil Vegetation Atmosphere Transfer model and the geographical distributed approach, this study simulated the conversion from leaked blue water (leakage into green water in the environs of Guiyang, a typical degraded karst area. The primary results were as follows: (1 Green water in the area accounted for <50% of precipitation, well below the world average of 65%; (2 Vegetation growth played an important role in converting leakage into green water; however, once it increased to 56%, its contribution to reducing leakage decreased sharply; (3 Increasing soil thickness by 20 cm converted the leakage considerably. The order of leakage reduction under different precipitation scenarios was dry year > normal year > rainy year. Thus, increased soil thickness was shown effective in improving the utilization ratio of water resources and in raising the amount of plant ecological water use; (4 The transformation of blue water into green water, which avoids constructions of hydraulic engineering, could provide an alternative solution for the improvement of the utilization of water resources in degraded karst area. Although there are inevitable uncertainties in simulation process, it has important significance for overcoming similar

The Net Stable Funding Ratio and banks� participation in monetary policy operations: some evidence for the euro area

OpenAIRE

Antonio Scalia; Sergio Longoni; Tiziana Rosolin

2013-01-01

Based on a review of the analytical underpinnings of the effects of the NSFR on banks� choices, this paper attempts to relate banks� strategies to developments in the value of the ratio in the euro area. In spite of a not-so-near implementation date, the evidence is that the NSFR already matters for banks� choices, and it might be more relevant as a decision variable than alternative leverage indicators. As part of a convergence process towards the 100 per cent threshold, we estimate th...

Epidemiological studies in the high and normal level radiation areas of Kerala

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koya, P.K.M.

2012-01-01

High and normal level natural radiation areas of Kerala give unique opportunities to estimate the risk, if any, of chronic low dose exposure by direct epidemiological studies on human beings. Studies in the area are being carried out by Low Level Radiation Research Laboratory of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in collaboration with Departments of Health and Family Welfare/Social Welfare of the Government of Kerala and local post graduate colleges. To assess the role of chronic low dose exposure in the induction/transmission of chromosomal alterations across generations, hospital based cytogenetic studies on newborns was carried out to estimate and compare the frequency of chromosomal aberrations and karyotypes anomalies in the high (areas with radiation dose of more than 1.50 mGy/year) and normal (areas with radiation dose of 1.50 mR/year or less) level radiation areas. A total of 1,267,788 metaphases from 27,295 (9,64,390 cells from 17,298 newborns of high and 3,03,398 cells from 9,997 newborns of normal level radiation areas) newborns was screened

MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD CLASSIFICATION OF HIGH-RESOLUTION SAR IMAGES IN URBAN AREA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Soheili Majd

2012-09-01

Full Text Available In this work, we propose a state-of-the-art on statistical analysis of polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR data, through the modeling of several indices. We concentrate on eight ground classes which have been carried out from amplitudes, co-polarisation ratio, depolarization ratios, and other polarimetric descriptors. To study their different statistical behaviours, we consider Gauss, log- normal, Beta I, Weibull, Gamma, and Fisher statistical models and estimate their parameters using three methods: method of moments (MoM, maximum-likelihood (ML methodology, and log-cumulants method (MoML. Then, we study the opportunity of introducing this information in an adapted supervised classification scheme based on Maximum–Likelihood and Fisher pdf. Our work relies on an image of a suburban area, acquired by the airborne RAMSES SAR sensor of ONERA. The results prove the potential of such data to discriminate urban surfaces and show the usefulness of adapting any classical classification algorithm however classification maps present a persistant class confusion between flat gravelled or concrete roofs and trees.

Tensile strength/yield strength (TS/YS) ratios of high-strength steel (HSS) reinforcing bars

Science.gov (United States)

Tavio, Anggraini, Retno; Raka, I. Gede Putu; Agustiar

2018-05-01

The building codes such as American Concrete Institute (ACI) 318M-14 and Standard National Indonesia (SNI) 2847:2013 require that the ratio of tensile strength (TS) and yield strength (YS) should not less than 1.25. The requirement is based on the assumption that a capability of a structural member to develop inelastic rotation capacity is a function of the length of the yield region. This paper reports an investigation on various steel grades, namely Grades 420, 550, 650, and 700 MPa, to examine the impact of different TS/YS ratios if it is less or greater than the required value. Grades 550, 650, and 700 MPa were purposely selected with the intention to examine if these higher grades are still promising to be implemented in special structural systems since they are prohibited by the building codes for longitudinal reinforcement, whereas Grade 420 MPa bars are the maximum limit of yield strength of reinforcing bars that is allowable for longitudinal reinforcement of special structural systems. Tensile tests of these steel samples were conducted under displacement controlled mode to capture the complete stress-strain curves and particularly the post-yield response of the steel bars. From the study, it can be concluded that Grade 420 performed higher TS/YS ratios and they were able to reach up to more than 1.25. However, the High Strength Still (HSS) bars (Grades 550, 600, and 700 MPa) resulted in lower TS/YS ratios (less than 1.25) compared with those of Grade 420 MPa.

