Characterization of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus with a knockout of Bm17.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Hongxing; Zhou, Yang; Zhang, Wen; Nin, Bin; Wang, Hua; Wang, Xiaochun; Shao, Shihe; Chen, Huiqing; Guo, Zhongjian; Liu, Xiaoyong; Yao, Qin; Chen, Keping

2012-12-01

Open reading frame 17 (Bm17) gene of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus is a highly conserved gene in lepidopteran nucleopolyhedroviruses, but its function remains unknown. In this report, transient-expression and superinfection assays indicated that BM17 localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm of infected BmN cells. To determine the role of Bm17 in baculovirus life cycle, we constructed a Bm17 knockout virus and characterized its properties in cells. Analysis of the production and infection of budded virions, the level of viral DNA replication revealed showed that there was no significant difference among the mutant, the control, and the Bm17 repaired virus strains. These results suggest that BM17 is not essential for virus replication in cultured cells.

A highly linear power amplifier for WLAN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin Jie; Shi Jia; Ai Baoli; Zhang Xuguang

2016-01-01

A three-stage power amplifier (PA) for WLAN application in 2.4-2.5 GHz is presented. The proposed PA employs an adaptive bias circuit to adjust the operating point of the PA to improve the linearity of the PA. Two methods to short the 2nd harmonic circuit are compared in the area of efficiency and gain of the PA. The PA is taped out in the process of 2 μm InGaP/GaAs HBT and is tested by the evaluation board. The measured results show that 31.5 dB power gain and 29.3 dBm P 1dB with an associated 40.4% power added efficiency (PAE) under the single tone stimulus. Up to 26.5 dBm output power can be achieved with an error vector magnitude (EVM) of lower than 3% under the 64QAM/OFDM WLAN stimulus. (paper)

The Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus Bm111 affects virulence but not virus replication.

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Han, Yingying; Xia, Hengchuan; Tang, Qi; Lü, Peng; Ma, Shangshang; Yang, Yanhua; Shao, Dandan; Ma, Quanbing; Chen, Keping

2014-07-01

The Bm111 of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) encodes a small polypeptide (70 amino acids) of which the function remains unknown. To characterize its function, multiple sequence alignments were performed, and the predicted protein was found to share amazingly high (98 %) sequence identity with the Bombyx mandarina nucleopolyhedrovirus ORF110 (Boma110) but negligible with proteins of other insect viruses, indicating the close relationship between these two NPVs with silkworm larvae. The transcription of Bm111 was detected as early as 3 hpi in BmNPV-infected BmN cells, suggesting it is an early gene. To investigate the role of Bm111 in baculovirus life cycle, a Bm111-knockout virus was constructed by bacmid recombination in Escherichia coli. The results showed that knockout of the Bm111 did not affect the replication of virus DNA, but significantly extended the death time of infected silkworm larvae compared to the wild-type or rescued viruses. We also successfully expressed the recombinant protein Bm111 in E. coli to provide sufficient material for subsequent studies. Taken together, our data indicate that Bm111 only affects the virulence of BmNPV, but not its replication.

A −3 dBm RF transmitter front-end for 802.11g application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Jinxin; Yan Jun; Shi Yin

2013-01-01

A 2.4 GHz, direct-conversion RF transmitter front-end with an up converter and PA driver is fabricated in a 0.13 μm CMOS process for the reliable transmission of 54 Mb/s OFDM signals. The front-end output power is −3 dBm while the corresponding EVM is −27 dB which is necessary for the 802.11g standard of EVM at −25 dB. With the adopted gain control strategy the output power changes from −14.3 to −3.7 dBm with every step 0.8 dB (20%) which covers the gain variation due to working temperature and process. A power detector indicates the output power and delivers a voltage to the baseband to control the output power. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

Solving the BM Camelopardalis puzzle

Science.gov (United States)

Teke, Mathias; Busby, Michael R.; Hall, Douglas S.

1989-01-01

BM Camelopardalis (=12 Cam) is a chromospherically active binary star with a relatively large orbital eccentricity. Systems with large eccentricities usually rotate pseudosynchronously. However, BM Cam has been a puzzle since its observed rotation rate is virtually equal to its orbital period indicating synchronization. All available photometry data for BM Cam have been collected and analyzed. Two models of modulated ellipticity effect are proposed, one based on equilibrium tidal deformation of the primary star and the other on a dynamical tidal effect. When the starspot variability is removed from the data, the dynamical tidal model was the better approximation to the real physical situation. The analysis indicates that BM Cam is not rotating pseudosynchronously but rotating in virtual synchronism after all.

BmRobo1a and BmRobo1b control axon repulsion in the silkworm Bombyx mori.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiao-Tong; Yu, Qi; Zhou, Qi-Sheng; Zhao, Xiao; Liu, Zhao-Yang; Cui, Wei-Zheng; Liu, Qing-Xin

2016-02-15

The development of the nervous system is based on the growth and connection of axons, and axon guidance molecules are the dominant regulators during this course. Robo, as the receptor of axon guidance molecule Slit, plays a key role as a conserved repellent cue for axon guidance during the development of the central nervous system. However, the function of Robo in the silkworm Bombyx mori is unknown. In this study, we cloned two novel robo genes in B. mori (Bmrobo1a and Bmrobo1b). BmRobo1a and BmRobo1b lack an Ig and a FNIII domain in the extracellular region and the CC0 and CC2 motifs in the intracellular region. BmRobo1a and BmRobo1b were colocalized with BmSlit in the neuropil. Knock-down of Bmrobo1a and Bmrobo1b by RNA interference (RNAi) resulted in abnormal development of axons. Our results suggest that BmRobo1a and BmRobo1b have repulsive function in axon guidance, even though their structures are different from Robo1 of other species. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

BmCyclin B and BmCyclin B3 are required for cell cycle progression in the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Minhui; Hong, Kaili; Chen, Xiangyun; Pan, Chun; Chen, Xuemei; Kuang, Xiuxiu; Lu, Cheng

2013-04-01

Cyclin B is an important regulator of the cell cycle G2 to M phase transition. The silkworm genomic database shows that there are two Cyclin B genes in the silkworm (Bombyx mori), BmCyclin B and BmCyclin B3. Using silkworm EST data, the cyclin B3 (EU074796) gene was cloned. Its complete cDNA was 1665 bp with an ORF of 1536 bp derived from seven exons and six introns. The BmCyclin B3 gene encodes 511 amino acids, and the predicted molecular weight is 57.8 kD with an isoelectric point of 9.18. The protein contains one protein damage box and two cyclin boxes. RNA interference-mediated reduction of BmCyclin B and BmCyclin B3 expression induced cell cycle arrest in G2 or M phase in BmN-SWU1 cells, thus inhibiting cell proliferation. These results suggest that BmCyclin B and BmCyclin B3 are necessary for completing the cell cycle in silkworm cells.

The Unified Database for BM@N experiment data handling

Science.gov (United States)

Gertsenberger, Konstantin; Rogachevsky, Oleg

2018-04-01

The article describes the developed Unified Database designed as a comprehensive relational data storage for the BM@N experiment at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna. The BM@N experiment, which is one of the main elements of the first stage of the NICA project, is a fixed target experiment at extracted Nuclotron beams of the Laboratory of High Energy Physics (LHEP JINR). The structure and purposes of the BM@N setup are briefly presented. The article considers the scheme of the Unified Database, its attributes and implemented features in detail. The use of the developed BM@N database provides correct multi-user access to actual information of the experiment for data processing. It stores information on the experiment runs, detectors and their geometries, different configuration, calibration and algorithm parameters used in offline data processing. An important part of any database - user interfaces are presented.

A highly linear power amplifier for WLAN

Science.gov (United States)

Jie, Jin; Jia, Shi; Baoli, Ai; Xuguang, Zhang

2016-02-01

A three-stage power amplifier (PA) for WLAN application in 2.4-2.5 GHz is presented. The proposed PA employs an adaptive bias circuit to adjust the operating point of the PA to improve the linearity of the PA. Two methods to short the 2nd harmonic circuit are compared in the area of efficiency and gain of the PA. The PA is taped out in the process of 2 μm InGaP/GaAs HBT and is tested by the evaluation board. The measured results show that 31.5 dB power gain and 29.3 dBm P1dB with an associated 40.4% power added efficiency (PAE) under the single tone stimulus. Up to 26.5 dBm output power can be achieved with an error vector magnitude (EVM) of lower than 3% under the 64QAM/OFDM WLAN stimulus. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61201244) and the Natural Science Fund of SUES (No. E1-0501-14-0168).

Insight Into the Role of PC71BM on Enhancing the Photovoltaic Performance of Ternary Organic Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Bei; Fu, Yingying; Yan, Chi; Zhang, Rui; Yang, Qingqing; Han, Yanchun; Xie, Zhiyuan

2018-01-01

The development of non-fullerene acceptor molecules have remarkably boosted power conversion efficiency (PCE) of polymer solar cells (PSCs) due to the improved spectral coverage and reduced energy loss. An introduction of fullerene molecules into the non-fullerene acceptor-based blend may further improve the photovoltaic performance of the resultant ternary PSCs. However, the underlying mechanism is still debatable. Herein, the ternary PSCs based on PBDB-T:ITIC:PC 71 BM blend were fabricated and its PCE was increased to 10.2% compared to 9.2% for the binary PBDB-T:ITIC devices and 8.1% for the PBDB-T:PC 71 BM PSCs. Systematic investigation was carried out to disclose the effect of PC 71 BM on the blend morphology and charge transport behavior. It is found that the PC 71 BM tends to intermix with the PBDB-T donor compared to the ITIC counterpart. A small amount of PC 71 BM in the ternary blend is helpful for ITIC to aggregate and form efficient electron-transport pathways. Accordingly, the electron mobility is increased and the density of electron traps is decreased in the ternary blend in comparison with the PBDB-T:ITIC blend. Finally, the suppressed bimolecular recombination and enhanced charge collection lead to high PCE for the ternary solar cells.

Thymosin From Bombyx mori Is Down-Regulated in Expression by BmNPV Exhibiting Antiviral Activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Chen; Wang, Yongdi; Fang, Qiang; Xu, Minlin; Lv, Mengyuan; Liao, Jinxu; Li, Si; Nie, Zuoming; Zhang, Wenping

2016-01-01

Thymosins have been highly conserved during evolution. These hormones exist in many animal species and play an essential role in many biological events. However, little is known regarding the physiological function of silkworm Bombyx mori thymosin (BmTHY). In this study, we investigated the expression pattern of BmTHY in a Bombyx mori larval ovarian cell line (BmN) challenged with Bombyx mori nuclear polyhydrosis virus (BmNPV) and the antiviral effect of recombinant BmTHY (rBmTHY) for Bombyx mori against BmNPV. Western-blot assay and qRT-PCR analysis revealed that the level of BmTHY protein expression and transcription decreased over time when BmN cells were infected by BmNPV. Treatment with endotoxin-free rBmTHY led to a significant reduction in viral titer in the supernatant of BmN cells challenged with BmNPV. The results from antiviral tests performed in vitro and in vivo showed that endotoxin-free rBmTHY improved the survival rate of Bombyx mori infected with BmNPV. These findings suggest that BmTHY exerts immunomodulatory effects on Bombyx mori, rendering them resistant to viral infection. © The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America.

BmNHR96 participate BV entry of BmN-SWU1 cells via affecting the cellular cholesterol level.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Xiao-Long; Liu, Tai-Hang; Wang, Wei; Pan, Cai-Xia; Du, Guo-Yu; Wu, Yun-Fei; Pan, Min-Hui; Lu, Cheng

2017-01-22

B.mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV), which produces BV and ODV two virion phenotypes in its life cycle, caused the amount of economic loss in sericulture. But the mechanism of its infection was still unclear. In this study we characterized B.mori nuclear hormone receptor 96 (BmNHR96) as a NHR96 family member, which was localized in the nucleus. We also found BmNHR96 over-expression could enhance the entry of BV as well as cellular cholesterol level. Furthermore, we validated that BmNHR96 increased membrane fusion mediated by GP64, which could probably promote BV-infection. In summary, our study suggested that BmNHR96 plays an important role in BV infection and this function probably actualized by affecting cellular cholesterol level, and our results provided insights to the mechanisms of BV-infection of B.mori. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High-titer preparation of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV displaying recombinant protein in silkworm larvae by size exclusion chromatography and its characterization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tanaka Shigeyasu

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Budded baculoviruses are utilized for vaccine, the production of antibody and functional analysis of transmembrane proteins. In this study, we tried to produce and purify the recombinant Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (rBmNPV-hPRR that displayed human (prorenin receptor (hPRR connected with FLAG peptide sequence on its own surface. These particles were used for further binding analysis of hPRR to human prorenin. The rBmNPV-hPRR was produced in silkworm larvae and purified from its hemolymph using size exclusion chromatography (SEC. Results A rapid method of BmNPV titer determination in hemolymph was performed using quantitative real-time PCR (Q-PCR. A correlation coefficient of BmNPV determination between end-point dilution and Q-PCR methods was found to be 0.99. rBmNPV-hPRR bacmid-injected silkworm larvae produced recombinant baculovirus of 1.31 × 108 plaque forming unit (pfu in hemolymph, which was 2.8 × 104 times higher than transfection solution in Bm5 cells. Its purification yield by Sephacryl S-1000 SF column chromatography was 264 fold from larval hemolymph at 4 days post-injection (p.i., but 35 or 39 fold at 4.5 or 5 days p.i., respectively. Protein patterns of rBmNPV-hPRR purified at 4 and 5 days were the same and ratio of envelope proteins (76, 45 and 35 kDa to VP39, one of nucleocapsid proteins, increased at 5 days p.i. hPRR was detected in only purified rBmNPV-hPRR at 5 days p.i.. Conclusion The successful purification of rBmNPV-hPRR indicates that baculovirus production using silkworm larvae and its purification from hemolymph by Sephacryl S-1000 SF column chromatography can provide an economical approach in obtaining the purified BmNPV stocks with high titer for large-scale production of hPRR. Also, it can be utilized for further binding analysis and screening of inhibitors of hPRR.

APS 6BM-B Large Volume High Pressure Beamline: A Workhorse for Rock and Mineral Physics

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, H.; Whitaker, M. L.; Baldwin, K. J.; Huebsch, W. R.; Vaughan, M. T.; Weidner, D. J.

2017-12-01

With the inheritance of decades of technical innovations at the NSLS X17B2 Beamline, APS 6BM-B Beamline was established in 2015 and is a dedicated beamline for synchrotron-based large volume high pressure research in earth sciences, especially rock and mineral physics. Currently a 250-ton hydraulic press equipped with a D-DIA module is installed and a Rotational Drickamer Apparatus from Yale University is hosted every cycle, covering a pressure range from crust to lower mantle. 6BM-B operates in white beam mode with an effective energy range of 20-100 keV. Energy dispersive X-ray diffraction data is collected using a 10-element solid state Ge array detector arranged in a circular geometry to allow for the real time assessment of stress. Direct radiographic imaging using Prosillica CCD camera and scintillating YAG crystals yields sample strain and strain rate. In addition to applications in phase transitions, equation of states measurements, sound velocity measurements, this setup is ideal for studies of steady state and dynamic deformation process. In this presentation, technical features and strengths of 6BM-B will be discussed. Most recent progress and science highlights of our user community will be showcased.

High-power microcavity lasers based on highly erbium-doped sol-gel aluminosilicate glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Ngoc Chung; Chu Thi Thu Ha; Nguyen Thu Trang; Pham Thu Nga; Pham Van Hoi; Bui Van Thien

2006-01-01

High-power whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) lasing from highly erbium-doped sol-gel aluminosilicate microsphere cavity coupled to a half-tapered optical fiber is presented. The lasing output power as high as 0.45 mW (-3.5 dBm) was obtained from sol-gel glass microsphere cavity with diameters in the range of 40-150 μm. The sol-gel method for making highly concentration Er-doped aluminosilicate glasses with Er-ion concentrations from 0.125 to 0.65 mol% of Er 3+ is described. Controlling collected lasing wavelength at each WGM is possible by adjusting the distance between the half-taper fiber and the microcavity and by diameter of the waist of half-taper fiber. Using the analytic formulas we calculated the TE and TM lasing modes and it is shown that the experimental results are in good agreement with the calculation prediction

On-chip power-combining techniques for watt-level linear power amplifiers in 0.18 μm CMOS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ren Zhixiong; Zhang Kefeng; Liu Lanqi; Li Cong; Chen Xiaofei; Liu Dongsheng; Liu Zhenglin; Zou Xuecheng

2015-01-01

Three linear CMOS power amplifiers (PAs) with high output power (more than watt-level output power) for high data-rate mobile applications are introduced. To realize watt-level output power, there are two 2.4 GHz PAs using an on-chip parallel combining transformer (PCT) and one 1.95 GHz PA using an on-chip series combining transformer (SCT) to combine output signals of multiple power stages. Furthermore, some linearization techniques including adaptive bias, diode linearizer, multi-gated transistors (MGTR) and the second harmonic control are applied in these PAs. Using the proposed power combiner, these three PAs are designed and fabricated in TSMC 0.18 μm RFCMOS process. According to the measurement results, the proposed two linear 2.4 GHz PAs achieve a gain of 33.2 dB and 34.3 dB, a maximum output power of 30.7 dBm and 29.4 dBm, with 29% and 31.3% of peak PAE, respectively. According to the simulation results, the presented linear 1.95 GHz PA achieves a gain of 37.5 dB, a maximum output power of 34.3 dBm with 36.3% of peak PAE. (paper)

BmK-YA, an enkephalin-like peptide in scorpion venom.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan Zhang

Full Text Available By screening extracts of venom from the Asian scorpion Buthus martensii Karsch (BmK for their abilities to activate opioid receptors, we have identified BmK-YA, an amidated peptide containing an enkephalin-like sequence. BmK-YA is encoded by a precursor that displays a signal sequence and contains four copies of BmK-YA sequences and four of His(4-BmK-YA, all flanked by single amino acid residues. BmK-YA and His(4-BmK-YA are amidated and thus fulfill the characteristics expected of bioactive peptides. BmK-YA can activate mammalian opioid receptors with selectivity for the δ subtype while His(4-BmK-YA is inactive at opioid receptors. The discovery of BmK-YA suggests that scorpion venom may represent a novel source of bioactive molecules targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs and reveal additional insights on the evolution of the opioid precursors.

5 Watt GaN HEMT Power Amplifier for LTE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Niotaki

2014-04-01

Full Text Available This work presents the design and implementation of a stand-alone linear power amplifier at 2.4 GHz with high output power. A GaN HEMT transistor is selected for the design and implementation of the power amplifier. The device exhibits a gain of 11.7 dB and a drain efficiency of 39% for an output power of 36.7 dBm at 2.4 GHz for an input power of 25dBm. The carrier to intermodulation ratio is better than 25 dB for a two tone input signal of 25 dBm of total power and a spacing of 5 MHz. The fabricated device is also tested with LTE input signals of different bandwidths (5MHz to 20MHz.

Morphological, structural and optical properties of MEH-PPV: PC70BM nanocomposite film

Science.gov (United States)

Mhamdi, Asya; Sweii, Fatma ben Slama; Saidi, Hamza; Saidi, Faouzi; Bouazizi, Abdelaziz

2018-05-01

In this report, the influence of annealing temperature and spin coating speed on the structural and morphological properties of a blend of poly (2-methoxy-5-(2-ethyl-oxy)-p-phenylene-vinylene) (MEH-PPV) and [6-6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM) layer has been investigated. The photoactive layer (MEH-PPV: PC70BM) was deposited on ZnO film deposited on top of indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate by spin-coating. The effect of spin coating speed via atomic force microscope (AFM) leads to conclude that high speed is favorable for a good homogeneity of the film surface and good aggregates dispersion. The optimized structure was studied by varying the annealing temperatures using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD analysis indicates that annealing treatment promoted the ordered aggregation and crystallization of MEH-PPV: PC70BM films. Indeed, the blend ratio effect on the optical properties of MEH-PPV: PC70BM thin film was investigated. While, the effect of incorporation of PC70BM on the optical properties was studied using UV-Vis and photoluminescence (PL) measurement. We conclude that MEH-PPV: PC70BM (1:3) film leads to high charge transfer rate.

Novel method to improve power handling capability for coplanar waveguide high-temperature superconducting filter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Satoh, K; Koizumi, D; Narahashi, S [NTT DoCoMo, Inc., 3-5 Hikari-no-oka, 239-8536 Yokosuka (Japan)

2006-06-01

This paper proposes a novel method to improve the power handling capability of a coplanar waveguide (CPW) high-temperature superconducting (HTS) filter. The noteworthy point of the proposed method is that it is based on the concept that the power handling capability is improved by reducing the maximum current density of the filter. Numerical investigations confirm that a CPW HTS filter using 66-{omega} characteristic impedance resonators (66-{omega} CPW HTSF) reduces the maximum current density compared to that using conventional 50-{omega} resonators (50-{omega} CPW HTSF). We fabricated 5-GHz band four-pole Chevyshev CPW HTSFs based on the proposed and conventional methods. The fabricated 66-{omega} CPW HTSF exhibited the third-order intercept point (TOI) of + 61 dBm while the 50-{omega} CPW HTSF exhibited the TOI of + 54 dBm, both at 60 K. These results indicate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Bombyx mori histone methyltransferase BmAsh2 is essential for silkworm piRNA-mediated sex determination.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhiqian; You, Lang; Yan, Dong; James, Anthony A; Huang, Yongping; Tan, Anjiang

2018-02-01

Sex determination is a hierarchically-regulated process with high diversity in different organisms including insects. The W chromosome-derived Fem piRNA has been identified as the primary sex determination factor in the lepidopteran insect, Bombyx mori, revealing a distinctive piRNA-mediated sex determination pathway. However, the comprehensive mechanism of silkworm sex determination is still poorly understood. We show here that the silkworm PIWI protein BmSiwi, but not BmAgo3, is essential for silkworm sex determination. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated depletion of BmSiwi results in developmental arrest in oogenesis and partial female sexual reversal, while BmAgo3 depletion only affects oogenesis. We identify three histone methyltransferases (HMTs) that are significantly down-regulated in BmSiwi mutant moths. Disruption one of these, BmAsh2, causes dysregulation of piRNAs and transposable elements (TEs), supporting a role for it in the piRNA signaling pathway. More importantly, we find that BmAsh2 mutagenesis results in oogenesis arrest and partial female-to-male sexual reversal as well as dysregulation of the sex determination genes, Bmdsx and BmMasc. Mutagenesis of other two HMTs, BmSETD2 and BmEggless, does not affect piRNA-mediated sex determination. Histological analysis and immunoprecipitation results support a functional interaction between the BmAsh2 and BmSiwi proteins. Our data provide the first evidence that the HMT, BmAsh2, plays key roles in silkworm piRNA-mediated sex determination.

Bombyx mori histone methyltransferase BmAsh2 is essential for silkworm piRNA-mediated sex determination.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhiqian Li

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Sex determination is a hierarchically-regulated process with high diversity in different organisms including insects. The W chromosome-derived Fem piRNA has been identified as the primary sex determination factor in the lepidopteran insect, Bombyx mori, revealing a distinctive piRNA-mediated sex determination pathway. However, the comprehensive mechanism of silkworm sex determination is still poorly understood. We show here that the silkworm PIWI protein BmSiwi, but not BmAgo3, is essential for silkworm sex determination. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated depletion of BmSiwi results in developmental arrest in oogenesis and partial female sexual reversal, while BmAgo3 depletion only affects oogenesis. We identify three histone methyltransferases (HMTs that are significantly down-regulated in BmSiwi mutant moths. Disruption one of these, BmAsh2, causes dysregulation of piRNAs and transposable elements (TEs, supporting a role for it in the piRNA signaling pathway. More importantly, we find that BmAsh2 mutagenesis results in oogenesis arrest and partial female-to-male sexual reversal as well as dysregulation of the sex determination genes, Bmdsx and BmMasc. Mutagenesis of other two HMTs, BmSETD2 and BmEggless, does not affect piRNA-mediated sex determination. Histological analysis and immunoprecipitation results support a functional interaction between the BmAsh2 and BmSiwi proteins. Our data provide the first evidence that the HMT, BmAsh2, plays key roles in silkworm piRNA-mediated sex determination.

BmICE-2 is a novel pro-apoptotic caspase involved in apoptosis in the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Hua-Shan; Pan, Cai-Xia; Pan, Chun; Song, Juan; Hu, Yan-Fen; Wang, La; Pan, Min-Hui; Lu, Cheng

2014-02-28

In this study we identified a potential pro-apoptotic caspase gene, Bombyx mori(B. mori)ICE-2 (BmICE-2) which encoded a polypeptide of 284 amino acid residues, including a (169)QACRG(173) sequence which surrounded the catalytic site and contained a p20 and a p10 domain. BmICE-2 expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli) exhibited high proteolytic activity for the synthetic human initiator caspase-9 substrates Ac-LEHD-pNA, but little activity towards the effector caspase-3 substrates Ac-DEVD-pNA. When BmICE-2 was transiently expressed in BmN-SWU1 silkworm B. mori cells, we found that the high proteolytic activity for Ac-LEHD-pNA triggered caspase-3-like protease activity resulting in spontaneous cleavage and apoptosis in these cells. This effect was not replicated in Spodoptera frugiperda 9 cells. In addition, spontaneous cleavage of endogenous BmICE-2 in BmN-SWU1 cells could be induced by actinomycin D. These results suggest that BmICE-2 may be a novel pro-apoptotic gene with caspase-9 activity which is involved apoptotic processes in BmN-SWU1 silkworm B. mori cells. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bm91 is an envelope component of ODV but is dispensable for the propagation of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Qi; Li, Guohui; Yao, Qin; Chen, Liang; Lv, Peng; Lian, Chaoqun; Chen, Keping

2013-05-01

Orf91 (Bm91) of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a highly conserved gene that encodes a predicted 105-amino-acid protein, but its function remains unknown. In the current study, 5'-RACE revealed that the transcription initiation site of Bm91 was - 12 nucleotides upstream of the start codon ATG, transcription of Bm91 was detected from 12 to 96 h postinfection (p.i.) and Bm91 protein was detected from 24 to 96 h p.i. in BmNPV-infected BmN cells. Furthermore, Western blot analysis revealed that Bm91 was in occlusion-derived virus (ODV) but not in budded virus (BV). To investigate the role of Bm91 in baculovirus life cycle, a Bm91-knockout virus was constructed by bacmid recombination in E. coli. Fluorescence and light microscopy showed that the production of BV and occlusion bodies (OBs) in Bm91-deficient-virus-infected BmN cells were similar to those in wild-type-virus-infected ones. Bioassay results showed that genetic deletion of Bm91 did not significantly affect BmNPV infectivity, but extended the median lethal time (LT50). Taken together, these results indicate that Bm91 is not essential for viral propagation in vitro, but absence of the gene may affect the virulence of ODVs in silkworm larvae. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Texture-enhanced Al-Cu electrodes on ultrathin Ti buffer layers for high-power durable 2.6 GHz SAW filters

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Sulei; Wang, Weibiao; Xiao, Li; Lu, Zengtian; Li, Qi; Song, Cheng; Zeng, Fei; Pan, Feng

2018-04-01

Achieving high resistance to acoustomigration and electromigration in the electrodes used in high-power and high-frequency surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters is important to mobile communications development. In this study, the effects of the Ti buffer layers on the textures and acoustomigration and electromigration resistances of the Al-Cu electrodes were studied comprehensively. The results demonstrate that both power durability and electromigration lifetime are positively correlated with the Al-Cu electrode texture quality. Ultrathin (˜2 nm) Ti can lead to the strongest Al-Cu (111) textured electrodes, with a full width at half maximum of the rocking curve of 2.09°. This represents a remarkable enhancement of the power durability of high-frequency 2.6 GHz SAW filters from 29 dBm to 35 dBm. It also produces lifetime almost 7 times longer than those of electrodes without Ti buffer layers in electromigration tests. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analyses revealed that these improved acoustomigration and electromigration resistances can be attributed primarily to the reductions in overall and large-angle grain boundaries in the highly Al-Cu (111) textured electrodes. Furthermore, the growth mechanism of highly Al-Cu texture films is discussed in terms of surface-interface energy balance.

BmDredd is an initiator caspase and participates in Emodin-induced apoptosis in the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, La; Song, Juan; Bao, Xi-Yan; Chen, Peng; Yi, Hua-Shan; Pan, Min-Hui; Lu, Cheng

2016-10-15

The identification and analysis of the caspases is essential to research into apoptosis in lepidoptera insects. The domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori, is the model system for lepidopterans. In this study, we cloned and characterized a B. mori Dredd gene, BmDredd, the proposed insect homologue of human caspase-8, which encoded a polypeptide of 543 amino acids. BmDredd possesses a long N-terminal prodomain, a p20 domain, and a p10 domain. When transiently expressed in Escherichia coli cells, BmDredd underwent spontaneous cleavage and exhibited high proteolytic activity for caspase-8 substrate but relatively low for caspase-3 or -9 substrate. In addition, BmDredd induced apoptosis when transiently expressed in BmN-SWU1 cells, an ovarian cell line of B. mori. Moreover, after the treatment of Emodin, a novel apoptosis inducer, endogenous BmDredd expression level, the caspase-8 activity and the apoptotic rate increased notably in BmN-SWU1 cells. When BmDredd was subjected to interference in BmN-SWU1 cells and Emodin treatment, BmDredd expression levels decreased and the apoptotic rate also decreased significantly. These results suggest BmDredd is the homologue of human caspase-8 and plays a role in Emodin-induced apoptosis in BmN-SWU1 cells of B. mori. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Soaking RNAi in Bombyx mori BmN4-SID1 Cells Arrests Cell Cycle Progression

Science.gov (United States)

Mon, Hiroaki; Li, Zhiqing; Kobayashi, Isao; Tomita, Shuichiro; Lee, JaeMan; Sezutsu, Hideki; Tamura, Toshiki; Kusakabe, Takahiro

2013-01-01

RNA interference (RNAi) is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism for sequence-specific gene silencing. Previously, the BmN4-SID1 cell expressing Caenorhabditis ele gans SID-1 was established, in which soaking RNAi could induce effective gene silencing. To establish its utility, 6 cell cycle progression related cDNAs, CDK1, MYC, MYB, RNRS, CDT1, and GEMININ, were isolated from the silkworm, Bombyx mori L. (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae), and their expressions were further silenced by soaking RNAi in the BmN4-SID1 cells. The cell cycle progression analysis using flow cytometer demonstrated that the small amount of double stranded RNA was enough to arrest cell cycle progression at the specific cell phases. These data suggest that RNAi in the BmN4-SID1 cells can be used as a powerful tool for loss-of-function analysis of B. mori genes. PMID:24773378

Molecular and enzymatic characterization of two enzymes BmPCD and BmDHPR involving in the regeneration pathway of tetrahydrobiopterin from the silkworm Bombyx mori.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wentian; Gong, Meixia; Shu, Rui; Li, Xin; Gao, Junshan; Meng, Yan

2015-08-01

Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) is an essential cofactor of aromatic amino acid hydroxylases and nitric oxide synthase so that BH4 plays a key role in many biological processes. BH4 deficiency is associated with numerous metabolic syndromes and neuropsychological disorders. BH4 concentration in mammals is maintained through a de novo synthesis pathway and a regeneration pathway. Previous studies showed that the de novo pathway of BH4 is similar between insects and mammals. However, knowledge about the regeneration pathway of BH4 (RPB) is very limited in insects. Several mutants in the silkworm Bombyx mori have been approved to be associated with BH4 deficiency, which are good models to research on the RPB in insects. In this study, homologous genes encoding two enzymes, pterin-4a-carbinolamine dehydratase (PCD) and dihydropteridine reductase (DHPR) involving in RPB have been cloned and identified from B. mori. Enzymatic activity of DHPR was found in the fat body of wild type silkworm larvae. Together with the transcription profiles, it was indicated that BmPcd and BmDhpr might normally act in the RPB of B. mori and the expression of BmDhpr was activated in the brain and sexual glands while BmPcd was expressed in a wider special pattern when the de novo pathway of BH4 was lacked in lemon. Biochemical analyses showed that the recombinant BmDHPR exhibited high enzymatic activity and more suitable parameters to the coenzyme of NADH in vitro. The results in this report give new information about the RPB in B. mori and help in better understanding insect BH4 biosynthetic networks. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Low-power CMOS BFSK Transceiver for Health Monitoring Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sungho; Lepkowski, William; Wilk, Seth J; Thornton, Trevor J; Bakkaloglu, Bertan

2011-01-01

A CMOS low-power transceiver for implantable and external health monitoring devices operating in the MICS band is presented. The LNA core has an integrated mixer in a folded configuration to reuse the bias current, allowing high linearity with a low power supply levels. The baseband strip consists of a pseudo differential MOS-C band-pass filter achieving demodulation of 150kHz-offset BFSK signals. An all digital frequency-locked loop is used for LO generation in the RX mode and for driving a class AB power amplifier in the TX mode. The MICS transceiver is designed and fabricated in a 0.18μm 1-poly, 6-metal CMOS process. The sensitivities of -70dBm and -98dBm were achieved with NF of 40dB and 11dB at the data rate of 100kb/s while consuming only 600μW and 1.5mW at 1.2V and 1.8V, respectively. The BERs are less than 10 -3 at the input powers of -70dBm at 1.2V and -98dBm at 1.8V at the data rate of 100kb/s. Finally, the output power of the transmitter is 0dBm for a power consumption of 1.8mW.

Visualizing nanoscale phase morphology for understanding photovoltaic performance of PTB7: PC71BM solar cell

Science.gov (United States)

Supasai, Thidarat; Amornkitbamrung, Vittaya; Thanachayanont, Chanchana; Tang, I.-Ming; Sutthibutpong, Thana; Rujisamphan, Nopporn

2017-11-01

Visualizing and controlling the phase separation of the donor and acceptor domains in organic bulk-hetero-junction (BHJ) solar devices made with poly([4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl][3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethyl-hexyl)carbon-yl]thieno[3,4-bthiophenediyl]) (PTB7) and [6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) are needed to achieve high power conversion efficiency (PCE). Traditional bright-field (BF) imaging, especially of polymeric materials, produces images of poor contrast when done at the nanoscale level. Clear nanoscale morphologies of the PTB7:PC71BM blends prepared with different 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) concentrations were seen when using the energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM). The electron energy loss (EELS) spectra of the pure PTB7 and PC71BM samples are centered at 22.7 eV and 24.5 eV, respectively. Using the electrons whose energy losses are in the range of 16-30 eV, detail information of the phase morphology at the nanoscale was obtained. Correlations between the improvement in the photovoltaic performances and the increased electron mobility were seen. These correlations are discussed in terms of the changes (at the nanoscale level) in blending phase morphology when different DIO concentrations are added.

Sub-ns triplet state formation by non-geminate recombination in PSBTBT:PC 70 BM and PCPDTBT:PC 60 BM organic solar cells

KAUST Repository

Etzold, Fabian; Howard, Ian A.; Forler, Nina; Melnyk, Anton; Andrienko, Denis; Hansen, Michael Ryan; Laquai, Fré dé ric

2015-01-01

The solid-state morphology and photo-generated charge carrier dynamics in low-bandgap polymer:fullerene bulk heterojunction photovoltaic blends using the donor–acceptor type copolymers PCPDTBT or its silicon-substituted analogue PSBTBT as donors are compared by two-dimensional (2D) solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and femto-to microsecond broadband Vis-NIR transient absorption (TA) pump–probe spectroscopy. The 2D solid-state NMR experiments demonstrate that the film morphology of PCPDTBT:PC60BM blends processed with additives such as octanedithiol (ODT) are similar to those of PSBTBT:PC60BM blends in terms of crystallinity, phase segregation, and interfacial contacts. The TA experiments and analysis of the TA data by multivariate curve resolution (MCR) reveal that after exciton dissociation and free charge formation, fast sub-nanosecond non-geminate recombination occurs which leads to a substantial population of the polymer's triplet state. The extent to which triplet states are formed depends on the initial concentration of free charges, which itself is controlled by the microstructure of the blend, especially in case of PCPDTBT:PC60BM. Interestingly, PSBTBT:PC70BM blends show a higher charge generation efficiency, but less triplet state formation at similar free charge carrier concentrations. This indicates that the solid-state morphology and interfacial structures of PSBTBT:PC70BM blends reduces non-geminate recombination, leading to superior device performance compared to optimized PCPDTBT:PC60BM blends.

Sub-ns triplet state formation by non-geminate recombination in PSBTBT:PC 70 BM and PCPDTBT:PC 60 BM organic solar cells

KAUST Repository

Etzold, Fabian

2015-03-02

The solid-state morphology and photo-generated charge carrier dynamics in low-bandgap polymer:fullerene bulk heterojunction photovoltaic blends using the donor–acceptor type copolymers PCPDTBT or its silicon-substituted analogue PSBTBT as donors are compared by two-dimensional (2D) solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and femto-to microsecond broadband Vis-NIR transient absorption (TA) pump–probe spectroscopy. The 2D solid-state NMR experiments demonstrate that the film morphology of PCPDTBT:PC60BM blends processed with additives such as octanedithiol (ODT) are similar to those of PSBTBT:PC60BM blends in terms of crystallinity, phase segregation, and interfacial contacts. The TA experiments and analysis of the TA data by multivariate curve resolution (MCR) reveal that after exciton dissociation and free charge formation, fast sub-nanosecond non-geminate recombination occurs which leads to a substantial population of the polymer\\'s triplet state. The extent to which triplet states are formed depends on the initial concentration of free charges, which itself is controlled by the microstructure of the blend, especially in case of PCPDTBT:PC60BM. Interestingly, PSBTBT:PC70BM blends show a higher charge generation efficiency, but less triplet state formation at similar free charge carrier concentrations. This indicates that the solid-state morphology and interfacial structures of PSBTBT:PC70BM blends reduces non-geminate recombination, leading to superior device performance compared to optimized PCPDTBT:PC60BM blends.

The design of a new coaxial water cooling structure for APS high power BM front end photon shutters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, J.; Shu, D.; Collins, J.; Ryding, D.; Kuzay, T.

1993-01-01

A new UHV compatible coaxial water cooling structure has been designed for Advanced Photon Source (APS) high power bending magnet front end photon shutters. Laser-beam-thermal-simulation test results show that this new cooling structure can provide more than 1.56 kW total power cooling capacity with 12.3 W/mm 2 maximum surface heat flux. The maximum surface temperature will be lower than 116 degree C

A Scorpion Defensin BmKDfsin4 Inhibits Hepatitis B Virus Replication in Vitro

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Zhengyang Zeng

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Hepatitis B virus (HBV infection is a major worldwide health problem which can cause acute and chronic hepatitis and can significantly increase the risk of liver cirrhosis and primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC. Nowadays, clinical therapies of HBV infection still mainly rely on nucleotide analogs and interferons, the usage of which is limited by drug-resistant mutation or side effects. Defensins had been reported to effectively inhibit the proliferation of bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses. Here, we screened the anti-HBV activity of 25 scorpion-derived peptides most recently characterized by our group. Through evaluating anti-HBV activity and cytotoxicity, we found that BmKDfsin4, a scorpion defensin with antibacterial and Kv1.3-blocking activities, has a comparable high inhibitory rate of both HBeAg and HBsAg in HepG2.2.15 culture medium and low cytotoxicity to HepG2.2.15. Then, our experimental results further showed that BmKDfsin4 can dose-dependently decrease the production of HBV DNA and HBV viral proteins in both culture medium and cell lysate. Interestingly, BmKDfsin4 exerted high serum stability. Together, this study indicates that the scorpion defensin BmKDfsin4 also has inhibitory activity against HBV replication along with its antibacterial and potassium ion channel Kv1.3-blocking activities, which shows that BmKDfsin4 is a uniquely multifunctional defensin molecule. Our work also provides a good molecule material which will be used to investigate the link or relationship of its antiviral, antibacterial and ion channel–modulating activities in the future.

Analysis of the oxidation of short chain alkynes by flavocytochrome P450 BM3.

Science.gov (United States)

Waltham, Timothy N; Girvan, Hazel M; Butler, Christopher F; Rigby, Stuart R; Dunford, Adrian J; Holt, Robert A; Munro, Andrew W

2011-04-01

Bacillus megaterium flavocytochrome P450 BM3 (BM3) is a high activity fatty acid hydroxylase, formed by the fusion of soluble cytochrome P450 and cytochrome P450 reductase modules. Short chain (C6, C8) alkynes were shown to be substrates for BM3, with productive outcomes (i.e. alkyne hydroxylation) dependent on position of the carbon-carbon triple bond in the molecule. Wild-type P450 BM3 catalyses ω-3 hydroxylation of both 1-hexyne and 1-octyne, but is suicidally inactivated in NADPH-dependent turnover with non-terminal alkynes. A F87G mutant of P450 BM3 also undergoes turnover-dependent heme destruction with the terminal alkynes, pointing to a key role for Phe87 in controlling regioselectivity of alkyne oxidation. The terminal alkynes access the BM3 heme active site led by the acetylene functional group, since hydroxylated products are not observed near the opposite end of the molecules. For both 1-hexyne and 1-octyne, the predominant enantiomeric product formed (up to ∼90%) is the (S)-(-)-1-alkyn-3-ol form. Wild-type P450 BM3 is shown to be an effective oxidase catalyst of terminal alkynes, with strict regioselectivity of oxidation and potential biotechnological applications. The absence of measurable octanoic or hexanoic acid products from oxidation of the relevant 1-alkynes is also consistent with previous studies suggesting that removal of the phenyl group in the F87G mutant does not lead to significant levels of ω-oxidation of alkyl chain substrates.

Rhipicephalus (Boophilus microplus: expression and characterization of Bm86-CG in Pichia pastoris Rhipicephalus (Boophilus microplus: expressão e caracterização da Bm86-CG em Pichia pastoris

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Casquero Cunha

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus microplus is responsible for great economic losses. It is mainly controlled chemically, with limitations regarding development of resistance to the chemicals. Vaccines may help control this parasite, thereby reducing tick pesticide use. In this light, we performed subcloning of the gene of the protein Bm86-GC, the homologue protein that currently forms the basis of vaccines (GavacTM and TickGardPLUS that have been developed against cattle ticks. The subcloning was done in the pPIC9 expression vector, for transformation in the yeast Pichia pastoris. This protein was characterized by expression of the recombinant Mut+ strain, which expressed greater quantities of protein. The expressed protein (rBm86-CG was recognized in the Western-blot assay using anti-Gavac, anti-TickGard, anti-larval extract and anti-rBm86-CG polyclonal sera. The serum produced in cattle vaccinated with the antigen CG rBm86 presented high antibody titers and recognized the native protein. The rBm86-GC has potential relevance as an immunogen for vaccine formulation against cattle ticks.O carrapato-do-boi Rhipicephalus (Boophilus microplus é responsável por grandes perdas econômicas. Seu controle é principalmente químico e apresenta limitações quanto ao desenvolvimento de resistência aos princípios ativos. As vacinas podem auxiliar no controle deste parasita diminuindo as aplicações de carrapaticidas. Considerando isso, foi realizada a subclonagem do gene da proteína Bm86-CG, proteína homologa a que atualmente é a base das vacinas desenvolvidas (GavacTM e TickGardPLUS contra o carrapato-do-boi, no vetor de expressão pPIC9, para ser transformado em levedura, Pichia pastoris. Esta proteína foi caracterizada pela expressão da cepa recombinante Mut+ que expressou maior quantidade de proteína. A proteína expressa, rBm86-CG, foi reconhecida no ensaio de Western-blot pelos soros policlonais anti-Gavac, anti-TickGard, anti

Production of Brugia malayi BmSXP Recombinant Protein Expressed in Escherichia coli

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Khoo, T. K.

2010-01-01

Full Text Available A rapid antibody detection test is very useful for detection of lymphatic filariasis, especially for certification and surveillance of post-mass drug administration. One such kit, panLF RapidTM (commercialized by Malaysian BioDiagnostic Research Sdn. Bhd. had been developed in our laboratory for the detection of all species of filarial infections. It is based on the detection of anti-filarial IgG4 antibodies that react with recombinant Brugia malayi antigens, BmR1 and BmSXP. In this study, the growth of recombinant bacteria that produce BmSXP was optimized under shake flask fermentation for high yield of the recombinant antigen. The optimizations involved selection of suitable growth medium, IPTG concentration and induction time. The medium that yielded the highest biomass as well as total protein was Terrific Broth (TB medium, which is an undefined medium. Initiation of induction of protein expression was found to be best at mid-log phase (OD600 = 1.5, with IPTG concentration of 1.0 mM, and harvest time at 9 h post-induction. This study showed that under the optimized conditions, the shake flask culture produced 4 g/L biomass (dry cell weight of recombinant Escherichia coli BmSXP/pPROEXHTa/TOP10F’, which yielded 2.42 mg/L of purified BmSXP recombinant antigen. The purified antigen was analyzed by SDS-PAGE and the antigenicity of protein was confirmed by Western blot.

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus BM5 protein regulates progeny virus production and viral gene expression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kokusho, Ryuhei; Koh, Yoshikazu; Fujimoto, Masaru; Shimada, Toru; Katsuma, Susumu

2016-01-01

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) orf5 (Bm5) is a core gene of lepidopteran baculoviruses and encodes the protein with the conserved amino acid residues (DUF3627) in its C-terminus. Here, we found that Bm5 disruption resulted in lower titers of budded viruses and fewer numbers of occlusion bodies (OBs) in B. mori cultured cells and larvae, although viral genome replication was not affected. Bm5 disruption also caused aberrant expression of various viral genes at the very late stage of infection. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed that BM5 localized to the nuclear membrane. We also found that DUF3627 is important for OB production, transcriptional regulation of viral genes, and subcellular localization of BM5. Compared with wild-type BmNPV infection, larval death was delayed when B. mori larvae were infected with Bm5 mutants. These results suggest that BM5 is involved in progeny virus production and regulation of viral gene expression at the very late stage of infection. -- Highlights: •The role of BmNPV BM5 protein was examined in B. mori cultured cells and larvae. •BM5 contributes to efficient production of budded viruses and occlusion bodies. •BM5 regulates viral gene expression at the very late stage of infection. •BM5 dominantly localizes to the nuclear membrane. •Bm5 mutant showed v-cath down-regulation and resulting delay of larval death.

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus BM5 protein regulates progeny virus production and viral gene expression

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kokusho, Ryuhei, E-mail: kokusho@ss.ab.a.u-tokyo.ac.jp; Koh, Yoshikazu; Fujimoto, Masaru; Shimada, Toru; Katsuma, Susumu, E-mail: katsuma@ss.ab.a.u-tokyo.ac.jp

2016-11-15

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) orf5 (Bm5) is a core gene of lepidopteran baculoviruses and encodes the protein with the conserved amino acid residues (DUF3627) in its C-terminus. Here, we found that Bm5 disruption resulted in lower titers of budded viruses and fewer numbers of occlusion bodies (OBs) in B. mori cultured cells and larvae, although viral genome replication was not affected. Bm5 disruption also caused aberrant expression of various viral genes at the very late stage of infection. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed that BM5 localized to the nuclear membrane. We also found that DUF3627 is important for OB production, transcriptional regulation of viral genes, and subcellular localization of BM5. Compared with wild-type BmNPV infection, larval death was delayed when B. mori larvae were infected with Bm5 mutants. These results suggest that BM5 is involved in progeny virus production and regulation of viral gene expression at the very late stage of infection. -- Highlights: •The role of BmNPV BM5 protein was examined in B. mori cultured cells and larvae. •BM5 contributes to efficient production of budded viruses and occlusion bodies. •BM5 regulates viral gene expression at the very late stage of infection. •BM5 dominantly localizes to the nuclear membrane. •Bm5 mutant showed v-cath down-regulation and resulting delay of larval death.

Design and Modeling of RF Power Amplifiers with Radial Basis Function Artificial Neural Networks

OpenAIRE

Ali Reza Zirak; Sobhan Roshani

2016-01-01

A radial basis function (RBF) artificial neural network model for a designed high efficiency radio frequency class-F power amplifier (PA) is presented in this paper. The presented amplifier is designed at 1.8 GHz operating frequency with 12 dB of gain and 36 dBm of 1dB output compression point. The obtained power added efficiency (PAE) for the presented PA is 76% under 26 dBm input power. The proposed RBF model uses input and DC power of the PA as inputs variables and considers output power a...

Bombyx mori E26 transformation-specific 2 (BmEts2), an Ets family protein, represses Bombyx mori Rels (BmRels)-mediated promoter activation of antimicrobial peptide genes in the silkworm Bombyx mori.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, H; Sagisaka, A; Suzuki, N; Yamakawa, M

2016-10-01

E26 transformation-specific (Ets) family transcription factors are known to play roles in various biological phenomena, including immunity, in vertebrates. However, the mechanisms by which Ets proteins contribute to immunity in invertebrates remain poorly understood. In this study, we identified a cDNA encoding BmEts2, which is a putative orthologue of Drosophila Yan and human translocation-ets-leukemia/Ets-variant gene 6, from the silkworm Bombyx mori. Expression of the BmEts2 gene was significantly increased in the fat bodies of silkworm larvae in response to injection with Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. BmEts2 overexpression dramatically repressed B. mori Rels (BmRels)-mediated promoter activation of antimicrobial peptide genes in silkworm cells. Conversely, gene knockdown of BmEts2 significantly enhanced BmRels activity. In addition, two κB sites located on the 5' upstream region of cecropin B1 were found to be involved in the repression of BmRels-mediated promoter activation. Protein-competition analysis further demonstrated that BmEts2 competitively inhibited binding of BmRels to κB sites. Overall, BmEts2 acts as a repressor of BmRels-mediated transactivation of antimicrobial protein genes by inhibiting the binding of BmRels to κB sites. © 2016 The Royal Entomological Society.

COST BM0607

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jong, M. de

2009-01-01

COST is an intergovernmental framework for European Cooperation in Science and Technology, allowing the coordination of nationally-funded research on a European level. COST contributes to reducing the fragmentation in European research investments and opening the European Research Area to cooperation worldwide. COST is specifically designed to network researchers mainly within the European Union that work on a specific topic. This COST BM0607 Action on cancer therapy using innovative targeting nanomedicines is highly multidisciplinary: nuclear medicine physicians, clinical oncologists, surgeons, physicists, radiobiologists, (in)organic chemists, radiochemists, radiopharmacists, pathologists and scientists from biomics participate in it. They define innovative new targets for cancer therapy, develop lead compounds and new radiolabelled ligands as vectors, perform molecular imaging and biologic testing, develop improved software and protocols for dosimetric calculations and select new vectors for early human use. Within the COST BM0607 more than 100 scientists from 21 countries are participating to work within 5 different working groups. Working group 1 works on the establishment of Database on Molecular Targets for Targeted Radionuclide Therapy, working group 2 deals with the development and improvement of chemistry related to new molecules for targeted radionuclide therapy. Working group 3 is dedicated to dosimetry aspects, whereas working group 4 tries to optimize the use of new radionuclides for therapy from cyclotron, reactor and generator production. Finally, working group 5 has the aim to bring together research related to pharmacology and small animal imaging with new tracers for targeted radionuclide therapy. COST thereby organizes annual meetings of the whole group and in between dedicated meetings of the working groups. Besides organizing meetings one aim of COST is additionally to promote young researchers where short term scientific missions (STSM) are

Drift Chambers Simulations in BM@N Experiment

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Fedorišin Ján

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Drift chambers constitute an important part of the tracking system of the BM@N experiment designed to study the production of baryonic matter at the Nuclotron energies. GEANT programming package is employed to investigate the drift chamber response to particles produced in relativistic nuclear collisions of C+C nuclei, which are simulated by the UrQMD and LAQGSM Monte Carlo generators. These simulations are combined with the first BM@N experimental data to estimate particle track coordinates and their errors.

Subcellular localization and expression analysis of the BmDSCLP ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In addition, real-time fluorescence quantification polymerase chain reaction studies were conducted to investigate BmDSCLP transcription at different developmental stages and in different tissues of the fifth instar larva. The results indicated that, BmDSCLP is widely transcribed in different stages and tissues of the silkworm.