Evaluation of the corrosion resistance of an epoxy-polyamide coating containing different ratios of micaceous iron oxide/Al pigments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikravesh, B.; Ramezanzadeh, B.; Sarabi, A.A.; Kasiriha, S.M.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → The corrosion resistance of the coating was improved using MIO and Al pigments. → The greatest coating corrosion resistance was observed at MIO/Al ratio of 10/90. → The cathodic disbonded area of the coating was decreased using MIO and Al particles. → The lowest disbonded area was observed at MIO/Al ratio of 10/90. → Al particles had high capability of reacting with the OH - ions. - Abstract: The corrosion resistance of an epoxy coating reinforced with different ratios of MIO/Al pigments was studied. The coatings properties were investigated by an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), salt spray test, cathodic disbonding and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The corrosion resistance of the epoxy coating was improved using MIO (micaceous iron oxide) and Al pigments. The corrosion resistance of the purely Al pigmented coating was considerably greater than the purely MIO pigmented coating. The cathodic disbonded area of coating was decreased using MIO and Al pigments. The decrease in disbonded area was more pronounced in the presence of Al particles.

Simulation of high consequence areas for gas pipelines

OpenAIRE

Orlando Díaz-Parra; Enrique Vera-López

2018-01-01

The gas pipeline is used for the transport of natural gas at a great distance. Risks derived from the handling of a combustible material transported under high pressure, by pipelines that pass close to where people live, makes it necessary to adopt prevention, mitigation and control measures to reduce the effect in case of ignition of a gas leak. This work shows the development of a new mathematical model to determine areas of high consequence and their application, using widely available and...

Analytical Expressions of the Efficiency of Standard and High Contact Ratio Involute Spur Gears

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miguel Pleguezuelos

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Simple, traditional methods for computation of the efficiency of spur gears are based on the hypotheses of constant friction coefficient and uniform load sharing along the path of contact. However, none of them is accurate. The friction coefficient is variable along the path of contact, though average values can be often considered for preliminary calculations. Nevertheless, the nonuniform load sharing produced by the changing rigidity of the pair of teeth has significant influence on the friction losses, due to the different relative sliding at any contact point. In previous works, the authors obtained a nonuniform model of load distribution based on the minimum elastic potential criterion, which was applied to compute the efficiency of standard gears. In this work, this model of load sharing is applied to study the efficiency of both standard and high contact ratio involute spur gears (with contact ratio between 1 and 2 and greater than 2, resp.. Approximate expressions for the friction power losses and for the efficiency are presented assuming the friction coefficient to be constant along the path of contact. A study of the influence of some transmission parameters (as the gear ratio, pressure angle, etc. on the efficiency is also presented.

Microscopic silicon-based lateral high-aspect-ratio structures for thin film conformality analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Feng; Arpiainen, Sanna; Puurunen, Riikka L.

2015-01-01

Film conformality is one of the major drivers for the interest in atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes. This work presents new silicon-based microscopic lateral high-aspect-ratio (LHAR) test structures for the analysis of the conformality of thin films deposited by ALD and by other chemical vapor deposition means. The microscopic LHAR structures consist of a lateral cavity inside silicon with a roof supported by pillars. The cavity length (e.g., 20–5000 μm) and cavity height (e.g., 200–1000 nm) can be varied, giving aspect ratios of, e.g., 20:1 to 25 000:1. Film conformality can be analyzed with the microscopic LHAR by several means, as demonstrated for the ALD Al 2 O 3 and TiO 2 processes from Me 3 Al/H 2 O and TiCl 4 /H 2 O. The microscopic LHAR test structures introduced in this work expose a new parameter space for thin film conformality investigations expected to prove useful in the development, tuning and modeling of ALD and other chemical vapor deposition processes

High-aspect ratio microstructures in p-type GaAs and InP created by proton beam writing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menzel, F.; Spemann, D.; Butz, T.

2011-01-01

With proton beam writing (PBW) and subsequent electrochemical etching in HF-solution the creation of high-aspect ratio microstructures in p-type InP was performed for the first time. Microstructures with high surface quality as well as high-aspect ratio possessing lateral dimensions down to 1 μm were produced. Furthermore, free-standing microstructures were created in this material by a combined irradiation with 2.25 MeV protons and 1.125 MeV H 2 + molecules, were the smallest structure dimension of 0.6 μm was achieved for a horizontal needle. The creation of nearly perfect circular microstructures indicates that the crystal structure has little effect on the structuring process by PBW in this material. Moreover, the effect of reduced etching inside of closed irradiation patterns, already known from Si and GaAs, was observed also in InP. In further PBW experiments and subsequent electrochemical etching with KOH-solution p-type GaAs microstructures were produced. By using a 4-fold higher etch current density of 45 mA/cm 2 compared to former PBW experiments on this material the quality of the microstructures could be improved significantly leading to high aspect-ratio structures with minimum lateral sizes of ∼1 μm, nearly vertical side walls as well as circular microstructures. This shows the reduced influence of the crystal structure on the shape of the microstructures compared to experiments with lower etch current density where only flat microstructures with inclined side walls determined by the crystal structure could be created.

Effect of Coriolis and centrifugal forces on flow and heat transfer at high rotation number and high density ratio in non orthogonally internal cooling channel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brahim Berrabah

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Numerical predictions of three-dimensional flow and heat transfer are performed for a two-pass square channel with 45° staggered ribs in non-orthogonally mode-rotation using the second moment closure model. At Reynolds number of 25,000, the rotation numbers studied were 0, 0.24, 0.35 and 1.00. The density ratios were 0.13, 0.23 and 0.50. The results show that at high buoyancy parameter and high rotation number with a low density ratio, the flow in the first passage is governed by the secondary flow induced by the rotation whereas the secondary flow induced by the skewed ribs was almost distorted. As a result the heat transfer rate is enhanced on both co-trailing and co-leading sides compared to low and medium rotation number. In contrast, for the second passage, the rotation slightly reduces the heat transfer rate on co-leading side at high rotation number with a low density ratio and degrades it significantly on both co-trailing and co-leading sides at high buoyancy parameter compared to the stationary, low and medium rotation numbers. The numerical results are in fair agreement with available experimental data in the bend region and the second passage, while in the first passage were overestimated at low and medium rotation numbers.

Enhanced nitrogen removal from piggery wastewater with high NH4+ and low COD/TN ratio in a novel upflow microaerobic biofilm reactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Jia; Li, Jiuling; Li, Jianzheng; Antwi, Philip; Deng, Kaiwen; Nan, Jun; Xu, Pianpian

2018-02-01

To enhance nutrient removal more cost-efficiently in microaerobic process treating piggery wastewater characterized by high ammonium (NH 4 + -N) and low chemical oxygen demand (COD) to total nitrogen (TN) ratio, a novel upflow microaerobic biofilm reactor (UMBR) was constructed and the efficiency in nutrient removal was evaluated with various influent COD/TN ratios and reflux ratios. The results showed that the biofilm on the carriers had increased the biomass in the UMBR and enhanced the enrichment of slow-growth-rate bacteria such as nitrifiers, denitrifiers and anammox bacteria. The packed bed allowed the microaerobic biofilm process perform well at a low reflux ratio of 35 with a NH 4 + -N and TN removal as high as 93.1% and 89.9%, respectively. Compared with the previously developed upflow microaerobic sludge reactor, the UMBR had not changed the dominant anammox approach to nitrogen removal, but was more cost-efficiently in treating organic wastewater with high NH 4 + -N and low COD/TN ratio. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Age estimation by pulp-to-tooth area ratio using cone-beam computed tomography: A preliminary analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rai, Arpita; Acharya, Ashith B; Naikmasur, Venkatesh G

2016-01-01

Age estimation of living or deceased individuals is an important aspect of forensic sciences. Conventionally, pulp-to-tooth area ratio (PTR) measured from periapical radiographs have been utilized as a nondestructive method of age estimation. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is a new method to acquire three-dimensional images of the teeth in living individuals. The present study investigated age estimation based on PTR of the maxillary canines measured in three planes obtained from CBCT image data. Sixty subjects aged 20-85 years were included in the study. For each tooth, mid-sagittal, mid-coronal, and three axial sections-cementoenamel junction (CEJ), one-fourth root level from CEJ, and mid-root-were assessed. PTR was calculated using AutoCAD software after outlining the pulp and tooth. All statistical analyses were performed using an SPSS 17.0 software program. Linear regression analysis showed that only PTR in axial plane at CEJ had significant age correlation ( r = 0.32; P < 0.05). This is probably because of clearer demarcation of pulp and tooth outline at this level.

Method for determination of stable carbon isotope ratio of methylnitrophenols in atmospheric particulate matter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Moukhtar

2011-11-01

Full Text Available A technique for the measurement of the stable isotope ratio of methylnitrophenols in atmospheric particulate matter is presented. Atmospheric samples from rural and suburban areas were collected for evaluation of the procedure. Particulate matter was collected on quartz fibre filters using dichotomous high volume air samplers. Methylnitrophenols were extracted from the filters using acetonitrile. The sample was then purified using a combination of high-performance liquid chromatography and solid phase extraction. The final solution was then divided into two aliquots. To one aliquot, a derivatising agent, Bis(trimethylsilyltrifluoroacetamide, was added for Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry analysis. The second half of the sample was stored in a refrigerator. For samples with concentrations exceeding 1 ng μl⁻¹, the second half of the sample was used for measurement of stable carbon isotope ratios by Gas Chromatography-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry.