Establishment of an experimental human lung adenocarcinoma cell line SPC-A-1BM with high bone metastases potency by 99mTc-MDP bone scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Shunfang; Dong Qianggang; Yao Ming; Shi Meiping; Ye Jianding; Zhao Langxiang; Su Jianzhong; Gu Weiyong; Xie Wenhui; Wang Kankan; Du Yanzhi; Li Yao; Huang Yan

2009-01-01

Background: Bone metastasis is one of the most common clinical phenomena of late stage lung cancer. A major impediment to understanding the pathogenesis of bone metastasis has been the lack of an appropriate animal and cell model. This study aims to establish human lung adenocarcinoma cell line with highly bone metastases potency with 99m Tc-MDP bone scintigraphy. Methods: The human lung adenocarcinoma cancer cells SPC-A-1 were injected into the left cardiac ventricle of NIH-Beige-Nude-XID (NIH-BNX) immunodeficient mice. The metastatic lesions of tumor-bearing mice were imaged with 99m Tc-MDP bone scintigraphy on a Siemens multi-single photon emission computed tomography. Pinhole images were acquired on a GZ-B conventional gamma camera with a self-designed pinhole collimator. The mice with bone metastasis were sacrificed under deep anesthesia, and the lesions were resected. Bone metastatic cancer cells in the resected lesions were subjected for culture and then reinoculated into the NIH-BNX mice through left cardiac ventricle. The process was repeated for eight cycles to obtain a novel cell subline SPC-A-1BM. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to compare the gene expression differences in the parental and SPC-A-1BM cells. Results: The bone metastasis sites were successfully revealed by bone scintigraphy. The established bone metastasis cell line SPC-A-1BM had a high potential to metastasize in bone, including mandible, humerus, thoracic vertebra, lumbar, femur, patella, ilium and cartilage rib. The expression level of vascular endothelial growth factor gene family, Bcl-2 and cell adhesion-related genes ECM1, ESM1, AF1Q, SERPINE2 and FN1 were examined. Gene expression difference was found between parental and bone-seeking metastasis cell SPC-A-1BM, which indicates SPC-A-1BM has metastatic capacity vs. its parental cells. Conclusion: SPC-A-1BM is a bone-seeking metastasis human lung adenocarcinoma cell line. Bone scintigraphy may be used as an

Characterization of Organic Thin Film Solar Cells of PCDTBT : PC71BM Prepared by Different Mixing Ratio and Effect of Hole Transport Layer

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Vijay Srinivasan Murugesan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The organic thin film solar cells (OTFSCs have been successfully fabricated using PCDTBT : PC71BM with different mixing ratios (1 : 1 to 1 : 8 and the influence of hole transport layer thickness (PEDOT : PSS. The active layers with different mixing ratios of PCDTBT : PC71BM have been fabricated using o-dichlorobenzene (o-DCB. The surface morphology of the active layers and PEDOT : PSS layer with different thicknesses were characterized by AFM analysis. Here, we report that the OTFSCs with high performance have been optimized with 1 : 4 ratios of PCDTBT : PC71BM. The power conversion efficiency (PCE = 5.17% of the solar cells was significantly improved by changing thickness of PEDOT : PSS layer. The thickness of the PEDOT : PSS layer was found to be of significant importance; the thickness of the PEDOT : PSS layer at 45 nm (higher spin speed 5000 rpm shows higher short circuit current density (Jsc and lower series resistance (Rs and higher PCE.

A Novel Semi-biosynthetic Route for Artemisinin Production Using Engineered Substrate-Promiscuous P450BM3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dietrich, Jeffrey; Yoshikuni, Yasuo; Fisher, Karl; Woolard, Frank; Ockey, Denise; McPhee, Derek; Renninger, Neil; Chang, Michelle; Baker, David; Keasling, Jay

2009-11-30

Production of fine heterologus pathways in microbial hosts is frequently hindered by insufficient knowledge of the native metabolic pathway and its cognate enzymes; often the pathway is unresolved and enzymes lack detailed characterization. An alternative paradigm to using native pathways is de novo pathway design using well-characterized, substrate-promiscuous enzymes. We demonstrate this concept using P450BM3 from Bacillus megaterium. Using a computer model, we illustrate how key P450BM3 activ site mutations enable binding of non-native substrate amorphadiene, incorporating these mutations into P450BM3 enabled the selective oxidation of amorphadiene arteminsinic-11s,12-epoxide, at titers of 250 mg L"1 in E. coli. We also demonstrate high-yeilding, selective transformations to dihydroartemisinic acid, the immediate precursor to the high value anti-malarial drug artemisinin.

An ultra-low-power RF transceiver for WBANs in medical applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Qi; Wu Nanjian [State Key Laboratory for Superlattices and Microstructures, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083 (China); Kuang Xiaofei, E-mail: nanjian@semi.ac.cn [College of Electronic Information, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018 (China)

2011-06-15

A 2.4 GHz ultra-low-power RF transceiver with a 900 MHz auxiliary wake-up link for wireless body area networks (WBANs) in medical applications is presented. The RF transceiver with an asymmetric architecture is proposed to achieve high energy efficiency according to the asymmetric communication in WBANs. The transceiver consists of a main receiver (RX) with an ultra-low-power free-running ring oscillator and a high speed main transmitter (TX) with fast lock-in PLL. A passive wake-up receiver (WuRx) for wake-up function with a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) CMOS rectifier is designed to offer the sensor node the capability of work-on-demand with zero standby power. The chip is implemented in a 0.18 {mu}m CMOS process. Its core area is 1.6 mm{sup 2}. The main RX achieves a sensitivity of -55 dBm at a 100 kbps OOK data rate while consuming just 210 {mu}A current from the 1 V power supply. The main TX achieves +3 dBm output power with a 4 Mbps/500 kbps/200 kbps data rate for OOK/4 FSK/2 FSK modulation and dissipates 3.25 mA/6.5 mA/6.5 mA current from a 1.8 V power supply. The minimum detectable RF input energy for the wake-up RX is -15 dBm and the PCE is more than 25%. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

An ultra-low-power RF transceiver for WBANs in medical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Qi; Wu Nanjian; Kuang Xiaofei

2011-01-01

A 2.4 GHz ultra-low-power RF transceiver with a 900 MHz auxiliary wake-up link for wireless body area networks (WBANs) in medical applications is presented. The RF transceiver with an asymmetric architecture is proposed to achieve high energy efficiency according to the asymmetric communication in WBANs. The transceiver consists of a main receiver (RX) with an ultra-low-power free-running ring oscillator and a high speed main transmitter (TX) with fast lock-in PLL. A passive wake-up receiver (WuRx) for wake-up function with a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) CMOS rectifier is designed to offer the sensor node the capability of work-on-demand with zero standby power. The chip is implemented in a 0.18 μm CMOS process. Its core area is 1.6 mm 2 . The main RX achieves a sensitivity of -55 dBm at a 100 kbps OOK data rate while consuming just 210 μA current from the 1 V power supply. The main TX achieves +3 dBm output power with a 4 Mbps/500 kbps/200 kbps data rate for OOK/4 FSK/2 FSK modulation and dissipates 3.25 mA/6.5 mA/6.5 mA current from a 1.8 V power supply. The minimum detectable RF input energy for the wake-up RX is -15 dBm and the PCE is more than 25%. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

20-Hydroxyecdysone stimulates nuclear accumulation of BmNep1, a nuclear ribosome biogenesis-related protein in the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, M-M; Liu, A-Q; Sima, Y-H; Xu, S-Q

2016-10-01

The pathway of communication between endocrine hormones and ribosome biogenesis critical for physiological adaptation is largely unknown. Nucleolar essential protein 1 (Nep1) is an essential gene for ribosome biogenesis and is functionally conserved in many in vertebrate and invertebrate species. In this study, we cloned Bombyx mori Nep1 (BmNep1) due to its high expression in silk glands of silkworms on day 3 of the fifth instar. We found that BmNep1 mRNA and protein levels were upregulated in silk glands during fourth-instar ecdysis and larval-pupal metamorphosis. By immunoprecipitation with the anti-BmNep1 antibody and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analyses, it was shown that BmNep1 probably interacts with proteins related to ribosome structure formation. Immunohistochemistry, biochemical fractionation and immunocytochemistry revealed that BmNep1 is localized to the nuclei in Bombyx cells. Using BmN cells originally derived from ovaries, we demonstrated that 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) induced BmNep1 expression and stimulated nuclear accumulation of BmNep1. Under physiological conditions, BmNep1 was also upregulated in ovaries during larval-pupal metamorphosis. Overall, our results indicate that the endocrine hormone 20E facilitates nuclear accumulation of BmNep1, which is involved in nuclear ribosome biogenesis in Bombyx. © 2016 The Royal Entomological Society.

G-CSF-primed BM for allogeneic SCT: revisited.

Science.gov (United States)

Pessach, I; Resnick, I; Shimoni, A; Nagler, A

2015-07-01

G-SCF-mobilized PBSC (GPB) grafts have a higher cell dose and somewhat more committed progenitor cells than steady-state BM (SBM), resulting in faster engraftment and faster immunological reconstitution. On the other hand, transplant related mortality (TRM), disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) are similar both for PB and for BM. In contrast to SBM, G-CSF-primed BM (GBM) grafts stimulate HSC proliferation, increasing cell dose and thus resulting in faster engraftment because of higher cell dose infused, or because of treatment with G-CSF. Furthermore, GBM may induce tolerance and functional modulations in donor hematopoiesis and immunity, further reducing GVHD incidence, which is already lower with SBM compared with GPB grafts. Overall, a growing body of clinical evidence suggests that GBM transplants may share the advantages of GPB transplantations, without the associated increased risk of GVHD, and might be an attractive graft source for allogeneic SCTs.

45-GHz and 60-GHz 90 nm CMOS power amplifiers with a fully symmetrical 8-way transformer power combiner

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Zhengdong JIANG; Kaizhe GUO; Peng HUANG; Yiming FAN; Chenxi ZHAO; Yongling BAN; Jun LIU; Kai KANG

2017-01-01

In this paper,45 GHz and 60 GHz power amplifiers (PAs) with high output power have been successfully designed by using 90 nm CMOS process.The 45 GHz (60 GHz) PA consists of two (four) differential stages.The sizes of transistors have been designed in an appropriate way so as to trade-off gain,efficiency and stability.Due to limited supply voltage and low breakdown voltage of CMOS MOSFET compared with the traditional Ⅲ-Ⅴ technologies,the technique of power combining has been applied to achieve a high output power.In particular,a novel 8-way distributed active transformer power combiner has been proposed for realizing such mm-wave PA.The proposed transformer combiner with a fully symmetrical layout can improve its input impedance balance at mm-wave frequency regime significantly.Taking its advantages of this novel transformer based power combiner,our realized 45 GHz (60 GHz) mm-wave PA has achieved the gain of 20.3 dB (16.8 dB),the maximum PAE of 14.5％ (13.4％) and the saturated output power of 21 dBm (21 dBm) with the 1.2 V supply voltage.

Bm-TFF2, a toad trefoil factor, promotes cell migration, survival and wound healing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yong; Yu, Guoyu; Xiang, Yang; Wu, Jianbo; Jiang, Ping; Lee, Wenhui; Zhang, Yun

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → Bm-TFF2 binds to epithelial cells and induces cell migration and wound healing. → Bm-TFF2 suppresses cell apoptosis. → Bm-TFF2 has no effect on cell proliferation. -- Abstract: Toad skin is naked and continually confronted by various injurious factors. Constant skin renewal and repairs occur frequently. However, the mechanisms of the renewal and repair have not clearly elucidated. In our previous work, a trefoil factor (TFF), Bm-TFF2, has been purified from the Bombina maxima skin and characterized as a platelet agonist. The mRNA of TFFs in toad skin was up-regulated greatly during the metamorphosis, indicating a pivotal role of TFFs in amphibian skin. Here, we presented the effects of Bm-TFF2 on the cell migration, apoptosis and proliferation. Bm-TFF2 bound to epithelial cells and showed strong cell motility activity. At the concentrations of 1-100 nM, Bm-TFF2-induced migration of human epithelial AGS and HT-29 cells, and rat intestinal epithelial IEC-6 cell lines. The in vitro wound healing assay also verified the activity of Bm-TFF2. Bm-TFF2 could also inhibit cell apoptosis induced by ceramide and sodium butyrate. The cell migration-promoting activity was abolished by MEK1 inhibitors, U0126 and PD98059, suggesting that ERK1/2 activation is crucial for Bm-TFF2 to stimulate cell migration. Taken together, Bm-TFF2 promoted wound healing by stimulating cell migration via MAPK pathway and preventing cell apoptosis. The potent biological activity of Bm-TFF2 makes it a useful molecular tool for further studies of structure-function relationship of the related human TFFs.

Bm-TFF2, a toad trefoil factor, promotes cell migration, survival and wound healing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Yong [Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223 (China); Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Yu, Guoyu [Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223 (China); Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Department of Biochemistry, Kunming Medical College, Kunming, Yunnan 650032 (China); Xiang, Yang [Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223 (China); Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Wu, Jianbo [Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223 (China); Jiang, Ping [Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223 (China); Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Lee, Wenhui [Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223 (China); Zhang, Yun, E-mail: zhangy@mail.kiz.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223 (China)

2010-07-30

Research highlights: {yields} Bm-TFF2 binds to epithelial cells and induces cell migration and wound healing. {yields} Bm-TFF2 suppresses cell apoptosis. {yields} Bm-TFF2 has no effect on cell proliferation. -- Abstract: Toad skin is naked and continually confronted by various injurious factors. Constant skin renewal and repairs occur frequently. However, the mechanisms of the renewal and repair have not clearly elucidated. In our previous work, a trefoil factor (TFF), Bm-TFF2, has been purified from the Bombina maxima skin and characterized as a platelet agonist. The mRNA of TFFs in toad skin was up-regulated greatly during the metamorphosis, indicating a pivotal role of TFFs in amphibian skin. Here, we presented the effects of Bm-TFF2 on the cell migration, apoptosis and proliferation. Bm-TFF2 bound to epithelial cells and showed strong cell motility activity. At the concentrations of 1-100 nM, Bm-TFF2-induced migration of human epithelial AGS and HT-29 cells, and rat intestinal epithelial IEC-6 cell lines. The in vitro wound healing assay also verified the activity of Bm-TFF2. Bm-TFF2 could also inhibit cell apoptosis induced by ceramide and sodium butyrate. The cell migration-promoting activity was abolished by MEK1 inhibitors, U0126 and PD98059, suggesting that ERK1/2 activation is crucial for Bm-TFF2 to stimulate cell migration. Taken together, Bm-TFF2 promoted wound healing by stimulating cell migration via MAPK pathway and preventing cell apoptosis. The potent biological activity of Bm-TFF2 makes it a useful molecular tool for further studies of structure-function relationship of the related human TFFs.

Analysis of BmNPV orf101 disruption: orf101 is essential for mediating budded virus production.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Huiqing; Li, Mei; Mai, Weijun; Tang, Qi; Li, Guohui; Chen, Keping; Zhou, Yajing

2014-12-01

In our previous study, Orf101 (Bm101) of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) was identified as a component of the budded virions important for viral late gene expression. In this study we demonstrate that Bm101 is actually a previously unrecognized core gene and that it is essential for mediating budded virus production. To determine the role of Bm101 in the baculovirus life cycle, a Bm101 knockout bacmid containing the BmNPV genome was generated through homologous recombination in Escherichia coli. Furthermore, a Bm101 repair bacmid was constructed by transposing the Bm101 open reading frame with its native promoter region into the polyhedrin locus of the Bm101 knockout bacmid. Bacmid DNA transfection assay revealed that the Bm101 knockout bacmid was unable to produce the infectious budded virus, while the Bm101 repair bacmid rescued this defect, allowing budded-virus titers to reach wild-type levels. Real time PCR analysis indicated that the viral DNA genome in the absence of Bm101 was unaffected in the first 24 h p.t. Thus, studies of a Bm101-null BACmid indicate that Bm101 is required for viral DNA replication during the infection cycle.

Identification, gene expression and immune function of the novel Bm-STAT gene in virus-infected Bombyx mori.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaoli; Guo, Rui; Kumar, Dhiraj; Ma, Huanyan; Liu, Jiabin; Hu, Xiaolong; Cao, Guangli; Xue, Renyu; Gong, Chengliang

2016-02-10

Genes in the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) family are vital for activities including gene expression and immune response. To investigate the functions of the silkworm Bombyx mori STAT (Bm-STAT) gene in antiviral immunity, two Bm-STAT gene isoforms, Bm-STAT-L for long form and Bm-STAT-S for short form, were cloned. Sequencing showed that the open reading frames were 2313 bp encoding 770 amino acid residues for Bm-STAT-L and 2202 bp encoding 734 amino acid residues for Bm-STAT-S. The C-terminal 42 amino acid residues of Bm-STAT-L were different from the last 7 amino acid residues of Bm-STAT-S. Immunofluorescence showed that Bm-STAT was primarily distributed in the nucleus. Transcription levels of Bm-STAT in different tissues were determined by quantitative PCR, and the results revealed Bm-STAT was mainly expressed in testes. Western blots showed two bands with molecular weights of 70 kDa and 130 kDa in testes, but no bands were detected in ovaries by using anti-Bm-STAT antibody as the primary antibody. Expression of Bm-STAT in hemolymph at 48 h post infection with B. mori macula-like virus (BmMLV) was slightly enhanced compared with controls, suggesting a weak response induced by infection with BmMLV. Hemocyte immunofluorescence showed that Bm-STAT expression was elevated in B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV)-infected cells. Moreover, resistance of BmN cells to BmNPV was reduced by downregulation of Bm-STAT expression and increased by upregulation. Resistance of BmN cells to BmCPV was not significantly improved by upregulating Bm-STAT expression. Therefore, we concluded that Bm-STAT is a newly identified insect gene of the STAT family. The JAK-STAT pathway has a more specialized role in antiviral defense in silkworms, but JAK-STAT pathway is not triggered in response to all viruses. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Stress induction of Bm1 RNA in silkworm larvae: SINEs, an unusual class of stress genes

Science.gov (United States)

Kimura, Richard H.; Choudary, Prabhakara V.; Stone, Koni K.; Schmid, Carl W.

2001-01-01

This study surveys the induction of RNA polymerase III (Pol III)–directed expression of short interspersed element (SINE) transcripts by various stresses in an animal model, silkworm larvae. Sublethal heat shock and exposure to several toxic compounds increase the level of Bm1 RNA, the silkworm SINE transcript, while also transiently increasing expression of a well-characterized stress-induced transcript, Hsp70 messenger RNA (mRNA). In certain cases, the Bm1 RNA response coincides with that of Hsp70 mRNA, but more often Bm1 RNA responds later in recovery. Baculovirus infection and exposure to certain toxic compounds increase Bm1 RNA but not Hsp70 mRNA, showing that SINE induction is not necessarily coupled to transcription of this particular heat shock gene. SINEs behave as an additional class of stress-inducible genes in living animals but are unusual as stress genes because of their high copy number, genomic dispersion, and Pol III–directed transcription. PMID:11599568

In vivo and in vitro studies on a muscarinic presynaptic antagonist and postsynaptic agonist: BM-5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nordstrom, O.; Bartafi, T.; Frieder, B.; Grimm, V.; Ladinsky, H.; Unden, A.

1986-01-01

This paper reports on in vitro and in vivo studies with compound BM-5 which, at proper dosage, could have great potential since it could enhance cholinergic transmission by being a presynaptic antagonist and postsynaptic agonist. Binding studies are described in which tritium-4-NMPB, a muscarinic antagonist, was displaced by compound BM-5 in membranes from striatum, cerebral cortex, cerebellum and hippocampus. The binding data are summarized, which for each brain area involved 86-92 data points evaluated by means of nonlinear regression methods. Compound BM-5 recognized in each brain region a population of high and a population of low affinity binding sites; both of which were labelled with tritium-4-NMPB. It is shown that compound BM-5 causes muscarinic cholinergic agonist-like effects such as redness of the eye, increased motility in the gut, and impairment of locomotor behavior. It also produces muscarinic super-sensitivity upon chronic treatment, and decreases rat striatial ACh content by acute treatment

First Results from BM@N Technical Run with Deuteron Beam

Science.gov (United States)

Baranov, D.; Kapishin, M.; Kulish, E.; Maksymchuk, A.; Mamontova, T.; Pokatashkin, G.; Rufanov, I.; Vasendina, V.; Zinchenko, A.

2018-03-01

BM@N (Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron) is the first experiment to be realized at the accelerator complex of NICA-Nuclotron at JINR (Dubna). The aim of the experiment is to study interactions of relativistic heavy ion beams with a kinetic energy from 1 to 4.5 AGeV with fixed targets. The BM@N set-up at the starting phase of the experiment is introduced. First results of the analysis of minimum bias experimental data collected in the technical run in interactions of the deuteron beam of 4 AGeV with different targets are presented. The spacial, momentum and primary vertex resolution of the GEM tracker are studied. The signal of Lambda-hyperon is reconstructed in the proton-pion invariant mass spectrum. The data results are described by Monte Carlo simulations. The investigation has been performed at the Laboratory of High Energy Physics, JINR.

Molecular LEGO by domain-imprinting of cytochrome P450 BM3.

Science.gov (United States)

Jetzschmann, K J; Yarman, A; Rustam, L; Kielb, P; Urlacher, V B; Fischer, A; Weidinger, I M; Wollenberger, U; Scheller, F W

2018-04-01

Electrosynthesis of the MIP nano-film after binding of the separated domains or holo-cytochrome BM3 via an engineered anchor should result in domain-specific cavities in the polymer layer. Both the two domains and the holo P450 BM3 have been bound prior polymer deposition via a N-terminal engineered his6-anchor to the electrode surface. Each step of MIP preparation was characterized by cyclic voltammetry of the redox-marker ferricyanide. Rebinding after template removal was evaluated by quantifying the suppression of the diffusive permeability of the signal for ferricyanide and by the NADH-dependent reduction of cytochrome c by the reductase domain (BMR). The working hypothesis is verified by the discrimination of the two domains by the respective MIPs: The holoenzyme P450 BM3 was ca. 5.5 times more effectively recognized by the film imprinted with the oxidase domain (BMO) as compared to the BMR-MIP or the non-imprinted polymer (NIP). Obviously, a cavity is formed during the imprinting process around the his 6 -tag-anchored BMR which cannot accommodate the broader BMO or the P450 BM3. The affinity of the MIP towards P450 BM3 is comparable with that to the monomer in solution. The his 6 -tagged P450 BM3 binds (30 percent) stronger which shows the additive effect of the interaction with the MIP and the binding to the electrode. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Proteomic analysis of BmN cell lipid rafts reveals roles in Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Xiaolong; Zhu, Min; Liang, Zi; Kumar, Dhiraj; Chen, Fei; Zhu, Liyuan; Kuang, Sulan; Xue, Renyu; Cao, Guangli; Gong, Chengliang

2017-04-01

The mechanism of how Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) enters cells is unknown. The primary components of membrane lipid rafts are proteins and cholesterol, and membrane lipid rafts are thought to be an active region for host-viral interactions. However, whether they contribute to the entry of BmNPV into silkworm cells remains unclear. In this study, we explored the membrane protein components of lipid rafts from BmN cells with mass spectrometry (MS). Proteins and cholesterol were investigated after establishing infection with BmNPV in BmN cells. In total, 222 proteins were identified in the lipid rafts, and Gene Ontology (GO) annotation analysis showed that more than 10% of these proteins had binding and catalytic functions. We then identified proteins that potentially interact between lipid rafts and BmNPV virions using the Virus Overlay Protein Blot Assay (VOPBA). A total of 65 proteins were analyzed with MS, and 7 were predicted to be binding proteins involved in BmNPV cellular invasion, including actin, kinesin light chain-like isoform X2, annexin B13, heat-shock protein 90, barrier-to-autointegration factor B-like and serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 1 A-like. When the cholesterol of the lipid rafts from the membrane was depleted by methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD), BmNPV entry into BmN cells was blocked. However, supplying cholesterol into the medium rescued the BmNPV infection ability. These results show that membrane lipid rafts may be the active regions for the entry of BmNPV into cells, and the components of membrane lipid rafts may be candidate targets for improving the resistance of the silkworm to BmNPV.

Event Display for the Fixed Target Experiment BM@N

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gertsenberger Konstantin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available One of the main problems to be solved in modern high energy physics experiments on particle collisions with a fixed target is the visual representation of the events during the experiment run. The article briefly describes the structure of the BM@N facility at the Nuclotron being under construction at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research with the aim to study properties of the baryonic matter in collisions of ions with fixed target at energies up to 4 GeV/nucleon (for Au79+. Aspects concerning the visualization of data and detector details at the modern experiments and possibilities of practical applications are discussed. We present event display system intended to visualize the detector geometries and events of particle collisions with the fixed target, its options and features as well as integration with BMNRoot software. The examples of graphical representation of simulated and reconstructed points and particle tracks with BM@N geometry are given for central collisions of Au79+ ions with gold target and deuterons with carbon target.

Brugia malayi Antigen (BmA Inhibits HIV-1 Trans-Infection but Neither BmA nor ES-62 Alter HIV-1 Infectivity of DC Induced CD4+ Th-Cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emily E I M Mouser

Full Text Available One of the hallmarks of HIV-1 disease is the association of heightened CD4+ T-cell activation with HIV-1 replication. Parasitic helminths including filarial nematodes have evolved numerous and complex mechanisms to skew, dampen and evade human immune responses suggesting that HIV-1 infection may be modulated in co-infected individuals. Here we studied the effects of two filarial nematode products, adult worm antigen from Brugia malayi (BmA and excretory-secretory product 62 (ES-62 from Acanthocheilonema viteae on HIV-1 infection in vitro. Neither BmA nor ES-62 influenced HIV-1 replication in CD4+ enriched T-cells, with either a CCR5- or CXCR4-using virus. BmA, but not ES-62, had the capacity to bind the C-type lectin dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3-grabbing non-integrin (DC-SIGN thereby inhibiting HIV-1 trans-infection of CD4+ enriched T-cells. As for their effect on DCs, neither BmA nor ES-62 could enhance or inhibit DC maturation as determined by CD83, CD86 and HLA-DR expression, or the production of IL-6, IL-10, IL-12 and TNF-α. As expected, due to the unaltered DC phenotype, no differences were found in CD4+ T helper (Th cell phenotypes induced by DCs treated with either BmA or ES-62. Moreover, the HIV-1 susceptibility of the Th-cell populations induced by BmA or ES-62 exposed DCs was unaffected for both CCR5- and CXCR4-using HIV-1 viruses. In conclusion, although BmA has the potential capacity to interfere with HIV-1 transmission or initial viral dissemination through preventing the virus from interacting with DCs, no differences in the Th-cell polarizing capacity of DCs exposed to BmA or ES-62 were observed. Neither antigenic source demonstrated beneficial or detrimental effects on the HIV-1 susceptibility of CD4+ Th-cells induced by exposed DCs.

Characterization of the anti-inflammatory Lactobacillus reuteri BM36301 and its probiotic benefits on aged mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Joon; Yang, Woo; Hostetler, Andrew; Schultz, Nathan; Suckow, Mark A; Stewart, Kay L; Kim, Daniel D; Kim, Hyung Soo

2016-04-19

The gut microbiota is playing more important roles in host immune regulation than was initially expected. Since many benefits of microbes are highly strain-specific and their mechanistic details remain largely elusive, further identification of new probiotic bacteria with immunoregulatory potentials is of great interest. We have screened our collection of probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) for their efficacy in modulating host immune response. Some LAB are characterized by suppression of TNF-α induction when LAB culture supernatants are added to THP-1 cells, demonstrating the LAB's anti-inflammatory potential. These suppressive materials were not inactivated by heat or trypsin. On the other hand, treatment of THP-1 directly with live bacterial cells identified a group of pro-inflammatory LAB, which stimulated significant production of TNF-α. Among those, we chose the Lactobacillus reuteri BM36301 as an anti-inflammatory strain and the L. reuteri BM36304 as a pro-inflammatory strain, and further studied their in vivo effects. We supplied C57BL/6 mice with these bacteria in drinking water while feeding them a standard diet for 20 weeks. Interestingly, these L. reuteri strains evoked different consequences depending on the gender of the mice. That is, males treated with anti-inflammatory BM36301 experienced less weight gain and higher testosterone level; females treated with BM36301 maintained lower serum TNF-α as well as healthy skin with active folliculogenesis and hair growth. Furthermore, while males treated with pro-inflammatory BM36304 developed higher serum levels of TNF-α and insulin, in contrast females did not experience such effects from this bacteria strain. The L. reuteri BM36301 was selected as an anti-inflammatory strain in vitro. It helped mice maintain healthy conditions as they aged. These findings propose the L. reuteri BM36301 as a potential probiotic strain to improve various aspects of aging issues.

Cloning and characterization of BmK86, a novel K+-channel blocker from scorpion venom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mao, Xin; Cao, Zhijian; Yin, Shijin; Ma, Yibao; Wu, Yingliang; Li, Wenxin

2007-01-01

Scorpion venom represents a tremendous hitherto unexplored resource for understanding ion channels. BmK86 is a novel K + -channel toxin gene isolated from a cDNA library of Mesobuthus martensii Karsch, which encodes a signal peptide of 22 amino acid residues and a mature toxin of 35 residues with three disulfide bridges. The genomic sequence of BmK86 consists of two exons disrupted by an intron of 72 bp. Comparison with the other scorpion toxins BmK86 shows low sequence similarity. The GST-BmK86 fusion protein was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli. The fusion protein was cleaved by enterokinase and the recombinant BmK86 was purified by HPLC. Using whole-cell patch-clamp recording, the recombinant BmK86 was found to inhibit the potassium current of mKv1.3 channel expressed in COS7 cells. These results indicated that BmK86 belongs to a representative member of a novel subfamily of α-KTxs. The systematic number assigned to BmK86 is α-KTx26.1

Analysis of the Optimum Gain of a High-Pass L-Matching Network for Rectennas.

Science.gov (United States)

Gasulla, Manel; Jordana, Josep; Robert, Francesc-Josep; Berenguer, Jordi

2017-07-25

Rectennas, which mainly consist of an antenna, matching network, and rectifier, are used to harvest radiofrequency energy in order to power tiny sensor nodes, e.g., the nodes of the Internet of Things. This paper demonstrates for the first time, the existence of an optimum voltage gain for high-pass L-matching networks used in rectennas by deriving an analytical expression. The optimum gain is that which leads to maximum power efficiency of the rectenna. Here, apart from the L-matching network, a Schottky single-diode rectifier was used for the rectenna, which was optimized at 868 MHz for a power range from -30 dBm to -10 dBm. As the theoretical expression depends on parameters not very well-known a priori, an accurate search of the optimum gain for each power level was performed via simulations. Experimental results show remarkable power efficiencies ranging from 16% at -30 dBm to 55% at -10 dBm, which are for almost all the tested power levels the highest published in the literature for similar designs.

Analysis of the Optimum Gain of a High-Pass L-Matching Network for Rectennas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manel Gasulla

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Rectennas, which mainly consist of an antenna, matching network, and rectifier, are used to harvest radiofrequency energy in order to power tiny sensor nodes, e.g., the nodes of the Internet of Things. This paper demonstrates for the first time, the existence of an optimum voltage gain for high-pass L-matching networks used in rectennas by deriving an analytical expression. The optimum gain is that which leads to maximum power efficiency of the rectenna. Here, apart from the L-matching network, a Schottky single-diode rectifier was used for the rectenna, which was optimized at 868 MHz for a power range from −30 dBm to −10 dBm. As the theoretical expression depends on parameters not very well-known a priori, an accurate search of the optimum gain for each power level was performed via simulations. Experimental results show remarkable power efficiencies ranging from 16% at −30 dBm to 55% at −10 dBm, which are for almost all the tested power levels the highest published in the literature for similar designs.

Reduced incorporation of the influenza B virus BM2 protein in virus particles decreases infectivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, David; Zuercher, Thomas; Barclay, Wendy

2004-01-01

BM2 is the fourth integral membrane protein encoded by the influenza B virus genome. It is synthesized late in infection and transported to the plasma membrane from where it is subsequently incorporated into progeny virus particles. It has recently been reported that BM2 has ion channel activity and may be the functional homologue of the influenza A virus M2 protein acting as an ion channel involved in viral entry. Using a reverse genetic approach it was not possible to recover virus which lacked BM2. A recombinant influenza B virus was generated in which the BM2 AUG initiation codon was mutated to GUG. This decreased the efficiency of translation of BM2 protein such that progeny virions contained only 1/8 the amount of BM2 seen in wild-type virus. The reduction in BM2 incorporation resulted in a reduction in infectivity although there was no concomitant decrease in the numbers of virions released from the infected cells. These data imply that the incorporation of sufficient BM2 protein into influenza B virions is required for infectivity of the virus particles

Bm59 is an early gene, but is unessential for the propagation and assembly of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Xiaolong; Shen, Yunwang; Zheng, Qin; Wang, Guobao; Wu, Xiaofeng; Gong, Chengliang

2016-02-01

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a major pathogen that specifically infects the domestic silkworm and causes serious economic loss to sericulture around the world. The function of BmNPV Bm59 gene in the viral life cycle is inconclusive. To investigate the role of Bm59 during viral infection, the transcription initiation site and temporal expression of Bm59 were analyzed, and Bm59-knockout virus was generated through homologous recombination in Escherichia coli. The results showed that Bm59 is an early transcription gene with an atypia early transcriptional start motif. Budded virion (BV) production and DNA replication in the BmN cells transfected with the Bm59-knockout virus bacmid were similar to those in the cells transfected with the wild-type virus. Electron microscopy revealed that the occlusion-derived virus can be produced in cells infected with the Bm59-knockout virus. These results indicated that Bm59 is an early gene and is not essential for viral replication or assembly of BmNPV. These findings suggested that non-essential gene (Bm59) remained in the viral genome, which may interact with other viral/host genes in a certain situation.

Hedging with futures contracts in the Brazilian soybean complex: BM&F vs. CBOT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andréia Regina O. da Silva

2003-06-01

Full Text Available This article analyzes the effectiveness of hedging Brazilian soy oil, soy meal, and soybeans in the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT and in the Brazilian Commodities and Futures Exchange (BM&F to reduce the risk of financial loss due to commodity price fluctuations. The econometric results show that a cross-hedging strategy using the BM&F soybean futures contract is an instrument of low effectiveness for managing soy oil and soy meal price risk. Despite low effectiveness, the estimates demonstrate total advantage for soy meal hedging operations using CBOT soy meal futures contracts rather than cross-hedging using BM&F soybean futures contracts. With some exceptions, the results are also more favorable for hedging soy oil with soy oil futures contracts at the CBOT rather than cross hedging with soybeans at the BM&F. Conversely, Brazilian traders hedging soybeans receive more effective risk protection by trading soybean futures contracts at the BM&F than by trading soybean futures contracts at the CBOT.

Static and Dynamic Energetic Disorders in the C 60 , PC 61 BM, C 70 , and PC 71 BM Fullerenes

KAUST Repository

Tummala, Naga Rajesh

2015-09-17

We use a combination of molecular dynamics simulations and density functional theory calculations to investigate the energetic disorder in fullerene systems. We show that the energetic disorder evaluated from an ensemble average contains contributions of both static origin (time-independent, due to loose packing) and dynamic origin (time-dependent, due to electron-vibration interactions). In order to differentiate between these two contributions, we compare the results obtained from an ensemble average approach with those derived from a time average approach. It is found that in both amorphous C60 and C70 bulk systems, the degrees of static and dynamic disorder are comparable, while in the amorphous PC61BM and PC71BM systems, static disorder is about twice as large as dynamic disorder. © 2015 American Chemical Society.

Effects of BmCPV Infection on Silkworm Bombyx mori Intestinal Bacteria.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhenli Sun

Full Text Available The gut microbiota has a crucial role in the growth, development and environmental adaptation in the host insect. The objective of our work was to investigate the microbiota of the healthy silkworm Bombyx mori gut and changes after the infection of B. mori cypovirus (BmCPV. Intestinal contents of the infected and healthy larvae of B. mori of fifth instar were collected at 24, 72 and 144 h post infection with BmCPV. The gut bacteria were analyzed by pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. 147(135 and 113(103 genera were found in the gut content of the healthy control female (male larvae and BmCPV-infected female (male larvae, respectively. In general, the microbial communities in the gut content of healthy larvae were dominated by Enterococcus, Delftia, Pelomonas, Ralstonia and Staphylococcus, however the abundance change of each genus was depended on the developmental stage and gender. Microbial diversity reached minimum at 144 h of fifth instar larvae. The abundance of Enterococcus in the females was substantially lower and the abundance of Delftia, Aurantimonas and Staphylococcus was substantially higher compared to the males. Bacterial diversity in the intestinal contents decreased after post infection with BmCPV, whereas the abundance of both Enterococcus and Staphylococcus which belongs to Gram-positive were increased. Therefore, our findings suggested that observed changes in relative abundance was related to the immune response of silkworm to BmCPV infection. Relevance analysis of plenty of the predominant genera showed the abundance of the Enterococcus genus was in negative correlation with the abundance of the most predominant genera. These results provided insight into the relationship between the gut microbiota and development of the BmCPV-infected silkworm.

TEDS Base Station Power Amplifier using Low-Noise Envelope Tracking Power Supply

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Høyerby, Mikkel Christian Wendelboe; Andersen, Michael A. E.

2009-01-01

This paper demonstrates a highly linear and efficient TETRA enhanced data service (TEDS) base-station RF power amplifier (RFPA). Based on the well-known combination of an envelope tracking (ET) power supply and a linear class-A/B RFPA, adequate adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) and wideband noise...... experimentally with a 9.6-dB peak-to-average 50-kHz 16 quadrature amplitude modulation TEDS carrier, the setup providing 44-dBm (25 W) average RF output power at 400 MHz with 44% dc-to-RF efficiency state-of-the-art ACPR of less than ${-}$67 dBc, switching noise artifacts around ${-}$ 85 dBc, and an overall rms...

Coherent Pound-Drever-Hall technique for high resolution fiber optic strain sensor at very low light power

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Mengxin; Liu, Qingwen; Chen, Jiageng; He, Zuyuan

2017-04-01

Pound-Drever-Hall (PDH) technique has been widely adopted for ultrahigh resolution fiber-optic sensors, but its performance degenerates seriously as the light power drops. To solve this problem, we developed a coherent PDH technique for weak optical signal detection, with which the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of demodulated PDH signal is dramatically improved. In the demonstrational experiments, a high resolution fiber-optic sensor using the proposed technique is realized, and n"-order strain resolution at a low light power down to -43 dBm is achieved, which is about 15 dB lower compared with classical PDH technique. The proposed coherent PDH technique has great potentials in longer distance and larger scale sensor networks.

BM61 of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus: its involvement in the egress of nucleocapsids from the nucleus.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Hongxing; Chen, Keping

2012-04-05

All lepidopteran baculovirus genomes sequenced encode a homolog of the Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus orf61 gene (Bm61). To determine the role of Bm61 in the baculoviral life cycle, we constructed a Bm61 knockout virus and characterized it in cells. We observed that the Bm61 deletion bacmid led to a defect in production of infectious budded virus (BV). Quantitative PCR analysis of BV in the media culturing the transfected cell indicated that BV was not produced due to Bm61 deletion. Electron microscope analysis showed that in the knockout of Bm61, nucleocapsids were not transported from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. From these results we concluded that BM61 is required in the BV pathway for the egress of nucleocapsids from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. Copyright © 2012 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Compact Two-Stage 120 W GaN High Power Amplifier for SweepSAR Radar Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Thrivikraman, Tushar; Horst, Stephen; Price, Douglas; Hoffman, James; Veilleux, Louise

2014-01-01

This work presents the design and measured results of a fully integrated switched power two-stage GaN HEMT high-power amplifier (HPA) achieving 60% power-added efficiency at over 120Woutput power. This high-efficiency GaN HEMT HPA is an enabling technology for L-band SweepSAR interferometric instruments that enable frequent repeat intervals and high-resolution imagery. The L-band HPA was designed using space-qualified state-of-the-art GaN HEMT technology. The amplifier exhibits over 34 dB of power gain at 51 dBm of output power across an 80 MHz bandwidth. The HPA is divided into two stages, an 8 W driver stage and 120 W output stage. The amplifier is designed for pulsed operation, with a high-speed DC drain switch operating at the pulsed-repetition interval and settles within 200 ns. In addition to the electrical design, a thermally optimized package was designed, that allows for direct thermal radiation to maintain low-junction temperatures for the GaN parts maximizing long-term reliability. Lastly, real radar waveforms are characterized and analysis of amplitude and phase stability over temperature demonstrate ultra-stable operation over temperature using integrated bias compensation circuitry allowing less than 0.2 dB amplitude variation and 2 deg phase variation over a 70 C range.

Simultaneous Enhancement of Electrical Conductivity and Seebeck Coefficient of [6,6]-Phenyl-C71 Butyric Acid Methyl Ester (PC70BM by Adding Co-Solvents

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Mina Rastegaralam

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Chemical modification by co-solvents added to [6,6]-Phenyl-C71 butyric acid methyl ester, commonly known as an n-type semiconducting fullerene derivative PC70BM, is reported to change the electrical and thermoelectric properties of this system. Power factor of the casted PC70BM samples achieves values higher than that determined for a variety of organic compounds, including conducting polymers, such as PEDOT:PSS in the pristine form. After chemical functionalization by different solvents, namely N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP, acetonitrile (AC, and 1,2-Dichloroethane (DCE, the four-probe in-plane electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient measurements indicate a simultaneous increase of the electrical conductivity and the Seebeck coefficient. The observed effect is more pronounced for solvents with a high boiling point, such as N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, and N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP, than in acetonitrile (AC and 1,2-Dichloroethane (DCE. We identified the origin of these changes using Hall mobility measurements, which demonstrate enhancement of the PC70BM charge carrier mobility upon addition of the corresponding solvents due to the improved packaging of the fullerene compound and chemical interaction with entrapped solvent molecules within the layers.

Investigation of CTF void fraction prediction by ENTEK BM experiment data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoang Minh Giang; Hoang Tan Hung; Nguyen Phu Khanh

2015-01-01

Recently, CTF, a version of COBRA-TF code is reviewed to validate its simulation models by several experiments such as Castellana 4x4 rod bundle, EPRI 5x5 bundle tests, PSBT bundle tests and TPTF experiment. These above experiments provide enthalpy, mass flux (Castellana), temperature (EPRI) and void fraction (PSBT, TPTF) at exit channel only. In order to simulate PWR rod bundle flow behavior, it is necessary to review CTF with more experiment in high pressure condition and it is found that the ENTEK BM facility is suitable for this purpose. The ENTEK BM facility is used to simulate Russia RBMK and VVER rod bundle two phase flow with pressure at 3 and 7 MPa and it gives measured void fraction distribution along the channel. This study focus on two points: (a) accuracy assessment between CTF void fraction distribution predictions versus experiment void fraction distributions and (b) investigation of void fraction prediction uncertainty from propagation of input deviations caused by measured accuracy. (author)

The time-resolved and extreme conditions XAS (TEXAS) facility at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility: the general-purpose EXAFS bending-magnet beamline BM23

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mathon, O., E-mail: mathon@esrf.fr; Beteva, A.; Borrel, J.; Bugnazet, D.; Gatla, S.; Hino, R.; Kantor, I.; Mairs, T. [European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, CS 40220, 38043 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Munoz, M. [European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, CS 40220, 38043 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Université Joseph Fourier, 1381 rue de la Piscine, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Pasternak, S.; Perrin, F.; Pascarelli, S. [European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, CS 40220, 38043 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France)

2015-10-17

BM23 is the general-purpose EXAFS bending-magnet beamline at the ESRF, replacing the former BM29 beamline in the framework of the ESRF upgrade. Its mission is to serve the whole XAS user community by providing access to a basic service in addition to the many specialized instruments available at the ESRF. BM23 offers high-signal-to-noise ratio EXAFS in a large energy range (5–75 keV), continuous energy scanning for quick-EXAFS on the second timescale and a micro-XAS station delivering a spot size of 4 µm × 4 µm FWHM. BM23 is the general-purpose EXAFS bending-magnet beamline at the ESRF, replacing the former BM29 beamline in the framework of the ESRF upgrade. Its mission is to serve the whole XAS user community by providing access to a basic service in addition to the many specialized instruments available at the ESRF. BM23 offers high signal-to-noise ratio EXAFS in a large energy range (5–75 keV), continuous energy scanning for quick-EXAFS on the second timescale and a micro-XAS station delivering a spot size of 4 µm × 4 µm FWHM. It is a user-friendly facility featuring a high degree of automation, online EXAFS data reduction and a flexible sample environment.

ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICE DISCOURSE AND ISOMORPHISM IN HIGH ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT COMPANIES LISTED ON BM&FBOVESPA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benedito Manoel do Nascimento Costa

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Organizations are submitted to social pressure towards making decisions for the sake of more environmental responsibility. These organizations respond by adopting managing strategies, and by developing environmental policies whose results must be demonstrated to stakeholders. In this scenario, this study aims at analyzing the characteristics of environmental information presented in management reports, in explanatory notes and in balance sheets produced by companies with a high environmental impact listed on BM&FBovespa, identifying possible isomorphic behaviors. In order to reach that goal, a qualitative research was conducted with an analysis of management reports, balance sheets and explanatory notes for the years 2011, 2012 and 2013 by 44 companies. Results provide evidence that companies present similar behavior concerning environmental issues. The management reports contain the largest amount of information related to the environment, the most highlighted categories were Environmental Policies, Product Impact, Processes and Other environmental information. Besides that, the segments that disclosed the most environmental information were Paper and Cellulose, Metalworking, Exploration and Refinement whereas the largest companies, evaluated by total assets, disclosed more environmental information.

Enhanced Power Conversion Efficiency of P3HT : PC71BM Bulk Heterojunction Polymer Solar Cells by Doping a High-Mobility Small Organic Molecule

OpenAIRE

Wang, Hanyu; Wang, Xiao; Fan, Pu; Yang, Xin; Yu, Junsheng

2015-01-01

The effect of molecular doping with TIPS-pentacene on the photovoltaic performance of polymer solar cells (PSCs) with a structure of ITO/ZnO/poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) : [6,6]-phenyl C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) : TIPS-pentacene/MoOx/Ag was systematically investigated by adjusting TIPS-pentacene doping ratios ranged from 0.3 to 1.2 wt%. The device with 0.6 wt% TIPS-pentacene exhibited the enhanced short-circuit current and fill factor by 1.23 mA/cm2 and 7.8%, respectivel...

The fixed target experiment for studies of baryonic matter at the Nuclotron (BM rate at N)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kapishin, Mikhail [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna, Moscow region (Russian Federation)

2016-08-15

BM rate at N (Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron) is the first experiment to be realized at the accelerator complex of NICA-Nuclotron. The aim of the BM rate at N experiment is to study interactions of relativistic heavy-ion beams with fixed targets. The BM rate at N setup, results of Monte Carlo simulations and the BM rate at N experimental program are presented. (orig.)

Dual-functional on-chip AlGaAs/GaAs Schottky diode for RF power detection and low-power rectenna applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Hashim, Abdul Manaf; Mustafa, Farahiyah; Rahman, Shaharin Fadzli Abd; Rahman, Abdul Rahim Abdul

2011-01-01

A Schottky diode has been designed and fabricated on an n-AlGaAs/GaAs high-electron-mobility-transistor (HEMT) structure. Current-voltage (I-V) measurements show good device rectification, with a Schottky barrier height of 0.4349 eV for Ni/Au metallization. The differences between the Schottky barrier height and the theoretical value (1.443 eV) are due to the fabrication process and smaller contact area. The RF signals up to 1 GHz are rectified well by the fabricated Schottky diode and a stable DC output voltage is obtained. The increment ratio of output voltage vs input power is 0.2 V/dBm for all tested frequencies, which is considered good enough for RF power detection. Power conversion efficiency up to 50% is obtained at frequency of 1 GHz and input power of 20 dBm with series connection between diode and load, which also shows the device's good potential as a rectenna device with further improvement. The fabricated n-AlGaAs/GaAs Schottky diode thus provides a conduit for breakthrough designs for RF power detectors, as well as ultra-low power on-chip rectenna device technology to be integrated in nanosystems.

The Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) ODV-E56 envelope protein is also a per os infectivity factor.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiang, Xingwei; Chen, Lin; Guo, Aiqin; Yu, Shaofang; Yang, Rui; Wu, Xiaofeng

2011-01-01

The Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) odv-e56 gene is a late gene and encodes an occlusion-derived virus (ODV)-specific envelope protein, ODV-E56. To determine its role in the BmNPV life cycle, an odv-e56 null virus, BmE56D, was constructed through homologous recombination. A repaired virus was also constructed, named BmE56DR. The production of budded virion (BV) and polyhedra, the replication of viral DNA, and the morphological of infected BmN cells were analyzed, revealing no significant difference among the BmE56D, the wild-type (WT), and the BmE56DR virus. Larval bioassays demonstrated that injection of BmE56D BV into the hemocoel could kill B. mori larvae as efficiently as repaired and WT viruses, however BmE56D was unable to infect the B. mori larvae when inoculated per os. Thus, these results indicated that ODV-E56 envelope protein of BmNPV is also a per os infectivity factor (PIF), but is not essential for virus replication. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genotoxic potential of BM-21, an aqueous-ethanolic extract from Thalassia testudinum marine plant.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yadira Ansoar

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Context: BM-21 is a hydro-ethanolic extract obtained from the leaves of Thalassia testudinum marine plant, which is rich in polyphenols, and it has demonstrated antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cytoprotective and neuroprotective properties. Aims: To investigate the genotoxicity potential of BM-21. Methods: Salmonella typhimurium Hist. – strains were used in the pointmutation test and Escherichia coli cells were used in SOS response test. DNA primary damage was tested in hepatocytes of mice treated with oral dose of the extract (2000 mg/kg. Bone marrow micronucleus assay was used in mice to detect clastogenic damage while serum from the same animals was used to determine MDA levels in order to find out the influence of BM-21 on lipid peroxidation. Positive and negative controls were included in all experimental series. Results: BM-21 did not increase the frequency of reverse mutations in the Ames test, and it did not induce primary damage in E. coli. Comet assay showed that 2 000 mg/kg of BM-21 induced single strand breaks or alkali-labile sites in the hepatocytes from the treated mice. However, no increase in the micronucleus frequency was observed in mice polychromatic erythrocytes and significantly reduced MDA levels were detected. Conclusions: BM-21 was neither mutagenic nor induces DNA damage to prokaryotic cells. Although, it increased DNA strand breaks in vivo, this one was not translated into clastogenic damage to the whole organism. Results suggested that BM-21 was not mutagenic or genotoxic under our experimental conditions.

Bm86 midgut protein sequence variation in South Texas cattle fever ticks

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Kammlah Diane M

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cattle fever ticks, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus microplus and R. (B. annulatus, vector bovine and equine babesiosis, and have significantly expanded beyond the permanent quarantine zone established in South Texas. Currently, there are no vaccines approved for use within the United States for controlling these vectors. Vaccines developed in Australia and Cuba based on the midgut antigen Bm86 have variable efficacy against cattle fever ticks. A possible explanation for this variation in vaccine efficacy is amino acid sequence divergence between the recombinant Bm86 vaccine component and native Bm86 expressed in ticks from different geographical regions of the world. Results There was 91.8% amino acid sequence identity in Bm86 among R. microplus and R. annulatus sequenced from South Texas infestations. When South Texas isolates were compared to the Australian Yeerongpilly and Cuban Camcord vaccine strains, there was 89.8% and 90.0% identity, respectively. Most of the sequence divergence was focused in one region of the protein, amino acids 206-298. Hydrophilicity profiles revealed that two short regions of Bm86 (amino acids 206-210 and 560-570 appear to be more hydrophilic in South Texas isolates compared to vaccine strains. Only one amino acid difference was found between South Texas and vaccine strains within two previously described B-cell epitopes. A total of 4 amino acid differences were observed within three peptides previously shown to induce protective immune responses in cattle. Conclusions Sequence differences between South Texas isolates and Yeerongpilly and Camcord strains are spread throughout the entire Bm86 sequence, suggesting that geographic variation does exist. Differences within previously described B-cell epitopes between South Texas isolates and vaccine strains are minimal; however, short regions of hydrophilic amino acids found unique to South Texas isolates suggest that additional unique surface exposed

Expression analysis of several antiviral related genes to BmNPV in different resistant strains of silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Yang; Wang, Xue-yang; Du, Chang; Gao, Juan; Xu, Jia-ping

2014-05-30

Bombyx mori L. (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a highly pathogenic virus in the sericultural industry, often causing severe damage leading to large economic losses. The immune mechanisms of B. mori against this virus remain obscure. Previous studies had demonstrated Bmlipase-1, BmNox and Bmserine protease-2 showing antiviral activity in vitro, but data on the transcription levels of these proteins in different resistant strains were not reported. In order to determine the resistance level of the four different strains (P50, A35, A40, A53) and gain a better understanding of the mechanism of resistance to BmNPV in B. mori, the relative expression level of the genes coding the three antiviral proteins in larval haemolymph and midgut of different B. mori strains resistant to BmNPV was determined. The results showed that these genes expressed significantly higher in the resistant strains compared to the susceptible strain, and the differential expression levels were consistent with the LC50 values in different strains. The transcription level of the target genes almost all up-regulated in the larvae midgut and down-regulated in the haemolymph. The results indicate the correlation of these genes to BmNPV resistance in B. mori. This is an open access paper. We use the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license that permits unrestricted use, provided that the paper is properly attributed.