The procedure described in this paper provides a method for the analysis of methylnitrophenols in atmospheric particulate matter at concentrations as low as 0.3 pg m⁻³ and for stable isotope ratios with an accuracy of better than ±0.5‰ for concentrations exceeding 100 pg m⁻³.

In all atmospheric particulate matter samples analysed, 2-methyl-4-nitrophenol was found to be the most abundant methylnitrophenol, with concentrations ranging from the low pg m⁻³ range in rural areas to more than 200 pg m⁻³ in some samples from a suburban location.

Flame structure of methane/oxygen shear coaxial jet with velocity ratio using high-speed imaging and OH*, CH* chemiluminescence

Science.gov (United States)

Shim, Myungbo; Noh, Kwanyoung; Yoon, Woongsup

2018-06-01

In this study, the effects of gaseous methane/oxygen injection velocity ratio on the shear coaxial jet flame structure are analyzed using high-speed imaging along with OH* and CH* chemiluminescence. The images show that, as the velocity ratio is increased, the visual flame length increases and wrinkles of the flame front are developed further downstream. The region near the equivalence ratio 1 condition in the flame could be identified by the maximum OH* position, and this region is located further downstream as the velocity ratio is increased. The dominant CH* chemiluminescence is found in the near-injector region. As the velocity ratio is decreased, the signal intensity is higher at the same downstream distance in each flame. From the results, as the velocity ratio is decreased, there is increased entrainment of the external jet, the mixing of the two jets is enhanced, the region near the stoichiometric mixture condition is located further upstream, and consequently, the flame length decreases.

Large-area and highly crystalline MoSe2 for optical modulator

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Jinde; Chen, Hao; Lu, Wei; Liu, Mengli; Li, Irene Ling; Zhang, Min; Zhang, Wenfei; Wang, Jinzhang; Xu, Zihan; Yan, Peiguang; Liu, Wenjun; Ruan, Shuangchen

2017-12-01

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have been successfully used as broadband optical modulator materials for pulsed fiber laser systems. However, the nonlinear optical absorptions of exfoliated TMDs are strongly limited by their nanoflakes morphology with uncontrollable lateral size and thickness. In this work, we provide an effective method to fully explore the nonlinear optical properties of MoSe2. Large-area and high quality lattice MoSe2 grown by chemical vapor deposition method was adopted as an optical modulator for the first time. The large-area MoSe2 shows excellent nonlinear optical absorption with a large modulation depth of 21.7% and small saturable intensity of 9.4 MW cm-2. After incorporating the MoSe2 optical modulator into fiber laser cavity as a saturable absorber, a highly stable Q-switching operation with single pulse energy of 224 nJ is achieved. The large-area MoSe2 possessing superior nonlinear optical properties compared to exfoliated nanoflakes affords possibility for the larger-area two-dimensional materials family as high performance optical devices.

Microwave dynamics of high aspect ratio superconducting nanowires studied using self-resonance

Science.gov (United States)

Santavicca, Daniel F.; Adams, Jesse K.; Grant, Lierd E.; McCaughan, Adam N.; Berggren, Karl K.

2016-06-01

We study the microwave impedance of extremely high aspect ratio (length/width ≈ 5000) superconducting niobium nitride nanowires. The nanowires are fabricated in a compact meander geometry that is in series with the center conductor of a 50 Ω coplanar waveguide transmission line. The transmission coefficient of the sample is measured up to 20 GHz. At high frequency, a peak in the transmission coefficient is seen. Numerical simulations show that this is a half-wave resonance along the length of the nanowire, where the nanowire acts as a high impedance, slow wave transmission line. This resonance sets the upper frequency limit for these nanowires as inductive elements. Fitting simulations to the measured resonance enables a precise determination of the nanowire's complex sheet impedance at the resonance frequency. The real part is a measure of dissipation, while the imaginary part is dominated by kinetic inductance. We characterize the dependence of the sheet resistance and sheet inductance on both temperature and current and compare the results to recent theoretical predictions for disordered superconductors. These results can aid in the understanding of high frequency devices based on superconducting nanowires. They may also lead to the development of novel superconducting devices such as ultra-compact resonators and slow-wave structures.

MEMS microphone innovations towards high signal to noise ratios (Conference Presentation) (Plenary Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Dehé, Alfons

2017-06-01

After decades of research and more than ten years of successful production in very high volumes Silicon MEMS microphones are mature and unbeatable in form factor and robustness. Audio applications such as video, noise cancellation and speech recognition are key differentiators in smart phones. Microphones with low self-noise enable those functions. Backplate-free microphones enter the signal to noise ratios above 70dB(A). This talk will describe state of the art MEMS technology of Infineon Technologies. An outlook on future technologies such as the comb sensor microphone will be given.

Radon-thoron exposures in high background radiation areas: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nambi, K.S.