Physical properties of homogeneous TiO.sub.2./sub. films prepared by high power impulse magnetron sputtering as a function of crystallographic phase and nanostructure

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Straňák, Vítězslav; Čada, Martin; Quaas, M.; Block, S.; Bogdanowicz, R.; Kment, Štěpán; Wulff, H.; Hubička, Zdeněk; Helm, Ch.A.; Tichý, M.; Hippler, R.

2009-01-01

Roč. 42, č. 10 (2009), 105204/1-105204/12 ISSN 0022-3727 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KAN301370701; GA AV ČR KJB100100805; GA AV ČR KAN400720701 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100522 Keywords : TiO 2 * high power magnteron sputtering * plasma diagnostic * film diagnostic Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 2.083, year: 2009

Denoising imaging polarimetry by adapted BM3D method.

Science.gov (United States)

Tibbs, Alexander B; Daly, Ilse M; Roberts, Nicholas W; Bull, David R

2018-04-01

In addition to the visual information contained in intensity and color, imaging polarimetry allows visual information to be extracted from the polarization of light. However, a major challenge of imaging polarimetry is image degradation due to noise. This paper investigates the mitigation of noise through denoising algorithms and compares existing denoising algorithms with a new method, based on BM3D (Block Matching 3D). This algorithm, Polarization-BM3D (PBM3D), gives visual quality superior to the state of the art across all images and noise standard deviations tested. We show that denoising polarization images using PBM3D allows the degree of polarization to be more accurately calculated by comparing it with spectral polarimetry measurements.

Chemoenzymatic elaboration of monosaccharides using engineered cytochrome P450_(BM3) demethylases

OpenAIRE

Lewis, Jared C.; Bastian, Sabine; Bennett, Clay S.; Fu, Yu; Mitsuda, Yuuichi; Chen, Mike M.; Greenberg, William A.; Wong, Chi-Huey; Arnold, Frances H.

2009-01-01

Polysaccharides comprise an extremely important class of biopolymers that play critical roles in a wide range of biological processes, but the synthesis of these compounds is challenging because of their complex structures. We have developed a chemoenzymatic method for regioselective deprotection of monosaccharide substrates using engineered Bacillus megaterium cytochrome P450 (P450_(BM3)) demethylases that provides a highly efficient means to access valuable intermediate...

Lambda polarization feasibility study at BM@N

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suvarieva Dilyna

2017-01-01

In this analysis, the possibility to measure at BM@N the polarization of the lightest strange hyperon Λ is studied in Monte Carlo event samples produced with the DCM-QGSM generator. It is shown that the detector will allow to measure Λ polarization with a precision required to check the model predictions.

Survivability enhancement study for C/sup 3/I/BM (communications, command, control and intelligence/battle management) ground segments: Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1986-10-30

This study involves a concept developed by the Fairchild Space Company which is directly applicable to the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) Program as well as other national security programs requiring reliable, secure and survivable telecommunications systems. The overall objective of this study program was to determine the feasibility of combining and integrating long-lived, compact, autonomous isotope power sources with fiber optic and other types of ground segments of the SDI communications, command, control and intelligence/battle management (C/sup 3/I/BM) system in order to significantly enhance the survivability of those critical systems, especially against the potential threats of electromagnetic pulse(s) (EMP) resulting from high altitude nuclear weapon explosion(s). 28 figs., 2 tabs.

Electrochemistry of Cytochrome P450 BM3 in Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Films

Science.gov (United States)

Udit, Andrew K.; Hill, Michael G.; Gray, Harry B.

2008-01-01

Direct electrochemistry of the cytochrome P450 BM3 heme domain (BM3) was achieved by confining the protein within sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) films on the surface of basal-plane graphite (BPG) electrodes. Cyclic voltammetry revealed the heme FeIII/II redox couple at −330 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl, pH 7.4). Up to 10 V/s, the peak current was linear with scan rate, allowing us to treat the system as surface-confined within this regime. The standard heterogeneous rate constant determined at 10 V/s was estimated to be 10 s−1. Voltammograms obtained for the BM3-SDS-BPG system in the presence of dioxygen exhibited catalytic waves at the onset of FeIII reduction. The altered heme reduction potential of the BM3-SDS-graphite system indicates that SDS is likely bound in the enzyme active-site region. Compared to other P450-surfactant systems, we find redox potentials and electron transfer rates that differ by ~ 100 mV and > 10-fold, respectively, indicating that the nature of the surfactant environment has a significant effect on the observed heme redox properties. PMID:17129070

P143 proteins from heterologous nucleopolyhedroviruses induce apoptosis in BM-N cells derived from the silkworm Bombyx mori.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamajima, Rina; Kobayashi, Michihiro; Ikeda, Motoko

2017-04-02

We previously demonstrated that ribosomal RNA (rRNA) of Bombyx mori BM-N cells is rapidly degraded upon infection with heterologous nucleopolyhedroviruses (NPVs), including Autographa californica multiple NPV (AcMNPV), Hyphantria cunea MNPV, Spodoptera exigua MNPV and S. litura MNPV, and that this response is triggered by viral P143 proteins. The transient expression of P143 proteins from heterologous NPVs was also shown to induce apoptosis and caspase-3-like protease activation in BM-N cells. In the present study, we conducted a transient expression assay using BM-N cells expressing mutant AcMNPV P143 (Ac-P143) proteins and demonstrated that five amino acid residues cooperatively participate in Ac-P143 protein-triggered apoptosis of BM-N cells. Notably, these five residues were previously shown to be required for triggering rRNA degradation in BM-N cells. As rRNA degradation in BM-N cells does not result from apoptosis, the present results suggest that Ac-P143-triggered rRNA degradation is the upstream signal for apoptosis induction in BM-N cells. We further showed that P143 protein-triggered apoptosis does not occur in S. frugiperda Sf9 or Lymantria dispar Ld652Y cells, indicating that apoptosis induction by heterologous P143 proteins is a BM-N cell-specific response. In addition, the observed induction of apoptosis in BM-N cells was found to be mediated by activation of the initiator caspase Bm-Dronc. Taken together, these results suggest that BM-N cells evolved a unique antiviral system that recognizes heterologous NPV P143 proteins to induce rRNA degradation and caspase-dependent apoptosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Disruption of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus ORF71 (Bm71) results in inefficient budded virus production and decreased virulence in host larvae.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Min-Juan; Cheng, Ruo-Lin; Lou, Yi-Han; Ye, Wan-Lu; Zhang, Tao; Fan, Xiao-Ying; Fan, Hai-Wei; Zhang, Chuan-Xi

2012-08-01

The Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a baculovirus that selectively infects domestic silkworm. BmNPV ORF71 (Bm71) is not a core set gene in baculovirus and shares 92 % amino acid sequence identity with Autographa californica multinucleocapsid NPV ORF88 (Ac88/cg30). Previously, it has been reported that virus lacking Ac88 had no striking phenotypes in cell lines or host larvae. However, the exact role of Bm71 during BmNPV life cycle remains unknown. In the present study, we constructed a Bm71-disrupted (Bm71-D) virus and assessed the effect of the Bm71 disruption on viral replication and viral phenotype throughout the viral life cycle. Results showed that the Bm71-D bacmid could successfully transfect Bm5 cell lines and produce infectious budded virus (BV). But the BV titer was 10- to 100-fold lower than that of the wild-type (WT) virus during infection, and the decreased BV titer was rescued by Bm71 gene repair virus (Bm71-R). A larval bioassay showed that Bm71-D virus took 7.5 h longer than the WT to kill Bombyx mori larvae. Transmission electron microscopy analysis indicated that the Bm71-D virus-infected cells had typical virogenic stroma, bundles of nucleocapsids and polyhedra. Taken together, these results suggest that Bm71 has important implications for determining BV yield and virulence in viral life cycle even though it is not an essential gene for replication of BmNPV.

The time-resolved and extreme conditions XAS (TEXAS) facility at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility: the general-purpose EXAFS bending-magnet beamline BM23.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathon, O; Beteva, A; Borrel, J; Bugnazet, D; Gatla, S; Hino, R; Kantor, I; Mairs, T; Munoz, M; Pasternak, S; Perrin, F; Pascarelli, S

2015-11-01

BM23 is the general-purpose EXAFS bending-magnet beamline at the ESRF, replacing the former BM29 beamline in the framework of the ESRF upgrade. Its mission is to serve the whole XAS user community by providing access to a basic service in addition to the many specialized instruments available at the ESRF. BM23 offers high signal-to-noise ratio EXAFS in a large energy range (5-75 keV), continuous energy scanning for quick-EXAFS on the second timescale and a micro-XAS station delivering a spot size of 4 µm × 4 µm FWHM. It is a user-friendly facility featuring a high degree of automation, online EXAFS data reduction and a flexible sample environment.

Dual-Functional On-Chip AlGaAs/GaAs Schottky Diode for RF Power Detection and Low-Power Rectenna Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdul Manaf Hashim

2011-08-01

Full Text Available A Schottky diode has been designed and fabricated on an n-AlGaAs/GaAs high-electron-mobility-transistor (HEMT structure. Current-voltage (I-V measurements show good device rectification, with a Schottky barrier height of 0.4349 eV for Ni/Au metallization. The differences between the Schottky barrier height and the theoretical value (1.443 eV are due to the fabrication process and smaller contact area. The RF signals up to 1 GHz are rectified well by the fabricated Schottky diode and a stable DC output voltage is obtained. The increment ratio of output voltage vs input power is 0.2 V/dBm for all tested frequencies, which is considered good enough for RF power detection. Power conversion efficiency up to 50% is obtained at frequency of 1 GHz and input power of 20 dBm with series connection between diode and load, which also shows the device’s good potential as a rectenna device with further improvement. The fabricated n-AlGaAs/GaAs Schottky diode thus provides a conduit for breakthrough designs for RF power detectors, as well as ultra-low power on-chip rectenna device technology to be integrated in nanosystems.

Scaling laws for fractional Brownian motion with power-law clock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Malley, Daniel; Cushman, John H; Johnson, Graham

2011-01-01

We study the mean first passage time (MFPT) for fractional Brownian motion (fBm) in a finite interval with absorbing boundaries at each end. Analytical arguments are used to suggest a simple scaling law for the MFPT and numerical experiments are performed to verify its accuracy. The same approach is used to derive a scaling law for fBm with a power-law clock (fBm-plc). The MFPT scaling laws are employed to develop scaling laws for the finite-size Lyapunov exponent (FSLE) of fBm and fBm-plc. We apply these results to diffusion of a large polymer in a region with absorbing boundaries. (letter)

75 GHz InP DHBT power amplifier based on two-stacked transistors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Squartecchia, Michele; Midili, Virginio; Johansen, Tom Keinicke

2017-01-01

In this paper we present the design and measurements of a two-stage 75-GHz InP Double Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor (DHBT) power amplifier (PA). An optimized two-stacked transistor power cell has been designed, which represents the building block in the power stage as well as in the driver st......, the power amplifier exhibits a small signal gain of G = 12.6 dB, output power at 1-dB compression of Pout, 1dB = 18.6 dBm and a saturated output power of Psat > 21.4 dBm....

Naphthacenodithiophene Based Polymers-New Members of the Acenodithiophene Family Exhibiting High Mobility and Power Conversion Efficiency

KAUST Repository

Knall, Astrid Caroline; Ashraf, Raja Shahid; Nikolka, Mark; Nielsen, Christian B.; Purushothaman, Balaji; Sadhanala, Aditya; Hurhangee, Michael; Broch, Katharina; Harkin, David J.; Nová k, Jiří ; Neophytou, Marios; Hayoz, Pascal; Sirringhaus, Henning; McCulloch, Iain

2016-01-01

Wide-bandgap conjugated polymers with a linear naphthacenodithiophene (NDT) donor unit are herein reported along with their performance in both transistor and solar cell devices. The monomer is synthesized starting from 2,6-dihydroxynaphthalene with a double Fries rearrangement as the key step. By copolymerization with 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (BT) via a palladium-catalyzed Suzuki coupling reaction, NDT-BT co-polymers with high molecular weights and narrow polydispersities are afforded. These novel wide-bandgap polymers are evaluated as the semiconducting polymer in both organic field effect transistor and organic photovoltaic applications. The synthesized polymers reveal an optical bandgap in the range of 1.8 eV with an electron affinity of 3.6 eV which provides sufficient energy offset for electron transfer to PC70BM acceptors. In organic field effect transistors, the synthesized polymers demonstrate high hole mobilities of around 0.4 cm2 V–1 s–1. By using a blend of NDT-BT with PC70BM as absorber layer in organic bulk heterojunction solar cells, power conversion efficiencies of 7.5% are obtained. This value is among the highest obtained for polymers with a wider bandgap (larger than 1.7 eV), making this polymer also interesting for application in tandem or multijunction solar cells. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

Naphthacenodithiophene Based Polymers-New Members of the Acenodithiophene Family Exhibiting High Mobility and Power Conversion Efficiency

KAUST Repository

Knall, Astrid Caroline

2016-08-18

Wide-bandgap conjugated polymers with a linear naphthacenodithiophene (NDT) donor unit are herein reported along with their performance in both transistor and solar cell devices. The monomer is synthesized starting from 2,6-dihydroxynaphthalene with a double Fries rearrangement as the key step. By copolymerization with 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (BT) via a palladium-catalyzed Suzuki coupling reaction, NDT-BT co-polymers with high molecular weights and narrow polydispersities are afforded. These novel wide-bandgap polymers are evaluated as the semiconducting polymer in both organic field effect transistor and organic photovoltaic applications. The synthesized polymers reveal an optical bandgap in the range of 1.8 eV with an electron affinity of 3.6 eV which provides sufficient energy offset for electron transfer to PC70BM acceptors. In organic field effect transistors, the synthesized polymers demonstrate high hole mobilities of around 0.4 cm2 V–1 s–1. By using a blend of NDT-BT with PC70BM as absorber layer in organic bulk heterojunction solar cells, power conversion efficiencies of 7.5% are obtained. This value is among the highest obtained for polymers with a wider bandgap (larger than 1.7 eV), making this polymer also interesting for application in tandem or multijunction solar cells. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

Aqueous PCDTBT:PC71 BM Photovoltaic Inks Made by Nanoprecipitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Prunet, Geoffrey; Parrenin, Laurie; Pavlopoulou, Eleni; Pecastaings, Gilles; Brochon, Cyril; Hadziioannou, Georges; Cloutet, Eric

2018-01-01

The fabrication of organic solar cells from aqueous dispersions of photoactive nanoparticles has recently attracted the interest of the photovoltaic community, since these dispersions offer an eco-friendly solution for the fabrication of solar cells, avoiding the use of toxic solvents. In this work, aqueous dispersions of pure poly[n-9'-heptadecanyl-2,7-carbazole-alt-5,5-(4',7'-di-2-thienyl-2',1',3'-benzothiadiazole)] (PCDTBT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C 71 -butyric acid methyl ester (PC 71 BM) nanoparticles, as well as of composite PC 71 BM:PCDTBT nanoparticles, are prepared using the nanoprecipitation postpolymerization method. These dispersions are subsequently used to form the active layer of organic photovoltaic cells. Thin films of PC 71 BM and PCDTBT are obtained by spray deposition of the nanoparticles' dispersions, and are characterized using a combination of spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. Photovoltaics that incorporate these active layers are fabricated thereafter. The impact of the annealing temperature and of the composition of the active layer on the efficiency of the solar cells is studied. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Neuroprotective and antioxidant effects of Thalassia testudinum extract BM-21, against acrylamide-induced neurotoxicity in mice

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Roberto Menéndez

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Context: Acrylamide (ACR neurotoxicity is associated with the enhancement of lipid peroxidation and the reduction of the antioxidative capacity distal axon and nerve terminal regions. The aqueous ethanolic extract of the marine plant Thalassia testudinum, named BM-21, have shown antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Aims: To determine the neuroprotective and the antioxidant effects of BM-21, standardized to thalassiolin B content (5.8 ± 0.9%, on acrylamide (ACR-induced distal axonopathy in male OF-1 mice. Methods: Animals were administered with ACR (70 mg/kg, s.c., 4 weeks, and BM-21 was co-administered p.o at the doses of 4, 40 and 400 mg/kg. The effect of BM-21 on neurobehavioral indexes (rota-rod test, compound muscle action potential (CMAP of the sciatic nerve and oxidative stress parameters were investigated. Results: BM-21 significantly prevented the neurobehavioral sings of neurotoxicity and the alteration of CMAP amplitude and velocity. The lowest dose (4 mg/kg failed to ameliorate these parameters whereas the highest dose (400 mg/kg was the most active. BM-21 (400 mg/kg significantly restored total hydroperoxides (THP and glutathione (GSH in the sciatic nerve as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px activities. Additionally, the extract also modified THP, GSH and the activity of SOD in cerebellum and brain towards the standard values. Conclusions: BM-21 given at doses that prevented ACR-induced neurotoxicity also produced antioxidant effect in the sciatic nerve, cerebellum and brain. Thus, the neuroprotective activity of BM-21 in this model seems to be mediated at least partly by its antioxidative properties.

Cytochrome P450BM-3 reduces aldehydes to alcohols through a direct hydride transfer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaspera, Rüdiger; Sahele, Tariku; Lakatos, Kyle; Totah, Rheem A.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Cytochrome P450BM-3 reduced aldehydes to alcohols efficiently (k cat ∼ 25 min −1 ). ► Reduction is a direct hydride transfer from R-NADP 2 H to the carbonyl moiety. ► P450 domain variants enhance reduction through potential allosteric/redox interactions. ► Novel reaction will have implications for metabolism of xenobiotics. -- Abstract: Cytochrome P450BM-3 catalyzed the reduction of lipophilic aldehydes to alcohols efficiently. A k cat of ∼25 min −1 was obtained for the reduction of methoxy benzaldehyde with wild type P450BM-3 protein which was higher than in the isolated reductase domain (BMR) alone and increased in specific P450-domain variants. The reduction was caused by a direct hydride transfer from preferentially R-NADP 2 H to the carbonyl moiety of the substrate. Weak substrate-P450-binding of the aldehyde, turnover with the reductase domain alone, a deuterium incorporation in the product from NADP 2 H but not D 2 O, and no inhibition by imidazole suggests the reductase domain of P450BM-3 as the potential catalytic site. However, increased aldehyde reduction by P450 domain variants (P450BM-3 F87A T268A) may involve allosteric or redox mechanistic interactions between heme and reductase domains. This is a novel reduction of aldehydes by P450BM-3 involving a direct hydride transfer and could have implications for the metabolism of endogenous substrates or xenobiotics.

Secreted glycoprotein BmApoD1 plays a critical role in anti-oxidation and anti-apoptosis in Bombyx mori.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yanyan; Wang, Li; Li, Rongqiao; Liu, Minmin; Li, Xiaotong; Su, Hang; Xu, Yusong; Wang, Huabing

2018-01-01

Recent studies highlighted that apolipoprotein D (ApoD) and its homologs exert neuroprotective and antioxidant functions in mammals and Drosophila. Unlike mammals and Drosophila, lepidopteran insects possess three distinct ApoD homologs. However, few information on their functions in lepidopteran insects are available. In this study, we investigated the protective potential of a novel ApoD homolog, BmApoD1, in Bombyx mori. Quantitative PCR analyses demonstrated that BmApoD1 is extensively expressed at low levels during the larval stage but abundantly expressed in the testis during the pupal and adult stages. Tryptophan fluorescence titration demonstrated that recombinant BmApoD1 protein can bind retinoic acid and ergosterol. In addition, we provided evidence that N-linked glycans of BmApoD1 are essential to BmApoD1 secretion, and three residues, namely, Asp69, Asp104, and Asp196, are the glycosylation sites of BmApoD1. Furthermore, we showed that BmApoD1 is significantly up-regulated in the larvae after oxidant or starvation treatment. The recombinant BmApoD1 protein can protect cells from oxidative stress induced by H 2 O 2 and reduce actinomycin D-induced cell apoptosis. These observations, together with the transcriptional up-regulation of BmApoD1 in several tissues upon oxidative insult, identify BmApoD1 as a potent antioxidant. Our results demonstrate that BmApoD1 is critical for metabolic adaptation of B. mori to environmental challenges. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Charge transport studies in donor-acceptor block copolymer PDPP-TNT and PC71BM based inverted organic photovoltaic devices processed in room conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srivastava, Shashi B.; Singh, Samarendra P.; Sonar, Prashant

2015-01-01

Diketopyrrolopyrole-naphthalene polymer (PDPP-TNT), a donor-acceptor co-polymer, has shown versatile behavior demonstrating high performances in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) and organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices. In this paper we report investigation of charge carrier dynamics in PDPP-TNT, and [6,6]-phenyl C 71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) bulk-heterojunction based inverted OPV devices using current density-voltage (J-V) characteristics, space charge limited current (SCLC) measurements, capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics, and impedance spectroscopy (IS). OPV devices in inverted architecture, ITO/ZnO/PDPP-TNT:PC71BM/MoO 3 /Ag, are processed and characterized at room conditions. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of these devices are measured ∼3.8%, with reasonably good fill-factor 54.6%. The analysis of impedance spectra exhibits electron’s mobility ∼2 × 10 −3 cm 2 V −1 s −1 , and lifetime in the range of 0.03-0.23 ms. SCLC measurements give hole mobility of 1.12 × 10 −5 cm 2 V −1 s −1 , and electron mobility of 8.7 × 10 −4 cm 2 V −1 s −1

Induced mutations in mungbean- variety BM-4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chavan, A.A.; Patil, V.D.; Pawar, R.B.

2000-01-01

Mung bean (Vigna radiata) is an important crop. Marathwada Agricultural University has developed and released a variety BM4 for Western Zone. This variety has got yield potential of 1200-1300 kg/ha. However it has small grain size and dull green colour resulting in less dahl recovery and less market price. To improve these parameters, a mutation breeding programme was taken up. Dry seeds of variety BM4 were treated with 10, 15, 25 kR gamma rays at BARC Mumbai. In M 1 generation, germination decreased with increased dose of gamma rays. Twenty five kR showed lowest germination, 10 and 15 kR showed satisfactory germination. Individual plants were harvested and plant to row progenies were grown in M 2 in augmented block design. Range of mean was 39.8 to 77.2, 6.3 to 45.4, 1.85 to 3.25 and 9.2 to 60.0 for plant height (cm), number of pods/plant, test weight (g) and yield/plant(g) respectively. Out of 3 doses of gamma rays 10 kR proved more effective in increasing seed size, number of pods and seed yield/plant. (author)

Cytochrome P450BM-3 reduces aldehydes to alcohols through a direct hydride transfer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaspera, Ruediger; Sahele, Tariku; Lakatos, Kyle [Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 357610, Seattle, WA 98195-7610 (United States); Totah, Rheem A., E-mail: rtotah@u.washington.edu [Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 357610, Seattle, WA 98195-7610 (United States)

2012-02-17

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cytochrome P450BM-3 reduced aldehydes to alcohols efficiently (k{sub cat} {approx} 25 min{sup -1}). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Reduction is a direct hydride transfer from R-NADP{sup 2}H to the carbonyl moiety. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer P450 domain variants enhance reduction through potential allosteric/redox interactions. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Novel reaction will have implications for metabolism of xenobiotics. -- Abstract: Cytochrome P450BM-3 catalyzed the reduction of lipophilic aldehydes to alcohols efficiently. A k{sub cat} of {approx}25 min{sup -1} was obtained for the reduction of methoxy benzaldehyde with wild type P450BM-3 protein which was higher than in the isolated reductase domain (BMR) alone and increased in specific P450-domain variants. The reduction was caused by a direct hydride transfer from preferentially R-NADP{sup 2}H to the carbonyl moiety of the substrate. Weak substrate-P450-binding of the aldehyde, turnover with the reductase domain alone, a deuterium incorporation in the product from NADP{sup 2}H but not D{sub 2}O, and no inhibition by imidazole suggests the reductase domain of P450BM-3 as the potential catalytic site. However, increased aldehyde reduction by P450 domain variants (P450BM-3 F87A T268A) may involve allosteric or redox mechanistic interactions between heme and reductase domains. This is a novel reduction of aldehydes by P450BM-3 involving a direct hydride transfer and could have implications for the metabolism of endogenous substrates or xenobiotics.

In vitro reprogramming of rat bmMSCs into pancreatic endocrine-like cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hong-Tu; Jiang, Fang-Xu; Shi, Ping; Zhang, Tao; Liu, Xiao-Yu; Lin, Xue-Wen; San, Zhong-Yan; Pang, Xi-Ning

2017-02-01

Islet transplantation provides curative treatments to patients with type 1 diabetes, but donor shortage restricts the broad use of this therapy. Thus, generation of alternative transplantable cell sources is intensively investigated worldwide. We previously showed that bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (bmMSCs) can be reprogrammed to pancreatic-like cells through simultaneously forced suppression of Rest/Nrsf (repressor element-1 silencing transcription factor/neuronal restrictive silencing factor) and Shh (sonic hedgehog) and activation of Pdx1 (pancreas and duodenal transcription factor 1). We here aimed to reprogram bmMSCs further along the developmental pathway towards the islet lineages by improving our previous strategy and by overexpression of Ngn3 (neurogenin 3) and NeuroD1 (neurogenic differentiation 1), critical regulators of the development of endocrine pancreas. We showed that compared to the previous protocol, the overexpression of only Pdx1 and Ngn3 reprogrammed bmMSCs into cells with more characteristics of islet endocrine lineages verified with bioinformatic analyses of our RNA-Seq datasets. These analyses indicated 2325 differentially expressed genes including those involved in the pancreas and islet development. We validated with qRT-PCR analysis selective genes identified from the RNA-Seq datasets. Thus, we reprogrammed bmMSCs into islet endocrine-like cells and advanced the endeavor to generate surrogate functional insulin-secreting cells.

Simulations in the Analysis of Experimental Data Measured by BM@N Drift Chambers

Science.gov (United States)

Fedorišin, Ján

2018-02-01

The drift chambers (DCH's) are an important part of the tracking system of the BM@N experiment designed to study the production of baryonic matter at the Nuclotron energies. The method of particle hit and track reconstruction in the drift chambers has been already proposed and tested on the BM@N deuteron beam data. In this study the DCH's are first locally and globally aligned, and subsequently the consistency of the track reconstruction chain is tested by two methods. The first one is based on the backward extrapolation of the DCH reconstructed deuteron beam to a position where its deflection in the BM@N magnetic field begins. The second method reconstructs the deuteron beam momentum through its deflection angle. Both methods confirm correctness of the track reconstruction algorithm.

The ATLAS experience and its relevance to the data acquisition of the BM@N experiment at the NICA complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomiwa, K G; Mellado, B; Slepnev, I; Bazylev, S

2016-01-01

The quest to understand the world around us has increased the size of high energy physics experiments and the processing rate of the data output from high energy experiments. The Large Hadron Collider is the largest experimental set-up known, with ATLAS detector as one of the detectors built to record proton-proton collision at about 10 PB/s (Petabit/s) around the LHC interaction point. With the Phase-II upgrade in 2022 this data output will increase by at least 10 times higher than those of today due to luminosity increase, this poses a serious challenge on processing and storage of the data. Also the BM@N fixed target experiment is expected to have event size of about 80,000 bytes/Event, leading to huge amount of data output to be processed in real time. Experimentalists handle these challenges by developing High-throughput electronic, with the capability of processing and reducing big data to scientific data in real time. One of these high-throughput electronics is the Super Readout Driver (sROD) and ARM-based processing unit (PU) developed for ATLAS TileCal detector by the University of the Witwatersrand. The sROD is designed to process data from Tile Calorimeter at 40 MHz. This work takes a look at the architecture of the data acquisition (DAQ) system of the BM@N detectors and the adaptation of the high-throughput systems to last stage of the BM@N DAQ system. (paper)

Effects of substituting soya bean meal (SBM) with blood meal (BM) on biochemical profile of pregnant pigs.

Science.gov (United States)

Abonyi, Festus Otaka; Machebe, Ndubuisi Samuel; Ezea, Michael Sunday; Eze, James I; Omeke, Benjamin Chigozie; Marire, Benjamin Nwabueze

2013-04-01

Twenty-four Large White × Landrace crossbreed primigravid pigs, aged 7.50 to 8.00 months weighing between 86.15 and 88.24 kg were used to study the effects of feeding graded levels of soya bean meal (SBM) replaced blood meal (BM) diets on serum biochemical profile in gestating pigs. The pigs were randomly allotted to four finisher diets formulated such that BM replaced SBM at 0.0, 50.0, 75.0 and 100.0 %, respectively. The diets were T1 (100.0 % SBM, 0.0 % BM), T2 (50.0 % SBM, 50.0 % BM), T3 (25.0 % SBM, 75.0 % BM) and T4 (0.0 % SBM, 100.0 % BM). Individual animal's daily ration of the test diets was 2.20, 2.00 and 2.50 kg at stages one, two and three of gestation. Blood sampling and analysis for the effects of the test diets on biochemical profile of the experimental animals were carried out prior to conception, at weeks 3, 7 and 11 of gestation, respectively. The result showed no significant (P ≥ 0.05) dietary treatment effects on total protein, albumin, globulin fraction, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, creatinine and urea profile of the pigs fed with BM diets when compared to the control fed with 100.0 % SBM. There was however a significant (P ≤ 0.05) variation in these biochemical indices in all the experimental groups at different stages of gestation. It was concluded that BM can replace 100.0 % of SBM in the diets of pregnant pigs in the tropical humid environment without any deleterious effect on their health.

Effects of BM-573 on Endothelial Dependent Relaxation and Increased Blood Pressure at Early Stages of Atherosclerosis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miguel Romero

Full Text Available Endothelial dysfunction is considered to be an early event in atherosclerosis and plays a pivotal role in the development, progression and clinical complications of atherosclerosis. Previous studies have shown the beneficial effects of combined inhibition of thromboxane synthase and antagonism of thromboxane receptors by BM-573 on atherosclerosis; however our knowledge about the beneficial effects of BM-573 on endothelial function and increased blood pressure related to early stage of atherosclerosis is limited. In the present study, we investigated the effects of short-term (3 μM, 1 hour and chronic (10 mg/L, 8 weeks treatments with BM-573 on vasodilatory function, nitric oxide (NO bioavailability, oxidative stress and systolic blood pressure in 15 weeks old apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-KO mice. ApoE-KO mice showed a reduced endothelium-derived relaxation. In addition, NO bioavailability was reduced and oxidative stress and blood pressure were increased in ApoE-KO mice versus wild-type mice. BM-573 treatments were able to improve the relaxation profile in ApoE-KO mice. Short-term effects of BM-573 were mainly mediated by an increased phosphorylation of both eNOS and Akt, whereas BM-573 in vivo treatment also reduced oxidative stress and restored NO bioavailability. In addition, chronic administration of BM-573 reduced systolic blood pressure in ApoE-KO mice. In conclusion, pharmacological modulation of TxA2 biosynthesis and biological activities by dual TP antagonism/TxAS inhibition with BM-573, already known to prevent plaque formation, has the potential to correct vasodilatory dysfunction at the early stages of atherosclerosis.

Power fading mitigation of 40-Gbit/s 256-QAM OFDM carried by colorless laser diode under injection-locking.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Cheng-Ting; Chi, Yu-Chieh; Lin, Gong-Ru

2015-11-02

The pre-compensation on power fading effect of a colorless laser diode (CLD) carried 40-Gbit/s 256-QAM OFDM transmission during 25-km is demonstrated. By offsetting the DC bias to thrice the threshold (I(th)) and increasing the injection to 0 dBm, the CLD not only enhances its coherence but also suppresses modulation throughput declination and reduces the relative intensity related noise floor to -50 dBm. Modeling the receiving power of the delivered 256-QAM OFDM subcarriers is established, indicating that raising the bias to 3I(th) down-shifts the power fading induced notch to 8.8 GHz. This further degrades the OFDM subcarrier peak power by -2.9 dB after 25-km transmission, and the corresponded signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), error vector magnitude (EVM) and bit-error-rate (BER) are 26.1 dB, 4.9% and 6.5 × 10(-3), respectively. Pre-leveling the OFDM subcarrier as well as the modulation throughput effectively compromises the over-bias enlarged power fading to promote transmission. With a pre-leveled power slope of 1.5 dB/GHz for 256-QAM OFDM data, the modulation throughput declination of the high biased CLD significantly mitigates under BtB transmission, enabling the receiving sensitivity at -7.2 dBm with SNR, EVM and BER of 29.9 dB, 3.1% and 1.5 × 10(-4), respectively. Increasing the pre-leveling slope to 3.2 dB/GHz minimizes the fiber dispersion induced power fading, which improves the receiving SNR, EVM and BER to 27.4 dB, 4.2% and 2.6 × 10(-3), respectively, with receiving sensitivity of -3 dBm and power penalty of 4.2 dB after 25-km SMF transmission.

Lack of Connection Between Midgut Cell Autophagy Gene Expression and BmCPV Infection in the Midgut of Bombyx mori.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xiaobing; Wu, Suli; Wu, Yongpeng; Liu, Yang; Qian, Yonghua; Jiao, Feng

2015-01-01

Autophagy is associated with multiple biological processes and has protective and defensive functions with respect to immunity, inflammation, and resistance to microbial infection. In this experiment, we wished to investigate whether autophagy is a factor in the midgut cell response of Bombyx mori to infection by the B. mori cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (BmCPV). Our results indicated that the expression of three autophagy-related genes (BmAtg8, BmAtg5, and BmAtg7) in the midgut did not change greatly after BmCPV infection in B. mori. Basal ATG8/ATG8PE protein expression was detected in different B. mori tissues by using western blot analysis. Immunohistochemistry showed that the ATG8/ATG8PE proteins were located mainly in the cytoplasm. ATG8/ATG8PE protein levels decreased at 12 and 16 h after BmCPV infection. Our results indicate that autophagy responded slightly to BmCPV infection, but could not prevent the invasion and replication of the virus. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America.

Resistance to BmNPV via overexpression of an exogenous gene controlled by an inducible promoter and enhancer in transgenic silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liang Jiang

Full Text Available The hycu-ep32 gene of Hyphantria cunea NPV can inhibit Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV multiplication in co-infected cells, but it is not known whether the overexpression of the hycu-ep32 gene has an antiviral effect in the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Thus, we constructed four transgenic vectors, which were under the control of the 39 K promoter of BmNPV (39 KP, Bombyx mori A4 promoter (A4P, hr3 enhancer of BmNPV combined with 39 KP, and hr3 combined with A4P. Transgenic lines were created via embryo microinjection using practical diapause silkworm. qPCR revealed that the expression level of hycu-ep32 could be induced effectively after BmNPV infection in transgenic lines where hycu-ep32 was controlled by hr3 combined with 39 KP (i.e., HEKG. After oral inoculation of BmNPV with 3 × 10(5 occlusion bodies per third instar, the mortality with HEKG-B was approximately 30% lower compared with the non-transgenic line. The economic characteristics of the transgenic lines remained unchanged. These results suggest that overexpression of an exogenous antiviral gene controlled by an inducible promoter and enhancer is a feasible method for breeding silkworms with a high antiviral capacity.

RIP-seq of BmAgo2-associated small RNAs reveal various types of small non-coding RNAs in the silkworm, Bombyx mori

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are important regulators of gene expression in eukaryotes. Previously, only microRNAs (miRNAs) and piRNAs have been identified in the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Furthermore, only ncRNAs (50-500nt) of intermediate size have been systematically identified in the silkworm. Results Here, we performed a systematic identification and analysis of small RNAs (18-50nt) associated with the Bombyx mori argonaute2 (BmAgo2) protein. Using RIP-seq, we identified various types of small ncRNAs associated with BmAGO2. These ncRNAs showed a multimodal length distribution, with three peaks at ~20nt, ~27nt and ~33nt, which included tRNA-, transposable element (TE)-, rRNA-, snoRNA- and snRNA-derived small RNAs as well as miRNAs and piRNAs. The tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) were found at an extremely high abundance and accounted for 69.90% of the BmAgo2-associated small RNAs. Northern blotting confirmed that many tRFs were expressed or up-regulated only in the BmNPV-infected cells, implying that the tRFs play a prominent role by binding to BmAgo2 during BmNPV infection. Additional evidence suggested that there are potential cleavage sites on the D, anti-codon and TψC loops of the tRNAs. TE-derived small RNAs and piRNAs also accounted for a significant proportion of the BmAgo2-associated small RNAs, suggesting that BmAgo2 could be involved in the maintenance of genome stability by suppressing the activities of transposons guided by these small RNAs. Finally, Northern blotting was also used to confirm the Bombyx 5.8 s rRNA-derived small RNAs, demonstrating that various novel small RNAs exist in the silkworm. Conclusions Using an RIP-seq method in combination with Northern blotting, we identified various types of small RNAs associated with the BmAgo2 protein, including tRNA-, TE-, rRNA-, snoRNA- and snRNA-derived small RNAs as well as miRNAs and piRNAs. Our findings provide new clues for future functional studies of the role of small RNAs in insect

High Efficiency Power Converter for Low Voltage High Power Applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nymand, Morten

The topic of this thesis is the design of high efficiency power electronic dc-to-dc converters for high-power, low-input-voltage to high-output-voltage applications. These converters are increasingly required for emerging sustainable energy systems such as fuel cell, battery or photo voltaic based......, and remote power generation for light towers, camper vans, boats, beacons, and buoys etc. A review of current state-of-the-art is presented. The best performing converters achieve moderately high peak efficiencies at high input voltage and medium power level. However, system dimensioning and cost are often...

A novel role for the Bombyx Slbo homologue, BmC/EBP, in insect choriogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sourmeli, S; Papantonis, A; Lecanidou, R

2005-11-18

One previously unidentified cDNA clone coding for a C/EBP factor, BmC/EBP, was isolated from Bombyx mori follicular cells. This is the first time that a C/EBP factor has been isolated and characterized in Lepidoptera. We provide information concerning structural features and developmental specificity, as well as in vitro interaction properties with chorion gene promoter modules. BmC/EBP was capable of effectively recognizing homologous binding sites from chorion gene promoters derived from flies and other moths, despite significant diversity of chorion structure, gene organization, and gene expression profiles. We propose that the relative concentration of BmC/EBP, in relation to its differential binding affinity for promoter cis-elements, results in activation or repression of silkmoth chorion gene expression.

A low power 2.4 GHz transceiver for ZigBee applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Weiyang; Chen Jingjing; Wang Haiyong; Wu Nanjian

2013-01-01

This paper presents a low power 2.4 GHz transceiver for ZigBee applications. This transceiver adopts low power system architecture with a low-IF receiver and a direct-conversion transmitter. The receiver consists of a new low noise amplifier (LNA) with a noise cancellation function, a new inverter-based variable gain complex filter (VGCF) for image rejection, a passive quadrature mixer, and a decibel linear programmable gain amplifier (PGA). The transmitter adopts a quadrature mixer and a class-B mode variable gain power amplifier (PA) to reduce power consumption. This transceiver is implemented in 0.18 μm CMOS technology. The receiver achieves −95 dBm of sensitivity, 28 dBc of image rejection, and −8 dBm of third-order input intercept point (IIP3). The transmitter can deliver a maximum of +3 dBm output power with PA efficiency of 30%. The whole chip area is less than 4.32 mm 2 . It only consumes 12.63 mW in receiving mode and 14.22 mW in transmitting mode, respectively. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

Electronic states of Ca/PC61BM: Mechanism of low work function metal as interfacial material

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying-Ying Du

2018-03-01

Full Text Available We have studied the electronic states at Ca/PC61BM interface using photoemission spectroscopy. It is found that the state of unoccupied molecular orbitals of the top molecular layer (TML becomes occupied by the electrons transferred from the Ca atoms. The work function of the heavily doped TML of PC61BM film is smaller than that of metal Ca, and thus the contact between the TML and metal Ca is Ohmic. A transition layer (TL of several molecular layers forms beneath the TML due to the diffusion of the Ca atoms. The TL is conductive and aligns its Fermi level with the negative integer charge transfer level of the interior PC61BM. The built-in electric field in the TL facilitates the electron transport from the interior of the PC61BM film to the TML.

Heterotropic and homotropic cooperativity by a drug-metabolising mutant of cytochrome P450 BM3

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Vugt-Lussenburg, B.M.A.; Damsten, M.C.; Maasdijk, D.M.; Vermeulen, N.P.E.; Commandeur, J.N.M.

2006-01-01

Recently, we described a triple mutant of the bacterial cytochrome P450 BM3 as the first mutant with affinity for drug-like compounds. In this paper, we show that this mutant, but not wild-type BM3, is able to metabolise testosterone and several drug-like molecules such as amodiaquine,

Fiscal Aggressiveness: A comparison between companies listed on the NYSE and BM&FBOVESPA1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Risolene Alves de Macena Araújo

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Actions aimed at reducing corporate taxes through aggressive tax activities are becoming an increasingly common feature of the organizational environment in many countries around the world. In view of this, the objective of this work was to verify that the companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE are less aggressive fiscally than companies listed on the São Paulo Stock Exchange(BM&FBOVESPA. The analysis period was from 2010 to 2014. To achieve this goal, the aggressive fiscal proxies were based on the study of Chen et al. (2010: effective rate of tax (ETR and difference between accounting profit and taxable profit (BTD. Regression techniques were used OLS Regression and Quantile regression for a sample of 501 companies, being 107 companies listed on the BM&FBOVESPA and 394 listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE. The results showed that the NYSE companies are less aggressive fiscally than companies listed on the BM&FBOVESPA,  except in the upper quantile (quantile 90 relating to the ETR, in which companies the NYSE showed lower ETR than companies of BM&FBOVESPA, suggesting greater fiscal aggression of these companies.

Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Signal Power Generation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hadziabdic, Dzenan

Among the major limitations in high-speed communications and highresolution radars is the lack of efficient and powerful signal sources with low distortion. Microwave and millimeter-wave (mm-wave) signal power is needed for signal transmission. Progress in signal generation stems largely from...... distortion and high PAE were observed. The estimated output power of 42.5 dBm and PAE of 31.3% are comparable to the state-of-the-art results reported for GaN HEMT amplifiers. Wireless communication systems planned in the near future will operate at E-band, around 71-86 GHz, and require mm-wave-PAs to boost...... the application of novel materials like galliumnitride (GaN) and silicon-carbide (SiC) and fabrication of indiumphosphide (InP) based transistors. One goal of this thesis is to assess GaN HEMT technology with respect to linear efficient signal power generation. While most reports on GaN HEMT high-power devices...

A 500-600 MHz GaN power amplifier with RC-LC stability network

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Xinyu; Duan, Baoxing; Yang, Yintang

2017-08-01

A 500-600 MHz high-efficiency, high-power GaN power amplifier is designed and realized on the basis of the push-pull structure. The RC-LC stability network is proposed and applied to the power amplifier circuit for the first time. The RC-LC stability network can significantly reduce the high gain out the band, which eliminates the instability of the power amplifier circuit. The developed power amplifier exhibits 58.5 dBm (700 W) output power with a 17 dB gain and 85% PAE at 500-600 MHz, 300 μs, 20% duty cycle. It has the highest PAE in P-band among the products at home and abroad. Project supported by the National Key Basic Research Program of China (No. 2014CB339901).

Accumulation of Astaxanthin by a New Haematococcus pluvialis Strain BM1 from the White Sea Coastal Rocks (Russia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Konstantin Chekanov

2014-08-01

Full Text Available We report on a novel arctic strain BM1 of a carotenogenic chlorophyte from a coastal habitat with harsh environmental conditions (wide variations in solar irradiance, temperature, salinity and nutrient availability identified as Haematococcus pluvialis Flotow. Increased (25‰ salinity exerted no adverse effect on the growth of the green BM1 cells. Under stressful conditions (high light, nitrogen and phosphorus deprivation, green vegetative cells of H. pluvialis BM1 grown in BG11 medium formed non-motile palmelloid cells and, eventually, hematocysts capable of a massive accumulation of the keto-carotenoid astaxanthin with a high nutraceutical and therapeutic potential. Routinely, astaxanthin was accumulated at the level of 4% of the cell dry weight (DW, reaching, under prolonged stress, 5.5% DW. Astaxanthin was predominantly accumulated in the form of mono- and diesters of fatty acids from C16 and C18 families. The palmelloids and hematocysts were characterized by the formation of red-colored cytoplasmic lipid droplets, increasingly large in size and number. The lipid droplets tended to merge and occupied almost the entire volume of the cell at the advanced stages of stress-induced carotenogenesis. The potential application of the new strain for the production of astaxanthin is discussed in comparison with the H. pluvialis strains currently employed in microalgal biotechnology.

Skin Basement Membrane: The Foundation of Epidermal Integrity—BM Functions and Diverse Roles of Bridging Molecules Nidogen and Perlecan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dirk Breitkreutz

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The epidermis functions in skin as first defense line or barrier against environmental impacts, resting on extracellular matrix (ECM of the dermis underneath. Both compartments are connected by the basement membrane (BM, composed of a set of distinct glycoproteins and proteoglycans. Herein we are reviewing molecular aspects of BM structure, composition, and function regarding not only (i the dermoepidermal interface but also (ii the resident microvasculature, primarily focusing on the per se nonscaffold forming components perlecan and nidogen-1 and nidogen-2. Depletion or functional deficiencies of any BM component are lethal at some stage of development or around birth, though BM defects vary between organs and tissues. Lethality problems were overcome by developmental stage- and skin-specific gene targeting or by cell grafting and organotypic (3D cocultures of normal or defective cells, which allows recapitulating BM formation de novo. Thus, evidence is accumulating that BM assembly and turnover rely on mechanical properties and composition of the adjacent ECM and the dynamics of molecular assembly, including further “minor” local components, nidogens largely functioning as catalysts or molecular adaptors and perlecan as bridging stabilizer. Collectively, orchestration of BM assembly, remodeling, and the role of individual players herein are determined by the developmental, tissue-specific, or functional context.

A novel mouse model for multiple myeloma (MOPC315.BM that allows noninvasive spatiotemporal detection of osteolytic disease.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter O Hofgaard

Full Text Available Multiple myeloma (MM is a lethal human cancer characterized by a clonal expansion of malignant plasma cells in bone marrow. Mouse models of human MM are technically challenging and do not always recapitulate human disease. Therefore, new mouse models for MM are needed. Mineral-oil induced plasmacytomas (MOPC develop in the peritoneal cavity of oil-injected BALB/c mice. However, MOPC typically grow extramedullary and are considered poor models of human MM. Here we describe an in vivo-selected MOPC315 variant, called MOPC315.BM, which can be maintained in vitro. When injected i.v. into BALB/c mice, MOPC315.BM cells exhibit tropism for bone marrow. As few as 10(4 MOPC315.BM cells injected i.v. induced paraplegia, a sign of spinal cord compression, in all mice within 3-4 weeks. MOPC315.BM cells were stably transfected with either firefly luciferase (MOPC315.BM.Luc or DsRed (MOPC315.BM.DsRed for studies using noninvasive imaging. MOPC315.BM.Luc cells were detected in the tibiofemoral region already 1 hour after i.v. injection. Bone foci developed progressively, and as of day 5, MM cells were detected in multiple sites in the axial skeleton. Additionally, the spleen (a hematopoietic organ in the mouse was invariably affected. Luminescent signals correlated with serum myeloma protein concentration, allowing for easy tracking of tumor load with noninvasive imaging. Affected mice developed osteolytic lesions. The MOPC315.BM model employs a common strain of immunocompetent mice (BALB/c and replicates many characteristics of human MM. The model should be suitable for studies of bone marrow tropism, development of osteolytic lesions, drug testing, and immunotherapy in MM.

A high-linearity InGaP/GaAs HBT power amplifier for IEEE 802.11a/n

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui Jie; Chen Lei; Kang Chunlei; Shi Jia; Zhang Xuguang; Ai Baoli; Liu Yi

2013-01-01

A three-stage 4.8–6 GHz monolithic power amplifier (PA) compatible with IEEE 802.11a/n designed based on an advanced 2 μm InGaP/GaAs hetero-junction bipolar transistor (HBT) process is presented. The PA integrates input matching and closed-loop power control circuits on chip. Under 3.3 V DC bias, the amplifier achieves a ∼31 dB small signal gain, excellent wide band input and output matching among overall 1.2 GHz bandwidth, and up to 24.5 dBm linear output power below EVM 3% with IEEE 802.11a 64QAM OFDM input signal. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

Role of the transmembrane domain of the VanT serine racemase in resistance to vancomycin in Enterococcus gallinarum BM4174.

Science.gov (United States)

Arias, C A; Peña, J; Panesso, D; Reynolds, P

2003-03-01

Enterococcus gallinarum BM4175 (a vancomycin-susceptible derivative of BM4174 obtained by insertional inactivation of vanC-1) was transformed with plasmid constructs pCA10 (containing the genes necessary for resistance, vanC-1-XYc-T), pJP1 (with a fragment lacking the DNA encoding the transmembrane region of VanT, -vanC-1-XYc-T((Delta))(2-322)-) and with plasmids containing fragments encoding either the transmembrane (mvanT(1-322)) or racemase (svanT(323-698)) domains of VanT under the control of a constitutive promoter. Accumulated peptidoglycan precursors were measured in all strains in the presence of L-Ser, D-Ser (50 mM) or in the absence of any growth supplement. Uptake of 0.1 mM L-[(14)C]serine was also determined in BM4174, BM4175 and BM4175/pCA10. Vancomycin resistance was restored in BM4175 transformed with pCA10(C-1-XYc-T), and the profile of peptidoglycan precursors was similar to wild-type E. gallinarum BM4174. Transformation of E. gallinarum BM4175 with plasmid pJP1(vanC-1-XYc-T((Delta))(2-322)) resulted in: (i) vancomycin MICs remaining within susceptible levels (VanT is likely to be involved in the transport of L-Ser, and that in its absence the resistance phenotype is compromised.

Design of InP DHBT power amplifiers at millimeter-wave frequencies using interstage matched cascode technique

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yan, Lei; Johansen, Tom Keinicke

2013-01-01

-wave frequencies, a single-branch cascode based PA using single-finger devices and a two-way combined based PA using three-finger devices are fabricated. The single-branch design shows a measured power gain of 9.2dB and a saturated output power of 12.3dBm at 67.2GHz and the two-way combined design shows a power...... gain of 9.5dB with a saturated output power of 18.6dBm at 72.6GHz....

The toxicity of NaF on BmN cells and a comparative proteomics approach to identify protein expression changes in cells under NaF-stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Liang; Chen, Huiqing; Yao, Chun; Chang, Cheng; Xia, Hengchuan; Zhang, Chunxia; Zhou, Yang; Yao, Qin; Chen, Keping

2015-01-01

Highlights: • On the cellular level, we identified IC 50 of NaF on BmN cell by flow cytometry. • High concentration of NaF gives effect on BmN cell morphology. • Five significantly differential proteins were identified by two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. • ALDH2 and WPH were up-regulated, while CRT and SCF were down-regulated, providing new information for metabolic pathway of fluoride. - Abstract: Fluorides negatively affect the development of organisms and are a threat to human health and environmental safety. In this study, Bombyx mori N cell line (BmN) were used to explore effects of NaF on insect cells. We found that 8 h (hrs) culture with high concentration of NaF (≥1 mM) induced significantly morphological changes. Dose-response curves of 72 h continuously cultured BmN treated with NaF showed that the half inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) value was 56.60 μM. Treatment of BmN with 100 and 300 μM of NaF induced apoptosis and necrosis. 2-D electrophoresis of whole cell extracted from BmN showed that treatment with 300 μM NaF up-regulated 32 proteins and down-regulated 11 proteins when compared with controls. We identified 5 different proteins by MALDI-TOF MS, and 4 of them were identified for the first time, including 2 up-regulated proteins (mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase ALDH2 and prohibitin protein WPH) and 2 down-regulated proteins (calreticulin precursor CRT and DNA supercoiling factor SCF). These observations were further confirmed by fluorescence quantitative PCR. Together, our data suggest that these target proteins could be regarded as targets influenced by NaF and also provide clues for studies on the response metabolism pathway under NaF stress

The toxicity of NaF on BmN cells and a comparative proteomics approach to identify protein expression changes in cells under NaF-stress

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Liang; Chen, Huiqing [Institute of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013 (China); Yao, Chun [Department of Stomatology, Zhenjiang First People’s Hospital, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013 (China); Chang, Cheng; Xia, Hengchuan; Zhang, Chunxia; Zhou, Yang; Yao, Qin [Institute of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013 (China); Chen, Keping, E-mail: kpchen@ujs.edu.cn [Institute of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013 (China)

2015-04-09

Highlights: • On the cellular level, we identified IC{sub 50} of NaF on BmN cell by flow cytometry. • High concentration of NaF gives effect on BmN cell morphology. • Five significantly differential proteins were identified by two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. • ALDH2 and WPH were up-regulated, while CRT and SCF were down-regulated, providing new information for metabolic pathway of fluoride. - Abstract: Fluorides negatively affect the development of organisms and are a threat to human health and environmental safety. In this study, Bombyx mori N cell line (BmN) were used to explore effects of NaF on insect cells. We found that 8 h (hrs) culture with high concentration of NaF (≥1 mM) induced significantly morphological changes. Dose-response curves of 72 h continuously cultured BmN treated with NaF showed that the half inhibitory concentration (IC{sub 50}) value was 56.60 μM. Treatment of BmN with 100 and 300 μM of NaF induced apoptosis and necrosis. 2-D electrophoresis of whole cell extracted from BmN showed that treatment with 300 μM NaF up-regulated 32 proteins and down-regulated 11 proteins when compared with controls. We identified 5 different proteins by MALDI-TOF MS, and 4 of them were identified for the first time, including 2 up-regulated proteins (mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase ALDH2 and prohibitin protein WPH) and 2 down-regulated proteins (calreticulin precursor CRT and DNA supercoiling factor SCF). These observations were further confirmed by fluorescence quantitative PCR. Together, our data suggest that these target proteins could be regarded as targets influenced by NaF and also provide clues for studies on the response metabolism pathway under NaF stress.