1994-01-01

The radon-thoron measurements reported in literature for the high background radiation areas (HBRAs) of the world are summarised here. The most important areas covered are the Radon Spas and the thorium bearing monazite deposits. Special mention is made of the ongoing programmes of radon-thoron survey in the monazite beach areas of India; preliminary measurements indicate significant levels of thoron exposures. The diurnal and seasonal variations are quite wide underscoring the importance of carrying out integrated measurements for meaningful assessments of population exposures. Radon-thoron inhalation dose rates upto 30 mSv/y have been measured in lran as well as India. It has been generally observed that the cumulative population doses due to radon-thoron inhalation are as high as those due to the external exposures in these HBRAs. (author). 7 refs., 2 tabs., 3 figs

Novel LY Converter Topologies for High Gain Transfer Ratio - A New Breed of XY Family

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bhaskar, M.S.; Padmanaban, S.; Kulkarni, R.

2016-01-01

gain and minimum internal resistance; such as a photovoltaic MLI system, high voltage applications and electrical drives. The conspicuous features of proposed LY converter topologies are i) Single power control switch ii) Single Input source iii) Inverting output voltage iv) Transformer-less converter...... topologies v) High inverting voltage gain with moderate duty ratio vi) Less number of power devices and components. The proposed topologies have minimum internal resistance and its effect on voltage gain of LY converter is also discussed in detail. The simulation results are presented and the result...

hf alkylation in the 1980's: the role of isobutane/olefin ratio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hutson, T. Jr.

1978-08-01

Research devoted to maximizing no-lead octane numbers in motor fuel is reported. Results of the studies are the basis for the following conclusions: 1. Isobutane alkylate made from either propylene, butene-2, or C/sub 3/--C/sub 4/ mixed olefins is a low sensitivity, high motor octane product. Typically, C/sub 3/--C/sub 4/ mixed olefin alkylate has a clear motor octane number of about 92.2 and a clear Research octane number of about 93.5. 2. In separate studies with propylene, butene-2 and C/sub 3/--C/sub 4/ mixed olefins, increasing the isobutane-to-olefin ratio suppressed the formation of high molecular weight residue, indicating a substantial reduction in the role of olefin polymerization to large ions. The overall result of increasing ratio was an improvement in selectivity to high-octane components in the alkylate. 3. When alkylating isobutane with propylene, increasing the ratio resulted in a decrease in the concentration of C/sub 7/-fraction (primary product) and an increase in the C/sub 8/-fraction (from chain initiation and subsequent hydrogen transfer). At the same time, the production of chain-termination-product propane also increased. 4. When alkylating isobutane with C/sub 3/--C/sub 4/ mixed olefins, increasing the ratio showed the same trend obtained in separate alkylation tests with propylene and butene-2. As the ratio increased, the concentration of C/sub 7/-fraction (primary propylene--isobutane product) decreased and the concentration of C/sub 8/-fraction increased markedly. Thus, increasing isobutane-to-olefin ratio exerted a strong effect on alkylate quality in the area of about 5 to 1 to 20 to 1; this effect diminished at ratios 20:1.

High-aspect-ratio microstructures with versatile slanting angles on silicon by uniform metal-assisted chemical etching

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Liyi; Zhang, Cheng; Tuan, Chia-Chi; Chen, Yun; Wong, C.-P.

2018-05-01

High-aspect-ratio (HAR) microstructures on silicon (Si) play key roles in photonics and electromechanical devices. However, it has been challenging to fabricate HAR microstructures with slanting profiles. Here we report successful fabrication of uniform HAR microstructures with controllable slanting angles on (1 0 0)-Si by slanted uniform metal-assisted chemical etching (SUMaCE). The trenches have width of 2 µm, aspect ratio greater than 20:1 and high geometric uniformity. The slanting angles can be adjusted between 2-70° with respect to the Si surface normal. The results support a fundamental hypothesis that under the UMaCE condition, the preferred etching direction is along the normal of the thin film catalysts, regardless of the relative orientation of the catalyst to Si substrates or the crystalline orientation of the substrates. The SUMaCE method paves the way to HAR 3D microfabrication with arbitrary slanting profiles inside Si.

World high background natural radiation areas: Need to protect public from radiation exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sohrabi, Mehdi

2013-01-01

Highlights of findings on radiological measurements, radiobiological and epidemiological studies in some main world high background natural radiation (HBNR) areas such as in Brazil, China, India and Iran are presented and discussed with special regard to remediation of radiation exposure of inhabitants in such areas. The current radiation protection philosophy and recommendations applied to workers and public from operation of radiation and nuclear applications are based on the linear non-threshold (LNT) model. The inhabitants of HBNR and radon prone areas receive relatively high radiation doses. Therefore, according to the LNT concept, the inhabitants in HBNR areas and in particular those in Ramsar are considered at risk and their exposure should be regulated. The HBNR areas in the world have different conditions in terms of dose and population. In particular, the inhabitants in HBNR areas of Ramsar receive very high internal and external exposures. This author believes that the public in such areas should be protected and proposes a plan to remedy high exposure of the inhabitants of the HBNR areas of Ramsar, while maintaining these areas as they stand to establish a national environmental radioactivity park which can be provisionally called “Ramsar Research Natural Radioactivity Park” (RRNRP). The major HBNR areas, the public exposure and the need to remedy exposures of inhabitants are reviewed and discussed. - Highlights: ► Highlights of findings on studies in HBNR areas are reviewed and discussed. ► The need to protect HBNR area inhabitants and remedy public exposure is emphasized. ► A collective approach is proposed to remedy exposure of Ramsar HBNR area inhabitants. ► Relocation of HBNR area inhabitants and establishing a park at the location is proposed. ► The advantages and disadvantages of the methods are discussed and recommendations are made

THE EFFECT OF COMPRESSION RATIO VARIATIONS ON THE ENGINE PERFORMANCE PARAMETRES IN SPARK IGNITION ENGINES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yakup SEKMEN

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Performance of the spark ignition engines may be increased by changing the geometrical compression ratio according to the amount of charging in cylinders. The designed geometrical compression ratio can be realized as an effective compression ratio under the full load and full open throttle conditions since the effective compression ratio changes with the amount of charging into the cylinder in spark ignition engines. So, this condition of the spark ignition engines forces designers to change their geometrical compression ratio according to the amount of charging into the cylinder for improvement of performance and fuel economy. In order to improve the combustion efficiency, fuel economy, power output, exhaust emissions at partial loads, compression ratio must be increased; but, under high load and low speed conditions to prevent probable knock and hard running the compression ratio must be decreased gradually. In this paper, relation of the performance parameters to compression ratio such as power, torque, specific fuel consumption, cylindir pressure, exhaust gas temperature, combustion chamber surface area/volume ratio, thermal efficiency, spark timing etc. in spark ignition engines have been investigated and using of engines with variable compression ratio is suggested to fuel economy and more clear environment.

Material versatility using replica molding for large-scale fabrication of high aspect-ratio, high density arrays of nano-pillars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Y; Menon, C; Ng, H W; Gates, B D

2014-01-01

Arrays of high aspect-ratio (AR) nano-pillars have attracted a lot of interest for various applications, such as for use in solar cells, surface acoustic sensors, tissue engineering, bio-inspired adhesives and anti-reflective surfaces. Each application may require a different structural material, which can vary in the required chemical composition and mechanical properties. In this paper, a low cost fabrication procedure is proposed for large scale, high AR and high density arrays of nano-pillars. The proposed method enables the replication of a master with high fidelity, using the subsequent replica molds multiple times, and preparing arrays of nano-pillars in a variety of different materials. As an example applied to bio-inspired dry adhesion, polymeric arrays of nano-pillars are prepared in this work. Thermoset and thermoplastic nano-pillar arrays are examined using an atomic force microscope to assess their adhesion strength and its uniformity. Results indicate the proposed method is robust and can be used to reliably prepare nano-structures with a high AR. (paper)

Determination of curie content and {sup 134/137}cesium ratios by gamma spectroscopy of high burnup plutonium-aluminum fuel assemblies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haggard, D.L.; Tanner, J.E.

1997-06-01

Nondestructive assay (NDA) gamma spectroscopy techniques were used to measure {sup 134/137}Cs ratios on nine PuAl Mark 42 fuel assemblies. The purpose of the ratio measurement was to confirm theoretical burnup calculations. {sup 134/137}Cs ratios were determined from the measured activity based on corrected net peak area counts for the 605 keV peak from {sup 134}Cs and the 662 keV peak from {sup 137}Cs/{sup 137m}Ba. Assembly No. 2 {sup 134/137}Cs ratio measured on 4-15-92 was 0.19. The measured {sup 134/137}Cs ratio was decay corrected to be 2.11 on 8-1-84 based on the half lives of {sup 134}Cs and {sup 137}Cs. The measured {sup 134/137}Cs ratio range was 1.90--2.14 for all nine assemblies. These measured values compare to a theoretical ratio of 1.7 on 8-1-84 determined by burnup calculations. Total cesium curie content was also requested and determined using the NDA direct measurements. Gamma spectral data were measured on the nine sectioned Mark 42 fuel assemblies. Measured cesium curie content, decay corrected to 8-1-84, ranged from 18170--24480 curies of {sup 134}Cs and 8620--11646 curies of {sup 137}Cs. Theoretical cesium curie content of 8-1-84 was 15200 curies {sup 134}Cs and 8973 curies {sup 137}Cs. Direct assay cesium ratio is 12% to 26% higher than the predicted ratio of 1.7. The measured {sup 134}Cs data indicate between 20%--61% more activity than that predicted by the burnup code, whereas the measured {sup 137}Cs activity is between 4% less to 30% more than the predicted activity. This information may be used to address issues concerning criticality safety, storage, and shipping of this type of material.