Laccase Gene Expression and Vinasse Biodegradation by Trametes hirsuta Strain Bm-2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raúl Tapia-Tussell

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Vinasse is the dark-colored wastewater that is generated by bioethanol distilleries from feedstock molasses. The vinasse that is generated from molasses contains high amounts of pollutants, including phenolic compounds and melanoindin. The goal of this work was to study the expression of laccase genes in the Trametes hirsuta strain Bm-2, isolated in Yucatan, Mexico, in the presence of phenolic compounds, as well as its effectiveness in removing colorants from vinasse. In the presence of all phenolic compounds tested (guaiacol, ferulic acid, and vanillic acid, increased levels of laccase-encoding mRNA were observed. Transcript levels in the presence of guaiacol were 40 times higher than those in the control. The lcc1 and lcc2 genes of T. hirsuta were differentially expressed; guaiacol and vanillin induced the expression of both genes, whereas ferulic acid only induced the expression of lcc2. The discoloration of vinasse was concomitant with the increase in laccase activity. The highest value of enzyme activity (2543.7 U/mL was obtained in 10% (v/v vinasse, which corresponded to a 69.2% increase in discoloration. This study demonstrates the potential of the Bm-2 strain of T. hirsuta for the biodegradation of vinasse.

Analysis of Triplet Exciton Loss Pathways in PTB7:PC71BM Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Kraus, Hannes; Heiber, Michael C.; Väth, Stefan; Kern, Julia; Deibel, Carsten; Sperlich, Andreas; Dyakonov, Vladimir

2016-07-01

A strategy for increasing the conversion efficiency of organic photovoltaics has been to increase the VOC by tuning the energy levels of donor and acceptor components. However, this opens up a new loss pathway from an interfacial charge transfer state to a triplet exciton (TE) state called electron back transfer (EBT), which is detrimental to device performance. To test this hypothesis, we study triplet formation in the high performing PTB7:PC71BM blend system and determine the impact of the morphology-optimizing additive 1,8-diiodoctane (DIO). Using photoluminescence and spin-sensitive optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) measurements at low temperature, we find that TEs form on PC71BM via intersystem crossing from singlet excitons and on PTB7 via EBT mechanism. For DIO blends with smaller fullerene domains, an increased density of PTB7 TEs is observed. The EBT process is found to be significant only at very low temperature. At 300 K, no triplets are detected via ODMR, and electrically detected magnetic resonance on optimized solar cells indicates that TEs are only present on the fullerenes. We conclude that in PTB7:PC71BM devices, TE formation via EBT is impacted by fullerene domain size at low temperature, but at room temperature, EBT does not represent a dominant loss pathway.

Multi-service highly sensitive rectifier for enhanced RF energy scavenging.

Science.gov (United States)

Shariati, Negin; Rowe, Wayne S T; Scott, James R; Ghorbani, Kamran

2015-05-07

Due to the growing implications of energy costs and carbon footprints, the need to adopt inexpensive, green energy harvesting strategies are of paramount importance for the long-term conservation of the environment and the global economy. To address this, the feasibility of harvesting low power density ambient RF energy simultaneously from multiple sources is examined. A high efficiency multi-resonant rectifier is proposed, which operates at two frequency bands (478-496 and 852-869 MHz) and exhibits favorable impedance matching over a broad input power range (-40 to -10 dBm). Simulation and experimental results of input reflection coefficient and rectified output power are in excellent agreement, demonstrating the usefulness of this innovative low-power rectification technique. Measurement results indicate an effective efficiency of 54.3%, and an output DC voltage of 772.8 mV is achieved for a multi-tone input power of -10 dBm. Furthermore, the measured output DC power from harvesting RF energy from multiple services concurrently exhibits a 3.14 and 7.24 fold increase over single frequency rectification at 490 and 860 MHz respectively. Therefore, the proposed multi-service highly sensitive rectifier is a promising technique for providing a sustainable energy source for low power applications in urban environments.

Recombinant Brugia malayi pepsin inhibitor (rBm33) exploits host signaling events to regulate inflammatory responses associated with lymphatic filarial infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Sreenivas, Kirthika; Kalyanaraman, Haripriya; Babu, Subash; Narayanan, Rangarajan Badri

2017-11-01

Prolonged existence of filarial parasites and their molecules within the host modulate the host immune system to instigate their survival and induce inflammatory responses that contribute to disease progression. Recombinant Brugia malayi pepsin inhibitor (rBm33) modulates the host immune responses by skewing towards Th1 responses characterized by secretion of inflammatory molecules such as TNF-α, IL-6, nitric oxide (NO). Here we also specified the molecular signaling events triggered by rBm33 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of filarial endemic normals (EN). rBm33 predominantly enhanced the levels of nitric oxide in cultured PBMCs but did not result in oxidative stress to the host cells. Further, rBm33 treatment of human PBMCs resulted in higher GSH/GSSG levels. MYD88 dependent activation was found to be associated with rBm33 specific inflammatory cytokine production. rBm33 triggered intracellular signaling events also involved JNK activation in host PBMCs. In addition, c-Fos and not NF-κB was identified as the transcription factor regulating the expression of inflammatory cytokines in rBm33 stimulated PBMCs. rBm33 marked its role in filarial pathology by altered levels of growth factors but did not have a significant impact on matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMPs) activity of host PBMCs. Thus, the study outlines the signaling network of rBm33 induced inflammatory responses within the host immune cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determining Factors for Delisting of Companies Listed on BM&FBOVESPA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia Maria Bortolon

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Traditionally, the capital market has attracted the interest of scholars and researchers, motivated to understand the process of going public and trading securities of companies on a stock exchange. In this research context, an aspect had been neglected, something which indi cates a gap in the body of knowledge about the capital market and corporate governance: delisting of companies. We aim to identify the determining factors for delisting companies from the Commodity & Futures Exchange BOVESPA (BM&FBOVESPA. Methodologically, this research has related a set of variables collected from secondary data available on the database of the Securities Commission of Brazil (CVM, BM&FBOVESPA, and Economatica. By analyzing 227 listing cancellations, between 2001 and 2012, the results indicate that de listing of companies from BM&FBOVESPA is determined by the following factors: (i greater concentration of ownership and control; (ii lower free float; (iii lower liquidity of shares; (iv greater availability of cash; and (v larger size. The fact that the controlling shareholder is a public or private company determines significant differences in the decision to delist. While in the first case cash availability is the most important factor, in the second liquidity is the main determining factor for delisting. From the academic viewpoint, this research extends the studies on delisting, still incipient in the Brazilian capital market context. For the capital market, identifying the characteristics of companies prone to cancel listing may prevent investors concerned about inherent risks at the time of acquiring shares by the controlling group interested in delisting.

A novel symmetrical microwave power sensor based on GaAs monolithic microwave integrated circuit technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, De-bo; Liao, Xiao-ping

2009-01-01

A novel symmetrical microwave power sensor based on GaAs monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) technology is presented in this paper. In this power sensor, the left section inputs the microwave power, while the right section inputs the dc power. Because of the symmetrical structure, this power sensor is created to provide more accurate microwave power measurement capability without mismatch uncertainty and restrain temperature drift. The loss model is built and the loss voltage is 0.8 mV at 20 GHz when the input power is 100 mW. This power sensor is designed and fabricated using GaAs MMIC technology. And it is measured in the frequency range up to 20 GHz with the input power in the −20 dBm to 19 dBm range. Over the 19 dBm dynamic range, the sensitivity can achieve about 0.2 mV mW −1 . The difference between the input powers in the two sections is below 0.1% for equal output voltages. For an amplitude modulation measurement, the carrier frequency is the main factor to influence the measurement results. In short, the key aspect of this power sensor is that the microwave power measurement can be replaced by a dc power measurement with precise wideband

High Efficiency Power Converter for Low Voltage High Power Applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nymand, Morten

The topic of this thesis is the design of high efficiency power electronic dc-to-dc converters for high-power, low-input-voltage to high-output-voltage applications. These converters are increasingly required for emerging sustainable energy systems such as fuel cell, battery or photo voltaic based...

X-band Robust AlGaN/GaN Receiver MMICs with over 41 dBm Power Handling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssen, J.P.B.; Heijningen, M. van; Provenzano, G.; Visser, G.C.; Morvan, E.; Vliet, F.E. van

2008-01-01

Gallium-Nitride technology is known for its high power density and power amplifier designs, but is also very well suited to realize robust receiver components. This paper presents the design and measurement of a robust AlGaN/GaN Low Noise Amplifier and Transmit/Receive Switch MMIC. Two versions of

X-Band Robust AlGaN/GaN Receiver MMICs with over 41 dBm Power Handling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssen, J.P.B.; van Heijningen, M; Provenzano, G.; van Vliet, Frank Edward

2008-01-01

Abstract Gallium-Nitride technology is known for its high power density and power amplifier designs, but is also very well suited to realize robust receiver components. This paper presents the design and measurement of a robust AlGaN/GaN Low Noise Amplifier and Transmit/Receive Switch MMIC. Two

Chorion gene activation and repression is dependent on BmC/EBP expression and binding to cognate cis-elements.

Science.gov (United States)

Papantonis, Argyris; Sourmeli, Sissy; Lecanidou, Rena

2008-05-09

From the different cis-elements clustered on silkmoth chorion gene promoters, C/EBP binding sites predominate. Their sequence composition and dispersal vary amongst promoters of diverse developmental specificity. Occupancy of these sites by BmC/EBP was examined through Southwestern and ChIP assays modified to suit ovarian follicular cells. For the genes studied, binding of BmC/EBP coincided with the respective stages of transcriptional activation. However, the factor was reloaded on promoter sequences long after individual gene repression. Furthermore, suppression of BmC/EBP transcription in developing follicles resulted in de-regulation of chorion gene expression. A biphasic function of BmC/EBP, according to which it may act as both an activator and a repressor during silkmoth choriogenesis, is considered under the light of the presented data.

Optimization of Passive Low Power Wireless Electromagnetic Energy Harvesters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dario Grgić

2012-10-01

Full Text Available This work presents the optimization of antenna captured low power radio frequency (RF to direct current (DC power converters using Schottky diodes for powering remote wireless sensors. Linearized models using scattering parameters show that an antenna and a matched diode rectifier can be described as a form of coupled resonator with different individual resonator properties. The analytical models show that the maximum voltage gain of the coupled resonators is mainly related to the antenna, diode and load (remote sensor resistances at matched conditions or resonance. The analytical models were verified with experimental results. Different passive wireless RF power harvesters offering high selectivity, broadband response and high voltage sensitivity are presented. Measured results show that with an optimal resistance of antenna and diode, it is possible to achieve high RF to DC voltage sensitivity of 0.5 V and efficiency of 20% at −30 dBm antenna input power. Additionally, a wireless harvester (rectenna is built and tested for receiving range performance.

Optimization of passive low power wireless electromagnetic energy harvesters.

Science.gov (United States)

Nimo, Antwi; Grgić, Dario; Reindl, Leonhard M

2012-10-11

This work presents the optimization of antenna captured low power radio frequency (RF) to direct current (DC) power converters using Schottky diodes for powering remote wireless sensors. Linearized models using scattering parameters show that an antenna and a matched diode rectifier can be described as a form of coupled resonator with different individual resonator properties. The analytical models show that the maximum voltage gain of the coupled resonators is mainly related to the antenna, diode and load (remote sensor) resistances at matched conditions or resonance. The analytical models were verified with experimental results. Different passive wireless RF power harvesters offering high selectivity, broadband response and high voltage sensitivity are presented. Measured results show that with an optimal resistance of antenna and diode, it is possible to achieve high RF to DC voltage sensitivity of 0.5 V and efficiency of 20% at -30 dBm antenna input power. Additionally, a wireless harvester (rectenna) is built and tested for receiving range performance.

Optimization of Passive Low Power Wireless Electromagnetic Energy Harvesters

Science.gov (United States)

Nimo, Antwi; Grgić, Dario; Reindl, Leonhard M.

2012-01-01

This work presents the optimization of antenna captured low power radio frequency (RF) to direct current (DC) power converters using Schottky diodes for powering remote wireless sensors. Linearized models using scattering parameters show that an antenna and a matched diode rectifier can be described as a form of coupled resonator with different individual resonator properties. The analytical models show that the maximum voltage gain of the coupled resonators is mainly related to the antenna, diode and load (remote sensor) resistances at matched conditions or resonance. The analytical models were verified with experimental results. Different passive wireless RF power harvesters offering high selectivity, broadband response and high voltage sensitivity are presented. Measured results show that with an optimal resistance of antenna and diode, it is possible to achieve high RF to DC voltage sensitivity of 0.5 V and efficiency of 20% at −30 dBm antenna input power. Additionally, a wireless harvester (rectenna) is built and tested for receiving range performance. PMID:23202014

Variance Swaps in BM&F: Pricing and Viability of Hedge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard John Brostowicz Junior

2010-07-01

Full Text Available A variance swap can theoretically be priced with an infinite set of vanilla calls and puts options considering that the realized variance follows a purely diffusive process with continuous monitoring. In this article we willanalyze the possible differences in pricing considering discrete monitoring of realized variance. It will analyze the pricing of variance swaps with payoff in dollars, since there is a OTC market that works this way and thatpotentially serve as a hedge for the variance swaps traded in BM&F. Additionally, will be tested the feasibility of hedge of variance swaps when there is liquidity in just a few exercise prices, as is the case of FX optionstraded in BM&F. Thus be assembled portfolios containing variance swaps and their replicating portfolios using the available exercise prices as proposed in (DEMETERFI et al., 1999. With these portfolios, the effectiveness of the hedge was not robust in mostly of tests conducted in this work.

Simulations in the Analysis of Experimental Data Measured by BM@N Drift Chambers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fedorišin Ján

2018-01-01

The method of particle hit and track reconstruction in the drift chambers has been already proposed and tested on the BM@N deuteron beam data. In this study the DCH’s are first locally and globally aligned, and subsequently the consistency of the track reconstruction chain is tested by two methods. The first one is based on the backward extrapolation of the DCH reconstructed deuteron beam to a position where its deflection in the BM@N magnetic field begins. The second method reconstructs the deuteron beam momentum through its deflection angle. Both methods confirm correctness of the track reconstruction algorithm.

Central tracker for BM@N experiment based on double side Si-microstrip detectors

Science.gov (United States)

Kovalev, Yu.; Kapishin, M.; Khabarov, S.; Shafronovskaia, A.; Tarasov, O.; Makankin, A.; Zamiatin, N.; Zubarev, E.

2017-07-01

Design of central tracker system based on Double-Sided Silicon Detectors (DSSD) for BM@N experiment is described. A coordinate plane with 10240 measuring channels, pitch adapter, reading electronics was developed. Each element was tested and assembled into a coordinate plane. The first tests of the plane with 106Ru source were carried out before installation for the BM@N experiment. The results of the study indicate that noisy channels and inefficient channels are less than 3%. In general, single clusters 87% (one group per module of consecutive strips) and 75% of clusters with a width equal to one strip.

A Monte Carlo Study of Lambda Hyperon Polarization at BM@N

Science.gov (United States)

Suvarieva, D.; Gudima, K.; Zinchenko, A.

2018-03-01

Heavy strange objects (hyperons) can provide essential signatures of the excited and compressed baryonic matter. At NICA, it is planned to study hyperons both in the collider mode (MPD detector) and the fixed-target one (BM@N setup). Measurements of strange hyperon polarization can give additional information on the strong interaction mechanisms. In heavy-ion collisions, such measurements are even more valuable since the polarization is expected to be sensitive to characteristics of the QCD medium (vorticity, hydrodynamic helicity) and to QCD anomalous transport. In this analysis, the possibility to measure at BM@N the polarization of the lightest strange hyperon Λ is studied in Monte Carlo event samples of Au + Au collisions produced with the DCM-QGSM generator. It is shown that the detector will allow to measure polarization with a precision required to check the model predictions.

Wide-Range Highly-Efficient Wireless Power Receivers for Implantable Biomedical Sensors

KAUST Repository

Ouda, Mahmoud

2016-11-01

Wireless power transfer (WPT) is the key enabler for a myriad of applications, from low-power RFIDs, and wireless sensors, to wirelessly charged electric vehicles, and even massive power transmission from space solar cells. One of the major challenges in designing implantable biomedical devices is the size and lifetime of the battery. Thus, replacing the battery with a miniaturized wireless power receiver (WPRx) facilitates designing sustainable biomedical implants in smaller volumes for sentient medical applications. In the first part of this dissertation, we propose a miniaturized, fully integrated, wirelessly powered implantable sensor with on-chip antenna, designed and implemented in a standard 0.18μm CMOS process. As a batteryless device, it can be implanted once inside the body with no need for further invasive surgeries to replace batteries. The proposed single-chip solution is designed for intraocular pressure monitoring (IOPM), and can serve as a sustainable platform for implantable devices or IoT nodes. A custom setup is developed to test the chip in a saline solution with electrical properties similar to those of the aqueous humor of the eye. The proposed chip, in this eye-like setup, is wirelessly charged to 1V from a 5W transmitter 3cm away from the chip. In the second part, we propose a self-biased, differential rectifier with enhanced efficiency over an extended range of input power. A prototype is designed for the medical implant communication service (MICS) band at 433MHz. It demonstrates an efficiency improvement of more than 40% in the rectifier power conversion efficiency (PCE) and a dynamic range extension of more than 50% relative to the conventional cross-coupled rectifier. A sensitivity of -15.2dBm input power for 1V output voltage and a peak PCE of 65% are achieved for a 50k load. In the third part, we propose a wide-range, differential RF-to-DC power converter using an adaptive, self-biasing technique. The proposed architecture doubles

Design of ultralow power receiver front-ends for 2.4 GHz wireless sensor network applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Meng; Li Zhiqun; Wang Zengqi; Wu Chenjian; Chen Liang

2014-01-01

This paper presents the design of an ultralow power receiver front-end designed for a wireless sensor network (WSN) in a 0.18 μm CMOS process. The author designs two front-ends working in the saturation region and the subthreshold region respectively. The front-ends contain a two-stage cross-coupling cascaded common-gate (CG) LNA and a quadrature Gilbert IQ mixer. The measured conversion gain is variable with high gain at 24 dB and low gain at 7 dB for the saturation one, and high gain at 22 dB and low gain at 5 dB for the subthreshold one. The noise figure (NF) at high gain mode is 5.1 dB and 6.3 dB for each. The input 1 dB compression point (IP1dB) at low gain mode is about −6 dBm and −3 dBm for each. The front-ends consume about 2.1 mA current from 1.8 V power supply for the saturation one and 1.3 mA current for the subthreshold one. The measured results show that, comparing with the power consumption saving, it is worth making sacrifices on the performance for using the subthreshold technology. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

Multi-Service Highly Sensitive Rectifier for Enhanced RF Energy Scavenging

Science.gov (United States)

Shariati, Negin; Rowe, Wayne S. T.; Scott, James R.; Ghorbani, Kamran

2015-01-01

Due to the growing implications of energy costs and carbon footprints, the need to adopt inexpensive, green energy harvesting strategies are of paramount importance for the long-term conservation of the environment and the global economy. To address this, the feasibility of harvesting low power density ambient RF energy simultaneously from multiple sources is examined. A high efficiency multi-resonant rectifier is proposed, which operates at two frequency bands (478–496 and 852–869 MHz) and exhibits favorable impedance matching over a broad input power range (−40 to −10 dBm). Simulation and experimental results of input reflection coefficient and rectified output power are in excellent agreement, demonstrating the usefulness of this innovative low-power rectification technique. Measurement results indicate an effective efficiency of 54.3%, and an output DC voltage of 772.8 mV is achieved for a multi-tone input power of −10 dBm. Furthermore, the measured output DC power from harvesting RF energy from multiple services concurrently exhibits a 3.14 and 7.24 fold increase over single frequency rectification at 490 and 860 MHz respectively. Therefore, the proposed multi-service highly sensitive rectifier is a promising technique for providing a sustainable energy source for low power applications in urban environments. PMID:25951137

TOKMINA, Toroidal Magnetic Field Minimization for Tokamak Fusion Reactor. TOKMINA-2, Total Power for Tokamak Fusion Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hatch, A.J.

1975-01-01

1 - Description of problem or function: TOKMINA finds the minimum magnetic field, Bm, required at the toroidal coil of a Tokamak type fusion reactor when the input is beta(ratio of plasma pressure to magnetic pressure), q(Kruskal-Shafranov plasma stability factor), and y(ratio of plasma radius to vacuum wall radius: rp/rw) and arrays of PT (total thermal power from both d-t and tritium breeding reactions), Pw (wall loading or power flux) and TB (thickness of blanket), following the method of Golovin, et al. TOKMINA2 finds the total power, PT, of such a fusion reactor, given a specified magnetic field, Bm, at the toroidal coil. 2 - Method of solution: TOKMINA: the aspect ratio(a) is minimized, giving a minimum value for Bm. TOKMINA2: a search is made for PT; the value of PT which minimizes Bm to the required value within 50 Gauss is chosen. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: Input arrays presently are dimensioned at 20. This restriction can be overcome by changing a dimension card

c-Jun induces apoptosis of starved BM2 monoblasts by activating cyclin A-CDK2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vanhara, Petr; Bryja, Vitezslav; Horvath, Viktor; Kozubik, Alois; Hampl, Ales; Smarda, Jan

2007-01-01

c-Jun is one of the major components of the activating protein-1 (AP-1), the transcription factor that participates in regulation of proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. In this study, we explored functional interactions of the c-Jun protein with several regulators of the G1/S transition in serum-deprived v-myb-transformed chicken monoblasts BM2. We show that the c-Jun protein induces expression of cyclin A, thus up-regulating activity of cyclin A-associated cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), and causing massive programmed cell death of starved BM2cJUN cells. Specific inhibition of CDK2 suppresses frequency of apoptosis of BM2cJUN cells. We conclude that up-regulation of cyclin A expression and CDK2 activity can represent important link between the c-Jun protein, cell cycle machinery, and programmed cell death pathway in leukemic cells

Excitons dynamics of 1-chloronaphthalene added P3HT:PC{sub 61}BM solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fan, Xing [Key Laboratory of Luminescence and Optical Information, Beijing Jiaotong University, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100044 (China); Institute of Optoelectronics Technology, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044 (China); Zhao, Suling, E-mail: slzhao@bjtu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Luminescence and Optical Information, Beijing Jiaotong University, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100044 (China); Institute of Optoelectronics Technology, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044 (China); Huang, Qingyu; Yang, Qianqian; Gong, Wei; Xu, Zheng [Key Laboratory of Luminescence and Optical Information, Beijing Jiaotong University, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100044 (China); Institute of Optoelectronics Technology, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044 (China)

2014-08-01

The charge photogeneration and recombination are comprehensively investigated in blend films based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as an electron donor and [6,6]-phenyl-C 61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC{sub 61}BM) as an electron accepter. Transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS) together with absorption, photoluminescence (PL) are used respectively to measure optical properties of these blend films. In this paper, we demonstrate that solvent additive 1-chloronaphthalene (CN) has a unique influence on improving the performance of P3HT:PC{sub 61}BM heterojunction solar cell. It is observed that the absorption of additive-added blends has a higher intensity and is red-shifted than that of the P3HT:PC{sub 61}BM blend. The PL intensity increases which suggest that the conjugation length increases or the domain size of P3HT increases. Large domains with serious phase separation influence the interface area between P3HT and PC{sub 61}BM. Excitons are generated in both the P3HT phase and the PC{sub 61}BM phase. In all the film blends with or without additive, strongly bound interfacial CT states are formed by a large fraction of the excitons indicating geminate recombination may occur. It is demonstrated that in the blend with CN added the enhanced fraction of CT states comes from the more crystalline P3HT phases and the slower CT states and mobile charges decay indicates reduced recombination losses from early time recombination. - Highlights: • 1-chloronaphthalene(CN) can enhance the efficiency of P3HT:PCBM Solar Cells from charge photogeneration and recombination. • The enhanced fraction of CT states with CN added comes from the more crystalline P3HT phases and the slower CT states. • Mobile charges decay of blend with CN added indicates reduced recombination losses from early time recombination.

High power klystrons for efficient reliable high power amplifiers

Science.gov (United States)

Levin, M.

1980-11-01

This report covers the design of reliable high efficiency, high power klystrons which may be used in both existing and proposed troposcatter radio systems. High Power (10 kW) klystron designs were generated in C-band (4.4 GHz to 5.0 GHz), S-band (2.5 GHz to 2.7 GHz), and L-band or UHF frequencies (755 MHz to 985 MHz). The tubes were designed for power supply compatibility and use with a vapor/liquid phase heat exchanger. Four (4) S-band tubes were developed in the course of this program along with two (2) matching focusing solenoids and two (2) heat exchangers. These tubes use five (5) tuners with counters which are attached to the focusing solenoids. A reliability mathematical model of the tube and heat exchanger system was also generated.

20-hydroxyecdysone positively regulates the transcription of the antimicrobial peptide, lebocin, via BmEts and BmBR-C Z4 in the midgut of Bombyx mori during metamorphosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Mai, Taoyi; Chen, Shuna; Lin, Xianyu; Zhang, Xiaojuan; Zou, Xiaopeng; Feng, Qili; Zheng, Sichun

2017-09-01

Metamorphosis is an essential physiological process in insects. This process is triggered by 20-hydroxyecydsone (20E). Lebocin, an antimicrobial peptide of Lepidoptera insects, was significantly up-regulated in the midgut, but not in the fat body of Bombyx mori during metamorphosis. In this study, the expression regulation of lebocin in B. mori midgut was studied. The results showed that B. mori lebocin and its activator BmEts were not responsive to bacterial infection in the midgut, instead, the expression of both genes was up-regulated by 20E treatment. The transcription factor BR-C Z4 in the 20E signal pathway enhanced lebocin promoter activity by directly binding to an upstream cis-response element of the promoter. In the fat body, the mRNA level of B. mori lebocin was decreased when the insect transformed from larval to pupal stage and was increased by immune challenge. The expression profiles of lebocin in Lepidopteran Spodoptera litura was also analyzed and the similar results were observed, S. litura lebocin was significantly up-regulated during midgut regeneration and mainly present in the new-formed intestinal cells of the midgut. All results together suggest that during metamorphosis 20E may activate lebocin expression via BmBR-C Z4 and BmEts in the midgut, where the antimicrobial peptide was produced to protect the midgut from infection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Comparison of the quick Gram stain method to the B&M modified and favor methods].

Science.gov (United States)

Osawa, Kayo; Kataoka, Nobumasa; Maruo, Toshio

2011-01-01

The Gram stain is an established method for bacterial identification, but the time needed to carry out this stain is 2-3 min. We attempted to shorten this time and stained a total of 70 clinical specimens isolated from using the Bartholomew & Mittwer (B&M) modified or Favor methods with a 3 s duration for washing and staining steps. Results were plotted and analyzed using a Hue Saturation Intensity (HSI) model. The range based on a plot of the two methods with the HSI model was presented as a reference interval. Our results indicated that 100% (35/35) of strains were Gram positive and 97.1% (34/35) were Gram negative for the quick B&M modified method. In the quick Favor method, 80.0% (28/35) were Gram positive and 68.6% (24/35) of strains were Gram negative. We propose that the quick B&M modified method is equivalent to the standard Gram staining method and is superior to the quick Favor method.

Mutation of a vitelline membrane protein, BmEP80, is responsible for the silkworm "Ming" lethal egg mutant.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Anli; Gao, Peng; Zhao, Qiaoling; Tang, Shunming; Shen, Xingjia; Zhang, Guozheng; Qiu, Zhiyong; Xia, Dingguo; Huang, Yongping; Xu, Yunmin; He, Ningjia

2013-02-25

The egg stage is an important stage in the silkworm (Bombyx mori) life cycle. Normal silkworm eggs are usually short, elliptical, and laterally flattened, with a sometimes hollowed surface on the lateral side. However, the eggs laid by homozygous recessive "Ming" lethal egg mutants (l-e(m)) lose water and become concaved around 1h, ultimately exhibiting a triangular shape on the egg surfaces. We performed positional cloning, and narrowed down the region containing the gene responsible for the l-e(m) mutant to 360 kb on chromosome 10 using 2287 F(2) individuals. Using expression analysis and RNA interference, the best l-e(m) candidate gene was shown to be BmEP80. The results of the inverse polymerase chain reaction showed that an ~1.9 kb region from the 3' untranslated region of BmVMP23 to the forepart of BmEP80 was replaced by a >100 kb DNA fragment in the l-e(m) mutant. Several eggs laid by the normal moths injected with BmEP80 small interfering RNAs were evidently depressed and exhibited a triangular shape on the surface. The phenotype exhibited was consistent with the eggs laid by the l-e(m) mutant. Moreover, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showed that the BmEP80 protein was expressed in the ovary from the 9th day of the pupa stage to eclosion in the wild-type silkworm, but was absent in the l-e(m) mutant. These results indicate that BmEP80 is responsible for the l-e(m) mutation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High-power klystrons

Science.gov (United States)

Siambis, John G.; True, Richard B.; Symons, R. S.

1994-05-01

Novel emerging applications in advanced linear collider accelerators, ionospheric and atmospheric sensing and modification and a wide spectrum of industrial processing applications, have resulted in microwave tube requirements that call for further development of high power klystrons in the range from S-band to X-band. In the present paper we review recent progress in high power klystron development and discuss some of the issues and scaling laws for successful design. We also discuss recent progress in electron guns with potential grading electrodes for high voltage with short and long pulse operation via computer simulations obtained from the code DEMEOS, as well as preliminary experimental results. We present designs for high power beam collectors.

Switching power converters medium and high power

CERN Document Server

Neacsu, Dorin O

2013-01-01

An examination of all of the multidisciplinary aspects of medium- and high-power converter systems, including basic power electronics, digital control and hardware, sensors, analog preprocessing of signals, protection devices and fault management, and pulse-width-modulation (PWM) algorithms, Switching Power Converters: Medium and High Power, Second Edition discusses the actual use of industrial technology and its related subassemblies and components, covering facets of implementation otherwise overlooked by theoretical textbooks. The updated Second Edition contains many new figures, as well as

BM@N and MPD experiments at NICA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kekelidze Vladimir

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The project NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility aims to study hot and baryon rich QCD matter in heavy ion collisions in the energy range SNN = 4 − 11 GeV. The rich heavy-ion physics program will be performed at two experiments, BM@N (Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron at beams extracted from the Nuclotron, and at MPD (Multi-Purpose Detector at the NICA collider. This program covers a variety of phenomena in strongly interacting matter of the highest baryonic density, which includes study of collective effects, production of hyperon and hypernuclei, in-medium modification of meson properties, and event-by-event fluctuations.

Efficient Annealing-Free P3HT:PC_6_1BM-Based Organic Solar Cells by Using a Novel Solvent Additive without a Halogen or Sulphur Atom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao Man-Jun; Zhu Wei-Guo; Shen Wen-Fei; Wang Jun-Yi; Han Liang-Liang; Chen Wei-Chao; Bao Xi-Chang; Yang Ren-Qiang

2015-01-01

The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC_6_1BM) based organic solar cells (OSCs) is significantly improved by using benzyl acetate (BA), an organic compound without any halogen or sulphur atom, as a processing additive to control the blend morphology. The solar cells show PCE of 3.85% with a fill factor (FF) of 65.22%, which are higher than those of the common thermal annealing device (PCE 3.30%, FF 60.83%). The overall increased PCE depends upon the enhanced crystallinity of P3HT and good carriers transport, with a high balanced charge carrier mobility. (cross-disciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

Power Amplifier Design for E-band Wireless System Communications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hadziabdic, Dzenan; Krozer, Viktor; Johansen, Tom Keinicke

2008-01-01

E-band wireless communications will become important as the microwave backhaul for high-speed data transmission. One of the most critical components is the front-end power amplifier in this system. The paper analyzes different technologies with potential in the E-band frequency range and present...... a power amplifier design satisfying the E-band system specifications. The designed power amplifier achieves a maximum output power of ges 20 dBm with a state-of-the-art power-added efficiency of 15%. The power is realized using InP DHBT technology. To the best of our knowledge it is the highest output...... power and efficiency reported for an InP HBT power amplifier in this frequency range. The predicted power-added efficiency is higher than that of power amplifiers based on SiGe HBT and GaAs pHEMT technologies. The design shows the capabilities of InP DHBT for power amplifier applications...

A high linearity SiGe HBT LNA for GPS receiver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo Yanbin; Shi Jian; Ma Chengyan; Gan Yebing; Qian Min

2014-01-01

A high linearity 1.575 GHz SiGe:HBT low noise amplifier (LNA) for global positioning system applications is described. The bipolar cascoded with an MOSFET LNA was fabricated in a commercial 0.18 μm SiGe BiCMOS process. A resistor bias feed circuit with a feedback resistor was designed for the LNA input transistor to improve its intermodulation and compression performance. The packaged chip tested on board has displayed a noise figure of 1.11 dB, a power gain of 18 dB, an output 1 dB compression point of +7.8 dBm and an input third-order intercept point of +1.8 dBm. The chip occupies a 500 × 560 μm 2 area and consumes 3.6 mA from a 2.85 V power supply. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

The Effects of Curcuma longa L., Purple Sweet Potato, and Mixtures of the Two on Immunomodulation in C57BL/6J Mice Infected with LP-BM5 Murine Leukemia Retrovirus.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Soo-Jeung; Lee, Dasom; Lee, Minhee; Kwon, Han-Ol; Kim, Hyesook; Park, Jeongjin; Jeon, Woojin; Cha, Minseok; Jun, Suhwa; Park, Kwangjin; Lee, Jeongmin

2018-06-04

The immune response is stimulated to protect the body from external antigens and is controlled by several types of immune cells. In the present study, the immunomodulatory effects of Curcuma longa L., purple sweet potato, and mixtures of the two (CPM) were investigated in C57BL/6 mice infected with LP-BM5 murine leukemia virus (MuLV). Mice were divided into seven groups as follows: normal control, infected control (LP-BM5 MuLV infection), positive control (LP-BM5 MuLV infection+dietary supplement of red ginseng 300 mg/kg body weight), the original powder of C. longa L. (C; LP-BM5 MuLV infection+dietary supplement of C 189 mg/kg body weight), the original powder of purple sweet potato (P; LP-BM5 MuLV infection+dietary supplement of P 1811 mg/kg body weight), CPM Low (CPL; LP-BM5 MuLV infection+CPM 2 g/kg body weight), and CPM High (CPH; LP-BM5 MuLV infection+CPM 5 g/kg body weight). Dietary supplementation lasted for 12 weeks. Dietary supplementation of CPM inhibited LP-BM5 MuLV-induced lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly and inhibited reduction of messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I and II. Moreover, CPM reduced the decrease in T- and B cell proliferation, reduced the population of CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cells, and remedied the unbalanced production of T helper-1 (Th1)/T helper-2 (Th2) cytokines in LP-BM5 MuLV-infected mice. In addition, CPM inhibited reduction of phagocytosis in peritoneal macrophages and decreased serum levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA), immunoglobulin E (IgE), and immunoglobulin G (IgG). These results suggest that CPM had a positive effect on immunomodulation in C57BL/6 mice induced by LP-BM5 leukemia retrovirus infection.

A SiGe High Gain and Highly Linear F-Band Single-Balanced Subharmonic Mixer

OpenAIRE

Seyedhosseinzadeh, Neda; Nabavi, Abdolreza; Carpenter, Sona; He, Zhongxia Simon; Bao, Mingquan; Zirath, Herbert

2017-01-01

A compact, broadband, high gain, second-order active down-converter subharmonic mixer is demonstrated using a 130-nm SiGe BiCMOS technology. The mixer adopts a bottom-LO Gilbert topology, on-chip RF and LO baluns and two emitter-follower buffers to realize a high gain wideband operation in both RF and IF frequencies. The measured performance exhibits a flat conversion gain (CG) of about 11 dB from 90 to 130 GHz with an average LO power of +3 dBm and high 2LO-RF isolation better than 60 dB. Th...

Low Power Design with High-Level Power Estimation and Power-Aware Synthesis

CERN Document Server

Ahuja, Sumit; Shukla, Sandeep Kumar

2012-01-01

Low-power ASIC/FPGA based designs are important due to the need for extended battery life, reduced form factor, and lower packaging and cooling costs for electronic devices. These products require fast turnaround time because of the increasing demand for handheld electronic devices such as cell-phones, PDAs and high performance machines for data centers. To achieve short time to market, design flows must facilitate a much shortened time-to-product requirement. High-level modeling, architectural exploration and direct synthesis of design from high level description enable this design process. This book presents novel research techniques, algorithms,methodologies and experimental results for high level power estimation and power aware high-level synthesis. Readers will learn to apply such techniques to enable design flows resulting in shorter time to market and successful low power ASIC/FPGA design. Integrates power estimation and reduction for high level synthesis, with low-power, high-level design; Shows spec...

Biotransformation of the sesquiterpene (+)-valencene by cytochrome P450cam and P450BM-3.

Science.gov (United States)

Sowden, Rebecca J; Yasmin, Samina; Rees, Nicholas H; Bell, Stephen G; Wong, Luet-Lok

2005-01-07

The sesquiterpenoids are a large class of naturally occurring compounds with biological functions and desirable properties. Oxidation of the sesquiterpene (+)-valencene by wild type and mutants of P450cam from Pseudomonas putida, and of P450BM-3 from Bacillus megaterium, have been investigated as a potential route to (+)-nootkatone, a fine fragrance. Wild type P450cam did not oxidise (+)-valencene but the mutants showed activities up to 9.8 nmol (nmol P450)(-1) min(-1), with (+)-trans-nootkatol and (+)-nootkatone constituting >85% of the products. Wild type P450BM-3 and mutants had higher activities (up to 43 min(-1)) than P450cam but were much less selective. Of the many products, cis- and trans-(+)-nootkatol, (+)-nootkatone, cis-(+)-valencene-1,10-epoxide, trans-(+)-nootkaton-9-ol, and (+)-nootkatone-13S,14-epoxide were isolated from whole-cell reactions and characterised. The selectivity patterns suggest that (+)-valencene has one binding orientation in P450cam but multiple orientations in P450BM-3.

High power communication satellites power systems study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Josloff, A.T.; Peterson, J.R.

1994-01-01

This paper discusses a DOE-funded study to evaluate the commercial attractiveness of high power communication satellites and assesses the attributes of both conventional photovoltaic and reactor power systems. This study brings together a preeminent US Industry/Russian team to cooperate on the role of high power communication satellites in the rapidly expanding communications revolution. These high power satellites play a vital role in assuring availability of universally accessible, wide bandwidth communications, for high definition TV, super computer networks and other services. Satellites are ideally suited to provide the wide bandwidths and data rates required and are unique in the ability to provide services directly to the users. As new or relocated markets arise, satellites offer a flexibility that conventional distribution services cannot match, and it is no longer necessary to be near population centers to take advantage of the telecommunication revolution. The geopolitical implications of these substantially enhanced communications capabilities will be significant

B(M1) values in the band-crossing of shears bands in 197Pb

Science.gov (United States)

Krücken, R.; Cooper, J. R.; Beausang, C. W.; Novak, J. R.; Dewald, A.; Klug, T.; Kemper, G.; von Brentano, P.; Carpenter, M.; Wiedenhöver, I.

We present details of the band crossing mechanism of shears bands using the example of 197Pb. Absolute reduced matrix elements B(M1) were determined by means of a RDM lifetime measurement in one of the shears bands in 197Pb. The experiment was performed using the New Yale Plunger Device (NYPD) in conjunction with the Gammasphere array. Band mixing calculations on the basis of the semi-classical model of the shears mechanism are used to describe the transition matrix elements B(M1) and energies throughout the band-crossing regions. Good agreement with the data was obtained and the detailed composition of the states in the shears band are discussed.

CSTI High Capacity Power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winter, J.M.

1989-01-01

The SP-100 program was established in 1983 by DOD, DOE, and NASA as a joint program to develop the technology necessary for space nuclear power systems for military and civil application. During FY-86 and 87, the NASA SP-100 Advanced Technology Program was devised to maintain the momentum of promising technology advancement efforts started during Phase 1 of SP-100 and to strengthen, in key areas, the chances for successful development and growth capability of space nuclear reactor power systems for future space applications. In FY-88, the Advanced Technology Program was incorporated into NASA's new Civil Space Technology Initiative (CSTI). The CSTI Program was established to provide the foundation for technology development in automation and robotics, information, propulsion, and power. The CSTI High Capacity Power Program builds on the technology efforts of the SP-100 program, incorporates the previous NASA SP-100 Advanced Technology project, and provides a bridge to NASA Project Pathfinder. The elements of CSTI High Capacity Power development include Conversion Systems, Thermal Management, Power Management, System Diagnostics, and Environmental Interactions. Technology advancement in all areas, including materials, is required to assure the high reliability and 7 to 10 year lifetime demanded for future space nuclear power systems. The overall program will develop and demonstrate the technology base required to provide a wide range of modular power systems as well as allowing mission independence from solar and orbital attitude requirements. Several recent advancements in CSTI High Capacity power development will be discussed

Analysis of expression and chitin-binding activity of the wing disc cuticle protein BmWCP4 in the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Hui-Min; Li, Yong; Zhang, Jia-Ling; Liu, Lin; Feng, Qi-Li

2016-12-01

The insect exoskeleton is mainly composed of chitin filaments linked by cuticle proteins. When insects molt, the cuticle of the exoskeleton is renewed by degrading the old chitin and cuticle proteins and synthesizing new ones. In this study, chitin-binding activity of the wing disc cuticle protein BmWCP4 in Bombyx mori was studied. Sequence analysis showed that the protein had a conservative hydrophilic "R&R" chitin-binding domain (CBD). Western blotting showed that BmWCP4 was predominately expressed in the wing disc-containing epidermis during the late wandering and early pupal stages. The immunohistochemistry result showed that the BmWCP4 was mainly present in the wing disc tissues containing wing bud and trachea blast during day 2 of wandering stage. Recombinant full-length BmWCP4 protein, "R&R" CBD peptide (CBD), non-CBD peptide (BmWCP4-CBD - ), four single site-directed mutated peptides (M 1 , M 2 , M 3 and M 4 ) and four-sites-mutated peptide (M F ) were generated and purified, respectively, for in vitro chitin-binding assay. The results indicated that both the full-length protein and the "R&R" CBD peptide could bind with chitin, whereas the BmWCP4-CBD - could not bind with chitin. The single residue mutants M 1 , M 2 , M 3 and M 4 reduced but did not completely abolish the chitin-binding activity, while four-sites-mutated protein M F completely lost the chitin-binding activity. These data indicate that BmWCP4 protein plays a critical role by binding to the chitin filaments in the wing during larva-to-pupa transformation. The conserved aromatic amino acids are critical in the interaction between chitin and the cuticle protein. © 2015 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

High to ultra-high power electrical energy storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Sherrill, Stefanie A; Banerjee, Parag; Rubloff, Gary W; Lee, Sang Bok

2011-12-14

High power electrical energy storage systems are becoming critical devices for advanced energy storage technology. This is true in part due to their high rate capabilities and moderate energy densities which allow them to capture power efficiently from evanescent, renewable energy sources. High power systems include both electrochemical capacitors and electrostatic capacitors. These devices have fast charging and discharging rates, supplying energy within seconds or less. Recent research has focused on increasing power and energy density of the devices using advanced materials and novel architectural design. An increase in understanding of structure-property relationships in nanomaterials and interfaces and the ability to control nanostructures precisely has led to an immense improvement in the performance characteristics of these devices. In this review, we discuss the recent advances for both electrochemical and electrostatic capacitors as high power electrical energy storage systems, and propose directions and challenges for the future. We asses the opportunities in nanostructure-based high power electrical energy storage devices and include electrochemical and electrostatic capacitors for their potential to open the door to a new regime of power energy.

The Rhipicephalus (Boophilus microplus Bm86 gene plays a critical role in the fitness of ticks fed on cattle during acute Babesia bovis infection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Knowles Donald P

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Rhipicephalus (Boophilus microplus is an economically important tick of cattle involved in the transmission of Babesia bovis, the etiological agent of bovine babesiosis. Commercial anti-tick vaccines based on the R. microplus Bm86 glycoprotein have shown some effect in controlling tick infestation; however their efficacy as a stand-alone solution for tick control has been questioned. Understanding the role of the Bm86 gene product in tick biology is critical to identifying additional methods to utilize Bm86 to reduce R. microplus infestation and babesia transmission. Additionally, the role played by Bm86 in R. microplus fitness during B. bovis infection is unknown. Results Here we describe in two independent experiments that RNA interference-mediated silencing of Bm86 decreased the fitness of R. microplus females fed on cattle during acute B. bovis infection. Notably, Bm86 silencing decreased the number and survival of engorged females, and decreased the weight of egg masses. However, gene silencing had no significant effect on the efficiency of transovarial transmission of B. bovis from surviving female ticks to their larval offspring. The results also show that Bm86 is expressed, in addition to gut cells, in larvae, nymphs, adult males and ovaries of partially engorged adult R. microplus females, and its expression was significantly down-regulated in ovaries of ticks fed on B. bovis-infected cattle. Conclusion The R. microplus Bm86 gene plays a critical role during tick feeding and after repletion during blood digestion in ticks fed on cattle during acute B. bovis infection. Therefore, the data indirectly support the rationale for using Bm86-based vaccines, perhaps in combination with acaricides, to control tick infestation particularly in B. bovis endemic areas.

Production of recombinant Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus in silkworm by intrahaemocoelic injection with invasive diaminopimelate auxotrophic Escherichia coli containing BmNPV-Bacmid.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Jingchen; Yao, Lunguang; Yao, Ning; Xu, Hua; Jin, Pengfei; Kan, Yunchao

2010-12-01

The present study elaborates a cost-effective and transfectant-free method for generating recombinant Bombyx mori (silkworm) nucleopolyhedrovirus in silkworm larvae and pupae by injecting invasive Escherichia coli carrying BmBacmid [BmNPV (B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus)-Bacmid] into larval haemocoel. Up to 109 PFU (plaque-forming units)/ml of infective recombinant baculovirus was generated in the silkworm by intrahaemocoelic injection with 106 DAP (diaminopimelic acid) auxotrophic and BmBacmid containing E. coli cells expressing both invasin and listeriolysin. Thus 1 ml of overnight culture of E. coli is sufficient to inject more than 2000 larvae, while DAP costing up to $1 is enough to inject about 4000 larvae. Recombinant proteins can be controlled to be expressed mainly in pupae by adjusting the injection dose, too. In this new method, many original manipulations have been eliminated, including BmBacmid preparation and the subsequent complex transfection procedures. Hence it is a time- and cost-saving means for large-scale injection of B. mori for recombinant baculovirus production in comparison with the traditional transfection methods, which may play an important role in the industrial development of the BmNPV-silkworm bioreactor.

Immunization and chemical conjugation of Bm95 obtained from Pichia pastoris enhances the immune response against vaccinal protein and Neisseria meningitidis capsular polysaccharide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodriguez-Valle M

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Manuel Rodriguez-Valle,1 Leonardo Canan-Hadden,2 Olivia Niebla2 1Animal Biotechnology Division, 2Analytical Division, Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana, Cuba Abstract: The ectoparasite Rhipicephalus (Boophilus microplus causes severe economic losses to the cattle industry in tropical and subtropical regions, and transmits endoparasites, such as Babesia bovis. The glycoprotein Bm95 is homologous to Bm86, a surface membrane protein of gut epithelial cells in R. microplus, and has been shown to efficiently control this ectoparasite in regions of the Americas. The immunostimulant properties of Bm86 have already been demonstrated after its coinjection with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg and the infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus. This study evaluated the carrier and immunostimulant properties of Bm95 using low immunogenic Neisseria meningitidis capsular C polysaccharide (Men CpS and HBsAg. We produced two polysaccharide-Bm95 conjugates by carbodiimide (MenCpSBm-c and reductive amination (MenCpSBm-ra methods. These conjugates were characterized and evaluated in mice. Antibody titers against Men CpS were significantly higher in mice immunized with MenCpSBm-ra (2,350±250, P<0.01 than in those immunized with MenCpSBm-c (250±75 or Men CpS (570±104. The study data indicate effective immunological memory after booster inoculation in mice immunized with MenCpSBm-ra. Additionally, significant humoral immunity against HBsAg was documented in mice coimmunized via the intranasal route with recombinant Bm95 (11,400±345 and HBsAg (128,000±250 compared with mice immunized only with HBsAg (400±40 or Bm95 (5,461±150, P<0.01. In conclusion, the immunostimulatory properties of recombinant Bm95 make it a useful element for developing safer conjugated vaccines against bacterial pathogens and for evaluation against ticks and tick-borne diseases in the context of a polyvalent veterinary vaccine. Keywords: glycoconjugate, Bm86

High average power solid state laser power conditioning system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinkraus, R.F.

1987-01-01

The power conditioning system for the High Average Power Laser program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is described. The system has been operational for two years. It is high voltage, high power, fault protected, and solid state. The power conditioning system drives flashlamps that pump solid state lasers. Flashlamps are driven by silicon control rectifier (SCR) switched, resonant charged, (LC) discharge pulse forming networks (PFNs). The system uses fiber optics for control and diagnostics. Energy and thermal diagnostics are monitored by computers

SAFOD Brittle Microstructure and Mechanics Knowledge Base (BM2KB)

Science.gov (United States)

Babaie, Hassan A.; Broda Cindi, M.; Hadizadeh, Jafar; Kumar, Anuj

2013-07-01

Scientific drilling near Parkfield, California has established the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD), which provides the solid earth community with short range geophysical and fault zone material data. The BM2KB ontology was developed in order to formalize the knowledge about brittle microstructures in the fault rocks sampled from the SAFOD cores. A knowledge base, instantiated from this domain ontology, stores and presents the observed microstructural and analytical data with respect to implications for brittle deformation and mechanics of faulting. These data can be searched on the knowledge base‧s Web interface by selecting a set of terms (classes, properties) from different drop-down lists that are dynamically populated from the ontology. In addition to this general search, a query can also be conducted to view data contributed by a specific investigator. A search by sample is done using the EarthScope SAFOD Core Viewer that allows a user to locate samples on high resolution images of core sections belonging to different runs and holes. The class hierarchy of the BM2KB ontology was initially designed using the Unified Modeling Language (UML), which was used as a visual guide to develop the ontology in OWL applying the Protégé ontology editor. Various Semantic Web technologies such as the RDF, RDFS, and OWL ontology languages, SPARQL query language, and Pellet reasoning engine, were used to develop the ontology. An interactive Web application interface was developed through Jena, a java based framework, with AJAX technology, jsp pages, and java servlets, and deployed via an Apache tomcat server. The interface allows the registered user to submit data related to their research on a sample of the SAFOD core. The submitted data, after initial review by the knowledge base administrator, are added to the extensible knowledge base and become available in subsequent queries to all types of users. The interface facilitates inference capabilities in the

Genome-wide identification, characterization of sugar transporter genes in the silkworm Bombyx mori and role in Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Govindaraj, Lekha; Gupta, Tania; Esvaran, Vijaya Gowri; Awasthi, Arvind Kumar; Ponnuvel, Kangayam M

2016-04-01

Sugar transporters play an essential role in controlling carbohydrate transport and are responsible for mediating the movement of sugars into cells. These genes exist as large multigene families within the insect genome. In insects, sugar transporters not only have a role in sugar transport, but may also act as receptors for virus entry. Genome-wide annotation of silkworm Bombyx mori (B. mori) revealed 100 putative sugar transporter (BmST) genes exists as a large multigene family and were classified into 11 sub families, through phylogenetic analysis. Chromosomes 27, 26 and 20 were found to possess the highest number of BmST paralogous genes, harboring 22, 7 and 6 genes, respectively. These genes occurred in clusters exhibiting the phenomenon of tandem gene duplication. The ovary, silk gland, hemocytes, midgut and malphigian tubules were the different tissues/cells enriched with BmST gene expression. The BmST gene BGIBMGA001498 had maximum EST transcripts of 134 and expressed exclusively in the malphigian tubule. The expression of EST transcripts of the BmST clustered genes on chromosome 27 was distributed in various tissues like testis, ovary, silk gland, malphigian tubule, maxillary galea, prothoracic gland, epidermis, fat body and midgut. Three sugar transporter genes (BmST) were constitutively expressed in the susceptible race and were down regulated upon BmNPV infection at 12h post infection (hpi). The expression pattern of these three genes was validated through real-time PCR in the midgut tissues at different time intervals from 0 to 30hpi. In the susceptible B. mori race, expression of sugar transporter genes was constitutively expressed making the host succumb to viral infection. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Immunological Basis for Rapid Progression of Diabetes in Older NOD Mouse Recipients Post BM-HSC Transplantation.