Large-area high-power VCSEL pump arrays optimized for high-energy lasers

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chad; Geske, Jonathan; Garrett, Henry; Cardellino, Terri; Talantov, Fedor; Berdin, Glen; Millenheft, David; Renner, Daniel; Klemer, Daniel

2012-06-01

Practical, large-area, high-power diode pumps for one micron (Nd, Yb) as well as eye-safer wavelengths (Er, Tm, Ho) are critical to the success of any high energy diode pumped solid state laser. Diode efficiency, brightness, availability and cost will determine how realizable a fielded high energy diode pumped solid state laser will be. 2-D Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) arrays are uniquely positioned to meet these requirements because of their unique properties, such as low divergence circular output beams, reduced wavelength drift with temperature, scalability to large 2-D arrays through low-cost and high-volume semiconductor photolithographic processes, high reliability, no catastrophic optical damage failure, and radiation and vacuum operation tolerance. Data will be presented on the status of FLIR-EOC's VCSEL pump arrays. Analysis of the key aspects of electrical, thermal and mechanical design that are critical to the design of a VCSEL pump array to achieve high power efficient array performance will be presented.

Fabrication of novel AFM probe with high-aspect-ratio ultra-sharp three-face silicon nitride tips

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vermeer, Rolf; Berenschot, Johan W.; Sarajlic, Edin; Tas, Niels Roelof; Jansen, Henricus V.

In this paper we present the wafer-scale fabrication of molded AFM probes with high aspect ratio ultra-sharp three-plane silicon nitride tips. Using $\\langle$111$\\rangle$ silicon wafers a dedicated process is developed to fabricate molds in the silicon wafer that have a flat triangular bottom

Air quality high resolution simulations of Italian urban areas with WRF-CHIMERE

Science.gov (United States)

Falasca, Serena; Curci, Gabriele

2017-04-01

The new European Directive on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe (2008/50/EC) encourages the use of modeling techniques to support the observations in the assessment and forecasting of air quality. The modelling system based on the combination of the WRF meteorological model and the CHIMERE chemistry-transport model is used to perform simulations at high resolution over the main Italian cities (e.g. Milan, Rome). Three domains covering Europe, Italy and the urban areas are nested with a decreasing grid size up to 1 km. Numerical results are produced for a winter month and a summer month of the year 2010 and are validated using ground-based observations (e.g. from the European air quality database AirBase). A sensitivity study is performed using different physics options, domain resolution and grid ratio; different urban parameterization schemes are tested using also characteristic morphology parameters for the cities considered. A spatial reallocation of anthropogenic emissions derived from international (e.g. EMEP, TNO, HTAP) and national (e.g. CTN-ACE) emissions inventories and based on the land cover datasets (Global Land Cover Facility and GlobCover) and the OpenStreetMap tool is also included. Preliminary results indicate that the introduction of the spatial redistribution at high-resolution allows a more realistic reproduction of the distribution of the emission flows and thus the concentrations of the pollutants, with significant advantages especially for the urban environments.

THEORETICAL PROPOSAL FOR EXPANSION OF ROE WITH NEW SUB-RATIOS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danilo Dorović

2017-09-01

Full Text Available ROE is the ratio of profitability which can be separated into three ratios in Du Pont model. The question is - can it be even more comprehensive with more than three Du Pont ratios; that is can it also include liquidity, market share, break-even point, plan vs. actual, structure of assets and liabilities, structure of fixed costs, etc.? If these can be included in calculation, the financial, management accounting and strategic analysis could be more integrated into one more rounded system. Financial ratio analysis would also integrate into one ratio the usually different areas of analysis, like structure of assets, structure of liabili-ties, liquidity, turnover, financial leverage, etc. Strategic management and management accounting ratios, developed in the literature and used in business practice, are represented. The article in front of you presents a theoretical proposal through deduction method of how mentioned measures can potentially be included in ROE, resulting in potential benefits in planning and controlling. Integrated different areas of financial ratio analysis, manage- ment accounting and strategic analysis each represented with its ratios in profitability measure ratio, provides potentially better view of conditions, profit multiplicators and risk the profitability is achieved by. Integration inside profitability measure gives a special qual-itative advantage, having in mind that achieved profit is the main goal for owners of the company`s equity.

Coupled Effect of Expansion Ratio and Blade Loading on the Aerodynamics of a High-Pressure Gas Turbine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paolo Gaetani

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The need of a continuous improvement in gas turbine efficiency for propulsion and power generation, as well as the more demanding operating conditions and power control required to these machines, still ask for great efforts in the design and analysis of the high pressure section of the turbo-expander. To get detailed insights and improve the comprehension of the flow physics, a wide experimental campaign has been performed in the last ten years at Politecnico di Milano on the unsteady aerodynamics of a high-pressure turbine stage considering several operating conditions. This paper presents and discusses the experimental results obtained for the stage operating with different expansion ratios and rotor loading. The turbine stage under study is representative of a modern high-pressure turbine and can be operated in both subsonic and transonic conditions. The experimental tools applied for the current research represents the state of the art when unsteady investigations are foreseen. The detailed flow field, the blade–rows interaction and the overall performance are described and discussed; efforts have been devoted to the discussion of the various contribution to the overall stage efficiency. The direct effects of the expansion ratio, affecting the Reynolds and the Mach numbers, have been highlighted and quantified; similarly, the indirect effects, accounting for a change in the rotor loading, have been commented and quantified as well, thanks to a dedicated set of experiments where different rotor loadings at the same expansion ratio have been prescribed.

The Effect of Si and Al Concentration Ratios on the Removal of U(VI) under Hanford Site 200 Area Conditions-12115

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Katsenovich, Yelena; Gonzalez, Nathan; Moreno-Pastor, Carol; Lagos, Leonel [Applied Research Center, Florida International University, 10555 W. Flagler Street, Miami, FL 33174 (United States)

2012-07-01

Injection of reactive gases, such as NH{sub 3}, is an innovative technique to mitigate uranium contamination in soil for a vadose zone (VZ) contaminated with radionuclides. A series of experiments were conducted to examine the effect of the concentration ratio of silicon to aluminum in the presence of various bicarbonate concentrations on the coprecipitation process of U(VI). The concentration of Al in all tests remained unchanged at 2.8 mM. Experiments showed that the removal efficiency of uranium was not significantly affected by the different bicarbonate and U(VI) concentrations tested. For the lower Si:Al molar ratios of 2:1 and 18:1, the removal efficiency of uranium was relatively low (≤ 8%). For the Si:Al molar ratio of 35:1, the removal efficiency of uranium was increased to an average of ∼82% for all bicarbonate concentrations tested. At higher Si:Al molar ratios (53:1 and above), a relatively high removal efficiency of U(VI), approximately 85% and higher, was observed. These results demonstrate that the U(VI) removal efficiency is more affected by the Si:Al molar ratio than by the bicarbonate concentration in solution. The results of this experiment are promising for the potential implementation of NH{sub 3} gas injection for the remediation of U(VI) -contaminated VZ. (authors)

High (36)Cl/Cl ratios in Chernobyl groundwater.

Science.gov (United States)

Roux, Céline; Le Gal La Salle, Corinne; Simonucci, Caroline; Van Meir, Nathalie; Fifield, L Keith; Diez, Olivier; Bassot, Sylvain; Simler, Roland; Bugai, Dmitri; Kashparov, Valery; Lancelot, Joël

2014-12-01

After the explosion of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in April 1986, contaminated material was buried in shallow trenches within the exclusion zone. A (90)Sr plume was evidenced downgradient of one of these trenches, trench T22. Due to its conservative properties, (36)Cl is investigated here as a potential tracer to determine the maximal extent of the contamination plume from the trench in groundwater. (36)Cl/Cl ratios measured in groundwater, trench soil water and leaf leachates are 1-5 orders of magnitude higher than the theoretical natural (36)Cl/Cl ratio. This contamination occurred after the Chernobyl explosion and currently persists. Trench T22 acts as an obvious modern point source of (36)Cl, however other sources have to be involved to explain such contamination. (36)Cl contamination of groundwater can be explained by dilution of trench soil water by uncontaminated water (rainwater or deep groundwater). With a plume extending further than that of (90)Sr, radionuclide which is impacted by retention and decay processes, (36)Cl can be considered as a suitable tracer of contamination from the trench in groundwater provided that modern release processes of (36)Cl from trench soil are better characterized. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High-aspect ratio micro- and nanostructures enabled by photo-electrochemical etching for sensing and energy harvesting applications

Science.gov (United States)

Alhalaili, Badriyah; Dryden, Daniel M.; Vidu, Ruxandra; Ghandiparsi, Soroush; Cansizoglu, Hilal; Gao, Yang; Saif Islam, M.

2018-03-01

Photo-electrochemical (PEC) etching can produce high-aspect ratio features, such as pillars and holes, with high anisotropy and selectivity, while avoiding the surface and sidewall damage caused by traditional deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) or inductively coupled plasma (ICP) RIE. Plasma-based techniques lead to the formation of dangling bonds, surface traps, carrier leakage paths, and recombination centers. In pursuit of effective PEC etching, we demonstrate an optical system using long wavelength (λ = 975 nm) infra-red (IR) illumination from a high-power laser (1-10 W) to control the PEC etching process in n-type silicon. The silicon wafer surface was patterned with notches through a lithography process and KOH etching. Then, PEC etching was introduced by illuminating the backside of the silicon wafer to enhance depth, resulting in high-aspect ratio structures. The effect of the PEC etching process was optimized by varying light intensities and electrolyte concentrations. This work was focused on determining and optimizing this PEC etching technique on silicon, with the goal of expanding the method to a variety of materials including GaN and SiC that are used in designing optoelectronic and electronic devices, sensors and energy harvesting devices.