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Nan Wang

Full Text Available Type I diabetes (T1D, mediated by autoreactive T cell destruction of insulin-producing islet beta cells, has been treated with bone marrow-derived hematopoietic stem cell (BM-HSC transplantation. Older non-obese diabetic (NOD mice recipients (3m, at disease-onset stage receiving syngeneic BM-HSC progressed more rapidly to end-stage diabetes post-transplantation than younger recipients (4-6w, at disease-initiation stage. FACS analyses showed a higher percentage and absolute number of regulatory T cells (Treg and lower proportion of proliferating T conventional cells (Tcon in pancreatic lymph nodes from the resistant mice among the younger recipients compared to the rapid progressors among the older recipients. Treg distribution in spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN, blood and thymus between the two groups was similar. However, the percentage of thymic Tcon and the proliferation of Tcon in MLN and blood were lower in the young resistants. These results suggest recipient age and associated disease stage as a variable to consider in BM-HSC transplantation for treating T1D.

Comparability of Accounting Choices in Investment Properties of BM&FBOVESPA and NYSE Listed Companies

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Reiner Alves Botinha

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This research aimed to identify the consequence of the accounting choices made by public companies managers listed on the NYSE and the BM&FBOVESPA, in relation to the subsequent measurement of investment properties, through identifying the comparability degree of financial reports from the year 2013. The degree of comparability was calculated using the T index Taplin. In this paper, it was observed that, in a more conservative way, to both stock exchanges, there was increased use of the cost method for the sample companies. Even with the existence of accounting choices, it is considered that there is comparability between accounting practices in the recognition of investment property from the companies listed on the BM&FBOVESPA and NYSE. However, the degree of comparability was presented low for the international comparability and in the medium, near the lower limit for comparability per stock exchange. A curious fact is the presentation of a greater degree of comparability for the companies listed on the BM&FBOVESPA in relation to listed on the NYSE, which is a more developed capital market. In the analysis of the comparability by sector, it was observed a medium degree close to the upper limit. It has also been inferred the low comparability degrees identified may be related to the different choices made by the companies regarding the measurement methods.

Extended power-law scaling of air permeabilities measured on a block of tuff

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Siena

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We use three methods to identify power-law scaling of multi-scale log air permeability data collected by Tidwell and Wilson on the faces of a laboratory-scale block of Topopah Spring tuff: method of moments (M, Extended Self-Similarity (ESS and a generalized version thereof (G-ESS. All three methods focus on q-th-order sample structure functions of absolute increments. Most such functions exhibit power-law scaling at best over a limited midrange of experimental separation scales, or lags, which are sometimes difficult to identify unambiguously by means of M. ESS and G-ESS extend this range in a way that renders power-law scaling easier to characterize. Our analysis confirms the superiority of ESS and G-ESS over M in identifying the scaling exponents, ξ(q, of corresponding structure functions of orders q, suggesting further that ESS is more reliable than G-ESS. The exponents vary in a nonlinear fashion with q as is typical of real or apparent multifractals. Our estimates of the Hurst scaling coefficient increase with support scale, implying a reduction in roughness (anti-persistence of the log permeability field with measurement volume. The finding by Tidwell and Wilson that log permeabilities associated with all tip sizes can be characterized by stationary variogram models, coupled with our findings that log permeability increments associated with the smallest tip size are approximately Gaussian and those associated with all tip sizes scale show nonlinear variations in ξ(q with q, are consistent with a view of these data as a sample from a truncated version (tfBm of self-affine fractional Brownian motion (fBm. Since in theory the scaling exponents, ξ(q, of tfBm vary linearly with q we conclude that nonlinear scaling in our case is not an indication of multifractality but an artifact of sampling from tfBm. This allows us to explain theoretically how power-law scaling of our data, as well

Abortive replication of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus in Sf9 and High Five cells: Defective nuclear transport of the virions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katou, Yasuhiro; Ikeda, Motoko; Kobayashi, Michihiro

2006-01-01

Despite close genetic relationship, Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) and Autographa californica multicapsid NPV (AcMNPV) display a distinct host range property. Here, BmNPV replication was examined in Sf9 and High Five cells that were nonproductive for BmNPV infection but supported high titers of AcMNPV replication. Recombinant BmNPV, vBm/gfp/lac, containing bm-ie1 promoter-driven egfp showed that few Sf9 and High Five cells infected with vBm/gfp/lac expressed EGFP, while large proportion of EGFP-expressing cells was observed when transfected with vBm/gfp/lac DNA. Immunocytochemical analysis showed that BmNPV was not imported into the nucleus of these two cell lines, while recombinant BmNPV, vBmΔ64/ac-gp64 possessing AcMNPV gp64 was imported into the nucleus, yielding progeny virions in High Five cells, but not Sf9 cells. These results indicate that the defective nuclear import of infected virions due to insufficient BmNPV GP64 function is involved in the restricted BmNPV replication in Sf9 and High Five cells

High power communication satellites power systems study

Science.gov (United States)

Josloff, Allan T.; Peterson, Jerry R.

1995-01-01

This paper discusses a planned study to evaluate the commercial attractiveness of high power communication satellites and assesses the attributes of both conventional photovoltaic and reactor power systems. These high power satellites can play a vital role in assuring availability of universally accessible, wide bandwidth communications, for high definition TV, super computer networks and other services. Satellites are ideally suited to provide the wide bandwidths and data rates required and are unique in the ability to provide services directly to the users. As new or relocated markets arise, satellites offer a flexibility that conventional distribution services cannot match, and it is no longer necessary to be near population centers to take advantage of the telecommunication revolution. The geopolitical implications of these substantially enhanced communications capabilities can be significant.

Triplet State Formation in Photovoltaic Blends of DPP-Type Copolymers and PC71BM

KAUST Repository

Ochsmann, Julian R.; Chandran, Deepak; Gehrig, Dominik W.; Anwar, Husna; Madathil, Pramod Kandoth; Lee, Kwang-Sup; Laquai, Fré dé ric

2015-01-01

The exciton dynamics in pristine films of two structurally related low-bandgap diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based donor–acceptor copolymers and the photophysical processes in bulk heterojunction solar cells using DPP copolymer:PC71BM blends

The natural scorpion peptide, BmK NT1 activates voltage-gated sodium channels and produces neurotoxicity in primary cultured cerebellar granule cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Xiaohan; He, Yuwei; Qiao, Jinping; Zhang, Chunlei; Cao, Zhengyu

2016-01-01

The scorpion Buthus martensii Karsch has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat neuronal diseases such as neuropathic pain, paralysis and epilepsy for thousands of years. Studies have demonstrated that scorpion venom is the primary active component. Although scorpion venom can effectively attenuate pain in the clinic, it also produces neurotoxic response. In this study, toxicity guided purification led to identify a mammalian toxin termed BmK NT1 comprising of 65 amino acid residues and an amidated C-terminus, a mature peptide encoded by the nucleotide sequence (GenBank No. AF464898). In contract to the recombinant product of the same nucleotide sequence, BmK AGAP, which displayed analgesic and anti-tumor effect, intravenous injection (i.v.) of BmK NT1 produced acute toxicity in mice with an LD50 value of 1.36 mg/kg. In primary cultured cerebellar granule cells, BmK NT1 produced a concentration-dependent cell death with an IC50 value of 0.65 μM (0.41-1.03 μM, 95% Confidence Intervals, 95% CI) which was abolished by TTX, a voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) blocker. We also demonstrated that BmK NT1 produced modest sodium influx in cerebellar granule cell cultures with an EC50 value of 2.19 μM (0.76-6.40 μM, 95% CI), an effect similar to VGSC agonist, veratridine. The sodium influx response was abolished by TTX suggesting that BmK NT1-induced sodium influx is solely through activation of VGSC. Considered these data together, we demonstrated that BmK NT1 activated VGSC and produced neurotoxicity in cerebellar granule cell cultures. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High power microwaves

CERN Document Server

Benford, James; Schamiloglu, Edl

2016-01-01

Following in the footsteps of its popular predecessors, High Power Microwaves, Third Edition continues to provide a wide-angle, integrated view of the field of high power microwaves (HPMs). This third edition includes significant updates in every chapter as well as a new chapter on beamless systems that covers nonlinear transmission lines. Written by an experimentalist, a theorist, and an applied theorist, respectively, the book offers complementary perspectives on different source types. The authors address: * How HPM relates historically and technically to the conventional microwave field * The possible applications for HPM and the key criteria that HPM devices have to meet in order to be applied * How high power sources work, including their performance capabilities and limitations * The broad fundamental issues to be addressed in the future for a wide variety of source types The book is accessible to several audiences. Researchers currently in the field can widen their understanding of HPM. Present or pot...

Fabrication and Optimization of Polymer Solar Cells Based on P3HT:PC70BM System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huangzhong Yu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Efficient bulk heterojunction (BHJ polymer solar cells (PSCs based on P3HT:PC70BM were fabricated by optimizing the processing parameters. The optimized thickness and annealing temperature have been found to be about 200 nm and 130°C. The effect of cathode interfacial layers on device performance is related to the formation of interfacial dipole. Furthermore, the effect of optimum ZnO interfacial thickness (~30 nm on device performance is attributed to good interfacial conductivity and its optical property. The metal electrode deposited in the slow rate has a better influence on device performance. Based on these optimal conditions, the best power conversion efficiency (PCE of 3.91% was obtained under AM 1.5G and 100 mW/cm2 illumination. This detailed investigation provides an important reference for the fabrication and optimization of polymer photovoltaic devices.

Differential expression of early viral gene BmORF51 in Bombyx mori ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

USER

2010-06-21

Jun 21, 2010 ... maintained at 27°C in TC-100 media supplemented with 10% (v/v) fetal bovine serum ... post-infection (p.i.) using the Trizol RNA extraction kit (Invitrogen). For cDNA ... BmNPV-infected larvae of 306 and NB at different times .... Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, New York. Chen HQ ...

High Power High Efficiency Diode Laser Stack for Processing

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Yuanyuan; Lu, Hui; Fu, Yueming; Cui, Yan

2018-03-01

High-power diode lasers based on GaAs semiconductor bars are well established as reliable and highly efficient laser sources. As diode laser is simple in structure, small size, longer life expectancy with the advantages of low prices, it is widely used in the industry processing, such as heat treating, welding, hardening, cladding and so on. Respectively, diode laser could make it possible to establish the practical application because of rectangular beam patterns which are suitable to make fine bead with less power. At this power level, it can have many important applications, such as surgery, welding of polymers, soldering, coatings and surface treatment of metals. But there are some applications, which require much higher power and brightness, e.g. hardening, key hole welding, cutting and metal welding. In addition, High power diode lasers in the military field also have important applications. So all developed countries have attached great importance to high-power diode laser system and its applications. This is mainly due their low performance. In this paper we will introduce the structure and the principle of the high power diode stack.

Expression of the fructose receptor BmGr9 and its involvement in the promotion of feeding, suggested by its co-expression with neuropeptide F1 in Bombyx mori.

Science.gov (United States)

Mang, Dingze; Shu, Min; Tanaka, Shiho; Nagata, Shinji; Takada, Tomoyuki; Endo, Haruka; Kikuta, Shingo; Tabunoki, Hiroko; Iwabuchi, Kikuo; Sato, Ryoichi

2016-08-01

Insect gustatory receptors (Grs) are members of a large family of proteins with seven transmembrane domains that provide insects with the ability to detect chemical signals critical for feeding, mating, and oviposition. To date, 69 Bombyx mori Grs (BmGrs) genes have been identified via genome studies. BmGr9 has been shown to respond specifically to fructose and to function as a ligand-gated ion channel selectively activated by fructose. However, the sites where this Gr are expressed remain unclear. We demonstrated using reverse transcription (RT)-PCR that BmGr9 is widely expressed in the central nervous system (CNS), as well as oral sensory organs. Additionally, immunohistochemistry was performed using anti-BmGr9 antiserum to show that BmGr9 is expressed in cells of the oral sensory organs, including the maxillary galea, maxillary palps, labrum, and labium, as well as in putative neurosecretory cells of the CNS. Furthermore, double immunohistochemical analysis showed that most BmGr9-expressing cells co-localized with putative neuropeptide F1-expressing cells in the brain, suggesting that BmGr9 is involved in the promotion of feeding behaviors. In addition, a portion of BmGr9-expressing cells in the brain co-localized with cells expressing BmGr6, a molecule of the sugar receptor clade, suggesting that sugars other than fructose are involved in the regulation of feeding behaviors in B. mori larvae. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

BmRobo2/3 is required for axon guidance in the silkworm Bombyx mori.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiao-Tong; Yu, Qi; Zhou, Qi-Sheng; Zhao, Xiao; Liu, Zhao-Yang; Cui, Wei-Zheng; Liu, Qing-Xin

2016-02-15

Axon guidance is critical for proper wiring of the nervous system. During the neural development, the axon guidance molecules play a key role and direct axons to choose the correct way to reach the target. Robo, as the receptor of axon guidance molecule Slit, is evolutionarily conserved from planarians to humans. However, the function of Robo in the silkworm, Bombyx mori, remained unknown. In this study, we cloned robo2/3 from B. mori (Bmrobo2/3), a homologue of robo2/3 in Tribolium castaneum. Moreover, BmRobo2/3 was localized in the neuropil, and RNAi-mediated knockdown of Bmrobo2/3 resulted in the longitudinal connectives forming closer to the midline. These data demonstrate that BmRobo2/3 is required for axon guidance in the silkworm. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High power CW linac in PNC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toyama, S.; Wang, Y.L.; Emoto, T.

1994-01-01

Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (PNC) is developing a high power electron linac for various applications. The electron beam is accelerated in CW operation to get maximum beam current of 100 mA and energy of 10 MeV. Crucial components such as a high power L-band klystron and a high power traveling wave resonant ring (TWRR) accelerator guides were designed and manufactured and their performance were examined. These design and results from the recent high power RF tests were described in this paper. (author)

Pristimerin Inhibits Prostate Cancer Bone Metastasis by Targeting PC-3 Stem Cell Characteristics and VEGF-Induced Vasculogenesis of BM-EPCs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuai Huang

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: Prostate cancer (PCa is one of the most common malignant cancers and a major leading cause of cancer deaths in men. Cancer stem-like cells are shown to be highly tumorigenic, pro-angiogenic and can significantly contribute to tumor new vessel formation and bone marrow derived-EPCs (BM-EPCs are shown to recruit to the angiogenic switch in tumor growth and metastatic progression, suggesting the importance of targeting cancer stem cells (CSCs and EPCs for novel tumor therapies. Pristimerin, an active component isolated from Celastraceae and Hippocrateaceae, has shown anti-tumor effects in some cell lines in previous studies. However, the effect and mechanism of Pristimerin on CSCs and EPCs in PCa bone metastasis are not well studied. Methods: The effect of Pristimerin on PC-3 stem cell characteristics and metastasis were detected by spheroid formation, CD133 and CD44 protein expression, matrix-gel invasive assay and colony-formation assay in vitro, VEGF and pro-inflammatory cytokines expression by ELISA assay, and tumor tumorigenicity by X-ray and MR in NOD-SCID mice model in vivo. In addition, we also detected the effect of Pristimerin on VEGF-induced vasculogenesis and protein expression of BM-EPCs. Results: Pristimerin could significantly inhibit spheroid formation and protein expression of CD133 and CD44, reduce VEGF and pro-inflammation cytokines expression of PC-3 cell, and prevent the xenografted PC-3 tumor growth in the bone of nude mice. The present data also showed that Pristimerin significantly inhibited VEGF-induced vasculogenesis of BM-EPCs by suppressing the EPCs functions including proliferation, adhesion, migration, tube formation and inactivation the phosphorylation of VEGFR-2, Akt and eNOS. Conclusion: These data provide evidence that Pristimerin has strong potential for development as a novel agent against prostate bone metastasis by suppressing PC-3 stem cell characteristics and VEGF-induced vasculogenesis of BM-EPCs.

Biodegradable and Biocompatible Biomaterial, Polyhydroxybutyrate, Produced by an Indigenous Vibrio sp. BM-1 Isolated from Marine Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ho-Shing Wu

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB is one of the polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs which has biodegradable and biocompatible properties. They are adopted in the biomedical field, in, for example, medical implants and drug delivery carriers. This study seeks to promote the production of PHB by Vibrio sp. BM-1, isolated from a marine environment by improving constituents of medium and implementing an appropriate fermentation strategy. This study successfully developed a glycerol-yeast extract-tryptone (GYT medium that can facilitate the growth of Vibrio sp. BM-1 and lead to the production of 1.4 g/L PHB at 20 h cultivation. This study also shows that 1.57 g/L PHB concentration and 16% PHB content were achieved, respectively, when Vibrio sp. BM-1 was cultivated with MS-GYT medium (mineral salts-supplemented GYT medium for 12 h. Both cell dry weight (CDW and residual CDW remained constant at around 8.2 g/L and 8.0 g/L after the 12 h of cultivation, until the end of the experiment. However, both 16% of PHB content and 1.57 g/L of PHB production decreased rapidly to 3% and 0.25 g/L, respectively from 12 h of cultivation to 40 h of cultivation. The results suggest that the secretion of PHB depolymerase that might be caused by the addition of mineral salts reduced PHB after 12 h of cultivation. However, work will be done to explain the effect of adding mineral salts on the production of PHB by Vibrio sp. BM-1 in the near future.

Biodegradable and biocompatible biomaterial, polyhydroxybutyrate, produced by an indigenous Vibrio sp. BM-1 isolated from marine environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Yu-Hong; Chen, Wei-Chuan; Wu, Ho-Shing; Janarthanan, Om-Murugan

2011-01-01

Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is one of the polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) which has biodegradable and biocompatible properties. They are adopted in the biomedical field, in, for example, medical implants and drug delivery carriers. This study seeks to promote the production of PHB by Vibrio sp. BM-1, isolated from a marine environment by improving constituents of medium and implementing an appropriate fermentation strategy. This study successfully developed a glycerol-yeast extract-tryptone (GYT) medium that can facilitate the growth of Vibrio sp. BM-1 and lead to the production of 1.4 g/L PHB at 20 h cultivation. This study also shows that 1.57 g/L PHB concentration and 16% PHB content were achieved, respectively, when Vibrio sp. BM-1 was cultivated with MS-GYT medium (mineral salts-supplemented GYT medium) for 12 h. Both cell dry weight (CDW) and residual CDW remained constant at around 8.2 g/L and 8.0 g/L after the 12 h of cultivation, until the end of the experiment. However, both 16% of PHB content and 1.57 g/L of PHB production decreased rapidly to 3% and 0.25 g/L, respectively from 12 h of cultivation to 40 h of cultivation. The results suggest that the secretion of PHB depolymerase that might be caused by the addition of mineral salts reduced PHB after 12 h of cultivation. However, work will be done to explain the effect of adding mineral salts on the production of PHB by Vibrio sp. BM-1 in the near future.

Powering the High-Luminosity Triplets

Science.gov (United States)

Ballarino, A.; Burnet, J. P.

The powering of the magnets in the LHC High-Luminosity Triplets requires production and transfer of more than 150 kA of DC current. High precision power converters will be adopted, and novel High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) current leads and MgB2 based transfer lines will provide the electrical link between the power converters and the magnets. This chapter gives an overview of the systems conceived in the framework of the LHC High-Luminosity upgrade for feeding the superconducting magnet circuits. The focus is on requirements, challenges and novel developments.

Review of Power System Stability with High Wind Power Penetration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hu, Rui; Hu, Weihao; Chen, Zhe

2015-01-01

analyzing methods and stability improvement approaches. With increasing wind power penetration, system balancing and the reduced inertia may cause a big threaten for stable operation of power systems. To mitigate or eliminate the wind impacts for high wind penetration systems, although the practical......This paper presents an overview of researches on power system stability with high wind power penetration including analyzing methods and improvement approaches. Power system stability issues can be classified diversely according to different considerations. Each classified issue has special...... and reliable choices currently are the strong outside connections or sufficient reserve capacity constructions, many novel theories and approaches are invented to investigate the stability issues, looking forward to an extra-high penetration or totally renewable resource based power systems. These analyzing...

100 Gbps IM/DD links using quad-polarization: Performance, complexity, and power dissipation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saldaña Cercos, Silvia; Piels, Molly; Estaran Tolosa, Jose Manuel

2015-01-01

A computational complexity, power consumption, and receiver sensitivity analysis for three different scenarios for short-range direct detection links is presented: 1) quad-polarization, 2) wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), and 3) parallel optics. Results show that the power consumption pena...... sensitivity of 4.4 dBm...

Autonomously managed high power systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weeks, D.J.; Bechtel, R.T.

1985-01-01

The need for autonomous power management capabilities will increase as the power levels of spacecraft increase into the multi-100 kW range. The quantity of labor intensive ground and crew support consumed by the 9 kW Skylab cannot be afforded in support of a 75-300 kW Space Station or high power earth orbital and interplanetary spacecraft. Marshall Space Flight Center is managing a program to develop necessary technologies for high power system autonomous management. To date a reference electrical power system and automation approaches have been defined. A test facility for evaluation and verification of management algorithms and hardware has been designed with the first of the three power channel capability nearing completion

ICAN: High power neutral beam generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moustaizis, S.D.; Lalousis, P.; Perrakis, K.; Auvray, P.; Larour, J.; Ducret, J.E.; Balcou, P.

2015-01-01

During the last few years there is an increasing interest on the development of alternative high power new negative ion source for Tokamak applications. The proposed new neutral beam device presents a number of advantages with respect to: the density current, the acceleration voltage, the relative compact dimension of the negative ion source, and the coupling of a high power laser beam for photo-neutralization of the negative ion beam. Here we numerically investigate, using a multi- fluid 1-D code, the acceleration and the extraction of high power ion beam from a Magnetically Insulated Diode (MID). The diode configuration will be coupled to a high power device capable of extracting a current up to a few kA with an accelerating voltage up to MeV. An efficiency of up to 92% of the coupling of the laser beam, is required in order to obtain a high power, up to GW, neutral beam. The new high energy, high average power, high efficiency (up to 30%) ICAN fiber laser is proposed for both the plasma generation and the photo-neutralizer configuration. (authors)

Policy Process Editor for P3BM Software

Science.gov (United States)

James, Mark; Chang, Hsin-Ping; Chow, Edward T.; Crichton, Gerald A.

2010-01-01

A computer program enables generation, in the form of graphical representations of process flows with embedded natural-language policy statements, input to a suite of policy-, process-, and performance-based management (P3BM) software. This program (1) serves as an interface between users and the Hunter software, which translates the input into machine-readable form; and (2) enables users to initialize and monitor the policy-implementation process. This program provides an intuitive graphical interface for incorporating natural-language policy statements into business-process flow diagrams. Thus, the program enables users who dictate policies to intuitively embed their intended process flows as they state the policies, reducing the likelihood of errors and reducing the time between declaration and execution of policy.

High average power supercontinuum sources

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The physical mechanisms and basic experimental techniques for the creation of high average spectral power supercontinuum sources is briefly reviewed. We focus on the use of high-power ytterbium-doped fibre lasers as pump sources, and the use of highly nonlinear photonic crystal fibres as the nonlinear medium.

High Temperature, High Power Piezoelectric Composite Transducers

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hyeong Jae; Zhang, Shujun; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Sherrit, StewarT.

2014-01-01

Piezoelectric composites are a class of functional materials consisting of piezoelectric active materials and non-piezoelectric passive polymers, mechanically attached together to form different connectivities. These composites have several advantages compared to conventional piezoelectric ceramics and polymers, including improved electromechanical properties, mechanical flexibility and the ability to tailor properties by using several different connectivity patterns. These advantages have led to the improvement of overall transducer performance, such as transducer sensitivity and bandwidth, resulting in rapid implementation of piezoelectric composites in medical imaging ultrasounds and other acoustic transducers. Recently, new piezoelectric composite transducers have been developed with optimized composite components that have improved thermal stability and mechanical quality factors, making them promising candidates for high temperature, high power transducer applications, such as therapeutic ultrasound, high power ultrasonic wirebonding, high temperature non-destructive testing, and downhole energy harvesting. This paper will present recent developments of piezoelectric composite technology for high temperature and high power applications. The concerns and limitations of using piezoelectric composites will also be discussed, and the expected future research directions will be outlined. PMID:25111242

A 380 V High Efficiency and High Power Density Switched-Capacitor Power Converter using Wide Band Gap Semiconductors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fan, Lin; Knott, Arnold; Jørgensen, Ivan Harald Holger

2018-01-01

. This paper presents such a high voltage low power switched-capacitor DC-DC converter with an input voltage upto 380 V (compatible with rectified European mains) and an output power experimentally validated up to 21.3 W. The wideband gap semiconductor devices of GaN switches and SiC diodes are combined...... to compose the proposed power stage. Their switching and loss characteristics are analyzed with transient waveforms and thermal images. Different isolated driving circuits are compared and a compact isolated halfbridge driving circuit is proposed. The full-load efficiencies of 98.3% and 97.6% are achieved......State-of-the-art switched-capacitor DC-DC power converters mainly focus on low voltage and/or high power applications. However, at high voltage and low power levels, new designs are anticipated to emerge and a power converter that has both high efficiency and high power density is highly desirable...

Fault analysis and strategy of high pulsed power supply for high power laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Kefu; Qin Shihong; Li Jin; Pan Yuan; Yao Zonggan; Zheng Wanguo; Guo Liangfu; Zhou Peizhang; Li Yizheng; Chen Dehuai

2001-01-01

according to the requirements of driving flash-lamp, a high pulsed power supply (PPS) based on capacitors as energy storage elements is designed. The author analyzes in detail the faults of high pulsed power supply for high power laser. Such as capacitor internal short-circuit, main bus breakdown to ground, flashlamp sudden short or break. The fault current and voltage waveforms were given by circuit simulations. Based on the analysis and computation, the protection strategy with the fast fuse and ZnO was put forward, which can reduce the damage of PPS to the lower extent and provide the personnel safe and collateral property from the all threats. The preliminary experiments demonstrated that the design of the PPS can satisfy the project requirements

A Decade-Bandwidth Distributed Power Amplifier MMIC Using 0.25 μm GaN HEMT Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dong-Hwan Shin

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This study presents a 2–20 GHz monolithic distributed power amplifier (DPA using a 0.25 μm AlGaN/GaN on SiC high electron mobility transistor (HEMT technology. The gate width of the HEMT was selected after considering the input capacitance of the unit cell that guarantees decade bandwidth. To achieve high output power using small transistors, a 12-stage DPA was designed with a nonuniform drain line impedance to provide optimal output power matching. The maximum operating frequency of the proposed DPA is above 20 GHz, which is higher than those of other DPAs manufactured with the same gate-length process. The measured output power and power-added efficiency of the DPA monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC are 35.3–38.6 dBm and 11.4%–31%, respectively, for 2–20 GHz.

Regulation of PI-2b Pilus Expression in Hypervirulent Streptococcus agalactiae ST-17 BM110.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruno Périchon

Full Text Available The widely spread Streptococcus agalactiae (also known as Group B Streptococcus, GBS "hypervirulent" ST17 clone is strongly associated with neonatal meningitis. The PI-2b locus is mainly found in ST17 strains but is also present in a few non ST17 human isolates such as the ST-7 prototype strain A909. Here, we analysed the expression of the PI-2b pilus in the ST17 strain BM110 as compared to the non ST17 A909. Comparative genome analyses revealed the presence of a 43-base pair (bp hairpin-like structure in the upstream region of PI-2b operon in all 26 ST17 genomes, which was absent in the 8 non-ST17 strains carrying the PI-2b locus. Deletion of this 43-bp sequence in strain BM110 resulted in a 3- to 5-fold increased transcription of PI-2b. Characterization of PI-2b promoter region in A909 and BM110 strains was carried out by RNAseq, primer extension, qRT-PCR and transcriptional fusions with gfp as reporter gene. Our results indicate the presence of a single promoter (Ppi2b with a transcriptional start site (TSS mapped 37 bases upstream of the start codon of the first PI-2b gene. The large operon of 16 genes located upstream of PI-2b codes for the group B carbohydrate (also known as antigen B, a major constituent of the bacterial cell wall. We showed that the hairpin sequence located between antigen B and PI-2b operons is a transcriptional terminator. In A909, increased expression of PI-2b probably results from read-through transcription from antigen B operon. In addition, we showed that an extended 5' promoter region is required for maximal transcription of gfp as a reporter gene in S. agalactiae from Ppi2b promoter. Gene reporter assays performed in Lactococcus lactis strain NZ9000, a related non-pathogenic Gram-positive species, revealed that GBS-specific regulatory factors are required to drive PI-2b transcription. PI-2b expression is up-regulated in the BM110ΔcovR mutant as compared to the parental BM110 strain, but this effect is probably

High Power Density Power Electronic Converters for Large Wind Turbines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Senturk, Osman Selcuk

. For these VSCs, high power density is required due to limited turbine nacelle space. Also, high reliability is required since maintenance cost of these remotely located wind turbines is quite high and these turbines operate under harsh operating conditions. In order to select a high power density and reliability......In large wind turbines (in MW and multi-MW ranges), which are extensively utilized in wind power plants, full-scale medium voltage (MV) multi-level (ML) voltage source converters (VSCs) are being more preferably employed nowadays for interfacing these wind turbines with electricity grids...... VSC solution for wind turbines, first, the VSC topology and the switch technology to be employed should be specified such that the highest possible power density and reliability are to be attained. Then, this qualitative approach should be complemented with the power density and reliability...

Studies on the Nucleotide Sequence, Transcription and Deletion Analysis of the BmNPV Protein Kinase Gene.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Chuan-Xi; Hu, Cui; Wu, Xiang-Fu

1998-01-01

The coding region of BmvPK-1 gene of Bombyx mori NPV (Strain ZJ8) is 828 nt long and encodes a 276 aa polypeptide with predicted molecular mass of 32 kD. Dot blot analysis showed its mRNA to be gene is first detectable at 18 h p.i. and reaching the highest transcriptional level at 48 h p.i. The result suggested that BmvPK-1 gene is a late or very late gene. The most conserved 365 bp of the BmvPK-1 gene was deleted in a transfer vector (pUCPK-lac), and a report gene (lacZ) was inserted in the deleted position. Cotransfection of BmN cells with pUCPK-lac DNA and BmNPV DNA resulted in the recombinant virus which expressed detectable product of lacZ gene. But the virus with the deleted BmvPK-1 gene could not be isolated from the wild BmNPV by plaque purification method. The result showed that the BmvPK-1 gene deleted virus can multiply only with the help of the product of this gene from the wild type virus, and the gene is necessary for the virus to finish its life cycle in the cultured cells.

A high-power versatile wireless power transfer for biomedical implants.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Hao; Zhang, Jun Min; Liou, Shy Shenq; Fechter, Richard; Hirose, Shinjiro; Harrison, Michael; Roy, Shuvo

2010-01-01

Implantable biomedical actuators are highly desired in modern medicine. However, how to power up these biomedical implants remains a challenge since most of them need more than several hundreds mW of power. The air-core based radio-frequency transformer (two face-to-face inductive coils) has been the only non-toxic and non-invasive power source for implants for the last three decades [1]. For various technical constraints, the maximum delivered power is limited by this approach. The highest delivered power reported is 275 mW over 1 cm distance [2]. Also, the delivered power is highly vulnerable to the coils' geometrical arrangement and the electrical property of the medium around them. In this paper, a novel rotating-magnets based wireless power transfer that can deliver ∼10 W over 1 cm is demonstrated. The delivered power is significantly higher than the existing start-of-art. Further, the new method is versatile since there is no need to have the impedance matching networks that are highly susceptible to the operating frequency, the coil arrangement and the environment.

Linear Distributed GaN MMIC Power Amplifier with Improved Power-added Efficiency

Science.gov (United States)

2017-03-01

QPSK LTE waveform, the ACPR1improved by ~10 dBc at average output power of 23 dBm, without digital pre-distortion. Keywords: GaN, linear amplifiers...wideband amplifier, OIP3, LTE Introduction RF communications with spectral efficiency utilizes complex modulation schemes that require amplifier...wideband amplifiers remain. In this paper, we report on the measured CW performance of a multi-octave (100 MHz ‒ 8 GHz) GaN MMIC NDPA fabricated with

Combined use of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs) and platelet rich plasma (PRP) stimulates proliferation and differentiation of myoblasts in vitro: new therapeutic perspectives for skeletal muscle repair/regeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Sassoli, Chiara; Vallone, Larissa; Tani, Alessia; Chellini, Flaminia; Nosi, Daniele; Zecchi-Orlandini, Sandra

2018-02-05

Satellite cell-mediated skeletal muscle repair/regeneration is compromised in cases of extended damage. Bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs) hold promise for muscle healing but some criticisms hamper their clinical application, including the need to avoid animal serum contamination for expansion and the scarce survival after transplant. In this context, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) could offer advantages. Here, we compare the effects of PRP or standard culture media on C2C12 myoblast, satellite cell and BM-MSC viability, survival, proliferation and myogenic differentiation and evaluate PRP/BM-MSC combination effects in promoting myogenic differentiation. PRP induced an increase of mitochondrial activity and Ki67 expression comparable or even greater than that elicited by standard media and promoted AKT signaling activation in myoblasts and BM-MSCs and Notch-1 pathway activation in BM-MSCs. It stimulated MyoD, myogenin, α-sarcomeric actin and MMP-2 expression in myoblasts and satellite cell activation. Notably, PRP/BM-MSC combination was more effective than PRP alone. We found that BM-MSCs influenced myoblast responses through a paracrine activation of AKT signaling, contributing to shed light on BM-MSC action mechanisms. Our results suggest that PRP represents a good serum substitute for BM-MSC manipulation in vitro and could be beneficial towards transplanted cells in vivo. Moreover, it might influence muscle resident progenitors' fate, thus favoring the endogenous repair/regeneration mechanisms. Finally, within the limitations of an in vitro experimentation, this study provides an experimental background for considering the PRP/BM-MSC combination as a potential therapeutic tool for skeletal muscle damage, combining the beneficial effects of BM-MSCs and PRP on muscle tissue, while potentiating BM-MSC functionality.

Pulsed high-power beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reginato, L.L.; Birx, D.L.

1988-01-01

The marriage of induction linac technology with nonlinear magnetic modulators has produced some unique capabilities. It is now possible to produce short-pulse electron beams with average currents measured in amperes, at gradients approaching 1-MeV/m, and with power efficiencies exceeding 50%. This paper reports on a 70-MeV, 3-kA induction accelerator (ETA II) constructed at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory that incorporates the pulse technology concepts that have evolved over the past several years. The ETA II is a linear induction accelerator and provides a test facility for demonstration of the high-average-power components and high-brightness sources used in such accelerators. The pulse drive of the accelerator is based on state-of-the-art magnetic pulse compressors with very high peak-power capability, repetition rates exceeding 1 kHz, and excellent reliability

A battery-powered high-current power supply for superconductors

CERN Document Server

Wake, M; Suda, K

2002-01-01

Since superconductors do not require voltages, a high-current power supply could run with low power if the voltage is sufficiently reduced. Even a battery-powered power supply could give as much as 2,000A for a superconductor. To demonstrate this hypothesis, a battery-powered 2,000A power supply was constructed. It uses an IGBT chopper and Schottky diode together with a specially arranged transformer to produce a high current with low voltage. Testing of 2,000A operation was performed for about 1.5 hr using 10 car batteries. Charging time for this operation was 8 hr. Ramping control was smooth and caused no trouble. Although the IGBT frequency ripple of 16.6 kHz was easily removed using a passive filter, spike noise remained in the output voltage. This ripple did not cause any trouble in operating a pancake-type inductive superconducting load. (author)

High-field, high-density tokamak power reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohn, D.R.; Cook, D.L.; Hay, R.D.; Kaplan, D.; Kreischer, K.; Lidskii, L.M.; Stephany, W.; Williams, J.E.C.; Jassby, D.L.; Okabayashi, M.

1977-11-01

A conceptual design of a compact (R 0 = 6.0 m) high power density (average P/sub f/ = 7.7 MW/m 3 ) tokamak demonstration power reactor has been developed. High magnetic field (B/sub t/ = 7.4 T) and moderate elongation (b/a = 1.6) permit operation at the high density (n(0) approximately 5 x 10 14 cm -3 ) needed for ignition in a relatively small plasma, with a spatially-averaged toroidal beta of only 4%. A unique design for the Nb 3 Sn toroidal-field magnet system reduces the stress in the high-field trunk region, and allows modularization for simpler disassembly. The modest value of toroidal beta permits a simple, modularized plasma-shaping coil system, located inside the TF coil trunk. Heating of the dense central plasma is attained by the use of ripple-assisted injection of 120-keV D 0 beams. The ripple-coil system also affords dynamic control of the plasma temperature during the burn period. A FLIBE-lithium blanket is designed especially for high-power-density operation in a high-field environment, and gives an overall tritium breeding ratio of 1.05 in the slowly pumped lithium

Luminescent solar concentrators with a bottom-mounted photovoltaic cell: performance optimization and power gain analysis

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Ningning Zhang; Yi Zhang; Jun Bao; Feng Zhang; Sen Yan; Song Sun; Chen Gao

2017-01-01

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) plate luminescent solar concentrators with a bottom-mounted (BM-LSCs) photovoltaic (PV) cell are fabricated by using a mixture of Lumogen Red 305 and Yellow 083 fluorescent dyes and a commercial monocrystalline silicon cell.The fabricated LSC with dye concentrations of 40 ppm has the highest power gain of 1.50,which is the highest value reported for the dye-doped PMMA plate LSCs.The power gain of the LSC comes from three parts:the waveguide light,the transmitted light,and the reflected light from a white reflector,and their contributions are analyzed quantitatively.The results suggest that the BM-LSCs have great potential for future low-cost PV devices in building integrated PV applications.

A 3.0-kb deletion including an erythroid cell-specific regulatory element in intron 1 of the ABO blood group gene in an individual with the Bm phenotype.

Science.gov (United States)

Sano, R; Kuboya, E; Nakajima, T; Takahashi, Y; Takahashi, K; Kubo, R; Kominato, Y; Takeshita, H; Yamao, H; Kishida, T; Isa, K; Ogasawara, K; Uchikawa, M

2015-04-01

We developed a sequence-specific primer PCR (SSP-PCR) for detection of a 5.8-kb deletion (B(m) 5.8) involving an erythroid cell-specific regulatory element in intron 1 of the ABO blood group gene. Using this SSP-PCR, we performed genetic analysis of 382 individuals with Bm or ABm. The 5.8-kb deletion was found in 380 individuals, and disruption of the GATA motif in the regulatory element was found in one individual. Furthermore, a novel 3.0-kb deletion involving the element (B(m) 3.0) was demonstrated in the remaining individual. Comparisons of single-nucleotide polymorphisms and microsatellites in intron 1 between B(m) 5.8 and B(m) 3.0 suggested that these deletions occurred independently. © 2014 International Society of Blood Transfusion.

Impedance Matching Antenna-Integrated High-Efficiency Energy Harvesting Circuit

Science.gov (United States)

Shinki, Yuharu; Shibata, Kyohei; Mansour, Mohamed

2017-01-01

This paper describes the design of a high-efficiency energy harvesting circuit with an integrated antenna. The circuit is composed of series resonance and boost rectifier circuits for converting radio frequency power into boosted direct current (DC) voltage. The measured output DC voltage is 5.67 V for an input of 100 mV at 900 MHz. Antenna input impedance matching is optimized for greater efficiency and miniaturization. The measured efficiency of this antenna-integrated energy harvester is 60% for −4.85 dBm input power and a load resistance equal to 20 kΩ at 905 MHz. PMID:28763043

Impedance Matching Antenna-Integrated High-Efficiency Energy Harvesting Circuit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuharu Shinki

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the design of a high-efficiency energy harvesting circuit with an integrated antenna. The circuit is composed of series resonance and boost rectifier circuits for converting radio frequency power into boosted direct current (DC voltage. The measured output DC voltage is 5.67 V for an input of 100 mV at 900 MHz. Antenna input impedance matching is optimized for greater efficiency and miniaturization. The measured efficiency of this antenna-integrated energy harvester is 60% for −4.85 dBm input power and a load resistance equal to 20 kΩ at 905 MHz.

Impedance Matching Antenna-Integrated High-Efficiency Energy Harvesting Circuit.

Science.gov (United States)

Shinki, Yuharu; Shibata, Kyohei; Mansour, Mohamed; Kanaya, Haruichi

2017-08-01

This paper describes the design of a high-efficiency energy harvesting circuit with an integrated antenna. The circuit is composed of series resonance and boost rectifier circuits for converting radio frequency power into boosted direct current (DC) voltage. The measured output DC voltage is 5.67 V for an input of 100 mV at 900 MHz. Antenna input impedance matching is optimized for greater efficiency and miniaturization. The measured efficiency of this antenna-integrated energy harvester is 60% for -4.85 dBm input power and a load resistance equal to 20 kΩ at 905 MHz.

Applications of high power microwaves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benford, J.; Swegle, J.

1993-01-01

The authors address a number of applications for HPM technology. There is a strong symbiotic relationship between a developing technology and its emerging applications. New technologies can generate new applications. Conversely, applications can demand development of new technological capability. High-power microwave generating systems come with size and weight penalties and problems associated with the x-radiation and collection of the electron beam. Acceptance of these difficulties requires the identification of a set of applications for which high-power operation is either demanded or results in significant improvements in peRFormance. The authors identify the following applications, and discuss their requirements and operational issues: (1) High-energy RF acceleration; (2) Atmospheric modification (both to produce artificial ionospheric mirrors for radio waves and to save the ozone layer); (3) Radar; (4) Electronic warfare; and (5) Laser pumping. In addition, they discuss several applications requiring high average power than border on HPM, power beaming and plasma heating

Effects of Exercise Induced Dehydration and Glycerol Rehydration on Anaerobic Power in Male Collegiate Wrestlers.

Science.gov (United States)

McKenna, Zachary J; Gillum, Trevor L

2017-11-01

McKenna, ZJ and Gillum, TL. Effects of exercise induced dehydration and glycerol rehydration on anaerobic power in male collegiate wrestlers. J Strength Cond Res 31(11): 2965-2968, 2017-Wrestlers attempting to reach a specific weight class often use rapid weight loss (RWL). Rapid weight loss is associated with high levels of dehydration, which may hinder athletic performance. Thus, there is a need for wrestlers to optimize rehydration after achieving a specific weight. We sought to observe the effects of RWL on anaerobic power and the impact of glycerol on rehydration and power in male collegiate wrestlers (n = 7, 19.75 ± 1.67 years, 76.8 ± 4.32 kg, 11.6 ± 4.32% body fat, 59.9 ± 6.42 ml·kg·min). Subjects were assessed for body mass (BM), hydration, and mean power output (Wmean) before exercise (pre), immediately after exercise (3% dehydrated), and 60 minutes after exercise (rehydrated). Participants ran at 70% of V[Combining Dot Above]O2max in a heated room (30° C) until 3% BM loss (BML). Subjects rehydrated drinking either 26 ml·kg of water (control) or a 3% glycerol (treatment) solution containing 26 ml·kg of water and 1 g·kg of glycerol. Participants lost 3.00 ± 0.31% (control) and 2.89 ± 0.26% (treatment) of their BM from the pre- to dehydrated conditions. Wmean (control: 659.29 ± 79.12, 651.43 ± 70.71, 659.71 ± 82.78; treatment: 647.71 ± 110.64, 644.57 ± 118.15, 638.14 ± 100.71) did not differ across time (p = 0.87) nor condition (p = 0.80). In addition, glycerol had no significant impact on acute hydration (control: urine-specific gravity [SG] = 1.019 ± 0.010; treatment: SG = 1.017 ± 0.017). These data show that 3% BML did not impair anaerobic performance, and furthermore that glycerol proved ineffective for rehydration in a match like scenario for the competing wrestler.

High performance waveguide-coupled Ge-on-Si linear mode avalanche photodiodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, Nicholas J D; Derose, Christopher T; Brock, Reinhard W; Starbuck, Andrew L; Pomerene, Andrew T; Lentine, Anthony L; Trotter, Douglas C; Davids, Paul S

2016-08-22

We present experimental results for a selective epitaxially grown Ge-on-Si separate absorption and charge multiplication (SACM) integrated waveguide coupled avalanche photodiode (APD) compatible with our silicon photonics platform. Epitaxially grown Ge-on-Si waveguide-coupled linear mode avalanche photodiodes with varying lateral multiplication regions and different charge implant dimensions are fabricated and their illuminated device characteristics and high-speed performance is measured. We report a record gain-bandwidth product of 432 GHz for our highest performing waveguide-coupled avalanche photodiode operating at 1510nm. Bit error rate measurements show operation with BER-12, in the range from -18.3 dBm to -12 dBm received optical power into a 50 Ω load and open eye diagrams with 13 Gbps pseudo-random data at 1550 nm.

RF rectifiers for EM power harvesting in a Deep Brain Stimulating device.

Science.gov (United States)

Hosain, Md Kamal; Kouzani, Abbas Z; Tye, Susannah; Kaynak, Akif; Berk, Michael

2015-03-01

A passive deep brain stimulation (DBS) device can be equipped with a rectenna, consisting of an antenna and a rectifier, to harvest energy from electromagnetic fields for its operation. This paper presents optimization of radio frequency rectifier circuits for wireless energy harvesting in a passive head-mountable DBS device. The aim is to achieve a compact size, high conversion efficiency, and high output voltage rectifier. Four different rectifiers based on the Delon doubler, Greinacher voltage tripler, Delon voltage quadrupler, and 2-stage charge pumped architectures are designed, simulated, fabricated, and evaluated. The design and simulation are conducted using Agilent Genesys at operating frequency of 915 MHz. A dielectric substrate of FR-4 with thickness of 1.6 mm, and surface mount devices (SMD) components are used to fabricate the designed rectifiers. The performance of the fabricated rectifiers is evaluated using a 915 MHz radio frequency (RF) energy source. The maximum measured conversion efficiency of the Delon doubler, Greinacher tripler, Delon quadrupler, and 2-stage charge pumped rectifiers are 78, 75, 73, and 76 % at -5 dBm input power and for load resistances of 5-15 kΩ. The conversion efficiency of the rectifiers decreases significantly with the increase in the input power level. The Delon doubler rectifier provides the highest efficiency at both -5 and 5 dBm input power levels, whereas the Delon quadrupler rectifier gives the lowest efficiency for the same inputs. By considering both efficiency and DC output voltage, the charge pump rectifier outperforms the other three rectifiers. Accordingly, the optimised 2-stage charge pumped rectifier is used together with an antenna to harvest energy in our DBS device.

Optics assembly for high power laser tools

Science.gov (United States)

Fraze, Jason D.; Faircloth, Brian O.; Zediker, Mark S.

2016-06-07

There is provided a high power laser rotational optical assembly for use with, or in high power laser tools for performing high power laser operations. In particular, the optical assembly finds applications in performing high power laser operations on, and in, remote and difficult to access locations. The optical assembly has rotational seals and bearing configurations to avoid contamination of the laser beam path and optics.

HIGH AVERAGE POWER OPTICAL FEL AMPLIFIERS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

Historically, the first demonstration of the optical FEL was in an amplifier configuration at Stanford University [l]. There were other notable instances of amplifying a seed laser, such as the LLNL PALADIN amplifier [2] and the BNL ATF High-Gain Harmonic Generation FEL [3]. However, for the most part FELs are operated as oscillators or self amplified spontaneous emission devices. Yet, in wavelength regimes where a conventional laser seed can be used, the FEL can be used as an amplifier. One promising application is for very high average power generation, for instance FEL's with average power of 100 kW or more. The high electron beam power, high brightness and high efficiency that can be achieved with photoinjectors and superconducting Energy Recovery Linacs (ERL) combine well with the high-gain FEL amplifier to produce unprecedented average power FELs. This combination has a number of advantages. In particular, we show that for a given FEL power, an FEL amplifier can introduce lower energy spread in the beam as compared to a traditional oscillator. This properly gives the ERL based FEL amplifier a great wall-plug to optical power efficiency advantage. The optics for an amplifier is simple and compact. In addition to the general features of the high average power FEL amplifier, we will look at a 100 kW class FEL amplifier is being designed to operate on the 0.5 ampere Energy Recovery Linac which is under construction at Brookhaven National Laboratory's Collider-Accelerator Department

Application of high power microwave vacuum electron devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding Yaogen; Liu Pukun; Zhang Zhaochuan; Wang Yong; Shen Bin

2011-01-01

High power microwave vacuum electron devices can work at high frequency, high peak and average power. They have been widely used in military and civil microwave electron systems, such as radar, communication,countermeasure, TV broadcast, particle accelerators, plasma heating devices of fusion, microwave sensing and microwave heating. In scientific research, high power microwave vacuum electron devices are used mainly on high energy particle accelerator and fusion research. The devices include high peak power klystron, CW and long pulse high power klystron, multi-beam klystron,and high power gyrotron. In national economy, high power microwave vacuum electron devices are used mainly on weather and navigation radar, medical and radiation accelerator, TV broadcast and communication system. The devices include high power pulse and CW klystron, extended interaction klystron, traveling wave tube (TWT), magnetron and induced output tube (IOT). The state of art, common technology problems and trends of high power microwave vacuum electron devices are introduced in this paper. (authors)

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus nucleic acid binding proteins BRO-B and BRO-E associate with host T-cell intracellular antigen 1 homologue BmTRN-1 to influence protein synthesis during infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Kotani, Eiji; Muto, Sayaka; Ijiri, Hiroshi; Mori, Hajime

2015-07-01

Previous reports have indicated that the Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) nucleic acid binding proteins BRO-B and BRO-E are expressed during the early stage of infection and that the BRO family likely supports the regulation of mRNA; however, no study has directly examined the function of BRO family proteins in virus-permissive cells. Here, we show that BRO-B and BRO-E associate with cellular T-cell intracellular antigen 1 homologue (BmTRN-1), a translational regulator, and other cellular translation-related proteins in silkworm cells during viral infection. We created BM-N cells that expressed BRO-B/E to study molecular interactions between BmTRN-1 and BRO-B/E and how they influenced protein synthesis. Fluorescent microscopy revealed that BmTRN-1 was localized in cytoplasmic foci during BmNPV infection. Immunofluorescence studies confirmed that BmTRN-1 and BRO-B/E were colocalized in the amorphous conspicuous cytoplasmic foci. Reporter gene studies revealed that co-expression of BRO-B/E synergistically led to a significant decrease in protein synthesis from a designed transcript carrying the 5'untranslated region of a cellular mRNA with no significant change of transcript abundance. Additionally, RNA interference-mediated knockdown of BmTRN-1 resulted in a marked inhibition of the ability of BRO-B/E to regulate the transcript. These results suggested that the association of BmTRN-1 with BRO-B/E is responsible for the inhibitory regulation of certain mRNAs at the post-transcriptional level and add an additional mechanism for how baculoviruses control protein synthesis during infection.

Design of low power common-gate low noise amplifier for 2.4 GHz wireless sensor network applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Meng; Li Zhiqun

2012-01-01

This paper presents a differential low power low noise amplifier designed for the wireless sensor network (WSN) in a TSMC 0.18 μm RF CMOS process. A two-stage cross-coupling cascaded common-gate (CG) topology has been designed as the amplifier. The first stage is a capacitive cross-coupling topology. It can reduce the power and noise simultaneously. The second stage is a positive feedback cross-coupling topology, used to set up a negative resistance to enhance the equivalent Q factor of the inductor at the load to improve the gain of the LNA. A differential inductor has been designed as the load to achieve reasonable gain. This inductor has been simulated by the means of momentum electromagnetic simulation in ADS. A 'π' circuit model has been built as the inductor model by iteration in ADS. The inductor has been fabricated separately to verify the model. The LNA has been fabricated and measured. The LNA works well centered at 2.44 GHz. The measured gain S 21 is variable with high gain at 16.8 dB and low gain at 1 dB. The NF (noise figure) at high gain mode is 3.6 dB, the input referenced 1 dB compression point (IP1dB) is about −8 dBm and the IIP3 is 2 dBm at low gain mode. The LNA consumes about 1.2 mA current from 1.8 V power supply.

Characterization and modelling of VanT: a novel, membrane-bound, serine racemase from vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus gallinarum BM4174.

Science.gov (United States)

Arias, C A; Martín-Martinez, M; Blundell, T L; Arthur, M; Courvalin, P; Reynolds, P E

1999-03-01

Sequence determination of a region downstream from the vanXYc gene in Enterococcus gallinarum BM4174 revealed an open reading frame, designated vanT, that encodes a 698-amino-acid polypeptide with an amino-terminal domain containing 10 predicted transmembrane segments. The protein contained a highly conserved pyridoxal phosphate attachment site in the C-terminal domain, typical of alanine racemases. The protein was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, and serine racemase activity was detected in the membrane but not in the cytoplasmic fraction after centrifugation of sonicated cells, whereas alanine racemase activity was located almost exclusively in the cytoplasm. When the protein was overexpressed as a polypeptide lacking the predicted transmembrane domain, serine racemase activity was detected in the cytoplasm. The serine racemase activity was partially (64%) inhibited by D-cycloserine, whereas host alanine racemase activity was almost totally inhibited (97%). Serine racemase activity was also detected in membrane preparations of constitutively vancomycin-resistant E. gallinarum BM4174 but not in BM4175, in which insertional inactivation of the vanC-1 D-Ala:D-Ser ligase gene probably had a polar effect on expression of the vanXYc and vanT genes. Comparative modelling of the deduced C-terminal domain was based on the alignment of VanT with the Air alanine racemase from Bacillus stearothermophilus. The model revealed that almost all critical amino acids in the active site of Air were conserved in VanT, indicating that the C-terminal domain of VanT is likely to adopt a three-dimensional structure similar to that of Air and that the protein could exist as a dimer. These results indicate that the source of D-serine for peptidoglycan synthesis in vancomycin-resistant enterococci expressing the VanC phenotype involves racemization of L- to D-serine by a membrane-bound serine racemase.

Bm-muted, orthologous to mouse muted and encoding a subunit of the BLOC-1 complex, is responsible for the otm translucent mutation of the silkworm Bombyx mori.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Haokun; Kiuchi, Takashi; Wang, Lingyan; Kawamoto, Munetaka; Suzuki, Yutaka; Sugano, Sumio; Banno, Yutaka; Katsuma, Susumu; Shimada, Toru

2017-09-20

"Tanaka's mottled translucent" (otm) is a mutation of the silkworm Bombyx mori that exhibits translucent skin during larval stages. We performed positional cloning of the gene responsible for otm and mapped it to a 364-kb region on chromosome 5 that contains 22 hypothetical protein-coding genes. We performed RNA-seq analysis of the epidermis and fat body of otm larvae and determined that the gene BGIBMGA002619 may be responsible for the otm mutation. BGIBMGA002619 encodes the biosynthesis of lysosome-related organelles complex 1 (BLOC-1) subunit 5, whose ortholog is responsible for the Muted mutant in mouse. Accordingly, we named this gene Bm-muted. We discovered that the expression of Bm-muted in the epidermis and fat body of otm mutants was dramatically suppressed compared with the wild type. We determined the nucleotide sequences of the full-length cDNA and genomic region corresponding to Bm-muted and found that a 538-bp long DNA sequence similar to B. mori transposon Organdy was inserted into the 3' end of the first intron of Bm-muted in two otm strains. The Bm-muted cDNA of otm mutants lacked exon 2, and accordingly generated a premature stop codon in exon 3. In addition, short interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of this gene caused localized partial translucency of larval skin. These data indicate that the mutation in Bm-muted caused the otm-mutant phenotype. We propose that the insertion of Organdy caused a splicing disorder in Bm-muted in the otm mutant, resulting in a null mutation of Bm-muted. This mutation is likely to cause deficiencies in urate granule formation in epidermal cells that result in translucent larval skin. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

14 CFR 101.25 - Operating limitations for Class 2-High Power Rockets and Class 3-Advanced High Power Rockets.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Power Rockets and Class 3-Advanced High Power Rockets. 101.25 Section 101.25 Aeronautics and Space... OPERATING RULES MOORED BALLOONS, KITES, AMATEUR ROCKETS AND UNMANNED FREE BALLOONS Amateur Rockets § 101.25 Operating limitations for Class 2-High Power Rockets and Class 3-Advanced High Power Rockets. When operating...

An Optimized 2.4GHz RF Power Amplifier Performance for WLAN System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, Mohammed H; Chakrabarty, C K; Hock, Goh C; Abdalla, Ahmed N

2013-01-01

Recently, the design of RF power amplifiers (PAs) for modern wireless systems are faced with a difficult tradeoff for example, cellphone; battery lifetime is largely determined by the power efficiency of the PA and high spectral efficiency which have ability to transmit data at the highest possible rate for a given channel bandwidth. This paper presents the design a multi stage class AB power Amplifier with high power added efficiency (PAE) and acceptable linearity for the WLAN applications. The open-circuited third harmonic control circuit enhances the efficiency of the PA without deteriorating the linearity of class-AB mode of the PA. The voltage and current waveforms are simulated to evaluate the appropriate operation for the modes. The effectiveness of the proposed controller has been verified by comparing proposed method with another methods using simulation study under a variety of conditions. The proposed circuit operation for a WLAN signals delivers a power-added efficiency (PAE) of 37.6% is measured at 31.6-dBm output power while dissipating 34.61 mA from a 1.8V supply. Finally, the proposed PA is show a good and acceptable result for the WLAN system.

An Optimized 2.4GHz RF Power Amplifier Performance for WLAN System

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Mohammed H.; Chakrabarty, C. K.; Abdalla, Ahmed N.; Hock, Goh C.

2013-06-01

Recently, the design of RF power amplifiers (PAs) for modern wireless systems are faced with a difficult tradeoff for example, cellphone; battery lifetime is largely determined by the power efficiency of the PA and high spectral efficiency which have ability to transmit data at the highest possible rate for a given channel bandwidth. This paper presents the design a multi stage class AB power Amplifier with high power added efficiency (PAE) and acceptable linearity for the WLAN applications. The open-circuited third harmonic control circuit enhances the efficiency of the PA without deteriorating the linearity of class-AB mode of the PA. The voltage and current waveforms are simulated to evaluate the appropriate operation for the modes. The effectiveness of the proposed controller has been verified by comparing proposed method with another methods using simulation study under a variety of conditions. The proposed circuit operation for a WLAN signals delivers a power-added efficiency (PAE) of 37.6% is measured at 31.6-dBm output power while dissipating 34.61 mA from a 1.8V supply. Finally, the proposed PA is show a good and acceptable result for the WLAN system.

High-frequency high-voltage high-power DC-to-DC converters

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, T. G.; Owen, H. A.; Wilson, P. M.

1982-09-01

A simple analysis of the current and voltage waveshapes associated with the power transistor and the power diode in an example current-or-voltage step-up (buck-boost) converter is presented. The purpose of the analysis is to provide an overview of the problems and design trade-offs which must be addressed as high-power high-voltage converters are operated at switching frequencies in the range of 100 kHz and beyond. Although the analysis focuses on the current-or-voltage step-up converter as the vehicle for discussion, the basic principles presented are applicable to other converter topologies as well.

High-power, high-efficiency FELs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sessler, A.M.

1989-04-01

High power, high efficiency FELs require tapering, as the particles loose energy, so as to maintain resonance between the electromagnetic wave and the particles. They also require focusing of the particles (usually done with curved pole faces) and focusing of the electromagnetic wave (i.e. optical guiding). In addition, one must avoid transverse beam instabilities (primarily resistive wall) and longitudinal instabilities (i.e sidebands). 18 refs., 7 figs., 3 tabs

Differentiation of bone marrow cells to functional T lymphocytes following implantation of thymus grafts and thymic stroma in nude and ATxBM mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Splitter, G.A.; McGuire, T.C.; Davis, W.C.

1977-01-01

Cardiac allografts were used to compare the immunologic capacity of nude mice and adult, thymectomized, lethally irradiated, bone marrow-reconstituted (AT x BM) mice. Neither nude nor AT x BM mice were able to reject cardiac allografts of any party. However, both rejected grafts of any party following implantation of neonatal thymus or thymus from 3-week-old syngeneic mice. Irradiated syngeneic thymus grafts (800 R) were equally effective in restoring host responsiveness against allografts. In contrast, allogeneic thymus grafts restored the capacity to reject second-party heart grafts only in AT x BM mice. Second-party grafts persisted indefintely when placed on nude mice implanted with an allogeneic, unirradiated thymus graft. Third-party grafts transplanted 17 weeks after reconstitution, however, were rejected. Irradiated nude mice given normal littermate bone marrow and simultaneously grafted with second-party thymus and heart allografts also failed to reject their second-party heart grafts. The difference in ultimate capacity to respond between AT x BM and nude mice suggests that a maturational defect exists in the nude mouse environment which impedes development of precursor T lymphocytes

Septal deviation and other factors increase the risk of barotitis media in high altitude high opening training

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanuar T. Sastranegara

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Barotitis media (BM frequently occurr in High Altitude High Opening (HAHO training simulation as a result from rapid change of pressure. The aim of this study was to investigate septal deviation and other risk factors that increase the risk of BM. This experimental study was conducted at the Indonesian Center for Aviation Medicine and Health (Lakespra Saryanto during May – July 2007 involving Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI HAHO training. Medical examinations were performed before and after training. An otolaryngologist confirm the diagnosis of BM. Cox regression analysis using STATA 9.0 program was performed to identify dominant risk factors for BM. A number of 177 subjects participated in this study. We found 56.5% had BM after training. Septal deviation was found in 28.8% of the subjects and it moderately increased the risk of BM by 23% than normal septum [adjusted relative risk (RRα = 1.23; 95% confidence interval (CI = 0.95 – 1.60; p=0.123]. Those who have been smoking for 1-3 years had 70% increase risk for BM than non-smoking subjects (RRα= 1.68; 95% CI = 1.17 – 2.42. Those who have been in the force for 5 years or longer were 50% more at risk for BM than those who have been in the force less than 5 years. In addition, trainees had 40% higher risk than subjects with special qualifications for HAHO (RRα = 1.40; 95% CI = 0.99 – 1.97; p = 0.051. Special caution need to be applied for those who had septal deviation, longer working period, habit of smoking for 1-3 years, and trainees to minimize the risk of BM. (Med J Indones 2008; 17: 37-42Keywords: barotitis media, septal deviation, HAHO training simulation

Water Vapour Propulsion Powered by a High-Power Laser-Diode

Science.gov (United States)

Minami, Y.; Uchida, S.

Most of the laser propulsion schemes now being proposed and developed assume neither power supplies nor on-board laser devices and therefore are bound to remote laser stations like a kite via a laser beam “string”. This is a fatal disadvantage for a space vehicle that flies freely though it is often said that no need of installing an energy source is an advantage of a laser propulsion scheme. The possibility of an independent laser propulsion space vehicle that carries a laser source and a power supply on board is discussed. This is mainly due to the latest development of high power laser diode (LD) technology. Both high specific impulse-low thrust mode and high thrust-low specific impulse mode can be selected by controlling the laser output by using vapour or water as a propellant. This mode change can be performed by switching between a high power continuous wave (cw), LD engine for high thrust with a low specific impulse mode and high power LD pumping Q-switched Nd:YAG laser engine for low thrust with the high specific impulse mode. This paper describes an Orbital Transfer Vehicle equipped with the above-mentioned laser engine system and fuel cell that flies to the Moon from a space platform or space hotel in Earth orbit, with cargo shipment from lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon, including the possibility of a sightseeing trip.

Management of long segment anterior urethral stricture (≥ 8cm using buccal mucosal (BM graft and penile skin (PS flap: outcome and predictors of failure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gamal A. Alsagheer

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Purpose To evaluate the surgical outcome and predictors of failure of substitution urethroplasty using either dorsal onlay buccal mucosal (BM graft or ventral onlay penile skin flap (PS for anterior urethral stricture ≥ 8cm. Patients and methods Between March 2010 and January 2016, 50 patients with anterior urethral stricture ≥ 8 cm were treated at our hospital. The surgical outcome and success rate were assessed. The predictors of failure were analyzed using multivariate analysis. Failure was considered when subsequent urethrotomy or urethroplasty were needed. Results Dorsal onlay BM graft was carried out in 24 patients, while PS urethroplasty in 26 patients. There was no significant difference between both groups regarding patients demographics, stricture characteristics or follow-up period. One case in the BM group was lost during follow-up. Stricture recurrence was detected in 7 (30.4% patients out of BM group while in 6 (23.1% patients out of PS group (p value= 0.5. No significant differences between both groups regarding overall early and late complications were observed. Occurrence of early complications and the stricture length were the only predictors of failure in univariate analysis, while in multivariate analysis the occurrence of early complications was only significant. Conclusion On short-term follow-up, both dorsal onlay BM graft and ventral onlay PS flap urethroplasty have similar success rates. However, BM graft has a potential advantage to reduce operative time and is also technically easier. The surgeon should avoid early local complications as they represent a higher risk for failure.

High speed micromachining with high power UV laser

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Rajesh S.; Bovatsek, James M.

2013-03-01

Increasing demand for creating fine features with high accuracy in manufacturing of electronic mobile devices has fueled growth for lasers in manufacturing. High power, high repetition rate ultraviolet (UV) lasers provide an opportunity to implement a cost effective high quality, high throughput micromachining process in a 24/7 manufacturing environment. The energy available per pulse and the pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of diode pumped solid state (DPSS) nanosecond UV lasers have increased steadily over the years. Efficient use of the available energy from a laser is important to generate accurate fine features at a high speed with high quality. To achieve maximum material removal and minimal thermal damage for any laser micromachining application, use of the optimal process parameters including energy density or fluence (J/cm2), pulse width, and repetition rate is important. In this study we present a new high power, high PRF QuasarR 355-40 laser from Spectra-Physics with TimeShiftTM technology for unique software adjustable pulse width, pulse splitting, and pulse shaping capabilities. The benefits of these features for micromachining include improved throughput and quality. Specific example and results of silicon scribing are described to demonstrate the processing benefits of the Quasar's available power, PRF, and TimeShift technology.

Power affects performance when the pressure is on: evidence for low-power threat and high-power lift.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Sonia K; Galinsky, Adam D; Kray, Laura J; Shirako, Aiwa

2015-05-01

The current research examines how power affects performance in pressure-filled contexts. We present low-power-threat and high-power-lift effects, whereby performance in high-stakes situations suffers or is enhanced depending on one's power; that is, the power inherent to a situational role can produce effects similar to stereotype threat and lift. Three negotiations experiments demonstrate that role-based power affects outcomes but only when the negotiation is diagnostic of ability and, therefore, pressure-filled. We link these outcomes conceptually to threat and lift effects by showing that (a) role power affects performance more strongly when the negotiation is diagnostic of ability and (b) underperformance disappears when the low-power negotiator has an opportunity to self-affirm. These results suggest that stereotype threat and lift effects may represent a more general phenomenon: When the stakes are raised high, relative power can act as either a toxic brew (stereotype/low-power threat) or a beneficial elixir (stereotype/high-power lift) for performance. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Neigiamojo standumo vibroizoliacinio staliuko „MINUS K 500BM-1“ tyrimas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vitalija Meškelytė

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Nagrinėjamas neigiamojo standumo (angl. negative-stiffness vibroizoliacinio staliuko „Minus K 500BM-1“ efektyvumas 2–110 Hz diapazone. Apžvelgti kiti galimi vibroizoliacijos būdai. Atlikti eksperimentiniai vibracijų perduodamumo tyrimai. Išbandyta speciali vibracijų žadinimo įranga, leidžianti atlikti numatytus bandomojo objekto tyrimus. Aprašyta eksperimentinių tyrimų metodika. Pateikti eksperimentų metu gauti rezultatai ir išvados.

Advanced High Voltage Power Device Concepts

CERN Document Server

Baliga, B Jayant

2012-01-01

Advanced High Voltage Power Device Concepts describes devices utilized in power transmission and distribution equipment, and for very high power motor control in electric trains and steel-mills. Since these devices must be capable of supporting more than 5000-volts in the blocking mode, this books covers operation of devices rated at 5,000-V, 10,000-V and 20,000-V. Advanced concepts (the MCT, the BRT, and the EST) that enable MOS-gated control of power thyristor structures are described and analyzed in detail. In addition, detailed analyses of the silicon IGBT, as well as the silicon carbide MOSFET and IGBT, are provided for comparison purposes. Throughout the book, analytical models are generated to give a better understanding of the physics of operation for all the structures. This book provides readers with: The first comprehensive treatment of high voltage (over 5000-volts) power devices suitable for the power distribution, traction, and motor-control markets;  Analytical formulations for all the device ...

Structure, dynamics, and function of the monooxygenase P450 BM-3: insights from computer simulations studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roccatano, Danilo

2015-01-01

The monooxygenase P450 BM-3 is a NADPH-dependent fatty acid hydroxylase enzyme isolated from soil bacterium Bacillus megaterium. As a pivotal member of cytochrome P450 superfamily, it has been intensely studied for the comprehension of structure–dynamics–function relationships in this class of enzymes. In addition, due to its peculiar properties, it is also a promising enzyme for biochemical and biomedical applications. However, despite the efforts, the full understanding of the enzyme structure and dynamics is not yet achieved. Computational studies, particularly molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, have importantly contributed to this endeavor by providing new insights at an atomic level regarding the correlations between structure, dynamics, and function of the protein. This topical review summarizes computational studies based on MD simulations of the cytochrome P450 BM-3 and gives an outlook on future directions. (topical review)

High-power density miniscale power generation and energy harvesting systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyshevski, Sergey Edward

2011-01-01

This paper reports design, analysis, evaluations and characterization of miniscale self-sustained power generation systems. Our ultimate objective is to guarantee highly-efficient mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion, ensure premier wind- or hydro-energy harvesting capabilities, enable electric machinery and power electronics solutions, stabilize output voltage, etc. By performing the advanced scalable power generation system design, we enable miniscale energy sources and energy harvesting technologies. The proposed systems integrate: (1) turbine which rotates a radial- or axial-topology permanent-magnet synchronous generator at variable angular velocity depending on flow rate, speed and load, and, (2) power electronic module with controllable rectifier, soft-switching converter and energy storage stages. These scalable energy systems can be utilized as miniscale auxiliary and self-sustained power units in various applications, such as, aerospace, automotive, biotechnology, biomedical, and marine. The proposed systems uniquely suit various submersible and harsh environment applications. Due to operation in dynamic rapidly-changing envelopes (variable speed, load changes, etc.), sound solutions are researched, proposed and verified. We focus on enabling system organizations utilizing advanced developments for various components, such as generators, converters, and energy storage. Basic, applied and experimental findings are reported. The prototypes of integrated power generation systems were tested, characterized and evaluated. It is documented that high-power density, high efficiency, robustness and other enabling capabilities are achieved. The results and solutions are scalable from micro (∼100 μW) to medium (∼100 kW) and heavy-duty (sub-megawatt) auxiliary and power systems.

Dataset on the absorption of PCDTBT:PC70BM layers and the electro-optical characteristics of air-stable, large-area PCDTBT:PC70BM-based polymer solar cell modules, deposited with a custom built slot-die coater

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dimitar I. Kutsarov

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The data presented in this article is related to the research article entitled “Fabrication of air-stable, large-area, PCDTBT:PC70BM polymer solar cell modules using a custom built slot-die coater” (D.I. Kutsarov, E. New, F. Bausi, A. Zoladek-Lemanczyk, F.A. Castro, S.R.P. Silva, 2016 [1]. The repository name and reference number for the raw data from the abovementioned publication can be found under: https://doi.org/10.15126/surreydata.00813106. In this data in brief article, additional information about the absorption properties of PCDTBT:PC70BM layers deposited from a 12.5 mg/ml and 15 mg/ml photoactive layer dispersion are shown. Additionally, the best and average J-V curves of single cells, fabricated from the 10 and 15 mg/ml dispersions, are presented.

Lower-power, high-linearity class-AB current-mode programmable gain amplifier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Yiqiang; Wang Zhigong; Wang Junliang; Ma Li; Xu Jian; Tang Lu

2014-01-01

A novel class-AB implementation of a current-mode programmable gain amplifier (CPGA) including a current-mode DC offset cancellation loop is presented. The proposed CPGA is based on a current amplifier and provides a current gain in a range of 40 dB with a 1 dB step. The CPGA is characterized by a wide range of current gain variation, a lower power dissipation, and a small chip size. The proposed circuit is fabricated using a 0.18 μm CMOS technology. The CPGA draws a current of less than 2.52 mA from a 1.8 V supply while occupying an active area of 0.099 μm 2 . The measured results show an overall gain variation from 10 to 50 dB with a gain error of less than 0.40 dB. The OP 1dB varies from 11.80 to 13.71 dBm, and the 3 dB bandwidth varies from 22.2 to 34.7 MHz over the whole gain range. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

SiGe HBT linear-in-dB high dynamic range RF envelope detectors and wideband high linearity amplifiers

OpenAIRE

Pan, Hsuan-yu

2010-01-01

This research work aims on exploiting SiGe HBT technologies in high dynamic range wideband RF linear-in- dB envelope detectors and linear amplifiers. First, an improved all-npn broadband highly linear SiGe HBT differential amplifier is presented based on a variation of Caprio's Quad. A broadband linear amplifier with 46dBm OIP₃ at 20MHz, 34dBm OIP₃ at 1GHz, 6dB noise figure and 10.3dBm P₁dB is demonstrated. Second, an improved exact dynamic model of a fast-settling linear-in-dB Automatic Gain...

Power MOSFET Linearizer of a High-Voltage Power Amplifier for High-Frequency Pulse-Echo Instrumentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Hojong; Woo, Park Chul; Yeom, Jung-Yeol; Yoon, Changhan

2017-04-04

A power MOSFET linearizer is proposed for a high-voltage power amplifier (HVPA) used in high-frequency pulse-echo instrumentation. The power MOSFET linearizer is composed of a DC bias-controlled series power MOSFET shunt with parallel inductors and capacitors. The proposed scheme is designed to improve the gain deviation characteristics of the HVPA at higher input powers. By controlling the MOSFET bias voltage in the linearizer, the gain reduction into the HVPA was compensated, thereby reducing the echo harmonic distortion components generated by the ultrasonic transducers. In order to verify the performance improvement of the HVPA implementing the power MOSFET linearizer, we measured and found that the gain deviation of the power MOSFET linearizer integrated with HVPA under 10 V DC bias voltage was reduced (-1.8 and -0.96 dB, respectively) compared to that of the HVPA without the power MOSFET linearizer (-2.95 and -3.0 dB, respectively) when 70 and 80 MHz, three-cycle, and 26 dB m input pulse waveforms are applied, respectively. The input 1-dB compression point (an index of linearity) of the HVPA with power MOSFET linearizer (24.17 and 26.19 dB m at 70 and 80 MHz, respectively) at 10 V DC bias voltage was increased compared to that of HVPA without the power MOSFET linearizer (22.03 and 22.13 dB m at 70 and 80 MHz, respectively). To further verify the reduction of the echo harmonic distortion components generated by the ultrasonic transducers, the pulse-echo responses in the pulse-echo instrumentation were compared when using HVPA with and without the power MOSFET linearizer. When three-cycle 26 dB m input power was applied, the second, third, fourth, and fifth harmonic distortion components of a 75 MHz transducer driven by the HVPA with power MOSFET linearizer (-48.34, -44.21, -48.34, and -46.56 dB, respectively) were lower than that of the HVPA without the power MOSFET linearizer (-45.61, -41.57, -45.01, and -45.51 dB, respectively). When five-cycle 20 dB m input

Disclosure of immobilized assets on companies sector industrial goods of BM&FBovespa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sueli Viviani

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The study examined the process of disclosure of Industrials companies listed on the BM&FBovespa, after the convergence of Brazilian accounting to IFRS, in accordance with CPC 27 - Fixed Assets . Was carried a descriptive study, conducted through content analysis and quantitative approach using the calculation of entropy proposed by Zeleny (1982. The sample consists of 34 companies in the Industrial Goods sector listed on the BM&FBovespa. The results revealed that the disclosure of items of fixed assets is not performed homogeneously by companies. Some requirements required by CPC 27 were reported incompletely or are absent. A detailed analysis of the items investigated stressed that disclosure to class of fixed assets, was the best performed, followed by depreciation policies adopted by companies, it was observed that most companies show so complete this information. The information highlighted regarding the reconciliation of the carrying amount, had higher entropy, hence there is greater heterogeneity in this items reported. The disclosure of other information about the property, deemed necessary by CPC27, were less prominent by the companies, not apply in some cases or for being absent in the notes. In general, we concluded that the analyzed companies have been responding only partially to the disclosure requirements of CPC 27. However, the basic and more important information to the external user, concerning the class of assets and depreciation rates are being shown.

Governança Corporativa e Beta de Empresas Listadas na BM&FBOVESPA = Corporate Governance and Beta of Listed Companies at BM&FBOVESPA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Bomgiovani Cazzari

2015-12-01

. Additionally, these same investors would keep the same market portfolio for all risky assets. Therefore, in this view, an idiosyncratic risk as the risk of poor governance should already have been diversified in the previous step and should not be directly related to the beta of a given company. In this view, the beta would represent only risks linked to the systemic aspect. However, Parigi, Pelizzon and von Thadden (2013 proposed a model that includes corporate governance to the CAPM. Unlike seen by the classical theory of the CAPM, these authors developed a model that predicts that the quality of corporate governance is positively correlated with beta and idiosyncratic volatility, but negatively correlated with the return on assets. To test which theory has better explanatory power for the Brazilian scenario, we tested the hypothesis of independence between the beta and the quality of corporate governance of companies listed at BM&FBOVESPA. The findings of this paper have not shown that the quality of corporate governance is positively related with the beta, but that they are independent. This seems to be a strong indication that the beta in the Brazilian scenario does not reflect an idiosyncratic risk as the risk of bad governance, but a systemic risk which relates better to the classical theory of CAPM.

High Power Orbit Transfer Vehicle

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Gulczinski, Frank

2003-01-01

... from Virginia Tech University and Aerophysics, Inc. to examine propulsion requirements for a high-power orbit transfer vehicle using thin-film voltaic solar array technologies under development by the Space Vehicles Directorate (dubbed PowerSail...

A CMOS high resolution, process/temperature variation tolerant RSSI for WIA-PA transceiver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Tao; Jiang Yu; Li Jie; Guo Jiangfei; Chen Hua; Han Jingyu; Guo Guiliang; Yan Yuepeng

2015-01-01

This paper presents a high resolution, process/temperature variation tolerant received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for wireless networks for industrial automation process automation (WIA-PA) transceiver fabricated in 0.18 μm CMOS technology. The active area of the RSSI is 0.24 mm 2 . Measurement results show that the proposed RSSI has a dynamic range more than 70 dB and the linearity error is within ±0.5 dB for an input power from −70 to 0 dBm (dBm to 50 Ω), the corresponding output voltage is from 0.81 to 1.657 V and the RSSI slope is 12.1 mV/dB while consuming all of 2 mA from a 1.8 V power supply. Furthermore, by the help of the integrated compensation circuit, the proposed RSSI shows the temperature error within ±1.5 dB from −40 to 85 °C, and process variation error within ±0.25 dB, which exhibits good temperature-independence and excellent robustness against process variation characteristics. (paper)

High impact data visualization with Power View, Power Map, and Power BI

CERN Document Server

Aspin, Adam

2014-01-01

High Impact Data Visualization with Power View, Power Map, and Power BI helps you take business intelligence delivery to a new level that is interactive, engaging, even fun, all while driving commercial success through sound decision-making. Learn to harness the power of Microsoft's flagship, self-service business intelligence suite to deliver compelling and interactive insight with remarkable ease. Learn the essential techniques needed to enhance the look and feel of reports and dashboards so that you can seize your audience's attention and provide them with clear and accurate information. Al

Eighth CW and High Average Power RF Workshop

CERN Document Server

2014-01-01

We are pleased to announce the next Continuous Wave and High Average RF Power Workshop, CWRF2014, to take place at Hotel NH Trieste, Trieste, Italy from 13 to 16 May, 2014. This is the eighth in the CWRF workshop series and will be hosted by Elettra - Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A. (www.elettra.eu). CWRF2014 will provide an opportunity for designers and users of CW and high average power RF systems to meet and interact in a convivial environment to share experiences and ideas on applications which utilize high-power klystrons, gridded tubes, combined solid-state architectures, high-voltage power supplies, high-voltage modulators, high-power combiners, circulators, cavities, power couplers and tuners. New ideas for high-power RF system upgrades and novel ways of RF power generation and distribution will also be discussed. CWRF2014 sessions will start on Tuesday morning and will conclude on Friday lunchtime. A visit to Elettra and FERMI will be organized during the workshop. ORGANIZING COMMITTEE (OC): Al...

Low cost low power 24 GHz FMCW radar transceiver for indoor presence detection

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Suijker, E.M.; Bolt, R.J.; Wanum, M. van; Heijningen, M. van; Maas, A.P.M.; Vliet, F.E. van

2014-01-01

In this paper a first time right 24 GHz FMCW radar transceiver is presented. The MMIC has a low power consumption of 86 mW and an output power of -10 dBm. Due to the integrated IF amplifier, the conversion gain of the receiver is 51 dB and the base band signals are directly processed with an ADC.

Single-Stage Low-Power Quadrature RF Receiver Front-End: The LMV Cell

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liscidini, Antonio; Mazzanti, Andrea; Tonietto, Riccardo

2006-01-01

a compact and low-power solution compatible with low-voltage technologies. A 0.13um CMOS prototype tailored to the GPS application is presented. The experimental results exhibit a noise figure of 4.8 dB, a gain of 36 dB, an IIP3 of -19 dBm with a total power consumption of only 5.4 mW from a voltage supply...

Absorption of Carbon Dioxide in the aqueous solution of Diethanolamine (DEA) blended with 1-Butyl-1-Methylpyrrolidinium Trifluoromethanesulfonate [BmPyrr][OTf] at high pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Jamaludin, S. N.; Salleh, R. M.

2018-03-01

Solubility data of carbon dioxide (CO2) in aqueous Diethanolamine (DEA) blended with 1-Butyl-1-Methylpyrrolidinium Trifluoromethanesulfonate [Bmpyrr][OTf] were measured at temperature 313.15K, 323.15K, 333.15K and pressure from 500psi up to 700 psi. The experiments covered over the concentration range of 0-10wt% for [Bmpyrr][OTf] and 30-40wt% for DEA. The solubility of CO2 was evaluated by measuring the pressure drop in high pressure stirred absorption cell reactor. The experimental results showed that CO2 loading in all DEA-[BmPyrr][OTf] mixtures studied increases with increasing of CO2 partial pressure and temperature. It was also found that the CO2 loading capacity increase significantly as the concentration of [Bmpyrr][OTf] increases. Jou and Mather model was used to predict the solubility of CO2 in the mixtures where the experimental data were correlated as a function of temperature and CO2 partial pressure. It was found that the model was successful in predicting the solubility behavior of the aqueous DEA-[Bmpyrr][OTf] systems considered in this study.

Series-Tuned High Efficiency RF-Power Amplifiers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vidkjær, Jens

2008-01-01

An approach to high efficiency RF-power amplifier design is presented. It addresses simultaneously efficiency optimization and peak voltage limitations when transistors are pushed towards their power limits.......An approach to high efficiency RF-power amplifier design is presented. It addresses simultaneously efficiency optimization and peak voltage limitations when transistors are pushed towards their power limits....

High-power density miniscale power generation and energy harvesting systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lyshevski, Sergey Edward [Department of Electrical and Microelectronics Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623-5603 (United States)

2011-01-15

This paper reports design, analysis, evaluations and characterization of miniscale self-sustained power generation systems. Our ultimate objective is to guarantee highly-efficient mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion, ensure premier wind- or hydro-energy harvesting capabilities, enable electric machinery and power electronics solutions, stabilize output voltage, etc. By performing the advanced scalable power generation system design, we enable miniscale energy sources and energy harvesting technologies. The proposed systems integrate: (1) turbine which rotates a radial- or axial-topology permanent-magnet synchronous generator at variable angular velocity depending on flow rate, speed and load, and, (2) power electronic module with controllable rectifier, soft-switching converter and energy storage stages. These scalable energy systems can be utilized as miniscale auxiliary and self-sustained power units in various applications, such as, aerospace, automotive, biotechnology, biomedical, and marine. The proposed systems uniquely suit various submersible and harsh environment applications. Due to operation in dynamic rapidly-changing envelopes (variable speed, load changes, etc.), sound solutions are researched, proposed and verified. We focus on enabling system organizations utilizing advanced developments for various components, such as generators, converters, and energy storage. Basic, applied and experimental findings are reported. The prototypes of integrated power generation systems were tested, characterized and evaluated. It is documented that high-power density, high efficiency, robustness and other enabling capabilities are achieved. The results and solutions are scalable from micro ({proportional_to}100 {mu}W) to medium ({proportional_to}100 kW) and heavy-duty (sub-megawatt) auxiliary and power systems. (author)

high power facto high power factor high power factor hybrid rectifier

African Journals Online (AJOL)

eobe

increase in the number of electrical loads that some kind of ... components in the AC power system. Thus, suppl ... al output power; assuring reliability in ... distribution systems. This can be ...... Thesis- Califonia Institute of Technology, Capitulo.

Electronic DC transformer with high power density

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pavlovský, M.

2006-01-01

This thesis is concerned with the possibilities of increasing the power density of high-power dc-dc converters with galvanic isolation. Three cornerstones for reaching high power densities are identified as: size reduction of passive components, reduction of losses particularly in active components

Sexual aggression when power is new: Effects of acute high power on chronically low-power individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Melissa J; Gruenfeld, Deborah H; Guillory, Lucia E

2017-02-01

Previous theorists have characterized sexually aggressive behavior as an expression of power, yet evidence that power causes sexual aggression is mixed. We hypothesize that power can indeed create opportunities for sexual aggression-but that it is those who chronically experience low power who will choose to exploit such opportunities. Here, low-power men placed in a high-power role showed the most hostility in response to a denied opportunity with an attractive woman (Studies 1 and 2). Chronically low-power men and women given acute power were the most likely to say they would inappropriately pursue an unrequited workplace attraction (Studies 3 and 4). Finally, having power over an attractive woman increased harassment behavior among men with chronic low, but not high, power (Study 5). People who see themselves as chronically denied power appear to have a stronger desire to feel powerful and are more likely to use sexual aggression toward that end. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Triplet State Formation in Photovoltaic Blends of DPP-Type Copolymers and PC71BM

KAUST Repository

Ochsmann, Julian R.

2015-04-29

The exciton dynamics in pristine films of two structurally related low-bandgap diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based donor–acceptor copolymers and the photophysical processes in bulk heterojunction solar cells using DPP copolymer:PC71BM blends are investigated by broadband transient absorption (TA) pump-probe experiments covering the vis–near-infrared spectral and fs–μs dynamic range. The experiments reveal surprisingly short exciton lifetimes in the pristine poly­mer films in conjunction with fast triplet state formation. An in-depth analysis of the TA data by multivariate curve resolution analysis shows that in blends with fullerene as acceptor ultrafast exciton dissociation creates charge carriers, which then rapidly recombine on the sub-ns timescale. Furthermore, at the carrier densities created by pulsed laser excitation the charge carrier recombination leads to a substantial population of the polymer triplet state. In fact, virtually quantitative formation of triplet states is observed on the sub-ns timescale. However, the quantitative triplet formation on the sub-ns timescale is not in line with the power conversion efficiencies of devices indicating that triplet state formation is an intensity-dependent process in these blends and is reduced under solar illumination conditions, as free charge carriers can be extracted from the photoactive layer in devices.

Influence of strength on magnitude and mechanisms of adaptation to power training.

Science.gov (United States)

Cormie, Prue; McGuigan, Michael R; Newton, Robert U

2010-08-01

To determine whether the magnitude of performance improvements and the mechanisms driving adaptation to ballistic power training differ between strong and weak individuals. Twenty-four men were divided into three groups on the basis of their strength level: stronger (n = 8, one-repetition maximum-to-body mass ratio (1RM/BM) = 1.97 +/- 0.08), weaker (n = 8, 1RM/BM = 1.32 +/- 0.14), or control (n = 8, 1RM/BM = 1.37 +/- 0.13). The stronger and weaker groups trained three times per week for 10 wk. During these sessions, subjects performed maximal-effort jump squats with 0%-30% 1RM. The impact of training on athletic performance was assessed using a 2-d testing battery that involved evaluation of jump and sprint performance as well as measures of the force-velocity relationship, jumping mechanics, muscle architecture, and neural drive. Both experimental groups showed significant (P < or = 0.05) improvements in jump (stronger: peak power = 10.0 +/- 5.2 W.kg, jump height = 0.07 +/- 0.04 m; weaker: peak power = 9.1 +/- 2.3 W.kg, jump height = 0.06 +/- 0.04 m) and sprint performance after training (stronger: 40-m time = -2.2% +/- 2.0%; weaker: 40-m time = -3.6% +/- 2.3%). Effect size analyses revealed a tendency toward practically relevant differences existing between stronger and weaker individuals in the magnitude of improvements in jump performance (effect size: stronger: peak power = 1.55, jump height = 1.46; weaker: peak power = 1.03, jump height = 0.95) and especially after 5 wk of training (effect size: stronger: peak power = 1.60, jump height = 1.59; weaker: peak power = 0.95, jump height = 0.61). The mechanisms driving these improvements included significant (P < or = 0.05) changes in the force-velocity relationship, jump mechanics, and neural activation, with no changes to muscle architecture observed. The magnitude of improvements after ballistic power training was not significantly influenced by strength level. However, the training had a tendency toward

Switching transients in high-frequency high-power converters using power MOSFET's

Science.gov (United States)

Sloane, T. H.; Owen, H. A., Jr.; Wilson, T. G.

1979-01-01

The use of MOSFETs in a high-frequency high-power dc-to-dc converter is investigated. Consideration is given to the phenomena associated with the paralleling of MOSFETs and to the effect of stray circuit inductances on the converter circuit performance. Analytical relationships between various time constants during the turning-on and turning-off intervals are derived which provide estimates of plateau and peak levels during these intervals.

High Power Electron Accelerator Prototype

CERN Document Server

Tkachenko, Vadim; Cheskidov, Vladimir; Korobeynikov, G I; Kuznetsov, Gennady I; Lukin, A N; Makarov, Ivan; Ostreiko, Gennady; Panfilov, Alexander; Sidorov, Alexey; Tarnetsky, Vladimir V; Tiunov, Michael A

2005-01-01

In recent time the new powerful industrial electron accelerators appear on market. It caused the increased interest to radiation technologies using high energy X-rays due to their high penetration ability. However, because of low efficiency of X-ray conversion for electrons with energy below 5 MeV, the intensity of X-rays required for some industrial applications can be achieved only when the beam power exceeds 300 kW. The report describes a project of industrial electron accelerator ILU-12 for electron energy up to 5 MeV and beam power up to 300 kW specially designed for use in industrial applications. On the first stage of work we plan to use the existing generator designed for ILU-8 accelerator. It is realized on the GI-50A triode and provides the pulse power up to 1.5-2 MW and up to 20-30 kW of average power. In the report the basic concepts and a condition of the project for today are reflected.

Resonant High Power Combiners

CERN Document Server

Langlois, Michel; Peillex-Delphe, Guy

2005-01-01

Particle accelerators need radio frequency sources. Above 300 MHz, the amplifiers mostly used high power klystrons developed for this sole purpose. As for military equipment, users are drawn to buy "off the shelf" components rather than dedicated devices. IOTs have replaced most klystrons in TV transmitters and find their way in particle accelerators. They are less bulky, easier to replace, more efficient at reduced power. They are also far less powerful. What is the benefit of very compact sources if huge 3 dB couplers are needed to combine the power? To alleviate this drawback, we investigated a resonant combiner, operating in TM010 mode, able to combine 3 to 5 IOTs. Our IOTs being able to deliver 80 kW C.W. apiece, combined power would reach 400 kW minus the minor insertion loss. Values for matching and insertion loss are given. The behavior of the system in case of IOT failure is analyzed.

High Average Power, High Energy Short Pulse Fiber Laser System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Messerly, M J

2007-11-13

Recently continuous wave fiber laser systems with output powers in excess of 500W with good beam quality have been demonstrated [1]. High energy, ultrafast, chirped pulsed fiber laser systems have achieved record output energies of 1mJ [2]. However, these high-energy systems have not been scaled beyond a few watts of average output power. Fiber laser systems are attractive for many applications because they offer the promise of high efficiency, compact, robust systems that are turn key. Applications such as cutting, drilling and materials processing, front end systems for high energy pulsed lasers (such as petawatts) and laser based sources of high spatial coherence, high flux x-rays all require high energy short pulses and two of the three of these applications also require high average power. The challenge in creating a high energy chirped pulse fiber laser system is to find a way to scale the output energy while avoiding nonlinear effects and maintaining good beam quality in the amplifier fiber. To this end, our 3-year LDRD program sought to demonstrate a high energy, high average power fiber laser system. This work included exploring designs of large mode area optical fiber amplifiers for high energy systems as well as understanding the issues associated chirped pulse amplification in optical fiber amplifier systems.

Quantum dots with indirect band gap: power-law photoluminescence decay

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Král, Karel; Menšík, Miroslav

2014-01-01

Roč. 11, č. 5 (2014), s. 507-512 ISSN 1708-5284 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LH12236; GA MŠk LH12186 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 ; RVO:61389013 Keywords : photoluminescence * quantum dots * electron-phonon interaction * inter-valley deformation potential interaction * power-law decay Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism

Power Constrained High-Level Synthesis of Battery Powered Digital Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Sune Fallgaard; Madsen, Jan

2003-01-01

We present a high-level synthesis algorithm solving the combined scheduling, allocation and binding problem minimizing area under both latency and maximum power per clock-cycle constraints. Our approach eliminates the large power spikes, resulting in an increased battery lifetime, a property...... of utmost importance for battery powered embedded systems. Our approach extends the partial-clique partitioning algorithm by introducing power awareness through a heuristic algorithm which bounds the design space to those of power feasible schedules. We have applied our algorithm on a set of dataflow graphs...

Improved performance of polymer solar cells using PBDTT-F-TT:PC{sub 71}BM blend film as active layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zang, Yue; Gao, Xiumin, E-mail: oemt@hdu.edu.cn; Lu, Xinmiao; Xin, Qing; Lin, Jun; Zhao, Jufeng

2016-07-15

Highlights: • The PCE of PBDTT-F-TT-based PSCs was improved to 9.34% by morphology control and device engineering. • Effect of DIO additive on the BHJ morphology and charge transport was investigated. • Effect of device architecture on the performance was studied in depth by optical modeling. • A low-temperature processed interfacial layer was introduced for plastic substrates. - Abstract: A detailed study of high-efficiency polymer solar cells (PSCs) based on a low bandgap polymer PBDTT-F-TT and PC{sub 71}BM as the bulk heterojunction (BHJ) layer is carried out. By using 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) as solvent additive to control the morphology of active layer and comparing different device architecture to optimize the optical field distribution, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the resulted devices can be reached as high as 9.34%. Comprehensive characterization and optical modeling of the resulting devices is performed to understand the effect of DIO and device geometry on photovoltaic performance. It was found that the addition of DIO can significantly improve the nanoscale morphology and increased electron mobility in the BHJ layer. The inverted device architecture was chosen because the results from optical modeling shows that it offers better optical field distribution and exciton generation profile. Based on these results, a low-temperature processed ZnO was finally introduced as an electron transport layer to facility the fabrication on flexible substrates and showed comparable performance with the device based on conventional ZnO interlayer prepared by sol-gel process.

Improved performance of polymer solar cells using PBDTT-F-TT:PC_7_1BM blend film as active layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zang, Yue; Gao, Xiumin; Lu, Xinmiao; Xin, Qing; Lin, Jun; Zhao, Jufeng

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The PCE of PBDTT-F-TT-based PSCs was improved to 9.34% by morphology control and device engineering. • Effect of DIO additive on the BHJ morphology and charge transport was investigated. • Effect of device architecture on the performance was studied in depth by optical modeling. • A low-temperature processed interfacial layer was introduced for plastic substrates. - Abstract: A detailed study of high-efficiency polymer solar cells (PSCs) based on a low bandgap polymer PBDTT-F-TT and PC_7_1BM as the bulk heterojunction (BHJ) layer is carried out. By using 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) as solvent additive to control the morphology of active layer and comparing different device architecture to optimize the optical field distribution, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the resulted devices can be reached as high as 9.34%. Comprehensive characterization and optical modeling of the resulting devices is performed to understand the effect of DIO and device geometry on photovoltaic performance. It was found that the addition of DIO can significantly improve the nanoscale morphology and increased electron mobility in the BHJ layer. The inverted device architecture was chosen because the results from optical modeling shows that it offers better optical field distribution and exciton generation profile. Based on these results, a low-temperature processed ZnO was finally introduced as an electron transport layer to facility the fabrication on flexible substrates and showed comparable performance with the device based on conventional ZnO interlayer prepared by sol-gel process.

High stability, high current DC-power supplies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hosono, K.; Hatanaka, K.; Itahashi, T.

1995-01-01

Improvements of the power supplies and the control system of the AVF cyclotron which is used as an injector to the ring cyclotron and of the transport system to the ring cyclotron were done in order to get more high quality and more stable beam. The power supply of the main coil of the AVF cyclotron was exchanged to new one. The old DCCTs (zero-flux current transformers) used for the power supplies of the trim coils of the AVF cyclotron were changed to new DCCTs to get more stability. The potentiometers used for the reference voltages in the other power supplies of the AVF cyclotron and the transport system were changed to the temperature controlled DAC method for numerical-value settings. This paper presents the results of the improvements. (author)

Activation of sodium channels by α-scorpion toxin, BmK NT1, produced neurotoxicity in cerebellar granule cells: an association with intracellular Ca2+ overloading.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Yuwei; Zou, Xiaohan; Li, Xichun; Chen, Juan; Jin, Liang; Zhang, Fan; Yu, Boyang; Cao, Zhengyu

2017-02-01

Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are responsible for the action potential generation in excitable cells including neurons and involved in many physiological and pathological processes. Scorpion toxins are invaluable tools to explore the structure and function of ion channels. BmK NT1, a scorpion toxin from Buthus martensii Karsch, stimulates sodium influx in cerebellar granule cells (CGCs). In this study, we characterized the mode of action of BmK NT1 on the VGSCs and explored the cellular response in CGC cultures. BmK NT1 delayed the fast inactivation of VGSCs, increased the Na + currents, and shifted the steady-state activation and inactivation to more hyperpolarized membrane potential, which was similar to the mode of action of α-scorpion toxins. BmK NT1 stimulated neuron death (EC 50  = 0.68 µM) and produced massive intracellular Ca 2+ overloading (EC 50  = 0.98 µM). TTX abrogated these responses, suggesting that both responses were subsequent to the activation of VGSCs. The Ca 2+ response of BmK NT1 was primary through extracellular Ca 2+ influx since reducing the extracellular Ca 2+ concentration suppressed the Ca 2+ response. Further pharmacological evaluation demonstrated that BmK NT1-induced Ca 2+ influx and neurotoxicity were partially blocked either by MK-801, an NMDA receptor blocker, or by KB-R7943, an inhibitor of Na + /Ca 2+ exchangers. Nifedipine, an L-type Ca 2+ channel inhibitor, slightly suppressed both Ca 2+ response and neurotoxicity. A combination of these three inhibitors abrogated both responses. Considered together, these data ambiguously demonstrated that activation of VGSCs by an α-scorpion toxin was sufficient to produce neurotoxicity which was associated with intracellular Ca 2+ overloading through both NMDA receptor- and Na + /Ca 2+ exchanger-mediated Ca 2+ influx.

Automated System Tests High-Power MOSFET's

Science.gov (United States)

Huston, Steven W.; Wendt, Isabel O.

1994-01-01

Computer-controlled system tests metal-oxide/semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET's) at high voltages and currents. Measures seven parameters characterizing performance of MOSFET, with view toward obtaining early indication MOSFET defective. Use of test system prior to installation of power MOSFET in high-power circuit saves time and money.

Design and modeling of InP DHBT power amplifiers at millimeter-wave frequencies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yan, Lei; Johansen, Tom K.

2012-01-01

In this paper, the design and modeling of InP DHBT based millimeter-wave(mm-wave) power amplifiers is described. This includes the modeling of InP DHBT devices and layout parasitics. An EM-circuit co-simulation approach is described to allow all parasitics to be modeled for accurate circuit...... demonstrates a power gain of 4.5dB with a saturated output power of 14.2dBm at 69.2GHz. © 2012 European Microwave Assoc....

Comprehensive study of gate-terminated and source-terminated field-plate 0.13 µm NMOS transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiu, Hsien-Chin; Lin, Shao-Wei; Cheng, Chia-Shih; Wei, Chien-Cheng

2008-01-01

This study systematically investigated microwave noise, power and linearity characteristics of field-plate (FP) 0.13 µm CMOS transistors in which the field-plate metal is connected to the gate terminal and the source terminal. The gate-terminated FP NMOS (FP-G NMOS) provided the best noise figure (NF) at 6 GHz compared with standard devices and the source-terminated FP device (FP-S NMOS) as the lowest gate resistance (R g ) was obtained by this structure. By adopting the field-plate metal in NMOS, both FP-S and FP-G devices achieved higher current density at high gate bias voltages. Moreover, these two devices also had higher efficiency under high drain-to-source voltages at the high input power swing. The third-order inter-modulation product (IM3) is −39.4 dBm for FP-S NMOS at P in of −20 dBm; the corresponding values for FP-G and standard devices are −34.9 dBm and −37.3 dBm, respectively. Experimental results indicate that the FP-G architecture is suitable for low noise applications and FP-S is suitable for high power and high linearity operation

Income smoothing and use of derivatives instruments in non-financial companies listed on BM&FBovespa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henrique Portulhak

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to investigate whether income smoothing and use of derivative financial instruments are related as substitute or complementary practices regarding organizational policies to reduce the volatility of corporate earnings. In order to reach this goal, 214 non-financial companies listed on BM&FBOVESPA stock exchange between 2005 and 2011were analyzed and Eckel (1981 model was applied in order to gather which companies present income smoothing evidences during this period, besides qualitative analysis on explanatory notes to investigate which companies used derivatives in the final year. Chi-square test with Yates correction was employed in order to verify the existence of correlations between income smoothing and derivative instruments. Results indicated, considering the impossibility of rejecting the null hypothesis of the chi-square test with Yates correction, evidence for an inverse relationship between the aforementioned variables. Through the results of this test, it is suggested that organizational policies for use of income smoothing and derivatives can be acting as resource substitutes for non-financial enterprises stock dealers on BM&FBOVESPA, thus meeting individual findings in other international researches.

Enhanced biosorption of mercury(II) and cadmium(II) by cold-induced hydrophobic exobiopolymer secreted from the psychrotroph Pseudomonas fluorescens BM07

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zamil, Sheikh Shawkat; Choi, Mun Hwan; Song, Jung Hyun; Park, Hyunju; Xu, Ju; Yoon, Sung Chul [Gyeongsang National Univ., Jinju (Korea). Nano-Biomaterials Science Lab.; Chi, Ki-Whan [Ulsan Univ. (Korea). Dept. of Chemistry

2008-09-15

The cells of psychrotrophic Pseudomonas fluorescens BM07 were found to secrete large amounts of exobiopolymer (EBP) composed of mainly hydrophobic (water insoluble) polypeptide(s) (as contain {proportional_to}50 mol% hydrophobic amino acids, lacking cysteine residue) when grown on fructose containing limited M1 medium at the temperatures as low as 0-10 C but trace amount at high (30 C, optimum growth) temperature. Two types of nonliving BM07 cells (i.e., cells grown at 30 C and 10 C) as well as the freeze-dried EBP were compared for biosorption of mercury (Hg(II)) and cadmium (Cd(II)). The optimum adsorption pH was found 7 for Hg(II) but 6 for Cd(II), irrespective of the type of biomass. Equilibrium adsorption data well fitted the Langmuir adsorption model. The maximum adsorption (Q{sub max}) was 72.3, 97.4, and 286.2 mg Hg(II)/g dry biomass and 18.9, 27.0, and 61.5 mg Cd(II)/g dry biomass for cells grown at 30 C and 10 C and EBP, respectively, indicating major contribution of heavy metal adsorption by cold-induced EBP. Mercury(II) binding induced a significant shift of infrared (IR) amide I and II absorption of EBP whereas cadmium(II) binding showed only a very little shift. These IR shifts demonstrate that mercury(II) and cadmium(II) might have different binding sites in EBP, which was supported by X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetric analysis and sorption results of chemically modified biomasses. This study implies that the psychrotrophs like BM07 strain may play an important role in the bioremediation of heavy metals in the temperate regions especially in the inactive cold season. (orig.)

Kadar N, P, K, Ca Jaringan Sawi Pada Lahan Yang Diberi Air Bm Sapi Dan Bokashi Dengan Penambahan Beberapa Bahan Peningkat Hara

OpenAIRE

Walunguru, Lena; Lende, Aloysius Ng; Hasan, Mochammad

2009-01-01

Degree of N, P, K, Ca Mustard Green Network In Tune That Given Water Bm Cow And Bokashi With Add Several Ingredients To Increase Hara. Organic farming use organic fertilizer such as compost, bokashi, and cattle BM fertilizer. Input of organic fertilizer can decrease by increae the quality of bokashi by apply ash, eggshell powder, and cow crine. Ash to increase potassium, eggshell powder is source of calcium, and cow crine source of nitrogen. The research used Completely Randomized Block De...

Application of parallel connected power-MOSFET elements to high current d.c. power supply

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsukawa, Tatsuya; Shioyama, Masanori; Shimada, Katsuhiro; Takaku, Taku; Neumeyer, Charles; Tsuji-Iio, Shunji; Shimada, Ryuichi

2001-01-01

The low aspect ratio spherical torus (ST), which has single turn toroidal field coil, requires the extremely high d.c. current like as 20 MA to energize the coil. Considering the ratings of such extremely high current and low voltage, power-MOSFET element is employed as the switching device for the a.c./d.c. converter of power supply. One of the advantages of power-MOSFET element is low on-state resistance, which is to meet the high current and low voltage operation. Recently, the capacity of power-MOSFET element has been increased and its on-state resistance has been decreased, so that the possibility of construction of high current and low voltage a.c./d.c. converter with parallel connected power-MOSFET elements has been growing. With the aim of developing the high current d.c. power supply using power-MOSFET, the basic characteristics of parallel operation with power-MOSFET elements are experimentally investigated. And, the synchronous rectifier type and the bi-directional self commutated type a.c./d.c. converters using parallel connected power-MOSFET elements are proposed

Temperature-Insensitive Bend Sensor Using Entirely Centered Erbium Doping in the Fiber Core

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sulaiman Wadi Harun

2013-07-01

Full Text Available A fiber based bend sensor using a uniquely designed Bend-Sensitive Erbium Doped Fiber (BSEDF is proposed and demonstrated. The BSEDF has two core regions, namely an undoped outer region with a diameter of about 9.38 μm encompassing a doped, inner core region with a diameter of 4.00 μm. The doped core region has about 400 ppm of an Er2O3 dopant. Pumping the BSEDF with a conventional 980 nm laser diode gives an Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ASE spectrum spanning from 1,510 nm to over 1,560 nm at the output power level of about −58 dBm. The ASE spectrum has a peak power of −52 dBm at a central wavelength of 1,533 nm when not spooled. Spooling the BSEDF with diameters of 10 cm to 2 cm yields decreasing peak powers from −57.0 dBm to −61.8 dBm, while the central wavelength remains unchanged. The output is highly stable over time, with a low temperature sensitivity of around ~0.005 dBm/°C, thus allowing for the development of a highly stable sensor system based in the change of the peak power alone.

High-Efficiency Fullerene Solar Cells Enabled by a Spontaneously Formed Mesostructured CuSCN-Nanowire Heterointerface

KAUST Repository

Sit, Wai-Yu

2018-02-02

Fullerenes and their derivatives are widely used as electron acceptors in bulk-heterojunction organic solar cells as they combine high electron mobility with good solubility and miscibility with relevant semiconducting polymers. However, studies on the use of fullerenes as the sole photogeneration and charge-carrier material are scarce. Here, a new type of solution-processed small-molecule solar cell based on the two most commonly used methanofullerenes, namely [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC60BM) and [6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM), as the light absorbing materials, is reported. First, it is shown that both fullerene derivatives exhibit excellent ambipolar charge transport with balanced hole and electron mobilities. When the two derivatives are spin-coated over the wide bandgap p-type semiconductor copper (I) thiocyanate (CuSCN), cells with power conversion efficiency (PCE) of ≈1%, are obtained. Blending the CuSCN with PC70BM is shown to increase the performance further yielding cells with an open-circuit voltage of ≈0.93 V and a PCE of 5.4%. Microstructural analysis reveals that the key to this success is the spontaneous formation of a unique mesostructured p–n-like heterointerface between CuSCN and PC70BM. The findings pave the way to an exciting new class of single photoactive material based solar cells.

Highly-stabilized power supply for synchrotron accelerators. High speed, low ripple power supply

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sato, Kenji [Osaka Univ., Ibaraki (Japan). Research Center for Nuclear Physics; Kumada, Masayuki; Fukami, Kenji; Koseki, Shoichiro; Kubo, Hiroshi; Kanazawa, Toru

1997-02-01

In synchrotron accelerators, in order to utilize high energy beam effectively, those are operated by repeating acceleration and taking-out at short period. In order to accelerate by maintaining beam track stable, the tracking performance with the error less than 10{sup -3} in the follow-up of current is required for the power supply. Further, in order to maintain the intensity and uniformity of beam when it is taken out, very low ripple is required for output current. The power supply having such characteristics has been developed, and applied to the HIMAC and the SPring-8. As the examples of the application of synchrotrons, the accelerators for medical treatment and the generation of synchrotron radiation are described. As to the power supply for the deflection magnets and quadrupole magnets of synchrotron accelerators, the specifications of the main power supply, the method of reducing ripple, the method of improving tracking, and active filter control are reported. As to the test results, the measurement of current ripple and tracking error is shown. The lowering of ripple was enabled by common mode filter and the symmetrical connection of electromagnets, and high speed response was realized by the compensation for delay with active filter. (K.I.)

Wavelength conversion of a 40 Gb/s RZ-DPSK signal using four-wave mixing in a dispersion-flattened highly nonlinear photonic crystal fiber

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Peter Andreas; Tokle, Torger; Geng, Yan

2005-01-01

Wavelength conversion of a 40-Gb/s return-to-zero differential phase-shift keying signal is demonstrated in a highly nonlinear photonic crystal fiber (HNL-PCF) for the first time. A conversion efficiency of -20 dB for a pump power of 23 dBm and a conversion bandwidth of 31 nm, essentially limited...

Generation and selection of naïve Fab library for parasitic antigen: Anti-BmSXP antibodies for lymphatic filariasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Omar, Noorsharmimi; Hamidon, Nurul Hamizah; Yunus, Muhammad Hafiznur; Noordin, Rahmah; Choong, Yee Siew; Lim, Theam Soon

2018-05-01

Phage display has been applied successfully as a tool for the generation of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Naive antibody libraries are unique as they are able to overcome several limitations associated with conventional mAb generation methods like the hybridoma technology. Here, we performed an in vitro selection and generation of Fab antibodies against Brugia malayi SXP protein (BmSXP), a recombinant antigen for the detection of lymphatic filariasis. We developed a naïve multi ethnic Fab antibody library with an estimated diversity of 2.99 × 10 9 . The antibody library was used to screen for mAbs against BmSXP recombinant antigen. Soluble monoclonal Fab antibodies against BmSXP were successfully isolated from the naïve library. The Fab antibodies obtained were expressed and analyzed to show its binding capability. The diversity obtained from a pool of donors from various ethnic groups allowed for a diverse antibody library to be generated. The mAbs obtained were also functional in soluble form, which makes it useful for further downstream applications. We believe that the Fab mAbs are valuable for further studies and could also contribute to improvements in the diagnosis of filariasis. © 2017 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Organic–inorganic hybrid nanocomposite for enhanced photo-sensing of PFO-DBT:MEH-PPV:PC{sub 71}BM blend-based photodetector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zafar, Qayyum, E-mail: qayyumzafar@siswa.um.edu.my; Najeeb, Mansoor Ani, E-mail: animansoor@um.edu.my [University of Malaya, Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre (LDMRC), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science (Malaysia); Ahmad, Zubair, E-mail: zubairtarar@qu.edu.qa [Qatar University, Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering (Qatar); Sulaiman, Khaulah, E-mail: khaulah@um.edu.my [University of Malaya, Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre (LDMRC), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science (Malaysia)

2015-09-15

The sensing parameters of previously reported PFO-DBT:MEH-PPV:PC{sub 71}BM ternary blend-based organic photodetector have been improved in the present study. Improvement has been successfully demonstrated by doping TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles in the PEDOT:PSS thin film. TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles of 50, 100 and 250 nm diameters have initially been dispersed in PEDOT:PSS, and the resulting suspension has been spun coated on glass substrates and subjected to UV/vis and PL study. Thin film of PEDOT:PSS–TiO{sub 2} (100 nm) has shown maximum quenching in PL spectra, along with fairly good visible-light absorption. For further studies, 5 wt% TiO{sub 2} (100 nm) nanoparticles dispersion in PEDOT:PSS has been utilized for the fabrication of ITO/PEDOT:PSS–TiO{sub 2}/PFO-DBT:MEH-PPV:PC{sub 71}BM/Al photodiode. The PEDOT:PSS–TiO{sub 2} suspension has been spun coated onto the ITO substrates primarily and annealed to densify the film by vaporizing water contents in the film. A ternary blend of PFO-DBT:MEH-PPV:PC{sub 71}BM in optimized volumetric ratio has been sequentially spun-cast to serve as a photoactive film. Significantly improved values of the sensing parameters such as responsivity (4 mA/W) and photo-to-dark current ratio (∼6.4 × 10{sup 4}) have also been found. Response/recovery times of the fabricated sensor remain almost the same (<1 s) as previously reported for PFO-DBT:MEH-PPV:PC{sub 71}BM ternary blend.

Relaxation and Conductivity in P3HT/PC71BM Blends As Revealed by Dielectric Spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cui, Jing; Martinez-Tong, Daniel E.; Sanz, Alejandro

2016-01-01

The conduction mechanism and the molecular dynamics on the paradigmatic bulk heterojunction formed by poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and phenyl-C-71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) blends have been characterized by dielectric spectroscopy. The results show that hexyl lateral chains of the polym...

Reactor G1: high power experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laage, F. de; Teste du Baillet, A.; Veyssiere, A.; Wanner, G.

1957-01-01

The experiments carried out in the starting-up programme of the reactor G1 comprised a series of tests at high power, which allowed the following points to be studied: 1- Effect of poisoning by Xenon (absolute value, evolution). 2- Temperature coefficients of the uranium and graphite for a temperature distribution corresponding to heating by fission. 3- Effect of the pressure (due to the coiling system) on the reactivity. 4- Calibration of the security rods as a function of their position in the pile (1). 5- Temperature distribution of the graphite, the sheathing, the uranium and the air leaving the canals, in a pile running normally at high power. 6- Neutron flux distribution in a pile running normally at high power. 7- Determination of the power by nuclear and thermodynamic methods. These experiments have been carried out under two very different pile conditions. From the 1. to the 15. of August 1956, a series of power increases, followed by periods of stabilisation, were induced in a pile containing uranium only, in 457 canals, amounting to about 34 tons of fuel. A knowledge of the efficiency of the control rods in such a pile has made it possible to measure with good accuracy the principal effects at high temperatures, that is, to deal with points 1, 2, 3, 5. Flux charts giving information on the variations of the material Laplacian and extrapolation lengths in the reflector have been drawn up. Finally the thermodynamic power has been measured under good conditions, in spite of some installation difficulties. On September 16, the pile had its final charge of 100 tons. All the canals were loaded, 1,234 with uranium and 53 (i.e. exactly 4 per cent of the total number) with thorium uniformly distributed in a square lattice of 100 cm side. Since technical difficulties prevented the calibration of the control rods, the measurements were limited to the determination of the thermodynamic power and the temperature distributions (points 5 and 7). This report will

Voltage generators of high voltage high power accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svinin, M.P.

1981-01-01

High voltage electron accelerators are widely used in modern radiation installations for industrial purposes. In the near future further increasing of their power may be effected, which enables to raise the efficiency of the radiation processes known and to master new power-consuming production in industry. Improvement of HV generators by increasing their power and efficiency is one of many scientific and engineering aspects the successful solution of which provides further development of these accelerators and their technical parameters. The subject is discussed in detail. (author)

Optimal Operation of Plug-In Electric Vehicles in Power Systems with High Wind Power Penetrations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hu, Weihao; Su, Chi; Chen, Zhe

2013-01-01

in the power systems with high wind power penetrations. In this paper, the integration of plug-in electric vehicles in the power systems with high wind power penetrations is proposed and discussed. Optimal operation strategies of PEV in the spot market are proposed in order to decrease the energy cost for PEV......The Danish power system has a large penetration of wind power. The wind fluctuation causes a high variation in the power generation, which must be balanced by other sources. The battery storage based Plug-In Electric Vehicles (PEV) may be a possible solution to balance the wind power variations...... owners. Furthermore, the application of battery storage based aggregated PEV is analyzed as a regulation services provider in the power system with high wind power penetrations. The western Danish power system where the total share of annual wind power production is more than 27% of the electrical energy...

Research & Implementation of AC - DC Converter with High Power Factor & High Efficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsiou-Hsian Nien

2014-05-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we design and develop a high power factor, high efficiency two-stage AC - DC power converter. This paper proposes a two-stage AC - DC power converter. The first stage is boost active power factor correction circuit. The latter stage is near constant frequency LLC resonant converter. In addition to traditional LLC high efficiency advantages, light-load conversion efficiency of this power converter can be improved. And it possesses high power factor and near constant frequency operating characteristics, can significantly reduce the electromagnetic interference. This paper first discusses the main structure and control manner of power factor correction circuit. And then by the LLC resonant converter equivalent model proceed to circuit analysis to determine the important parameters of the converter circuit elements. Then design a variable frequency resonant tank. The resonant frequency can change automatically on the basis of the load to reach near constant frequency operation and a purpose of high efficiency. Finally, actually design and produce an AC – DC power converter with output of 190W to verify the characteristics and feasibility of this converter. The experimental results show that in a very light load (9.5 W the efficiency is as high as 81%, the highest efficiency of 88% (90 W. Full load efficiency is 87%. At 19 W ~ 190 W power changes, the operating frequency change is only 0.4 kHz (AC 110 V and 0.3 kHz (AC 220 V.

High-Bandwidth, High-Efficiency Envelope Tracking Power Supply for 40W RF Power Amplifier Using Paralleled Bandpass Current Sources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Høyerby, Mikkel Christian Wendelboe; Andersen, Michael Andreas E.

2005-01-01

This paper presents a high-performance power conversion scheme for power supply applications that require very high output voltage slew rates (dV/dt). The concept is to parallel 2 switching bandpass current sources, each optimized for its passband frequency space and the expected load current....... The principle is demonstrated with a power supply, designed for supplying a 40 W linear RF power amplifier for efficient amplification of a 16-QAM modulated data stream...

Small high cooling power space cooler

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen, T. V.; Raab, J.; Durand, D.; Tward, E. [Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems Redondo Beach, Ca, 90278 (United States)

2014-01-29

The small High Efficiency pulse tube Cooler (HEC) cooler, that has been produced and flown on a number of space infrared instruments, was originally designed to provide cooling of 10 W @ 95 K. It achieved its goal with >50% margin when limited by the 180 W output ac power of its flight electronics. It has also been produced in 2 stage configurations, typically for simultaneously cooling of focal planes to temperatures as low as 35 K and optics at higher temperatures. The need for even higher cooling power in such a low mass cryocooler is motivated by the advent of large focal plane arrays. With the current availability at NGAS of much larger power cryocooler flight electronics, reliable long term operation in space with much larger cooling powers is now possible with the flight proven 4 kg HEC mechanical cooler. Even though the single stage cooler design can be re-qualified for those larger input powers without design change, we redesigned both the linear and coaxial version passive pulse tube cold heads to re-optimize them for high power cooling at temperatures above 130 K while rejecting heat to 300 K. Small changes to the regenerator packing, the re-optimization of the tuned inertance and no change to the compressor resulted in the increased performance at 150 K. The cooler operating at 290 W input power achieves 35 W@ 150 K corresponding to a specific cooling power at 150 K of 8.25 W/W and a very high specific power of 72.5 W/Kg. At these powers the cooler still maintains large stroke, thermal and current margins. In this paper we will present the measured data and the changes to this flight proven cooler that were made to achieve this increased performance.

Efficient Direct-Matching Rectenna Design for RF Power Transfer Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Keyrouz, Shady; Visser, Huib

2013-12-01

This paper presents the design, simulation, fabrication and measurements of a 50 ohm rectenna system. The paper investigates each part (in terms of input impedance) of the rectenna system starting from the antenna, followed by the matching network, to the rectifier. The system consists of an antenna, which captures the transmitted RF signal, connected to a rectifier which converts the AC captured signal into a DC power signal. For maximum power transfer, a matching network is designed between the rectifier and the antenna. At an input power level of -10 dBm, the system is able to achieve an RF/DC power conversion efficiency of 49.7%.

Efficient Direct-Matching Rectenna Design for RF Power Transfer Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keyrouz, Shady; Visser, Huib

2013-01-01

This paper presents the design, simulation, fabrication and measurements of a 50 ohm rectenna system. The paper investigates each part (in terms of input impedance) of the rectenna system starting from the antenna, followed by the matching network, to the rectifier. The system consists of an antenna, which captures the transmitted RF signal, connected to a rectifier which converts the AC captured signal into a DC power signal. For maximum power transfer, a matching network is designed between the rectifier and the antenna. At an input power level of −10 dBm, the system is able to achieve an RF/DC power conversion efficiency of 49.7%

Quantification of rabbit bone metabolism (BM) before (B) and after (A) sub-therapeutic doses of (89 Sr) -Initial results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braga, F.J.H.N.; Kinoshita, A.; Turco, F.P.; Moraes, F.A.; Iazigi, N.; Souza, J.F.; Trad, C.S.

1997-01-01

Full text. Some beta emitters, such as 89 Sr, 153 Sm and 186 Re are in current use worldwide for the palliation of bone pain caused by metastases, mainly in cases of disseminated bone metastases when conventional radiotherapy has already been used to maximum dose and when pain relief does not occur with the use of current drugs. In order to quantifying the reduction of RBM after such procedures, we have studied 10 young rabbits (2.5 months old, 1.5 kg), 2 h after the intravenous injection with 150 MBq of 99 m Tc - M D P. Rabbits were counted for 30 seconds in a scintillation camera. A region of interest (ROI) was drawn in the left knee joint. The knee joint was chosen because of its high BM in young animals. Each rabbit received 1.5 MBq per kilo of 89 Sr intravenously immediately after this initial evaluation (therapeutic doses for humans are 2.0 MBq per kg). One month after, rabbits were evaluated again with 99 M T C- MDP as described before and a second ROI was drawn in the same knee joint.The means of counts observed B and A 89 Sr injection were 11, 222 and 4, 399 respectively. These means are significantly different (p <0.05) and represent a reduction of over 60% in the knee joint BM after the 89 Sr dose

Cycling peak power in obese and lean 6- to 8-year-old girls and boys.

Science.gov (United States)

Aucouturier, Julien; Lazaar, Nordine; Doré, Eric; Meyer, Martine; Ratel, Sebastien; Duché, Pascale

2007-06-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible effect of the difference in percentage body fat (%BF) and fat-free mass (FFM) on cycling peak power (CPP) in 6- to 8-year-old obese and lean untrained girls and boys. Obese (35 girls, 35 boys) and lean (35 girls, 35 boys) children were measured for obesity, %BF, calculated from skinfold measurements. FFM was calculated as body mass (BM) minus body fat. A force-velocity test on a cycle ergometer was used to measure CPP. CPP was related to anthropometric variables using standard and allometric models. CPP in absolute terms was higher in obese children than in lean children irrespective of gender. BM-related CPP was significantly lower in obese children than in lean ones, whereas no effect of obesity appeared on FFM-related CPP. Velocity at CPP (Vopt) was significantly lower and force at CPP (Fopt) was significantly higher in girls than in boys. Muscle power production was unaffected by obesity in children. Low BM-related CPP could explain the difficulty of taking up physical activities that are body-mass related in obese children. Gender difference for Vopt and Fopt shows that girls and boys may have different maturation patterns affecting CPP.

A wirelessly powered electro-acupuncture based on adaptive pulsewidth monophase stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiseok Song; Long Yan; Seulki Lee; Yoo, Jerald; Hoi-Jun Yoo

2011-04-01

A wirelessly powered electro-acupuncture (EA) system with adaptive-pulsewidth (APW) monophase stimulation is presented for convenient invasive medicine. The proposed system removes cumbersome wires connected between EA nodes and an EA controller in order to realize both patients' convenience and remedial values simultaneously. An ultra-low-power stimulator integrated circuit (IC) that is integrated on the flexible-printed-circuit board (F-PCB) is attached to the tip of a needle electrode. Combined with a conductive yarn helical antenna wound around the needle electrode, the EA node receives wireless power from the EA controller using 433 MHz with the maximum loss of 6 dB. A zero-Vth nMOS rectifier harvests a supply voltage of 1.0 V from a -16-dBm incoming power signal with 32% efficiency. To deal with a body impedance variation (BIV) in the range of 100-200 kΩ , the proposed APW stimulator IC, fabricated in a 0.18-μm 1P6M complementary metal-oxide semiconductor CMOS process and occupying 1.56 mm(2), enables constant charge injection of 80-nC/stimulation. To ensure the patients' safety, the EA node (a pair of EAs) shares ground and clock wires to operate in alternate monophase (AMP) fashion for neutralizing the injected charge. The proposed wirelessly powered EA node was verified by applying it to a chunk of pork as a body model with the wireless power supplied from an RF signal generator (output power of 10 dBm and located 30 cm away).

Gate Drive For High Speed, High Power IGBTs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen, M.N.; Cassel, R.L.; de Lamare, J.E.; Pappas, G.C.; /SLAC

2007-06-18

A new gate drive for high-voltage, high-power IGBTs has been developed for the SLAC NLC (Next Linear Collider) Solid State Induction Modulator. This paper describes the design and implementation of a driver that allows an IGBT module rated at 800A/3300V to switch up to 3000A at 2200V in 3{micro}S with a rate of current rise of more than 10000A/{micro}S, while still being short circuit protected. Issues regarding fast turn on, high de-saturation voltage detection, and low short circuit peak current will be presented. A novel approach is also used to counter the effect of unequal current sharing between parallel chips inside most high-power IGBT modules. It effectively reduces the collector-emitter peak current, and thus protects the IGBT from being destroyed during soft short circuit conditions at high di/dt.

Gate Drive For High Speed, High Power IGBTs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, M.N.; Cassel, R.L.; de Lamare, J.E.; Pappas, G.C.; SLAC

2007-01-01

A new gate drive for high-voltage, high-power IGBTs has been developed for the SLAC NLC (Next Linear Collider) Solid State Induction Modulator. This paper describes the design and implementation of a driver that allows an IGBT module rated at 800A/3300V to switch up to 3000A at 2200V in 3(micro)S with a rate of current rise of more than 10000A/(micro)S, while still being short circuit protected. Issues regarding fast turn on, high de-saturation voltage detection, and low short circuit peak current will be presented. A novel approach is also used to counter the effect of unequal current sharing between parallel chips inside most high-power IGBT modules. It effectively reduces the collector-emitter peak current, and thus protects the IGBT from being destroyed during soft short circuit conditions at high di/dt

Overview on the high power excimer laser technology

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jingru

2013-05-01

High power excimer laser has essential applications in the fields of high energy density physics, inertial fusion energy and industry owing to its advantages such as short wavelength, high gain, wide bandwidth, energy scalable and repetition operating ability. This overview is aimed at an introduction and evaluation of enormous endeavor of the international high power excimer laser community in the last 30 years. The main technologies of high power excimer laser are reviewed, which include the pumping source technology, angular multiplexing and pulse compressing, beam-smoothing and homogenous irradiation, high efficiency and repetitive operation et al. A high power XeCl laser system developed in NINT of China is described in detail.

A Panel of Cytochrome P450 BM3 Variants To Produce Drug Metabolites and Diversify Lead Compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Sawayama, Andrew M.; Chen, Michael M. Y.; Kulanthaivel, Palaniappan; Kuo, Ming-Shang; Hemmerle, Horst; Arnold, Frances H.

2011-01-01

Here we demonstrate that a small panel of variants of cytochrome P450 BM3 from Bacillus megaterium covers the breadth of reactivity of human P450s by producing 12 of 13 mammalian metabolites for two marketed drugs, verapamil and astemizole, and one research compound. The most active enzymes support preparation of individual metabolites for preclinical bioactivity and toxicology evaluations. Underscoring their potential utility in drug lead diversification, engineered P450 BM3 variants also produce novel metabolites by catalyzing reactions at carbon centers beyond those targeted by animal and human P450s. Production of a specific metabolite can be improved by directed evolution of the enzyme catalyst. Some variants are more active on the more hydrophobic parent drug than on its metabolites, which limits production of multiply-hydroxylated species, a preference that appears to depend on the evolutionary history of the P450 variant. PMID:19774562

High Power Fiber Laser Test Bed

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — This facility, unique within DoD, power-combines numerous cutting-edge fiber-coupled laser diode modules (FCLDM) to integrate pumping of high power rare earth-doped...

Combinatorial Alanine Substitution Enables Rapid Optimization of Cytochrome P450BM3 for Selective Hydroxylation of Large Substrates

KAUST Repository

Lewis, Jared C.; Mantovani, Simone M.; Fu, Yu; Snow, Christopher D.; Komor, Russell S.; Wong , Chi-Huey; Arnold, Frances H.

2010-01-01

Made for each other: Combinatorial alanine substitution of active site residues in a thermostable cytochrome P450BM3 variant was used to generate an enzyme that is active with large substrates. Selective hydroxylation of methoxymethylated

High average-power induction linacs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prono, D.S.; Barrett, D.; Bowles, E.

1989-01-01

Induction linear accelerators (LIAs) are inherently capable of accelerating several thousand amperes of /approximately/ 50-ns duration pulses to > 100 MeV. In this paper we report progress and status in the areas of duty factor and stray power management. These technologies are vital if LIAs are to attain high average power operation. 13 figs

Design of The High Efficiency Power Factor Correction Circuit for Power Supply

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atiye Hülya OBDAN

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Designing power factor correction circuits for switched power supplies has become important in recent years in terms of efficient use of energy. Power factor correction techniques play a significant role in high power density and energy efficiency. For these purposes, bridgeless PFC topologies and control strategies have been developed alongside basic boost PFC circuits. The power density can be increased using bridgeless structures by means of reducing losses in the circuit. This article examines bridgeless PFC structures and compares their performances in terms of losses and power factor. A semi-bridgeless PFC, which is widely used at high power levels, was analyzed and simulated. The designed circuit simulation using the current mode control method was performed in the PSIM program. A prototype of a 900 W semi-bridgeless PFC circuit was implemented and the results obtained from the circuit are presented

Microwave frequency detector at X-band using GaAs MMIC technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Jun; Liao Xiaoping; Jiao Yongchang

2009-01-01

The design, fabrication, and experimental results of an MEMS microwave frequency detector are presented for the first time. The structure consists of a microwave power divider, two CPW transmission lines, a microwave power combiner, an MEMS capacitive power sensor and a thermopile. The detector has been designed and fabricated on GaAs substrate using the MMIC process at the X-band successfully. The MEMS capacitive power sensor is used for detecting the high power signal, while the thermopile is used for detecting the low power signal. Signals of 17 and 10 dBm are measured over the X-band. The sensitivity is 0.56 MHz/fF under 17 dBm by the capacitive power sensor, and 6.67 MHz/μV under 10 dBm by the thermopile, respectively. The validity of the presented design has been confirmed by the experiment.

A Multicentric, Open-Label, Randomized, Comparative Clinical Trial of Two Different Doses of Expanded hBM-MSCs Plus Biomaterial versus Iliac Crest Autograft, for Bone Healing in Nonunions after Long Bone Fractures: Study Protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enrique Gómez-Barrena

2018-01-01

Full Text Available ORTHOUNION is a multicentre, open, comparative, three-arm, randomized clinical trial (EudraCT number 2015-000431-32 to compare the efficacy, at one and two years, of autologous human bone marrow-derived expanded mesenchymal stromal cell (hBM-MSC treatments versus iliac crest autograft (ICA to enhance bone healing in patients with diaphyseal and/or metaphysodiaphyseal fracture (femur, tibia, and humerus status of atrophic or oligotrophic nonunion (more than 9 months after the acute fracture, including recalcitrant cases after failed treatments. The primary objective is to determine if the treatment with hBM-MSCs combined with biomaterial is superior to ICA in obtaining bone healing. If confirmed, a secondary objective is set to determine if the dose of 100 × 106 hBM-MSCs is noninferior to that of 200 × 106 hBM-MSCs. The participants (n=108 will be randomly assigned to either the experimental low dose (n=36, the experimental high dose (n=36, or the comparator arm (n=36 using a central randomization service. The trial will be conducted in 20 clinical centres in Spain, France, Germany, and Italy under the same clinical protocol. The confirmation of superiority for the proposed ATMP in nonunions may foster the future of bone regenerative medicine in this indication. On the contrary, absence of superiority may underline its limitations in clinical use.

A Multicentric, Open-Label, Randomized, Comparative Clinical Trial of Two Different Doses of Expanded hBM-MSCs Plus Biomaterial versus Iliac Crest Autograft, for Bone Healing in Nonunions after Long Bone Fractures: Study Protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez-Barrena, Enrique; Padilla-Eguiluz, Norma G; Avendaño-Solá, Cristina; Payares-Herrera, Concepción; Velasco-Iglesias, Ana; Torres, Ferran; Rosset, Philippe; Gebhard, Florian; Baldini, Nicola; Rubio-Suarez, Juan C; García-Rey, Eduardo; Cordero-Ampuero, José; Vaquero-Martin, Javier; Chana, Francisco; Marco, Fernando; García-Coiradas, Javier; Caba-Dessoux, Pedro; de la Cuadra, Pablo; Hernigou, Philippe; Flouzat-Lachaniette, Charles-Henri; Gouin, François; Mainard, Didier; Laffosse, Jean Michel; Kalbitz, Miriam; Marzi, Ingo; Südkamp, Norbert; Stöckle, Ulrich; Ciapetti, Gabriela; Donati, Davide Maria; Zagra, Luigi; Pazzaglia, Ugo; Zarattini, Guido; Capanna, Rodolfo; Catani, Fabio

2018-01-01

ORTHOUNION is a multicentre, open, comparative, three-arm, randomized clinical trial (EudraCT number 2015-000431-32) to compare the efficacy, at one and two years, of autologous human bone marrow-derived expanded mesenchymal stromal cell (hBM-MSC) treatments versus iliac crest autograft (ICA) to enhance bone healing in patients with diaphyseal and/or metaphysodiaphyseal fracture (femur, tibia, and humerus) status of atrophic or oligotrophic nonunion (more than 9 months after the acute fracture, including recalcitrant cases after failed treatments). The primary objective is to determine if the treatment with hBM-MSCs combined with biomaterial is superior to ICA in obtaining bone healing. If confirmed, a secondary objective is set to determine if the dose of 100 × 10 6 hBM-MSCs is noninferior to that of 200 × 10 6 hBM-MSCs. The participants ( n = 108) will be randomly assigned to either the experimental low dose ( n = 36), the experimental high dose ( n = 36), or the comparator arm ( n = 36) using a central randomization service. The trial will be conducted in 20 clinical centres in Spain, France, Germany, and Italy under the same clinical protocol. The confirmation of superiority for the proposed ATMP in nonunions may foster the future of bone regenerative medicine in this indication. On the contrary, absence of superiority may underline its limitations in clinical use.

A high frequency, high power CARM proposal for the DEMO ECRH system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirizzi, Francesco; Spassovsky, Ivan; Ceccuzzi, Silvio; Dattoli, Giuseppe; Di Palma, Emanuele; Doria, Andrea; Gallerano, Gianpiero; Lampasi, Alessandro; Maffia, Giuseppe; Ravera, GianLuca; Sabia, Elio; Tuccillo, Angelo Antonio; Zito, Pietro

2015-01-01

Highlights: • ECRH system for DEMO. • Cyclotron Auto-Resonance Maser (CARM) devices. • Relativistic electron beams. • Bragg reflectors. • High voltage pulse modulators. - Abstract: ECRH&CD systems are extensively used on tokamak plasmas due to their capability of highly tailored power deposition, allowing very localised heating and non-inductive current drive, useful for MHD and profiles control. The high electron temperatures expected in DEMO will require ECRH systems with operating frequency in the 200–300 GHz range, equipped with a reasonable number of high power (P ≥ 1 MW) CW RF sources, for allowing central RF power deposition. In this frame the ENEA Fusion Department (Frascati) is coordinating a task force aimed at the study and realisation of a suitable high power, high frequency reliable source.

A high frequency, high power CARM proposal for the DEMO ECRH system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mirizzi, Francesco, E-mail: francesco.mirizzi@enea.it [Consorzio CREATE, Via Claudio 21, I-80125 Napoli (Italy); Spassovsky, Ivan [Unità Tecnica Applicazioni delle Radiazioni – ENEA, C.R. Frascati, via E. Fermi 45, I-00044 Frascati (Italy); Ceccuzzi, Silvio [Unità Tecnica Fusione – ENEA C. R. Frascati, via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati, Roma (Italy); Dattoli, Giuseppe; Di Palma, Emanuele; Doria, Andrea; Gallerano, Gianpiero [Unità Tecnica Applicazioni delle Radiazioni – ENEA, C.R. Frascati, via E. Fermi 45, I-00044 Frascati (Italy); Lampasi, Alessandro; Maffia, Giuseppe; Ravera, GianLuca [Unità Tecnica Fusione – ENEA C. R. Frascati, via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati, Roma (Italy); Sabia, Elio [Unità Tecnica Applicazioni delle Radiazioni – ENEA, C.R. Frascati, via E. Fermi 45, I-00044 Frascati (Italy); Tuccillo, Angelo Antonio; Zito, Pietro [Unità Tecnica Fusione – ENEA C. R. Frascati, via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati, Roma (Italy)

2015-10-15

Highlights: • ECRH system for DEMO. • Cyclotron Auto-Resonance Maser (CARM) devices. • Relativistic electron beams. • Bragg reflectors. • High voltage pulse modulators. - Abstract: ECRH&CD systems are extensively used on tokamak plasmas due to their capability of highly tailored power deposition, allowing very localised heating and non-inductive current drive, useful for MHD and profiles control. The high electron temperatures expected in DEMO will require ECRH systems with operating frequency in the 200–300 GHz range, equipped with a reasonable number of high power (P ≥ 1 MW) CW RF sources, for allowing central RF power deposition. In this frame the ENEA Fusion Department (Frascati) is coordinating a task force aimed at the study and realisation of a suitable high power, high frequency reliable source.

High average-power induction linacs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prono, D.S.; Barrett, D.; Bowles, E.; Caporaso, G.J.; Chen, Yu-Jiuan; Clark, J.C.; Coffield, F.; Newton, M.A.; Nexsen, W.; Ravenscroft, D.; Turner, W.C.; Watson, J.A.

1989-01-01

Induction linear accelerators (LIAs) are inherently capable of accelerating several thousand amperes of ∼ 50-ns duration pulses to > 100 MeV. In this paper the authors report progress and status in the areas of duty factor and stray power management. These technologies are vital if LIAs are to attain high average power operation. 13 figs

3-D printed 2.4 GHz rectifying antenna for wireless power transfer applications

Science.gov (United States)

Skinner, Matthew

In this work, a 3D printed rectifying antenna that operates at the 2.4GHz WiFi band was designed and manufactured. The printed material did not have the same properties of bulk material, so the printed materials needed to be characterized. The antenna and rectifying circuit was printed out of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) filament and a conductive silver paste, with electrical components integrated into the circuit. Before printing the full rectifying antenna, each component was printed and evaluated. The printed antenna operated at the desired frequency with a return loss of -16 dBm with a bandwidth of 70MHz. The radiation pattern was measured in an anechoic chamber with good matching to the model. The rectifying circuit was designed in Ansys Circuit Simulation using Schottky diodes to enable the circuit to operate at lower input power levels. Two rectifying circuits were manufactured, one by printing the conductive traces with silver ink, and one with traces made from copper. The printed silver ink is less conductive than the bulk copper and therefore the output voltage of the printed rectifier was lower than the copper circuit. The copper circuit had an efficiency of 60% at 0dBm and the printed silver circuit had an efficiency of 28.6% at 0dBm. The antenna and rectifying circuits were then connected to each other and the performance was compared to a fully printed integrated rectifying antenna. The rectifying antennas were placed in front of a horn antenna while changing the power levels at the antenna. The efficiency of the whole system was lower than the individual components but an efficiency of 11% at 10dBm was measured.

A novel power amplifier structure for RFID tag applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng Jianbao; Zhang Shilin; Li De; Zhang Yanzheng; Mao Luhong; Xie Sheng

2011-01-01

A novel matching method between the power amplifier (PA) and antenna of an active or semi-active RFID tag is presented. A PCB dipole antenna is used as the resonance inductor of a differential power amplifier. The total PA chip area is reduced greatly to only 240 × 70 μm 2 in a 0.18 μm CMOS process due to saving two on-chip integrated inductors. Operating in class AB with a 1.8 V supply voltage and 2.45 GHz input signal, the PA shows a measured output power of 8 dBm at the 1 dB compression point. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

High power gyrotrons: a close perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kartikeyan, M.V.

2012-01-01

Gyrotrons and their variants, popularly known as gyrodevices are millimetric wave sources provide very high powers ranging from long pulse to continuous wave (CW) for various technological, scientific and industrial applications. From their conception (monotron-version) in the late fifties until their successful development for various applications, these devices have come a long way technologically and made an irreversible impact on both users and developers. The possible applications of high power millimeter and sub-millimeter waves from gyrotrons and their variants (gyro-devices) span a wide range of technologies. The plasma physics community has already taken advantage of the recent advances of gyrotrons in the areas of RF plasma production, heating, non-inductive current drive, plasma stabilization and active plasma diagnostics for magnetic confinement thermonuclear fusion research, such as lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) (8 GHz), electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) (28-170-220 GHz), electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD), collective Thomson scattering (CTS), heat-wave propagation experiments, and space-power grid (SPG) applications. Other important applications of gyrotrons are electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) discharges for the generation of multi- charged ions and soft X-rays, as well as industrial materials processing and plasma chemistry. Submillimeter wave gyrotrons are employed in high frequency, broadband electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Additional future applications await the development of novel high power gyro-amplifiers and devices for high resolution radar ranging and imaging in atmospheric and planetary science as well as deep space and specialized satellite communications, RF drivers for next generation high gradient linear accelerators (supercolliders), high resolution Doppler radar, radar ranging and imaging in atmospheric and planetary science, drivers for next-generation high-gradient linear accelerators

The effect of asymmetric information risk on returns of stocks traded on the BM&FBOVESPA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leonardo Souza Siqueira

Full Text Available ABSTRACT This study sought to analyze information asymmetry in the Brazilian stock market and its relation with the returns required from portfolios through the metrics volume-synchronized probability of informed trading. To do this, the study used actual data from the transactions of 142 stocks on the Brazilian Securities, Commodities and Futures Exchange (BM&FBOVESPA, within the period from May 1, 2014, to May 31, 2016. The results point out a high flow toxicity level in the orders of these stocks. In segment analyses of the stock market listing, data suggest there is no clue that stocks from the theoretically more overt segments have a lower toxicity level of order flows. The justification for this finding lies on the negative correlation observed between the market value of stocks and the toxicity level of orders. To test the effect of asymmetric information risk on stock returns, a factor related to the toxicity level of orders was added to the three-, four-, and five-factor models. Through the GRS test, we observed that the combination of factors that optimize the explanation of returns of the portfolios created was the one taking advantage of the factors market, size, profitability, investment, and information risk. To test the robustness of these results, the Average F-test was used in data simulated by the bootstrap method, and similar estimates were obtained. It was observed that the factor related to the book-to-market index becomes redundant in the national scenario for the models tested. Also, it was found that the factor related to information risk works as a complement to the factor size and that its inclusion leads to an improved performance of the models, indicating a possible explanatory power of information risk on portfolio returns. Therefore, data suggest that information risk is priced in the Brazilian stock market.

High voltage generator circuit with low power and high efficiency applied in EEPROM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Yan; Zhang Shilin; Zhao Yiqiang

2012-01-01

This paper presents a low power and high efficiency high voltage generator circuit embedded in electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). The low power is minimized by a capacitance divider circuit and a regulator circuit using the controlling clock switch technique. The high efficiency is dependent on the zero threshold voltage (V th ) MOSFET and the charge transfer switch (CTS) charge pump. The proposed high voltage generator circuit has been implemented in a 0.35 μm EEPROM CMOS process. Measured results show that the proposed high voltage generator circuit has a low power consumption of about 150.48 μW and a higher pumping efficiency (83.3%) than previously reported circuits. This high voltage generator circuit can also be widely used in low-power flash devices due to its high efficiency and low power dissipation. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

Optical Fiber for High-Power Optical Communication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenji Kurokawa

2012-09-01

Full Text Available We examined optical fibers suitable for avoiding such problems as the fiber fuse phenomenon and failures at bends with a high power input. We found that the threshold power for fiber fuse propagation in photonic crystal fiber (PCF and hole-assisted fiber (HAF can exceed 18 W, which is more than 10 times that in conventional single-mode fiber (SMF. We considered this high threshold power in PCF and HAF to be caused by a jet of high temperature fluid penetrating the air holes. We showed examples of two kinds of failures at bends in conventional SMF when the input power was 9 W. We also observed the generation of a fiber fuse under a condition that caused a bend-loss induced failure. We showed that one solution for the failures at bends is to use optical fibers with a low bending loss such as PCF and HAF. Therefore, we consider PCF and HAF to be attractive solutions to the problems of the fiber fuse phenomenon and failures at bends with a high power input.

Self-Biased Differential Rectifier with Enhanced Dynamic Range for Wireless Powering

KAUST Repository

Ouda, Mahmoud H.

2016-08-29

A self-biased, cross-coupled, differential rectifier is proposed with enhanced power-conversion efficiency over an extended range of input power. A prototype is designed for UHF 433MHz RF power-harvesting applications and is implemented using 0.18μm CMOS technology. The proposed rectifier architecture is compared to the conventional cross-coupled rectifier. It demonstrates an improvement of more than 40% in the rectifier power conversion efficiency (PCE) and an input power range extension of more than 50% relative to the conventional crosscoupled rectifier. A sensitivity of -15.2dBm (30μW) input power for 1V output voltage and a peak power-conversion efficiency of 65% are achieved for a 50kω load. © 2004-2012 IEEE.

Audit fees: an analysis of the family and nonfamily business listed on the BM&FBovespa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Franciele Beck

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Objective – Examine the relationship between audit fees and the quality of financial information in familiar and non-familiar companies listed on the BM&FBovespa. Design/methodology/approach – Descriptive, documentary research with application of average test and linear regression model, using data from 2009, 2010 and 2011 of a sample of 133 family businesses and 128 non-familiar BM&FBovespa. The basis for the study was Ghosh and Tang (2015. Findings - The findings indicate a rejection of the hypothesis through the average test and regression model, in which the variable dependent (family firms was not statistically significant. This result differs from that obtained by Ghosh and Tang (2015 and makes inference to the characteristics of the companies and the Brazilian market. Practical implications – Enabled the discussion on the relationship between audit fees and the structure of ownership and control of Brazilian companies, going through the theme of quality of financial information. It also helped the identification of key explanatory variables for audit fees. In family firms included: size, foreign-sales, mergers and/or acquisitions (M&A, Big Four, and in non-family firms: size, regulation, busy-season, Big Four and auditor-tenure.

Monoclonal antibody 1.6.1 against human MPL receptor allows HSC enrichment of CB and BM CD34(+)CD38(-) populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Petit Cocault, Laurence; Fleury, Maud; Clay, Denis; Larghero, Jérôme; Vanneaux, Valérie; Souyri, Michèle

2016-04-01

Thrombopoietin (TPO) and its receptor Mpl (CD110) play a crucial role in the regulation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Functional study of Mpl-expressing HSCs has, however, been hampered by the lack of efficient monoclonal antibodies, explaining the very few data available on Mpl(+) HSCs during human embryonic development and after birth. Investigating the main monoclonal antibodies used so far to sort CD110(+) cells from cord blood (CB) and adult bone marrow (BM), we found that only the recent monoclonal antibody 1.6.1 engineered by Immunex Corporation was specific. Using in vitro functional assays, we found that this antibody can be used to sort a CD34(+)CD38(-)CD110(+) population enriched in hematopoietic progenitor stem cells, both in CB and in adult BM. In vivo injection into NSG mice further indicated that the CB CD34(+)CD38(-)CD110(+) population is highly enriched in HSCs compared with both CD34(+)CD38(-)CD110(-) and CD34(+)CD38(-) populations. Together our results validate MAb1.6.1 as an important tool, which has so far been lacking, in the HSC field. Copyright © 2016 ISEH - International Society for Experimental Hematology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Workshop on High Power ICH Antenna Designs for High Density Tokamaks

Science.gov (United States)

Aamodt, R. E.

1990-02-01

A workshop in high power ICH antenna designs for high density tokamaks was held to: (1) review the data base relevant to the high power heating of high density tokamaks; (2) identify the important issues which need to be addressed in order to ensure the success of the ICRF programs on CIT and Alcator C-MOD; and (3) recommend approaches for resolving the issues in a timely realistic manner. Some specific performance goals for the antenna system define a successful design effort. Simply stated these goals are: couple the specified power per antenna into the desired ion species; produce no more than an acceptable level of RF auxiliary power induced impurities; and have a mechanical structure which safely survives the thermal, mechanical and radiation stresses in the relevant environment. These goals are intimately coupled and difficult tradeoffs between scientific and engineering constraints have to be made.

The NASA CSTI High Capacity Power Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winter, J.; Dudenhoefer, J.; Juhasz, A.; Schwarze, G.; Patterson, R.; Ferguson, D.; Schmitz, P.; Vandersande, J.

1992-01-01

This paper describes the elements of NASA's CSTI High Capacity Power Project which include Systems Analysis, Stirling Power Conversion, Thermoelectric Power Conversion, Thermal Management, Power Management, Systems Diagnostics, Environmental Interactions, and Material/Structural Development. Technology advancement in all elements is required to provide the growth capability, high reliability and 7 to 10 year lifetime demanded for future space nuclear power systems. The overall project will develop and demonstrate the technology base required to provide a wide range of modular power systems compatible with the SP-100 reactor which facilitates operation during lunar and planetary day/night cycles as well as allowing spacecraft operation at any attitude or distance from the sun. Significant accomplishments in all of the project elements will be presented, along with revised goals and project timeliness recently developed

[Tracheomalacia (TM) or bronchomalacia (BM) in children: conservative or invasive therapy].

Science.gov (United States)

Fayon, M; Donato, L

2010-01-01

Tracheomalacia (TM) or bronchomalacia (BM) refers to softness or weakness of the trachea or the bronchi. Its management is not evidenced-based. Conservative therapy is preferred in milder cases, since the outcome is usually favourable within the first 2 years of life. The clinical utility of non-specific treatments (anti-inflammatory agents, bronchodilators, antibiotics, physiotherapy) has not been proven by clinical trials. Treatment of symptomatic cases should be discussed on an individual basis. Airway surgery should be avoided, and non-invasive ventilation may be proposed as a temporary measure. In case of very severe cases, aortopexy, trachostomy or stent placement are the preferred treatments. Regular respiratory monitoring until remission is mandatory. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

A novel power source for high-precision, highly efficient micro w-EDM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Shun-Tong; Chen, Chi-Hung

2015-01-01

The study presents the development of a novel power source for high-precision, highly efficient machining of micropart microstructures using micro wire electrical discharge machining (w-EDM). A novel power source based on a pluri resistance–capacitance (pRC) circuit that can generate a high-frequency, high-peak current with a short pulse train is proposed and designed to enhance the performance of micro w-EDM processes. Switching between transistors is precisely controlled in the designed power source to create a high-frequency short-pulse train current. Various microslot cutting tests in both aluminum and copper alloys are conducted. Experimental results demonstrate that the pRC power source creates instant spark erosion resulting in markedly less material for removal, diminishing discharge crater size, and consequently an improved surface finish. A new evaluation approach for spark erosion ability (SEA) to assess the merits of micro EDM power sources is also proposed. In addition to increasing the speed of micro w-EDM by increasing wire feed rates by 1.6 times the original feed rate, the power source is more appropriate for machining micropart microstructures since there is less thermal breaking. Satisfactory cutting of an elaborate miniature hook-shaped structure and a high-aspect ratio microstructure with a squared-pillar array also reveal that the developed pRC power source is effective, and should be very useful in the manufacture of intricate microparts. (paper)

Temperature Stabilized Characterization of High Voltage Power Supplies

CERN Document Server

Krarup, Ole

2017-01-01

High precision measurements of the masses of nuclear ions in the ISOLTRAP experiment relies on an MR-ToF. A major source of noise and drift is the instability of the high voltage power supplies employed. Electrical noise and temperature changes can broaden peaks in time-of-flight spectra and shift the position of peaks between runs. In this report we investigate how the noise and drift of high-voltage power supplies can be characterized. Results indicate that analog power supplies generally have better relative stability than digitally controlled ones, and that the high temperature coefficients of all power supplies merit efforts to stabilize them.

Complexity and corporate governance: an analysis of companies listed on the BM&FBOVESPA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renata Rouquayrol Assunção

2017-03-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT In light of the need to develop mechanisms of control, protection, and transparency regarding the relationships between principal and agent, and with the aim of eliminating or reducing the agency problem, corporate governance has emerged. Based on Agency Theory, separation of ownership and control of activities derives from the complexity of organizations. In this context, this study aims to analyze the relationship between dimensions of complexity and corporate governance in companies listed on the São Paulo Stock, Commodities, and Futures Exchange (BM&FBOVESPA, in which contingency factors might influence organizational characteristics. The investigation gathers data from a sample of 162 companies listed on the BM&FBOVESPA. The following statistical tests were used in the data analysis: Factor Analysis, Multiple Linear Regression, Correspondence Analysis, and Correlation Analysis. For measuring complexity, contingency variables such as age, size, diversification, and internationalization were adopted; and, to assess corporate governance, a representative index of the adoption of good governance practices was used. The results show that organizational complexity is explained by the size and diversification variables, whereas operational complexity is explained by the size, diversification, and internationalization variables. It was observed that in the two dimensions of complexity - organizational and operational - corporate governance was influenced by the diversification, internationalization, and age variables, with the latter involving an inverse relationship. It is concluded that companies displaying more complexity, in its two dimensions, record a higher level of corporate governance, which confirms the research hypothesis.

High power diode lasers converted to the visible

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Ole Bjarlin; Hansen, Anders Kragh; Andersen, Peter E.

2017-01-01

High power diode lasers have in recent years become available in many wavelength regions. However, some spectral regions are not well covered. In particular, the visible spectral range is lacking high power diode lasers with good spatial quality. In this paper, we highlight some of our recent...... results in nonlinear frequency conversion of high power near infrared diode lasers to the visible spectral region....

Measurement of high-power microwave pulse under intense ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. KALI-1000 pulse power system has been used to generate single pulse nanosecond duration high-power microwaves (HPM) from a virtual cathode oscillator. (VIRCATOR) device. HPM power measurements were carried out using a transmitting– receiving system in the presence of intense high frequency (a few ...

Workshop on high power ICH antenna designs for high density tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aamodt, R.E.

1990-01-01

A workshop in high power ICH antenna designs for high density tokamaks was held in Boulder, Colorado on January 31 through February 2, 1990. The purposes of the workshop were to: (1) review the data base relevant to the high power heating of high density tokamaks; (2) identify the important issues which need to be addressed in order to ensure the success of the ICRF programs on CIT and Alcator C-MOD; and (3) recommend approaches for resolving the issues in a timely realistic manner. Some specific performance goals for the antenna system define a successful design effort. Simply stated these goals are: couple the specified power per antenna into the desired ion species; produce no more than an acceptable level of rf auxiliary power induced impurities; and have a mechanical structure which safely survives the thermal, mechanical and radiation stresses in the relevant environment. These goals are intimately coupled and difficult tradeoffs between scientific and engineering constraints have to be made

High-power sputtering employed for film deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shapovalov, V I

2017-01-01

The features of high-power magnetron sputtering employed for the films’ deposition are reviewed. The main physical phenomena accompanying high-power sputtering including ion-electron emission, gas rarefaction, ionization of sputtered atoms, self-sputtering, ion sound waves and the impact of the target heating are described. (paper)

Gingin High Optical Power Test Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, C; Blair, D G; Barrigo, P

2006-01-01

The Australian Consortium for Gravitational Wave Astronomy (ACIGA) in collaboration with LIGO is developing a high optical power research facility at the AIGO site, Gingin, Western Australia. Research at the facility will provide solutions to the problems that advanced gravitational wave detectors will encounter with extremely high optical power. The problems include thermal lensing and parametric instabilities. This article will present the status of the facility and the plan for the future experiments

E-beam high voltage switching power supply

Science.gov (United States)

Shimer, Daniel W.; Lange, Arnold C.

1997-01-01

A high power, solid state power supply is described for producing a controllable, constant high voltage output under varying and arcing loads suitable for powering an electron beam gun or other ion source. The present power supply is most useful for outputs in a range of about 100-400 kW or more. The power supply is comprised of a plurality of discrete switching type dc-dc converter modules, each comprising a voltage regulator, an inductor, an inverter for producing a high frequency square wave current of alternating polarity, an improved inverter voltage clamping circuit, a step up transformer, and an output rectifier for producing a dc voltage at the output of each module. The inputs to the converter modules are fed from a common dc rectifier/filter and are linked together in parallel through decoupling networks to suppress high frequency input interactions. The outputs of the converter modules are linked together in series and connected to the input of the transmission line to the load through a decoupling and line matching network. The dc-dc converter modules are phase activated such that for n modules, each module is activated equally 360.degree./n out of phase with respect to a successive module. The phased activation of the converter modules, combined with the square current waveforms out of the step up transformers, allows the power supply to operate with greatly reduced output capacitance values which minimizes the stored energy available for discharge into an electron beam gun or the like during arcing. The present power supply also provides dynamic response to varying loads by controlling the voltage regulator duty cycle using simulated voltage feedback signals and voltage feedback loops. Circuitry is also provided for sensing incipient arc currents reflected at the output of the power supply and for simultaneously decoupling the power supply circuitry from the arcing load.

E-beam high voltage switching power supply

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimer, D.W.; Lange, A.C.

1997-01-01

A high power, solid state power supply is described for producing a controllable, constant high voltage output under varying and arcing loads suitable for powering an electron beam gun or other ion source. The present power supply is most useful for outputs in a range of about 100-400 kW or more. The power supply is comprised of a plurality of discrete switching type dc-dc converter modules, each comprising a voltage regulator, an inductor, an inverter for producing a high frequency square wave current of alternating polarity, an improved inverter voltage clamping circuit, a step up transformer, and an output rectifier for producing a dc voltage at the output of each module. The inputs to the converter modules are fed from a common dc rectifier/filter and are linked together in parallel through decoupling networks to suppress high frequency input interactions. The outputs of the converter modules are linked together in series and connected to the input of the transmission line to the load through a decoupling and line matching network. The dc-dc converter modules are phase activated such that for n modules, each module is activated equally 360 degree/n out of phase with respect to a successive module. The phased activation of the converter modules, combined with the square current waveforms out of the step up transformers, allows the power supply to operate with greatly reduced output capacitance values which minimizes the stored energy available for discharge into an electron beam gun or the like during arcing. The present power supply also provides dynamic response to varying loads by controlling the voltage regulator duty cycle using simulated voltage feedback signals and voltage feedback loops. Circuitry is also provided for sensing incipient arc currents reflected at the output of the power supply and for simultaneously decoupling the power supply circuitry from the arcing load. 7 figs

A 3.1-4.8 GHz transmitter with a high frequency divider in 0.18 μm CMOS for OFDM-UWB

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng Renliang; Ren Junyan; Li Wei; Li Ning

2009-01-01

A fully integrated low power RF transmitter for a WiMedia 3.1-4.8 GHz multiband orthogonal frequency division multiplexing ultra-wideband system is presented. With a separate transconductance stage, the quadrature up-conversion modulator achieves high linearity with low supply voltage. The co-design of different resonant frequencies of the modulator and the differential to single (D2S) converter ensures in-band gain flatness. By means of a series inductor peaking technique, the D2S converter obtains 9 dB more gain without extra power consumption. A divided-by-2 divider is used for carrier signal generation. The measurement results show an output power between -10.7 and -3.1 dBm with 7.6 dB control range, an OIP3 up to 12 dBm, a sideband rejection of 35 dBc and a carrier rejection of 30 dBc. The ESD protected chip is fabricated in the Jazz 0.18 μm RF CMOS process with an area of 1.74 mm 2 and only consumes 32 mA current (at 1.8 V) including the test associated parts. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

A 3.1-4.8 GHz transmitter with a high frequency divider in 0.18 {mu}m CMOS for OFDM-UWB

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng Renliang; Ren Junyan; Li Wei; Li Ning, E-mail: jyren@fudan.edu.c [Micro/Nano Science and Innovation Platform, State Key Laboratory of ASIC and System, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203 (China)

2009-12-15

A fully integrated low power RF transmitter for a WiMedia 3.1-4.8 GHz multiband orthogonal frequency division multiplexing ultra-wideband system is presented. With a separate transconductance stage, the quadrature up-conversion modulator achieves high linearity with low supply voltage. The co-design of different resonant frequencies of the modulator and the differential to single (D2S) converter ensures in-band gain flatness. By means of a series inductor peaking technique, the D2S converter obtains 9 dB more gain without extra power consumption. A divided-by-2 divider is used for carrier signal generation. The measurement results show an output power between -10.7 and -3.1 dBm with 7.6 dB control range, an OIP3 up to 12 dBm, a sideband rejection of 35 dBc and a carrier rejection of 30 dBc. The ESD protected chip is fabricated in the Jazz 0.18 {mu}m RF CMOS process with an area of 1.74 mm{sup 2} and only consumes 32 mA current (at 1.8 V) including the test associated parts. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

High Power laser power conditioning system new discharge circuit research

CERN Document Server

Li Yi; Peng Han Sheng; Zhou Pei Zhang; Zheng Wan Guo; Guo Lang Fu; Chen Li Hua; Chen De Hui; Lai Gui You; Luan Yong Ping

2002-01-01

The new discharge circuit of power conditioning system for high power laser is studied. The theoretical model of the main discharge circuit is established. The pre-ionization circuit is studied in experiment. In addition, the explosion energy of the new large xenon lamp is successfully measured. The conclusion has been applied to 4 x 2 amplifier system

Chaos in high-power high-frequency gyrotrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Airila, M.

2004-01-01

Gyrotron interaction is a complex nonlinear dynamical process, which may turn chaotic in certain circumstances. The emergence of chaos renders dynamical systems unpredictable and causes bandwidth broadening of signals. Such effects would jeopardize the prospect of advanced gyrotrons in fusion. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the possibility of chaos in gyrotrons. There are three different chaos scenarios closely related to the development of high-power gyrotrons: First, the onset of chaos in electron trajectories would lead to difficulties in the design and efficient operation of depressed potential collectors, which are used for efficiency enhancement. Second, the radio-frequency signal could turn chaotic, decreasing the output power and the spectral purity of the output signal. As a result, mode conversion, transmission, and absorption efficiencies would be reduced. Third, spatio-temporal chaos in the resonator field structure can set a limit for the use of large-diameter interaction cavities and high-order TE modes (large azimuthal index) allowing higher generated power. In this thesis, the issues above are addressed with numerical modeling. It is found that chaos in electron residual energies is practically absent in the parameter region corresponding to high efficiency. Accordingly, depressed collectors are a feasible solution also in advanced high-power gyrotrons. A new method is presented for straightforward numerical solution of the one-dimensional self-consistent time-dependent gyrotron equations, and the method is generalized to two dimensions. In 1D, a chart of gyrotron oscillations is calculated. It is shown that the regions of stationary oscillations, automodulation, and chaos have a complicated topology in the plane of generalized gyrotron variables. The threshold current for chaotic oscillations exceeds typical operating currents by a factor of ten. However, reflection of the output signal may significantly lower the threshold. 2D

Assessing drivers of the IgG4 antibody reactivity to recombinant antigen Bm14 in Wuchereria bancrofti endemic populations in East Africa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Johanne Damgaard; Meyrowitsch, Dan W.; Rwegoshora, Rwehumbiza T.

2016-01-01

to the recombinant filarial antigen Bm14 in Wuchereria bancrofti endemic populations in East Africa. Sera collected during previous studies from 395 well characterized individuals with regard to age, sex, mf, CFA, household vector biting and household exposure to infective filarial larvae were tested for IgG4......A high proportion of the human population in lymphatic filariasis (LF) endemic areas is positive for filarial specific IgG4 antibodies, including many individuals without microfilariae (mf; circulating larvae in the human blood) or circulating filarial antigens (CFA; marker of adult worm infection...

ANALISIS PENETAPAN HARGA JUAL BERDASARKAN TARGET COSTING PADA PT VARIA USAHA BETON PLANT BM MAKASSAR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ASHAR MUNTA

2017-05-01

The Results showed there are differences in the price of Paving Blocks namely (1 in 2012 the difference between the price of Rp 25.70. (2 In 2013 the price difference Rp 3,31. And (3 In 2014 the difference between the price of Rp 1,37. Which means that the Target Costing Method is better than the Conventional Method in PT Varia Usaha Beton Plant BM Makassar.

Atmospheric Propagation and Combining of High-Power Lasers

Science.gov (United States)

2015-09-08

Brightness-scaling potential of actively phase- locked solid state laser arrays,” IEEE J. Sel. Topics Quantum Electron., vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 460–472, May...attempting to phase- lock high-power lasers, which is not encountered when phase- locking low-power lasers, for example mW power levels. Regardless, we...technology does not currently exist. This presents a challenging problem when attempting to phase- lock high-power lasers, which is not encountered when

Test results of BM109 magnet field stability during ramping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kristalinski, A.

1992-12-01

This report presents results of the measured lag between the current ramp and the following magnetic field rise in BM109 magnets. The purpose of these tests is to choose identical ramping programs for PC4AN1, PC4AN2 and PC4AN3 magnets. The lag occurs due to the large eddy currents in the magnets' solid iron cores. The experiment requires a magnetic field stability of 0.1% during beam presence. Using existing equipment and a program slope of 100 Amp/sec starting at Tl yields fields within the 0.05% of set value. Add to this 0.05% for P.S. regulation to meet the required field stability of 0.1%. This program yields annual savings of $200,000 (assuming 100% usage) . Additional savings can be made by using faster slopes, but this requires additional controls

A highly linear baseband Gm—C filter for WLAN application

Science.gov (United States)

Lijun, Yang; Zheng, Gong; Yin, Shi; Zhiming, Chen

2011-09-01

A low voltage, highly linear transconductan—C (Gm—C) low-pass filter for wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver application is proposed. This transmitter (Tx) filter adopts a 9.8 MHz 3rd-order Chebyshev low pass prototype and achieves 35 dB stop-band attenuation at 30 MHz frequency. By utilizing pseudo-differential linear-region MOS transconductors, the filter IIP3 is measured to be as high as 9.5 dBm. Fabricated in a 0.35 μm standard CMOS technology, the proposed filter chip occupies a 0.41 × 0.17 mm2 die area and consumes 3.36 mA from a 3.3-V power supply.

Transient analysis of the output short-circuit fault of high power and high voltage DC power supply

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Zhigang; Zhang Jian; Huang Yiyun; Hao Xu; Sun Haozhang; Guo Fei

2014-01-01

The transient conditions of output short-circuit fault of high voltage DC power supply was introduced, and the energy of power supply injecting into klystron during the protection process of three-electrode gas switch were analyzed and calculated in detail when klystron load happening electrode arc faults. The results of calculation and simulation are consistent with the results of the experiment. When the output short-circuit fault of high voltage power supply occurs, switch can be shut off in the microsecond, and the short circuit current can be controlled in 200 A. It has verified the rapidity and reliability of the three-electrode gas switch protection, and it has engineering application value. (authors)

Design and development of power supplies for high power IOT based RF amplifier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Yashwant; Kumari, S.; Ghosh, M.K.; Bera, A.; Sadhukhan, A.; Pal, S.S.; Khare, V.K.; Tiwari, T.P.; Thakur, S.K.; Saha, S.

2013-01-01

Design, development, circuit topology, function of system components and key system specifications of different power supplies for biasing electrodes of Thales Inductive Output Tube (IOT) based high power RF amplifier are presented in this paper. A high voltage power supply (-30 kV, 3.2A dc) with fast (∼microsecond) crowbar protection circuit is designed, developed and commissioned at VECC for testing the complete setup. Other power supplies for biasing grid electrode (300V, 0.5A dc) and Ion Pump (3 kV, 0.1mA dc) of IOT are also designed, developed and tested with actual load. A HV Deck (60kV Isolation) is specially designed in house to place these power supplies which are floating at 30 kV. All these power supplies are powered by an Isolation Transformer (5 kVA, 60 kV isolation) designed and developed in VECC. (author)

Driver Circuit For High-Power MOSFET's

Science.gov (United States)

Letzer, Kevin A.

1991-01-01

Driver circuit generates rapid-voltage-transition pulses needed to switch high-power metal oxide/semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) modules rapidly between full "on" and full "off". Rapid switching reduces time of overlap between appreciable current through and appreciable voltage across such modules, thereby increasing power efficiency.

High power industrial picosecond laser from IR to UV

Science.gov (United States)

Saby, Julien; Sangla, Damien; Pierrot, Simonette; Deslandes, Pierre; Salin, François

2013-02-01

Many industrial applications such as glass cutting, ceramic micro-machining or photovoltaic processes require high average and high peak power Picosecond pulses. The main limitation for the expansion of the picosecond market is the cost of high power picosecond laser sources, which is due to the complexity of the architecture used for picosecond pulse amplification, and the difficulty to keep an excellent beam quality at high average power. Amplification with fibers is a good technology to achieve high power in picosecond regime but, because of its tight confinement over long distances, light undergoes dramatic non linearities while propagating in fibers. One way to avoid strong non linearities is to increase fiber's mode area. Nineteen missing holes fibers offering core diameter larger than 80μm have been used over the past few years [1-3] but it has been shown that mode instabilities occur at approximately 100W average output power in these fibers [4]. Recently a new fiber design has been introduced, in which HOMs are delocalized from the core to the clad, preventing from HOMs amplification [5]. In these so-called Large Pitch Fibers, threshold for mode instabilities is increased to 294W offering robust single-mode operation below this power level [6]. We have demonstrated a high power-high efficiency industrial picosecond source using single-mode Large Pitch rod-type fibers doped with Ytterbium. Large Pitch Rod type fibers can offer a unique combination of single-mode output with a very large mode area from 40 μm up to 100μm and very high gain. This enables to directly amplify a low power-low energy Mode Locked Fiber laser with a simple amplification architecture, achieving very high power together with singlemode output independent of power level or repetition rate.

High power neutral beam injection in LHD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsumori, K.; Takeiri, Y.; Nagaoka, K.

2005-01-01

The results of high power injection with a neutral beam injection (NBI) system for the large helical device (LHD) are reported. The system consists of three beam-lines, and two hydrogen negative ion (H - ion) sources are installed in each beam-line. In order to improve the injection power, the new beam accelerator with multi-slot grounded grid (MSGG) has been developed and applied to one of the beam-lines. Using the accelerator, the maximum powers of 5.7 MW were achieved in 2003 and 2004, and the energy of 189 keV reached at maximum. The power and energy exceeded the design values of the individual beam-line for LHD. The other beam-lines also increased their injection power up to about 4 MW, and the total injection power of 13.1 MW was achieved with three beam-lines in 2003. Although the accelerator had an advantage in high power beam injection, it involved a demerit in the beam focal condition. The disadvantage was resolved by modifying the aperture shapes of the steering grid. (author)

Multi-wavelength Brillouin Raman erbium-doped fiber laser generation in a linear cavity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirazi, M R; Harun, S W; Ahmad, H

2014-01-01

A multi-wavelength Brillouin Raman erbium-doped fiber laser is proposed and demonstrated. The setup uses a 7.7 km dispersion compensating fiber simultaneously as the Brillouin and Raman nonlinear gain media and operates in conjunction with a 3 m erbium-doped fiber as the linear gain medium. At a Brillouin pump (BP) wavelength of 1530 nm, where Raman and erbium gains overlap each other, 34 Brillouin Stokes lines having line spacing of 0.075 nm are created by using a Raman pump power of only 24.1 dBm, an erbium pump power of about 22.1 dBm, and a BP power of 6.5 dBm in the proposed linear cavity. The system is highly efficient and is able to generate many comparable peak-power lines at a low pump power. (paper)

High-power microwave diplexers for advanced ECRH systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasparek, W.; Petelin, M.; Erckmann, V.; Bruschi, A.; Noke, F.; Purps, F.; Hollmann, F.; Koshurinov, Y.; Lubyako, L.; Plaum, B.; Wubie, W.

2009-01-01

In electron cyclotron resonance heating systems, high-power multiplexers can be employed as power combiners, adjustable power dividers, fast switches to toggle the power between two launchers, as well as frequency sensitive directional couplers to combine heating and diagnostic applications on one launcher. In the paper, various diplexer designs for quasi-optical and corrugated waveguide transmission systems are discussed. Numerical calculations, low-power tests and especially high-power experiments performed at the ECRH system of W7-X are shown, which demonstrate the capability of these devices. Near term plans for applications on ASDEX Upgrade and FTU are presented. Based on the present results, options for implementation of power combiners and fast switches in the ECRH system of ITER is discussed.

High-power fiber-coupled pump lasers for fiber lasers

Science.gov (United States)

Kasai, Yohei; Aizawa, Takuya; Tanaka, Daiichiro

2018-02-01

We present high-power fiber-coupled pump modules utilized effectively for ultra-high power single-mode (SM) fiber lasers. Maximum output power of 392 W was achieved at 23 A for 915 nm pump, and 394 W for 976 nm pump. Fiber core diameter is 118 μm and case temperature is 25deg. C. Polarization multiplexing technique was newly applied to our optical system. High-reliability of the laser diodes (LD) at high-power operation has been demonstrated by aging tests. Advanced package structure was developed that manages uncoupled light around input end of the fiber. 800 hours continuous drive with uncoupled light power of 100 W has been achieved.

A high pulsed power supply system designed for pulsed high magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Kefu; Wang Shaorong; Zhong Heqing; Xu Yan; Pan Yuan

2008-01-01

This paper introduces the design of high pulsed power supply system for producing pulsed high magnetic field up to 70 T. This system consists of 58 sets of 55 μF of capacitor bank which provides 1.0 MJ energy storage. A set of vacuum closing switch is chosen as main switch for energy discharge into magnetic coil. A crowbar circuit with high power diodes in series with resistor is used to absorb the redundant energy and adjust pulse width. The resistance of magnetic coil changing with current is deduced by energy balance equations. A capacitor-charging power supply using a series-resonant, constant on-time variable frequency control, and zero-current switching charges the capacitor bank in one minute time with high efficiency. The pulsed power supply provides adjustable current and pulse width with 30 kA peak and 30 ms maximum. The primary experiments demonstrate the system reliability. This work provides an engineering guidance for future development of pulsed high magnetic field. (authors)

Using resonant x-ray scattering to determine how structure controls the charge generation process in PCPDTBT:PC70BM solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Pope, Michael; Waldrip, Matthew; Ferron, Thomas; Collins, Brian

Increased solar power conversion efficiencies to 12% in bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaics (OPVs) continue to brighten their prospects as an economically viable source of solar energy. It is known that OPV performance can be enhanced through processing additives that change the nanostructure. We track these critical structure-property relationships in the OPV system PCPDTBT:PC70BM while varying the amount of DIO additive. Resonant Soft X-ray Scattering reveals domain purity, domain size, and molecular orientation to highlight the system's complex dependence on DIO concentration. We will show the effect the resulting structure has on charge generation and recombination via in-situ transient and steady state optoelectronic measurements. By measuring structure, excited state dynamics and device performance all on the same sample enables direct relationships to be measured. We show that the appropriate balance of crystallinity, domain size and domain purity are important for optimized excited state dynamics and device performance.

High-power laser diodes with high polarization purity

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenkrantz, Etai; Yanson, Dan; Peleg, Ophir; Blonder, Moshe; Rappaport, Noam; Klumel, Genady

2017-02-01

Fiber-coupled laser diode modules employ power scaling of single emitters for fiber laser pumping. To this end, techniques such as geometrical, spectral and polarization beam combining (PBC) are used. For PBC, linear polarization with high degree of purity is important, as any non-perfectly polarized light leads to losses and heating. Furthermore, PBC is typically performed in a collimated portion of the beams, which also cancels the angular dependence of the PBC element, e.g., beam-splitter. However, we discovered that single emitters have variable degrees of polarization, which depends both on the operating current and far-field divergence. We present data to show angle-resolved polarization measurements that correlate with the ignition of high-order modes in the slow-axis emission of the emitter. We demonstrate that the ultimate laser brightness includes not only the standard parameters such as power, emitting area and beam divergence, but also the degree of polarization (DoP), which is a strong function of the latter. Improved slow-axis divergence, therefore, contributes not only to high brightness but also high beam combining efficiency through polarization.

High-power VCSELs for smart munitions

Science.gov (United States)

Geske, Jon; MacDougal, Michael; Cole, Garrett; Snyder, Donald

2006-08-01

The next generation of low-cost smart munitions will be capable of autonomously detecting and identifying targets aided partly by the ability to image targets with compact and robust scanning rangefinder and LADAR capabilities. These imaging systems will utilize arrays of high performance, low-cost semiconductor diode lasers capable of achieving high peak powers in pulses ranging from 5 to 25 nanoseconds in duration. Aerius Photonics is developing high-power Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) to meet the needs of these smart munitions applications. The authors will report the results of Aerius' development program in which peak pulsed powers exceeding 60 Watts were demonstrated from single VCSEL emitters. These compact packaged emitters achieved pulse energies in excess of 1.5 micro-joules with multi kilo-hertz pulse repetition frequencies. The progress of the ongoing effort toward extending this performance to arrays of VCSEL emitters and toward further improving laser slope efficiency will be reported.

Flexible asymmetric supercapacitors with high energy and high power density in aqueous electrolytes

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Yingwen; Zhang, Hongbo; Lu, Songtao; Varanasi, Chakrapani V.; Liu, Jie

2013-01-01

Supercapacitors with both high energy and high power densities are critical for many practical applications. In this paper, we discuss the design and demonstrate the fabrication of flexible asymmetric supercapacitors based on nanocomposite electrodes of MnO2, activated carbon, carbon nanotubes and graphene. The combined unique properties of each of these components enable highly flexible and mechanically strong films that can serve as electrodes directly without using any current collectors or binders. Using these flexible electrodes and a roll-up approach, asymmetric supercapacitors with 2 V working voltage were successfully fabricated. The fabricated device showed excellent rate capability, with 78% of the original capacitance retained when the scan rate was increased from 2 mV s-1 to 500 mV s-1. Owing to the unique composite structure, these supercapacitors were able to deliver high energy density (24 W h kg-1) under high power density (7.8 kW kg-1) conditions. These features could enable supercapacitor based energy storage systems to be very attractive for a variety of critical applications, such as the power sources in hybrid electric vehicles and the back-up powers for wind and solar energy, where both high energy density and high power density are required.Supercapacitors with both high energy and high power densities are critical for many practical applications. In this paper, we discuss the design and demonstrate the fabrication of flexible asymmetric supercapacitors based on nanocomposite electrodes of MnO2, activated carbon, carbon nanotubes and graphene. The combined unique properties of each of these components enable highly flexible and mechanically strong films that can serve as electrodes directly without using any current collectors or binders. Using these flexible electrodes and a roll-up approach, asymmetric supercapacitors with 2 V working voltage were successfully fabricated. The fabricated device showed excellent rate capability, with 78% of

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BUSINESS GIFTS ON CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY INDEX AS ISO 14001 IN BM&FBOVESPA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Ferreira Santos

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The data published by BM&FBOVESPA consist of an important source for the market, with its high number of trades, and also trading stocks of large companies, and based on that the aim of this paper is to make a relationship between two indices of this important institution for measure the level of concern for environmental issues. A survey was conducted in the Bovespa Index to identify how many companies are listed on the Bovespa Index have environmental certification ISO14001, and after this survey sought to discover which of those possessing such certification organizations were listed in the Corporate Sustainability Index. The methodology used was exploratory research, is also classified as descriptive and transversal with respect to the time dimension. Among the main results we found that the 66 companies listed on the Bovespa Index, 53 of them had the ISO14001 certification, and that this amount 29 of them were present at the ISE.

Design of 120 MW beam power electron gun for high power klystron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Zusheng; Dong Dong

2005-01-01

An electron gun was designed and the beam optics for a China-made 50 MW klystron was simulated. The electron gun ceramic cylinder was designed and optimized. The China-made cathode was replaced with an imported one to lessen evaporation and arcing. The high voltage (320 kV) of the cathode was increased to meet the klystron output power demand and a low electric field strength (22.1 kV/mm) electron gun was designed to avoid the high power operation which damaged the ceramic cylinder. The klystron output power was increased and life span extended. (authors)

Los Alamos high-power proton linac designs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lawrence, G.P. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM (United States)

1995-10-01

Medium-energy high-power proton linear accelerators have been studied at Los Alamos as drivers for spallation neutron applications requiring large amounts of beam power. Reference designs for such accelerators are discussed, important design factors are reviewed, and issues and concern specific to this unprecedented power regime are discussed.

High power laser exciter accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, T.H.

1975-01-01

Recent developments in untriggered oil and water switching now permit the construction of compact, high energy density pulsed power sources for laser excitation. These accelerators, developed principally for electron beam fusion studies, appear adaptable to laser excitation and will provide electron beams of 10 13 to 10 14 W in the next several years. The accelerators proposed for e-beam fusion essentially concentrate the available power from the outside edge of a disk into the central region where the electron beam is formed. One of the main problem areas, that of power flow at the vacuum diode insulator, is greatly alleviated by the multiplicity of electron beams that are allowable for laser excitation. A proposal is made whereby the disk-shaped pulsed power sections are stacked vertically to form a series of radially flowing electron beams to excite the laser gas volume. (auth)

Design and development of high voltage high power operational ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

address this challenge, a) Designing a discrete power opamp with high .... the use of high-impedance feedback networks, thus minimizing their output loading ... Spice simulation is done for the circuit and results are given in figures 4a–c.

Validation of the Beurer BM 44 upper arm blood pressure monitor for home measurement, according to the European Society of Hypertension International Protocol 2002.

Science.gov (United States)

Lüders, Stephan; Krüger, Ralf; Zemmrich, Claudia; Forstner, Klaus; Sturm, Claus-Dieter; Bramlage, Peter

2012-12-01

The present study aimed to validate the automated upper arm blood pressure (BP) measuring device BM 44 for home BP monitoring according to the 2002 Protocol of the European Society of Hypertension. The most important new feature of the new device was an integrated 'WHO indicator', which categorizes the patient's individual result within the WHO recommendations for target BP by a coloured scale. Systolic and diastolic BPs were measured sequentially in 35 adult participants (16 men, 19 women) using a standard mercury y-tubed reference sphygmomanometer (two observers) and the BM 44 device (one supervisor). Ninety-nine pairs of comparisons were obtained from 15 participants in phase 1 and a further 18 participants in phase 2 of the validation study. The BM 44 device passed phase 1 of the validation study successfully with a number of absolute differences between device and observers of 5, 10 and 15 mmHg for at least 28 out of 25, 35 out of 35 and 40 out of 40 measurements, respectively. The device also achieved the targets for phases 2.1 and 2.2, with 23 and 26 participants having had at least two of three device-observers differences within 5 mmHg for systolic and diastolic BP, respectively. The Beurer BM 44 upper arm BP monitor has passed the International Protocol requirements, and hence can be recommended for home use in adults. © 2012 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

The NASA CSTI High Capacity Power Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winter, J.M.

1991-09-01

The SP-100 program was established in 1983 by DOD, DOE, and NASA as a joint program to develop the technology necessary for space nuclear power systems for military and civil applications. During 1986 and 1987, the NASA Advanced Technology Program was responsible for maintaining the momentum of promising technology advancement efforts started during Phase 1 of SP-100 and to strengthen, in key areas, the chances for successful development and growth capability of space nuclear reactor power systems for future space applications. In 1988, the NASA Advanced Technology Program was incorporated into NASA's new Civil Space Technology Initiative (CSTI). The CSTI program was established to provide the foundation for technology development in automation and robotics, information, propulsion, and power. The CSTI High Capacity Power Program builds on the technology efforts of the SP-100 program, incorporates the previous NASA advanced technology project, and provides a bridge to the NASA exploration technology programs. The elements of CSTI high capacity power development include conversion systems: Stirling and thermoelectric, thermal management, power management, system diagnostics, and environmental interactions. Technology advancement in all areas, including materials, is required to provide the growth capability, high reliability, and 7 to 10 year lifetime demanded for future space nuclear power systems. The overall program will develop and demonstrate the technology base required to provide a wide range of modular power systems while minimizing the impact of day/night operations as well as attitudes and distance from the Sun. Significant accomplishments in all of the program elements will be discussed, along with revised goals and project timelines recently developed

High-power semiconductor RSD-based switch

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bezuglov, V G; Galakhov, I V; Grusin, I A [All-Russian Scientific Research Inst. of Experimental Physics, Sarov (Russian Federation); and others

1997-12-31

The operating principle and test results of a high-power semiconductor RSD-based switch with the following operating parameters is described: operating voltage 25 kV, peak operating current 200 kA, maximum transferred charge 70 C. The switch is intended for use by high-power capacitor banks of state-of-the-art research facilities. The switch was evaluated for applicability in commercial pulsed systems. The possibility of increasing the peak operating current to 500 kA is demonstrated. (author). 4 figs., 2 refs.

Experiments on high power EB evaporation of niobium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kandaswamy, E.; Bhardwaj, R.L.; Ram Gopal; Ray, A.K.; Kulgod, S.V.

2002-01-01

Full text: The versatility of electron beam evaporation makes the deposition of many new and unusual materials possible. This technique offers freedom from contamination and precise control. High power electron guns are especially used for obtaining high evaporation rates for large area coatings. This paper deals with the coating experiments carried out on an indigenously developed high power strip electron gun with niobium as evaporant at 40 kW on S.S. substrate. The practical problems of conditioning the gun and venting the vacuum system after the high power operation are also discussed. The coating rate was calculated by weight difference method

Duration of detection of anti-BmR1 IgG4 antibodies after mass-drug administration (MDA) in Sarawak, Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Noordin, R; Muhi, J; Md Idris, Z; Arifin, N; Kiyu, A

2012-03-01

The detection rates of brugian filariasis in three regions of Sarawak namely Central, North and South after three courses of mass drug administration (MDA) from year 2004 to 2006 was investigated. A recombinant BmR1 antigen-based IgG4 detection test, named Brugia Rapid and night blood smear for microfilaria (mf) detection were used. All three regions recorded a sharp fall in mf positive rates after a year post-MDA. Meanwhile Brugia Rapid positive rates declined more gradually to 3.8% and 5.6% of the pre-MDA levels in the Central and North regions, respectively. This study showed that in filariasis endemic areas in Sarawak, anti-filarial IgG4 antibodies to BmR1, as detected by the Brugia Rapid test, were positive for one to two years after mf disappearance.

High-power pre-chirp managed amplification of femtosecond pulses at high repetition rates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Yang; Li, Wenxue; Zhao, Jian; Bai, Dongbi; Luo, Daping; Zeng, Heping

2015-01-01

Femtosecond pulses at 250 MHz repetition rate from a mode-locked fiber laser are amplified to high power in a pre-chirp managed amplifier. The experimental strategy offers a potential towards high-power ultrashort laser pulses at high repetition rates. By investigating the laser pulse evolution in the amplification processes, we show that self-similar evolution, finite gain bandwidth and mode instabilities determine pulse characteristics in different regimes. Further average power scaling is limited by the mode instabilities. Nevertheless, this laser system enables us to achieve sub-50 fs pulses with an average power of 93 W. (letter)

Effect of total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) and donor bone marrow (BM) on islet transplantation in baboons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nash, J.R.; Smit, J.A.; Myburgh, M.A.; Bell, P.R.F.

1981-01-01

The susceptibility of isolated islet allografts to rejection and the limited success of established immunosuppressive technique in influencing it is well known. However, the recent demonstration of the efficacy of TLI and BM in the induction of transplantation tolerance has been a major advance. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of similar irradiation schedules on the prolongation of islet allograft survival in the same animal model

Electroactive cytochrome P450BM3 cast polyion films on graphite electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pardo-Jacques, Aurelie; Basseguy, Regine; Bergel, Alain

2006-01-01

Films of electrochemically active cytochrome P450 BM 3 were constructed on graphite electrodes using alternate assembly with polyethyleneimine (PEI). The original layer-by-layer adsorption method was slightly modified here to form so-called 'cast polyion' films. The cast polyion films were elaborated by immobilizing two successive layers of PEI and protein in very large excess with respect to a monolayer, without any intermediate washing step. Following the immobilization steps by SEM showed that uniform films of a few micrometers were deposited on the graphite surface. The electrochemically activity of the immobilized cytP450 was tested with regard to the reduction of oxygen and the one-electron reduction of the heme. Cyclic voltammetry indicated surface concentration of electrochemically active cytP450 around 0.6nmol/cm 2 , which corresponded to 5% of the total amount of protein that was consumed by the immobilisation process. Adapting the procedure to a graphite felt electrode with the view of scaling up porous electrodes for large scale synthesis increased the concentration to 0.9nmol/cm 2 . Cast polyion films may represent a simple technique to immobilize high amount of electrochemically active protein, keeping the advantage of the electrostatic interactions of the regular layer-by-layer method

ACIGA's high optical power test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ju, L; Aoun, M; Barriga, P

2004-01-01

Advanced laser interferometer detectors utilizing more than 100 W of laser power and with ∼10 6 W circulating laser power present many technological problems. The Australian Consortium for Interferometric Gravitational Astronomy (ACIGA) is developing a high power research facility in Gingin, north of Perth, Western Australia, which will test techniques for the next generation interferometers. In particular it will test thermal lensing compensation and control strategies for optical cavities in which optical spring effects and parametric instabilities may present major difficulties

High power all solid state VUV lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Shen-jin; Cui, Da-fu; Zhang, Feng-feng; Xu, Zhi; Wang, Zhi-min; Yang, Feng; Zong, Nan; Tu, Wei; Chen, Ying; Xu, Hong-yan; Xu, Feng-liang; Peng, Qin-jun; Wang, Xiao-yang; Chen, Chuang-tian; Xu, Zu-yan

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Polarization and pulse repetition rate adjustable ps 177.3 nm laser was developed. • Wavelength tunable ns, ps and fs VUV lasers were developed. • High power ns 177.3 nm laser with narrow linewidth was investigated. - Abstract: We report the investigation on the high power all solid state vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) lasers by means of nonlinear frequency conversion with KBe 2 BO 3 F 2 (KBBF) nonlinear crystal. Several all solid state VUV lasers have developed in our group, including polarization and pulse repetition rate adjustable picosecond 177.3 nm VUV laser, wavelength tunable nanosecond, picosecond and femtosecond VUV lasers, high power ns 177.3 nm laser with narrow linewidth. The VUV lasers have impact, accurate and precise advantage

Compact high-power terahertz radiation source

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. A. Krafft

2004-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper a new type of THz radiation source, based on recirculating an electron beam through a high gradient superconducting radio frequency cavity, and using this beam to drive a standard electromagnetic undulator on the return leg, is discussed. Because the beam is recirculated and not stored, short bunches may be produced that radiate coherently in the undulator, yielding exceptionally high average THz power for relatively low average beam power. Deceleration from the coherent emission, and the detuning it causes, limits the charge-per-bunch possible in such a device.

Teoria contingencial e intangibilidade: um estudo nas empresas listadas na BM&FBovespa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulo Henrique Nobre Parente

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Com base na Teoria Contingencial e nos preceitos da Visão Baseada em Recursos (VBR, que considera os ativos intangíveis como recursos estratégicos, o presente estudo tem como objetivo geral investigar a influência de fatores contingenciais nos indicadores de intangibilidade das empresas de capital aberto do Brasil listadas na BM&FBovespa. Trata-se de pesquisa descritiva, de natureza quantitativa, que reúne uma amostra de 181 empresas. A coleta dos dados, referentes ao exercício social de 2014, tem origem em duas fontes: Economática®, para o cálculo dos indicadores de intangibilidade; e o website da BM&FBovespa, para identificação das variáveis contingenciais eleitas para o estudo. Fez-se uso da regressão linear múltipla, considerando-se como variável dependente os indicadores de intangibilidade (grau de intangibilidade, Q de Tobin, investimento em ativos intangíveis, representatividade dos intangíveis no ativo total, representatividade dos intangíveis no ativo não circulante e como variáveis independentes os fatores contingenciais ambiente, idade e tamanho. Além disso, foram utilizadas as variáveis de controle endividamento e liquidez corrente, para controlar o modelo, com o objetivo de se verificar o efeito limitador, para o endividamento, e o influenciador, para a liquidez corrente. Os resultados demonstram que as variáveis contingenciais tamanho e ambiente podem, de certa forma, influenciar os níveis de intangibilidade das empresas brasileiras, o que sugere consonância com os pressupostos da Teoria Contingencial e da VBR. Observou-se ainda que, quando adicionadas as variáveis de controle, os modelos econométricos não apresentaram diferenças expressivas nos níveis de intangibilidade.

High Energy Density Sciences with High Power Lasers at SACLA

Science.gov (United States)

Kodama, Ryosuke

2013-10-01

One of the interesting topics on high energy density sciences with high power lasers is creation of extremely high pressures in material. The pressures of more than 0.1 TPa are the energy density corresponding to the chemical bonding energy, resulting in expectation of dramatic changes in the chemical reactions. At pressures of more than TPa, most of material would be melted on the shock Hugoniot curve. However, if the temperature is less than 1eV or lower than a melting point at pressures of more than TPa, novel solid states of matter must be created through a pressured phase transition. One of the interesting materials must be carbon. At pressures of more than TPa, the diamond structure changes to BC and cubic at more than 3TPa. To create such novel states of matter, several kinds of isentropic-like compression techniques are being developed with high power lasers. To explore the ``Tera-Pascal Science,'' now we have a new tool which is an x-ray free electron laser as well as high power lasers. The XFEL will clear the details of the HED states and also efficiently create hot dense matter. We have started a new project on high energy density sciences using an XFEL (SACLA) in Japan, which is a HERMES (High Energy density Revolution of Matter in Extreme States) project.

Predicting High-Power Performance in Professional Cyclists.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, Dajo; Heijboer, Mathieu; Akubat, Ibrahim; Meijer, Kenneth; Hesselink, Matthijs K

2017-03-01

To assess if short-duration (5 to ~300 s) high-power performance can accurately be predicted using the anaerobic power reserve (APR) model in professional cyclists. Data from 4 professional cyclists from a World Tour cycling team were used. Using the maximal aerobic power, sprint peak power output, and an exponential constant describing the decrement in power over time, a power-duration relationship was established for each participant. To test the predictive accuracy of the model, several all-out field trials of different durations were performed by each cyclist. The power output achieved during the all-out trials was compared with the predicted power output by the APR model. The power output predicted by the model showed very large to nearly perfect correlations to the actual power output obtained during the all-out trials for each cyclist (r = .88 ± .21, .92 ± .17, .95 ± .13, and .97 ± .09). Power output during the all-out trials remained within an average of 6.6% (53 W) of the predicted power output by the model. This preliminary pilot study presents 4 case studies on the applicability of the APR model in professional cyclists using a field-based approach. The decrement in all-out performance during high-intensity exercise seems to conform to a general relationship with a single exponential-decay model describing the decrement in power vs increasing duration. These results are in line with previous studies using the APR model to predict performance during brief all-out trials. Future research should evaluate the APR model with a larger sample size of elite cyclists.

Switchable semiconductor optical fiber laser incorporating AWG and broadband FBG with high SMSR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, H; Zulkifli, M Z; Thambiratnam, K; Latiff, A A; Harun, S W

2009-01-01

In this paper we propose and demonstrate a switchable wavelength fiber laser (SWFL) using a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) together with an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG). The proposed SOA-based SWFL is capable of generating up to 14 lasing channels from 1530.1 nm to 1534.9 nm at a channel spacing of 0.8 nm (100 GHz) and a bandwidth of 11.8 and 10.2 nm respectively. The EDFA-based SWFL has a higher peak power at –5 dBm, while to SOA-based SWFL has a peak power of only –10 dBm. However, the SOA-based SWFL exhibits a much better SMSR of between 10 to 20 dB as compared to the SMSR of the EDFA-based SWFL due to the inhomogeneous broadening properties of the SOA

Inverter design for high frequency power distribution

Science.gov (United States)

King, R. J.

1985-01-01

A class of simple resonantly commutated inverters are investigated for use in a high power (100 KW - 1000 KW) high frequency (10 KHz - 20 KHz) AC power distribution system. The Mapham inverter is found to provide a unique combination of large thyristor turn-off angle and good utilization factor, much better than an alternate 'current-fed' inverter. The effects of loading the Mapham inverter entirely with rectifier loads are investigated by simulation and with an experimental 3 KW 20 KHz inverter. This inverter is found to be well suited to a power system with heavy rectifier loading.

Reducing AC-Winding Losses in High-Current High-Power Inductors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nymand, Morten; Madawala, Udaya K.; Andersen, Michael Andreas E.

2009-01-01

Foil windings are preferable in high-current high-power inductors to realize compact designs and to reduce dc-current losses. At high frequency, however, proximity effect will cause very significant increase in ac resistance in multi-layer windings, and lead to high ac winding losses. This paper ...

Economic Justification of Concentrating Solar Power in High Renewable Energy Penetrated Power Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hodge, Brian S [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Kroposki, Benjamin D [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Du, Ershun [Tsinghua University; Zhang, Ning [Tsinghua University; Kang, Chongqing [Tsinghua University; Xia, Qing [Tsinghua University

2018-04-24

Concentrating solar power (CSP) plants are able to provide both renewable energy and operational flexibility at the same time due to its thermal energy storage (TES). It is ideal generation to power systems lacking in flexibility to accommodate variable renewable energy (VRE) generation such as wind power and photovoltaics. However, its investment cost currently is too high to justify its benefit in terms of providing renewable energy only. In this paper we evaluate the economic benefit of CSP in high renewable energy penetrated power systems from two aspects: generating renewable energy and providing operational flexibility to help accommodating VRE. In order to keep the same renewable energy penetration level during evaluation, we compare the economic costs between the system with a high share of VRE and another in which some part of the VRE generation is replaced by CSP generation. The generation cost of a power system is analyzed through chronological operation simulation over a whole year. The benefit of CSP is quantified into two parts: (1) energy benefit - the saving investment of substituted VRE generation and (2) flexibility benefit - the reduction in operating cost due to substituting VRE with CSP. The break-even investment cost of CSP is further discussed. The methodology is tested on a modified IEEE RTS-79 system. The economic justifications of CSP are demonstrated in two practical provincial power systems with high penetration of renewable energy in northwestern China, Qinghai and Gansu, where the former province has massive inflexible thermal power plants but later one has high share of flexible hydro power. The results suggest that the CSP is more beneficial in Gansu system than in Qinghai. The levelized benefit of CSP, including both energy benefit and flexibility benefit, is about 0.177-0.191 $/kWh in Qinghai and about 0.238-0.300 $/kWh in Gansu, when replacing 5-20% VRE generation with CSP generation.

Silicon-Carbide Power MOSFET Performance in High Efficiency Boost Power Processing Unit for Extreme Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Ikpe, Stanley A.; Lauenstein, Jean-Marie; Carr, Gregory A.; Hunter, Don; Ludwig, Lawrence L.; Wood, William; Del Castillo, Linda Y.; Fitzpatrick, Fred; Chen, Yuan

2016-01-01

Silicon-Carbide device technology has generated much interest in recent years. With superior thermal performance, power ratings and potential switching frequencies over its Silicon counterpart, Silicon-Carbide offers a greater possibility for high powered switching applications in extreme environment. In particular, Silicon-Carbide Metal-Oxide- Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors' (MOSFETs) maturing process technology has produced a plethora of commercially available power dense, low on-state resistance devices capable of switching at high frequencies. A novel hard-switched power processing unit (PPU) is implemented utilizing Silicon-Carbide power devices. Accelerated life data is captured and assessed in conjunction with a damage accumulation model of gate oxide and drain-source junction lifetime to evaluate potential system performance at high temperature environments.

Optimizing the design of very high power, high performance converters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edwards, R.J.; Tiagha, E.A.; Ganetis, G.; Nawrocky, R.J.

1980-01-01

This paper describes how various technologies are used to achieve the desired performance in a high current magnet power converter system. It is hoped that the discussions of the design approaches taken will be applicable to other power supply systems where stringent requirements in stability, accuracy and reliability must be met

Power-law photoluminescence decay in indirect gap quantum dots

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Menšík, Miroslav; Král, Karel

2013-01-01

Roč. 111, November (2013), s. 170-174 ISSN 0167-9317 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) OC10007; GA MŠk LH12186; GA MŠk LH12236; GA ČR(CZ) GAP205/10/2280 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 ; RVO:68378271 Keywords : quantum dots * indirect gap transition * power-law photoluminescence decay Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism; BE - Theoretical Physics (FZU-D) Impact factor: 1.338, year: 2013

High power density carbonate fuel cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yuh, C.; Johnsen, R.; Doyon, J.; Allen, J. [Energy Research Corp., Danbury, CT (United States)

1996-12-31

Carbonate fuel cell is a highly efficient and environmentally clean source of power generation. Many organizations worldwide are actively pursuing the development of the technology. Field demonstration of multi-MW size power plant has been initiated in 1996, a step toward commercialization before the turn of the century, Energy Research Corporation (ERC) is planning to introduce a 2.85MW commercial fuel cell power plant with an efficiency of 58%, which is quite attractive for distributed power generation. However, to further expand competitive edge over alternative systems and to achieve wider market penetration, ERC is exploring advanced carbonate fuel cells having significantly higher power densities. A more compact power plant would also stimulate interest in new markets such as ships and submarines where space limitations exist. The activities focused on reducing cell polarization and internal resistance as well as on advanced thin cell components.

A Doherty Power Amplifier with Large Back-Off Power Range Using Integrated Enhancing Reactance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wa Kong

2018-01-01

Full Text Available A symmetric Doherty power amplifier (DPA based on integrated enhancing reactance (IER was proposed for large back-off applications. The IER was generated using the peaking amplifier with the help of a desired impedance transformation in the low-power region to enhance the back-off efficiency of the carrier amplifier. To convert the impedances properly, both in the low-power region and at saturation, a two-impedance matching method was employed to design the output matching networks. For verification, a symmetric DPA with large back-off power range over 2.2–2.5 GHz was designed and fabricated. Measurement results show that the designed DPA has the 9 dB back-off efficiency of higher than 45%, while the saturated output power is higher than 44 dBm over the whole operation bandwidth. When driven by a 20 MHz LTE signal, the DPA can achieve good average efficiency of around 50% with adjacent channel leakage ratio of about –50 dBc after linearization over the frequency band of interest. The linearity improvement of the DPA for multistandard wireless communication system was also verified with a dual-band modulated signal.

Compact high voltage, high peak power, high frequency transformer for converter type modulator applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Reghu, T; Mandloi, V; Shrivastava, Purushottam

2016-04-01

The design and development of a compact high voltage, high peak power, high frequency transformer for a converter type modulator of klystron amplifiers is presented. The transformer has been designed to operate at a frequency of 20 kHz and at a flux swing of ±0.6 T. Iron (Fe) based nanocrystalline material has been selected as a core for the construction of the transformer. The transformer employs a specially designed solid Teflon bobbin having 120 kV insulation for winding the high voltage secondary windings. The flux swing of the core has been experimentally found by plotting the hysteresis loop at actual operating conditions. Based on the design, a prototype transformer has been built which is per se a unique combination of high voltage, high frequency, and peak power specifications. The transformer was able to provide 58 kV (pk-pk) at the secondary with a peak power handling capability of 700 kVA. The transformation ratio was 1:17. The performance of the transformer is also presented and discussed.

High Voltage Power Transmission for Wind Energy

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Young il

The high wind speeds and wide available area at sea have recently increased the interests on offshore wind farms in the U.S.A. As offshore wind farms become larger and are placed further from the shore, the power transmission to the onshore grid becomes a key feature. Power transmission of the offshore wind farm, in which good wind conditions and a larger installation area than an onshore site are available, requires the use of submarine cable systems. Therefore, an underground power cable system requires unique design and installation challenges not found in the overhead power cable environment. This paper presents analysis about the benefit and drawbacks of three different transmission solutions: HVAC, LCC/VSC HVDC in the grid connecting offshore wind farms and also analyzed the electrical characteristics of underground cables. In particular, loss of HV (High Voltage) subsea power of the transmission cables was evaluated by the Brakelmann's theory, taking into account the distributions of current and temperature.

High-energy power capacitors, their applied technology and the trends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-01-01

High-voltage and high-energy-density power capacitors called high-power ones such as film or electrolytic capacitors, have been used in large quantities for the pulse power technology such as an impulse current or voltage generator and a laser power supply, and for the power electronics one with progress of the power semiconductor device and the inverter technology. Recently, electric double layer capacitors (EDLC) with remarkable technical progress have been applied for the equipments of electric power and industrial field for the purpose of energy saving or electric power quality improvement, which have come to link to the electric power system. Thus, using a lot of high-power capacitors near our life would require to know the structure, the principle and the characteristic of capacitors, and also to consider suitable directions for use, maintenance and safety and so on, when carrying out a system and a facility design. In the technical report, while describing the dielectric and the feature of some high-power capacitors, and introducing the application examples to the laser-fusion power supply and some systems with EDLC, the trend of standardization of EDLC and the directivity of the examination about installation and maintenance of the applied equipments are described. (author)

Ternary Blend Composed of Two Organic Donors and One Acceptor for Active Layer of High-Performance Organic Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jong Won; Choi, Yoon Suk; Ahn, Hyungju; Jo, Won Ho

2016-05-04

Ternary blends composed of two donor absorbers with complementary absorptions provide an opportunity to enhance the short-circuit current and thus the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic solar cells. In addition to complementary absorption of two donors, ternary blends may exhibit favorable morphology for high-performance solar cells when one chooses properly the donor pair. For this purpose, we develop a ternary blend with two donors (diketopyrrolopyrrole-based polymer (PTDPP2T) and small molecule ((TDPP)2Ph)) and one acceptor (PC71BM). The solar cell made of a ternary blend with 10 wt % (TDPP)2Ph exhibits higher PCE of 7.49% as compared with the solar cells with binary blends, PTDPP2T:PC71BM (6.58%) and (TDPP)2Ph:PC71BM (3.21%). The higher PCE of the ternary blend solar cell is attributed mainly to complementary absorption of two donors. However, a further increase in (TDPP)2Ph content in the ternary blend (>10 wt %) decreases the PCE. The ternary blend with 10 wt % (TDPP)2Ph exhibits well-developed morphology with narrow-sized fibrils while the blend with 15 wt % (TDPP)2Ph shows phase separation with large-sized domains, demonstrating that the phase morphology and compatibility of ternary blend are important factors to achieve a high-performance solar cell made of ternary blends.

Improved cutting performance in high power laser cutting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Flemming Ove

2003-01-01

Recent results in high power laser cutting especially with focus on cutting of mild grade steel types for shipbuilding are described.......Recent results in high power laser cutting especially with focus on cutting of mild grade steel types for shipbuilding are described....

The high-power iodine laser